Catalog Sunday

Hi all.

This Sunday I have More from Sears winter 40-41.

Enjoy!

Still working on my halloween costume.

Things are coming along.

Its been a busy couple of days and long nights of animating for my freelance gig, so not too much progress on the costume, er, dress. But I did manage to take off the sleeves, overlock everything, and fold under and hand sew the BEST hem I've ever done!

Lookit that sexy thing!

Anyway...

All the supplies for my costume arrived in a timely manor and I'm hoping to take some of Friday and Saturday to finish it.

There is some bad news, though.

I don't have enough turquoise velvet to make a cumberbun and bow. Aw fudge. One thing I could do is wait until Saturday when Im going fabric shopping with a friend of mine (wedding stuff) and see if I can just get some new velvet then. That might not be too bad an idea, so I think I'll do that.

The sleeves are coming along fine. Ive added an extra piece for when I make the pleats in the caps of the sleeves. Then Ill turn under the edges line the kick ass hem I did and finished them that way.

One thing I did do was adjust the angle of the shoulder seam in the back of the bodice. I was getting a bit more pucker than I wanted.

*whew*

I'm running on 4 hours of sleep here. I need a nap.

Working on my halloween costume.

I'm not a huge halloween person. I mean when I got old enough and had the money to buy my candy, the nostalgia of begging for it ceased.

But as a kid, I do have very fond memories of the time. There was a neighborhood house that always hosted a party for the kids. There we would actually be scared! Remember when you could be scared on halloween, and when you trick or treated at night? We would all get loaded up in about two or three cars/trucks, and be taken to the rich neighborhoods for a good three hours. It was so much fun. Fifteen kids, four or so adults and just a lot of candy!

Now that I'm an adult, halloween is more party time and socializing. I got a complimentary ticket from a friend to an annual vintage halloween party at the Cicada Club. Its my first time going, but everyone I know who has been says that it's a great time. Tons of people dressed in vintage type costumes. It's going to be great.

I found out just a few days ago that I was going so I didn't have a lot of time to plan a costume. I did want to make something but I decided to repurpose a gown I've already made.

I'm not going to cut it up, I'm going to be wearing it.

*photo from carbonated photostream

I based this gown off a pattern cover and made it about 4 years ago when I was just starting with the thole sewing thing.

I do love the chocolate paisley fabric and even found some leftover when I cleaned out my fabric stash. The hem also has a good 4-5" on it so I can cut that down too.

The things that need to be done to the dress are simple.

I want to re-fashion the sleeves and cut off the cuff. I also want to put gathers at the top of the sleeves that mimic the bodice.

The back of the gown is fine, but I used some thick facing to keep the curved shape.

I was thinking on trimming that down, but I don't think so.

I also made a velvet wrap and a velvet belt for this dress.

The wrap I'm going to use, but Im planning on making a cumberbun and big back bow for the dress from the rest of the turquoise velvet I have. That should be a day project at most.

Tomorrow I'm going to rip out the sleeves and get those squared away. Then Ill work on the bow and the hem. Once that's done, all I'll need for my costume is a big fan. The rest of the costume is on it's way.

Etsy Updates! Patterns Galore!

Hi everyone! I've just sorted through a bounty full of new patterns and listed them in my store! All decades and all sizes. Over the week, I plan on listing more and even some from my personal collection.

Here are a small section of the ones Ive listed.

Suits suits suits!

A cute two piece blouse and skirt set from the 50s.

And the best for last. For the stout ladies, some lovely dresses.

Check out some of my listings.

Thanks and yay sewing!

Catalog Sunday

More Catalog Scans from Chicago Mail order 1941.

Patterns I'm sick of seeing: Special Edition

Everyone who has ever sewn a vintage dress knows these types of patterns.

Butterick 6015: The Walk away Dress

Butterick 6150: The Saturday Morning Dress

Everyone who has sewn vintage styles has at least attempted this dress. It's a right of passage, it truly is. I TOTALLY see their value as collectable patterns, seeing how popular they are, but I have to say, I don't know many people who wear them a year or two past the novelty of making them. They are truly that terrible.

The walk away dress is the urban legend of sewing patterns!

Butterick's most sold pattern. Production of their other patterns were stopped until backorders of this one style could be fulfilled. I don't doubt that it was popular, but what I fail to find is all the dresses that these were made of showing up in vintage boutiques and the like. Or, photographs from the time when this dress was at its peak.

Why you may ask, why don't we see this.

My theory is because the women saw how silly they looked in it, the tremendous amount of fabric it took to make it, and just said fuck it,

'I'm going to make a blouse from this dress instead.'

Hey, I fell victim too.

I made a back opening version, thinking I was so, so cute. Even used good fabric. But I was just starting into vintage sewing, and I was grading this pattern and well...

Even that isn't an excuse. It's simply a poorly designed garment.

1) It uses way too much fabric.
You are closing in on five yards, depending on your size, and you have no guarantee that the dress will even stay closed. You are working with a circle skirt and a basic towel piece in the front. Any guest of wind is going to show your skivvies, more so that just a basic circle skirt. At least with one of those, you can use one hand to get the skirt anchored if a gust comes your way.


2) So much finishing.
The dress often touts an 'easy' to make monicker, but truth be told, the lack of a button front or side zip just account for more finishing on the sides of the dress. Get ready for bias tape bonanza!

3) Incredibly difficult to fit.
Most wrap garments are. The shoulders can be such a problem. Too long in the upper bust and you can get huge gape beneath the arm. Not tied tight enough and you get gape beneath the arm. Sneeze? You get gaping beneath the arm. The design of the garment is a smock. Sleeveless, which for me, is a big problem anyway.

4) I can not begin to stress how incredibly unflattering this dress design is on 98% of female bodies! Its amazing how this style can make a short torso look too long, or a hippy gal look like a bean pole. Brava, Butterick pattern.

In the years I've been sewing, I've made some terrible stuff. Horrendous in fact, but I've never felt stupid in anything I've made, until this style. Its amazing to me how popular this dress is still. Its been in reproduction for years, and there are sites and groups dedicated to it. And no matter how stellar the construction is, the dress still looks ill fitting.

I guess this dress is one of those enigmas in life.

You know, like black holes, or white after Labor Day.

Overalls progress: Nearly finished!

Hello all.

I know this week has been a bit lax with posts. I'm working on a freelance gig that has taken my spare time away. Don't worry, it's only for a few weeks, then, unless more work comes my way, I'll be back to my regular post count.

But in-between waiting for approval for things, I've been finishing up my overalls. I really like them.

The bib and the button back of the seat fit great. My only problem is attaching the bib to the waist of the pants.

At first I thought of buttons sewn on the bib, then loops on the belt, but that would be a serious challenge to put on, so I'm going to get a coat zipper made in a special length and sew that to the inside of the waist.

Of course I decide this AFTER I sewed in 20 buttons to the waist of the bib!

I think thats the best way to go, but my only concern with that is when I'm wearing the pants and not the bib, the row of zipper teeth. I'll have to be careful what type of shirt I wear, or perhaps Ill put in a thin piece of fabric to cover the teeth wen I wear the pants solo.

So much to think of, huh! :)