Catalog Sunday

This Sunday it's Chicago Mail Order, 1941

Chocolate 30s wool Crepe Dress Progress

Happy Saturday.

My internet is still out and I'm in a very sour mood about it, but I have more pressing things to worry about. Like this dress!

Actually it's nearly complete, and it turns out I have some place to wear it on Sunday. I'm going to Cicada! Mickey Rooney is singing, and apparently its a big deal, so a lot of us are going! Hehehe!

Anyway, the dress.

Last time we talked, I was working on attaching the two front pieces. My deal is when I have something that matches like this, to make sure it matches at the side seams as well. I know is supposed to anyway, but you would be surprised at how tough that can be, especially if you alter the garment beforehand.

*raises hand*

They didn't match too well so I had to do some altering. Like forty minutes of altering. I got them *near* perfect, I guess. I think that was my limit. The next time I make this dress, because let's face it, the bodice detail is fairly bitchin', I'll alter my pattern to compensate.

Another challenge I find is crepe. I do so love wool crepe but its not a very friendly fabric to work with. It can pull and tug and stress and you won't notice it until a bit later when there is no way to change what you did. Darn you, wool crepe!

One thing I've learned to do, and this might just be me, is I actually add about 1-1 1/2" to the waist and blend it in.

It takes away a lot of the pull that I find happens with wool crepe, especially if its cut into a gored skirt. Crepe is heavy, especially mine because I machine washed to kill some shrinkage, so it tightened up to a rather grand texture. Letting it hang like I mentioned in the earlier post let a lot of the skirt gather just fall out. I steam pressed out the rest.

Next were the sleeves. Again, my need to not have top stitching. I had a choice: Top stitch on the tie for the sleeves as is suggested in the pictures for the pattern (the instruction sheet was missing), or, do it my way which will take more time, but will look more awesome.

I'm sure by now your can tell which one I picked.

I gathered the cuffs of the puff sleeve and stitched where the tie cuff said it needed to be stitched. With sleeves with gathers, I always pay close attention to matching notches. In the past I didn't and I'd be all perplexed as to why my sleeve kept twisting. Well, stupid me, it's because those notches not only tell you where and how much to gather, but help keep the drape of the sleeve straight because that's hard to see when all that fabric is bunched up.

So look listen and hand stitch. I pinned the cuff to the sleeve and I decided to had stitch the inside first, then do a hidden stitch for the front. So I sewed each cuff on twice. Yeah, I know. But the stitches are not seen and you have to admit, it looks cool.

But then I had another dilemma. Okay, in a lot of 30s pattern I have, often finishes with tassels like this sleeve are instructed to simply be tied together, as if the fabric were as thin a silk and tying four layers of fabric into a know was nothing at all.

HA!

The crepe was way too thick to be tied. You think I would have learned that lesson after the skull cap hats :) In this case, I needed to have the cuff, which was a snug fit, be able to open and close, so a permanent tie was not an option. I decided to make a fake bow with the cuffs because I had to use all that fabric!

I bunched up each side of the cuff and sewed it down. Next I broke out my vintage hook and eye packets which I say I forgot how AWESOME they were! So much so that I must do a post on them later, seriously, they are amazing. With the hook and eyes I can simply open and close the cuffs at my leisure and the 'bow' the folded pieces make mimics the original design. I love it when a plan works out.

I put in the zipper and now all I have to do is hem the skirt. I am gonna look so cute! Hmm...what accessories should I wear with this!? A hat perhaps?

Way ahead of you.

Finished photos (of the hat) on NVL.

Tremendously Two-Tone

Hello all.

It's no secret I love combining fabrics in the garments I make. Sometimes I cross stripes, or pair polka dots with plaid. I think pairing different fabrics is a great way to highlight the design elements on a garment.

But I've always had a weakness for two tone styles. I've done it with hats, blouses, and even my Gardenia Dress. I love the idea of pairing bold colors together. I think it's a sophisticated way to make a garment pop, and can be a down right flattering ascetic to the wearer as well.

It's no wonder that type of design element was so stylish in the war time 40s.

So youthful, and a practical way to use up fabric when you may not have enough for a full dress or blouse. Looking on some of the patterns I have from that time, I just adore the two and even three or four tone suggestions that are given on the envelope covers.

That's not to say that you can't make any garment a two tone. I don't even think it takes that much planning. I often dig around in my fabric stash just to see what fabrics I have left over from a larger completed project that I can fashion into something else.

Take my newest Simplicity dress for instance.

This dress is an amalgam of three different wool crepes, each one not a large enough remnant to make a full garment. The maroon/brick crepe was JUST enough to make into the skirt and back bodice, of which I had to do some serious piecing. The front and sleeves are cream, and because the skirt was not long enough, I made a band around the bottom for length, but I do think it's a great effect.

Even had enough left over to whip up my new favorite beret.

So go for it, be daring and don't fret if you ran out of fabric for a project. Improvise and see what else you have in the stash, or plan ahead intending to alternate fabrics. You may be pleasantly surprised.

More images of the two-tone dress and beret are on NVL.

Red & Cream Dream

It's getting colder. Not too fast here in Los Angeles, but it's time to start thinking about warmer clothes. I had this old wool Pendleton that I usurped form a giant pile of clothes at a thrift store some time ago.

I knew it didn't fit, and it was pretty moth eaten in some places, but the wool was so bright and lush that I couldn't pass it by. I stowed it away for some time. I guess waiting on it to call to me to make something out of it. I had always planned a hat with it, perhaps a bag of sorts, and when the beret pattern in chambray turned out so well, I just couldn't help myself. The beret was only a sleeve and a half! Yay! Bag, here I come.

I think the striped piping makes the beret so sporty.

More photos on NVL.

But the red and cream idea didn't start with this hat. Actually it was this dress that is still in the works. You know how you have some fabric, but not enough to make anything substantial but you see a remnant in the store and you just have to have it.

That's how it was with this wool crepe I purchased. Each remnant piece was no more than a yard and a half, but I didn't want to pass them up. I bought these a long time ago, and I always planned to make a two tone garment from them, but then I used one of the larger pieces on something else and the one garment idea just fell away.

Now enters my new favorite dress pattern.

After making some stays, I knew I could finally get the dress to the point of awesomeness. I did all the same touches I did on the first attempt, the chambray linen (i'll have pictures of that one soon). I hand basted the gathers, but with the stays, I was able to be more accurate, and i mean isn't that the point!?

I trimmed the front sipper and d neckline with a woven wool and I love the subtle detail of it.

Because the maroon wool (more reddish than purplish maroon) was too short to make the skirt the length I liked, I used some of the cream wool that was stained. You can't see it on the strips I cut for the skirt, so the addition was perfect!

The thing about two tone garments is that they take a while to make because you can get obsessive about the thread matching. What, I'm alone in that?

I matched the threads for the side zip, I'm a dork.

What remains are the sleeves, the hem, and a hook and eye for the neckline. I may make a shoulder brooch for this dress out of the mums pattern in my flower repro. I've been wanting to make that flower for a while and it seems simple enough.

I hope to have the dress completed in a day or two. I'm just bummed that the red of the beret does not match. Aw well. We cant have everything.

Scalloped goodness: The blouse progression.

I figured I'd start off the month with some B-52's. 'Bouncing off the Satellites', to be precise.

Ah, it's good to be back in the old clothes again. All that blue was turning my breath minty fresh :)

I altered the scalloped blouse pattern from earlier in the week. Just cleaned up some lines and altered the back so that droop beneath the under arm would lessen.

I'm frankly surprised at how fast these come together.

It's really a day project, if that once the pieces are all cut out. On this one I used some wool crepe that I've had for at least 8 months. I was going to use it for another pattern, kind of as a test, because I don't think the color works too well with my skin tone, but I wanted to make this blouse again, and I don't think this blouse would work in a stiffer fabric. It drapes best with something drippy.

What I did differently was I hand basted the gathers. That spaces them out more and makes them softer. I'm really liking the progress on this one and I'll be done shortly.

On another note...

I thought this would be a good time to take stock of where I am with this blog. Don't worry, this isn't a find myself query. I'm curious to know if there is anything you, my awesome reader would like me to cover. Any projects you'd care for me to tackle? Any things you'd like me to research. I am thinking of doing a burn test/fiber evaluation post soon, but other than that, it's my projects as usual.

Opinions welcome!

Skirt it!

Im really loving this pattern.

This skirt is made from a wool crepe that I got cheap because it supposedly has a 'flaw' running down its fold. It washed out, so I got 6 yards of this sick fabric for $2 a yard, whoo hoo!

I ran short on the fabric because I made something else with it, so I had to piece the center panel. It worked rather well. I also added some special touches. I top stitched the pleat down and I also stitched the pleat on the inside to keep the shape of the pleat.

Also, with the hem, and the seam of the front sides, I notched the pieces and turned the hem the other way so I wouldn't get too much bulk at the fold of the pleat.

I think that is rather clever. This thing is going to be awesome for dancing.

Finished images on NVL.

I also got this real cool ribbed silk jacket at the thrift store for $6. The fabric just haunted me and I went past the jacket like 4 times. It looked unfinished, but it had been worn (It was a bit musty). I took it apart and now I appreciate even more all that goes into making a suit jacket. Im going to use the fabric for a beret and a drawstring purse.

My next project is for a get-together at a Tiki restaurant next week. Ive had this red cotton fabric for a long time, but didn't know which dress to make with it. I think Im going to use this Hollywood number. Ive made it once, but I feel drawn to it now. I have to redraft the pattern, but Im looking forward to it.

Also, Ive recently signed up at the super cool blog Sew Retro as a contributor! Im looking forward to that. Now I gotta find something to sew! *wink wink*

DuBarry 5355 skirt progress

Well, the "I'll finish in one day" skirt turned into two days. Dont they always?

Tailors tacks of the pleated front.

The waist band is a bit wider as the pattern has it than I line, so next time I think Ill make it smaller.

This rayon blend crepe was a bear to work with, but after I resized, and had to take in the waist again, I managed to get a good fit.

The front all put together.

Inside joined with front sides.

Skirt right side out.

Generally when I resize something the first time its too snug around the hips to my liking, but this one worked out rather well. I have an 11" difference from my hips to waist, and it can be a real pain when fitting. It drapes great, and the front pleat s dont pull. Not too shabby for doing this with no instructions.

The waist, again, was my biggest problem. Because I sized the waist up about 2" larger than needed, I cut down about an inch and then basted the waist and gathered the difference. One reason was this fabric has stretch, and I didnt want to stretch it out at the pleats (which it does not, yay!) also, I thought it would help with drape, which it did, yay again.

I do need to work on the hem, so I got out my trusty hem marker (I love that thing) and used it.

The top is next, and Im really looking forward to the set complete. The good fir of the skirt gives me great encouragement. Ill post finished pictures of the skirt when the hem is fixed on NVL.