Fall for Cotton: Vintage Shirt-Dress

I have a reasonable size collection of vintage patterns that I seem to admire more than I sew. When I saw that Rochelle and Tasha were holding a Fall for Cotton sewalong and the Monthly Stitch challenge was vintage, well I took the not so subtle hint to make up another of my patterns.

It was definitely difficult to narrow it down but I finally decided on Mail Order Pattern-o-rama 8299, date unknown but has to be 40s I think.  I love me a shirt-dress and really like the button detailing on this one. Plus I already had the fabric and just the right amount of matching buttons in my stash! It was meant to be!

The sweetheart neckline is cute too

The construction of this was fairly straight forward, although a little unusual by modern standards. The front bodice is sewn together, then the back pieces are sewn together and they are joined at the shoulders. As the back does not have a waist seam, but the front does, it is a little weird to try on at this point at you end up with a back skirt and no front skirt!  I was wanting to check for fit as I had only tissue fitted, I didn't make a muslin. My cotton fabric was cheap at $2/m so I was treating this as a wearable muslin with my effort towards quality of finish varying depending on the fit! (spoiler alert - I was happy with the fit so it has been finished properly)

The collar was then attached, followed by the front skirt, side seams and then the sleeves. No zip, the button front is functional unlike my previous vintage shirt-dress.

Most times when you read about vintage patterns people say there is no ease so buy your measurements. However, this pattern is a size 35" pattern and my bust measurement is 37" and it fitted perfectly with no alterations required.  I only shortened the bodice by about one inch and narrowed the shoulders by about an inch as they were pretty wide and likely designed for shoulder pads.

I felt a little bit "Call the Midwife" looking as I made this but made a few changes to try to stop it looking too nurse-uniform like.  The buttons help a lot I think, they are vintage, embroidered and picked up on a trip to Cairns last year for 10 cents each! If only buttons were this reasonably priced!!

I also played with my machine's fancy stitching on the hems of the sleeve and skirt.  I knew I didn't want to hand stitch and I figured if you were going to see the stitching I might as well make it pretty. I know it's not traditionally vintage, but I don't mind, I wasn't going for a completely authentic finish (although I did pink all my seams, mostly because I didn't have matching thread!).

Sorry, I did the buttonholes on my machine :) I know I could have done them by hand, but to be honest, I didn't want to! I really don't like hand-sewing, yep lazy I know, but if my machine does it then why not, and I'm all for efficiency.

I did shorten the skirt by about 5" to a more wearable modern day length.  I think even "back in the day" I would have had to shorten it too, I am only 5'2" after all and besides wouldn't I have had to ration fabric?

BTW - the "pockets" are completely decorative, just flaps!

Details:

Pattern - Pattern-o-rama 8299

Fabric - 2.4m of cotton poplin from my stash

Notions -  11 buttons also from my stash (I have one spare in case I lose one!), thread

So that's my Fall for Cotton/Monthly Stitch dress - what about you?  Did you make something for either of these challenges?  If so, share in the comments below, I would love to see!

Fanbloomintastic Dress

Do you ever go a store and just fall in love with a fabric and just have to have it?  Of course you do, all us sewers do, amirite?  It's part of the process, seeing a fabric, loving it and making the garment of our imaginations.

I came across this fabric in my local Spotlight recently and just had to have it.  I loved the faded red colour, the floral print and the pattern placement. It is a light polished cotton and feels divine to wear.  I know the patter looks a little curtain like, but I don't care!

Again I used good old Simplicity 2444 for the bodice, now that I have the fit perfected for me, this is a nice quick make for me now. I lowered the neckline as I feel this is more flattering for my lady lumps :)

I never seem to bother with the skirt from the pattern so instead this is just a dirndl (gathered rectangle) using twice the full width of the fabric (once for the front, once for the back), gathered and of course with pockets!

One of my favourite things about this pattern is that it doesn't have lots of fancy detailing so the fabric can take be the focus.

This is closer to the real colour

Again, I left off the neck and armhole facings, I really don't like facings, and a bias finish is so much easier if you don't mind seeing a stitching line. This time I used a self-made bias, attaching it so it is visible, basically enclosing the raw edges. I first sewed his to the right side, and then stitched in the ditch to catch in the back.

It's a great dress for meetups too!  I wore it for a recent afternoon tea with fellow bloggers, Steph (also of Cake Patterns), Rachel and Reana.

Picture courtesy of mymessings.com

So now, I am off to play with my new toy!



Yep, I bought a cover stitch machine!!  I have coveted one of these for ages and now I finally have one, oh the fun things I can make now.  I sense a new obsession with stretch fabric in my near future!!

Frocktails and a new Elisalex

Recently the Aussie blogosphere has been all atwitter with excitement at the idea of Frocktails.  The basic premise - make a dress, wear it and turn up for a night of dinner and cocktails - brilliant!  The lovely Kat of All the Whimsical Things tirelessly organised the event to be held at a local Melbourne restaurant and 28 sewists turned out in self-made dresses and it was fabulous!!

with Amanda of Bimble & Pimble

I didn't take nearly as many pictures as intended, I guess I was talking too much - so jump across to Mel's blog for more pics and to see everyone's wonderful dresses.

Belle, Rachel, Mel and Kat

Needless to say, a new dress was required for the occasion. I settled on another version of the Elisalex, I love my previous version but of course I have already worn that - I needed something new!

As I had made it before construction wise I didn't change too much although I did cut a much smaller size in the shoulders, this time was a 6 and grading to a 10 for the rest of the bodice.  I raised the shoulders about 1cm and took a 1" wedge out of the upper back which resulted in a near perfect fit.

But my pièce de résistance is the pockets - not only have I put some in, I had an idea (brilliant if I say so myself) of putting an invisible zipper on one so that I could put my cards & cash in for going out.  No more carrying a handbag or worrying where it is when I have had too many cocktails. Genius I say!!  (yep modest much?)

Can you see the zip?? Me neither!!

Whilst I was in Melbourne I also did rather a lot of fabric shopping so I may have to consider a self-imposed ban whilst I do a bit of catch up! Ok, considered and I don't want to be rash, what if something else comes along? ;)

Look out for next year's meetup in Sydney!!

Swooshy Swishy Goodness Dress

It's another Butterick Repro B5748, this time true to the pattern unlike my previous version. I love this dress - it's so swooshy and fun to wear.  I wore it to work today and spent all day twirling and swooshing the super full circle skirt.

The only change I made to this pattern was to do an FBA and to raise the shoulders. Interestingly I had my lovely friend Marjorie assist me with the hemming and in the process she marked the shoulders and I learnt that my shoulders sit at quite different levels. My right one is nearly 1cm higher than the left! It's due to an old injury that I knew had left over effects, but that was one I wasn't aware of!

Normally I am fine hemming skirts by myself, but this dress was different. The circle skirt requires the dress to be hung and left to drop for a couple of days.  The result?  The hem looked like I was drunk when I cut it! Check out my instagram pic here. It was crazy wonky, up and down, not a little bit, but inches of difference. I blame the fabric.

Marjorie has this wonderful old tool, from maybe the 80s that puffs chalk at the prescribed level as I just stood there and spun around!! A marvellous gadget!! Then all we had to do was cut and sew - genius!

I stopped twirling for a minute ;)

I finished the skirt with my first proper rolled hem, I tried photographing it, but due to the dark fabric the pics were rubbish, you'll just have to take my word for it that its pretty good, I am pretty proud of the effort I put into it.

The fabric is a mystery super flowy drapy blend bought at Walthamstow earlier in the year. When I bought it I thought it was black, but in some lights it seems like a super dark navy. Either way, I don't care, and I am treating it as black!

The fabric was hideous to sew, it moved so much and was too floppy. In retrospect I would have used a pattern with a less fitted bodice, but c'est la vie, it is not awful and the circle skirt really works with the drape, and besides I can twirl!  Who can complain at that!?!

No more Winter sewing for me - Summer is well and truly on the way here - already it has been 25-28 degrees most day - if this is Spring, I think Summer may be hideous. I foresee many more summery dresses in my future...Cambie, perhaps a Saltspring, definitely a Belledone, who knows what else?

What are you all working on for the new season?

Completed: Polka Dot B5748

My lovely hubby and I spent last weekend up in Noosa (an hour and a half drive up the coast from where we live) - what a perfect opportunity to give my new dress an outing and give you lovely readers a change from my usual backdrops!

Technically it is still winter here, but seriously look at this weather, it was just fabulous, we are so spoilt. It was a gorgeous 25ºC - perfection!

This is a new pattern to me, Butterick 5478, a vintage repro pattern with great back neckline detail. Whilst I love the end result, it definitely is not perfect, nevertheless I don't care and know this will get stacks of wear!

The fabric is a polka dot cotton bought ages that I had stashed for the perfect pattern and I think this might be it!

I made quite a few modifications to get the fit and one to rescue a fit issue that I couldn't be bothered fussing with!  First the rescue - I was having some issues getting the waist darts to sit properly due to the FBA, they just looked silly and wouldn't sit flat. I then just cut the bottom off the bodice and replaced it with a band that I piped with white satin piping bought some time ago.  Then I ran into another drama, I cut the waistband and piping a touch too small and the waist didn't fit, so I cast it aside for about four months. No idea how I did that, guess I was having a blonde moment and measured wrong, or perhaps I cut what I wanted to be instead of what I am ;)

"Move your arms, do something interesting" says hubby/director/photographer

I pulled it out again recently as I have lost a little weight and yay it fitted!  So I finished it off with an invisible zipper and a pleated dirndl skirt.

My pattern alterations:
- FBA
- shortened bodice by 1"
- added waistband
- dirndl skirt instead of circle (didn't have enough fabric)

As always, I still think I could do a lot more to improve the fit for next time, but I am not sure that anyone apart from sewers and me would even notice.  We really are own worst critics aren't we? Aside from the imperfections, I love, love, LOVE this dress!! I think this with a bit of tweaking, this  my next TNT pattern!  Oh and next time, it really needs pockets.

 
A bit of self indulgence :)

Completed: Elisalex Dress

Today I had a work function to attend, at the races!  When I heard about it my first thought was that of course I would need a new dress.  It is winter here at the moment...OK, not winter by you Northern America or Europe folks standards, but winter nonetheless.  Yep, I know it doesn't get below 8º Celsius (46ºF) at night and during the day is mostly around 20 degrees (68ºF), but we are conditioned to be soft and this is cold for me!! 

When deciding which dress pattern to make my first thought was the Elisalex by By Hand London as it has a sleeve option - winner!!  I have seen so many lovely options around the blogosphere, have you seen Dolly Clackett's versions here and here or Ooobop's version?

This is my first time making this up, although I had made a rough muslin a few weeks ago.  My muslin was quite dodgy obviously as I ended up having to do quite a few alterations to this make.  I cut a size 12 and didn't do an FBA as I thought with the princess seams I would have plenty of room for adjustment.  This worked a treat, my issues were elsewhere and I will detail those soon.

Excuse the wrinkles, I have worn this all day!

Aside from the alterations that really only come down to my body shape, this pattern comes together easily and beginners should not be afraid to try it as there is plenty of options to alter the fit and princess seams to me are very forgiving for this.

My alterations:
- additional 2" off the back centre seam (1" each side?
- narrowing shoulder seam by approx. 1"
- shortening bodice by 1"
- bringing in side seams by .25"
- narrowed sleeves by approx 1"
- shortened the skirt by 8" - yep 8", this dress is made for tall people!!
- inserted an invisible zip instead of an exposed one

Due to these changes the sleeves no longer fitted in the armhole, but instead of redrafting the curve I decided to pleat them at the top with a box pleat that you can just see in the pic above.

I also changed the construction method a bit, instead of hand stitching the lining at the sleeves, I caught it in when attaching the sleeves. I realize I never photograph the insides to show you, so here is how I finish my garments.  Most of the time I just overlock my seams, no fancy bound seams for me!

One other addition I made was to add bra strap stays. As the shoulders are quite wide (perhaps more so on me, I have narrow shoulders?) when trying it on my straps kept peeking out - I hate that, so this afterthought, whilst not super attractive is certainly functional.  For future makes (and there will be more) I will do this again, but will catch the strap in when attaching the lining so it is more tidy.



Initially I was not sure how this silhouette would look on me, I thought the tulip skirt might make me look hippy, but now it is finished I love it. I think the contrast of the fitted top and the tulip skirt really makes the waist look smaller.  I got so many compliments today and people were asking where my dress was from. There were 80 people at the function and three people were wearing the same dress so at least I was safe from that happening!

Did you notice I made a matching fascinator?  I was also nominated for one of the best hats of the day!

As for how I went at the races...I didn't win anything - I am terrible at picking horses.  I am, however, good at the eating and drinking bit and chose to excel in these areas - especially the bubbly!!

Vogue Mash-Up Dress

Recently my new friend Marjorie, also living in Brisbane, invited me around to check out her Burda collection. Not in the "check out my etchings" style, but in a generous sewing kind of way.  She ended up lending me a few patterns and Vogue 8663 (OOP) was one of them.

I loved the pleated neckline and immediately imagined as the perfect pattern for the teal ponti bought in the UK recently.  One problem...I didn't have quite enough fabric for the full skirt.  However, in a stroke of genius (if I do say so myself), I remembered V8667 and the great box pleat skirt, so I mashed the two together. Voila!

This was super easy as they are both Vogue patterns and so the measurements are fairly similar.  Also any discrepancy in waist measurement could easily be hidden by adjusting the box pleat. Ha!

I really like the pleating around the neck although found it a little tricky to get sitting just right, the pattern is a little confusing as it gives the impression the pleats are stitched down. Anyway I forged ahead to get the look I was happy with and it seemed to work.  The only thing I am not 100% happy about is the dress isn't lined so the neck is simply finished with bias leaving an obvious stitching line which I am not sure I like. No-one else seemed to notice though, so perhaps I am being overly critical.

Hmmm...a bit obvious I have been sitting in it today, sorry!

Pattern alterations:
- shortening the bodice length my standard 1"
- narrowing the shoulders slightly
- here's the surprise - FBA not required - I guess the pleats provide enough ease



I know this may emphasise my boobs, but hey, they get stared at anyway, so what's the difference?!

Whilst I love the end result of the ponti, for some reason my machine hated it and the sewing was painful with the machine skipping stitches all the time. So infuriating!! The worst was when I twin needled the hem - I used a stretch 70 needle and look at the result:

The left stitch was fine and the right kept skipping!  It was a brand new needle out of the packet.  I tried changing the thread, the bobbin, the tension and I tried a non-stretch needle. I threw it aside for a couple of days in disgust all prepared to take my machine to the shop, although it was sewing other fabrics fine. But then I had an epiphany, try every single twin needle I have!  I ended up using a size 75 twin needle with a blue marker on the top, I can only presume this is a blue tip needle?  I have no idea as I don't even know where the needle came from, it is part of a large number of loose needles I inherited from somewhere. Anyway it doesn't matter - it finally worked!! I was contemplating buying a new machine!!  (any excuse right?)  Perhaps a coverstitch machine might be the way to go forward.....hmm I digress.

Have you ever had a frustrating experience like this?  Did you persevere, or give up??

MMM - Day 11 and a new Tiramisu

Day 11 of Me-Made-May was a reasonably warm day in Nashville and I was able to take this dress out of my suitcase finally!

This is my second Tiramisu, my first (blogged here) was reasonable successful when first made, but over time has stretched and stretched and now is not looking so great. Still comfy as heck but I don't really leave the house in it too much now.  The fabric has a lot of looseness to it and when it stretches, it doesn't bounce back. Aaah, the things we learn from fabric choice.

My second version I made a little differently. I cut a size 35 bodice but with an inch off the bottom. I also took just over an inch off the depth of the waistband (since I am a shortie). This fixed some of the fit issues I had on the first version. Instead of following the pattern marking, I draped the bodice on to get the bodice to sit right. I also ended up running in the side seams by about 1.5"and now, finally, I am happy with the fit.

Also as before I omitted the pockets, whilst I love pockets, I didn't want to add them, stick my hands in them and stretch the dress out of shape.

My best improvement this time was my choice of fabric, a high quality cotton rayon with a small amount of spandex.  I think the spandex has really helped the fabric to keep its shape rather than stretching indefinitely.

With these changes I am now really happy with this pattern, I love the swooshy skirt and the flattering neckline, plus the dress can easily be super casual or dressed up.

I hope you are all enjoying Me-Made-May!

Vintage Vogue 9463 and a spot of tea

Do you ever go away for the weekend and then find it takes several days to get back on track again?  I went to Melbourne last weekend and still don't feel back on top of things. Why do chores not just do themselves?

Anyway, enough moaning and on to the point!

As you may have heard in the blogosphere, Mel of Poppykettle arranged a high tea (Sewcietea) so that sewers have the ideal opportunity to show off their fancy garments.  What a perfect excuse for a weekend away to Melbourne. I used airpoints and mooched accommodation from my brother, so a cheap weekend away. Plus it was my birthday last week, so it was like a present to myself!

This dress is a combined birthday/Sewcietea dress. The pattern is Vintage Vogue 9463 from 1958. I love the bow detail and the pleating detail on the skirt.

I used a light cotton that was a dream to sew, is light to wear, falls beautifully and isn't see through - what more could a girl want from a dress?!  It also went together really well with no major alterations needed.  I think the only change I made was to the sleeves as I didn't have enough fabric to do the cuffs.

We had such a lovely afternoon eating little sandwiches, mini savouries and of course dessert!  Check out the pictures of the day here.

I am sure I ate too much, but can you really have too much of a good thing?? I had so much fun meeting a bunch of sewers I had previously only chatted to on Twitter or via blogs.  There were 26 of us all up, all in our own homemade dresses.  It was really funny how we were admiring fabrics, finishes, patterns and construction.  There was a lot of turning up dresses to see the seam allowances!!

One of the best parts is that it is going to be an annual event!!

PS - thanks to Rachel of MyMessings for taking my blog pics :)

The Lazy Daisy Dress

I am having somewhat of a wardrobe crisis at the moment.  I need more dresses. Weird I know, because I sew right? So I should have loads, but I have been making a lot of separates lately and recently I have found whenever I go somewhere I really want to wear a dress, and I only have a couple that I am happy wearing. Also, ever since I cut my hair short, I feel like wearing dresses every day.  So...let April be the month of the dress!!

This is Simplicity 2444 that I also made here.

I called this "lazy" as due to all the work I did last time on the fit, all I had to do this time was cut and sew, no fussing around with fitting!  I love that!!

The fabric is a textured cotton sateen bought from Chic Fabrics on last year's trip to NYC. It is reasonably thick and so didn't require lining.  As is pretty normal for me, I used bias binding to face the armholes and neckline. No special techniques on the make, just super straight forward, no fancy seams or hemming and all on the machine - see, told you it was lazy!

Easter has come and gone and so Summer is supposed to be officially over.  We are still getting pretty warm days so hopefully I can wear this a few more times before winter sets in.

Next on the agenda some trans-seasonal pieces and to finalise (read: make) what I am wearing to Sewcietea next weekend!!