Sew Committed: Sewing Goals for 2017!

2016 was a slow year on the blog.  I had some great sewing projects during the year, but it didn't feel like enough sewing time.  I'm looking forward to sewing more in 2017.  Here are my sewing goals for the year.

1.  Focus on upcycling.  I continue to be excited by reusing textiles from cast off clothing and homegoods.  I like a look that smoothly incorporates castoffs so that the finished product does not look too disjointed or over-planned.

2.  Lagenlook.  Let's face facts - I'm over 50 and I've been reading a few articles lately about styles that should be retired from my wardrobe.  Also, at the New Year's gala I attended, I couldn't help but notice a striking, slim woman wearing a lovely teal strapless evening gown.  She was probably in her 60s.  Though the dress fit nicely, it looked as though her back and shoulders were melting over the bodice of her gown.  Her skin was too slack to rock the strapless look.  Because of this experience, as well as my recent reading, I'm always on the lookout for designs that will flatter an aging figure.  The term lagenlook comes from German and means "layered look".  It can be done sleek and businesslike or ruffly and boho.  I've been interested for a while in adding more of these pieces to my closet.

3.  Vintage!  Vintage looks are always inspiring,  I love to "play dress-up", but I also look for vintage patterns that can be worn for everyday use.  Edwardian fashion, the jazz age and mod 60s looks are all of interest to me now.

4.  Perfecting techniques.  Another goal for this year's sewing is to work on perfecting some of the techniques I've used before to make sewing even more enjoyable.  Rolled hems, blind hems, lightweight fabrics, knits, hand stitched buttonholes and flawless zippers are easily called to mind examples.

I look forward to sharing my progress toward these goals with you!  As always, please feel free to add a comment with ideas about anything you might like to see me do this year.  Thanks, and happy sewing!

Downton Dress V and One Hour Dress

Getting very near to completion on the Downton Dress.  Progress has been somewhat impeded by my new (but terrific) job.  Here are some pictures of the embellishments so far.  I don't want to add anything else until my friend tries it on and we get those beautiful bakelite clasps on.

 So, now completely enamored with 1920s style, I decided to give the famous "One Hour Dress" a try.  The instructions are pretty ubiquitously available online. This is a Mary Brooks Pickens design created as "a smart, up-to-the-minute dress" which could be cut out, sewn and be ready to wear within an hour!  Now, let's be real.  For the seamstress of that era, who knew exactly what she wanted to accomplish, this may have been possible.  However, I can say without a doubt, I've spent more than an hour so far.  I made my dress from a recycled bedspread.

This was a fussy, dry clean only bedspread my mom had been using just a few years ago.  I cut the dress per the measurements and instructions of Ms. Pickens.  I added a little pleat detail at the left hip.

It is coming out very nicely.  I just have to decide how to finish the sleeves and I will be done!  I admit that I took advantage of hems already placed for the bedspread.  Unfortunately, there is some sun fading on the fabric, so I will probably consider this one a wearable muslin and make more.  It was incredibly easy and fun!

A cloche hat and some period correct shoes and I'll be all set!  Have you tried the "One Hour Dress"? Please let me know about your results in the comments!

That Downton Dress-II

One challenge with a vintage pattern is a scarcity of directions - even when the pattern is a repro, Much was assumed about the skill of the seamstress.  This dress has many handkerchief leaves in its hem, with no direction as to how to finish them.  A couture dress is distinguished by the hand sewing that goes into its production, so I decided hand rolled hems would be the most appropriate for this gown.  This is a painstaking process, but very rewarding in the end.

First, the raw edge is folded over and held in place with a tiny running stitch.  Then, a running zigzag is made, taking only a few threads into each stitch.

Here's another look in case my big thumb was obscuring your view.

After you've made a half dozen or so of these stitches, gently pull on the thread and it magically rolls into a beautiful rolled hem, which looks like this from the wrong side:

And, like this from the outside of the garment:

I'm super happy with the look of this, but there are a lot of them to do! Hope your week's sewing is going well!

Top 3 Finds of the Day

Today was my first real yard/estate sale foray of the season!  I love these sales for a lot of reasons. First, since many of the things that do not sell at a yard sale end up in the trash, I feel as though I am diverting things from landfills. Second, they are a wealth of raw materials to the crafter or sewist. Today was particularly productive for me.  I hit about five sales, and purchased things at three of them.  Here are my top three finds, which were all sewing related!

I just love this little pewter finish Timex sewing machine clock.  I'm not certain of the age of the item, but some quick online research says sometime between 1970 and the present.  The replaceable battery sits under the base and is reachable with a tiny screwdriver.  This is a welcome addition to my little sewing room!

The second sale at which I made a purchase yielded these lovely vintage linen pieces.  I just love vintage linens.  I use them around the house, and I also use them in crafting and sewing.  These do show some staining and wear, so a little bath is in order to see how these will be used.

Last, and possibly the most exciting to me is this large haul of sewing patterns.  I scored about 250 patterns in one stop.  Most of these are 1960's and newer, but nothing that looks to be newer than 2000.  You are seeing them after I transferred them into these wire baskets.  They were stored in a large cardboard box which was coming apart at the seams, and in a plastic garbage bag. In other words, not really stored in an archival manner! However, the treasure trove here is incredible.  Children's, women's, men's ... Simplicity, Vogue, Butterick, McCall and a few smaller brands ... day clothes, evening wear, accessories and even a few craft patterns.  I will be keeping some to use myself, but the vast majority will be posted for sale in my Etsy shop!

So, I had a productive morning (back home by noon)!  Leave me a comment sharing what your best yard sale find has been!  Oh, and please let me know how you feel about the new design of the blog... good? Or do I need to keep working on it?

1920s Gown ala Downton Abbey Style

It's been a very, very long time since I've had any time to catch up with you!  I hope you have been well. I've been terribly preoccupied with a day job which no longer fit my needs, so I'm back with you, able to blog once more!  I'm very excited about the project that I am working on for a dear friend.

It's number 5941 from the Vintage Pattern Lending Library, a 1920's evening gown.  These patterns are tricky.  As stated in the materials enclosed in the pattern envelope, "the original instructions consist of two diagrams and eight lines of simple instruction".  Sewists contemporary to the era of the pattern would have needed little instruction for constructing and finishing this gown.  Included in the envelope is a tutorial for a muslin, but there are no instructions for a finished gown, so a lot is left to me.

I cut the pattern from the muslin material (a flat King sheet I got for a couple of dollars - great source of fabric for muslins when purchased cheaply at yard sales or flea markets) last week, and began construction yesterday.  This will not be a wearable muslin (alas) as I'll be using the deconstructed pieces as the final pattern - this one's for fitting only.  It's also helpful for identifying all the raw edges that will need some sort of finish. Here's what I've got so far!

The actual fabric I'll be using is gorgeous, with a lot more fluidity and drape than the sheet.  It's some lovely Sari silk, which I'll show you in the next post on this dress.

I also realized that I have not shown you my new sewing room!  For Yule this year, my husband had a room in the basement finished for me for sewing.  Here are two little peeks at a couple of the furnishings.  The first is a cabinet we found in the basement of the home when we moved in.  All cleaned up, it makes a great bookcase for many of my sewing and craft books.

Then, for pattern storage, we picked up this antique catalog from TOPS in Hudson Falls (my favorite second hand store, where estate finds are mixed in with new furniture - here's an earlier post about this wonderful business!).  I'll show you more, when the room is cleaned up a bit and more presentable!

I'm looking forward to sharing more on this gown project, the sewing room, and many other projects in the pipeline!  Thanks for stopping by!

A Milestone and a Giveaway!

In the greater scheme of the world of Pinterest I suppose it's a minor accomplishment at best... I've reached the milestone of 150 followers!  In a world where some are followed by thousands (and even 10s of thousands) this may not seem like a very big deal, but to me it's fantastic and unbelievable!

I've always been the shy one - the wallflower, the shrinking violet - so for 150 of anyone to pay attention to me is truly astounding... SO, to celebrate, let's have a giveaway!  Up for grabs are these fab vintage patterns, courtesy of my good friend, Adorna (I got a box of Adorna's patterns at an estate sale, which you can read about here.).

First, there's Simplicity 7512 in size women's 38 (bust 42).  It seems Adorna and her mom really loved shirt dresses. This one is from 1967, and features a special how-to guide on setting in sleeves.  There are both full skirt and a-line skirt options.

The second is Simplicity 4213, a cool vintage apron pattern, also from the 60s,  Aprons are so popular right now, and this apron could be adapted so many ways!

To enter to win these lovely patterns, simply follow my pinboard Sew Inspired, or if you prefer, my inspiration pinboard Seams Sustainable, and leave a comment below.  The winner will be chosen at random on April 28th, one week from today.  As always, thanks for coming by!

Isn't that Pinteresting? - 5

As you've probably noticed by now, I pin a lot of vintage patterns to my Sew Inspired board.  Today's pin comes from the Etsy shop of CloesCloset - a very nifty shop filled with lovely patterns.

This one caught my eye for a number of reasons.  First, it just screams "mod" sixties!  While I think the maxi is probably a little much for today, I think a longer version of the mini would be great.  Also, the pattern would look nice on the body I have now (see my previous Pinteresting post here) as opposed to some fantasy version thereof.  Third, I know just the fabric I'd like to use for this! 

I'd love to see what you're pinning - post a link to your boards in the comments!

Isn't that Pinteresting?

I admit it.  Pinterest is one of my guilty pleasures.  And I'm far from alone.  The internet is abuzz with with, well, buzz about one of the most successful and addicting social media sites to be invented.  And it's not just nameless, faceless hoardes of web trolls who frequent the site, its almost everyone I know.

When I'm looking for inspiration, whether it's planning my various home makeover projects or planning my next sewing project, I turn to Pinterest.  I follow many boards, not because I hold the pinner in high regard, but because I love the pinner's taste, or they are pinning about something I am passionate about as well. 

In this recurring feature, I'd like to share a pin from one of my boards (concentrating on sewing, of course, but I may stray a little now and then!), and tell you a little about why I pinned it.  I'd love for you to chime in, too, and let me know your opinions about the information, and point me in other directions if you've seen something similar, or maybe, in your opinion, better!

For installment 1, I'll start with something simple.  On my board, Sew Inspired, I pin anything that could inspire my sewing.  Patterns, sewing rooms, notions, tutorials (possibly some of yours!)... you name it, if it's related to sewing, you could find it here.  Here is one of my recent pattern pins, McCall's 4408, from 1957.

 

 

This pattern appeals to me on a number of levels.  You all know I love vintage, particularly the 50's, the thirties and the Victorian/Edwardian eras.  Come to think of it, I won't put my nose up at Medieval or Rennaisance stuff either!  So, the fifties MadMen vibe was of instant appeal.  I love that there is a wiggle dress option and a full skirt option... I can also see the wiggle with a sheer full over dress!  But the thing I loved the most was the cute bow embellishment on the hem.  This could be added to other patterns, or used to restyle a thrift shop find.  I even liked the nice earthtones the artist used to render the fashion illustration!  I can see this made up in a nice silk (or two).  This was originally pinned from the Etsy Shop of sydcam123, and, at least at the time of this post, was still available.

 

What do you think about this pattern?  Is this something you would pin, or are your pattern tastes different?  Let me know, and feel free to share the links to your sewing boards.  I'd love to take a peek!

What to Sew Now?

We established some time ago that most of my sewing is impractical.  Meaning that I love to sew party dresses, gowns, suits and historical reproductions that I have very little call to wear.  My off-duty day-to-day wardrobe consists mostly of jeans and t shirts and fleeces.  Even at work, I don't need business casual - I'm a nurse - I wear scrubs.

So, I will probably next make some scrub tops to satisfy my utilitarian needs, but for sewing satisfaction, I'll go to my box of Adorna's patterns and to Gertie's book for a couple of projects as well.  Even if there's not much call to wear what I make, at least I can share it with you, my sewing sisters!

Adorna's Patterns-Part I

I've been spending a lot of time with Adorna and her patterns over the past few days... as I mentioned, I'm using My Memories Suite™ scrapbooking software to organize and catalog them.  While Adorna (and her mother) seem to have had a serious penchant for shirtdresses, I am so excited and inspired by the collection. I'm trying to decide which to make first, though I've barely made a dent in the cataloging!

Here's a serious contender that I think would make a nice holiday party dress, made up in a nice satin, with a nice jacket or wrap.  It's a mailorder pattern from The News, dated late fifties by the metered postage.  I'm learning so much about dating these patterns by their postage markings even when there is no date on the postmark!  If you're interested in learning more about this, please visit here!

Here's another one I just love! I can see it made up in a lightweight wool. As we head into fall and winter, it looks warm and practical as well as stylish! It's a Marian Martin mailorder pattern from about the early fifties.

Another leading contender is the jacket from this pattern (though I like the dress as well). Again, heading into fall, all I can think about is warm and cozy! This is a forties pattern from the Hollywood Pattern line.

Which one do you like best?  Any suggestions on which one I should make first?  Ooh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a free My Memories software suite, valued at $39.95.

Estate Sale Booty

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this to you before... I LOVE ESTATE SALES! I had to take a time out today and do something non-wedding related, so I hit an estate sale! and OMG! I came away with the most amazing haul!

First, it's important to note that I got everything you are seeing here, and more, for a total of $15! Yes, that's right, $15!  That high pitched noise you hear is me squealing in delight.

First up, a nearly mint copy of the Better Homes and Gardens Sewing book from the sixties... AWESOME!

The, a ginormous box containing hundreds of patterns...

as well as a few odds and ends.  There were a small collection of notions,

and a little pile of iron on embroidery patterns.

As well as about a half dozen cooperative extension publications on sewing.

The patterns are fantastic.  Most are used, so I'll need to go through them to be sure they are intact, etc.  Many I will put to good use myself, others, I will sell, and still others will be part of a really cool give-away in the not too distant future.  Not only were some of these from the pattern companies we know, like Simplicity, Vogue and McCall, but there were a fair number of Advance and Hollywood, and some awesome mailorder ones.  Best of all, most of these are close to my size, so, for the ones I keep, there'll be relatively little drafting up and down.

Most of the patterns were addressed to Miss Adorna Wheelock... Adorna... what a unique and interesting name, especially for a sewist!  There were some handwritten notes on some of the patterns, like these:

As I said, some of these may be missing pieces, and some have some tearing on the pattern envelopes, but what a find, yes?  Do any of these strike your fancy?