McCall 6256

 McCall 6256

 I made this 1940 pattern using 1950 vintage fabric.  I found the fabric at a thrift store.  It was a small piece but by careful layout during cutting, I managed to barely squeeze it out of the the 35" width.

 The top has self-covered buttons down the back.

I love the fabric, and while it is a little more pastel than color that I am generally drawn to, I think it will be fun for Spring.

Working on...

a banner made of vintage fabric

Speakers, Sofa Cushions, and Emily Chalmers

 It's been awhile, so I will try as best I can to remember the speaker conversation. Pretty sure it went something like this.

"Honey, do you remember me talking about how since high school I've wanted to own a quality set of speakers? You know the kind I mean - blow the roof off your house speakers." Then he is getting a call and has to get off the phone.

Then I get the second phone call. "Johnny was at a yard sale when he saw these speakers. He actually drove off and left them there. I told him to go back as fast as he could and get them." 

I remember having a fairly lengthy convo about said speakers, but I'm thinking you get the picture.

It's to hard to type inflection so you'll have to trust me when I tell you I recognized right away that I was being entreated. I do remember the punchline he said, "Did I mention that they are kind of big?"

Now I've widened my shot to include the speakers. Not only are they kinda big, they are kinda black, and sitting in the living room, that prior to their arrival didn't have a speck of black in the decor, at least not on purpose. So now I have a serious problem. These speakers are a force to be reckoned with. My first thought was making a big slip cover to camouflage them. Then I remembered the photos of the Emily Chalmers loft and her use of black as an anchor, or point of interest, in an otherwise white space. Viola. Decoration born of desperation my friends.

Oh by the way, he redeemed himself when he came home after the living room re-do and said, 

"I like it, it's very Anthropologie."

Simplicity 2591

View B Simplicity 2591

I've included the line drawing so that the side panel with side pocket application is visible. That sounds so professional (got it off the pattern back). I'm referring to the curved piece that hooks the front onto the back. The busy print on this fabric doesn't show off this design detail. If I make this one again I will make it in a solid, or at least a less busy print. I enjoyed making this and the unusual construction kept me entertained until the very end. I did not make this dress this fall (although it only recently has seen closet rotation). I have been lately referring to this dress as the suitcase dress.

I must be in a Fall frame of mind - I brought home a vintage dress in these same colors. Not on purpose. In fact did not even realize it until Jenny pointed it out. In fact she said, "Don't you already have a dress just like that?" To which I say, "Nope, this one has sleeves, and rhinestones."

Just for fun I found cute versions of this dress here, here, and here.

don't give up on me I'm still working on the pocket pdf.

 

Tulip pocket wrap-dress

 Working out the construction bugs. Another Swirl knock-off.

 Little different pocket detail.

In action. Modeled by my sister-in-law Jenny. 

I've already started another. :)

vintage sheet apron

 vintage sheet + embroidered tablecloth + section of crochet trim from a curtain + stripey blue bias tape

and...three vintage mismatched buttons

pattern: self-drafted

Simplicity 2586

 Pattern: Simplicity 2586 c.1958

Fabric: vintage gingham from the stash

I was a bit lazy and changed the skirt,  I didn't want to match plaid on each of the six gores.

 

 Pattern description of the sleeves; short kimono sleeves cut in one with yoke. The pattern went together very smoothly. Don't you just love vintage patterns? Almost every time they work up with no issues.

The triangular opening at the neck edge with cutie fabric bow.

In Progress

At least there is some progress. ;)

Simplicity 3774

To get the right silhouette for the Dummy Did It Dress I morphed Simplicity 3774 bodice and out-of-print McCall's 4783 skirt.

The dress is completely interlined (yea for built in slips).

Click on pic if you want a closer view of the great pleat details on the bodice top.

Finished off with a vintage fabric belt.

fabric is Harajuku Peony Alexander Henry

Day two Self-Stitched

I am including this vintage dress in my Self-Stitched wardrobe. This was a pretty hefty re-do.
I cut off the weird almost 3/4 length sleeves, and with the fabric - lengthened the way short torso (bodice). At some point the dress had been altered and I had to fix the pleats. I almost gave up on this one. I hate mending/altering with a passion. I am not really sure why I loathe it so. It makes so much sense, as I love vintage, but rarely find anything I can wear - as is. So I've tackled a couple of items that were sitting in my mending pile, and plan to do a few more this month.

Note to my siblings: I did a little mending-it is not your green light to ask me to hem your pants. Remember, I am an artist. (I use this when I don't want to do something) ;)

New Look 6723

In search of an Audrey silhouette, I chose this New Look pattern.

View B.

Worn today for the first day of Self-Stitched-September, forgive the wrinkles.

Rick-rack detail.

I am happy with the fit and my fabric choice (100% cotton seersucker).
I made this one as is, with the exception of the addition of pockets in the side seams.
If you've been considering making this one up - check this out. The same view made up in a print fabric (sis boom). I like her version a lot.

Slow Stitched

Somewhere along the way I may have mentioned slow stitching. I read about "slow design", in the Alabama Stitch Book. Natalie Chanin refers to this approach as embracing the long-term view over the short-term gain by using age-old techniques to create products that celebrate strong design principles for modern living. The designs in this book are fashioned by hand. In other words hand stitched. I love the thought of this. Taking time to thoughtfully stitch something up- enjoying the slow measured pace.

Never again will I use the words slow and stitched in the same sentence. This dress took me about three weeks to complete. I could never find time to work on it. So I stitched it- a few minutes here and there.

Finding myself at the end of the day dress project, frustrated and in need of a sewing fix, I couldn't be bothered to hand stitch the Alabama project and I stitched it entirely on the machine, so there.

Farm Life mailorder 8405

I found a pair of Keds classic white canvas tennis shoes at an estate sale this weekend - which I was looking for by the way. You know where this is going don't you. They needed a day dress to go with. Just sayin...
You think I have crafty attention deficient disorder? really?

I've had the fabric for a couple of years. It came from a box of fabric D found at an auction. It is similar in hand to feed-sack cloth.

My thought for the rick-rack trim was to add something a little more subtle this time. Maybe just add a little texture. Look closer, a little closer (you may have to click on the photo and make it larger) a little closer, there. What do you think? Maybe it's a little to subtle?
So do I go red or black and contrast?

Simplicity 2410

A couple of fun things to do with vintage tablecloths. Serve cherry pie made in a cast iron skillet on top of them. Or...

cut up the stained ones and make a skirt.

This skirt is made using a modified version of Simplicity 2410. I lengthened and changed the shape of the gores. This is a fairly quick and straightforward sew.
I've seen several friends blog posts recently referring to piping. Here is my own little version.
Piping to match your project is so easy to make. When you make your own instead of relying on the ready made versions, you choose the fabric and you also get to choose the size of the cording.

Notice how I just used the word friend so casually? I am always amazed and inspired by this sharing community. There are so many talented people (and many I'm sure that I've never visited) doing the most amazing things. It means a lot that you've taken the time to come over and see what I'm up to. I enjoy your comments so much. In fact a couple of times I cracked up the whole day (you know who you are).

So my friends... a big virtual hug and I wish I could have you over for pie.

Simplicity 2593

Lets see... day thirteen Me-Made-May. I'm going to try and catch up with all the other participants (it seems they are on day 17 - ooops). So this is the ensemble (I can never say that with a straight face) I wore on day 13.
I'm not sure it's necessary to show off this top, because if you have the pattern- it's on the envelope exactly like this. I was looking for a pattern to make a stripy top and when I saw this one already made up, perfection. I did not change a thing. The pattern is Simplicity 2593. A Cynthia Rowley pattern. I am going out on a limb here to highly recommend this pattern.

The skirt is Burda 8155. I made this skirt when I was searching for the perfect pencil skirt. Although I like this skirt, I actually found a pencil skirt pattern that I like even better.
This one.

is it just me or is this month flying by?

Day Cinco

Armed with my high tech top secret basting tool-I attempted to finish the top I started to go with day five skirt. In spite of access to such advanced technology, I am sorry to report I'm not quite done.

I did wear the above mentioned skirt today, and am happy to report it got two thumbs up from the Mr. I hope to have a pattern review of the top tomorrow.

Day Four

Day four of the Me-Made-May challenge.
Just a quickie post.
Skirt - vintage fabric
Self-drafted
Singer sewing machine in case
vintage hat box (possibly repro)

McCall's 4783

"Son, real quick before we go, will you take a picture of my skirt?"
"Okay, but I told C we'd be there in a half hour. "
"Don't worry about what my hands are doing, or if I'm smiling, just take the skirt."
"Oh, but don't cut the skirt off, take it from my waist, get the whole thing."
"Don't cut off my feet, I don't want to look stumpy."
"If you cut the photo off at my hips I'll look wide."
"Turn the camera, you want to take this kind of photo vertically."
"Take a bunch, then I'll have several to choose from."
"mumble, mumble, umble, umble, ummm..." -this part really not worth repeating
"Don't use the flash."

The photo session was a real endurance test for my teen aged son, who was only going the distance because he needed a ride. After I got back from taking him to C's house, I loaded the photos. After all the outtakes- this is as good as it got.

darn
I forgot to tell him to focus.

skirt made with vintage 50's fabric

line drawing McCall's 4783

Advance 4453

For day 1 of the MMM challenge I pulled out this western day dress that I made up a couple of years ago.
This pattern is an early one, before pattern companies printed on the pattern tissue. I didn't check the date (online) and it is not printed on the pattern, but I'm sure that it is from the forties. I think the shoes from that era are divine.

Here's a close-up of the western yoke. The fabric is a reproduction. It is quilters weight cotton. Originally I thought to make this dress from actual feed cloth fabric. Then when I looked into it, I realized that if I was lucky enough to find enough feed sacks to match - I wouldn't have been able to afford the price. Feed sacks have become quite collectible. Quilters cotton has a similar hand and a little coarseness that I thought came as close as I was going to get. I have a little collection of feed sacks that I'll show you sometime.

Simplicity 2698

Since I did such a great job with the mini-wardrobe challenge (read: one skirt yet to be hemmed, lacking buttons/one dress, half done/one shirt, cut out/skirt number four only a vague idea)
I've decided to challenge myself yet again. I know, the worst part is - that it totally makes perfect sense to me. Which may mean that I'm losing it; or, I'm playing into the sentiment that, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Thomas H. Palmer

singleton buttons


Me Made May!!!
I plan to participate at the light level, making one handmade item part of my ensemble each day. I will be including re-fashions as I've a pile of stuff that needs tending to.
The Me Made Challenge is the brilliant idea of this lovely blogger.

I'm totally cracking up over here- it's the word ensemble. It suggests that I have a wardrobe plan. As if I don't just get up and put on the same boring but comfy stuff everyday.