Vogue 5605

I really like this pattern, it fits well and I like the full skirt and the drape in the front and the back.

Cut it out last summer and just got to it now. Always happy that it still fits!

 The dress is cotton and the overlay is in lace, even went so far as to do a little hand-stitching, Yikes!

McCall's 9505

Notice how the belt matches the fabric perfectly? Ha ha! The hardest part of making this dress was the fabric layout. 

The fabric is from Cali Fabrics, they had a really good selection of scarf print fabrics. Later I saw some of the same prints at Fabric Mart.

I will probably make this again!

 

McCall's 8721

As you can see these pictures were taken this fall. This jumper was fun to make. I used the pattern in my normal size and it fits nicely.

 It's made from faux leather and moleskin.

Vintage Vogue 8294

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is working on a good New Year!

I made a few new year's resolutions, one to do with sewing. If it does not fit, or if I don't like it, I will either donate it or cut it up for another project, and I will do it in a timely fashion. I'm also going to donate two things a day (too much stuff, and I always want new stuff).

This is another vintage pattern, Vogue 8294. I had been putting off sewing vintage patterns because of the fit. I got over that by using similar patterns that fit as a guide, and it seems to be working. This has the zipper in the front, set in with the centered method. I really wanted an exposed zipper, but did not have an appropriate zipper on hand, and also have not really mastered that technique, probably should do a practice run...

 

The fabric is from the stash, velvet on top and embroidered moleskin on the bottom. I don't know why more people don't wear dresses, it's like wearing a robe all day!

Simplicity 7812

Another easy dress to fit and sew. This is also another vintage pattern (1992) and this was from my stash, yes, I'm that old!

I sewed this up before the Olympics, once the Olympics are on I have to watch, although I think I had my own pattern cutting Olympics in front of the T.V. When we were kids we used to play Olympics and we wanted to be Olympians when we grew up, but alas it was not to happen. The best I could do was second place in the high jump. I lost to one of the other tall girls in school.

This is a wrap dress and luckily the wrap is the right size so you are not showing your slip when a wind comes up.

I sewed this with the lazy method, no special pattern modifications and no pattern matching and it all worked out well, happy dance!

McCall 7163

I'm finally using some of my vintage patterns! This was fun to make because it had a little twist from modern patterns with the bodice closure. Since I used a stretch material for the top I didn't add the zipper. I added a bit to the back width and that was about it for alterations.

I also used just a plain skirt pattern. I had wanted to use the skirt that came with the pattern but the bugs did not want to run diagonally.

Here are the ladies standing on the street corner. And, no, I did not pay five cents for the pattern.

Another Vintage Pattern

This pattern is from the 1960's and my mom made a dress from this pattern. I think she made it out of a pink textured double knit and she probably still has it somewhere! I tried on the dress (believe it or not) and found that it was running small. I just added two strips of fabric on the back of the bodice and it actually looks okay, not like a mistake. At least I can wear it now.

This was taken by my swimming hole at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. We are having a problem with flooding all over the state. Usually the flooding comes in the spring when the snow melts, but it was so cold that we had a gradual melting.

The pattern is McCall's 2630.

Vintage Patterns

I had been putting off sewing with vintage patterns just because of the unknown, even though I have many in my collection. You know how modern patterns run large? Well, these don't. Back in the older days people were just slimmer. All of the vintage patterns I've just sewn have been tight or way too small. I was so excited to sew this and I just went for it and it's the way too small one. I am going to finish it and keep it for awhile. Maybe I can wear it with a belt over a dress or loose thirty pounds, ha, ha.