Verity Vintage Studio

1940s Heirloom Blouse

This was a super fun project, and unusual for me. I made it toward the end of my pregnancy, so couldn't get proper photos until recently, but now I can share it with you.

 

After watching some online classes on heirloom sewing, which I told you about earlier, I was dying to try some of the techniques I learned about, so I decided to make an heirloom sewing sampler blouse and practice some of what I'd learned.

I had a thrifted piece of vintage fabric in my stash, lighter weight than quilting cotton. It was just enough for a blouse, so it was the perfect match, and a very nice fabric to work with.

 

The original 1940s pattern I chose did call for fine tucks in the shoulder, but instead of doing it the way they said, I used my pin tuck foot and double needle, drawing a slanted line with a washable marker where the tucks were supposed to end on the pattern.

 

I had a lot of trouble with my thread breaking, so it was quite a long, painstaking process to get all those pin tucks done, but I really like how it looks. I think my Rocketeer will do a better job with the twin needle, but it's having issues right now so I am still stuck with a modern machine for the time being.

 

The front panel was supposed to be sewn in place, but I made it snap on one side to allow for nursing access, and that worked out quite well. I like how I can still nurse in it without having a button-down style. The front edge was finished and then the finished panel tacked in place. I made my own baby piping (also using the pin tuck foot) to trim the front.

 

For the front panel I used the Cathedral Window technique, with inserted lace. It turned out really pretty and not terribly time consuming, though of course it took a lot more time than a plain panel would have. Heirloom sewing is definitely done for the enjoyment of it, and the finished project - not for instant gratification!

 

For the sleeves I did two new techniques - joining lace to rickrack, and inserting lace. It would have been a lot more delicate if I'd used actual heirloom lace, which is very fine and cobwebby cotton lace, but I wanted to practice with something less expensive so I used stuff from my stash. 

It still turned out very pretty, I think! 

 

The pattern gave me all the main pieces to work with, but I made enough changes to it that I only vaguely followed the instructions. Because I couldn't fit it to me, I had to guess at the size. It turned out too big at the waist (funny how that works when you are pregnant and think, "I never was that small! :-), so now I have to decide if I should alter it, or leave it as is since it needs to be worn tucked in anyway.

 

I didn't have too many skirts in my closet that it would go with, so I pulled out my white 1930s skirt from last year to give it one quick wearing this summer. Navy accessories pick up the blue of the blouse, though the decades are a bit mixed up.

 

I definitely have plans to incorporate more heirloom sewing in future projects, and have all sort of ideas of how to add it in to some of my planned upcoming queue - especially pin tucking! But I have not had time for much sewing since the new baby, so it may be a while before I can experiment some more. 

I really like how the little details take it up a notch from my standard me-made garments. It was fun to take a little more time and effort, yet still have a relatively quick project to keep me from procrastinating. Some of these techniques really are timeless, and a great addition to a seamstress's arsenal!

Adjustable Maternity Wardrobe: Success?

Now that I am back to normal size, I've been able to see how well my adjustable dresses made during pregnancy, work for a non-pregnant shape. The answer in a nutshell is - some better than others!

My tie front dresses I have not worn since the baby was born, since they do not open down the front for nursing access. I am confident they will look fine, once I can wear them again, because the pattern was not intended for maternity in the first place. This particular dress got a ton of wear and no longer looks so fresh!

1940s anchor dress

 

This dress, created by combining 2 different patterns, turned out to be my most flattering maternity dress during pregnancy. I really like it. I do think the general idea would work for a non-maternity pattern as well, but since I made it during pregnancy, I ended up with an empire waist, which looks quite nice with a baby belly. Wearing it without the baby belly now makes the waist band fit around my rib cage instead of my waist, which I don't like, so I will retire this one with my other maternity clothes. If I make this pattern combo again, I will make the waist hit farther down, so that it will work better for non-maternity.

Thankfully I have enough fabric to make another dress that fits me now!

1930s adjustable floral dress

 

I have not gotten pictures of my 1930s house dress without the baby bump, but I have documented another version with normal proportions, so I know how it will look and fit.

1930s house dress worn while pregnant

earlier tropical version worn while not pregnant

 

I made two versions of Butterick 6485. The rayon version was photographed while I was still small enough that you can pretty well tell how it looks now. I wore it through the whole pregnancy, and was very happy with it.

 

I made it again in cotton, and didn't like this version as well to wear while pregnant. It looked ok when I was just large enough to want an adjustable waist, but once I got to the last few months, it made me feel even bigger than normal. Any woman who has gone through the months of pregnancy knows that is not a nice feeling.

 

So I did another photo shoot to show if normal proportions would help, or if this pattern is one that really does need the limpness of rayon.

 

It looks better for sure, but I still am happier with the rayon version (both for maternity and regular), so likely will not make this again in cotton. 

 

(I had fun with a more structured hairstyle this time than my usual brush-out. It ended up looking a bit more late-'40s I thought.)

 

My blue and red adjustable dress started out too snug for how large I had become by the time I made it, as you can see in the first batch of photos I took. It would work well for previous months, but definitely is one I would grow out of during the last few months.

 

How well does it work though without the baby bump? Pretty well, I think!

 

Nice and trim with the belt, and the extra gathers in the back allow for plenty of movement and comfort without looking obviously maternity. I'm happy with how well my alterations to this pattern worked out.

 

So overall, I would say that the patterns I experimented with were successful, especially since none of them were officially "maternity". All of them I would wear again, though some of them not for the entire pregnancy.

Some I have retired for now, while others remain in my closet, and yet others will have their turn when the baby is weaned. It was a fun experiment, but I'm very happy to fit back in my normal clothes again and be able to give the dresses I made earlier this spring while I was still small, a few more outings yet before winter!

Quick & Easy Pattern Sizing (Not for Perfectionists!)

Over my years of blogging, I have had a number of inquiries about how I do my pattern sizing (or rather, pattern re-sizing), to take a vintage pattern that is too large or too small for my measurements, and make it fit. 

 

The most accurate method is the cut-and-spread method, where the pattern pieces are traced, slashed, and carefully, mathematically spread or overlapped in just the right way to make all the dimensions larger or smaller as needed. (A good tutorial for this method can be found here.)

However, as I have frequently stated on the blog, I am Not A Perfectionist, and that method is way too time consuming for me. I prefer a less accurate and much faster way, which I will show you here. I have used this for every pattern I have resized during years of sewing garments - most of the time with quite good results.

 

This method works best for only sizing up or down one size, but it can be used successfully for skipping multiple sizes with more care and trial-and-error.

Not every pattern works for this, however. You need one with a relatively simple back. My green plaid dress, for instance, would not work very well to resize because all those dart tucks on the bodice would need re-spaced, unless you added or subtracted exactly the right amount of fabric to take out or add one dart tuck.

 

Here are some more examples of patterns which do not work well for resizing without a lot more thought and work. The first one has evenly spaced darts and seams the whole way around the skirt. The second one also has a skirt yoke with evenly spaced points the whole way around.

 

Here are examples of patterns that are easy to resize. This one is very basic, with one back bodice piece (potentially a collar piece if you do the view with a collar) and one back skirt piece, all on the fold:

 

This one is also easy, though not quite so intuitive. It has a back bodice piece on the fold and a center back skirt seam.

 

This one has more pieces, but as you can see, it is still easy since most of the back pieces - yoke, collar, bodice, and inset belt - are on the fold, while there is a center back seam on the skirt.

 

Resizing One Size Different

Ok, now. To size a pattern up two inches or one size, first look at your pattern instructions. Many of these old patterns have what they call "let out seams" which are deep seam allowances on the side seams. That may be all you need - if you sew a 3/4 inch seam allowance only 1/4 inch deep on each side, for example, that gives you your extra two inches right there.

If the let out seams are not a feature, or you need more than the extra room they provide, first look at the back sketch, which might be on the front or the back of the pattern envelope. If the back pieces (including facing) are to be cut on the fold, I simply lay each of them one inch off the fold. One inch doubled makes 2 inches added. 

 

To size a pattern down, I will lay each piece one inch overlapping the fold, which takes 2 inches out of the center back skirt and bodice.

 

Please note: I have not noticed any difference with dart placement on the front by doing this. Usually the difference between the dart placement for one size is very slight, which you can tell if you look at a modern multi-size pattern, and I have not had any problems with the front fit by adding or taking out 2 inches of fabric in the back. So I usually let all other pieces untouched when resizing one size up or down.

If one or both back pieces have a seam down the center, to size it up I simply add an inch to the center back seam. You can either measure and mark it, or just eyeball it as you cut if you trust yourself. So I would cut where my finger is, instead of where the edge of the pattern is. Make sure you pay attention to which is the center back seam for the skirt pieces, though, so you aren't adding it to the back side seams instead!

 

Many patterns have a back bodice piece on the fold and a center back skirt seam, like some of the examples above. I would lay the back bodice piece (and facing) off the fold and cut the center back skirt seam an inch away from the edge of the pattern. To size it down, I would overlap the back bodice piece on the fold, and trim the center back skirt seam an inch narrower - where my finger is, on the photo below. The best way to do this is to cut and mark the other 3 sides of the skirt piece, then unpin the pattern piece and move it over one inch to cut the last seam - that way all your markings for that edge are also moved over and you get an accurate flare or curve.

 

Adding or taking away the same amount from all center back piece means that your darts and skirt seams should still match up - there is simply less or more fabric back there.

Keep in mind that ALL the back seams need to be the same, whether you are adding or subtracting. So if you have a pattern with an extended collar that meets in the back like this one, the collar seam on the FRONT bodice also needs to be added to or trimmed off - both on the front bodice piece and on the facing piece. 

 

I admit I often forget this one, and like for my gray rayon dress, ended up piecing the bodice collar and recutting the facing since that is on the top and is the piece you see when the collar is finished. 

 

If you have a Peter Pan collar, or some other type of collar that is not on the fold when the bodice is, you have to add the same amount to the back of the collar as you did to the fold of the bodice. Again, I usually cut part of it, then move the collar down an inch and finish cutting it; that way the curve remains correct.

In a nutshell, all additions or subtractions need to be the same, for all the back pieces. Just take some time to look over the pattern and recognize how many pieces need altered, and which ones need it on the seam and which on the fold. Usually at a minimum it will be bodice, back center skirt, and back facing (unless you are just using a bias facing strip, which you would simply cut a little longer).

 

Resizing Bigger Differences

Now, things get more complicated when you are sizing up several sizes, like doing a size 12 pattern for a size 16 or 18 measurements, like this 1940s summer suit I did last year.

 

As a general rule of thumb, I will not add or subtract more than 3 inches total to the center back. This means that if I need to size a pattern up 4 inches, I will lay the pattern pieces 1 1/2 inches off the fold (1 1/2 inches doubled adds 3 inches total) or cutting 1 1/2 inches away from center back seams, and add 1/2 inch to the side seams when I am cutting it out. This would include bodice side seams, skirt side seams, and sleeve side seams. Also cuff side seams if the pattern has them. 

To size it down, I reverse the process, laying the pattern pieces 1 1/2 inches overlapping the fold (or trimming from center back seams), and trimming 1/2 inch from all the side seams. 

If I am sizing up more than 4 inches, I will add up to 3 inches to the center back as previously described, then split the remaining inches and add that to the side seams. But the bigger the resizing, the riskier the fit is, and by this time there often is a significant difference in bust dart placement on the front, so it's best to do a trial version or a muslin before cutting into your fashion fabric.

For my 1940s summer suit, I actually added too much fabric in, and had to add a 2nd dart to each side of the back to make it fit me. That worked since it was a jacket and didn't necessarily need to match up with skirt back seams like a dress might. But that's a risk when winging it to this extent without a muslin.

 

Also, altering a pattern 4 inches or more can create fit issues at the neck, sleeve tightness, and bust/waist ratio. My adjustable house dress here has fit issues at the neck since I took out too much of the yoke and back and didn't do a muslin first. If I do this pattern again, I will trim more off the side seams and take less out of the back yoke and center back panel.

 

This one I sized up about 6 inches, and it has sleeves that are a tad too tight for comfort since I didn't add quite enough on to them when cutting them out. Thankfully it is still wearable. Also it has interesting 2 part sleeve construction, which made me study which even were the right seams to add to the seam allowance!

 

I do generally have no issues at all when resizing only one size up or down, and that alone gives you a lot more freedom when buying patterns. If you are a size 16 for instance, now you can also buy size 14 and size 18, with no qualms. To do more than that requires more trial and error, but still can be done. Plus it is very quick and easy, requiring little extra time when cutting out a pattern, once you've thought through your changes.

Helpful? Clear as January mud? Let me know if you have any questions, or how well it works for you if you try it!

Verity Vintage Studio

The Addition

Baby Betsy arrived early yesterday morning!

 

As a result, we are taking it easy around here, just recuperating and enjoying the baby. 

I was pretty sure the baby would be a girl, so I went ahead and made up a little dress just in case, out of leftovers from one of my summer dresses. She has to grow into it first, but since she's a redhead maybe I should have picked a different color! :-) 

 

I'm looking forward to getting back to my sewing queue, fashion posts, and blogging routine, but until energy returns and healing happens, doing a bit of hand work on the sofa is more my speed. 

Have a great week, everybody!

New Sewing Horizons

No fashion post today...I'm too close to my due date to make any more maternity clothes, and the few clothes I've made for afterwards of course can't be photographed yet! I am happy to report that most of my non-maternity maternity makes this year still fit and have been getting a lot of wear.

That doesn't mean I haven't been busy making things, however. I'm between crochet deadlines right now, so while I'm waiting for the materials to arrive for my next designs, I have been doing some little stitchery things. It's been years since I've done any ribbon embroidery or cross stitch, but I really enjoyed both again. Definitely a good idea to do something different once in a while!

 

But my sewing has been far from standing still just because I have no garments to show you at the moment. A little while ago, I wanted to order some fabric from mybluprint.com (formerly Craftsy) and because I could get a better deal by taking out a subscription for a month, I did that. I didn't really expect to do much class watching, but thought since I could do it for the next month I might as well see if anything caught my eye.

The first thing that did was Susan Stewart's heirloom sewing technique classes, which I ended up watching at least part of several times. They are so well done, and just amazing! I never thought I would be interested in heirloom sewing - and I guess I still am not in the sense of making those intricate little girl's dresses so popular in the '90s - but I sure can see multiple ways to incorporate some of those same techniques in my own sewing and vintage style! It looks so very difficult, but really, most of it is super easy when broken down into steps, and can be done on the machine. I highly recommend those classes. As a result, I promptly looked for some twin needles and a slant shank pin tuck foot for my machine, so I can sew pin tucks and tiny piping. Also I bought some water soluble stabilizer for the first time, which is a fun little thing to work with. 

 

I experimented with these new tools by practicing several of Susan's techniques on a 1940s blouse (shown in progress below), which I can't wait to wear and show you after I'm normally sized again. And I have to say I'm hooked. I'm so excited to have the know-how for various types of lace insertion, pin tucks, mini piping, and other fun stuff I normally would never have attempted. Plus it's actually pretty easy.

 

Then I also watched a class on pattern drafting from an existing garment. The teacher actually used a New Look era jacket style blouse as an example. I don't know how much I will do this, but I'm glad to have a basic idea of how to, if I need to. A perfect way to copy a vintage garment into a less fragile fabric, or another color, for example. As a result of that class, I ordered some dressmaking rulers in case I ever need them, and some quilting rulers too since they are so versatile.

 

I watched a class on neckline and seam finishes, and ended up trying out fusible interfacing for the first time. That may seam like a no-brainer to most of you, but you have to remember that I learned sewing from my mother, who only used very basic tools. She did not enjoy sewing, though she is quite good at it and can make multiple looks from one base pattern - something I don't even want to attempt! I only started using any sort of interfacing more recently, and since I knew nothing about the confusing bolts in the store with so many options, weights, and names, I stuck with using muslin for interfacings. Well, now that I've discovered I can interface collars and things without it sliding around - I'm never looking back!

 

But the real revolution happened with another type of sewing altogether.

Lauren of Wearing History, whom I follow on Instagram, posted about how much she has enjoyed the slow process and precise work of English Paper Piecing since being recently introduced to it. I had heard of EPP before, but knew nothing about it. What she wrote interested me enough that I looked it up, and while I was intrigued, there was a level of tedium in all the card cutting and basting and removing basting thread and cards that I thought I probably wouldn't enjoy. But I went ahead and watched a class on EPP, since I could.

Well, the class was taught by Helen Stubbings, an Australian designer who had invented an alternative to the traditional paper cards, by using fusible paper templates that were half water-soluble and half stabilizer, so they didn't need to be removed after the project. That sounded like a perfect happy medium for me! The templates are fused on, keep the little shapes precise (something I could never do on my own because I am not a perfectionist), yet you can just glue the fabric around them, sew the little shapes together, and move right on to your appliqué or quilting. The perfect blend of slow work and quick work for me, though I can definitely see how the traditional method would appeal to some. While I don't think I would tackle a whole quilt (mostly because I really dislike the finish work of binding and quilting), I could think of a lot of ways to play with appliqués made from these shapes. You will likely see some in the very near future - though don't expect this to turn into a quilting blog!

 

Of course I jumped in, ordered some of her paper templates, and as soon as the first ones arrived I made a little project to wet my feet. It was super fun! The hexagons are actually not my favorite shape out there, and I'm picky about what patterns I like since I'm not a fan of the really scrappy look, but I am super excited for the rest of the shapes to arrive so I can play with them. I have quite a few ideas already. I certainly shouldn't have to buy fabric except for special projects, so the templates will be my only expense. Only now I can't even throw away the smaller scraps when I'm cutting out a dress, so I really will be inundated with leftovers!

 

This potholder I made with her 1" hexagon templates assembled by hand, appliquéd by machine using the blind-hem stitch (super easy and quick), and then the background fabric cut out in a circle. I fused interfacing to the back (see how I like to play with my new tools!) and edged it with rickrack before putting the back on. It took maybe a couple of hours to make, and is so cute and cheery! 

 

So as you can see, my horizons have really expanded this month to include all sorts of new techniques. It was definitely worth the $8 I paid for a month's access, especially since I also got a major discount for signing up, and their membership price discounts through the month of July to get fabric with. Now I have to decide if there are enough other classes that interest me enough to pay for another month or not, but as it is, I should have plenty to keep me busy going forward!

Utility Style: 1940s Pinafore Dress

This is not a very exciting project. A lot of my house dresses are nice enough that I don't want to wear them for really dirty work, but sometimes you just need something that you don't really care about, that didn't use expensive or pretty fabric or take a lot of time and effort. Something you can wear for canning, or gardening, or other dirty work. This pinafore dress was exactly that.

 

It's made from a 1940s pattern that seems to be ubiquitous in that it specifies that it can be maternity, but doesn't have to be. It's the sort of dress any woman in the 1940s, pregnant or not, might have slipped on and worn over a nicer dress, or during the dog days of summer, or for absolute freedom of motion in working. Very simple, very easy, and with a comfortable adjustable waist that would fit a variety of sizes and body changes.

 

A long, long time ago when I was just getting into sewing, I found some cotton at Walmart on clearance. Of course I only looked at the price, and not the quality back then. I got a bunch of it. Not as stiff as duck, it's definitely a heavier, cheap cotton, and after years on my shelf had a fade on the fold line. It's not the sort of fabric I would use for a pattern I really liked, but perfect for a utility dress like this - especially since it's so dark I wouldn't need a slip under it. No layers in summer during the last months of pregnancy sounded like a good idea!

 

But that meant there was a fade line running right down the center front and center back. The back I didn't care about so much (this is the sort of dress I would expect to get faded and stained, etc), and despite intending this to be very basic, a good answer for the front was to use rick rack. I ended up doing a triple row to make it look like it was intended to be there, and like how just that simple bit of trim does make it look nicer. Plus it's very make-do-and-mend in true WWII style.

 

I used the dress version of the pattern, and the sweetheart neckline. It slips on over the head, so no closures - and the princess seams make it a super quick project with a minimum of finishing if you top stitch the hems.

 

The slip on feature meant the neck was lower than I preferred, however, so my fix to that was a strip of wide white lace on each side of the bottom scallop, which I tacked on by hand. I can fit it over my head just as easily, but the neckline is higher by an inch or so, which makes all the difference. 

 

It's the sort of project that only takes a couple hours from start to finish. Not particularly interesting, but a needed addition to the wardrobe, and since it turned out looking pretty nice, it's still satisfactory. Utilitarian and practical does not have to mean ugly or sloppy!

One Last Maternity Dress: Red, White, and Blue 1930s Dress

While I am not wearing this on the 4th of July, I still happen to have a red, white, and blue dress to show you this week!

I might still do an unfitted blouse or two, but this is likely my final adjustable, maternity-friendly dress. Funny how I never actually got around this time to making a dress from an official "maternity" pattern, but found lots of suitable adjustable dresses that I liked better!

 

This is the 2nd version of the pattern I used for my pink and white gingham dress, which was a trial of a non-maternity pattern with some alterations to make it maternity friendly. 

As you can see, with only 6 weeks to go, even though this is a new dress, the fit is not the greatest. It's already pretty much at the limit of its capacity, and has little bulges here and there in the bodice and back skirt since the waist is pushed up higher than it should be. This pattern with the alterations can work for a while, it seems, but during the final stretch more room is needed. Ah well, I still have it documented. :-)

 

I used some 1930s reproduction quilting cotton which I got on clearance from Hancock's several years ago. I also have the blue color way, which I like even better. It's a busy print, so some of the details may get lost. For instance, you can't really see the gore detail in the front skirt.

 

The tucks in the back, however, are still somewhat visible.

My hair was not behaving for its usual brushout today, so I tried a back roll. It worked fairly well. I'm sure towards the end of the day it will be harder to keep neat. But it is very cool! I realize why it was so popular as an updo during the 1930s and 1940s.

 

I used sleeves from a different 1930s pattern, to change up the look, and also cut a V neck, which I really like. It's very comfortable.

 

The buttons I've been hoarding for a while, and they were the perfect shade of blue to match the blue dots in the fabric. I had 9 of them, so sets of 3 seemed to be in order.

As you can see though, by now my belly is big enough that it distorts the way the bodice should lay. It's comfortable, just not quite fitting right. This dress will show much more to advantage once I have a waist again. I hope to photograph it again later on to show if my original experiment (will this look too maternity afterwards???) worked or not!

 

I was getting tired of doing tie belts on my dresses, so I opted for a totally detachable top stitched tie belt this time. I hope to wear the dress with a purchased belt once I can, but for now the adjustable belt makes a lot more sense.

 

This dress went quickly at first, then stalled as I concentrated on other things. I eventually got it done, but it probably would have fit me better if I'd finished it when I started! I recall no difficulties, other than a little trial and error as I was figuring out how to face the V shaped sleeves. 

 

This is the first trial of some new reproduction sandals I got from a seller on Instagram. I really like the way they look, with a few minor quibbles, but I noticed on these pictures that they look too large for my feet. So we shall see if I end up keeping them or passing them on.

 

Overall, it's a simple, cheery summer housedress with a few details to keep it interesting, and I look forward to wearing it more in the future as a button-up-and-go sort of outfit. Might have to wait until after Baby Two comes, though!

Another 1940s Tie-Front Dress

When I made my 1940s anchor dress a while back, I thought it was one of the better patterns I've tried that would work for maternity, yet be something I could wear at other times too. So I went ahead and made another, dressier version.

 

I used some adorable Wilmington 1930s reproduction cotton, which I liked so much I got two lengths of - one to make now in a maternity-suitable style, and one to make later, with buttons down the front. It's a fun, cheery print with what looks like little clusters of balloons scattered across is. Hence I call it my balloon dress.

 

I expected this to be super easy and quick since it was the second make, but not so. For the first version, I found the sleeves were too short and large-holed for my taste, so I gathered them into a cuff. That worked well enough, but since I already knew the problem, I decided to fix it at the start this time by cutting out the sleeves to be longer and narrower.

 

Well, I didn't think it through well enough before snipping into the fabric. As a result, the first time I tried on the dress, the sleeves were impossibly tight. I could hardly move my arms. I tried inserting gussets (my first time with gussets!) to widen the arm openings, and that helped a lot - but still not enough. They were too tight to really be comfortable - but worse, any pulling on the underarms distorted the neckline.

I knew I would not be happy with the dress if I just made it do, so back it went to the floor where I laid a bodice piece from another pattern on top to get the armhole right, and just cut out the sleeve part, leaving an arm hole like a normal bodice. I had just enough fabric left to cut out these small sleeves from another pattern.

 

This time there was success! And now it looks a little more different than the denim version as well, so that worked out in the end. But I know for next time to not cut in haste!

 

I considered doing contrasting ties, but couldn't decide on the right color of contrast, or even if it would look right. So I did another new thing - used piping for the first time to outline the ties. It's not quite the right color of blue, but I was using from my stash and it was the only option.

 

The piping worked like a dream, despite me having to use my regular zipper foot. I looked up some instructions online first, and found that I got perfect results even with a regular foot by basting the piping on first as close as I could sew to the cord, then when sewing the 2 layers together, being able to see where the basting lines were and sew just on the other side of them for a nice, close seam.

 

Since then I've been wanting to try piping everywhere, and need to search thrift stores to find more!

The piping outlines the ties very nicely so they don't get lost in the print, and also gives the corners more body so that the little knot in the front keeps its shape. 

 

Everything else was quick and easy - a narrow top-stitched hem finishes the bottom, and like the first version it slips over the head (again I shortened the bias band and gathered more of the dress into it to make the neckline higher) and has no closures, so it really is a quick and easy dress. Minus the sleeve fiasco. 

 

It won't get much more wear, since I only have 7 weeks to go and can't nurse in it, so I will soon have to put it away for later. But it's a fun, colorful summer dress to wear in the meantime!

1930s Floral Adjustable Dress

One of the ladies I follow on Instagram posted pictures of a lovely 1940s dress she made from the prettiest floral and polka dot fabric. The fabric instantly caught my eye, and when I saw she had gotten it from Walmart, I had to get some too. It took a while since their search engine is terrible, but I finally tracked down the print and ordered enough of it for 2 dresses - an adjustable/maternity one I can wear now, and one to wear later once I'm a normal size again.

This is the adjustable version.

 

The cotton, while feeling cheaper than the high quality brands I prefer, is still remarkably nice - especially for less than $4 a yard! I love that the blue is a mid blue instead of navy, and that the flowers are pink instead of the more common color scheme of red paired with blue. It's a good way to get more pink into my wardrobe.

 

For this dress, I used a combination of 2 different patterns from the 1930s. The back and back yoke is from a pattern I made twice during my last pregnancy. 

 

The front and sleeves uses the same pattern I used for last year's Christmas dress - and I have to say it was SO much easier to make it with cotton than with that awful crepe! 

 

The back ties I added myself, making them the same width as the front inset skirt band. If I like how it looks on me after pregnancy, I may add buttons back there so it overlaps and buttons shut, which looks neater than a tie. But right now the adjustable tie is very helpful. And as you can see, there is still plenty of room to grow if I need it, yet without looking really bulky even in cotton.

 

I used the collar this time, making it in a white fabric embroidered with dots. I didn't get it perfect (scallops are not my friend), but I like how it looks.

 

The sleeves actually turned out well this time - thanks to cotton! For my Christmas dress I ended up just winging it, but done properly they really have cute detail. Maybe a bit too much puff for my preference, but otherwise I really like them. I was originally going to add white cuffs, but decided instead to tie in the white with some tiny decorative white buttons.

 

The front buttons are vintage ones that I had exactly 3 of, and the scallops match the dress quite well. It was meant to be.

 

I love how the pink flowers on the dress match the flowers on the tree! 

 

There was definitely a difference in era between the 2 patterns I combined. The back piece was at least 4 inches longer than the front skirt (probably from the mid-30s compared to the late '30s), but I could easily even it up and hem it the same length. I think the overall combination was a good match since it has the same shape of yoke front and back, so it really looks like it was supposed to go together. 

 

I definitely like the more fitted front better than the loose front versions of the original pattern I used for the back. I'm hopeful I can still wear this after the baby and it won't look maternity. But if not, I still have more fabric for another, normal version!

Lavender Print 1940s Dress

Time to try Butterick 6485 again in cotton! The pattern calls for a limper fabric, which does look nice, but it actually works just fine in cotton.

 

The pattern also says you can't fit everything on 3 yards, so I decided to combine some colors in order to make it fit. I used a fun reproduction print from Penny Rose for my main fabric, and intended to go with the gray accent for sleeves and yoke. I had no solid gray in my stash, but did have some purple the right shade - so went with that instead, and I really like the substitute!

 

I actually think you could fit all the pattern pieces on just 3 yards if you did a bit of squishing - maybe shortened the sleeves and made the belt narrower, etc. But this worked out just fine.

 

Since this was my second time making the pattern, I made some adjustments this time - shortening the waist, lengthening the skirt a bit (still don't have much hem, so I may lengthen it even more another time), making the belt narrower, and cutting the neck differently.

I took in the neck a good 2 inches in the back to make it not so big (a common complaint with users of this pattern is the neckline fit) and it's still quite large as you can see! I also tried it on and then cut it down to a V instead of the high version the pattern shows. More comfortable.

 

It was quite easy and quick to put together - even more of course since I'd done it before.

I didn't feel like switching to a darker thread when it came time to top stitch the yoke, so I decided to make it intentional by using a decorative stitch from my machine to do the top stitching. It turned out really lovely, so I tied it in by hemming the sleeves that way also. I had to run the sleeves through the machine backward to make them match, which felt weird, but I love being able to incorporate my vintage machine's decorative elements into a sewing project.

 

As you can see, by now I am large enough that the original shape of the dress is pretty distorted, but I still think it works well for maternity. And the adjustable waist (or lack of waist, rather) is so comfortable!

 

I considered doing a button closure, but decided instead to do a zipper closure down the front. This time instead of doing an invisible zipper, I used a regular zipper, then hid it with a top-stitched tab that is stitched to the dress on one side, and snaps on the other. I was very pleased with how it looks, so I may do this again when I don't want to use an invisible zipper down the front.

 

Because of the tab, though, I can't wrap the ties around the front like I did with my blue version, so I am limited to tying the sash in the back with this dress.

 

A lot of my summer hats are too formal to pair with a cotton dress like this, so I went with hair flowers instead. I love lavender and gray together! This is actually my only purple dress in my current rotation, so I'm really happy to see some color variation in my closet. 

 

I will of course like how this dress looks much better once I have my waist back, but until then I'm pretty pleased with it as a non-maternity, maternity friendly dress. I'm sure I will wear it a lot the next few months!