Verity Vintage Studio

Early Easter Dresses with My Favorite Things by Poppie Cotton

Poppie Cotton comes out with lots of cute fabric each year, but this has to be the best yet, by someone who is quickly becoming a favorite designer. My Favorite Things is aptly named as it has all of MY favorite things too! Vintage prints, florals, roses, adorable novelty prints with teacups & roses & ice cream sundaes, lovely candy colors...

 

I had so much fun sewing with it. So far I've made a quilt (can't show you yet!) and the projects you see here.

 

I had intended to make a different set of dresses for my girls for Easter, but when I saw how cute these turned out, I decided to save them for Easter instead. So you get an early look at what they will be wearing.

 

For my 3 year old, I used the blue novelty print and a vintage pattern, paired with my favorite little floral for the yoke, and some vintage lace. 

 

I altered it to button the whole way down the back, and inserted the belt in the side seams instead of doing a front sash, but otherwise followed the pattern. And I was very pleased with it - I'm finally figuring out how to get a good fit for girls' sizes. 

 

My 3 year old adores the dress. She kept checking on its progress, and loves to pick out her favorite things in the novelty print (generally the little animals, of course). She was SO excited to try it on for photos.

 

For the 1 year old, I used a 1930s pattern that I've made before and is one of my favorite size 1 patterns. It has a curved yoke in the front, and little tucks in the back.

 

Naturally, it was difficult to get her to sit still, so just had to grab what photos I could get! Hopefully on Easter Sunday I can get better pictures of the two together.

 

She is still pretty small for her age, but thankfully these loose fitting dresses are pretty easy to adjust.

 

I love how they coordinate without being completely matching! 

 

While the dresses were my main project for this blog feature, I also decided at the last minute to make something else that would show off more of the fabrics, since I had a lot of favorites not used for the dresses. A simple patchwork runner was the perfect quick project!

 

I cut a bunch of 2" squares and simply alternated them randomly with white, added a border, and then hand quilted in a contrast thread on just the white squares. I love how it turned out. I often gravitate towards the simple classic quilts rather than the more impressive, complicated ones. 

 

I didn't fussy-cut the squares (though you easily could) but it was fun to see some of them turn out as if I had!

 

There have been so many pretty projects showing this gorgeous fabric, during the blog tour. I hope you check them all out!

Monday, March 6	https://www.elealutzdesign.com/
Wednesday, March 8	https://www.cloverandviolet.com/
Friday, March 10	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Monday March 13	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, March 15	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Friday, March 17	Faith Essenburg
Monday, March 20	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 22	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, March 24	https://goodvibesquiltshop.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 27	http://www.gigisthimble.com/
Wednesday, March 29	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Friday, March 31	http://www.abrightcorner.com/

 

1930s Adjustable House Dress in Blue

It's that time again...to break out the maternity friendly patterns! We are being surprised by a small son this summer, so for the next few months any sewing that I do for myself will have that exciting event in mind.

 

This time I was intrigued by a 1930s coat pattern. It's waistless, and belted in to fit at the waist. I didn't want to tackle a coat any time soon, but I thought it might work as a house dress instead if done unlined in cotton - and I know from experience that I do wear this sort of dress after pregnancy too. So I pulled out some busy 1930s repro cotton from Connecting Threads and gave it a try. 

 

I added white piping to outline the front closure, which is the only dress detail and might otherwise get lost in the print. Definitely the right choice.

 

It was fairly easy and fast to make, even with the adaptations I needed to make a dress out of a coat pattern. The raglan sleeves are very comfortable!

 

I opted for buttons the whole way down the front, and also like that choice. 

 

Shown here with a baby bump, it should work well for the nursing-friendly fluctuating postpartum sizes as well. I'm not sure that I will fit in it for all 9 months, as it is still a narrower dress, but it certainly is much more comfortable than most of my other recently outgrown house dresses - yet without looking obviously "maternity".

 

This is the first garment I've made since early January, since I've been on a sustained wintertime quilting binge. But I enjoyed making a dress again, and have a few more planned for myself and my girls especially as we approach Easter!

 

Quick & Easy Rag Quilt Tutorial with Poppie Cotton

While rag quilts are indeed an honest-to-goodness type of quilt, they are so far simplified that they are super easy to make, even for those who are not into quilting. Also they are extremely fast – you could make a baby sized one from start to finish in a day if you wanted.

 

When I got the chance to sew with some of this adorable new fabric from Poppie Cotton, I wanted something quick and simple that would allow the sweet prints and colors to have center stage. A rag quilt was the perfect solution!

 

You can make it with pretty much any size of squares, or even some other basic shapes. Squares are the most common. Lots of folks use 5” squares so that they can use precut charm squares. I decided to cut mine 6” because that's the size of my favorite ruler, and cut 48 of them to make a baby size quilt.

 

For this style of quilt you also cut your backing at the same time. You can use an old sheet, flannel blanket, or of course quilting fabric. Just keep in mind that the backing fabric will show through to the front at least a little bit. I decided to make a random patchwork back out of the ivory colors in this fabric line. (It's called Poppie's Patchwork Club, if you want to track some down.)

 

Next cut your batting squares. They need to be 1” less than your fabric squares. Since my fabric squares were 6”, I cut my batting squares 5”. This is a very handy way to use up smaller pieces of batting!

 

Here is a handy visual.

 

Now you make your sandwiches. Place a backing square and a top square wrong sides together, with a batting square centered in the middle.

 

Next you quilt each sandwich. The most common method is to do an X shape from corner to corner, but you could try other shapes as well. Or if you feel fancy, free-motion a swirl or something in the center of each one. In any case, it's super fast and easy and cuts out the tedious basting step entirely.

 

I decided to do triple straight lines on mine. I used my regular foot with the pressure reduced a bit, and chain pieced all of them one line at a time. As you can see, the sandwich is reversible at this point.

 

No pressing or anything necessary! This method has so many short cuts, which is why it's so easy.

 

Now they are ready for the layout. You can go completely random and scrappy...

 

Or if you have enough of one color, alternate one color with the other colors for more of a gingham look.

 

I had the right amount to do a random diagonal layout, so that's what I went with. I also alternated the direction of the quilting lines for fun – and also so that it looks better if they don't line up.

 

It is always difficult to remember after many years of sewing that THIS time you have to sew WRONG sides together! The backing squares need to be on the inside, and when you open the seam, the seam has to be on the right side. Feels totally backwards! I always get mixed up and need a seam ripper at least once. :-)

 

For these you need to sew a half inch seam allowance instead of the standard quilting quarter inch. If you catch a bit of batting in the seam, that's ok.

 

Once the rows are sewn, sew them together the same way – wrong sides together and the raw seam exposed on right side. You can nest the seams or sew them open – it doesn't matter.

 

To finish the outside edge, you can bind it like a regular quilt if you wish. But the easiest method, which is what I use here, is to finish it the same as the rest of the seams. Sew 1/2” around the outside of the quilt.

 

All done and ready for that finishing step!

 

Now with a pair of sharp scissors, make cuts all along each seam, at abut 1/2” apart. Make sure you do not slash through the stitching line!

 

This can be tedious, so I like to listen to or watch something, prop up my feet, and work on it. If my hand cramps from the scissors, I lay it aside to work on later. A large quilt will take a while, but a baby quilt isn't so bad.

When you are done, you will have each raw edge full of clips like this.

 

It's almost finished...but the final step is to throw it in the washing machine! This crinkles it a little and frays all those little cuts, which makes the perfect little fuzzy border around each square.

 

This type of quilt is extremely forgiving. If you have imperfect quilting or didn't match a square properly, or have uneven edges, no one will be able to tell. Plus it's extra sturdy and soft, which makes it perfect for babies and toddlers, when a regular patchwork quilt might not stand up to constant hard use and washing.

 

Plus it's basically reversible.

 

My finished size is 30 x 40” - I used a layout of 6 x 8 squares cut at 6” but sewn with 1” seam allowance to subtract, so finish at 5”. It's a great size for a small child to drag around in the car or stroller. I'm sure it will get lots of use...and I love seeing this adorable fabric around the house!

 

 

2022 Dressmaking Recap

Now that all my 2022 projects have been blogged about, it's time to do my yearly round-up of the garments I made this past year. I like to do this each year to see everything in one place, and evaluate what I made. 

   

 

1950s teal dress, 1940s Christmas dress

 

I made a number of new patterns, as usual...this one I made twice in a row!

1950s Easter dress, gray cherry house dress version

 

I think perhaps this year I was more diverse with color choices than ever before. Of course I still like blue, but for once my sewing for the year is NOT predominately blue! :-) For one thing, I rediscovered purple. (And incidentally, sewed two of my favorite pieces. The purple house dress gets worn pretty constantly.)

1950s daisy dress 

 late 1930s purple dress

 

I made a fair amount of separates this year, including a couple of mix-and-match outfits, which was one of my sewing goals for 2022. Both these two outfits were looooong on my sewing inspiration list from vintage photos, and I'm happy to finally make them a reality this past year.

  

1950s gingham 3-piece

 

     

1930s dress and jacket set

 

I made a couple of pinafore aprons for the first time. The yellow one was a shop sample for my new vintage-dressmaking-supply shop The Timely Tailor, and I love how it turned out!

   

1940s pinafore mother-daughter duo 

shop sample for this kit

 

Another color that is less common for me, which appeared more than once this year in my wardrobe, is brown. 

1940s 2-piece, 1940s print house dress

 

And to my surprise, also a little pink!

1940s pink dress

1950s polka dot blouse

 

I used some long-stashed patterns out of my collection, as well as a few new arrivals...just sewing what I wanted to. A few of them didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but there are also some definite successes and favorites added to my closet - including these two remakes of patterns I had first sewn many years ago.

early '50s tiered dress, 1940s house dress

 

Most projects were fairly straightforward. Once in a while I had a troublesome one, or ran into complications I hadn't foreseen, like the novelty 1950s skirt. But it still turned out well in the end, thankfully! I didn't do as many details as last year...just a little top stitching and adding lace occasionally, but I did try several new techniques, like decorative cutouts and lace-and-bead appliqué.

1950s novelty skirt, late '50s leaf dress

 

No formal gowns this year...and I think not quite as much variation in silhouette as I sometimes achieve. But I also have found what I like to wear in this stage of my life, so that influences my pattern choices as well. Also I think every piece I sewed this year was made with cotton...mostly modern, a few vintage pieces. No wool or rayon this year at all. But it's fun to see the variety that just plain old quilting cotton can still create.

1950s blouse with vintage fabric 

1940s novelty jacket blouse

 

Of course, I made a few baby dresses this year as well, for my small daughters.

 

I am glad to be able to craft my own wardrobe. Even when something doesn't turn out right, it's still a good chance to learn and build my skills for the future. And it's always a satisfying feeling to turn a flat piece of fabric with so much possibility, into something stylish and wearable. That burn to create is what keeps me pretty constantly sewing, whether it's garments or quilts. 

1930s green dress, 1950s dotted dress

 

Final count for the year...

3 1930s outfits

9 1940s

11 1950s

and 4 baby/girl dresses.

1930s separates

 

Thanks for following along on my vintage sewing adventures! I'm looking forward to what 2023 will bring.

~Kristen

1930s Separates with Treasured Threads for Poppie Cotton

 

I have one more 2022 make to show you...this one I made for Thanksgiving but had to wait to share it until today, which is my day on the Treasured Threads blog tour!

 

I selected a few vintage appropriate prints from Poppie Cotton's new fabric line Treasured Threads and made up a 1930s pattern that has been long on my list. I love separates, since I can mix and match with other things, so it was high time.

 

The skirt was simple, despite the unusual yoke detail. I made it easier by simply sewing down the front opening since it needed a side zipper anyway.

 

This floral print is just the cutest 1930s style and perfect for a blouse. This one has my favorite detail - shoulder tucks!

 

I love how these two fabrics together give a fall-ish vibe.

 

It was a comfortable yet dressy outfit to wear on Thanksgiving Day.

 

As usual, this quilting cotton washed and sewed up beautifully. Thank you so much, Poppie Cotton!

 

Don't forget to follow along with all the other lovely makers on this blog tour!

Monday, January 9	http://www.gigisthimble.com/	Amber Johnson
Wednesday, January 11	pinkdesertblossoms.shop	Leah Sande
Thursday, January 12	@jenfinquilts	Jen Williams
Friday January 13	http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/	Debbie Homick
Monday, January 16	JessicaDayon.blogspot.com	Jessica Dayon
Wednesday, January 18	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/	Melissa Corry
Friday, January 20	aniva_rose	Aniva Willoughby
Monday, January 23	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/	Lisa Garlic
Tuesday, January 24	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com	Belinda Karls-Nace
Wednesday, January 25	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/	Kristin Clay
Monday January 30	http://www.abrightcorner.com/	Andy Knowlton

 

 

 

1950s Wintry Dotted Dress

I'm still catching up with my 2022 finishes so I can do my yearly recap. This dress I made at the end of last year took a while to get photos of - and these were taken in a hurry so they aren't great, but at least it is documented!

 

The fabric is from Riley Blake Designs Winter Wonder collection. This is not my usual color to wear, but I loved the cheerful scattered dots that looked festive but not too Christmassy, and decided to experiment with wearing by emphasizing one of the cool colors to accent. I'm still not sure it worked, but it was fun to try. 

 

The 1950s pattern I used called for a lot more fabric in the skirt than I had, so I adapted the skirt width and pleats to fit with what I had. 

 

Wing cuff details. I added tiny buttons to help keep the cuffs in place.

 

The fun part of this pattern is the asymmetrical tab closure at the top, which also holds a scarf. I matched the scarf with one of the dots in the fabric. Of course if you wanted to switch out scarves for different looks, you could. It would be fun to try that with a solid color dress and various printed scarves.

 

Along with the unusual color, I didn't get the fit as good as I wanted it, even with tweaking. So I'm not sure it can be considered a real success...but that's ok. Not every project needs to turn out amazing. 

Tinsel Tree Christmas Ornament: Free Cross Stitch Pattern

Happy 10th Day of Christmas! We are still enjoying the last of the Christmas season over here this week.

As usual, I got the cross stitching bug during the holidays. One of the things I made, inspired by my own little silver tinsel tree that I keep full of vintage ornaments, was this little retro hoop picture. 

 

I decided to share the pattern with everyone for free. After all, it is Christmas! (Scroll to the bottom of this post for the download link.)

The silver metallic thread is exactly the same color as my tinsel tree.

 

The pattern didn't have the same brand I used, since it's a new kind, so what is listed will work, but is not what I used for the sample. I used Cosmo Nishikiito Metallic Embroidery Floss in 33 silver, and found it quite soft and easy to stitch with (especially for metallic thread, which is notoriously difficult). If you use this kind, do not separate the threads but use the entire strand. I highly recommend!

 

The pattern also requires 18-20 small buttons. When stitching is complete, sew the buttons randomly with your silver floss, following cover photo for placement.

 

Don't like French knots? Skip them and use white or pearl seed beads instead. It's a simple pattern; if you omit the knots it's easily beginner friendly.

 

I used Touch of Pink Aida cloth for the sample. In 14 count fabric it finishes a bit too large for an ornament, but works very well on a shelf or a wall. If you want it sized down a little for an actual hanging ornament, choose 16 count Aida instead.

 

To finish it, I pressed lightweight fusible interfacing on the back to keep all the thread ends tidy, and then centered the design in the hoop. Trim the fabric to about 3/4" all the way around, and wrap the raw edge around the back of the hoop, gluing it down with a hot glue gun to the inside hoop. All done!

It's a super quick make, and also a fun way to use up some random tiny buttons! I love how retro it looks - just like my real tree.

Find the pattern at the link below. Merry Christmas, and happy stitching!

Download Tinsel Tree Ornament Chart

1940s Christmas House Dress

I went very bright and bold for Christmas this year with a length of vintage novelty fabric that I scored on Facebook Marketplace earlier this year. I quickly decided what I would do with it, and laid it away until December.

 

I wanted something comfortable for Christmas Day this year, and also needed a simple pattern since the fabric is so very splashy.  A housedress was the perfect solution. So I tried an interesting new vintage dress pattern I recently acquired that has one fitted side and one loose one, with the fullness gathered in by a sash.

 

I cut the shoulder yoke sideways so the stripes would go different directions, and added a front zip so it would be nursing friendly.

 

I first tried it with a contrast waist tie, but after trying it on the first time, I decided it needed a self tie instead. So that set me back a little bit, but it was still a very quick make.

 

I made it in a few days before Christmas, without any stress or feeling rushed.

 

I do love sewing with the modern repro fabrics, but I have to admit there's something special about sewing with vintage fabric. And it really does add a level of authenticity to the finished product too.

 

I've never done sleeves like this before. The dress has cap sleeves to start with, and I've never put sleeves in a cap sleeve opening, but I really like how it looks, especially with the gathered top. 

 

The next time I may just cut the cap sleeves a couple inches longer and leave it, but this was an interesting sleeve variation. It was actually more like a shaped sleeve band, and the seam was on the top instead of the underarm.

 

It was very comfortable to wear all day - whether for lots of eating, picking up gift wrap litter, chasing 3 littles, or curling up for Shop Around the Corner in the evening. I felt very festive all day!

I hope everyone has a happy Christmas season! We celebrate it for 12 days, so we are still deep in festivities at our house.

 

Christmassy Baby Dress

My sweet small daughter turned one last week, so I made a dress for her that doubles as a birthday gift and also something suitable for Christmas - which is approaching at a dizzying rate. 

 

This Christmas season I have been enjoying working with a selection of prints from a lovely Christmas line called Adel in Winter, by Riley Blake Designs. I don't actually like the entire range, but a selection of the reds, mints, and creams are just the cutest combo ever!

 

I'm currently working on hand quilting a festive quilt made from this fabric line, and have done a few other smaller fun holiday projects.

 

This dress was put together from two of the fabrics. Something this small it's pretty easy to get from quilting cuts. It was quite hard to settle on a color combo though out of so many cute possibilities! 

 

I used one of my few smaller-than-1-year patterns, since she is such a little peanut she is still in 9 month size. 

 

It turned out super cute, and I think works well for Christmas while also being suitable to wear other times.

Of course after I was done with it I saw that I got the front gathers uneven. Thankfully, when it's worn that's not really noticeable. 

 

I'm still pretty pleased with it. Now back to more Christmas sewing!

1940s Pink Princess Dress

I squeezed in another warm-weather sewing project in October before the weather suddenly turned cold. We are currently buried under early snow, so these pictures look quite outdated at the moment!

 

I had a 1940s mail order pattern for a princess style dress that I hoped to use for a special project, but I wanted to try it out first. This was the trial.

 

I'm glad I tried it, since it definitely needed a lot of tweaking for the fit. This one is still not perfect, but I have a better idea of what to do if I make it again. Thankfully wearing a belt helps a lot with making it still look good.

 

And I just love the fabric! It's a 1930s repro feedsack print, and so perfect for a house dress. (If you like it too, you can find some for sale in my newly opened vintage sewing supply shop The Timely Tailor!)

 

I wanted originally to use dark red buttons, but had nothing that would work, so ended up picking out the gray instead to emphasize. I do like how gray and pink looks, and also how it tones down the otherwise sugary-pink color.

 

The yoke/ruffle detail is pretty cute. Otherwise it's just a basic button-down-the-front princess style dress, which is very handy for trying on as you go and making fit adjustments. I can see why it's a perennial style.