Verity Vintage Studio

Easy Floral 1940s Blouse Trial

Earlier this year I got a new vintage blouse pattern. This spring when the weather heated up (before it cooled back down again...*ahem*...), I realized I was constantly rotating through a few favorite house dresses and skirt/blouse combos that didn't need extra layers beneath. And I have very few blouses that both match that criteria and fit me!

 

So when I was in a sewing mood this spring, I took out my new blouse pattern and a piece of vintage bark cloth, and decided to whip up a summer blouse.

 

The fabric has a giant one way print, and had a stain in the center, and I didn't have much of it. Thankfully I could just so fit the front piece above the stain, and the back piece below it, and squeeze out the arm hole facings. I was able to manage even with the very limited wiggle room to place the front pieces so the print looked nice. Gotta watch where those large roses land.

 

I did not make shoulder pads for this one, so the silhouette is not as dramatic as in the illustrations. If I made a dressier version I might do it, but for this quick, everyday version (and my shoulders are already pretty wide) I just skipped it.

 

 

I didn't have enough fabric for a front facing, so I went with a contrast - and like it better with this busy print, anyway. 

 

I love how many colors can be worn with the blouse. Gray, rose, white, burgundy, black...and it's probably the only thing in the whole closet with chartreuse in it. I accented it with black fabric and vintage buttons, often wear it with this gray skirt for everyday, but I'm wearing it here with the dark green skirt from my recent 1930s 3 piece set. 

 

I think this will be my go-to summer blouse pattern, and it would work so well for both everyday or dressy wear. It is as cool as a sleeveless blouse, but with more shoulder coverage. 

 

And it is just so quick and easy! A few darts on each side (I like those slanted ones), sew side and shoulder seams, add facings, work hems and buttonholes. That's it!

 

The arm hole facings were the only part that was at all even slightly tricky, and they weren't that bad. Oh, and the pattern was missing the back facing, so I had to wing that. Thankfully that is the best piece to be missing!

I added extra to the back when cutting it out, since this is the trial, but I ended up taking it in enough that next time I think I'll cut out the pattern without any extra fabric. So the fit is not perfect on this one, but certainly good enough for a comfortable, easy to wear everyday blouse. 

 

The giant floral pattern certainly adds a splash of more unusual colors to my wardrobe. And I was delighted to find a good use for this lonely piece of heavy duty vintage cloth languishing for years in my drawer. Actually, since this blouse takes so little fabric, it really is ideal for those smaller or narrower pieces in my stash! I have several more versions planned for the future, so you'll certainly see this pattern again. 

 

Simple Gray late '40s House Dress

I got this cute quilting cotton off the clearance rack at JoAnn a while ago. I liked the scattered blue flowers, and the larger print. I paired it with a simple post-war 1940s house dress mail order pattern.

 

I wanted more of a utility-type dress - something that would be cool for summer, and easy to wear for dirtier work when I don't want to wear one of my prettier house dresses.

 

The comfort of built in cap sleeves gives me a complete range of motion (a common issue with vintage patterns is the tighter sleeves) and they are nice and cool. The only details are the top stitched tucks on the front bodice.

 

I did not get the fit perfect on this one, but that's ok since this is a casual house dress, and my size fluctuates a lot anyhow. Somehow it ended up too big, even though I just made my usual alterations to make it my size. I may adjust it a bit more before wearing it again.

 

I intended to use navy blue buttons, but didn't have enough blue in my stash for a button-front dress. I went with these textured clear plastic vintage ones instead.

 

The pattern also had a tie neck version, but I opted at the last minute for the square neck since it would be easier to wear. If I make it again I'll do the tie version, but I will also make some other alterations or pattern substitutions to make it better fitting.

 

With such a basic dress, there wasn't much to making it. I think it was completed in just a couple days. I had soooo many buttonholes to make, and so many buttons to sew on! I thought I'd never be done with them.

 

So this is not my favorite make of the year, or my prettiest house dress, but for down-to-earth busy days, it's certainly practical and not too utilitarian work wear.

My Rainbrella Dress

I don't know how long I had this late 1940s pattern, but it was one I got years ago soon after I started sewing. It just never made it to the top of my list. Then one day several years ago when I was looking for nice basic patterns that would be a good match for busy print fabric, I noticed how cute the double collar was. That restored my interest in this pattern, and I paired it with some cotton...but it just didn't feel the the right match and never got made, though it at least was on my radar now.

 

Well, fast forward to last summer when I was pregnant. I stumbled accidentally on this adorable umbrella print that was part of an out-of-print quilting line by Art Gallery Fabrics. I spent a whole morning tracking down a shop that had enough yardage for a dress and wasn't too expensive. But I wasn't about to sew a maternity dress with it, so on the shelf it went. 

 

Until this past spring, when I was planning ideas for summer sewing. Then I realized that it would be the perfect fabric for this understated dress pattern! After all that time, it finally has a chance to shine.

 

And shine it does. It is one of those happy blends of fabric and pattern. Plus the dress fits well, but has very basic except for the double collar - which was actually quite easy and fun to do!

 

I did a bit of pin tucking on the sleeves just to add a touch of trim without introducing a contrast color, and made a self belt for the same reason. I just thought it would be easier to accessorize, and more fitting for the classy look I was going for.

 

The fabric was sold as a quilting cotton, but it feels and drapes more like a poplin - which was a nice surprise and certainly fine with me!

 

It's a one way print, so I got 3 1/2 yards of it, but still used only about 3 yards...though perhaps I cheated since I took a lot of fullness out of the skirt pieces in order to make them fit on the width. 

 

I didn't cut them out right, so I had to do some seam adjusting when sewing it together, but it hangs correctly now - and still has plenty of fullness.

Post war era, this dress has the longer length and more graceful lines of after-fabric-rationing, but still with some of the classic 1940s styling. It's a nice bridge between WWII style and the 1950s.

 

Other than the collar, it was very basic and went together quickly. I was very pleased with the fit when I was finished. I used a card of 4 vintage dark blue buttons from my stash, used the belt buckle from this 1950s floral dress (I just safety pin the belt ends underneath so I can easily swap out belts), and put the zipper in by hand.

 

Initially I thought the umbrellas were navy blue, then at a closer look I thought them black. But when placed next to black they look more blue again - so I'm not quite sure what they are! But I wore them with my bachelor's button hat which has both blue and black on it, and it's a nice match - both in color and in style, since it's from the same era as the pattern is.

 

I love how it's a cute novelty print without being too spectacularly unusual, loud, or eye-catching. The steel-blue/turquoise background color is a favorite of mine and a good color for me.

 

So altogether, as you can probably tell, I was very happy with this dress from start to finish. Fun to make - easy and quick yet with some uniqueness and a bit of a learning curve - and certainly fun to wear!

It just goes to show that procrastinating is not always a bad thing...so if it just doesn't feel like a perfect match, just put it on the shelf and mull over it for a while!

Versatile: A 1930s Set in Green

I had this combo on my sewing list for a while, and a few months ago I made it happen. I realized I couldn't keep cutting into this forest green cotton pique for contrast on things like last year's Easter dress, or my most recent Christmas dresses, without eventually ruining it for the jacket & skirt plans I had.

 

I've been wanting to make this 1930s skirt again ever since I made it in white, and dark green solid is a much more practical color. Plus it goes with anything and in any season!

 

The jacket I used from another 1930s pattern, and it is my first time using an open ended zipper like this. Of course back in the day it would have been metal, but I used what I could easily source. It was actually quite easy to install. I should do more zip-front things like this!

 

The pique has a nice texture and a bit of stretch, so it fits well. 

The jacket really was quite basic and quick to make, too. I realized later that it would be a great background for some embroidery or other decoration...I will have to think about it and see if I'd wear it more that way, or if it's more versatile when left plain like this.

 

I like how it looks like a suit when worn together, though of course all pieces can be paired separately with other things in my closet.

 

The blouse is cut from a pretty piece of vintage seersucker I got from an eBay seller a while back. I had just exactly enough to squeeze out this blouse and a sash.

 

Such a pretty print!

 

The sash makes it more versatile, or I can also use it for a hair scarf if I want to coordinate in a different way.

 

I didn't look at the pattern closely enough, however, before I started cutting it out. Then I realized that it was meant to meet in the center, with an underlap, and close with lots of little fabric button loops. I was not about to mess with that many button loops every time the baby wants to nurse, so I decided to just overlap it and button it like normal.

THAT plan was underway when I realized that the V in the front wouldn't meet if it was overlapped, but be several inches off. :-(

 

Well, clearly I hadn't thought it through well enough...so I eventually decided to make it look more purposeful by adding another top stitched tuck farther up on one side, so it might look done on purpose instead of supposed-to-match-and-doesn't. Asymmetrical details are quite popular on 1930s clothing.

 

So that was all a hassle, but hopefully it didn't turn out too badly! I do love the print, the V in the back, and the sleeves, and how well it coordinates with the green pique.

 

I can wear it tucked in or out, which helps with more versatility as well. 

 

But I really do need to do another version of this blouse with more thought put into it! The pattern definitely deserves a more accurate treatment.

 

The jacket, though lightweight, is a bit too warm for summer, but it will work nicely for fall and spring transitional weather. Meanwhile the skirt and blouse can be worn for summer, now that summer will be arriving any minute in our neck of the woods. 

 

I am glad to have it finished! One more long-time project on my list crossed off.

 

Late 1930s Dark Blue Rayon Dress

This dress has been on my list for a VERY long time. For over 3 years I've had this rayon paired with this late '30s dress pattern...every fall it would still be on my sewing queue and I just never quite got that far. There were always new, more exciting projects crowding it out!

 

Then I realized that just because I didn't get it done last year for fall (again!), didn't mean I could not go ahead and make it this spring. It's actually a great transitional piece and can fit in many seasons.

 

I actually quite like wearing dark colors in the summer, since I can wear less layers under them. So I opted for the short sleeve version to make it more versatile, and went ahead and sewed it up during a big sewing spree before Easter.

 

We didn't get pictures taken right away, which ended up working out just fine...because our wildflower season was the perfect time to get pictures.

 

These blue wildflowers are my favorite. They lie in the wet hollows like pools of living water. We found a nice little hollow full of them, and had a photo session. 

 

1930s style Sound of Music, anyone? 

 

I had intended to make it with the white collar from the view 2 of the pattern, but changed my mind not long before making it, to use instead one of the vintage collars I've picked up at antique stores. Thankfully I had one that fit the V shape of the neck perfectly!

 

It was breezy when taking these pictures, so the collar and skirt don't always lay perfectly..but such is life when taking photos out of doors.

 

The pattern size was smaller than I am, so I had to size it up. It worked out well enough, though I wouldn't say it is quite a perfect fit. It's close enough for me (since I am not a perfectionist.)

 

I love all the tuck details everywhere!

 

I've done some dresses with similar construction and tuck detail, so it wasn't too difficult to put together. I think I shortened the skirt tucks a bit so they would look better on me, but otherwise followed the pattern (also adding a panel to heighten the neckline).

 

 

This rayon crepe - actually a fine black/dark blue houndstooth pattern - is limp, yet with a crisp feel, and hangs beautifully. Just like real vintage rayon. It was textured enough to not be too slippery while I was sewing, which was nice. The skirt feels more tailored but is still nice and flow - an element about pre-WWII patterns I enjoy.

 

This is the sort of classic dark dress that is easy to wear, fun to pair with various accessories, and versatile for different seasons and occasions. I can easily layer it with a cardigan for colder weather.

 

I am really pleased to finally have this off my to do list where it has languished for so long. It will be fun to style it different ways in the future.

Baby Dresses - Sewing 1 Pattern 4 Ways

My little girl was outgrowing all her clothes, so a few months ago between other projects I sandwiched in making some 6-9 month size dresses for her. I used a very basic baby dress pattern (not vintage, but a classic style) and cut out 4 dresses at once from leftovers in my fabric stash.

 

I did variations on each one, just for fun. This fun pattern has a band added at the bottom which allows for a lot more creativity than if the skirt was all one piece. And I didn't even try color blocking with it yet! All of them are sleeveless, both to make them a faster project, and so they are more versatile. In these photos I layer them over long sleeves, but they could also be worn over short sleeves, or during the hot weather without any other layer underneath.

My first dress turned out too tight in the arm and neck, and I did the band wrong, so it is not my favorite. Still wearable, I put it away with a smaller size of girl clothes. This one had contrasting piping at top of the skirt band.

 

This next one was cut out of a skirt of a dress my mom didn't want anymore. It's amazing how little fabric baby clothes take! It's so easy to squeeze them out of a good section of fabric from an old garment.

 

This one I simply sewed rick rack over the seam of the bottom band, and added decorative buttons on the front.

 

The neck and sleeve openings fit a lot better, once I cut them a little bigger. I used double fold binding and left the binding show, since this was an everyday dress.

 

Dress #3 is made from leftovers from my 4th of July dress a few years back. Again I cut the arm and neck holes larger and just used bias binding to finish them.

 

I found some vintage poppy trim in my stash that exactly matched the colors of the poppies on the fabric...on a larger dress it would have been too much, but on a baby dress, can you have too many poppies???

 

This shot is purely to show off those adorable red-gold curls. She gets compliments from strangers about her hair ALL the time when we are shopping.

 

My favorite, dress #4, I spent more time on and made it fancier. When I was sewing the top pleats in, I mistakenly put the wrong two marks together so I ended up with only 3 darts - which was perfect, because that automatically made the neck opening larger. That also meant I could top stitch some cotton lace between the 3 darts.

 

I used the same lace as insertion lace between the band and the skirt hem, which turned out so cute! The pattern shows insertion done with jumbo rickrack, which I like too.

 

This one I turned the bias binding to the inside for a neater finish to the neck and arms. I like how the band, which you fold in half, makes a nice deep hem finish as well.

 

This dress used leftovers from fabric I bought many years ago and used for one of my earliest sewing projects that I took more care with and actually turned out well - a 1940s dress. It's a good color for a redhead too!

 

The nice thing about dresses like this is they will fit for a long time. It doesn't matter if the skirt's a little short eventually. Also the pattern is easy to adjust for a larger size. I'd like to make another one combining two different fabrics...and I haven't tried a sleeved version or any of the accessories included in this pattern yet either.

The blue one took the longest because of adding the lace, but none of them took very long - and doing them in an assembly line fashion made the process even speedier. It's such a quick way to get a bigger baby girl wardrobe in a new size!

 

A Simple 1940s Easter Ensemble

Easter sneaked up on me this year. I realized one week before that if this was Palm Sunday, that meant Easter was in exactly one week! I had already cut out some sewing projects, so I spent Monday getting them to a stage where I could lay them aside, and work on something for Easter.

 

Usually I gravitate towards 1950s styles for Easter. But this year, with the short time frame I had to sew, I didn't feel like attempting anything elaborate or fussy, so I looked over my sewing queue to find something suitable already there that I could make in time for Easter, thus crossing something off my list instead of adding to it.

 

I chose a 1940s two piece dress pattern paired with a pretty floral quilting cotton I got last fall from mybluprint.com on clearance. I made it from start to finish in one day, so you can see it wasn't very time-consuming. The gored skirt is quite basic, and the jacket also easy & quick to make, with the gathered front that is so flattering, as its only detail.

 

I have made a few pretty similar patterns with gathered front sides earlier, so I didn't have any trouble with this one. I had to size the pattern up, but thankfully it was one of these handy patterns that has "let-out" seams, so by sewing those more shallowly, it made the sizing-up job easier. I also added a few inches to the skirt length.

 

I finished the neck plain, first deciding which of my vintage collars I wanted to pair with the jacket, then trimming the neck of both jacket and facing to a V of the right depth for the collar before finishing it.

 

I don't remember where I got this lovely vintage crochet Irish lace collar, but it matched the little flowers in the fabric perfectly, and makes quite a statement. I tacked it on; it would be easy to swap it out if I decided to use a different collar.

 

I found the outfit comfortable to wear; dressy yet low key enough for an Easter at home. It will be a great easy to wear spring and summer addition to my closet - and as I've mentioned before, has my favorite versatile element of being able to mix and match with other skirts or blouses if desired.

 

It could easily go casual, but since it was Easter, I dressed it up a bit. Of course I chose my largest hat, adding a spray of vintage millinery daisies.

 

I also paired it with a favorite true vintage necklace, heels, and gloves.

 

We had a gloriously sunny Easter, but it was very windy. There was no way I could take pictures outside, so I had to experiment with indoor locations. I was quite pleased by how the window pictures turned out. The view out the window (lovely in its own right) was blanked out when the camera focussed on me, creating a nice white-box background.

 

Taken on its own, the outfit might not be terribly "Easter-ish", but I bet it will get a lot of wear - more than a fancier gown would have. And perhaps it is similar to what would have been worn for Easter in 1942, with wartime economy going on.

 

At any rate, I'm pleased to have this idea materialized successfully and now in my closet...while simultaneously managing to continue the tradition of making a new dress for Easter Sunday. It's my own little yearly tribute to the day when all things were made new.

If Christ is risen, then nothing else matters.

And if Christ is not risen...then nothing else matters.

-Jaroslav Pelikan

He is risen indeed!

Palm Sunday Outfit: 1950s Gray Dot Spring Suit

This March and April so far have been far more productive than the previous few months, sewing wise. I chose this new make to wear first on Palm Sunday, even though we had church at home (so thankful for technology!)

 

I have a lot of new pretty gray fabrics to use, so that will likely be a theme this year. This one uses some cotton jacquard I got from sewvintagely.com when it was on sale a while back. So far I had only seen polyester jacquard, but this was a whole new ballgame! I highly recommend. It was amazing to use - the ease of quilting cotton, but with better drape and a more sophisticated sheen. It does fray terribly, so I was grateful for a serger to finish my seams. 

 

I've been inspired by the lovely outfits Donna Reed wears on The Donna Reed Show recently, so this was definitely influenced by her style. I had the idea for the bow at the neck from one of her dresses on the show.

 

Gray goes with everything, so I wanted to make a 2 piece suit that I could mix and match. I used the pattern for a skirt from a mail order dress pattern, with a pointed yoke. In retrospect I wish I'd made it a plain suit skirt since the jacket covers up most of the detail, but it still works well enough. Of course if I wear it with a tucked in blouse, the yoke will be visible.

 

I used a 1950s jacket pattern I'd tried years and years ago when I was a sewing newbie. It was a terrible make, ill fitting and with mismatched stripes in all directions. So it was high time to do a better version - and I discovered how much I like its simple, classic style, especially the double darts in the back. Yep, it's a bit wrinkly after wearing it all morning...but that's life!

 

Doing it with short sleeves and dress style buttons gave it more of a formal 2 piece dress outfit instead of a suit, which is what I was looking for.

 

I used some white embroidered dot fabric I'd thrifted a while ago for my contrast. The yardage has the dots, and one edge has a wide decorative border. I've been hoarding it for a while, so I finally decided to use a little bit of it for this project. I cut the bow to have the border at each end, and cut the collar and cuffs from the dotted section.

 

I made the bow removable - it's just safety pinned on each shoulder. So I can easily take it off and unbutton the top button for a more casual look. Nothing better than having two looks in one!

 

This type of outfit will work well during at least 3 seasons. I went classic and accented it with black and white for this photo shoot, but it would have a different flavor and coordinate well with so many other colors as you can imagine...pink, lavender, navy blue, emerald, etc. I will have a lot of fun wearing it this spring and summer, pairing it with different colors.

 

This was one of those projects that went together pretty smoothly, with just enough challenge to keep interesting, and no real frustrations. I did have to unpick the skirt yoke after the first try, and do a lapped seam instead, but otherwise everything went well and I enjoyed seeing it come together. 

 

Speaking of black accessories, I got some new shoes from Rocket Originals, and they are my new favorite! I wore them all day and they remained comfortable. They are so classy with their patent leather trim stripe and the wrapped ankle strap - a perfect blend between a more formal heel and a more casual wedge. I also have them in another color way, and I'm sure they will get a lot of wear (and probably appear on the blog more than once!)

 

I was hoping for a dressy, easy to wear, mix-and-match outfit that I could button up and go with - and it was nice to find all those goals met successfully. Not every sewing project turns out as hoped for (like the last one), but this one boosted my confidence again and started off a sewing mood that resulted in quite a few finished garments I'll show you over the next little while. 

It might not be quite Donna Reed, but close enough to make me happy!

Why I Love Thrift Stores - Dramatic Sweater Coat

The countryside where I live is greening up and filled with birdsong. But just an hour or so up in the mountains, there is still several feet of snow on the ground. It made a good backdrop for an outerwear photo shoot, so I have one last wintery post for the year.

 

Last fall I was on a thrift store run to the city a few hours away, and was just about to check out with a few things for the children when I spotted this sweater. It was dramatic and unusual - but it also reminded me very much of fashion ads from the 1930s. 

 

If it were worn with jeans, boots, and a modern shirt, you probably wouldn't notice the vintage style possibilities. But with a different outfit and accessories, it has a totally different feel. I paired it here with a late 1930s rayon dress I made.

 

The disappearing geometric lines and two-color play were both very popular in the 1930s. Just a quick look at black and white ads for 1930s coats and swagger coats show similar styles.

(It may have been called my "piano key" sweater by one person... :-) 

 

The sun on the snow made for less than perfect pictures, but hopefully you can see there are possibilities of keeping your eye out for vintage elements in modern garments. Sometimes it's something so classic that it hasn't changed much in style in all those years, like my brown wool jacket. Other times, you might be able to do a bit of alterations or add some details to take a piece from modern to vintage appropriate, like my swagger coat redo. 

Dramatic vintage gauntlets are just the thing to pair with a dramatic sweater like this.

 

Or it might be something more flamboyant and unusual, like this one. If you familiarize yourself with style lines and fashion ads from the eras you like, you'll find your eye trained to spot similar things when you are shopping. It's a great way to add to your vintage style closet without the expense and extra care of true vintage clothes.

 

 

A Different 1940s Rayon Dress

I was trying to get a few last winter projects off my list - or rather, one last winter project and then turn to some transitional outfits. This dress was from a new pattern that I liked the style lines of - I'm always looking for interesting button front styles. 

 

It took a while to cut out because of the extra pieces, and the construction was unusual, but not too confusing, thankfully.

I'm not sure if it was my fabric choice or just that it's not the best style for my body type (or maybe both), but I did not like it as much in person as on the illustration. I ended up topstitching the shoulder detail 3 times so that it would stand out a bit more, and that did help.

 

Despite the more complex construction, it didn't take too long to put together. I like the way the shoulder detail runs into the pockets - a very popular post-war style element, which is when this pattern is from.

 

I think it's funny that my very first project with pockets similar to this was just my last one - my Valentine's dress. Amusing how that happens unintentionally.

At least I'm not afraid of making this type of pockets now!

 

(I know this is not a house dress, but the day I wore this it was far too windy to take pictures outside, so you get a futuristic kitchen photo shoot instead.)

 

Unfortunately (as happens when you are me and don't do trials) the fit has some issues. And while I did prewash the fabric as usual, the dress did not stand up to its first laundering very well. I'll try rewashing and drying it flat, but everything taken altogether, this may be one that I lay aside as a learning experience, and not wear again.

 

Time is at a premium right now, as you might have gathered from my less prolific posts lately. In retrospect, I wish I had not spent the time to complete this dress once I realized that I wasn't going to love the finished product. But on the other hand, I thought the same thing at one point while making my Valentine's dress, and ended up loving that one! So you never know. Usually perseverance is the right choice.

All accessories except the belt are favorite true vintage pieces from the 1940s.

 

However, learning experiences aren't exactly failures, even if they don't turn out as you hoped. The thing to do is learn what you can and move on. Hopefully this time to more successful garments in the future! 

 

I have some fun early spring things planned that should turn out better, to cheer me up. Hopefully I can get to them in a timely manner once I've met some of my more pressing deadlines. There just isn't enough time in a day!