Verity Vintage Studio

1930s Geometric Dress

Finally catching up on the last of my backlog of blog projects! When I made my Liberty floral dress a while ago, I liked it so much and was intrigued by the design possibilities if I did not make it all in one fabric, so before I even put the pattern away again, I cut out a second dress. This is it. 

 

Thankfully in the world of modern quilting cotton, while some prints work well for vintage sewing and some not so much, there are always geometric prints to be counted on. They are classic and universal throughout the decades of fashion. Out of one of Riley Blake Designs mostly modern new lines this spring, Tea with Bea, I picked out a geometric that would work perfect for Art Deco sewing.

 

It works so well with this quite classic 1930s dress pattern, and I love the different look changing up a few things gave to the dress compared to the all-over floral version shown earlier. 

 

 

I made it exactly like the other, since I was so pleased with that one's fit - but this time I made the V insert and the collar in a contrast.

 

I picked out the diamond motif in a appliqué on each collar corner, just for fun, using the EPP technique I use for appliqués on quilts.

 

The only other changes were to add an extra row of buttons on the front, and to make the sleeves differently just for variety.

 

I wanted a V sleeve, so I was going to use the same sleeves from my Easter dress pattern. But when I started sewing the tucks, I realized the geometric pattern would not work well for that. The lines went all wonky and drove my eyes crazy. So I cheated and simply bound the edge with 2 small faceted black buttons to create the V. 

Not surprisingly, I ended up liking plan B even better than the original idea!

 

Because of how very 1930s the dress looked, I paired it with some of my more flamboyant and obviously Art Deco accessories - my favorite exaggerated gauntlets, and a new to me wool tilt hat that I added a touch of color to by pinning a vintage corsage to the side.

 

It's interesting to me how a simple change in fabric style, color placement, and accessories can make this version much more formal than the first floral one.

 

Also I wore a new pair of shoes which I had recently gotten on clearance, Romona from BAIT footwear in black. A lot of their styles are not quite vintage-suitable to a purist like me, but this one works well and was comfortable to wear all day on their first outing. I already owned them in blue, and knew I needed to size up a half size for these.

 

I actually made this dress back in June, and got to photograph it at a lovely park when we did a family outing for Father's Day. I wore another hat with it part of the day, so here's a slightly different look in the lovely rose garden at the park.

 

I don't often make the same pattern twice in a row, but since this was the second time everything went quite quickly since I knew what I was doing. And I have to say it's my favorite make so far this year.

1930s Liberty Floral Dress

It's project tour time for the Carnaby Collection fabric line!

 

This 1930s dress was made and photographed during the evening light in late May, which is why the pictures are so green. It definitely is not this green here by now, especially since it's a drought year. 

 

I honestly don't know how many years this poor tattered 1930s pattern has languished in my collection. When I had the opportunity to sew with some Liberty of London prints from their new Carnaby line (distributed by Riley Blake Designs), one floral jumped out at me. I just love the retro style, and of course it's my favorite color combo. But the fabric was so busy I needed a simple 1930s pattern to pair it with, so finally this pattern had its chance to shine. 

 

And I can't believe I waited so long to make it. It actually fits me, unlike so many 1930s patterns which definitely need a lot of tweaking before they come close to fitting, since the fashionable silhouette back then was quite different than my natural shape. And it was simple to make, with just enough unique interest to make it special.

 

Plus of course, the double line of slanted buttons made it another variety to my button-front dress patterns. 

 

As you can see, the pattern includes a lot of options. When I tried on my version, I realized that it would be too tight for me over the bust if I buttoned it straight on like the illustrations show - but how easy it was to get a perfect fit by angling the bodice out into a V over the insert! Plus that gave the front even more style interest.

 

Pyramid buttons added a bit more of an Art Deco touch (though they are a pain to button and unbutton). 

 

I assembled the collar a bit differently than the pattern called for, to omit the need for a facing, and it turned out perfectly for a wonder.

 

Otherwise it was a fast and easy make, so enjoyable that I promptly made it again in another fabric (show you soon!) before I put the pattern away again. I think it will be my go-to 1930s dress pattern.

 

I actually made this dress ahead of schedule in time to wear for Memorial Day, which was perfect since it is red, white, and blue. The touches of pink are genius. Even though this fabric collection is inspired but the retro mod era of the '60s and '70s, I think this print (along with a few others) crossed over to also do a perfect 1930s style. And sewing with this cotton was a dream - definitely a great first time experience with Liberty of London fabric. 

 

I'm getting Sound of Music vibes from this photo!

 

This one and its sister dress still to be revealed are my favorite sewing projects this year so far. Yet another favorite in the closet!

Modeled photos by Elsie's Adventuring

1930s Easy Summer Dress

Time to catch up with another past project!

 

This was my favorite print from the Blue Stitch collection by Riley Blake Designs, so of course I had to make a dress. Quilting cotton is so perfect for summer clothes, and a confetti-like geometric dot print in my favorite color is ideal for vintage sewing. It could have worked for various eras and styles, but I settled on a new to me 1930s pattern for a princess style dress. 

 

It was one of those that is only 3 pieces plus the facing, so while it was challenging to fit on my yardage, it was fast to cut out and easy to put together. It does have some fun details though - trust the 1930s for that! The princess seam has a yoke in the front, cap sleeves cut all in one with the main pieces, and the shaping is formed by gathers and long darts - one in the back and 3 in the front. 

 

This makes it very easy to adjust for size or waist length, as I can just deepen the darts or make them more shallow. 

 

It was supposed to have a side zipper, as the buttons go just to the waist, but I made it loose enough that I could slip it over my head and just belt the extra in. Another time I will cut the button overlap a little longer so it reaches to the hips, and make it a better fit at the waist. 

 

I wanted an easy to wear, cool summer dress that would work for a house dress or could be dressed up a bit. I had to tweak the fit of this one a bit after initially trying it on, but in the end I was happy with it. And I just adore the color and print of this quilting cotton! It is also available in a few others color ways as well. 

 

The bodice was intended to button all the way up, but just was too close to my throat for comfort, so I unbuttoned the top button and folded it down to make a little collar. Another time I will do this again, or just cut the square neck a little larger if I want a square neck.

And of course I loved the chance to use these large round vintage buttons from my stash. On such a simple dress, they really add a design punch.

 

But I also like that the dress pattern is not your usual princess dress pattern. I have plans for another version sometime in the future. 

 

Meanwhile during this sustained record-high heat wave here, I am grateful for cool cotton dresses like this one.

Toddler's 1930s Smock Dress

Among one of Riley Blake Designs recent fabric lines, I found another vintage-style print in a non-vintage collection called Ava Kate. It reminded me of feedsack prints. And I loved the pops of coral against the seafood background.

 

It was perfect for an everyday dress for my baby girl, especially now that summer is finally approaching. 

 

I made it from a vintage pattern - very simple pieces, with the front and back hanging gathered from a yoke. 

 

The sleeves were supposed to be gathered into a cuff, but I chose to do them butterfly style instead. 

 

When I was finished, I was not satisfied with the plain yoke and decided it needed more color. I had the idea of stitching down some lace with embroidery floss in French knots, and I love how it turned out!

 

I happened to have the exact same color of embroidery floss as the little coral flower centers, and it took just a little time to do the hand work. It looks so much better now. It's fun when plan B turns out better than plan A!

 

My little girl likes her new dress. It's easy to wear, cool and comfy for summer. Study quilting cotton means it can be washed and worn a lot. Plus it was quick to make, even with adding the lace with embroidery. I'm going to remember that technique for later. 

 

1930s Starburst Blouse

This 1930s blouse pattern was one of my earliest more challenging sewing projects way back in 2014 when I had only recently started making garments. I originally made a blouse that was very sloppy and ill fitting, but I remember noticing the unique way the sleeves were set, and it was the beginning of my intrigue with patterns that had neat details. Later on I became more precise in my construction in order to do such patterns justice!

That blouse got deconstructed later on, so it was high time to make a better version.

 

This adorable print from Riley Blake Designs' recent Mod Meow collection has tiny jade starbursts all over it, and I knew it would be perfect for a blouse. It comes in several colorways, and some of the other prints from this collection are also ideal for vintage sewing, especially if you like cats! A few would be perfect for 1940s or 1950s novelty print garments, while the starbursts work for any era.

 

I flatlined the bodice of the blouse so I don't have to wear layers underneath it. It had been a long time since I made this pattern, but I remembered it as I went along, which made the construction easier.

 

It was fairly straightforward to make, for the most part. There were so many gathers, it was difficult to make them all even. There are also a lot of little pieces to this pattern, but once it started coming together it made more sense.

 

The instructions were more detailed than many 1930s patterns, but I still had to just wing it a few times.

 

Sleeve details!

 

It's meant to be worn tucked or untucked, but I prefer the untucked so that's how I styled it, along with a 1930s skirt I made ages ago and vintage brown 1930s accessories.

 

I like the touch of color the starbursts give, while it remains a true neutral that can go with a lot of coordinates. And the soft ivory is a lovely color.

 

It makes a versatile addition to my spring and summer wardrobe!

1920s Baby Dress in Pastel Plaid

I'm so excited to be joining Poppie Cotton for their project tour featuring the new line, Kaisley Rose!

 

I debated between making a quilty project or a baby dress. The quilty project is still upcoming, but for my turn on the blog lineup I just had to make a baby dress featuring my favorite plaid from this collection. 

 

A friend of my husband had sent me this pattern because she knew I would like it. It's probably the oldest one in my collection - my guess is the 1920s or possibly very early 1930s. And isn't it adorable?

 

I hadn't settled on a pattern for the plaid fabric, but after this one arrived I knew it was the perfect match. 

 

The yoke is supposed to be connected with embroidery stitches to make some lacework between the layers. I decided to simply overlap them instead. 

 

That altered the construction method somewhat, so I ended up mostly just glancing at the instructions and putting it together how it made the most sense to me. And it turned out pretty cute!

 

As you can see from the pattern illustrations, it's intended to hang straight from the yoke in a smock style. But the quilting cotton was stiff enough that it really was too shapeless, so I added an easy tie sash in the same contrast as the yoke. 

 

I love the yoke detail so much! They make the cutest tiny cap sleeves for summer. 

 

I had just barely enough fabric for this - I ended up having to shorten the hem and cut them cross-grain to fit the front and back pieces on. But even still I had a 3" hem, so it looks just fine!

 

My little girl loves her new dress and enjoyed posing in it. It's not quite warm enough yet to wear it out of the house, but it will be ideal for hot weather when it comes!

 

I love some of the other prints from this pretty collection, so you'll see more later - but for now, enjoy the lineup of lovely projects made by other bloggers using this fabric. 

 

Monday, April 12	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, April 14	www.blueberryquiltco.com
Friday, April 16	designer@blueribbondesigns.com
Monday, April 19	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Wednesday, April 21	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Friday, April 23	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Monday, April 26	https://thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/
Wednesday, April 28	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/
Friday, April 30	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/

Mother & Daughter Duo in Spring Pastels

You may remember the lovely pastel fabric line Rose & Violet's Garden from Riley Blake Designs that I posted about a while back. I featured it in a quilted dresser scarf. But I had to get some of my favorite prints in yardage too, and here's what I did with those!

 

For my baby girl I made a 1930s dress pattern. It features the common baby fashion of the era - short, a straight front, and little details focusing on the neck and sleeve area.

 

I chose to do the yoke and sleeves in a contrasting rose toile from the fabric line. With something this small, you can easily squeeze it out of a quilting 1/4" yard cut or fat quarter. 

 

The back has most of the details, with those adorable tucks and a sash. 

 

It was a super quick make and I really love how cute she is in it. 

 

For myself, I used another color way of the same print and did a late 1940s blouse. 

 

I wanted to go very feminine to fit with the fabric style, but not too fluffy. This pattern with its tucked yoke and tiny ruffles was perfect. 

 

I made the ruffles even smaller than called for, and I think they are perfect. I used some ivory rose toile from the fabric line so it would stand out. 

 

The contrast also dresses up the sleeves since I thought they needed a bit of trimming too. 

 

Tiny pink glass buttons were the perfect finishing touch.

 

It's a tuck in style, so it slips over the head. But it still has some tucks shaping it, so it doesn't pull out as easily when I reach for something. 

(I had a hard time finding a skirt to wear with it though, so clearly I need to make some pastel skirts for spring!)

 

I love how we match without being completely matchy-matchy. And how spring-like these outfits are. They would have been my backup plan for Easter if I hadn't had time to make my Easter dress.

 

I have one more project planned with what's left of this fabric, so I'm sure you'll see it again. But it's so lovely, it's a pleasure to sew with! I usually gravitate toward bright vintage colors, but am rediscovering a love for pastels.

 

Happy spring sewing!

 

    Photos by either myself or Elsie's Adventuring.

1930s Easter Dress for 2021

Easter sneaked up on me this year, so I didn't have time to make an elaborate Easter dress. When I realized Easter was just next week, I quickly looked through my immediate to-do list to see if I could make one of those projects do double duty.

Sure enough! I realized this lovely floral cotton would be just the thing. Even more fun? It's from a new quilting collection by Riley Blake Designs called Faith, Hope & Love. How appropriate was that???

 

I love pink and blue together; in this print the touches of gold are the perfect highlight, and the watercolor floral was so springish. It comes in several colorways, so I highly recommend you check it out if you like it!

 

I paired it with a vintage mail order 1930s pattern I have long owned and never made. It doesn't open down the front, but my baby girl is weaned enough that I knew I could wear it for a few hours on a Sunday morning.

 

The front has some cute neck detail with the pleats and shoulder yoke, but overall it was definitely one of those quick and easy dress patterns that only take a few hours to make. Which was good, since Easter was rapidly approaching!

 

The front and back bodice gather into the skirt, so for a good fit I just made the skirt fit me, then gathered the bodice into the skirt. Easy peasy.

 

The illustration showed buttons on the neckline between the pleats, and I liked the idea. Instead of using matching ones, though, I chose several of my different white ones so I could use up some orphans.

 

Trust the 1930s for their attention to sleeves – this pattern did not disappoint. It also had a flutter sleeve option, but I love the darted V sleeves the most.

 

Things are slow greening up this year, and no flowers are blooming yet here, so I wasn't able to get the kind of Easter photos I would have liked. But I didn't want to wait to document it and I have enough flowers on my dress to make up for it!

 

I love the longer length of this decade's fashions. I did a 2” hem and still had a nice graceful length to the skirt. BUT I did have trouble squeezing it all onto 3 yards. I ended up having to cut the sleeve cross grain as well as taking a big pleat out of the height to fit it on – but it turned out just fine. You would never know!

 

So another long-hoarded pattern finally sees the light of day! I am thoroughly enjoying my spring sewing thus far. It's a delight after several months' break to have lots of ideas and motivation.

 

Since I have started sewing, I've made 4 1950s patterns and 1 1940s pattern for Easter. It was definitely time for a 1930s style Easter dress.

 

Happy Easter!

 

His glories now we sing

Who died and rose on high -

Who died eternal life to bring,

And lives that death may die!

 

1930s Draped Rayon Blouse

Ever since making my red Christmas dress, I have been wary of trying to sew with rayon challis again. That one was so difficult to work with. But I had the opportunity of trying out Riley Blake Design's rayon challis, and when it arrived, I was instantly impressed by the feel of it. 

 

It didn't take too long to pair it with this 1930s blouse pattern (a reprint from McCall's) that I've had a long, long time and never tackled. 

 

It certainly was interesting to make. In the first place, I don't enjoy working with modern patterns, and also the front pieces were so strangely shaped it was not intuitive at all - I had to very closely follow the instructions (not something I usually do). 

 

But I took it slow, step by step, and after a bit I could see how the pieces worked together - then it became easier. 

 

The rayon was a dream to work with. A nice weight, dense grain, cool feel, and while it has some widthwise stretch and more drape than cotton, really wasn't much harder to work with than cotton. 

 

Riley Blake has only a handful of solids and prints, so I hope they come out with more colors and vintage-appropriate prints, because I highly recommend working with it if you're looking for a good rayon for your vintage sewing. The abstract style of print I thought could work well for 1930s, which had its share of wacky novelty and abstract prints. This print also comes in burgundy, but I chose the blue since it's a better color for me. 

 

I was intending on making this a sleeveless blouse, to wear under jackets and sweaters, but ended up deciding to put short sleeves on it instead, to make it more versatile. I chose a sleeve pattern from a vintage 1930s pattern I own, and the pattern combinations went together quite smoothly. 

 

When I first tried it on, the draped neck was too low - definitely lower than the pattern photo shows. So I played around with the drape a bit to make it higher. Still lower than I prefer, so I may fiddle around with it some more. Another time I will take some fullness out of the drape, or otherwise see if I can figure out how to make it higher.

 

 Instead of working buttonholes, since it easily slips over the neck, I just sewed the buttons on through all the layers. I like the subtle blue-on-blue touch they add to the shoulder. 

 

The back collar piece is fun too!

 

Even though this is an earlier 1930s pattern, since that is not my era, I ended up mixing eras a bit. I paired it with a true vintage skirt from my late '40s skirt suit (had a similar skirt style and length to the mid 1930s). 

 

Then because I had just bought a new hat, I wanted to wear them together, so while I think the hat is a later date than the blouse style, I wore it anyway. 

 

That shape and the taffeta polka dot ribbon! It was a little more than I would have liked to pay, especially since the ribbon is visibly worn, but it was so unique and "me" that I ended up splurging and getting it anyway. 

 

This was also a perfect opportunity to wear my favorite 1930s reproduction shoes from Remix Vintage Shoes. This style they had made a long time ago, and I saw photos of it and longed for a pair, but never found any in my size on eBay. Lo and behold, last fall they brought these shoes back - you better believe I snapped up a pair during their sale!

 

My new blouse is very comfortable and easy to wear. The rayon doesn't feel like a synthetic against my skin, but has a lovely drape and coolness that I enjoy as a change from cotton. I need to get a solid color soon to make one of those detailed dresses that need something solid and drapey!

 

It was fun to make this pattern - definitely a unique one, out of my ordinary rut - and I can see myself wearing it with sweaters and jackets as well.

 

Since it is a dark color, but short sleeves, it will be season transitional. Since it is more slippery, I have trouble keeping it tucked in, so another time may make it more fitted and add a side zipper. But if you like pullover tuck-in blouses with a bit of shaping, this pattern is a good one. It also crosses over to modern very well, so could be a versatile wardrobe builder.

 

So much for my revised opinion of rayon challis! I'm sure there will be more adventures in the future with this lovely fabric. 

 

Photos as usual by the talented Elsie.

Sister Coordinates - & My Blue 1930s Daisy Dress

My first completed make of the year! One of the lovely things that made my last few weeks so pleasantly busy was the arrival of some beautiful fabric from Riley Blake Designs, which was sent to me to feature as an independent part of their project tours. I was so delighted for a chance to collaborate with them, especially since that means I can comb through their upcoming collections to pick out vintage-appropriate prints to feature.

 

Often I get inquiries about the fabric I use, and usually it's one-of-a-kind vintage, or out of print. But now, if I feature a print you like, you may be able to find it easily and snag a piece for yourself!

 

First up is this sweet daisy print from the Blue Stitch collection. Most of the prints in this collection are more modern, but this one works equally well for my type of fashion sewing. In fact, I got some yardage in two different color ways (besides smaller cuts for some quilty projects coming up), and my sister ended up using one of them to make herself a coordinating outfit to mine.

 

You can see how versatile this print is - working equally well for 1930s or more casual 1950s.

It's funny how well both these outfits express our style and personality. I gravitate toward the more detailed dress patterns from the 1930s and 1940s, while Elsie prefers the classic simplicity (or floof) of the 1950s.

 

She did a simple 1950s cap sleeve blouse – and it's easy to see how versatile it will be! She was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's outfit in Roman Holiday, and did such a great job on the blouse to match me as well as all her mix-and-match coordinating pieces. She'll be doing a blog post all about it in the near future, so hop on over to Elsie's Adventuring to follow all those fun details!

 

This pretty daisy fabric comes in 3 different color ways, and while I love them all, I chose the one I liked best to do my dress.

 

It seemed to be a good fit for a 1930s dress, so after looking over my patterns I decided to do a remake of my Christmas dress a few years back (and just barely squeezed it out of my 3 yard piece). Rayon was not a good original choice for such a structured pattern, and I ended up doing a lot of fudging and making-do, and wasn't even going to ATTEMPT that scalloped collar in such a limp fabric – so another version in cotton was on my to-do list anyway.

 

Sure enough, cotton was a great choice for this pattern and was sooooo much easier to work with. I decided on a whim to outline the top stitched yoke (so you could see it better) with some teeny tiny white pompom trim from my stash, and I love how it turned out.

 

The collar too – using a classic white-on-white Swiss dot also from Riley Blake in their basics line – adds a sweet finishing touch.

 

Since I had made the dress before, it wasn't hard to assemble this time. I had to tweak the fit a bit with the wide waist band, but otherwise it was straightforward and pretty quick, with just enough details to keep it interesting – but no frustrations.

 

Only took me 3½ leisurely days to make it, which is pretty much instant gratification in the sewing world!

 

The sleeves turned out so much better than my rayon version, and the cotton is stiff enough that it holds the cute puff shape pretty well without stiffening.

 

Also found the perfect home for these adorable kiss shaped vintage buttons. I had 4, but one was broken, and since I only needed 3 anyway it was meant to be. The little ribs mimic the daisy shape, and they add the perfect Art Deco touch.

 

This will probably be an everyday housedress for me, but it is dressy enough that I enjoyed pairing it with white gloves and heels (long awaited navy and white pumps from American Duchess!) for this photo shoot.

 

Incidentally, this local building in our little town is just the best for indoor photos! It has all kinds of cool old props too, kind of like the Cracker Barrel I used to visit as a child. It's a great place to take photos when the weather doesn't match our outfit's season.

 

If you like this daisy print, look for it online or in stores! I have more new fabric to show you soon, as well as smaller things using this collection, so stay tuned! February will have lots of blog posts coming up.