Verity Vintage Studio

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!

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!

1930s Adjustable House Dress

My fourth time making this negligee pattern was for another maternity friendly house dress. It was not one of those perfect projects, but was a near fail that I managed to rescue - thankfully!

 

Tie front dresses are very useful for maternity, but they were also a common fashion element for just regular wear in the late '30s and early '40s, so my intention was to make a dress that would work for both. I also wanted to pair this fabric with a white yoke, and the only pattern I had that combined those elements was the negligee pattern I've made before. So out it came again.

 

All went well until the first wearing. Despite the fact that I've made this pattern dress length instead of floor length twice before, somehow I managed to cut it too short when cutting it out this time!

 

My tropical print version I wore quite a bit after my last pregnancy, but the front panels have too much fabric in them and gather too bunchily around the waist for my taste (especially in a stiffer cotton), so I decided to take a few inches out of the front panels of this one. 

Well, I didn't realize that while it does cut down on extra fabric at the waist, it also cuts down on the skirt width. So the first time I wore it, I realized there were issues. The skirt pulled and gaped badly between the buttons when I sat down, and it was definitely too short. 

But I loved this fabric too much to call it a failure! The button gaping problem was easily fixed by top stitching the opening together from the waist down, but my only option to lengthen it was to add a piece of fabric at the bottom. How to do that without making it look obviously patched together?

 

The answer was a strip of narrow white lace sandwiched between the layers, which I top stitched together. I was very relieved to find that the lace makes it look like it was intended to be there, and actually ties in the white yoke and buttons very well! Definitely a close call, but with those problems fixed I can wear it happily now. The only fit issue that remains is that the yoke won't lay flat in the front - ah, well. 

 

Because this is a fun fabric and a house dress, I decided to play around a bit more with decoration than I normally do. This was a perfect way to use up some random cute tiny vintage buttons that I otherwise probably wouldn't have a use for, only having a few of them. I really liked how it turned out, along with the interlaced tiny red rickrack.

 

The yoke took a bit of extra time as a result, but the rest of the pattern is super easy and went together very quickly. I hardly needed to look at the instructions since I've made it so often and it's simple anyway.

I used sleeves from another pattern from the era, just to change things up a bit. I like the ones that puff at the top and are dart fitted around the arm. It's a nice change from the straight sleeves the pattern calls for.

 

Can we all take a moment to cry about the fact that JoAnn discontinued their 1930s print collection?? How cute is this fabric? Though to be honest, I probably wouldn't have gotten any if it hadn't been marked down so far on clearance. I just wish I'd gotten more! I love how cheery it is.

I have plenty of room in the front, no matter how large I get, and I'm reasonably certain that when my waist comes back, I can cinch it in with the tie belt (handy for fluctuating sizes afterwards too) and the dress will fit well without looking maternity. At any rate, it makes a cheerful, comfortable house dress, and I'm sure will get a lot of wear this summer.

 

This project was a good reminder that even after years of experience, sewing projects can still throw you a curve ball once in a while. For it to be such a simple one, instead of a complex pattern, is all the more reason to keep humble. :-)

Late 1930s Pink Gingham Adjustable Dress

Yay for spring! Since our last batch of spring rains seems to finally be over, I can take pictures out-of-doors again. I am so enjoying the lovely sunshine, budding flowers, green hills, and hanging my laundry out once more!

I so enjoyed making and wearing my green late '30s dress last fall, that I wanted to make another one. Only, of course, I wouldn't fit in a regular version for very long, and the pattern lent itself to alterations for maternity very well.

 

The original pattern features a back with extra fabric gathered in to the skirt at the fitted waist. My idea was simply to not gather it, but rather cut the skirt to fit the width of the un-gathered waist of the bodice piece. This would make a wider panel all the way across the back, yet hopefully still look nice and trim when cinched in to a normal waist size. 

 

As I've mentioned before, the maternity dresses I like the best are ones that are not obviously maternity, and can be worn afterwards too. I was hoping this would turn out to be such a dress.

 

I used some pink gingham cotton twill from my stash for the trial. As you can see, it holds wrinkles pretty easily and has to be pressed before wearing. But I wanted a fabric I didn't care too much about, in case the trial failed. 

 

When cutting it out, I simply measured the bottom of the back bodice, and added that much extra to the center back seam of the skirt pieces. Otherwise, I followed the normal cutting and sewing directions except that I added waist ties (from this Butterick pattern) on each side seam, and skipped the decorative belt loops.

PLUS I could omit the side zipper, since the waist is now plenty wide enough to slip on over the head. Win!

 

I did cut the neckline differently and omit the collar, for a different look from the green dress. The collarless version is more comfortable for everyday, I think.

 

Basically the only difference between how this version and the original looks (other than the ties) is that the skirt has some extra gathers in the back, instead of being smoothly fitted gores. I like the gored version better, but this one is quite nice enough to suit me. I am large enough now at 23 weeks that my regular dresses are starting to be uncomfortable around the waist, and I can tell an instant improvement with this one's adjustable waist. Just slip it on, button it up, and tie the sash as snugly as desired. 

Crossing the ties in the back first means that the side seams stay where they belong, and keeps all the gathers in the back so they won't shift around to the sides where they would add bulk. Also I think it makes the waist look more trim.

 

I really like how the tucks on the back bodice control the extra fabric at the shoulders. These are always fun to sew.

 

There is plenty of room left in the dress at the back, so we will see if I will be able to wear it for the rest of the pregnancy. I think it's likely.

I have great hopes that it will look enough like a normal dress, and not a maternity one, to wear for non-maternity as well. The adjustable waist will certainly always be comfortable, even without a baby bump. What do you think? Does it look obviously maternity?

 

I was able to use these long-stashed vintage drop shaped buttons for the bodice. I had exactly the right amount, and they were the right color of off-white to go with the fabric. The dress was simple enough that I liked a bit more "statement" in the buttons.

 

Since this trial was a success, I've had some ideas for similar alterations for other patterns, so I may have more trials to show you in the future. Since I have to wear a slip with this dress, I have at least one more version planned, suitable for the hot weather this summer when I will be large enough to need to wear maternity clothes every day, so you will likely see this altered version again in the coming months.

Meanwhile, this is a comfortable, cheerful version for spring, and I'm very pleased with how well my idea translated to real life. 

1930s Summer Housecoat Replacement

This was the 3rd of a trio of January projects (all in blue, incidentally...) which I finished a while ago and finally am getting around to documenting on the blog. I normally would not make a summer project out of season, but my first version of this pattern gave up the ghost last year with major, unmendable fabric disintegration, and I needed something lightweight to wear during a planned winter Hawaii vacation!

 

The fabric choice was not high priority - I wanted something cotton, dark enough that it wouldn't be see-through, and not a piece favorite enough to save for a dress. This print I'd gotten ages ago at JoAnn was pretty much the only one that fit the bill - it just happened to be blue. ;-) 

Since this is the 3rd time making this pattern, everything went rapidly and smoothly. The princess seams always mean construction is fast, and the yoke was the only thing that took a little time, but that was all pretty basic too. I didn't get any full length pictures for some reason, but I made it mid-calf length instead of floor length like the one it was replacing - which was really too long to be practical. I continually had issues with tripping on it. This one fits me better and is certainly more tidily constructed too, which is nice to see as a landmark of how my sewing quality has improved.

 

Because I can never make just a plain project, I also added rickrack the whole way around the yoke, for trim, in one of the more subtle accent colors from the print. I like how rickrack looks applied this way, with only half of it sticking out. Plus, otherwise the  top stitched yoke would have been quite lost in this busy print.

 

I wanted to tie the rickrack in on the sleeves, but without putting it on the hem, where it would be more uncomfortable to wear. I found the solution by folding down a pleat to stitch the trim under, above the hem. 

 

And finally, I used the remaining scraps of rickrack as little decorative knots to hide where I sewed the snaps down the length of the front opening, to shut it. I had the perfect amount from that card of vintage rickrack! Unfortunately, I found out after I'd sewn all those snaps by hand that I should have used a heavier duty size, and will have to redo them before I can wear it very much. I'm not pleased with that, but at least I now know for next time.

 

I didn't get any sewing done in February, after my sewing flurry of January, so there haven't been any recent photos on the blog for a few weeks. As a result, now you can see that Baby Two is putting in an appearance! This housecoat should serve me well over the summer with its adjustable waist, yet remain un-maternity for later wear.

 

Once again, one of the reasons I like this pattern so well is that, especially made in a dress style print, it has the comfort and convenience of a robe, but looks formal enough that I don't mind wearing it around other people or answering the door. My 2nd version of this pattern is dress length and does not open all the way down the front, and I wear it as a house dress quite as a matter of course.

 

Not a very exciting project perhaps, but one of my need-to wardrobe gaps filled. Something that will get a ton of wear, instead of just one or two outings a season. Useful and necessary - but cheery and pretty too.

Sewing Recap for 2018

It's that time again! After making sure (almost) all my sewing projects were photographed and put on the blog, I always enjoy rounding them up for a year-end post, where I can look at them all in one place and see progress or spot repetition.

 

This year featured a lot of variety, which I like! There are classic 1930s silhouettes, WWII era dresses, and a few full-skirted 1950s styles.

 

1940s novelty print umbrella dress, 1950s Easter dress

 

I also made several projects from the late '30s/early '40s, which is not surprising since it's a favorite fashion era of mine.

  

sage green copycat dress, Christmas dress

 

Lots of color variety shows up - browns, blues, purple, gray, black, teal, red, pink, gold, and more - including an unheard-of yellow dress! I always thought I couldn't wear yellow.

Green was a major theme this year as well.

1930s yellow 2 piece

  

1940s house dress, late '30s rayon dress

 

While a lot of these photos are backyard shots, I did have fun photographing this New Look dress at a castle! I definitely want to  continue seizing better photo opportunities when possible.

 

I used a variety of fabrics as well. While a lot of these are quilting cottons or rayon suiting - no surprise since those are my favorite types of fabric - I also made projects using cotton twill, linen, lighter rayon and cotton weights, satin, chiffon, wool blend, corduroy, and even polyester knit of all things!

 

gray plaid dress, gingerbread skirt

 

I was fairly good about keeping away from fabric sales... With a few exceptions, I didn't buy much fabric this year. And a lot of the new fabric I did get was from a local thrift store at very cheap prices. While that still adds to my shelves, it doesn't cost much money, so that's at least a partial win. :-) But more than half of my projects this year were major stash busters or used fabric I already had.

 

1940s almost sailor dress, 1950s sweater dress

 

I made another hat!

 

Last year one of my goals was to be varied in color choices and experiment more with trims. I definitely met both those goals. While I have a lot to perfect yet with my embellishment skills, at least I've made a start! From regular applied lace trim to lace insertion, attempts at soutache, freehand embroidery, beads, top stitched bands, and self appliqué, this year's roundup shows a lot more creativity with embellishment than previous years. I really love it!

 

 

I also tried 3 way color blocking for the first time.

1940s 4th of July dress

 

Another goal was to make several 2 piece outfits, or mix-and-match 3 piece sets. This goal I also certainly met! I made quite a few 2 and 3 piece outfits this year, of various kinds.

 

1930s dress, skirt, and jacket

1940s twill summer suit

 

1930s gold linen dress & jacket

 

I also was more creative with styling and photographing the mix-and-match sets to demonstrate their versatility.

 

1940s pinstriped summer suit

 

One of my 2 piece outfits was a remake from an earlier dress that was poorly constructed and no longer fit me. Remaking is very rewarding, and takes less time, usually, than starting from scratch. I have a whole drawer full of pieces to repurpose or remake, so I should do more of that!

 

My final goal was to make at least one nice, time-consuming garment with hand work like beading. That would have to be almost my last make - my Christmas dress. It featured by far the most elaborate decorations, with hand applied soutache, embroidery, and beads. Yet decorating the yoke still took only 1 extra day, so not quite as time consuming as I had envisioned.

 

 

Still, it's nice to see how most of my goals were met or exceeded! A very encouraging start for the upcoming year.

Of course, not all of these turned out perfectly. Several have major fit issues, or flaws that are hidden or disguised. But overall, it was quite a profitable year of sewing. Some are definitely favorites, and I was very pleased with how most of them turned out.

 

1940s purple print dress, 1950s black rayon dress

 

Some of them I only wore once or twice; others I continue to wear a lot! Some of them have gone downhill with frequent washing and wearing, depending on the fabric quality. It's always interesting to see which sewing projects I actually end up wearing the most.

 

1930s house dress, New Look house dress

 

Most of these I used new patterns for, with a few repeats from earlier years. But I only made one pattern twice for myself this year.

 

1940s Vogue pattern in plum wool, in gray gingham rayon

 

A few unexpected things happened this year in the sewing realm. For one, I made a half dozen commissioned dresses for other people. First time sewing for customers.

  

Some of my commissioned garments.

 

I pieced a quilt top! And I've always hated quilting! I would NEVER have dreamed I'd tackle and enjoy a quilt. The quilt is not completed yet so it's not quite a finished project, but almost all the sewing part is done, so I have to include it. 

  

 

And I have to mention my newest sewing friend - a vintage Singer Rocketeer in an original cabinet, which I found at an antique store and happily brought home. It makes the hours I spend at the machine much more enjoyable!

 

I don't really have any special sewing goals this year, except the general ones of continuing the trends already started, and more experimenting with embellishments. Several of my projects were made from vintage fabrics, and I would really like to sew more with vintage fabric in the future. I have some nice pieces that need to be given new life - and the quality is just so much more satisfactory.

 

classic white blouse, 1940s dotted Swiss dress

1940s asymmetrical skirt

 

I knew I had sewn a lot this year...some months I was finishing a project a week. Yet even I am surprised at the final numbers for my personal projects! 8 1930s makes, 13 1940s, 2 New Look styles, and 6 1950s were added to my closet. Since 7 of those were 2 or 3 pieces, that adds up even more!

  

1940s brown rayon dress, 1950s formal outfit

 

One sort of related goal for this winter is to finish getting my sewing space the way I want it. My sewing room is at one end of my bedroom, but I have some ideas for making it prettier and more practical. I was also given a vintage knitting machine which I would love to learn how to use to make vintage style sweaters!

Otherwise, I intend to relax and see what the new year brings. There are always brand new ideas crowding to the forefront of my sewing queue, but I certainly hope to finally give life to some long-awaited projects and favorite hoarded fabric too. I always try to improve my modeling and styling, and intend to master my hairstyles this coming year.

2019 may not be as productive, but that's ok. Sometimes there are higher priorities and the threads of hobbies need to be dropped for a while. Sewing, like life, goes through seasons. The important thing is to take what comes and enjoy the process.

A Late '30s Christmas Dress

I've done a lot of sewing from the late '30s this year, so it's not surprising that the pattern I chose for my Christmas dress this year also happened to be from this era. 

 

And it was definitely the most frustrating project I made this year. The rayon crepe from JoAnn I used was super limp and slippery. It made every step triply difficult, from cutting out to finishing. I would work on it for a short time and then have to take a break to save my sanity. There are still a few mistakes visible, and the inside is a mess, but I got to the point when I wasn't going to fool around with it any longer and just called it good enough.

 

Thankfully it presents well, which helps make up for all the frustration!

 

I do love how the yoke turned out. I cut an underlay of cotton and basted the two layers together so they wouldn't slide. Then I played around with decoration ideas. I didn't have a stencil, so the soutache design is freehand and measurements. Many measurements.

 

It isn't perfect, but I do love it. I added freehand embroidery with matching thread to the soutache, and then decided that pearl beads would be a nice final addition. Altogether the hand work added an extra day, but it takes the dress up a notch and I really love how it turned out!

 

The dress originally was supposed to have a scalloped collar, but after struggling with the fabric, I was not going to attempt a scalloped collar with this rayon. Besides, it would distract from the yoke decoration and potentially cover it up. So I omitted the collar.

 

The front opening came down too low, when I tried it on first, so I went on Pinterest to look at vintage dress images to find ideas for how to fill it without looking tacky. I found an image of an extant dress that gave me the idea for this neck filler, and I'm pleased with the result. It looks like it belongs there instead of an afterthought.

 

The sleeves were another alteration since the ones I had cut out were not working right, so I winged it, and gathered up the bottom hem a little bit. A few more pearl beads add the finishing touch. 

 

The lovely holly color and drape of the rayon makes a very nice finished product, but I will never use this fabric again unless I have some fabric stiffener to spray on it first! I want to make another version with a more structured fabric so I can actually enjoy the construction.

 

My hope was to end up with a dress that is not too Christmassy to wear for other occasions. I don't know how well I succeeded (although a green backdrop does make it look even more so!), but I think I can at least wear it for New Year's, Valentine's Day or date nights without looking Christmas-festive like a specifically holiday print would.

 

I didn't have a hat I liked to coordinate, so I used various flower clips and millinery bits to make my own hairpiece.

These pictures were taken quickly between Christmas festivities, so I didn't have time to grab gloves and other accessories, but at least it is documented. :-)

 

This was also the first project I made using my "new" vintage sewing machine! I had to do the buttonholes on my old machine, and it was a bit of a learning curve, but I really love my Rocketeer!

 

I'm glad I pressed through the difficulties and didn't toss this away as a bad job. I might have, except I did the yoke decoration first and after putting in that effort, I didn't want to waste it. And the result is pretty enough that it was worth the labor. 

 

I think it turned out looking fairly period-accurate as well!

1930s Gold Linen Jacket & Dress Set

This outfit idea was on my to do list since last fall, when I saw a photo of a vintage dress and jacket combo online, and loved the way it had two different looks depending on if the jacket was worn or not. At the time, I had slated the linen for this future project, but several months later when I got a lovely 1930s pattern on Etsy, I realized it would be perfect for this outfit.

 

So when another autumn rolled around and the weather was getting suitable for such an outfit, I started work on it. I made the dress first. The bodice turned out fine - all those tucks! - and I really liked it. Then I tried it on and realized the rayon I used was so super thin that even with a  slip underneath it would be quite see-through, so I had to cobble together a lining, which took several tries and is certainly not very neat inside! I should have just flat lined it in the first place.

 

The skirt I had some difficulty with because my tailor's chalk markings disappeared on the linen and I had to re-figure out the back pleat placement, which meant some ripping out and resewing.

Then once all those seams were done (from the waist to about 12 in. from the hem), I realized that it was going to be way too snug. Like way, way too body hugging snug! So out came the seam ripper again and I made the back pleats/darts short instead. I do like the detail they add.

It was a pain trying to rip out seams on the linen, which was fairly coarse.

 

I made the belt up on my own without a pattern, and despite all the various issues, once it was all put together I really like the dress. I love the bodice detail. Gold is not my usual color, but especially as a skirt, I hope it works well enough. And it's certainly a nice fall color!

 

The jacket was a different story! I had cut the front panel inserts on the bias, thinking it would add a nice subtle variation. Those panels turned out way too huge (I think because the bias stretched so much in the linen) and instead of trimming them off, I tried pleating them into the front pieces. Which worked fairly well, but I don't like how it looks on me very much...

 

The back I couldn't figure out how it was supposed to be done so I winged it. It overlapped in a strange way.

 

I added a button tab, just for fun. (And perhaps to help secure the overlap...)

 

The sleeves again were difficult since some of the darts went wonky, and by that time I was so tired of working with the linen that I only partially fixed it.

 

After I have some time and space away from that linen, I may go back and redo the jacket - otherwise I doubt it will get worn much with the dress.

 

It was fun to find a use for these "cinnamon bun" buttons I've had in my stash for ages. I doubted I'd ever actually use them since they were so unusual, but of course 1930s buttons often were - and I had just the right amount for this jacket, including one larger size for the waist!

 

While this outfit gets a sort of love-hate opinion from me (love the dress, hate the jacket), I do definitely like the mix-and-match of having a coordinating jacket and dress. The dress collar adds a touch of contrast to the jacket. Besides the two different looks it gives, it's also perfect for Idaho autumns since often it is quite warm during the days and I can use a short sleeved dress, while mornings and evenings are cold, when I can add the jacket. While this combo didn't quite turn out like I had pictured, it at least has made me interested in doing another version someday with a happier fabric and jacket pattern.

 

Of course the gold linen goes perfectly with my nutmeg-brown Alice shoes from Royal Vintage. I also wore my favorite 1930s hat, and added a touch of color with my accessories.

These coral grape earrings and bracelet are vintage and belonged to my husband's grandmother, as well as the ivory beads. They are so pretty! The grape leaves on the bracelet kept catching on my skirt, however, so another time I'll wear it with a denser fabric to avoid damaging my clothes.

The gloves I dyed myself, once their original white became too dingy for use.

 

While this is not my favorite sewing project this year, is not a job I'm very proud of, and it doesn't even rank up with the "frustrating but worth it" projects, I certainly learned a lot during the construction and am sadder but wiser as a result. 

At least I am happy enough with the dress that it's partially a success!

 

Stripes and The Fabulous '30s

I made this 3 piece outfit back in August. It was special enough that I wanted to make more of an effort with the photo shoot instead of a quick backyard background, so that was part of the delay on getting to the blog. But so worth the wait, since once the photo shoot eventually happened we got the most beautiful golden leaves and evening sunlight!

This ensemble was a ton of fun to make, and I am so pleased with how well my mental vision transferred to fabric and form - not always a success!

 

This outfit idea was born when I was reorganizing my fabric shelves (maybe to fit more fabric in, but we'll let that pass...;-) and came across this vintage green and white striped cotton I've had for ages and ages. I took a closer look at it and was struck by how lovely it was; plus there was at least 2 yards of it - plenty for a blouse and trimmings!

The sheen and weight and weave of it is just gorgeous - oh, why don't they make cotton like this anymore?? I quickly matched it with a blouse pattern and then ideas for the coordinating pieces fell into place effortlessly.

 

I knew I wanted white for the other color, despite the impracticality of a white skirt - it's just so 1930s. Pretty much my only suitable white fabric was corduroy, but I thought that could work especially to make this outfit appropriate for several seasons.

 

It was a bit confusing cutting everything out, with 3 different patterns in 3 different sizes. Thankfully I remembered in time (unlike my red winter coat from last year) that corduroy has a nap! I only had 3 yards of it, and there was just no way I could cut both skirt pieces and the jacket back all on the fold, even with shortening the skirt pieces considerably. So I ended up cutting the jacket back with seam allowance and putting a seam up the back. And even so, it was a tight squeeze to fit everything on.

 

The blouse is actually from a 1940s pattern, but it looks very 1930s to me when styled this way. That big bow element is just so classic. But I suppose since it is a 1940s blouse I can also wear it for outfits from that decade, which makes it more versatile!

 

I stripe matched as much as I could, and was really pleased with the results. I flatlined the blouse, and overall it was a fairly quick and easy project despite the stripes. I love the waist points in the front and back!

 

The sleeves were untrimmed, but since it was for a 1930s outfit I decided they needed at least a little trimming, since sleeves were often a dramatic part of 1930s clothing. I added a simple touch and bound the edge with some small white buttons.

 

The skirt I took from a dress pattern, since I wanted 2 vents in the front and none in the back and only found those specifics on a dress skirt. The vent pieces I cut from the striped cotton, and added covered buttons above them for trimming, inspired by an image on Pinterest if I recall correctly. When I am standing still, the stripes are mostly hidden by the skirt pleats, but sitting and walking displays the interest.

 

It went together very quickly since these skirt styles are pretty basic. I had plenty of length even with cutting it shorter to start with, so instead of a belt I made the waist fit me and just folded it over. Which is not entirely cheating, because my yellow cherry 1930s skirt called for the same construction!

 

The jacket is again super basic, and closes at the waist with a hook and eye hidden by inserted ties in the front darts. The corduroy makes these ties kind of bulky, but I think it still works. I really wanted an all-white jacket that I could wear with other outfits, so I decided not to use any striped cotton for trim, despite my original idea of striped cuffs.

 

But it did look very plain-Jane, so I began to toy with the idea of dressing it up with some shoulder or front decorations. After playing around with ideas, I settled on white-on-white appliqué wool felt leaves, with a touch of embroidery and beads. It's not really noticeable from a distance, but adds subtle dimension and close-up appeal that I really like. It didn't take long to do, either. Hooray for handwork!

 

The shoulders looked too big to me when I was making it, but worn with the other pieces it really has the perfect silhouette for the era.

 

Now I have a set of 3 mix and match pieces that I can wear together or separately. I don't know how much wear it will get since white is not practical for a toddler's mommy, but honestly - once in a while a gal just has to go all-out flamboyant just for the fun of it!

 

Because of how big a statement the clothes make, I kept accessories simple. Dramatic 1930s gauntlets, and a touch of darker color in the hat, which is unfortunately a bit too small for my head, and my Royal Vintage spectator heels (which do 1930s perfectly!)

 

I also managed to get a bit more of a 1930s hairstyle this time instead of my usual brush-out - score! 

 

This beautiful teacup is a favorite. I bought it, along with two other fine English bone china cups, at a yardsale this summer for $10 for the lot. I'm not sure how old it is, but it looked 1930s-ish to me. A perfect photo prop, as well as useful for tea parties!

 

Thanks to my sister for taking the lovely photos! She is always my patient photographer. And I had a terrible time even narrowing down the photos to the ones included here! :-)

I've said so many times that a particular new sewing project was my favorite. But I really think this one tops it all! Wearing it makes me happy, and I feel so elegant and poised. It's amazing what power clothes have, for good or ill.

Now I just need a vintage event to attend or an excuse to really dress up, to give this outfit an outing!

1939 Sage Green Rayon Dress

This is a fun project to write about!

While this dress is not quite a copycat, it was heavily influenced and inspired by the lovely green vintage dress worn on a photo shoot advertising Royal Vintage Shoes' new fall line this year. I was admiring that dress when I realized that actually it has very simple lines, with the special touch created by looped figure 8 shoulder appliqués, which when I looked closely at, I could figure out how they were done. Of course, instantly I wanted to copy them on something!

 

I had some dress weight sage green rayon on my shelf which was close to the color of my inspiration dress, so while there are a few differences, I can still call it my RVS Inspired Dress. :-)

 

This pattern I am guessing is from right around 1939, and I've wanted to make it for a long time. It never quite made it to the top of my sewing queue until now - that simple neckline and plain shoulders are perfect for adding decoration!

 

I had to size it up quite a bit, so there are minor issues with the skirt fit in the back. Otherwise I was very happy with how it turned out! The rayon is as comfy as a jersey knit, doesn't wrinkle very much, and has absolutely ideal swing and drape for those lovely late '30s skirt details. (I got it years ago at a fabric discount outlet for 1.99 a yard - wish I had more and in a dozen other colors!!!)

The skirt is the perfect, elegant length. It looks trim, thanks to the waist pleats stitched down, yet has enough fullness that I don't have to worry about bending over or sitting down - a plus when I have to chase after a busy 1 year old! 

 

The sleeves I had used on another dress a while ago, and I still love them. While still in pattern pieces, it can be confusing to figure out since the shapes look so funny. The top part is pleated into a triangle shaped piece for such fun detail.

 

Doing the shoulder embellishments added a few hours onto the otherwise rapid make time. I looked off the photo and played around with a paper version first, did some tracing onto the shoulders with tailor's chalk and then cut a long piece of bias fabric and started sewing. I think my embellishment ended up with a wider fabric strip, and I omitted one of the figure 8's from the inspiration dress. And of course it is not as neat and perfectly done as the original.

I had to make it reverse in the twist for the 2nd shoulder, and while I was very careful with my spacing, I ended up having to redo one of the loops to make it even, and it still isn't quite a mirror image - but it's fairly close. And I am so happy with how accurate and unique it looks! Again I am reminded of why it's worth the effort and time to add those extra hand-sewn details, and why so many gorgeous dresses from that era had them. 

 

I'm still a far cry from the incredible variety and quality and creativity shown on extant dresses (I have a whole wish list of embellishment inspiration on Pinterest!), but at least I've made a start. 

 

I had intended to wear some favorite brown vintage heels with this outfit, but the day before, a box from Royal Vintage arrived with my long awaited pre-ordered Alice shoes in them! Since this outfit was based on a dress worn with the red Alices for the photo shoot, of course I had to wear them with my version. :-)

 

I had seen photos of the brown style in many varied shades, so I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting. But they are just what I'd hoped - a versatile warm chestnut brown on the dark side of medium without too much red or rust in them. Just the right color for fall. So soft and stylish, suitable for both 1930s and 1940s outfits, and the cutout detail is a-maz-ing.

 

They are dressier than a bootie style, yet have enough foot coverage to make it a warmer choice for fall and winter. I will be interested to see how many ways I end up styling them, since this kind of shoe is not quite as versatile as a plain pump - yet they are so gorgeous.

I really want the black style too, but since I already had a similar silhouette of black shoe in my closet I couldn't justify the extra expense. Hopefully someday they will go on sale and I can snap up a pair of black ones too!

 

I wore these for about 5 hours straight out of the box and my feet hurt a bit afterwards, so I expect next time will be better since they had some breaking in. I may change the laces - they look a little too long for my preference - but otherwise wouldn't change a thing!

 

I don't have much selection of brown belts, and a western style is certainly a-typical, but it tied my brown accessories and silver dress buttons together perfectly and - hey, what can you say? I live in Idaho. :-)

 

So far I am pleased most of the time with my new haircut. I am still figuring out the right combination of shampoo and conditioner, but it's certainly behaving a lot better than my too-long, layers-grown-out styles of last month!

 

Even though this is more of a summer dress, the color works for at least 3 seasons, and here autumn days get warm enough that I will be glad for short sleeves for a while yet. So hopefully it will get a few more outings before winter proper arrives.

 

I love that it is comfortable with no underarm pulling or other issues that would make it less likely to be worn; also that it is so simple it can be styled lots of ways and paired with lots of colors depending on the season. Gray is a natural to pair with this silvery green, black and brown are always classics, but then there's also red, ivory or white, pink, perhaps even navy or lavender...

 

I know I've said this before, but once again my newest make ranks right up there with my favorite projects from this summer!