Verity Vintage Studio

1940s 4th of July Dress

You've already seen the little girl dresses I made for the 4th of July, so now it's time to show you my 4th of July dress for this year!

 

I have so many blue dresses and such a big stack of blue fabric, that it's quite easy to find something suitable for patriotic apparel. This year I decided to use this gorgeous large floral from the Mona fabric line called Dwell - one of my favorites, and it's now starting to go on clearance so I snagged some. 

 

I broke out a pre-war pattern I haven't made for years. I've made this twice in striped fabric before, so this has quite a different look.

 

I made the collarless version this time, mostly because with the extreme July heat we had forecasted, I had no interest in having extra fabric around my neck.

 

The same thing went for the sleeves. I wanted something cooler than the elbow sleeves that came with the pattern, so I substituted these cap sleeves from another 1940s pattern.

 

I had never made a sleeve quite like this, but I rather like it! I think it gives it a very 1940s look too.

 

The pattern said to bind the edge, but I cut a wide facing instead, using the sleeve piece as a pattern. That way I didn't have to worry about wrinkles or warping of the shaped edge.

 

I chose a contrast tie belt. It's nice to have the look of a belt, without the actual extra bulk at the waist. 

This style does mean that I need to have a good fit, because I can't just cover up deficiencies by slapping on a belt, but there is a bit of adjustability too. 

 

I had to take some width out of the skirt to fit it on the pattern pieces, but it still has a nice flare.

 

The vintage buttons I had picked up for $.50 years ago at a favorite thrift store in PA, when we were on vacation, and I finally found the perfect project for them. 

 

It was a fun project, comfortable for summer, and I love the bold floral. I have this same floral yardage in navy that I have plans for soon! I got both colors because I couldn't decide which I liked best. 

 

The garden is flourishing despite the heat, and the roses this year have been lovely. It's hard to believe July is halfway over already!

 

1940s Daisy Suit Alternate Jacket

When I made this year's 1940s Easter suit, I realized that I would likely only wear it a couple times a year because of the 3/4 sleeves, and I liked the fabric well enough I decided to also make a short sleeved top - this would give me 3 pieces to mix and match.

 

I pulled out a favorite pattern I've made twice before for a 1940s ruched jacket.

 

Since this was the 3rd time, it was quite quick to make and went together with no issues. I was very pleased with how it turned out - the fit was better than the 3/4 sleeve jacket, and it feels very spring-ish and trim.

 

As always when I do a pattern again, I like to change it up a little. This time I made the no collar version, so that I can either wear it plain, or with interchangeable vintage collars.

 

I also added wide pink lace cuffs to the sleeves. 

 

Fabric and buttons were both from The Timely Tailor, and the pink buttons were such a good match to the pink in the daisies.

 

This was also the first outing for a new pink vintage hat I'd been sighing over from Abigail's Vintage Attic, and finally pulled the trigger on it when it went on a big sale. Isn't it delightful? 

 

I was so happy to find a pink hat that wasn't straw, so it will be more seasonally appropriate to cold weather if necessary. 

 

I took the silver touches from the hat and incorporated them in the shoes and jewelry, since I didn't have pink shoes to wear.

 

Even though it's the same fabric, it has quite a different look than the original Easter suit. Swapping out accessories can do a lot!

 

Altogether, I'm delighted with this ensemble, and am glad I tried again since I love the fabric so much. It will be nice to have 3 pieces to interchange depending on the weather!

1940s Seed Packet Novelty Print House Dress

I have been saving this adorable novelty print for a spring dress, so I thought I'd better get it made while it is still spring!

 

Enter - my seed packet house dress!

 

The vintage pattern I used had some issues with the front bodice piece. I should have mocked it up to figure it out, which would have resulted in a better fit, but being me, I forged ahead and just tweaked it as I went. If I make it again, it will fit better.

 

It has two set of pleats on the front; the center pleats meet to cover the zip front. It's quite nice to have the quick and easy nursing access without a zipper being obvious. I chose to use an invisible zip, which is not period correct, but I think looks better when in the front. 

 

I also added some red piping to the collar, to help it stand out from the busy print, and also to trim the sleeves.

 

The rest of it is quite basic, which is ideal for a busy fabric like this.

 

The fabric is such a vibrant shade of cobalt, covered with the most adorable little vintage seed packets. It has been probably my best-selling yardage to date in my shop The Timely Tailor - and I've just restocked with the last 4 yards of this, so if you want some, act quickly!

 

My sister made fun of me while taking these photos, because I am NOT a gardener. :-) But even still I absolutely love having a lovely little backyard garden, and going out to snip herbs and lettuce for dinner. 

 

Also I pointed out to her that I did actually help this spring multiple times with the weeding and sanding of the paths, though my mother and sisters did most of the work, helped by my eager children. It looks incredibly beautiful and so much better now that the weedy paths are tamed with gravelly sand!

 

Victory garden vibes. Naturally I had to go with a 1940s pattern because it fit so well with the fabric. 

 

I always love to play with fabric at every stage. I love seeing it in person when it comes in the mail, seeing it on my shelves in a neat fold, seeing it under my needle as I sew with it, and now seeing it in my closet. 

 

I'm definitely in a sewing mood currently, so we'll see how many more things I can cross off my ever-growing queue in the next few weeks. I have ambitious 4th of July sewing plans...but I'm glad that first I got to do this fun little seasonal project!

 

 

1940s Floral Easter Suit

I'm jumping ahead on my to-blog-about project queue to show you my Easter suit, since it is the week after Easter. 

 

I've had this pattern on my list to make for a while. Those details are just gorgeous! And I decided it would be a good match with this favorite repro floral print from The Timely Tailor, which I could make in time to wear for Easter Sunday. 

 

(I wanted to get photos outside since we have lovely green hills right now, but it was TERRIBLY windy on Easter, so it was back to my trusty indoor photo spot!)

I do really love the fabric, and how fresh and spring-ish it looks. It's the perfect shade of seafoam, and daisies are always a classic.

 

I didn't want long sleeves for this suit, so I substituted a 3/4 sleeve with scallop hem, and while I like how it looks, I think it wasn't quite the right match. Ah well!

 

Actually, as you can see from some of these photos, despite a lot of tweaking, I still didn't get a good fit on the jacket. And also, there is a very narrow window of weather that works here for wearing long sleeves in the spring, yet I want to wear the fabric more often than that since it's so pretty...

BUT that gave me the idea for making a short sleeve jacket also, so I end up with a mix-and-match outfit that I can wear into the summer. So stay tuned for that later!

 

Meanwhile, despite the imperfect fit, it really does have strong 1940s vibes. Shoulder pads help with the suit silhouette, and the front dart detail is my favorite!

 

I wore a smaller hat to church, but since it was my Easter outfit, I swapped it out for one of my largest hats for these photos. And naturally a basket brooch seemed the right jewelry choice, given the day.

 

I wished for pink shoes, but lacking those I went with pink accessories and chose my favorite brown spectators from American Duchess for a classic WWII era look.

 

Actually, I think this suit pattern probably dates just past the war, since the skirt and lapel length are longer. Still it works! And it gave lots of festive-spring vibes without all the 1950s floof, which I generally gravitate toward for Easter. :-) 

1940s Red Floral House Dress

My first sewing project of the new year was this house dress, in a cheery repro print fabric from The Timely Tailor that was perfect for a simple pattern from the 1940s - Simplicity 4662. 

 

It was lovely to have a happy project to work on in my newly finished sewing room during the cold first days of January!

 

I've made this pattern twice now, and both times wore it a lot in my everyday rotation, so I know it was a good choice for something useful. 

 

Because it was easy and I had made it before, it was a very quick project and finished up in a few days. I opted to top stitch the hem and sleeves for an extra quick finish.

 

This time I changed up the neckline a little by cutting the collar version of the bodice, but without the collar piece added on (since I prefer no-fuss dresses for everyday wear). This created a little fold back revers, which I accented with buttons. 

 

This decoration also serves to hold it in place so it comes through the wash with the collar held firmly in place.

 

With a print like this, any of the accent colors would be perfect for the buttons. Green? Red? Yellow? I chose these beautiful vintage sky blue buttons, now sold out from The Timely Tailor - aren't the details gorgeous? 

 

Dart tucks on the shoulders are forever my favorites!

 

Such a cheery fabric just brightens the day and lightens the housework. If anyone wants to twin with me, there is still some yardage left here!

I love how authentic it looks. It's fun to see it in my closet now!

1940s Brown & Blue Set

I'm still catching up with getting my 2023 sewing photographed. I had a burst of sewing in late November and December, which I'm still working through - so here is one of my outfits originally intended for autumn, which turned out so pretty!

 

I had gotten 2 yards in each color of this cute Lori Holt print from her fall 2023 line called Home Town, and knew I wanted to make something color-block with it. The question is should be be a skirt and blouse set, or a dress incorporating both colors? I ended up doing the 2 piece idea because I could use a brown skirt.

 

I used a sweet vintage mail order pattern that I got recently from Midvale Cottage, for a 1940s 2 piece outfit. I really liked the belt element, since I fluctuate sizes so much that it's nice to have a way to adjust the waist, and I'd been wanting to make something with it - this is the perfect pairing!

 

The skirt is quite a basic 1940s A line skirt and went together super fast. The blouse is also easy, but has a few cute details in the form of the tie belt inserted, and the little ruffle addition. 

 

I chose to use the brown for the ruffle to make it more of a coordinating set, and cut it narrower than the pattern called for. I wasn't sure about the idea initially, but I ended up liking it! I also opted to add ruffle on the sleeve, and do topstitching in brown thread (perhaps less a design choice than a convenience since then I didn't have to change thread. :-) 

 

I'm sure it will get a lot of wear once the weather turns warmer! I often gravitate towards 1930s and 1950s sewing, but there is just something so satisfying about the simple, trim styles of WWII.

 

I paired it with my often-worn favorite 1940s vintage brown heels and hat. The gloves and bow pin are also most likely from the same decade.

 

I think the buttons likely date later, but they were the perfect matching shade of brown.

 

I'd like to try making this again, maybe in a floral, without the ruffle - just to see how different it can look. Meanwhile I'm enjoying having this mix-and-match outfit in my closet!

Strawberry Time: 1940s Novelty Apron in Poppie Cotton's Promise Me Fabric

It may not be strawberry season at the moment, but it's always strawberry FABRIC season! 

 

Today's my day on the Poppie Cotton Promise Me blog tour, and I picked just my favorite print to showcase with a fun 1940s novelty apron. 

 

I think I got this pattern along with several others in a lot, and I thought the "deck of cards" shapes were super fun, especially the diamond one, so that's what I chose to pair with this  pretty fabric. That heart one is on my list to make at some point too.

 

The pattern calls for ribbon to edge the diamond and do the neck tie, but I chose to make my own out of a coordinating pink print. 

 

The ruffle took up quite a bit of fabric, but still overall it was an economical design, and quick to make. 

 

I like how the ribbon finishes the edge, decorates, and also looks like it runs up around the neck. In reality the neck piece and bow is a separate piece.

 

It was funny - when I was cutting it out I didn't notice that it was a one-way print until I was already part way through sewing it - but luckily I had accidentally gotten all the pieces oriented right side up anyway! Whew.

 

Isn't it a perfect match to my vintage strawberry canisters??

 

It's a fun, simple design for an apron, and I will enjoy wearing it as I cook! It's hard to go wrong with pink and strawberries. :-)

 

 

1940s Novelty Bow Cocktail Dress

I'm finally catching up and documenting the last of my holiday sewing! We had a Christmas party to go to in December, so clearly I needed to make a new cocktail dress, and the repro fabric I had recently purchased during the big Telalinda sale was perfect.

 

I mashed up 3 different patterns to make this. Bodice and sleeves from one, skirt from another, and the peplum from a third. Thankfully it was still fairly straightforward and simple, since the bold fabric does all the work. 

 

In fact, even a big detail like a 2 layer peplum gets lost in the print in these photos, though it is more noticeable in real life. 

 

I think this is the only project I made this year that wasn't using quilting cotton. I was very pleased with the quality of this rayon. It drapes nicely but isn't so slippery that it was too difficult to sew, and definitely feels good quality instead of the flimsy stuff a lot of modern rayon can be. It compares well to vintage rayon, which is nice since it's a vintage reproduction print. 

 

This is not my normal color scheme, but I thought it would be fun to make something different. And the print really is perfect for a semi-formal 1940s dress like this. 

Also how cute is this giant 1940s corde bag with a lucite zipper pull??

 

I had to grab photos before we left for the party when the light was already fading, so grainy is the best we get this time. :-)

 

I have more Telalinda fabric on my shelves. It's funny that this was the first print I've actually sewn with even though it's not my favorite out of what I have. But this gives me more confidence to work with my favorites!

So while it's not specifically Christmassy, it works very well for a pre-Christmas or a New Year's party, and it's nice to have a semi-formal dress that fits me in my current size and is nursing friendly.

1940s Christmas Aprons

When I was doing my Christmas baking this year, I realized I have ZERO Christmas aprons, and something had to be done about that! Some time ago I saw an Instagram friend wearing an adorable apron. I asked her what pattern it was, and tracked down my own copy. I quickly paired it with some of my Christmas fabrics and stitched up a couple during Advent.

 

I made one for me and one as a gift for a friend. My version used a few of the adorable novelty prints from the Pixie Noel 2 fabric line.

 

I ended up doing the construction how it made the most sense to me, instead of following the instructions - partly because I wanted the seams serged instead of unfinished, and all those little pointy seams made that quite interesting! 

 

In the end, I added the little pink bows to cover the points - and it actually ended up being a super cute trim, so that worked out! Sometimes plan B turns out better than plan A.

 

For this version I cut out the waistband as it was in the pattern, but it's SO wide that especially for my short torso, never stays in place. 

 

For the next version, I took a big pinch out of the waistband pattern piece and like it much better, so when I make this pattern again I will make it this way.

 

I made this one a bit scrappier, choosing 5 different prints from my leftover Poppie Cotton Oh What Fun fabric for the 5 points. Next time I will make another one with the color placement like the models in the pattern photo, but I do like how the waistband color radiates down into the points when doing it this way.

 

I have another Christmas apron idea that didn't get done this year, but at least I had fun making a gift and also now have one Christmas apron in my own apron basket for next Advent!

 

 

Two Little Bunny Dresses

I finished another coordinating dress set for my two little girls last week. I had intended to do these for Easter (because bunnies!), but when the last set of dresses turned out so cute, I ended up using those instead. But these did finally get done!

 

More cute prints from Poppie Cotton's Poppie's Patchwork Club fabric line, perfect for little girl dresses. I made the 4 year old size from a 1940s pattern. I really like the inset belt and the square neck.

 

This color of green is such a good color for my little redhead!

 

A touch of vintage rickrack ties in the pink accent fabric.

 

It was a fairly basic shape, so it didn't take long to put together once I buckled down and started it.

 

My 1 year old dress used a 1930s pattern, and I really like it!

 

She didn't cooperate very well for photos, but it does have super cute pointed yoke and pleat details on the front.

 

It is loose enough to pop over her head without a waist opening, and cinches a bit with a sash. I made it a tad long for her so she can wear it all summer.

 

I opted for ruffles instead of sleeves, and used a long-hoarded card of vintage pink bunny buttons that were the PERFECT match. Rather than fuss with buttonholes with that shape of button, I closed the back with snaps and sewed the buttons on top. Much easier to fasten a wiggly toddler in a dress with snaps, and the buttons cover the snap stitches – double win!

 

This pattern has several sleeve options and different looks depending on how you use fabric in the yoke. So I want to make it again while she will still fit in it. Meanwhile this one is a fun warm-weather addition!

 

One of the fun things about having little girls is that I get to play with fabric that is too juvenile for myself. It's enjoyable to make up this cute little bunny fabric into something that they love.