Verity Vintage Studio

Aqua 1950s Slender Dress

I really like the bright happy colors and retro style of the new quilting line Oh Happy Day by Riley Blake Designs, but most of the prints were not quite vintage-specific enough for me. One exception was this fun circles print, which instantly reminded me of 1950s fabric.

 

So I used it and cut out a dress from a vintage pattern I have had since very early on in my sewing years...and never made until now. It has the slender 1950s silhouette, but with some unusual touches that I love!

 

The front is fairly straightforward, once you are accustomed to this style of pockets...something I only recently tackled, but found surprisingly easy, and have done frequently since then.

 

The bodice is typical of the time period, with a fitted torso, dolman sleeves, and a crisp collar. 

 

It also has unique construction, which I had done before and enjoy - where you sew the shoulder and neck/back collar seam in one swoop, then come back, fold and hand fell the front of the collar to that seam. No facings at all! And a very neat, professional finish for the inside, if that matters to you.

 

Another time I will cut the overlap part up higher so the neck is higher, but otherwise the fit was very nice! It was supposed to have wing cuffs, but I find them unhandy especially when layering with a cardigan. Too much rearranging. So I just added white bands instead, using RBD Confetti Cotton in white for that pure white contrast.

 

The sleeve style is very comfortable to wear, without the arm restriction that often comes with this period. 

 

The back was extremely unique, with several layers of pleats and darts on top of pleats and darts to gather in all that fulness to a nice fit at the waist. I've never sewn anything like it, but it was fun!

 

I like how it gives plenty of walking and sitting room, yet retains the slender style overall. 

 

 

I will say that the straight front skirt is not my favorite. I still have to lose a little weight from my last pregnancy before I will look good in a skirt like this - but I totally would try piecing together a different skirt front with this same back, because it's that awesome!

 

I chose buttons that echoed the little dotted circle print.

 

When looking for vintage-suitable fabric among modern quilting cottons and aren't sure about prints, you are always safe with a classic stripe or polka dot, but geometrics are often easy to find as well - or in this case, circles. Plus, in a quilting line these prints usually come in several color ways, so that makes it perfect for finding a color that suits you! Almost like shopping in a vintage magazine with their fabric swatches. 

 

It is definitely early spring here now, so this cheery dress feels very appropriate, despite the lingering snow on the north slopes. 

 

It's the style that I like to wear for knockabout, or when I feel like dressing up a bit more for everyday. Not a church dress, but not a house dress either. Maybe town dress is the right name?

 

It was high time to give this pattern a chance to shine after all those years in my stash. I will definitely keep it around for the future!

 

Tutorial - Easy EPP Hexie Potholders 2 Way

This charming flower shape made with hexagons is a common and favorite motif for quilters. Called "Grandmother's Flower Garden", it's one of the easiest and most recognizable shapes to make with hexagons (usually using the English paper piecing method), and there are so many varieties possible depending on fabric choice and placement. 

 

Did you know that you can do Grandmother's garden flowers 2 ways? 

For these appliques I used fusible leave-in templates by Hugs 'n' Kisses, but the traditional card method would work too. I first chose some prints from the lovely Blue Stitch line by Riley Blake Designs, then fused 1" hexagon papers to the back. I fused 7 for one flower, and 6 for another.

 

Next I cut them out with an approximate 1/4" allowance.

 

Then folded the edges over and glued them down. If you use craft glue like I did, make sure it is water soluble.

 

Once all the hexagons are glued, they can be assembled. You can either do it by hand or machine. I did mine by machine because that was fastest, but the stitches aren't as neat - I do prefer to assemble by hand. 

Assemble the 7 in a flower shape, and the 6 in a ring, leaving the center open.

 

The open ring method not only saves time, but allows for some fun customization. You can see here that it makes a good chance to do some variety in placement if you simply appliqué on a floral piece of fabric, which would be a super quick way to finish.

 

I decided instead to appliqué on a plain white piece, and freehand embroider the center instead, drawing inspiration from one of the prints in this fabric line.

 

I placed each appliqué on a center of a square of fabric and a square of cotton batting, appliquéing through both of those layers. You want to use the blind hem stitch on your machine, with the straight stitches right beside the EPP, and EPP caught with the swing over of the needle.

 

The solid flower can be just appliquéd around the edges and you're done. The ring flower needs to appliquéd in the center as well. It makes such a cute frame!

 

Next they can be trimmed to size - I did mine 7" square - and then placed against a piece of backing cut the same size and bound, just like any other quilt project. 

 

It's ok to not quilt through the backing since it's such a small project, but if you prefer to add more quilting that's up to you! It would look great with some big stitch quilting outlining the flower shape.

It's so fun how they coordinate perfectly yet are different. 

 

As you can tell, it would be a great scrap project to use up small pieces. And how sweet for a housewarming gift? 

 

I like the one with embroidery - it seemed fitting to use blue stitches to decorate a line called Blue Stitch. :-) You get the same overall look as the solid flower, but with less time and effort, plus a little more versatility for decoration. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial of how to make one of the favorite beginner EPP shapes two different ways! Of course you can use the appliqués on anything...quilt patches, bags, pillows, etc. The limits are endless.

Goose Creek Garden Fabric Tour - 1950s Baby Dress

 

I am so excited to be part of the Goose Creek Garden fabric tour by the fabulous Poppie Cotton! I knew as soon as I saw the adorable goose print that I wanted to make a baby dress out of it. 

 

My baby girl calls it her "guck" dress - she thinks they are ducks instead of geese!

 

I chose a 1950s baby dress pattern that had cute tab detail and an enormous skirt. The pattern called it "bouffant" and it sure is! 

 

I used up my entire piece of the goose print, cutting the sash and also 2 rectangles the width of the fabric - twice! That makes roughly 84 inches in this skirt circumference. 

 

It's gathered literally as tightly as possible to cram all the ruffles into the tiny little waist on the bodice. But it stands out nicely even without any under layers. 

 

The sweet coordinating stripe was a perfect match for the bodice. 

 

It was fairly simple to make, with the cute puffed sleeves that I edged by hand with a band of the goose print, and a basic bound neckline instead of a facing - which I loved in the stripe. 

 

The tabs add some cute detail, and also help keep the sash in place. 

 

This back opening was a bit different than the other baby dresses I've made so far, but I didn't have difficulty figuring it out, and it was actually pretty easy to do. 

 

This was a size 2 pattern, so it's a bit big for my 18 month old now, but she should be able to wear it for a long time to come. 

 

The pattern said to hem the skirt up about 4 inches, to make the traditional short full skirt popular for baby girls back in the 1950s, but I left it long so she has lots of growing room. Also I top stitched it since there was no way I was hemming that width of skirt by hand!

And of course she loves the "gucks" on the skirt. :-)

 

It's fun to make baby dresses...they are such quick projects, so very rewarding!

The cotton was a pleasure to work with. There are so many cute projects made with this fabric line, I hope you take a moment to check out some of the lovely participating blogs below.

Monday, March 8 - http://www.linenbouquet.com

Wednesday, March 10 - https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/

Friday, March 12 -  http://blueribbondesigns.com

Monday, March 15 - http://prettybyhand.com/

 Wednesday, March 17 - http://www.abrightcorner.com/

Friday, March 19 - http://mywanderingpath.com/

Monday, March 22 - https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/blog/

Wednesday, March 24 -  theredfeedsack.blogspot.com

Friday, March 26 - http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/

 

 

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.