Verity Vintage Studio

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.

 

Early Easter Dresses with My Favorite Things by Poppie Cotton

Poppie Cotton comes out with lots of cute fabric each year, but this has to be the best yet, by someone who is quickly becoming a favorite designer. My Favorite Things is aptly named as it has all of MY favorite things too! Vintage prints, florals, roses, adorable novelty prints with teacups & roses & ice cream sundaes, lovely candy colors...

 

I had so much fun sewing with it. So far I've made a quilt (can't show you yet!) and the projects you see here.

 

I had intended to make a different set of dresses for my girls for Easter, but when I saw how cute these turned out, I decided to save them for Easter instead. So you get an early look at what they will be wearing.

 

For my 3 year old, I used the blue novelty print and a vintage pattern, paired with my favorite little floral for the yoke, and some vintage lace. 

 

I altered it to button the whole way down the back, and inserted the belt in the side seams instead of doing a front sash, but otherwise followed the pattern. And I was very pleased with it - I'm finally figuring out how to get a good fit for girls' sizes. 

 

My 3 year old adores the dress. She kept checking on its progress, and loves to pick out her favorite things in the novelty print (generally the little animals, of course). She was SO excited to try it on for photos.

 

For the 1 year old, I used a 1930s pattern that I've made before and is one of my favorite size 1 patterns. It has a curved yoke in the front, and little tucks in the back.

 

Naturally, it was difficult to get her to sit still, so just had to grab what photos I could get! Hopefully on Easter Sunday I can get better pictures of the two together.

 

She is still pretty small for her age, but thankfully these loose fitting dresses are pretty easy to adjust.

 

I love how they coordinate without being completely matching! 

 

While the dresses were my main project for this blog feature, I also decided at the last minute to make something else that would show off more of the fabrics, since I had a lot of favorites not used for the dresses. A simple patchwork runner was the perfect quick project!

 

I cut a bunch of 2" squares and simply alternated them randomly with white, added a border, and then hand quilted in a contrast thread on just the white squares. I love how it turned out. I often gravitate towards the simple classic quilts rather than the more impressive, complicated ones. 

 

I didn't fussy-cut the squares (though you easily could) but it was fun to see some of them turn out as if I had!

 

There have been so many pretty projects showing this gorgeous fabric, during the blog tour. I hope you check them all out!

Monday, March 6	https://www.elealutzdesign.com/
Wednesday, March 8	https://www.cloverandviolet.com/
Friday, March 10	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Monday March 13	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, March 15	http://www.linenbouquet.com
Friday, March 17	Faith Essenburg
Monday, March 20	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 22	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, March 24	https://goodvibesquiltshop.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 27	http://www.gigisthimble.com/
Wednesday, March 29	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Friday, March 31	http://www.abrightcorner.com/

 

2022 Dressmaking Recap

Now that all my 2022 projects have been blogged about, it's time to do my yearly round-up of the garments I made this past year. I like to do this each year to see everything in one place, and evaluate what I made. 

   

 

1950s teal dress, 1940s Christmas dress

 

I made a number of new patterns, as usual...this one I made twice in a row!

1950s Easter dress, gray cherry house dress version

 

I think perhaps this year I was more diverse with color choices than ever before. Of course I still like blue, but for once my sewing for the year is NOT predominately blue! :-) For one thing, I rediscovered purple. (And incidentally, sewed two of my favorite pieces. The purple house dress gets worn pretty constantly.)

1950s daisy dress 

 late 1930s purple dress

 

I made a fair amount of separates this year, including a couple of mix-and-match outfits, which was one of my sewing goals for 2022. Both these two outfits were looooong on my sewing inspiration list from vintage photos, and I'm happy to finally make them a reality this past year.

  

1950s gingham 3-piece

 

     

1930s dress and jacket set

 

I made a couple of pinafore aprons for the first time. The yellow one was a shop sample for my new vintage-dressmaking-supply shop The Timely Tailor, and I love how it turned out!

   

1940s pinafore mother-daughter duo 

shop sample for this kit

 

Another color that is less common for me, which appeared more than once this year in my wardrobe, is brown. 

1940s 2-piece, 1940s print house dress

 

And to my surprise, also a little pink!

1940s pink dress

1950s polka dot blouse

 

I used some long-stashed patterns out of my collection, as well as a few new arrivals...just sewing what I wanted to. A few of them didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but there are also some definite successes and favorites added to my closet - including these two remakes of patterns I had first sewn many years ago.

early '50s tiered dress, 1940s house dress

 

Most projects were fairly straightforward. Once in a while I had a troublesome one, or ran into complications I hadn't foreseen, like the novelty 1950s skirt. But it still turned out well in the end, thankfully! I didn't do as many details as last year...just a little top stitching and adding lace occasionally, but I did try several new techniques, like decorative cutouts and lace-and-bead appliqué.

1950s novelty skirt, late '50s leaf dress

 

No formal gowns this year...and I think not quite as much variation in silhouette as I sometimes achieve. But I also have found what I like to wear in this stage of my life, so that influences my pattern choices as well. Also I think every piece I sewed this year was made with cotton...mostly modern, a few vintage pieces. No wool or rayon this year at all. But it's fun to see the variety that just plain old quilting cotton can still create.

1950s blouse with vintage fabric 

1940s novelty jacket blouse

 

Of course, I made a few baby dresses this year as well, for my small daughters.

 

I am glad to be able to craft my own wardrobe. Even when something doesn't turn out right, it's still a good chance to learn and build my skills for the future. And it's always a satisfying feeling to turn a flat piece of fabric with so much possibility, into something stylish and wearable. That burn to create is what keeps me pretty constantly sewing, whether it's garments or quilts. 

1930s green dress, 1950s dotted dress

 

Final count for the year...

3 1930s outfits

9 1940s

11 1950s

and 4 baby/girl dresses.

1930s separates

 

Thanks for following along on my vintage sewing adventures! I'm looking forward to what 2023 will bring.

~Kristen

Christmassy Baby Dress

My sweet small daughter turned one last week, so I made a dress for her that doubles as a birthday gift and also something suitable for Christmas - which is approaching at a dizzying rate. 

 

This Christmas season I have been enjoying working with a selection of prints from a lovely Christmas line called Adel in Winter, by Riley Blake Designs. I don't actually like the entire range, but a selection of the reds, mints, and creams are just the cutest combo ever!

 

I'm currently working on hand quilting a festive quilt made from this fabric line, and have done a few other smaller fun holiday projects.

 

This dress was put together from two of the fabrics. Something this small it's pretty easy to get from quilting cuts. It was quite hard to settle on a color combo though out of so many cute possibilities! 

 

I used one of my few smaller-than-1-year patterns, since she is such a little peanut she is still in 9 month size. 

 

It turned out super cute, and I think works well for Christmas while also being suitable to wear other times.

Of course after I was done with it I saw that I got the front gathers uneven. Thankfully, when it's worn that's not really noticeable. 

 

I'm still pretty pleased with it. Now back to more Christmas sewing!

Sunshine & Camomile Blog Tour: Polka Dot Blouse & Ruffly Dress

 

I got the opportunity to play with a few prints from the new Sunshine & Camomile fabric line by Poppie Cotton. As usual, I gravitated toward garments. First I made myself a classic blouse from a 1950s pattern. 

 

Polka dots are very classic, and the one vintage-appropriate print that is usually pretty easy to find - but not often found in a larger, more scattered dot like this one is. It's a great scale for a garment!

 

The blouse pattern I used has a cute tie sewn into the shoulders. Next time I will make it double sided so I don't have to be so careful how I tie it.

 

The combo of pink and navy blue is a good one, but not one I often use. I really like it though!

 

For my second project, I chose a cute little 1950s girl's dress pattern that was given to me by an older lady at church. I've wanted to make it for a while before my oldest daughter grows out of this size. I made it roomy enough that she should be able to wear it for the next year or so.

 

I don't know if I'll make it again, because it was pretty tedious. I finally cheated on the ruffle and just did freeform pleats instead.  Gathering two layers of hemmed fabric was just not working. But anyway, it sure turned out adorable!

 

This fabric isn't particularly vintage in style, but it was so cute that I decided I wanted to sew something with it, and this is it. The contrast honeycomb in navy is perfect for the collar and under-ruffle, emphasizing the navy in the print. The darker colors makes it a bit more suitable for fall and winter too, rather than if I had gone for one of the lighter colors in the print. 

 

I did a lot of changing things around to do what made the most sense to me, rather than following the pattern, which wasn't super clear. But as long as it doesn't look like it's patched together, I'm happy!

 

The back closes with a button band. I used navy buttons too, and sewed them on with my favorite method for four-hole buttons. It can look like little flowers, if you use different colors of thread!

 

The skirt took forever to hem since each of the 2 ruffles had two edges to hem, and they are so much wider than the skirt width. But I love the effect!

 

My sweet 3 year old is very pleased with her new dress, which is what counts the most!

 

Check out the other lovely projects on this blog tour! It's always so inspiring to see the different projects creative people come up with, using the same fabrics. 

Wednesday, November 2	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com
Friday, November 4	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Monday, November 7	http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 9	http://prettybyhand.com/
Friday, November 11	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 14	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Wednesday, November 16	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Friday November 18	https://thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/
Monday, November 21	https://www.lambfarmdesigns.com/

 

Songbird Serenade Project Tour – Patchwork Dress & Applique Runner

 

This sweet new fabric collection called Songbird Serenade from Poppie Cotton has the loveliest soft colors and prints. Of course my three-year-old was entranced by the “birdie” fabric, so I decided this would be a good time to try an idea I had in mind. An idea for a challenge. Could I make a dress out of a fat quarter bundle?

 

I picked the light peach color way, set aside two FQ for the skirt, and cut the bodice front and back out of two different FQ. I used the same pattern as I did for her sailor dress for the bodice, but with different sleeves.

 

The skirt I didn't use a pattern for, just gathered the width I had into the waist. The collar I cut from a 5^th FQ for a bit of contrast.

 

When assembled, I think it was a success! Using the same color palette keeps it from being too crazy, but the patchwork element is still there, and super cute for a little girl. It's fun to get a garment of this size out of the smaller quilting cuts, just as a fun little challenge.

 

As you can see from her face, she quite likes her new dress.

 

Showing mommy the birdies.

 

But there are so many other pretty prints and colors in this collection, I had to showcase more of them, so I also made a table runner.

 

I've seen vintage quilts with applique petal fans and always think they are so cute, so that was my inspiration. I cut out my own chunky orange peel shaped template, and attached them to background blocks with a dense zigzag on the raw edges. Super easy and fast.

 

The diamond shape was appliqued by hand.

 

I hand quilted it, which went pretty fast. I wanted to quilt it as larger blocks of 4 instead of individual blocks, so after going around the petals and doing the decorative corner bracket, I added a few rows around the exterior.

 

It's a generously sized runner, with 8” blocks. I just love the soft pastels.

 

It was a great pleasure to make these two ideas come to life in such pretty fabric. 

 

Check out the other lovely stops on this blog tour – and make sure to ask your quilt shop about this beautiful fabric collection!

 

Monday, October 10	http://prettybyhand.com/	Kirstyne
Wednesday, October 12	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/	Kristen Clay
Friday, October 14	https://thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/	Sherri Falls
Monday, October 17	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/	Lisa Garlick
Wednesday, October 19	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/	Lisa Jo
Friday, October 21	Website: http://blueribbondesigns.com	Belinda
Monday, October 24	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/	Melissa Corry

 

1940s Pinafore Duo with Poppie Cotton

 

I'm a sucker for strawberry prints, so when I got the chance to work with this new fabric from Poppie Cotton, of course I chose to sew with the strawberries to make a 1940s style coordinating pinafore set with my little girl.

(Isn't Betsy's Sewing Kit the cutest name??)

 

For her I first considered making an apron, but since she's growing out of all her 2T clothes, I decided to make an apron-style dress instead so she can wear it for everyday this summer and next year too.

 

I used a vintage DuBarry 5643 pattern from my stash, and did a little color blocking with a coordinating print, which both stretches the fabric and accents the design elements of the dress pattern.

 

I usually would opt for white or red accents with a fabric like this, but this time I stepped out of my comfort zone a little and used some yellow vintage rick-rac from my stash.

 

Red heart buttons were the perfect closure in the back. She's such a great little kitchen helper already!

For my coordinating pinafore, I did an apron pattern long on my list. It was reissued by Simplicity a while ago. It is definitely the most elaborate apron pattern I've ever done! It took almost as long as a dress, and took some concentration to figure out since the pieces are not as intuitive as a dress.

 

It had facings, top stitching, and darts in the back section. But I love how it turned out! I used a coordinating blue to color block for this one also, to stretch the strawberry print, and I think it even accents the scallops more to do it this way.

 

It has a full front, half sides like a regular apron that wrap almost the whole way around, adjustable waist fit with a sash, and a T back to keep it in place on the shoulders.

 

I love the scalloped hem especially, and the amount of dress coverage it gives.

 

It was certainly the right time of year to be sewing with strawberry fabric, and I enjoyed working with these lovely summery prints. The dress is a new favorite for my little girl, and the apron is finished just in time for canning season.

 

It reminds me why I love the fashions of this era so much - practical, yet always unique, feminine and flattering. And made in a high quality quilting cotton like this, I can wash and wear it, without bothering to press it, many times!

 

There are lots of other pretty prints included in this fabric line. Check out the other makers on this project tour! It's always so fun to see the variety that different people can come up with, out of the same lovely fabrics.

Monday, August 15	Instagram: @emmas_crafternoons
Wednesday, August 17	https://verityvintagestudio.typepad.com/my-blog/
Friday, August 19	http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 22	theredfeedsack.blogspot.com
Wednesday, August 24	www.freshdewdrops.com
Friday, August 26	https://www.nannygoatquilts.com/
Monday, August 29	http://prettybyhand.com/
Wednesday, August 31	http://neverlandstitches.blogspot.com/
Friday, September 2	@elliebugmakes

 

4th of July Vintage Toddler Dress Makeover

Some time ago, I got this vintage toddler dress from a seller on Instagram. It was priced low because the skirt was badly rust-stained, but I knew I could do something with it so I kept it until my oldest daughter grew into this size.

 

The thin cotton had leaked the rust stains through, so it was stained both front and back, and the buttons had disintegrated. But all the stains were on the lower 2/3rds of the skirt, so the bodice (which is where all the cute detail was) was untouched.

 

It was a simple matter to trim off the skirt a few inches down, and using that to measure, cut a length of contrast fabric to replace it with.

 

Of course the shoulder button replacement was super easy - so here it is with a fresh life, just in time for the 4th of July festivities!

 

She calls it her "parade dress", and loves it - though I couldn't get her to smile for these pictures. :-) 

 

I like it also as an example of how versatile a basic pattern is, as a background canvas for creative trimming. 

 

Here's an actual smile!

 

We are having a low-key 4th today, but the children got to jump in a bouncy house and gathered up their long-awaited buckets of candy from the parade, so they are happy. 

Happy Independence Day!

 

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

...There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

-Patrick Henry, 1775

2021 Vintage Sewing Recap

Time for a quick look back at my past year of sewing vintage fashion! I always like to see all my makes for a year in one place. This year held a few months of no outfit sewing at all, and other months that were quite prolific. I started collaborating with Riley Blake Designs early in the year, and later on with Poppie Cotton, so all but one of these were sewn with new fabric rather than out of my stash.

My first make of the year, which was also my first blog post featuring Riley Blake Designs fabric.

 

I didn't get a lot of new patterns this year, but this was one of them, and it promptly got made up instead of sitting for years in my stash.

 

But a lot of my projects this year used patterns that I have had for YEARS, and I am so excited they finally saw the light of day!

   

1950s two color dress; 1930s Easter dress

 

I had a few repeats this year... Here's another pattern that I have owned for a very long time, and when I made the first one I liked it so much I immediately made a second one! I can't imagine why it languished in the drawer for so long.

   

1930s floral dress; black geometric version

 

I made a lot of baby clothes this year too! It was a bit of a learning curve, so some were more successful than others, but I learned to like making the smaller dresses.

     

1950s baby dress, sailor dress

 

1930s smock dress

 

I couldn't believe the comparison of how much my baby girl grew in one year!

   

1930s baby dress, 1950s princess dress

1950s goose dress

 

This was the only thing I made all year that did not use quilting cotton! It was also my only "modern" pattern - actually a reprint of a 1930s pattern. It was one of my more difficult projects this year, and the rayon challis I used was quite lovely.

1930s rayon blouse

 

Part of the reason I didn't sew with other fabric types was that during the fall, when I usually break out the wool and suiting, I was big pregnant and only made two maternity-friendly projects from July-December.

 

1940s-does-1930s adjustable dress; 1950s adjustable pleated dress

 

I also used what probably is the oldest pattern in my collection for this baby dress. She has already outgrown it, but it's one of my favorite baby makes this year. 

 

Another one of my long-owned patterns that was a remake from a very early version in my sewing career, was this 1930s blouse pattern.

 

This 1950s apron pattern was another double make this summer. I love the scallops!

   

1950s pink apron; green version

 

As always there is plenty of blue represented! Though overall I am pleased with the color variety.

 

1950s slender sailboat dress; 1930s princess dress

 

While I may not have had much variety with fabric fiber this year, I did have a fair representation of different silhouettes. 

aqua 1950s slender dress

 

I also did some fun experimenting with dress details, which is a great way to jazz up quilting cotton. From appliqué to decorative top stitching and different kinds of trims, I like adding the special touches.

 

 

 

Of course this is only my garment sewing for the year. I also did a lot of craft sewing, including tutorials on this blog not shown in this post, and a lot of quilt designs. My sewing machine got quite a workout!

1950s pastel blouse

 

My count for 2021 is:

    8 1930s adult garments

    1 1940s    

    7 1950s

and 7 baby dresses

 

I have a lot of ideas and a long to-do list for 2022, but I also know that flexibility is key since I now have three small children and a very busy design schedule. A lot of my personal sewing I have to fit in around deadlines - but I have some exciting projects I want to get to, and it's amazing how that motivational that can be!

Hope you all are having a lovely January.

~Kristen 

 

 

 

 

Easter Parade: 1950s Green Floral Toddler Dress

Today for my turn in the Riley Blake Designs Easter Parade spotlight, I'm showing you one of the main florals, which I chose to use as a toddler dress for my little girl. Green is such a good color for her!

 

There are a lot of adorable spring prints in this line and I LOVE the color palette, though of course right now most people are thinking about and sewing for the holidays! Still, this green and white is classic enough that it could work for Christmas with a cardigan and a red bow.

 

I tried out a size 2 1950s dress pattern for this one, and it turned out quite a generous size 2 - but since I'll probably keep it for spring, that's ok. 

 

I used a bit of a white RBD basic for the trim, and added little cherry buttons to the collar tabs. Isn't that floral just too lovely? It's certainly large enough scale that it could work for an adult garment too, if desired.

 

I commonly find that baby dress patterns are too wide in the shoulders, so from now on I'm going to automatically take a pinch out of the bodice width and see if that helps.

 

But this pattern, with its empire waist and twirly flared skirt, was different than a lot of the basic shirt-dress style 1950s girl patterns I have, so it was fun to try something new. Plus this uses a LOT less fabric than some of the gathered skirts do.

 

As always, I am amazed at how fast the small dresses work up. I know it will get a lot of wear this spring and summer. I have another smaller piece in the blue color way, which maybe by spring I'll make up as a coordinating dress for the new baby sister! But now after this fun floral break, maybe I can squeeze in a bit of holiday sewing yet...we'll see.