Vintage pattern pledge dress no 1

Earlier this year I signed up to A Stitching Odyssey's vintage pattern pledge and finally I've made the first dress towards it - one down, three more to go!  And I've already got one of those cut out.

I bought the fabric in Fabricland last year and this was a quick and easy make - there will be more of these in the future I expect.

Simplicity 5510 from 1964

The pattern is Simplicity 5510 from 1964 and I made a few modifications - I graded the waistline out a bit and also didn't use the skirt pieces.  There were three - one for the centre front and two back pieces  which came round past the side to about where the bodice darts were.  Since I wanted seams at the side I cut two widths of fabric - one for the front and the other folded in half and cut down the fold for the two back pieces.  I also put inseam pockets in and used an invisible zip.

The bodice neckline is faced, so there was no lining to sew in which speeded things up a bit.  I cut the skirt to the length of the pattern pieces, which is longer than my usual just-below-the-knee length preference.  I'm still getting used to this longer length, but I think it will work well with boots in the winter.

And here it is.

Simplicity 5510 Vintage Pattern Pledge dress no 1

And now I'm all caught up with blogging about this year's finished projects.  Hooray!  And since I have the day off work today, there just might be another dress to post about over the weekend...

Autumn and winter sewing plans

My sewing plans for the next few months are to make up dresses in the following

Purple tape measures - a shirtdress (although not sure which pattern yet), John Lewis purple bricks - at the moment I'm thinking a Simplicity 2444 with a stand up collar and long sleeves.

Tape measures and bricks

Khaki polka dot fabric - another shirtdress, olive atomic fabric - something with a fitted bodice, long sleeves and a straight skirt, mustard keys - not sure yet, but something with long sleeves and not too many seams to break up the pattern.

Olive atomic, mustard keys and khaki polka dots

Viva Frida fabric - still undecided on pattern for this one.  The brown and blue floral and the turquoise roses are, I think, destined to be made up with 60s patterns.

Viva Frida, brown & blue floral and turquoise roses

 
The sunflower fabric I absolutely love, and I think I'll save this to make up when we have some grey, gloomy days in the depths of winter - which I'm sure we will - and it will cheer me up as I sew.  Not sure of pattern, but maybe an Emery.  The resin beads fabric (I've called it this because that's what it reminds me of) will be a Simplicity 3774. 

Sunflowers and resin beads

Then  there are three Liberty fabrics which my mother has had for years and now they are mine!  The yellow floral one is voile and has a real 40s vibe to it I think, so I'll almost certainly use a 40s, or 40s inspired pattern for it.  The other two are Tana lawn - there is enough of the top one to make a dress - maybe a 40s pattern again, but the turquoise one will probably become a blouse because I don't think there's enough for a dress.

Liberty fabrics

I'd also like to make some separates.  The two fabrics below are destined to become skirts although I haven't decided on pattern(s) yet, and I'd like to make some shirts and blouses, but haven't decided which patterns to match with which fabrics, and in fact, to start with, I might just practise by using up some of my left overs - I like the way Rochelle New mixes and matches the fabrics she uses.

Trees and ferns

I realise that even without the knitting this is almost certainly far too ambitious to get through in six months, but ever the optimist I'd like to think I'll get at least some of this done.  And I can come back to this post next spring and see just how much I managed to make (or not!)

Daisy Emery the second

I bought this fabric a couple of weeks ago in Fabricland and I just love it, it's so summery!  I decided it would become an Emery in time to wear to the Christine Haynes event at Raystitch and got it finished at half past midnight on the Friday morning.  I did have to go to work that day, but nipped home at lunchtime to get changed so that I could get straight on the train after work.  It was a lovely event, fab food and cocktails, and great people.




Daisy Emery the second

 When I've been to Raystitch in the past I've failed to notice that they have a lovely little garden at the back of the shop - an oasis of tranquility and a great place for a get together since the sun was shining.  I really enjoyed the evening and it was especially good to meet sew-ers (have to put the hyphen in there otherwise my mind sees it as something else) whose blogs I read, and new ones whose blogs I've added to my reading list - although this is still in my head, not listed here.  There were some great dresses being worn, and I really enjoyed the short time I was there.  The fact I'd had a late night, been at work all day and then enjoyed alcohol in the sun meant that I was beginning to flag before the end of the 'do' and so didn't stay until the end, but it was a lovely end to the week.


I was very tempted by several of the fabrics at Raystitch, especially some of the Japanese ones - gorgeous colours and designs, but in the end I just bought a couple of pin cushions which I was really pleased to find.  I've been after a larger pin cushion for a while now and just haven't come across one, so when I saw these I decided to buy two!  They are fab - surrounded by little smiling people.

Happy, smiling pin cushions

 I've also decided to give this blog a bit of a summer makeover - I haven't made it to Paris yet this year and so to ward off possible withdrawal symptoms will be making up some of the Paris-themed fabric in my stash very soon.  But right now, I have a polka dot dress to finish and a fruit print dress to cut out so I shall say ttfn.

Watermelons!

Yes, it's another Anna - I just love this pattern, it's so versatile.  I first saw this fabric in Fabricland last summer and was drawn to it because I love these colours in combination with each other.  However, I decided against buying it, I think because I don't actually like watermelons.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I just happened to be in the vicinity of my nearest Fabricland and I found myself as drawn to this fabric as I was last year.  I decided that two metres were going to come home with me because (1) I love the graphic and (2) I don't actively dislike watermelons, it's more that I don't positively like them - indifference would be a more accurate description - which is a shame, because I'm sure that on a blisteringly hot day they are probably very refreshing.  And indifference to the fruit is not a good enough reason to not buy the fabric.

I didn't know what I was going to make but figured that two metres would be enough for a sleeveless summer dress, and so it was, although only just, because this has a one-way print.  Although tbh, I doubt anyone would notice if I'd cut any of the skirt panels upside down.  And it was only just possible to get this out of two metres, I don't think I'd have got a size 14 out of it, so, lucky that I'm an Anna size 12.  This came together very quickly last weekend and, like my Flamingolex, makes me smile whenever I look at it.

Not much to say about the construction, cut as per pattern, graded the skirt seams out to half an inch to give a bit more wearing ease, and made the bust pleats about an inch shorter.


Watermelons!

 Now, I really need to get some knitting done otherwise I'm never going to finish my MMM challenge pink cardigan.

Up, up and away (with the birds)

I really didn't intend for there to be such a delay in posting about these dresses but unfortunately malfunctioning technology intervened!  Anyway... problem one resolved, problem two trundles on, but at least I can now download my photos.  Now, on with today's dresses.

I've seen a few made with this hot air balloons fabric popping up in the blogosphere, and this is the colourway I liked best, so when I saw it at Ally Pally last year I had to get some.  I was running out of cash by the time I spotted it, so bought 1.5 metres with the plan of pairing it up with some plain fabric.  I don't remember now whether I already had the yellow cotton in my stash or whether I bought it after the balloons fabric, it came from the Fancy Silk Store in Birmingham and I'm not entirely convinced that it is 100% cotton.  Doesn't matter though because I love the colour.  Since the balloon fabric has rather a large pattern repeat I decided to do a gathered skirt and not worry about pattern matching.  Same skirt as for my Dotty Anna actually, two widths (58") of fabric with one cut up the middle for the zip at the back.  Although I think this one is a little bit shorter.  Why I felt the need to make such a summery dress in December I don't know, I haven't actually worn it yet, but once the weather warms up a bit it's going to get quite a bit of wear I think.  The pattern is of course Elisalex.

Up, up and away Elisalex

Dress number two is another variation on Elisalex, made with some fabric I bought in Ikea a few years ago with no plan in mind, I just liked the look of it.  I probably thought I'd make a cushion cover because I only bought one metre.  Because of this I cut the skirt narrower, it goes from 14 at the waist, to 6 at the sides and back out to 14 at the base (pretty much in a straight line actually).  I worked out the cutting line with the highly technical method of putting on my Flamingolex dress, grabbing some pins, pinning the sides to take out some of the width and deciding 'yep, that'll work'.  I can't remember exactly what I did next because I made this a while ago and didn't take any notes, but I now have a paper skirt pattern in this new outline which I can use again.

Birdielex

This dress originally had short sleeves which I had to fiddle around with because by mistake I cut out two the same rather than a left and a right, but eventually I got a left sleeve and a right sleeve, attached them and tried the dress on.  Disaster.  Well that's an exaggeration really, but I can't think of a more appropriate word at the moment!  And it looks wrong whether I spell it with one 'g' or two.  The sleeves pulled the shoulders down and the armholes were a bit snug - it's furnishing fabric so that may have something to do with it, but I was so disappointed after all the time it had taken me to cut the sleeves and put them in.  So I unpicked the sleeve seam, took them out and oversewed the bodice and lining together at the armhole and it's now a sleeveless dress.  The black bodice fabric is a plain cotton from Fabricland.

Birdielex

Dotty Anna & Lily Anna

Here are two more Anna dresses from By Hand London – this is such a pretty and versatile pattern that I will be making more of them this year.  I made both of these in December but haven’t had time to blog about them until now because, well, life.

The first one is made from some polka dot fabric which I bought at the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally in October.  I like polka dots, in the same way that I like gingham, and bird prints, and I like this particular one very much because (a) it’s cotton not polycotton and (b) it’s white dots on a colour rather than the other way round.  I decided to make this with a gathered skirt, which is just two widths of the fabric (58” wide) with one cut in half to accommodate the back seam, so I got the whole dress out of 2m of fabric.

As with my first Anna I cut a size 12 and took the back neckline in by ⅝” and tapered it out.  I also did size 14 bust pleats because the pleats on my Anthro Anna come up a little high.  With a machined hem this dress came together very quickly.

Dotty Anna

This next one is a v-necked maxi version made with stretch cotton which I bought in Fabricland recently.  As soon as I saw it on the roll I knew I wanted to make an Anna maxi from it (and that doesn’t happen often – it’s more usual that I buy fabric without a particular pattern in mind).  I bought 3.5m and as it’s 56” wide and I cut the skirt pieces 6” shorter this was enough fabric, even though it has a one-way print.

This too I made with size 14 bust pleats, however I didn’t think to cut a size 14 skirt front, so there is a bit of mismatch going on at the waist.  I don’t think it’s that noticeable though and it’s not something I’m going to fret about.  Next time though, if I am using the skirt pattern pieces, I will either cut a 14 skirt front, or use the size 12 bust pleats and make them shorter so that things match up.  With a gathered skirt of course this doesn’t matter!  I also tapered all the skirt seams from ⅝” out to ½” to give a little more room around the waist and this has worked well.

As I was sewing the skirt pieces together I noticed one of them had a mark on it – not sure what from, but having seen it I decided to cut out a replacement piece which fortunately I had enough fabric left to do.  If there hadn’t have been enough I’d have left it and tried to ignore it, it wasn’t that noticeable really and I’m not sure that anyone else would have seen it, but once I knew it was there…  However, I didn’t have quite enough fabric and so the replacement piece was a bit shorter than the rest.  This meant I ended up cutting 1½” off the length, and with a machined hem of ⅝” + ⅞” it is now an ideal length for wearing with flip flops rather than killer heels.  Which is just fine actually as I tend to live in Birkenstocks in the summer.  The only thing I haven’t done, and probably will, is to top stitch the neckline to keep the facing from riding up at the front.



Lily Anna maxi

I’m really pleased with both these dresses and I’m sure other versions will be appearing in the next few months.  At least one more maxi (this is the only maxi dress pattern I have), and maybe a mash-up with the Elisalex skirt, possibly one with the Cambie A-line skirt if I can make the darts line up (or use a fabric where it won’t show if not), and, well, we’ll just have to see where the fancy takes me for further outings of this pattern.

Check these out

Well, so much for getting a couple more posts in before Christmas.  Time just ran away from me but there is now a lull in the festivities between now and New Year, so time to catch up with the blogging.

I really like gingham but the fabric that I have sewn with so far hasn’t been great, so I’ve realised that actually I really like cotton gingham, and there doesn’t seem to be nearly as much of that around as the polyester & cotton gingham that the next three dresses are made from.

The first one is Vogue 8727 made with ⅛” gingham from Fabricland.  I bought this pattern mainly because I thought it would be a good starting point for recreating the shape of the Limb teadress which I blogged about last month.  I think with the NL6824 narrow skirt option and some self-drafted (should that be self-draughted? Hmm… not sure) cap sleeves it’ll work rather nicely.  This is a pattern which would have completely passed me by if I’d only considered the initial photograph, however, the line drawings showed that it had potential and so I bought it.  For its first outing I cut it according to the pattern and did view D in a size 14.  Which as I now know, turned out to be too big and so I had to do some fiddling around with the side seams to get it to fit.  Next time I’ll cut a size 12.



Vogue 8727



I love the shape of this dress and it can be dressed up (with a smart plain navy jacket) or down (on its own with some wacky jewellery) but is now put away for the winter since I don’t have enough wardrobe space to not have to pack away summer clothes in the winter and winter clothes in the summer.  As an aside, there was a thread on Ravelry which I came across whilst noodling about, asking how many dresses ravellers had.  So I did a quick count this evening – there are currently 26 rtw and 4 handmade dresses hanging in my wardrobe, so I reckon the total count (including summer dresses) is probably quite a bit higher.  I do love me a dress.  In fact I really like the one I’m wearing right now which I got in H&M a couple of weeks ago.  Let me see if I can get a link to it.  No, sorry, not on their website.  It’s black, sleeveless, just above the knee (probably half way up the thighs of a 5’ 10” model), fitted through the waist and bodice and with a flared skirt.  I may take a photo of it at some point, it’s a perfect go-anywhere LBD – I wore it out for lunch today and could just as easily wear it to work or for an evening out.

On to dresses two and three, both made in purple gingham fabric which I bought because 1. gingham and 2. purple.  However, these fabrics are truly unpleasant imo, they’re shiny, full of static and fray like be-atches.  So they have both become trial versions of patterns which I will be making up in better fabric later.  The 1” gingham is Simplicity 2444 (and yes, there is a seam down the bodice front, don’t ask me why I cut down the fold because I truly have no idea), and the ¼” is New Look 6567.


Simplicity 2444

New Look 6567

For both these dresses the sleeves feel a bit skimpily cut, so I might try them with the sleeves from Butterick 5813  which fit fine.  I don’t think I have weightlifters’ arms by any means, but they’re not stick thin either.  I’ll see how I get on, if it’s too much hassle I’ll probably stick to making sleeveless dresses, but as it’s winter I wanted some sleeves.  Or it could just be that the fabric has no give in it at all and cotton, with a bit of widthways stretch, will be fine.  The New Look dress is also surprisingly short.  So far, I’ve either hemmed dresses per the pattern instructions or chopped off between 5” and 7” of the length, but this pattern could do with being a bit longer – not much – just enough for the finished length to be at the cutting line, but it was a bit of a surprise when I tried it on.  It sewed up very quickly but once I put the sleeves in I found that they pulled the shoulders down, so when I make this up with ‘proper’ fabric I’ll probably cut either the square or the sweetheart neckline, because they have more fabric at the shoulders, and I might cut the back neckline a bit higher.

I have another gingham dress cut out waiting for me to sew it up which will also be a test version because it has several small flaws in it.  Not sure that anyone else would notice them, but I know they are there so it is a trial run for Simplicity 3673.  I’ve got some 1” gingham for the final version – I thought this pattern would be good for a version of the Peggy Olson check dress which has popped up on various blogs as part of Julia Bobbin’s Mad Men challenge – but that won’t get made up until next year.

Well that’s all for now, I hope to be back tomorrow.

Hello again dear blog

Well, I don’t know where this month has gone so far, but I would like to get all the dresses I’ve made this year blogged about before 2014 so I guess I need to get a wiggle on and post more frequently  :-).  I’ll start with Elisalex from By Hand London.

I made two of these one after the other back in August.  I love this pattern, it is such a flattering style.  I’ve since made another one and got the fabric ready to cut out for a fourth but they will be for another blogpost.

Both are a straight size 14 and fit really rather nicely thank you.  Sewing the princess seams was a bit of a faff if I’m honest, but once they’re done it’s downhill all the way with the rest of the sewing.  I also cut them 7” shorter than the pattern which meant that I needed less than 2 metres of fabric.

The first one is made from fabric which I bought in Fabricland.  Their website is really not a joy to behold, but they do have a good selection, it’s reasonably priced and the shops are well worth a visit if you happen to be in the vicinity.

Alohalex

The fabric for the second one I spotted in Fabricland months ago, before I had started sewing again.  I’d gone into the shop to get some buttons, or something, and it was on a stand at the front of the shop and caught my eye.  I did fleetingly think, hmm, I could make a skirt out of that, but having had to wean myself from buying yarn because it’s just. so. lovely. and then once I’ve got it home and stopped petting it wondering what I’d actually make with it, I didn’t want to fall into the same trap with fabric, so it stayed on the roll.  Of course, once I’d made my first Elisalex, and also by this time seen a dress made up in this fabric in Brighton for over a £100, I decided I should really go and buy a couple of metres.  Well obviously because I hadn’t bought it when I first saw it, when I went back to buy some they had sold out so that was the end of that idea.  Until… I spotted the end of a roll in Toni’s on the Goldhawk Road in London.  More expensive (actually it would be fairer to say less cheap) than Fabricland, but still nowhere near £100 for a dress, and in fact enough for two dresses.  Cue big smile and a purchase.  So, here is Elisalex number two.  I haven't decided what to make with the remaining fabric yet though, but that's a lack of decision that I can live with.

Flamingolex

That’s it for this evening folks - if there are any folks reading this of course ;-).  Will aim to back again tomorrow.

Oranges and lemons

Yes, there are an orange dress and a lemon yellow dress coming up.  The orange one is Vogue 8789, I can’t remember when I bought this, but it was one of my first pattern purchases.  I like the neckline and kimono sleeves and the fact that the bodice is cut on the cross – I think I’ll probably make one of these out of tape measure fabric at some point.  I altered it to put the zip in the back but I won’t do that next time I make this (and there will be a next time – it was a quick make); I’ll also make the bodice a bit shorter and maybe take the bust darts in even more than I did on this version.  I also didn’t use the skirt pattern pieces; I think there would have been too much bulk around the waist if I had.  So the skirt is just two widths of the fabric (about 60” wide) and that is plenty full enough as it is quite thick cotton.

V-8789

And now to the lemon.  This is the first dress I made back in June of this year when I returned to sewing.  I had seen lots of lovely Cambies by Sewaholic on the interwebz, decided I wanted one and that I had to start somewhere so that’s how this became the first dress I’d sewn for hmm… let’s say 20+ years.  The yellow seersucker fabric which I used I’d had for so long that I can’t remember when or where I bought it, and it was 36” wide which I seem to recall used to be a standard width for fabrics in my dim and distant youth, but not any more.  Because of this I didn’t follow the recommended cutting layout and used pretty much all of the 3m that I had.  I put a centred zip in this, and after it was finished decided it was time to buy an invisible zipper foot and all the dresses I’ve made since have had concealed zips.

This is such a pretty pattern, I really like it a lot a lot a lot and will definitely make more.  Although not in the depths of winter.  But come next spring – oh yes, I have lots of fabric permutations in my head already.

Yellow A-line Cambie