Tag Archives: 1950’s Vogue patterns

January 17, 2013 · 10:12 pm

Sewing SMART for 2013

The word “smart” has lots of different meanings. My desktop Webster’s lists 21 different connotations of this short, very effective word. I particularly like two of the ways this word was used when I was growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s: those would be meanings #5: “neat or trim in appearance, as a person or garment”, and #6: “socially elegant; sophisticated or fashionable: the smart crowd”. With these definitions in mind, I looked for and quickly found some very pertinent examples of these meanings in two Vogue Pattern Book Magazines from 1953 and 1954:

The February/March issue of Vogue Pattern Book Magazine 1954 gives the reader ideas for a “smart look all through the day, now and through spring.”

The VPB magazine from October/November 1953 featured “10 smart, new high fashion Vogue Couturier Designs.”

I love this caption from the same issue: fashions with ” a minimum number of pieces to sew and fit … maximum smartness.”

Well, in thinking about some of my sewing goals and aspirations for 2013, I kept coming back to this word – SMART – and decided it would be very useful to use as a guideline, with each letter of the word reminding me of some of what I hope to accomplish. SO …

S is for SKILLS. This year I am concentrating on learning new ones, practicing and perfecting ones that I have and taking advantage of at least two classes to help me develop my skills as a dressmaker. So far, I am enrolled in Craftsy’s “Sewing with Silks: The Liberty Blouse” on-line course (not started yet), and I will be spending a week in Baltimore with Susan Khalje for The Classic French Jacket Class. Perhaps other classes will wiggle their way into the year as well!

M is for MARKING AND MEASURING my progress and accomplishments, my mistakes (hopefully not too many!), and my plans and intentions. This is, of course, where “Fifty Dresses” comes in. Writing this blog helps me focus more on the process than I would normally – and that’s both instructive and rewarding. So thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who follow along, make comments, give me encouragement, and share your sewing insights and ideas through your own blogs or other online presence. Thinking, reading and writing about sewing is almost as much fun as sewing itself.

A is for ART. Sewing is so much more than a “hobby” or a way to build a wardrobe (albeit slowly!). It really is an art form, and the more I sew, the more I realize and appreciate this fact. Some of my creations will no doubt be like simple sketches – quick and easy to make and even easier to throw on for a trip to the grocery store – while one or two others perhaps will rise closer to “masterpiece” level (I can dream) – made with finest fabrics and specialized techniques, intended for special occasions. Good art should be taken seriously and seriously enjoyed, don’t you think?

R is for REALISTIC, as in having realistic goals of what I can and cannot accomplish in a set amount of time. This is the part I have trouble with. I always think I can sew faster than I can. Although I am sure I will always plan more than I can possibly accomplish, I am going to try to set more realistic goals (keeping a separate, working list of intended projects to help me focus) in the context of what I know will be a busy year in other aspects of my life.

T is for TIMELESS. This may be my favorite part of the acronym. Timeless is the look that I am always striving for in the clothing I make. Using vintage patterns for the most part allows me to choose styles that really have stood the test of time – and which often have a restrained classicism to them that suits my sensibility.

Sketches in Vogue Pattern Book Magazine from October/November 1956 show styles which look very au courant, from the clothing to the hair to the shoes and accessories. I’d like to be that lady in red!

How stylish are these looks from the same magazine?

And a box-jacket suit is always in vogue.

It’s fun to see current color and style trends, which harken back to 40, 50, or 60 years ago. Then to make them, using vintage patterns, with newfound construction knowledge, in some of the beautiful fabrics available today, is the best of many worlds. Not only SMART, but lucky, too, in 2013!

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Filed under The Conde Nast Publications, Uncategorized, vintage Vogue Designer patterns, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, Vogue patterns

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, fashion sewing, love of sewing, sewing, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns, women's dress suits

December 19, 2012 · 10:47 pm

A Newly Defined ‘50s’ Frock

I have finished making a new dress from an old pattern, which isn’t anything too unusual for me. What is unusual is the spell which this pattern cast over me from the time I first saw it last January, and then purchased it from an Etsy shop.

The back of the envelope, showing the back yoke detail. Don’t you love the handbags that the artist included?

1) Kimono sleeves in three-quarter length. Cut in one with the bodice, kimono sleeves were common in the ‘50s, and now seem to be making a comeback. Three quarter length is extremely flattering for most women, and was popular then and now.

2) Side zipper. This dress goes over the head and needs that side zipper to accommodate the wiggle room needed to accomplish this method of dressing. A back zipper would completely ruin the effect of the four-buttoned back yoke.

3) No pockets. While pockets are lovely inventions, this dress would lose some of its slim and flattering line should pockets bulge out from the side seams.

4) Mid-calf length. This length looks great in the pattern illustration, but not so much on me. One of the beauties of these vintage patterns is adapting them for current wear – so I opted for knee-length instead.

5) Bound buttonholes. Although this pattern is called “easy to make” on the back of the envelope, it still calls for bound buttonholes. And, oh, they add such a nice detail.

Now to the specifics. I found this black and white herringbone alpaca wool (made in the USA) on Britex Fabrics’ website, and purchased it on sale a few months ago, specifically for use with this pattern.

This is the swatch I ordered from Britex sometime over the Summer.

I wanted to make the dress using couture techniques (learned in the online Craftsy course The Couture Dress taught by Susan Khalje.) This meant that I would 1) make a muslin for fitting and pattern tracing; 2) underline the entire dress with silk organza; 3) eliminate the separate neck facing; 4) finish all the interior seams by catch-stitching them to the underlining; and 5) line the entire dress, which I did using Bemberg instead of china silk (more on that in a bit).

There were a number of decisions/problems/successes involved in making this dress. First, the nature of the fabric is that there are slight imperfections in the weave, and it is quite loosely woven, making it quite susceptible to raveling. When I laid it out to cut it, I wanted to avoid any obvious imperfections front and center. Patterns with kimono sleeves demand large expanses of fabric and thus do not allow a lot of jiggling of their placement. I can honestly say that I had JUST enough fabric and not an inch more than I needed!

One of the first problems I realized I was going to have concerned the buttonholes. I quickly discovered that the loose weave of the fabric meant that I was not going to be able to make bound buttonholes using self-fabric for the “strips”. I considered using a plain black wool for these strips, but I thought that would be too much of a contrast. Well, now I know why I save all kinds of scraps from previous projects – you never know when one of those random pieces of fabric will come in handy. I spied a scrap in my fabric closet and quickly decided that one part of the weave would be perfect to delineate those buttonholes:

I used the “gray” portion of this windowpane check for the buttonhole “strips”. Click on the photo to see this up close.

An inside look at the buttonholes in progress

And an outside look…

When it came to deciding on buttons, I could not find any I liked. But I remembered some buttons I had sewn onto a RTW jacket several years ago (to replace the ones that came on it.) They have a “herringbone” look to them – it’s very subtle, but effective. The jacket is one I haven’t worn in a couple of years, so I just robbed the cuffs of their buttons and used them on my dress. (Now I guess I know for sure I won’t be wearing that jacket again!) But – the buttons are perfect for this dress.

My buttons of choice!

Choosing to use couture techniques was a “dress-saver”. The larger seam allowances took away the panic I might have felt, once I realized the fabric frayed so easily. And finishing off each interior seam with catch-stitching controlled the fraying and helped the seams to lay perfectly flat.

Eliminating the separate neck facing was also a bonus to ease construction. First of all, I wanted to widen the neckline, which I worked out in my muslin. Using the seam allowance and hand-applied, under-stitched lining for the neck facing made it lay flat, and of course, it’s not itchy either!

The “couture-constructed” neckline, before the lining is attached.

Even though I did not have “plaids” to match, I needed to pay close attention to the rows in the herringbone weave, so that none of them were crooked. This is where Clover two-pronged pins (recommended by Susan Khalje in The Couture Dress class) came in handy and helped me keep those rows lined up evenly.

Clover “fork” pins

Finally, I decided to use Bemberg lining fabric instead of China silk because I thought it might be a bit more substantial for this somewhat heavy weight wool. When I was deciding what color to make the lining, I considered ivory, black, and even a bright color, such as red. But I settled on deep gray, and it seems just right.

In fact, everything about this dress seems just right. It is delightfully rewarding when a pattern does not disappoint – and when it turns out to be a complete winner, well, that is reason to make it again (which I will)!

I can wear this dress as a sheath, unbelted, but I love it with this Coach black belt.

With a touch of emerald green for the holiday season.

With green gloves for a ’50s’ look!

And another back view. Alpaca is a very warm wool – so this dress is very cozy.

For now, however, my sewing room is “gift-wrap central”. The colorful ribbons, paper and tags are cheerful tokens of a season of blessings and family and home. To all of you celebrating the season, may it be a time of great peace and love for you and yours. And, as I take a couple of weeks “off”, I send a heartfelt Merry Christmas from me to you…

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Filed under bound buttonholes, Buttons - choosing the right ones, couture construction, kimono sleeves, side-placed zippers, Uncategorized, underlinings, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, woolens

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, Britex Fabrics, Choosing buttons, Etsy vintage patterns, fashion sewing, Kimono sleeves, sewing, side-placed zippers, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns

December 1, 2012 · 3:24 pm

Season for Shopping and Sewing

Well, every season is the season for sewing, and shopping, too, for that matter, especially for fabric. But somehow, the holiday season seems to take both activities to a new level for the year. Somehow, knowing how to sew makes one very susceptible to feeling like at least one or two of your planned gifts to family or friends be hand-sewn by YOU. I, of course, am one of these people.

Remembering some of the gifts I have made over the years came into sharp focus this week. I went into a storage box (acid-free, of course) where I have some family textile heirlooms in safe-keeping. I was in search of a Christmas item, but what caught my eye were two aprons which I made the first Christmas my husband and I were married. It was 1973. I wanted to do something special for my new mother-in-law and my husband’s aunt, and since they were both “apron-wearers” I thought they might like hand-made aprons. I designed a simple pattern, which had two pockets and rick-rack trim. Gingham was widely available, so I chose colors I knew they each liked. Most of the sewing on them was by hand, and I still remember furiously working on them to get them finished on time. I also remember the true delight that both ladies showed upon opening them. I obviously had made just the right thing!

This was the apron I made for my mother-in-law.

This is the apron I made for my mother-in-law.

And this apron was for my husband’s aunt. If I made this apron for myself, I would add a “bib” to it.

I added a label with my name on it!

Twenty years earlier, in 1953, Vogue Pattern Book magazine had a multi-page feature on “Merry Christmas Gifts and Fashions.” I must say those 1950s’ home-sewers must have been very ambitious, as this is only part of what was suggested as gift projects:

1) Lots of sequin-embellished ornaments and decorations.

There were sevben apages of projects like this in the December/January 1953-54 issue of Vogue Pattern Book magazine.

There were seven pages of projects like this in the December/January 1953-54 issue of Vogue Pattern Book magazine, c1953, The Conde Nast Publications, Inc.

2) Doesn’t everyone make ties, shirts, jackets, and pajamas for husbands and grown sons? “The tailoring is not hard with Vogue’s step-by-step, clear sewing directions.”

This is one of two pages of things to make for men.

3) Of course you’ll sew for your little ones (which I did a lot of when my own children were young….)

Everything from petticoats to overcoats were featured for children. Lacking from all these suggestions in this feature were dolls’ clothes, surprisingly. Maybe Vogue Patterns had not yet started making patterns for doll clothes.

4) Now we’re getting into my favorite ideas – “something special for the girl who loves pretty, unusual things…”

The two tops shown on this page would be very stylish today. And the grouping of accessories just happens to from a pattern which i own.

The two tops shown on this page would be very stylish today. And the grouping of accessories just happens to be from a pattern which I own.

Here is the pattern, which includes patterns for other accessories, as well:

The curved belt (not the one with the spikes!) attracted me to this pattern even though it is an unprinted one.

And here are more suggestions for stylish women:

I can do without the jacket with the ball fringe, but I love that wrap blouse featured in the red triangle on the right!

5) It seems appropriate that the section ended with a feature on aprons and clothes to wear at home.

“At home clothes for serious work or lazy-lounging.” I doubt too many home sewers are doing lazy lounging this time of year – or ever!

So – am I making/sewing any gifts this year? I have just one very simple thing planned (still in my head). But – along with the Christmas decorating, the shopping, the wrapping, the cookie-making, the cards, the parties and all the other wonders of the season – I am hoping to finish my current work-in-progress (a wool dress for me) and start and finish (?) a pair of wool pants – also for me. Yes, for me. Should I feel guilty about this??

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Filed under aprons, Blouse patterns from the 1950's, The Conde Nast Publications, Uncategorized, Unprinted patterns from the 1950s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, Vogue patterns

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, sewing, Sewing for Christmas, Unprinted patterns from the 1950s, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns

October 14, 2012 · 1:44 pm

Who is Mrs. Exeter?

And the more important question is – Can she sew? Yes, she can – and she does! But first, let me tell you who she is – or actually who she was. She was a fictional character – a “woman of a certain age” – who started appearing in The Conde Nast Publications’ Vogue magazine in 1949 (as best as I can determine). She was the focus of a regular style column, which was meant to appeal to older fashionable women – with the emphasis most definitely on fashionable. She must have proved to be an appealing figure to readers, because in 1954, the front cover of the October/November issue of Vogue Pattern Book magazine announced: Introducing Mrs. Exeter patterns.

Top billing for the new feature!

Suddenly Mrs. Exeter had discovered the joy of sewing beautiful, classic fashions for herself. Obviously, Vogue patterns, which already had its own Couturier line of patterns, and its very popular Designer pattern series, knew that its audience included these “older” women who had the time, the talent, and the inclination to sew beautiful fashionable clothes for themselves. The copy accompanying the sketches and photos clearly played into the idea that Mrs. Exeter was very sure of her fashion sense:

Here we learn about Mrs. Exeter’s “experienced way of knowing the ‘right’ neither-too-young, nor too old fashions for herself…”

She also had color sense, knowing how to play up her features, and showing she was not afraid to branch out from neutrals and basic black.

Yes, red can definitely enhance silver hair!

She sounds like she was a fun grandmother, too, as this sketch attests:

The caption reads: “Mrs. Exeter takes her grandchildren to town for a Saturday movie treat.”

The Mrs. Exeter feature appeared sporadically throughout the year in the issues of Vogue Pattern Book magazine, continuing through the decade of the 1950s. The October/November 1957 issue had this feature:

The reader was instructed to “sew jet buttons on the short, fitted jacket and flap pockets” of the gray suit on the right.

That same issue used a real model for the Mrs. Exeter section:

It seems Mrs. Exeter favored white gloves and classic handbags.

And another real model appeared in the February/March 1958 issue:

I think this Mrs. Exeter looks a bit insipid!

By the fall of 1958, Mrs. Exeter must have been very popular, as this was the cover of the magazine:

10 pages for Mrs. Exeter patterns!

The Mrs. Exeter appearing here suddenly looked a little less grandmotherly:

Now this is a lovely woman!

Again, the accompanying text was very flattering to the expertise of the older woman:

“Mrs. Exeter knows what she likes… how to look right on all occasions.”

And the texts made frequent reference to Mrs. Exeter’s civic and social obligations and interests. One two-page spread showing suits, declared: “For Mrs. Exeter’s busy calendar of civic and social events, a suit wardrobe is almost a necessity. Her choices, admirably combining chic, distinction, and flattery – with perhaps a shade more emphasis on flattery.”

She also apparently wore shirtwaist dresses with great aplomb, being careful “to avoid thickness at the waist.”

“For all day, every day, the shirtwaist dress is indispensable…” which could be true for 2012 as well!

The Mrs. Exeter feature continued into the early 1960s, but then succumbed to the burgeoning emphasis on youth, disappearing from the magazine by the mid-‘60s. Indeed, in 1970, Vogue Pattern Book magazine introduced a new feature, this one called “Miss Vogue” in an obvious appeal to the younger generation. The description of Miss Vogue? Well, she must have been raised by Mrs. Exeter:

“She’s the girl with the fabulously fresh smile. She loves life. She has fun. She is active and her versatility knows no bounds. …She is a sewing expert… She loves a good challenge. She’s got talent. She’s got finesse… She’s a winner!”

Although Mrs. Exeter might have been “replaced” by Miss Vogue, there were still plenty of 1970s’-era fashions and patterns, which certainly appealed to “the older woman” as well as a stylish younger one. One of those patterns is the one I am currently using :

From Vogue’s Designer series, ca 1970.

I have completed the skirt, which incidentally is, to my thinking the perfect “pencil” skirt – as it is narrow, but very comfortable – and it has a shaped, two-part waistband. (I’m an unabashed fan of waistbands!) I think Mrs. Exeter would approve. I’ll show you in a future post…

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Filed under The Conde Nast Publications, Uncategorized, Unprinted patterns from the 1950s, vintage Vogue Designer patterns, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1960s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1970s, Vogue patterns

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, fashion sewing, Mrs. Exeter (Vogue), sewing, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns, women's dress suits

October 1, 2012 · 10:05 pm

What Do a Chanel Jacket and a Chicken Have in Common?

Not much – unless you were in my sewing room last week.

When we were out in California very recently, my son’s girlfriend, Rachel, showed me a Chanel jacket she had found at a store which sells vintage clothing. Sadly, she had never been able to wear it because it had very prominent shoulder pads, which screamed 1980s. Otherwise it was a very wearable cropped jacket with petite convertible collar, in a creamy white wool with just a hint of a sparkly windowpane weave. Rachel asked me what I thought could be done with it.

Hm-m-m-m, I looked inside it, felt around those shoulder pads hidden inside the lining, and guessed that I could easily remove them and replace them with a much more reasonable sleeve header. Of course, I’d need to bring the jacket home with me, so in the suitcase it went, landing in my sewing room.

I carefully removed the stitching from the lining at the right shoulder and took a peek. The shoulder pad had been attached with hand stitches, easily snipped. Out it came. I cut a piece of French sleeve heading tape, called Cigarette, which I had purchased from Susan Khalje’s website. (I had used this in my Craftsy course The Couture Dress.)

The shoulder pad is in plain view in this photo.

The jacket has top-center seams on the sleeves, so with that extra fabric bulk, I determined that the simple sleeve heading would be enough shaping. Here is the jacket with just the side on the left fixed:

Can you see how bulky the shoulder on the right is?

Here I have placed the shoulder pad on top to show some perspective on its bulk.

And here is the jacket with both shoulders complete and all sewn up inside (with itty-bitty stitches):

The padded hanger helps to simulate the shoulder line.

Of course, I had to guess a little on the final fit as I did not have Rachel here to try it on. But I am sure, once it completes its return trip to California, that it has a better chance of being worn now than before!

It was interesting for me to be able to see inside a Chanel jacket – I discovered some details I thought I might find – such as 1) the wool fabric was totally underlined in what looks like silk organza; and 2) hand-sewing was evident in quite a few areas. However, the seams were not catch-stitched to the underlining, which I thought they might be. The most amazing thing was actually seeing those shoulder pads – as their construction was almost exactly like view C of Vogue 7503, my vintage pattern from 1953. How cool is that?

Two authentic Chanel shoulder pads!

View C is right in the middle.

So that was Chanel. But what about the chicken? Another project I wanted to finish last week was an auction item for my garden club’s annual fundraiser. As I am the only one in my club who has a backyard flock of chickens (yes – can you believe it?), I like to put together what I call a “Little Red Hen” basket to add to our auction selection every year or so. Besides the main attraction of a couple dozen of our farm-fresh eggs, I add other items with a chicken theme. Some examples are egg poachers, an egg timer, cocktail napkins with chickens on them – things like that. Of course, as one who sews, it is impossible for me to do a project like this without adding something handmade. So this year, I made a tea cozy with a matching chicken potholder. I had already completed the tea cozy a couple of weeks ago, but the potholder – well, it had to take its place behind Chanel. It did not take long for me to fashion this little hen (in red, of course) to match the cozy. Here she is, ready to perch on the handle of any hot pan:

She is interlined with several layers of heavy cotton flannel.

She’s pretty underneath it all, too!

Here is the little red hen in front of the tea cozy.

Tthe bottom of the tea cozy can be folded out to fit a higher pot.

So what was more fun – and what did really come first– Chanel or the chicken? Now there are two questions for the ages!

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Filed under Chanel-type jackets, couture construction, Shoulder shapes (shoulder pads), Uncategorized, underlinings, Unprinted patterns from the 1950s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, Vogue pattern 7503 for shoulder shapes, woolens

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, sewing, Unprinted patterns from the 1950s, vintage fashion, Vogue pattern 7503

August 25, 2012 · 1:34 pm

Flights of Fashion Fancy

Having returned just a couple of days ago from a short Summer trip, I still seem to have airplanes and airports on my mind. Although it wasn’t practical to take any sewing (hand-work, that is) along with me, that doesn’t mean I have not been thinking sewing, fabrics, patterns and fashion. In fact, while I am still physically (and mentally) working away on my “couture dress”, another part of my brain is thinking about Fall and Winter, getting my projects listed in some sort of order. I’ve started envisioning them all lined up on the “runway” – kind of like planes all queued up and waiting for take-off. Some big, some small, some already late, others sneaking in before their time! Which ones will have to return to the gate? Which ones will be smooth flying – and which ones will hit that proverbial turbulence?

After finishing my current Summer projects, I am thinking the first one to “take off” will be an addition to a suit I made last winter. I have enough fabric left of this lovely checked wool to make an overblouse:

Paired with the suit skirt, an overblouse in this fabric will make a variation on the “little black dress” – just in two pieces instead of one.

I recently found this pattern, view D, which I intend to use for this blouse. I am so fond of the “Dior darts” which give a lovely silhouette to a bodice.

I’ll definitely make a muslin of this pattern to check the fit.

After that, I know I’ll be working on a dressy suit, which I need for a wedding and another event mid-Fall. I found this wool at B and J Fabrics which I’m about to order to use for the jacket. I am still on the hunt for a slightly orchid-colored pink in light- weight wool or heavier silk to coordinate with it for the skirt.

This fabric, a wool/lurex blend, has a bit of sparkle to it.

I’ll be the first to admit that I love pink – and here is another one:

I have a lot of yardage of this fabric, so I have flexibility in choosing a pattern.

I’ve had this fabric for several years. It is a wool/cotton blend with the perfect weight for a Fall dress. However, I can’t decide on what style I should make it in: shirtdress, sheath, tailored or not? If I can’t decide, then it may just have to go to the back of the line.

This is a recent purchase from Britex Fabrics:

This is actually alpaca – and very, very soft!

I bought this fabric to be made up in this dress, view A, with the below-elbow length sleeves:

The length of this dress as shown on the envelope is very 1950’s. I’ll be making it in knee-length.

The back of the envelope shows the versatility of the belt, which can be included – or not. Think of the endless possibilities with changing the belt on this dress, especially with a basic black and white herringbone weave: it would look great with red, pink, orange, black, green, or even bright blue. This pattern will give me more practice on the couture techniques I’ve been learning, too.

I love that the drawings include the handbags!

Finally, here is another fabric from Britex:

Another subtle windowpane, this one in navy with deep red and ivory intersecting lines.

This is a pure cashmere wool which I purchased last year in the store. There is no way to describe how soft and luscious this fabric is. And here is the pattern I know I am going to use for it:

This pattern is circa 1970.

Well, if all I had to do between now and December is sew clothes, I might get most of this done. However, interspersed amongst this fashion sewing will be several “gift” sewing projects, which are going to sneak their little wings into line, along with holidays! No matter – among other things, sewing encourages flexibility and, like flying, can take us to places of great adventure and quiet reflection. No wonder I – and so many, many of you – love to sew!

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Filed under Dior darts, Uncategorized, vintage Vogue Designer patterns, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1960s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1970s, Vogue patterns

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, B and J Fabrics, Britex Fabrics, Dior darts, fashion sewing, love of sewing, sewing, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns, women's dress suits

July 19, 2012 · 1:30 pm

Chance of Sprinkles

Whatever possessed me to decide to make a coat during this hot, hot Summer?

Actually, I have a (somewhat logical) answer to that question! For starters, it’s a raincoat. And how I came to sew a raincoat is a good example of what keeps the wheels in my head turning!

While perusing the website for Britex Fabrics last Summer, I came across its offerings of rainwear fabrics. Just out of curiosity, I took a look at them, and I was immediately smitten with the “French Winter White Water-Resistant Rainwear Fabric”.

The woven “wave” design in this fabric really caught my attention.

I sent off for a swatch, which confirmed for me the graceful woven design and lovely creamy color inherent in this fabric. A subsequent trip to California gave me the opportunity to see the fabric in person, and I decided it was time to “commit”! I had frequently felt the need for a “dressy” raincoat, so I thought, “Why not make one?” I also knew I had the perfect pattern – this “swing” coat design from 1957.

I remember swing coats from my childhood – and now I have one!

I figured the kimono sleeves and the loose fit would be great for wearing over dresses or suits, and the collar can be worn turned up or folded down, depending on the inclement conditions! Well, it only took a year to get to it, which I decided was long enough. Oh yes – I had one more incentive to “get to it”. When my friend, Nancy C. opened up her family’s button box for me to pick out some treasures, I spied this beautiful single glass button:

I placed this button on a piece of black velvet so that the design would show up. It is a little more than an inch square in size.

The design in it reminded me of raindrops – perfect for a dressy raincoat, and, I thought, a perfect complement to the fabric, already in my possession.

Of course, every pattern and project seems to demand certain changes or adaptations, and the count for this one stands at four:

1) I took a little fullness out of the front side panels. When I made a muslin mock-up of the pattern, it just seemed a little too full for my frame.

2) I added pockets to the side seams. I can’t imagine any coat without pockets, but a lot of the vintage styles (dresses and coats) did not have them.

Here is one of the pockets under construction.

3) Because I wanted to use the glass button, I decided to put in a bound buttonhole instead of using the buckle and band detail as shown on the pattern. (I did make and attach the back belt, however.)

Here is the bound buttonhole placed in the front right section – before the facing is attached.

Here you can see the button and finished buttonhole. Click on the photo to see it in detail.

4) With just a single closure at the top of the coat, I thought I needed something lower on the coat as well, to keep it closed in windy, rainy conditions. However, I didn’t want to interfere with the look of the coat when I might be wearing it open. Here’s what I came up with:

I made a “tab” with buttonholes on each end.

I made machine buttonholes in the tab.

I placed the buttons for it on the inside facings on either side of the coat, about halfway between my waist and my hips. It can easily be buttoned to secure the coat, and when I unbutton the left side, the button on the right side allows it to fall down, hidden from view, but easily accessible.

This shows the inside of the coat, with the tab buttoned.

And this shows the tab unbuttoned on one side and hanging down, out of sight – inside the coat.

A few more details about construction: The rainwear fabric is an acetate/rayon blend which I underlined with rayon voile.

Here is the coat, showing the underlining, before I attached the lining by hand.

I lined it with a pure silk lightweight twill in white. I would have loved to have lined it with a neat polka dot silk, but I didn’t want any “shadows” of a printed lining to show through. Guess I’ll just have to dress it up with polka dot scarves instead! The rainwear fabric was very easy to work with – surprisingly easy, actually. It drapes beautifully for a pattern like this. Speaking of patterns, this one was so precise and cleverly engineered (especially the collar), turning it into a really fun project!

Here are some finished views of my new dressy raincoat:

More of the same…

Hopefully you can see the “belted” back in this view.

Making a garment like this during the Summer months means that I had to be prepared for “delayed gratification” as I probably won’t have a chance to wear my new raincoat for at least a couple of months. However, when a future Fall or Winter forecast is for “Chance of Sprinkles” – or even full-force rain – I’ll be ready!

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Filed under bound buttonholes, Buttons - choosing the right ones, Coats, Dressmaker details, kimono sleeves, sewing raincoats, swing coats, Uncategorized, underlinings, vintage buttons, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, Vogue patterns

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, Britex Fabrics, Choosing buttons, Dressmaker details, Kimono sleeves, sewing, sewing raincoats, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns

July 11, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Decisions, Decisions.

For several years my mother-in-law had a sign on her refrigerator stating “So many men… So little time”. As a wife and a mother of three sons, I guess she was either telling the truth – or maybe doing a little daydreaming. I don’t post things on my fridge, but if I did, it might read, “So many patterns… So many decisions”. And that, too, would be a combination – of the truth – and quite a bit of daydreaming!

Usually as I am working on an item, I am already thinking about the next one – and I often know what pattern I’ll be using next. However, I finished my silk tunic not quite decided yet. I figured I was ready to tackle something a little more complicated, after the easy construction of the tunic (and a few days off doing other things!) So what was it going to be? I had it narrowed down to these five patterns/projects:

1) View B of this dress (for summer), made up in a Moygashel linen, with a contrasting belt. This pattern has persistently been popping in my pattern box ever since I purchased it on Etsy in early January.

The length of this dress as shown on the envelope is very 195os. I’ll be making it in knee-length.

2) No, this pattern is NOT vintage. I signed up for The Couture Dress class taught by Susan Khalje on Craftsy, and this is the dress pattern which is sent with class enrollment. Actually, views A and C both have a 1960’s feel to them – classic and chic!

So – what will it be? Sleeveless or short sleeves? It will definitely be the straight-skirt version. And I love the square neckline.

3) Ah, Molyneux! Another short-sleeved dress to be made in linen. The seaming detail is so lovely on this design. I will have to practice my “pouty” look, however, if I hope to look an inch as good as the model on the envelope.

The kimono sleeves have gussets, which will make this dress comfortable to wear.

4) After missing out on several Diane von Furstenberg-designed patterns on eBay, I was very excited to find this one in my size on Etsy in mid-May. What is it about D von F’s dresses that makes them so timeless?

I owned this pattern in the ’70s, when I bought it for $1.50 at my local fabric store. Sadly I didn’t save it or the dress I made from it, so I had to buy it again! I originally made it up with short sleeves, but now I prefer the sleeveless version.

5) I featured this pattern in a post shortly after I started my blog. Whether you call this a “swing” coat or a “clutch” coat – it’s 1950’s style has been in my mind for months!

I love this coat with the sleeves pushed up, as shown in blue.

The truth of the matter is that I will eventually be making dresses or a coat from all these patterns, but as I usually work on only one project at a time, I had to choose just one. Which one? It is underway as the thread- and scrap-covered floor of my sewing room will attest! I made my decision . . . but I have many stitches to go – and many stitches to go – before I can post it.

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Filed under Coats, kimono sleeves, Linen, Uncategorized, vintage Vogue Designer patterns, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1960s, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1970s, Vogue patterns

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, American designers, coats, Etsy vintage patterns, fashion sewing, Kimono sleeves, sewing, vintage Vogue patterns

June 26, 2012 · 10:05 pm

“You are going to have some new clothes.”

So said the fortune which was tucked inside my cookie. What it failed to mention was that I was going to be the one making those new clothes, but otherwise I’d say it was right on target. Well, it seemed only fitting that, with this Chinese dictum, and with my burning desire to use those shell buttons (which kind of give off an exotic aura), I should indulge my attraction to Asian-inspired clothing design, and make this tunic my next sewing project.

The date on this pattern is 1958. The envelope is in sad shape, but the pattern pieces are fine!

I had another reason, too, to choose this tunic pattern. After my last project, the Pierre Cardin silk dress, I was ready for something that did not need to be underlined or lined – and I was ready for something casual and fun. I might add “bright” to that list, too, as the fabric I chose is indeed that!

This is the swatch I ordered from B&J Fabrics.

Just a reminder (if you need it) that I wanted to use these buttons for this tunic.

I had the fabric swatch sitting on my ironing board in my sewing room when I started work on my “Pierre Cardin” dress. The pink silk from that dress complimented this silk check so much that, putting the two together seemed inevitable. I played around with some small scraps, scrunching them around those orange shell buttons, still on their card. What could be more perfect than making the buttonhole loops and details out of the pink fabric, to set off those shell buttons? I was sure that would be much more effective than making the loops and details out of the same checked fabric.

I ordered enough fabric to make a matching obi-type sash, as I thought I might want to wear the tunic “belted” sometimes, too. (In the back of my mind is the knowledge that I have enough of that pink silk left, that I can make a skirt – or blouse – with it. I’m definitely leaning towards skirt…)

First, of course, I set out to make a muslin. When I opened the pattern, the pieces for the dress had been previously used, but not the pieces for the tunic. The collar was universal for all three views. However, in addition to the tissue collar, there was a collar piece cut out of newspaper.

Here are the two pattern pieces for the collar – the top one cut by the original home sewer.

There was nothing written on the instruction sheet or envelope to explain this mystery – and it appeared that the “newspaper” collar was shorter in length than the tissue pattern.

Here you can see the newspaper pattern is shorter than the tissue one.

Having no explanation, I just decided to use the tissue pattern – and I figured the muslin would tell me what I needed to know. Did it ever! The collar included with the pattern is too long for the neckline, so this home sewer in the late ‘50s re-cut it to fit her pattern. I decided to take another approach: I kept the tissue collar and widened the neckline enough so it fit perfectly. I also decided to shorten the shoulders a bit, for a more structured fit, and I took the center back seam in a bit at the waistline. I ended up adding long tapered “floating” darts to each side of the back, too, to give it a little more definition to the waistline – but I am getting ahead of myself…

As is my method of approaching a new project, that is, getting a few things constructed before I need them, I decided to make the obi sash first. I just kind of guessed for width and length, making it 4” wide (finished width) and 77” long, so it could go around me twice comfortably with a double knot in front.

The completed sash.

Next I made the button loops and details. The pattern didn’t give too much instruction on these pieces, other than the length they should be and the finished width (1/4”). (I should mention here that I decided to put 5 buttons on the tunic, not 4 as is shown on the pattern.) I cut bias strips 1”wide, folded them in half lengthwise, sewed the seam twice and turned them with a bodkin. Nice and easy!

From top to bottom, the making of the strips for the buttonholes and details: 1″ wide bias strip, one folded and stitched, one turned and finished! (Click on the photo to see these close-up.)

I put flat-felled seams in the sleeves and added interfacing to the front edges even though the pattern did not call for this. The most time-consuming part of the whole thing was hemming the ends of the buttonhole loops and details and then sewing them onto the tunic. But that’s really what the project was about – showcasing those buttons in an appropriate way.

The finished tunic, with the sleeves folded up, as they are supposed to be.

A close-up of the front, with the button detailing.

An even closer look at one of the buttons and loops.

This photo will make my daughter very happy! Here I am modeling my new tunic, with sash.

One more view of the sashed tunic. Picture this with a narrow skirt in that same solid pink…

I think it works – what do you think?

One final thought: fortune cookies are a little like potato chips (or chocolate!) – it’s hard to eat just one. Yes, my first cookie was followed by another one – and I was hoping for a similarly enticing fortune.

Imagine my surprise when my second fortune was exactly the same as the first one!

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Filed under Asian-inspired dress designs, Blouse patterns from the 1950's, Buttons - choosing the right ones, sewing in silk, Uncategorized, vintage buttons, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s

Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, B and J Fabrics, Choosing buttons, sewing, silk, vintage fashion, vintage Vogue patterns

April 13, 2012 · 4:50 pm

What would Christian Dior do?

Without a doubt, the two dresses featured above left in my blog heading were inspired by the designs of Christian Dior. This return to the feminine silhouette was led by Mr. Dior, starting in 1947, and it continues to influence fashion to this day. In 1954, he published a small book entitled The Little Dictionary of Fashion, which was reprinted in 2007 by Abrams (and available at Amazon.).

Some of the language and expressions in this little book seem a bit old-fashioned, but it contains a wealth of information and advice.

It is really a combination of fashion and sewing terms, accompanied by his philosophy of life. Here is a sampling of topics:

Bodices: “… the most important part of any garment….”

Cosmetics: “… play a very big part in the secret of beauty, but they mustn’t show…”

Emphasis: “If you have a particularly outstanding feature it is always a good thing to emphasize it…. The whole of fashion is emphasis – emphasis on woman’s loveliness.” [I think this is very sweet!]

Handbags: “ A very important accessory and used with not enough care by too many women.”

Jackets: “…must always be worn with a slim skirt…”

J is for Jacket!

Key to Good Dressing: “There is no key… but simplicity, grooming and good taste – [are] the three fundamentals of fashion…”

This Dior outfit is described this way: "simple black suit, matching gloves and muff, and hat and scarf, in vivid cerise." Dressing beautifully, indeed!

Materials: “You can never take too much care of the materials you choose to make a dress…” [In this entry, he seems to be addressing the home sewer!]

Pockets: “… pockets are very useful to help you to do something with your hands if you are embarrassed and don’t know what to do with them.”

The Way You Walk: “… can make or mar your clothes – cultivate gracefulness.”

And my favorite:

Zest: “…You have to live with zest — and that is the secret of beauty and fashion, too.”

Although Mr. Dior died in 1957 at the height of his career, his eponymous couture house has, as everyone knows, continued over the years under the direction of many different artistic directors. Just this week the newest Creative Director for the House of Dior was announced. Although I am a casual follower of current fashion (mostly to see how the vintage looks influence today’s looks), I was pleased to see that Mr. Raf Simons has been selected to head Dior. I thought the designs he did for Jil Sander over the past few years were among the most flattering that have appeared on the runway. His selection is detailed in a fascinating article by Christina Passariello, which appeared in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, April 10, page B4. (By the way, The Wall Street Journal has terrific fashion coverage and advice, specifically in the Thursday and Weekend editions, as well as other times.)

Here is what the cover of Vogue Pattern Book magazine looked like in October, 1957, the month and year of Christian Dior's death.

Mr. Simons’ first designs for Dior will debut in July. I wonder if he is now asking himself “What would Christian Dior do?”

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Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, Christian Dior, quotes about fashion, Wall Street Journal Fashion coverage, women's dress suits

Tag Archives: 1950’s Vogue patterns

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Chance of Sprinkles

Decisions, Decisions.

“You are going to have some new clothes.”

What would Christian Dior do?

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