There are now a few scrapes remaining of this fabric:
Before the scraps there was this blouse:
Before the blouse there were two Springtime dresses for my granddaughters:
And before the two dresses, there were two Valentine’s Day aprons for my granddaughters:
Sometimes a fabric is just so versatile, it pays to use it over and over. Such has been the case with this pink and white striped cotton I originally purchased from Farmhouse Fabrics back in late January. It all started with my decision to make aprons for my granddaughters for Valentine’s Day. I found a cute pink and red heart print for the base of the aprons. (I sized down this apron pattern for my then-7-and-9-year-old girls.) Then I needed a coordinating fabric for the ties and pockets on the aprons. That’s when this striped cotton came into my life.
Because the apron ties were cut on the bias, it was necessary to buy over a yard of the 60” wide fabric, leaving me a sizable section of fabric after the completion of that project. I put the leftover fabric in my storage closet and didn’t think any more about it. Until….
A few weeks later I geared up to make matching dresses for the girls’ Springtime birthdays. I got some direction from my daughter on the style of dress the girls decided they wanted – off-the-shoulder ruffle dresses. I luckily found a new Liberty of London cotton print, purchasing it quickly before it sold out.
Once I had it in hand, I decided it would look a lot cuter with a contrasting collar and sash rather than the entire dresses out of the same fabric. That’s when I thought of the pink and white stripe I had stored away.
Well, the rest is history, except that to complete the dresses, I needed to purchase more of the striped fabric. Fortunately, it was still available from Farmhouse Fabrics. This time, however, I decided to purchase enough additional of it to make myself a blouse. Why not?
Now, I have made a lot of blouses, many using this pattern:
They are not the most exciting apparel in the world, but I do wear them, a lot. So lately, I have been trying to mix up the details of the pattern when I make a new blouse to make it more interesting. Here is what I did to this one:
- The most obvious change I opted for are three-quarter length sleeves, slightly poofy, gathered into a continuous cuff.
2. I decided to cut the cuffs on the bias and repeated that choice for the back yoke and the collar band.
3. I used the collar variation I had originally cut for this blouse, and in addition I took one inch off the length of the blouse.
Again I went to my button collection and found vintage buttons which pick up the striped motif of the fabric.
I think I am now finished with pink and white stripes, but I am holding on to the scrapes just in case….
Odds and Ends and One Thing You Mustn’t Miss
Sewing has been, well, challenging this summer. In reality, I think I have been able to accomplish just about all I could have hoped for – so far, at least – but it certainly doesn’t seem like very much.
When I packed fabric to bring along to our new vacation home in Wyoming, I tried to think ahead and determine exactly what I would need. For instance, I brought two decorator fabrics which I had picked out for two of our “new” bedrooms, with plans for making decorative pillows and at least one bed skirt. I also brought two fabrics with which to make dresses for our two little granddaughters who were arriving, along with the rest of our immediate family, in late July. I also brought some vintage Moygashel linen, many pieces of shirting and dress cottons, skirt fabric, and a piece of Viyella cotton/wool blend. What was I thinking?!! Certainly no one could accuse me of being under-ambitious!
I totally misjudged how much of my time would be taken up with organizing and setting up a new household. So – what have I been able to sew? A number of decorative pillows, for one thing. I find them – and all that self-bias tape I had to construct – utterly boring to make, but satisfying once they are completed. The bed skirts have been moved to the “still to do” list.
I was able to make dresses for my granddaughters. My original intent was to make each dress out of a different fabric, but when I stretched out my ladybug embroidered, striped fabric from Emma One Sock, I realized I had more than I needed for one dress. With one minor compromise, I knew I could get two dresses from my existing yardage. So I changed plans and made matching dresses.
I made white piping for the pockets and collars out of kitchen string and white batiste. The ladybug embroidered fabric is really so cute!
The compromise I had to make involved the sashes, as I did not have enough fabric to cut sashes for two dresses. Fortunately I had enough of the coordinating red fabric to make the sashes. Now I’m glad it worked out that way, as I think it makes the dresses cuter.
I had pre-purchased red decorative buttons, thinking I would need them for just one dress. Normally I would put three in a row centered beneath the collar, but with four buttons, and two dresses … Well, you do the math! Two on each dress it is!
Having spent many summer days and nights in Wyoming before this year, I knew from experience how chilly the mornings – and nights – can be throughout the summer. (The days are warm and glorious, however.) Warm cozy slippers and a winter-weight bathrobe are necessities. And that is why I brought along the afore-mentioned Viyella fabric. Although I packed a winter-weight robe which I made a few years ago, I wanted to make a new robe which I can leave here, therefore eliminating one bulky item from future suitcases.
How lovely to have the opportunity to use this vintage Vogue pattern once again.
This robe takes a lot of fabric, and it was a tight squeeze fitting all the pattern pieces on it and matching the plaid as well. I had to make the sash out of two pieces of fabric, seaming it in the back. Additionally, I had enough fabric for only one pocket (I prefer two.) But, I am happy with the outcome, and very pleased to have used one more piece of fabric from my sizeable collection!
Viyella is the perfect fabric for a lightweight, but warm bathrobe. It is machine washable, and gets softer with age.
While the bathrobe, and the little dresses, were enjoyable to make, neither were challenging in the “couture” sense. So I did my “couture” dreaming vicariously through the Susan Khalje Couture Sewing Club, where inspiration abounds in many forms. Earlier in the month, Susan was interviewed for the “Love to Sew” podcast. Treat yourself and spend a lovely hour-plus listening to it, if you haven’t already done so. The interview, Episode 106, dated August 12th, can be found here:
www.lovetosewpodcast.com.
Among Susan’s new pattern offerings is this jacket:
When I arrive back home in Pennsylvania, I will be searching through my fabric closet for the perfect pairing for this pattern. I am just itching to challenge myself with such a project. No more pillows, at least for now!
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Filed under Bathrobes, Buttons - choosing the right ones, Fashion commentary, Sewing for children, Uncategorized, Vintage fabric, vintage Vogue patterns from the 1950s
Tagged as 1950's Vogue patterns, Bathrobes, fashion sewing, sewing for children, Susan Khalje Couture, vintage Vogue patterns