Vintage fabric, vintage style, design by me!

So... Finally I got my butt out of the computer chair and did some sewing! I have been thinking on sewing, where to start and what to do for I don't know how long now, but my thesis has been priority one...

Anyway, today when I got home I was super inspired. This is what I came up with!

The fabric is vintage, 60's or 70's maybe? I bought it online really cheap, and I think it's half of an old bed sheet! As usual when it comes to me - not really enough fabric. But hey! Who needs another dress when you can make a two piece?! I designed and constructed the pattern myself this evening. I literally used every single inch of the fabric!

Here are the results! (and sorry about the crappy quality mirror-shots, I just couldn't make it look right with the timer on my camera...)

New patterns!

Today my newest pattern findings were delivered! I got them, as usual, on Tradera. This time, I got some really fancy patterns for 1 SEK a piece. It's crazy! I have seen similar ones on different US sites for about 100$... (the ones from Vogue, that is). There is two Vogue patterns and one Simplicity (probably quite cheap even on other places, but very cute!) All the patterns are from early 70's. I find myself sticking to that era, I guess there's something about the long, flowy elegant cuts, and the classy very feminine style...

Here they are:

New (fairly) old pattern

Today I found a pattern in the biggest thrift store in my city. First time ever! I've only been able to find old patterns online before. Not only did I find the pattern but it was cut in my size... Is that luck or what? It's a Burda pattern, and it only cost me 10 SEK, really cheap! :)

This pattern is not vintage per se, but I think it's at least from late 80's or early 90's. And very classic and wearable! I can see myself making both lightweight cotton variations for summer as well as thicker ones for autumn and winter. And wohoo, pockets! I love dresses with pockets. :)

Pretty Girls Rock Dresses Star of the Day!

Wow! I became PGRDress Star of the Day today! Thank you so much girls! :D

In case you have not heard of the challenge:

"Returning to the Grace and Charm of Our Mothers and Grandmothers"

PGRDresses Mission:

1. We will ROCK dresses (skirts) and  CUTE SHOES (heels and/or flats)  like our mothers and grandmothers at least THREE (3) days a week.

2. We will reject the IMPULSE to throw on jeans, jogging suits (EVEN THE CUTE KIND),  and dress slacks.

3. We will exchange our revelations and thoughts throughtout this challenge. 

4. We will invite our friends to join.

5. We will include our daughters and young women we mentor.

6. We will take Pictures and Have FUN!!!!

7. Everyone is welcomed to participate.

Exceptions: Flattering/Very Feminine Dress Suits are ALLOWED. 

The above text is taken from the Pretty Girls rock Dresses, LLC blog, http://networkedblogs.com/g5Tc1 where you can read more about the challenge, the mission, and the PGRDress Stars!

Also you can join on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_187037387990765&ap=1

And here's a pic of me from last summer, for good measure and for the flowery dress!

Made the muslin work... then made a dress!

Yay, I managed to make the muslin work! A lot thanks to my mum, who scanned and emailed me some of the papers from her pattern book, along with my old sketch of a pattern!

There were a lot of alterations that I needed to make and/or combine that were not even mentioned in either the pattern book from the 50's or in other books I have on the subject. But anyway, now it works. So I could not help myself but to test it right away! I was supposed to work on my thesis today...that did not happen. Dress happened. :)

I had just gotten a small piece of vintage fabric in the mail, I won it in an auction on Tradera (like ebay, but the Swedish version), super cheap! However there fabric piece was small, really small. 90*100cm, that is. I used my new pattern, cut it almost without any seam allowances and hoped for the best... Since both my bust and hip measurements are right about 100cm, this was a bit of a chance. But I figured, if I can't fit into it, I can sell it or give it to a smaller sized friend :) Apart from it being very short, I think it turned out great! Obviously it is not a 50's kind of dress, but, hey, it's a dress!

Here's a bunch of pics!

My old pattern design... Still needed to fix a few things after that one.

First muslin: major fail

Haha, making the first muslin from my attempt at a base pattern was an absolute disaster. I think I tweeked it 13 times and it still didn't look right. It's the boobs, I know it. And the fact that I'm not of average hight.

Like I said yesterday, the pattern making instructions in this book are not as helpful in the actual mathematical construction department as one could wish... Now I remember why the last time I did this, I spent a whole day on the floor with paper, calculator and different kinds of rulers, both straight, curved and for measuring angles...

Anyway, so instead I started to search the web for size charts, especially ones for tall women, like me. Which of course just made me mad, because A: no such size chart seem to exist these days, B: as soon as you start searching for women's tall sizes, a bazillion of ads for big-and-tall clothing appears ("hello, are you a huge ogre? come shop in our store, we accept you just the way you are..." *please observe that this does not mean I dislike bigger sized girls - it's just annoying to me because I know I'm tall, not big...*)


I just hope I can manage to get this base pattern working so that at least the things I sew can be super well fitted! The problem I am trying to fix now is to get the waist to connect beautifully both to the bust and the hip. Quite hard... Worst case, it will have to wait until easter when I go back home to mum and dad. There I'll have the pattern making book mum had, with both measurement charts for short, medium and tall women as well as some more details in what other measurements I need to make the pattern work...

Updates on my "progress" will come soon! :)

The Pattern Book

This weekend I started to take the things I had read in my new (old) pattern book into practice! Project number one: make my own base pattern and try with a (wearable) muslin!

Since making patterns from scratch requires both some drawing skills, some math skills (to make sure all angles are right) and some guts to take your own actual measurements... I had put it off for a while. Or, well actually I have made one like this before, using my mothers book from when she studied pattern cutting. That book was way more detailed in how to make all the measurements right than the one I own now, so this took quite some time. Also that was maybe ten or twelve years ago (holy moly I am getting old!)... But hopefully it has turned out ok! I still haven't got to making the actual muslin, but as soon as I will, you will see how it goes!

Apart from the book not being very helpful with the mathematical part of pattern cutting, it is a GOLDMINE! It was printed in 1956, and is full of designs and pattern ideas for loads of 50's style tops, dresses and jackets!

Here are some pics!