Vintage Simplicity 4657 - skirt!

I finished my skirt, the sun came out, I had cute shoes...time for photos!

 

Here the illustration for Simplicity 4675, a vintage pattern from the 50s:

I really just used the skirt pattern piece for length measurements (plus, I had to shorten due to limited fabric!)

This cute dotty fruit print has been in my stash just over a year, but I bought it on ebay and I can't find another piece of it anywhere!  It's by Darlene Zimmerman (? I may be butchering that) and was part of the "Clothesline Club" in 2007 per the selvedge. 

It's just your basic dirndl skirt, but I love it.  It's swishy and poufy.  Maybe shows a bit too much knee, especially on a windy day, but I have a vintage crinoline/petticoat on the sewing table right now being "altered" to fit me.  It's RED polkadot lace and will be perfect peeking out at the knee. 

I stitched the hem in red:

No pockets yet, but as someone pointed out to me, I can always add them later!  I did cut them out, so I'll just stash the pockets away.  They may look cute on a different skirt at some point in the future too!

My red bow ballerina flats are from Target:

I have them in black too!

That about sums up the sewing for the week  (I sewed on one hook/eye and a button).  We had Saturday school to make up for snow. Blech.  But now we're on the downhill slide to summer...can you feel it??  I can!

One more swishy vintage skirt picture...

 

Enjoy this beautiful, sunny Sunday!

Vtg Simplicity 4657: dirndl skirt in progress!

I saw this adorable strawberry print dirndl skirt on Sewing Through the Motions blog. 

Isn't it the cutest?  Amy is going to do a tutorial for making a dirndl skirt soon.  I happened to be inspired by it and thought the style would be perfect for a "Fresh Picked by Darlene Zimmerman" cotton fruit print I've had in stash for a while.  I'm using this vintage Simplicity 4657 for measurements:

I've used this pattern before, but Amy's right, you don't really need a pattern for this style of skirt.  It's just rectangles!  Or I think there might be instructions for a dirndl skirt in Sew What Skirts (one of my most-loved sewing books!) 

Anywho...Here's a sneak peek:

This is the hem, so you know I'm nearly finished already!  Quick projects are the best.  I have very nearly hemmed it too short.  A bit more of my knee is showing than I would prefer, but I think it will be fine.  I might even see if I have a cute red ruffle-edge slip to peek out.

I had to narrow the waistband due to fabric constraints.  I think I like this narrow waistband better, it's very comfy.  Sometimes accidents are truly happy:

Zip is in, hem is done.  I just need a trouser hook fastening, and I'm undecided on pockets.  I cut 2 large rounded pockets and rickrack, but can't decide if they'll just be lost in all that fruit.  Hmmm.  What do you think?

I'll be sure to snap some pics tomorrow, if the sun comes out!  (Or inside if it doesn't.) I have a knit top and hopefully a pair of PANTS (yes, pants!) nearly finished and ready for photos too.  Spring break is nearly over.  It went by too fast, as it usually does. 

new project time!

I'm ready to start something new, although it will likely be the weekend before I actually get a chance to.  I'm thinking I will probably go with this cute 50s Simplicity:

 

And I have this really fabulous kelly green checked fabric (that I don't have a photo of) but I also just got this pretty turquoise seersucker:

 Right now, I'm leaning to the seersucker, with a white waffle pique collar.  I love that this pattern has so many different options (but only one fitting required!)  You can have matching collar (the bias is really nice) or contrast collar, or just a square neckline with a pretty sash. 

What are you working on or dreaming of this week?

Vtg McCalls 4115 - in progress #2

My Lu & I went to see this last night:

It was SO MUCH FUN!  And today I had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to take kiddos to a school competition. I'm too pooped for words.  

More yellow gingham vintage dress progress.  Skirt is attached! And...Zipper is IN! (and much easier than before.  I think I just lost track of my brain on that last one that gave me troubles).   I veered from the vintage instructions just for finishing the skirt seam (I serged it.  You can't beat a serged seam to finish that mega-gathering!) 

As soon as I get some better light (and a hem!) I'll snap some shots ON me.  I know that's the most helpful thing.  I didn't plan on the last couple of things being straight dressform shots, I really prefer body pics too.  

Lastly...Happy Valentine's Day! 

I've had a crazy followers list the past few weeks.  I hate to lose the ones who leave, but I hope you find what you're looking for in an interesting blog, and if it's not here I completely understand.  We can't be all things to all people.  Thank you to all of you who do visit and stay!  I appreciate your firendship and your comments, but even if you're a lurker and just reading along, I'm thankful!  I hope you take something away from my sewing adventures.

On that note...my 5th blogiversary is coming up.  I can barely believe I'll be starting my 6th year of blogging in March.  Wow!  I'm preparing a really fun vintage-y giveaway, so be on the lookout!

Vtg McCalls 4115 - in progress

I made a lot of progress the past two days on my yellow gingham dress!  Here is the pattern photo:

I'm making the full skirt version, with the button on tabs from the slim version.  First, here are in-progress photos I just snapped of the bodice for you picture lovers.  Then, I'll list the changes I made for fitting for the detail lovers.  ;)

Bodice front, keep in mind I'm more endowed than my dressform! Note the cute little button-on tabs peeking out from under the collar.

 

Close up of the cute v-neck.  I'm debating topstitching it.  What do you think?

Bodice back, with the back tab.  I LOVE the tabs!  I can't wait to dig around in my stash for buttons.  White?  Pearl?  Yellow??

 

Inside shot.  I've been following the vintage directions exactly, and used pinking shears to cut out/finish my interior seams.  This is the shoulder seam with the collar flipped up so you can see the facing.  I used the "turn under and edge stitch" finish for the facing raw edge.

The opposite shoulder seam with a better view of the facing.  Because of my changes to the neck, I had to redraw the facing and it seemed a tad too large.  That was probably a drawing/tracing error on my part.  The facing ever so slightly flares out at the bottom edge.  I've adjusted the pattern piece for next time. 

The inside facing at the v-neck.  I still need to tack the facings down.  I should end up with several tack points to keep the facing in place: the CF, shoulder seams, and under the tabs at front and CB.

I turned under 1/8" and edestitched the facing edge:

I topstitched all of the tabs, although the pattern did not call for it.  I thought they looked better with topstitching!  And that could be one of those things that are "left out" of vintage patterns because it was assumed you knew to do that.

I didn't happen to take pictures of the bodice during the muslin stage.  Because it is a simple, fitted bodice, I was able to use my experience & pattern from Simplicity 3430 to help gauge fit.  My first muslin was near perfect (again the front bodice WAS perfect, needing only a re-angled & shorter waist dart, and a lowered side dart). 

The back had some issues that were similar to 3430 with an additional fold of fabric under my neck.   I must be walking around with a hump back there.  Why haven't any of you mentioned that?? haha.)  I added to the sides using the Rasband book, did a swayback adjustment to remove some length at CB, and then removed that little fold/pouch of fabric under my neck by slashing the pattern and overlapping it about 1/2".  I also lowered the back neckline by about 5/8", which I find I have to do on a regular basis. 

None of the fitting books give the slash/overlap as a fix for that fold, by the way.  Pretty much all the fitting info I could find (in books or online) suggested the opposite...ADDING fabric there.  I did try that and it exacerbated the fold.  My instinct was to pin it out and lower the neckline, so I did, and voila.  Perfectly fitted to MY back.  Sometimes you need to go with your instinct! 

Now I'm off to gather the skirt pieces and pray I have a suitable zipper.  This is another side-lapped zipper, and dang it all if this pattern doesn't give any instructions at all!  I'll have to google  or dig through the pattern box I suppose.  I hate the instructions I used last time.

Hope you're all staying warm and toasty!  We still have 19" of snow on the ground (as of 4 pm last night) after a little melting and settling yesterday.  We ended up with over 25" by the time it stopped Wednesday.  That's the most snow we've ever had here. 

Happy Friday!

snowmageddon. and gingham.

I've lived here quite a while (30 years? haha) and I don't think I've ever seen the snow come down this fast or this deep.  This is what I call Crazy Snow. 

When I open the back door, I see this:

When I open the front door, I see this:

And Priscilla jumps in.

So her face looks like this:

My poor little car is stuck in the garage with 21" (and counting) behind her:

But I'm lucky because during last week's snowpocalypse, I muslined this:

And Sunday I cut it out in this:

ps...I think poor Stick Girl got snowed in, in town.  Stick Girl, call me!

Stay warm everyone!!

Vtg Simplicity 3430 - in progress #3

After a few days "away" from this dress, I have tried it back on to reassess and discovered the following things:

1. It fits perfectly through the bust, neckline/shoulder, and armscye in front.
2. It's too tight across the mid-back but too high at the back neck, and the center-back seam has a funny curve to the left.  

If I could've figured out how to take a picture of my back that could capture all of that, I would have!  What's most confusing to me is how perfect the front can be, with plenty of ease at the waist/bust, etc, just PERFECT...and yet the back is a hot mess and feels super uncomfortable.  Weird weird weird.

A little research in my two favorite fitting books and I think I've found my problem.   First I went to Jan Minott's Fitting Commercial Patterns.  The closet wrinkle chart in this book I could find was this one:

 

I do have pulling/tightness right there at mid-armhole in back but my tension wrinkles continue across mid-back and even lower.  I have used this adjustment in the past though.  It requires you to redraw the armhole, and I'm never sure I've done that adequately (and you won't know until you muslin!) 

So I went to the next book with helpful wrinkle charts, Fitting & Pattern Alteration by Liechty, Pottberg and Rasband.  I really like this book.  I'm such a sewing geek sometimes I just read it for fun. 

And here is where I found my first back wrinkle: 

 

What I love about this book is that it gives you a variety of pattern change methods.  If you're a pivot/slider, you have a diagram.  If you're a slasher/spreader, you have a diagram.  If you're one of those cut into the seam and spread people, you have a diagram.  (I wish I was one of those people.  That method always looks like it constrains proportions of things like armhole/neckline, etc. best). 

And I didn't realize it until I saw the wrinkle chart, but I have this wrinkle too:

Overall the back is too narrow, but the armhole is fine. The funny curve I get in the CB might be the fiddly zipper insertion.  I had to re-do it several times and it's possible I took up more than the seam allowance at that curvy CB level.  For now, I'm not going to address that.

To check and see if these alterations would fix my problem (before I go any further with another method) I did a terrible thing (haha).  I used the slash method (first alteration photo, far top left) and slashed my dress as shown, on each side.  Then I tried it on.

I know.  Those of you who really loved this dress so far are crying.  Sorry!  I did not love it.  In fact, it's been looking more and more Gunne Sax (and not in a good way) hanging there on my dressform.  Taunting me with it's floral print and too long skirt.  Trust me, I was never going to wear it.  The skirt was too narrow, even with 2 full widths of fabric.  It needs 3 minimum for this style (or maybe 2 widths of 60").

The good news is, the back dropped into place and smoothed out, revealing I need about 1" more in width (if I go by the amount of skin showing through the slash!)  I also need about 1" more at waist level, so I did the 2nd slash as shown in the 2nd set of photos above.  That created a new wrinkle, one that showed the CB length is too long (which I suspected anyway).

I'm altering the pattern today and I'll recut bodice only in another scrap fabric to check.  Then it's off to find another suitable fabric.  I got several lovely shirting pieces from Fabric.com's recent clearance sale! I can't resist shirting cottons, especially at $1.99 and $2.99 a yard.

Meanwhile, I'm watching it snow.  I'm stuck home in a blizzard warning, a surreal experience for those of us in Oklahoma.  Praying I don't lose power and water (and thus my sanity).

If you're anywhere east of me, it's coming your way, so stay safe and stay warm!

Vtg Simplicity 3430 - in progress #2

Ok, this is turning into one of those projects.  You know the ones.  Where everything SEEMS to be perfect and sunny and then whammo...some stupid mistake or fitting issue rears its ugly head.

How about some pictures though (taken with flash and my son's little camera, because I left my card at school!)  First, the back "fix".  I decided to go with the strip of matching fabric because as much as I loved Kristine's idea, I didn't have a coordinating color solid. 

I like it. It turned out really cute!   Wish I'd carried it all the way around front.  (I didn't think I'd like it, so I didn't do the front too.  I figured I wouldn't be the one looking at it, being in the back and all.) 

And you see that flash of color in the zip?  Yeah.  Who doesn't have a WHITE zipper on hand?  Yours truly, that's who.  I don't know if that has ever happened.  I ALWAYS keep white zippers (it's a thing.  I don't know why.)  Anywho, I had the perfect color of purple.  A color I almost never wear.  Perfect length too, so I just did a side-lapped zipper:

It doesn't really show this much when it's all zipped up.  I love that it matches the purple though, even if no one knows but me. (and you).  It was a bear to put in though.  I've been trying to follow the vintage directions exactly (or as near as possible) and I had to cull a side zip set of instructions from another pattern since this one featured a center back zip. 

Well.  The directions said to stitch the side seam, leaving an opening for the zipper.  Baste the opening, press seams open.  Here's the tricky part:  turn under left side of seam allowance and press at approximately 1/8 inch.  If you do that, there's not enough room under the "seam allowance" for that much turned seam.  Does that make sense?  Or it's really, really close. 

Then you slide the zipper underneath and topstitch on the 1/8" fold.  This was nearly impossible.  Shifty, horrendous mess.  I ended up hand-basting the whole thing and I still had to rip out twice.  It's in now though, and looks pretty.  I'll be searching for a new method of side lapped zip instructions though!

Here's the front with the skirt attached.  I didn't have enough fabric for the extra full cupcake skirt.  This is 2 full widths of 45" fabric (one for front, one for back).  It's just "regular" full, not "50's" full.
 

Unfortunately I can't show you a photo ON me because the dang thing is too tight!  I don't know how that happened because it was perfect to the point I was afraid it'd be too loose.  I guess I overzealously stuck to the 5/8" seam allowances. 

Now comes the fun of picking them out and stitching with 1/4" seams to see if I can wear it this spring.  Oh, and Lean Cuisines for dinner.  (Which, I was going to do anyway.  Apparently the steroid/antibiotic combo I had the joy of receiving recently added a bit of weight.  After I went to all the work of getting really sick and losing some!)  So...skinnier seams + skinnier me = pretty spring dress.

Leaving you now with this lovely photo of Priscilla and her favorite person (me), taken by my rotten 16 y/o who said really it was most important that PRISCILLA be featured in the majority of the shot.  Gee, thanks.