Double Vintage

I have been doing a ton of sewing and knitting and crafting over the last three or so weeks... but I can't show any of them 'cause it's all for Christmas and I don't want certain people who I know read this blog to see-ee!

However, here is something I can share. This is a special order I recently completed for a customer on Etsy. Sorry the pictures aren't that great but they are the only one's I have.

Little girl's dress size six in blue broadcloth white sateen contrast and a mother-of-pearl belt buckle.

Ladies' pajamas size 14 in Moda cotton. I used the sleeves from the Regency gown pattern instead of the sleeves that were in the pattern as the customer preferred puffed sleeves to straight.

Have a great week! Oh, and you can look forward to a Great Big Christmas Gift Post in January!

Sewing for Spring: Blouse the Second

Pattern: Simplicity 2447, View B with sleeves from View E

All materials (including the vintage buttons!) came from my stash.

I was asked after my last post how big my stash was. Right now it takes up about two-thirds of my closet (which is pretty big) and about half of my wardrobe but it is constantly growing and shrinking!

Sewing for Spring: Blouse the First

I finally finished the project I had started on before I got sick. The pattern is Simplicity 2696. It was a fun and slightly challenging project. The only thing I had to buy for it was the buttons, everything else was in the closet.

The colors of the fabric are truer in the second picture. I still can't believe I didn't even have three matching button!

Lady Marian's Reversible Vest

Visit the Dressing Room for more pictures and info!

Lady Marian's Reversible Vest

I watched part of BBC's Robin Hood series earlier in the year and I loved this vest worn by Lady Marian. Cute, versatile, and it reverses. I thought, I have all that fabric I got from that yard sale. I'll make one for myself! And I did.

I knew I had seen a link to screen caps from Robin Hood on Amanda Beth Online. I saved the one's I wanted and made the following picture to print out and use as a guide:I dug through my extensive pattern collection *grin* and decided to use the vest from McCall's 4492 (which is now out of print) as my base pattern:


To alter the pattern I lengthened all the pieces, cut the back piece a little off the fold (this was to make it a little smaller as the vest in the pattern is supposed to open in back and therefore would have extra fabric there for overlap), and added to the front piece (I did this on scrap fabric first until I got the way I wanted it):

I sewed it together the way you would make a lined, sleeveless dress or blouse leaving the bottom open and hand sewing it together when I was done. The buttons proved a little bit of a challenge. I put on the vest and marked where I wanted the buttons to go, then I sewed them on two at a time (one on each side). I had to take them off and redo them though because the first time they were sewn too tight and I couldn't button the vest!

The finished product:

I love wearing it, it's so comfortable! It matches so much and can be dressed up or down depending on what it's worn with. This was a very fun project and, I believe, my first "movie costume".

Side note: My dress form is a little smaller than I am so the vest fits me much better than it does her!

Sewing for Autumn - Top One

I think I mentioned this project in a recent post. I found the blouse pictured below on Anthropologie's website and absolutely loved it... but it happened to be priced at $78.

So I thought to myself 'I could make that, it doesn't look hard'. So I did.

As you can see, I made a few changes but not too many.

Pattern: Simplicity 2758 - I think it's a new favorite!
Materials: Hancock Fabrics
~ ~ ~
I think I spent about $15.

State Pride

Good morning! Here are the pictures of the top I made.

I got this book from the library and fell completely in love with it! I want to make the skirt, the one on the front, sometime.

I asked mom to buy me a navy t-shirt from Hobby Lobby size extra large. When I showed her the finished shirt (I basically took the original shirt apart, cut it smaller, fitted it to myself and sewed it together again) she said, "is that the shirt I bought you?!"

The front applique.

The sleeve.


For the back I used the reverse applique technique described in the book. Cole kindly donated the yellow and white t-shirts I used for the appliques.

Doing the reverse applique was really fun!

My Graduation Outfit

Here are the pictures of the outfit I made for the Open House. Unfortunately they didn't come out very well, the pictures I mean.

The top is based on this shirt that I saw at Target.

I used Simplicity 4122.

The fabric was in my closet. I don't know what it is or where it came from.

The tie is white seam binding.

The skirt was made from McCall's 3341.

I added the contrasting band around the bottom.

I got the fabric at a quilt store while we were on vacation last fall.

Thanks for looking!

Summer Blouse

Good morning! I have another summer project to share. The pattern is Simplicity 3789. Before starting I did not take into account that, while most patterns run quite large, Simplicity does not. So-o, I cut out a 14, like usual, put it together and it was too big. I took it apart, cut it down to a 12 and put it together again. Still too big. Took it apart and left it for a while. I came back to it later, cut it down to a 10 and just made it. Yep, that's right, didn't try it on or anything, just did it. But I think it worked! Here is the result:

Shirt Front

The fabric is from Hancock's.

Shirt Back

Collar and Shoulder

After some self debate I decided to do flat felled seams and I really liked the way it turned out.

Side Front

I only did two things differently from what the pattern said. I shortened the length two inches and I didn't use any interfacing.

I'm working on a tutorial for the panel skirts. It will probably take me another couple of days to get it together though. See you around!

Holiday Blouse

I purchased a few vintage patterns from E-bay and I decided to use this one to make a new outfit for myself for Christmas. I finished the blouse last night and I plan to eventually make the jumper but have not yet found any material I like. All the materials save the buttons came from Hobby Lobby. The buttons are from my little stash. The only change I made to the pattern was to interface the front facing.

The Pattern


Front


Collar

Sleeve

Back

I am really liking the print, it's very festive. But, I must say, I was so glad when this was finished because I was so sick of sewing darts. There were twelve!