I got these patterns over the summer and only had a chance to talk about them now.
McCall’s 4589 skirt, circa 1970s. Could easily pass for 40s.
Butterick 4104, another 70s does 50s romper.
Simplicity 2331, circa 1950s. Love the sailor details.
Simplicity 3882. I definitely need more versatile blouses.I was half-watching Atonement over the weekend while making Simplicity 1554, dubbing it The Atonement Blouse. I’m using some cotton voile that I picked up a few weeks ago. I serged the seams and just need to sew in the buttons and buttonholes.
Fabric closeup.
In progress.
Front view, view 1.
Front view, view 2.
It’s hard to think about Fall when we just had a largely uneventful hurricane advisory, so I decided to do a transitional Summer to Fall SWAP. As I acquire new patterns/ideas, the original SWAP will probably be modified but it will be the same combination of bottoms/tops. My goal is to have clothing that can be worn a week from now and then layered with other pieces that can be worn a few months from now.
I kept that in mind when choosing my palette for this year. I didn’t want something woodsy, brown, rustic or anything that evoked outdoor autumn leaves since I felt that was too stereotypical (also because with my coloring I tend to look washed out if the colors aren’t strong enough.) I wanted something that would work for the summer with bright colors and yet could be layered with darker colors and blend in well for the Fall. I chose navy blue as my neutral, 2nd tier colors of dark blue and salmon, and accents of off-white and light pink. I also chose both floral and geometric prints, since I think floral can be very versatile based on how it’s styled.
Fall Palette.+ + +
Summer/Fall transitional fabrics.Summer/Fall transitional fabrics, from bottom to top:
1) Electric blue cotton sateen, dress
2) Dark blue denim, pants #1 (possibly faux jeans)
3) Cotton/polyester, leftover from last year, blouse #1
4) Coral print cotton, blouse #2
5) Navy print cotton, blouse #3
6) Blue floral print cotton voile, Sencha (already finished), blouse #4
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Fabric yet to be bought (more Fall/Winter warmer type):
1) Pants #2
2) Skirt, Colette Ginger #1
3) Skirt, 1970s does 1940s pattern
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Total tally of Fall 2011:
Tops:
1) Blouse #1, cotton blue floral Sencha
2) Blouse #2, cotton coral print, TBD
3) Blouse #3, cotton navy print, TBD
4) Blouse #4, cotton/polyester pink floral print TBD
5) Cardigan, navy (already owned)
6) Cardigan, cream (already owned)
Bottoms:
1) Blue gabardine pants (already made)
2) Pants #1, denim
3) Skirt #1, TBD
4) Skirt #2, TBD
5) Pants #2, TBD
Other:
1) Dress, cotton sateen
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I’m starting on the blouses first so I can wear them a week or so later while it’s still warm and still keep them in early rotation when it gets cooler. This is the first time I’ve tried doing something transitional (and not a season ahead.) It doesn’t feel as rushed as making things that are in season to be worn right now, and it doesn’t feel as tedious or sometimes uninspiring as making things many months ahead. This is the first time I’ve tried to do a transitional sewing plan so we’ll see how it goes.
Simplicity 1554, circa 1940s.
I started my muslin of Simplicity 1554 the other day. I need more versatile blouses for the late summer/fall, and these make variations that look different enough. I had to make a lot of changes to the original pattern since it was way too big and boxy. This is my second muslin.
I got these beach rocks on the Oregon Coast. Much classier than using tins of food as pattern weights.
More beach rocks as pattern weights.
Muslin bodice front view.
Closeup of front view.
Front view.
Front view, #2.
Fall Version
Blouse: homemade, cotton voile, Colette Patterns Sencha
Pants: homemade, gabardine, Wearing History 1930s repro pattern
Cardigan: H+M
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Front view.
Front view, #2.
Back view.
Summer Version
Blouse: homemade, cotton voile, Colette Patterns Sencha
Shorts: homemade, gabardine, Wearing History 1930s repro pattern
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I finally finished my Sencha in blue floral cotton voile. I drafted a peter pan collar and lowered the neckline. This is part of my Summer/Fall SWAP, and is my first experiment with transitional pieces and I think it’s working out fine so far. It’s an exercise more in styling the same piece to produce different looks for different seasons, which is interesting.
I started a SWAP (sewing with a plan) for Spring 2011. Matching up combinations of tops and bottoms meant that there was a wide range of projects that I could sew, and that each one would be worn again and again. I have about three more projects left using the cotton in my stash, and then I plan to start my Fall SWAP.
Here are the projects that I plan to make:
Tops: (left to right)
1. Wearing History blouse
2. Cap Sleeve blouse with front buttons, self-drafted (inspired by McCall’s 7305)
3. New Look 6808, blouse #1
4. New Look 6808, blouse #2
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Bottoms: (left to right)
1. Wearing History trousers, #1
2. Wearing History trousers, #2
3. Colette Patterns Ginger, skirt
4. Simplicity 4254 with modified waistband, skirt
Front view.
Back view.
Closeup. (You can see my poor layered hair trying to do its best and blend in.)+ + +
This was so hot this weekend (about 104 degrees) that I barely did any sewing. Most of this dress was made in bits and pieces over the week, sewing an hour or half an hour on it here and there. I used some cotton voile that I had in my closet in this Spring, in a print that felt vaguely 40-ish to me. I have three more pieces of cotton voile left, and am trying to use up most of them before the summer ends.
I drafted this dress from my bodice block. I have many patterns that have cap sleeves but somehow there’s always too much ease there for me to fit properly. I drafted cap sleeves with a center back seem, and grafted on a four-gore skirt. I made a muslin to check the fit and inserted a center back zipper. I love cap sleeves as a vintage detail, and will definitely use the bodice block in more variations.
Here is my progress on this project so far. I found some small floral print that I’ve been hoarding for a few months now. I plan to start Fall sewing by August, so I’m trying to use up as much of my cotton stash as possible. It’s surprising how authentic it looks with the small floral print and the desaturated flowers.
Bodice, front view.
With the skirt, pinned on.
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I needed a pair of shorts to wear to a Fourth of July barbecue over the weekend, so I made these high-waisted shorts in a span of two days. They are very comfy and are approaching granny-chic, but I’m fine with that.
Construction notes: I’ve made the trousers before from the same pattern, and just altered the leg length for shorts. I used leftover navy blue gabardine and a leftover button from my last project. I used cotton sateen as interfacing which was a bad idea, since the waistband came out too bulky and my machine messed up my one and only buttonhole. The button was big enough to hide my mistake though, and it’s still very much usable.
I don’t know if I’ll make another pair or shorts this summer, but if I do I plan to put in pockets.
It took an entire month and my hair is straight-ish but I finally managed to coax my hair into looking like something vintage-related. Slowly but surely.
The Tulip Dress
Bodice: self-drafted, Skirt: Simplicity 4254, circa 1940s
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I started this dress last week and finished it before summer was over, thankfully. I only had 2 yards of this cotton tulip print and wanted to make the most out of it. I have a few more summer dresses to finish up and then I’ll be sewing a season ahead again soon for Fall 2011.