Vintage 1930s Blouse

I bought this homemade blouse off etsy, the seller stating that it was from the 30s.  The bodice front and sleeves have hand drawn thread work.  The sleeve hems and front button bands are machine hemstitched, which adds a nice touch.  It's a beautiful piece and very wearable.



The top drawn threads had broken in places so I mended those as invisibly as I could.  Gusset strips had been added between the side seams to enlarge the blouse, at a later date as the seam length and thread were different and the quality of sewing was poorer.  I removed those and now it fits great!

Drawn thread decoration

After taking the first few photos I sewed on vintage mother of pearl buttons, and a snap below the last button.  Whomever originally wore this blouse had a pretty short torso.  I'm tall so I also sewed an extension strip to the bottom, from leftover cotton gauze, to keep the blouse tucked in.

Hem extension, attached with running stitch

1930s Blouse Final Post

Last September I started the Wearing History "Summer in Newport" blouse.  I was excited about the project but the garment doesn't flatter me.  Previous posts here, here and here.  I'm not sure whether it's my fabric, placement of the underbust gathers, or the style isn't for me.  Likely a combination of all of these factors.

I do like the camisole (which I'm not wearing in these photos) and may return to the blouse at some future date.  In November it was too cold to sew, or try on, sheer tops.  The blouse sat in a drawer since then.  The front is cut from two layers of the sheer fabric, the back and sleeves from one.

The main problem was that the blouse made my breasts appear to hang around my waist, though the back looks pretty good.

Back

Front unaltered

The waist line on the front was around my belly button, not at my natural waist (marked at CF).  When I pinned up the midriff portion it did look better, the cowl and sleeves draping nicely.  The neckline is very high and needs to be scooped out.  I had to slit it to be able to button the blouse.

Midriff pinned up, sleeves basted on

Side with a tuck

There is extra fabric under the arms as well and I don't know what to do with it.

Side unaltered

Right: as-is the underarm fabric pulls down the cowl and sags.

Since this fabric is so difficult to work with and results lackluster I'm giving up.  I like some aspects of the pattern: the drapey raglan sleeves, cowl neckline, shaped button back.  I would like to use them at some point even if I don't attempt the blouse again.

Quadruple Vintage Pattern Giveaway!

I missed my 100th post so am going all out for #110.  Help me celebrate by entering to win one of four vintage sewing patterns.  This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada (sorry everyone else).

To enter leave a comment saying which pattern you'd like, before April 7th.  You don't need to follow my blog to enter.  If you do follow my blog or mention this giveaway on your blog you'll be entered twice (please leave a comment so I know).

Simplicity 1942, size 20.5 B39 wrap dress.

A 1940s wrap dress with gathered waist and shoulders, and triple darted 3/4 sleeves.  The pattern pieces are printed and include the pocket embroidery transfer shown in the lower right corner.

Simplicity 8140, sz 14 B36 "step-in" dress ©1969

This fun double breasted dress has a bias collar and midriff.  I'd love to see this dress sewn up!

Vogue 9029, sz 12 B34 

"Loose-fitting dress or tunic has shaped partially standing side buttoned collar and buttoned side front inset band."

This dress is missing the instructions, maybe a brave sewist is willing to take on the challenge?

Butterick 3709, 14-16-18 (37.5-41.5" finished bust)

Lastly, an 80s wrap blouse for 30% stretch knits, in factory folds.  This could work with a woven with a few adjustments.  I especially like the sleeveless version.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for entering!

Red Lace Dress

I wore this beautiful new-to-me vintage dress for New Year's.  I'm amazed that a woman 50 years ago sewed this dress for herself, I found it, and it fits me perfectly!

Bloggers Gertie and Janice made vintage red lace dresses recently.  Mine is a wiggle style while theirs are full skirts, but otherwise very similar.  Gertie also posted several photos of vintage red lace dresses.

It was such fun to dress up, and I received many lovely compliments from my friends.  I wore seamed stockings, black heels, and vintage jewelry: a rhinestone necklace and ruby earrings.  The earrings were a Christmas gift from my parents.

I really like the gathered satin waistband and front draping.  The lace is fully underlined with red rayon or acetate faille.  It has a metal zip at center back, slightly exposed.  I gently handwashed the dress, pressed it from the inside, and made a couple small mends.  The dress is in great shape and I'm honored to be able to wear it.  The ILGWU tag, which dates it between 1955 and 1963, sewn into the center back skirt seam is a baffling addition to what's clearly a home sewn dress.

Much "wigglier" than my usual style

The satin drapes 

I can post some inside pics to show construction if anyone is interested.  They shatter the myth that vintage=couture construction! lol

1930s Blouse Yet Again

I'm still working on the blouse.  There is an issue: the pattern fits together well, it fits, but it's not flattering.  Instead of a fitted midriff and gathering accentuating my breasts the gathering is halfway down my ribs.  Presumably as part of all this, the waist hits below my waist and the hem is about an inch lower in the front.

I tried on the blouse, I fiddled with it on the dress form, I thought.  I'm going to finish sewing it as is and simply add side bust darts.  This should remove much of the excess fabric and raise the waist line to my waist.  The upper edge of the cowl neck is very tight so I'll be scooping out some of that extra fabric as well.

I'm posting while unable to sleep but will take some photos of the problem, and hopefully have more pictures to share of the completed and satisfactory blouse.

1930s Blouse Part 2

We continue the saga of my lovely but ravely blouse.  I bought and received the Singer Buttonholer supplementary templates:

The 3/8" size was just right :)  The buttonholes are slightly out of  line though I took out and redid the worst offender.  The buttonholer makes wonderful buttonholes but is very hard to repeatedly line up straight.  I had the same problem with a skirt.  Maybe the interwebs will yield advice before my next attempt.

The whole shebang, so far

I finished the back pieces and sewed the side seams.  So glad I'm using closed seams in this horrible fabric.  I gently hand washed the backs to make sure the washable marker I used for markings washes out and my entire seam allowance raveled in places!  Yes, I should have checked on a scrap.  At least it did wash out.

Side seam: doesn't match at underarm

Back pieces ready for sleeves

Not a pattern issue, but the side seams don't match up at the underarm.  The fabric must have stretched after cutting.  I tried to be accurate with cutting and used a rotary cutter, theoretically to avoid this problem.









I also sewed the sleeve darts, seamed the sleeves and started hemming them.

I can't get the rolled hem foot to work (can anyone?) so am rolling it by hand.  Maybe I'll play with the serger's rolled hem. Otherwise I'll baste the rolled hem then sew it by machine.  The fabric likes to wiggle around under the presser foot--perhaps the Singer will perform better as it has adjustable foot pressure.

Remaining to do:
Resew part of a side french seam as I didn't trim close enough the first time
Hem: the sleeves, bodice front top edge, blouse body.
Finish gathering cowl to fit sleeves, insert sleeves front and back
I made belt pieces but am leaving them off since the blouse is nicely fitted without them

Wow, I'm really almost done!  And excited to remake this in an appropriate, and manageable, fabric.

Also, the camisole was finished a few days ago:

It fits!

1930s Blouse

My latest sewing endeavor is a 1930s blouse reproduction pattern by Wearing History (now discontinued) and a camisole to wear under.

The pattern is quite nice: the pieces fit together well, directions are helpful without being verbose.  I traced the pattern off, checked the fit on my dress form, and it fit!  I have a long torso so this was a nice surprise.

My fabric, on the other hand, is not the best choice.  It's a poly? sheer with nubby stripes, a clearance fabric I saw and liked for some sort of blouse.  It seemed perfect for a cowl design.  Despite cutting on the straight grain (the pattern can be cut straight or bias) my fabric is not very stable, and ravels terribly.  It's also too sheer to use in a single layer.  I'm glad I held the front up to myself before finishing the blouse!  

Luckily the stripes do cool things when the fabric is turned 90 degrees; seemed better than trying to match up vertical stripes.  Two layers are much less sheer.  Thankfully I had plenty of fabric for another set of front pieces.  It left some pretty funky looking scraps, though.

The pattern has a midriff piece that's meant to be topstitched onto the bodice front after the bust gathers are made.  The topstitching looked awful on my fabric so I put right sides together and stitched.  Well, first I thought french seams would be nice.  So I stitched it all together, lined up the stripes and everything, but the gathers were flattened on one side.  I pulled out all the stitching and did it over.  Now the stripes only match on one side and the point isn't pointy but it's good enough.

stripes match at seam

stripes don't match on this side *shrug*

Next were buttonholes for the back opening.  I have a cool 50s Singer buttonholer attachment that came with my thrift store Singer 66.  I tried the 5/8" and 5/16" buttonhole templates and neither was the right size.  My modern Pfaff's buttonholes were even worse.  And don't even mention bound buttonholes with this stuff!  So I checked on etsy and found a set of templates, 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" keyhole and one other.  As soon as they arrive we're in business!

5/8" buttonhole too large

5/16" buttonhole too small--it's almost an eyelet

Once the buttonholes are made more hand gathering will take place,  I'll sew up the rest of the blouse with french seams, and hopefully it's successful.

The camisole is from Butterick 4020, a thrift store find from 15 years ago.  I love lingerie patterns :)  Picture the white cami, view A, in cream rayon lining fabric with thin grosgrain straps and no lace.  I used what's in my stash for this project and the lining fabric isn't hard to work with and prevents show through.