Vintage May!

 

Hello!

 

Today, I get to share with you my take on Vintage May, an awesome series curated by Jess of Craftiness is not Optional and Kristin of Skirt as Top.

 

I was SO EXCITED to be asked to be a part of this series!

 

 

 

 

I have a humble, yet beloved vintage pattern collection... I started collecting them when Em was just a baby.  The 40's and the 70's are my favorite eras... Random, right? :)  Here are some of my favorites:

 

 

 I made the top left pattern here, and the bottom left pattern here.

 

For this occasion, I was going to make a yellow gingham romper from another vintage pattern I have, but when I went Google searching for inspiration pics, the first thing that popped up was a certain gingham romper made for Vintage May by Jess herself.  Lol. Ooops.

 

So I changed things up, and settled on this pattern:

 

 

 

 

Which I've also actually made before, right here!

 

 

This time, for the shorts I used the Clover pattern from Willow & Co.  They are sooooo adorable!  These short were a snap to make, and I truly enjoyed the entire process.  Also enjoyable - sewing with this clay-hued stretch twill from Mood.  I actually bought this fabric to make a Moss Skirt for myself.  I'm hopeful I have enough left. :)

 

 

The super sweet white floral used for the halter top is a rayon challis from Denver Fabrics.  Hello my name is Sarah, and I am addicted to rayon challis.  And florals.  Nice to meet you.

 

Em's shoes are vintage suede Sperry's from this little Etsy shop.  So sweet.

 

 

I love how this outfit turned out!  It doesn't necessarily scream vintage, but there is a classic vibe to it.  I love it.  :)

 

Cheeeeeeese!

  Thank you so much Kristin and Jess for having me as part of Vintage May!  It really was a blast to poke through my vintage patterns again.     Have a great weekend, everyone!

Working on...

Hi all!  Happy weekend :)
I thought I'd share what I've been *slowly* working on... Getting back into the groove as the summer winds down.
First, I've fallen deeply in love with all of the DIY bracelets that have been popping up all over the place!  Here are some of my favorites:

All images via honestlywtf.com
So being a proud child of the 80's I decided to try my hand at the chevron friendship bracelet.  I literally could NOT wrap my head around it at first - for 80's shaaaaame!!  But it came back to me and it's coming along nicely now:

Don't look to close at the top there :O  Yeesh...

And I'm almost done with Simplicity 2593.  I'm making the version with all the foldy business around the neck, and my hands are aching with Lymie arthritis just thinking about the hand sewing.  Ugh.  But I really wanted to challenge myself to do this, and so far I love it!

  Just needs side seams, a hem and the foldy business.  Should be done today!The fabric, fyi, is a delicious, wash AND dry-able stretch rayon from Fabric.com.  It looks like they're out of this color, but they still have it in pink and coral!  For $3.49 a yard, people!!!  GO!  I have the coral too and can attest to its' gorgitude.

And soon I'm going to start on this precious little number:

I'll be sewing view B, the overalls!  CUTE!

I'm using this suuuuper fine, lightweight corduroy.  Isn't it amazing!?  I love the large print... I think they're going to be so adorable.  It's a size 2 which I think is going to be pretty big for Emskie, but I'm just going to take a really deep hem on the legs so she can grow into them.  Yay.  :)

This fabric can be lusted after - here.  :D

So that's that!  Hope yall have a great rest of the weekend with lots of sewing and planning involved!

My vintage sunsuit pattern obsession, and some thoughts

Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness recently posted about the cost and value of vintage patterns.  It's a really interesting read, and the comments are also very thought provoking.  Of course, I had to chime in with my two ten cents.  Enjoy some eye candy whilst I opine.



1975 McCall's 4494



I have only been in the sewing world for a year or so, so I am certainly no expert on vintage patterns or their true values.  But from my personal experience, some sellers seem to push the envelope (ha) as to how much cash they are owed in exchange for their pattern.  I get that some are very rare, and that condition is a major factor.  But since there is no formal set of guidelines for pricing these patterns (is there?), where do sellers get their figures?  For example, one pattern I'm currently coveting on eBay has the Buy It Now price of $47.61.  Really?  It's not necessarily the steep 40 dollarness of it; it's the odd figure.  Where does that amount - that ultra specific amount - come from?  Plus, if I had $47.61 to spend on a single pattern, do you have any. idea. how much more fabric I would have?!  Cripes.

Butterick 4631 (No date that I could find.  Early 80's?)

I don't mean any disrespect to vintage pattern sellers, I truly don't.  We can all choose where and how we spend - and make - our money.  And like I said, I don't speak from a place of expertise.  On the other side of the coin, I sometimes wonder if the people from whom I've bought my el cheapo patterns knew what they were selling, and that they possibly could've gotten more for them.  Did they not know the pattern had value (above .99¢), or did they just know they weren't going to make the rent by selling it?

1977 Simplicity 8041

((*UPDATE - See the above pattern sewn up HERE!*))

There are people who sell these vintage patterns on the cheap and there are people who do not.  I intend to sew with them, not have them matted and framed, so I will continue to seek out the affordable patterns.  They are plentiful.  Admittedly though, a few of the pricey ones do haunt my dreams.

1980 McCalls 6944

1945 Simplicity 1338 (I die.)

((*UPDATE - See the above pattern sewn up HERE!*))


Every pattern pictured above was 3 bucks or in most cases, less.  I'm not a completely cheap bastard though.  I would probably spend up to $15 if I just haaaad to have a pattern.

So what do yall think?  Do you buy and sew with Vintage patterns?  If you do, how much are you willing to spend on those bad boys?

Love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers!

I need to put more "Sew" in my Sew-Alongs.

Out of the three sew-alongs I'm participating in, I have fabric cut out for only ONE!  Dah!

It's the Marie Skirt, in yummy charcoal tweed.  I bought a hot pink silky material last weekend to line the skirt, so that was my motivation to cut this project first.  Hot pink lining.  C'mon. 

I do have my fabric picked out for my Pendrell Blouse (several fabrics, actually, but this one's first).  I'll hack into it soon! 



Yummy.



I'm still wavering between sizes to cut for the Pendrell, though.  On Tasia's size chart, I'm in three different columns!  EEK!

 If I cut according to my bust measurement, I'll have like, a yard of extra fabric at my hip.  And alternatively, I am in NO way ready to do a full bust adjustment (FBA) if I cut according to my hip measurement - seriously, baby tights are the most advanced things I've made so far [backpat].  So I'm not sure what I'll do there.  Make a FBA, I s'pose.  Doh!

And then, oh dear, the Vintage Sew-Along.  I was going to make this dress:



Source



Swoon.

Unfortunately, I just don't think I'm ready.  I want to and will make this dress eventually, I just can't tackle it at the pace I need to for this sew-along (whose time frame is 2 months, mind you. lol).

So, Plan B:



Source



I got this pattern for a song on eBay a few weeks ago (in my size, eherm), and look!  It says 'EASY' right there on the front!  Plus, I think it's ultra cute.  I'm going to make the long-sleeved version and style it with belts and tights and boots and the like.  Cute, no?  I haven't chosen a fabric for this one yet.  Dark solid?  Fun floral?  For Winter?  Or for Spring?  At the pace I'm going, probably for Spring, eh?  ;)

This pattern seems easy and roomy enough to not have to make a muslin, so that being the case, I'd say I'm right on schedule with the Vintage Sew-Along!  wOOt!

Love to all!