Tips for Prepping Fabric

I was asked a few weeks ago to go over some of the processes I use when I buy new fabric and how I ready it for a garment.

First off I try my hardest to work with as much natural fiber content as I can. Linen, wool, cotton, rayon, silk on occasion. Even with varied weaves the way these fibers behave is relatively consistent.

Me wearing my dust bowl dress!

Hi everyone. I finally have some images of my tulip sleeved dust bowl dress. 

I went out swing dancing and I wanted to wear something cool. These pics are with my iPhone and it's a bit dark, so not the greatest.

Is sewing 'crafting'?

I have a friend who is a major crafter. She's more than likely reading this right now, (hi Shampoo!). She makes cards and has customizable card stock punchers, and grommets, the whole magilla. She subscribes to crafting mags and blogs and even sells her cards and things on etsy. She's hard core, and I totally respect that.

Pattern collectors, I need your help!

I have a bit of a mystery. A challenge, a conundrum for all of you. 

1920s Pattern Ad

I was counting pattern pieces from some of my stored patterns and stumbled upon this ad for mail orders on the back of one of my 20s instruction sheets.

I actually have the 2744! Looking at it more, 

I think it will fit well in my dust bowl theme! Hehehe!

Catalog Sunday

This Sunday more dust bowl fashions from Chicago Mail Order summer '35

Two hats in one day?! I'm that good!

Actually the hats were that easy. Okay, not 'easy' but because I made the pattern and I've made the hats before, I kinda knew where the mistakes were. 

Dust bowl hat is complete.

I finished it and I love the look. Because this is a test hat, I didn't line it. 

There are some tweaks I plan on making. 

A dust bowl hat in the works

Hi all.

It's been an interesting week. I hurt my foot braking in my Muffy's saddle shoes and didn't realize I was getting a blister until I had walked about a mile or so in the shoes.  Now I have a blistered heel, and I have a dance class tonight! The good news is I danced last night and it didn't hurt at all, so I'm gonna stay hopeful that I don't get kicked in the heel tonight.

On another note, I've revisited that hat mock up I made a few months ago. I always thought that cloche would be perfect for a cool day with a handkerchief linen 30s dress.

Ever have a pile of these?

All the clippings from altered clothes just sitting in a baggie. 

I was organizing my sewing area when I looked through the bag again. I keep them for reference when I revisit the pattern I'll know where to alter it so when I cut the garment out again, the fit will be the way I want it.

I didn't realize how large this pile had gotten. Then I realized most of these clippings were pre-slopers.
Speaking of slopers, for those who are going to drape along with me later on (perhaps the middle of next month) I hope you have your dress forms all in order.

I was not planning on making this a formal thing, but I've gotten some emails about it, and people who want to follow. Should I do it all proper, or no?

Oh, I also finished that 30s day dress with the cool pleated tulip sleeves last weekend. Even wore it out with my cool white 30s shoes but I FORGOT to get pictures of it! Sorry. I'll take pictures soon. I was rather super cute if that helps.

Hope you all are having a good day!

My vintage catalog collection.

I was reorganizing my catalogs and thought you all would get a kick out of seeing my collection. I've just outgrown the two boxes I have and need to get another one. For anyone who is thinking of collecting catalogs, it is addictive. You were warned.

My collection is quite narrow in time. I have a majority of catalogs from 1933-1945, my favorite era. They are all in different conditions, the ones from the 30s generally being in the worst shape. Some are even missing their covers but to me as long as most of the pages are there I'm happy.

Catalog Sunday

More dust bowl fashions from Lane Bryant 1932.

My first crack at tulip sleeves!

The evening gown I'm working on is nearly finished. I have a lot of hand sewing to do so I've put it up for a bit until I work up the momentum to get her done.

Dust Bowl Evening Gown Progress pt 2

This thing is coming together so fast!

Dust Bowl Evening Gown Progress.

Yay, my head cold is on it's way out!

Once I cut out and overlocked the rayon the dress went together rather quickly.

Catalog Sunday

This Sunday I have dust bowl fashions from McCall Style News March 1932.

Give me a couple of days....

Crappidy crap crap! I got a head cold on Tuesday. 

I can even recall the moment my throat began to get scratchy! All my projects have screeched to a halt. It's orange juice, tea and lemon with tons of water. 

I'll update in a bit, but right now I'm fighting the battle of the head cold.

Thanks!

"You can have a Career at Home"

From one of my mid 30s Simplicity pattern booklets. 

Oh, if only it were that easy :)

Flutter Sleeve Evening Gown start

I have started on my first dress for my dust bowl look. I'm finally getting around to making the rayon flowered evening gown from my flutter sleeve reproduction pattern.

Gathering Dust Bowl accessories.

I've been looking through my catalogs getting ideas for my dust bowl look. Dress cuts, fabrics, blah blah, but what I really need are accessories. Shoes and headwear. I know that will complete the look.

Building a Dust Bowl wardrobe.

Perhaps it's the encroaching warmer weather but I've been thinking about the light breezy and ruffled fashions of the women of rural middle America. The farmer's wives and working gals who wanted the latest fashions but could not or being where they were, were often a year or so behind.

It's that transition phase from the dropped waistline of the 20s but before the high puffy sleeves of the mid to late 30s. I see lots of flowing lawns, and brightly colored cottons and great ruffled sleeves.

The colors also appeal to me. I grabbed some prints I was looking at at ReproductionFabrics.com and if you have never been there, you have been warned. They carry the most amazing repro textiles from as early as the Victorian Era to the late 50s. Amazing pattern, all cotton and all I want dresses of!

Here is the main palette I'm looking to work from.

Catalog Sunday

This Sunday and perhaps for a while I'm focusing on dust bowl fashions. Dust Bowl is really a location of America, but the time frame I mean is 1931-1935. The styles still had many 20s elements but also flowing ruffles and necklines and laces. I love the looks of that time.

This Sunday I have Lane Bryant scans from 1932,

March Pattern Showcase!

This past month (and last month for that matter) has seen a ginormous spike in pattern prices, especially pattern lots. Granted, there have been a few choice lots out there, but I saw a rather lame 50s lot go for $250+. Whatever.

Man Month Project: 30s Man's Shirt final

As I look back on my work on this shirt, I realized I may have been a tad arrogant in thinking my skill level was up to par. I had a lot of trouble with this, I don't think it's mostly my skill, but with all the obstacles I came up against, I wish I could have handled them better.

I mean it's totally wearable, I'm not *that* bad, but as  far as my own satisfaction with construction, I'd give my work on it a C-.