mad men casting call

My lovely friend from The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife, Twila Jean, has entered the Mad Men Casting Call Contest.

She is perfect for a walk on role. Check her out here!! Mad Men Casting Call - Twila Jean

Good luck Twila!!!

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simplicity 5389

I have been saving this fabric for a while. I knew it could look a little matronly if I didn't pick my pattern wisely.

I was so excited when I found this pattern. It was exactly what I was looking for! I wanted a sheath dress or a wiggle and this is sort of a cross between the two. It doesn't taper like a wiggle normally does but it hugs the bum like one. And now I have a great dress in my wardrobe to wear to weddings and picnics and all other wonderful activities that are going on this summer in the PNW.

I know I have been doing a lot of 60s but the patterns are so dang cute I can't help myself and a lot of my other eras are more appropriate for colder seasons so 60s it is - shucks!!

On to the pictures.

The pattern. You can see the original owner doodled on it it pencil a little. I love that. I also love it when I find notes on how to make the pattern. They are always written in beautiful handwriting that looks like my grandmother's.

Front

Back

kinda showing the "wiggle" aspect

I chose to omit the bows on the shoulders after careful consideration. I couldn't decide if they had the right feel. So I made the whole dress and then decided. I like them without it and I didn't feel like anything was missing.  I still haven't perfected zippers but I am getting a little better. ( I am less scared of them at least.)

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simplicity 3749

Can we say Mad Men? (A show I still haven't seen even though I love vintage clothes and worked in marketing. tsk tsk)

I am in love with this dress. It was the first time I have ever graded or resized a pattern and it went really smoothly. The dress was originally an 18, which has a 38 inch bust. I wear a 34 inch bust or about a 12, so some serious down-sizing was needed.  I used this helpful tutorial and got great results!!

I chose a simple cotton in a coral color. Basic quilters cotton, especially solids, are affordable, easy to work with and drape nicely.

To get started, I needed to trace the original pattern. I also do this when a pattern hasn't been previously cut, so I can preserve the original pattern.

Then, I needed to resize it. You can see I had to shorten the waist by almost an inch.

The results were a great fit and a dress I have worn 3 times already. Check out the cute brooch I got at Treasure House for $2.99!!!

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new book for my birthday

I got this great new book from Bri (my sister-in-law) for my birthday.

Haslam System of Dresscutting - Vintage Pattern Making for 1950s Fashions - Spring and Summer

It has all of these fantastic patterns that you make with your own measurements.

 I have never attempted anything like it! I can't wait to try it. Especially the following - 

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1953 coat for cora

I found this pattern at a local estate sale. I am in love with the fact that the pants have a cuff. This is basically the 1953 version of a snow suit.

Since snow is not common here, I decided to use a vinyl coated fabric and make Cora a rain coat. This is one of the most challenging pieces I have ever made. First, working with vinyl is tricky. It doesn't like to go through your machine with ease since it is slick. Second, there are a million pieces to a coat.

All of that aside, I am really happy with the way it turned out. And it will be just the right size for Cora when fall rolls around. Or when summer decides to dump two weeks of rain on us just for kicks!

Front (the tiara rarely comes off her head)

Back

Some twirling pictures

I love that Cora has the ever popular toddler scab under her nose. At least we know she plays hard!!

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a little sewing date

Last week I had my wonderful friend from The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife over, along with her two adorable little kiddos.

The goal was to sew one 50s tank top with 3 children ages 4 and under running around. I would have to say we were very successful. Not only did everyone survive (just a cat scratch, finger smoosh and major melt down) we were able to half way finish our project!!

I did actually complete my tank top a few days later and will post pics later. The top is going to my lovely friend Jessica. While I am madly in love with it, I sadly don't have the goods to fill it out. And to take it in as much as I would need to would really change the final look. I want you to see it at it's finest so until then these shots will have to do! I can't help but think how smokin' Joan Holloway would look in this!!

The Pattern

The Result


The kiddos running amok

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1967 jumper

Hello Middle School!!

This was a really fun and super easy. I have noticed the 34" busts are a little big on me even though I measure 35". I am not sure if I am just too nervous about using the whole 5/8" seam, or if the patterns just aren't that accurate, or if I don't know how to measure myself properly...who knows. (It is a little bit of an ego boost though!)

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