Officially a Fan of Vintage, Project Done and photos taken

The title says it all, I am a fan of vintage patterns.  I have always been crazy for a few specific categories within the vintage fashion world.  I love the tailored suits of the 40's, the voluminous party dresses of the 50's, and the fantastic A-line dresses of the 60's and 70's.  My vintage pattern purchases fall into these categories, and while I have tackled a few, the almost excessive fabric requirements of the full skirted 50's dresses are the reason for hesitation. However I have almost convinced a friend of mine that she needs the 50's dress from a fantastic vintage pattern I have - so let's hope that one makes an appearance.


Here are links to the posts that preceded this one,  Part 1 (with pattern envelope photo) and Part 2 for this project.  


As for the 40's suit, here is the finished version.  Modeled by the adorable Nancy, who came to my Etsy shop after reading a post on my blog.   I am so happy to see how this looks on her, plus her choice of setting and pose are just lovely.  

Here is a better look at the jacket.  This pattern has several options, so I made the collar which is not attached.  It has 2 buttons in front, like the top of a blouse, and lays just right under the upper edge of the jacket. So a different blouse could be worn, or maybe a sweater or T underneath, or wear the jacket as a top.  


It is so much fun for me to see her in the outfit.  When we first e-mailed, I said I would love to write about it on my blog - but her great photos exceeded my expectations.











I did take some photos on the dress form, and made one change in the pattern design.  The pattern had a shoulder dart pointing to the bust, and then a waist dart, but between the darts the top had an odd shape, so I decided to connect the two darts and create a shoulder princess seam to smooth out the shape over the bust.

Here are a couple of the finishing details.  I did a lapped zipper in the skirt, and used my trusty Singer attachment for the buttonholes.  I have never made a stitched buttonhole with any other method, but I can't imagine a better one, maybe I will do a post on this gizmo next time I use it.

So vintage - I am officially hooked on these patterns.  Although for the record I would never give up the modern multi-size pattern, a great timesaver and perfect for a someone like me who is definitely not same size all over (at least according to the dictates of the big 4 pattern companies).


Thanks again to Nancy for initiating this project and sending her great pictures.
Happy sewing, be it vintage or modern,   Beth