Pattern Nostalgia and a pattern giveaway

It's been over a year since I joined Instagram, mostly to do the Sew Photo Hop which is a lot of fun and a great way to discover some new stitchers to follow. I am still kind of lukewarm on IG, mostly because I like words. Yes, words, sentences, explanations, details. And a single picture is not going to cut it for me. I read far too many blogs and then lots of other web content, plus listen to a lot of podcasts and that seems to get to my maximum level of consumption. I fear doing any other internet based sewing stuff (like twitter, various forums etc) would just add to the screen time I already kind of regret. After all, that is not sewing time - or even life. Do you know what I mean?

Not to say I don't have fun with IG, in fact I have reconnected with some people and got great inspiration from others. But words are my thing. By the way - I did an interview with a now defunct sewing podcast so it never aired. So I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad about that. Hearing your own voice recorded is always a bit painful, but I was looking forward to sharing the link and having you hear my views on sewing. I recall it included a lot of my hard and fast opinions about things like: interfacing - use more! bias binding - not a fan! and pressing - do it! So if you are doing a podcast and want an opinionated and experienced sewer I am available:)

by the way - details on the pattern giveaway are at the bottom of the post if you want to skip ahead.

Back to Instagram, it is fun to see what people on the other side of the globe (and the season) are doing, sewing-wise. Recently Sew Busy Lizzy in Australia posted a vintage Style pattern  that she bought and she wondered about that pattern company. Which sent me to look in my old pattern storage boxes as I used to use those Style patterns. Were they bought by another pattern company? Maybe Simplicity? In any case they had some really nice patterns, I always thought they lived up to their name as very stylish.

In the box I found a couple that I made many versions of, and one that I never used but now think I might try next spring. I'm sure I sewed this one at least once, probably as a sarong style dress to wear on vacation. See - my catchphrase applies - no new patterns. Recognize the current versions of this dress?


Here's the one that I never sewed up. I kept this one out of the storage box, maybe next spring I will find some nice woven rayon and sew it up. The sleeveless version is my perfect combo of dress features.



I both wanted to and didn't want to show you this one. Yes it is dated - look at the shoulders on that jacket. As I recall when I first started working and was maybe 22 ? I sewed up this pattern in a really soft crinkly fabric that was an ikat print in shades of blue. The unlined jacket was more like a big cardigan, albeit with shoulder pads (ha ha) but I think I had enough fabric to make a tank top so sometimes I wore the jacket and skirt with a white top and then also wore the skirt with the matching tank top for a dress look. But the thing to note is....Michael Kors !  Yes before he did patterns for Vogue this pattern company had him. I wonder what others I missed. And this skirt is so beautifully shaped, I made other versions as well. No fastenings, quick to make and very nice to wear.




I found a few other goodies in my pattern storage box. My habits have never changed, if I bought a pattern and it resulted in a garment I liked then I kept it. If it was crummy or the garment turned out badly then I chucked it out. So these were keepers for a reason.


This Butterick dress I sewed up more than once, I think in a light blue linen for the V-neck version. Note the neckline of version C and E, it has a hint of curve and was so pretty. Made that in a printed rayon I think. Also I like skirts with pleats instead of darts.



I have a lot of these Vogue designer patterns that I would classify as "business wear".  Well they say career in red type right there on the pattern :) I know I made that blouse in the top image more than once, it was really nice to wear under a suit jacket. I have another of these patterns with 3 more blouse variations. so quite a good value - you know I like Vogue patterns, especially when they give you lots of looks in one pattern envelope.



Here's one I found that I haven't sewn, but it was also kept out of the storage box. I think this was a style that I didn't wear and wasn't all that popular when I bought the pattern, but now seems really current. Cute top huh? I will have to try this one.



And now for a giveaway. I found some patterns that were longing for a new home - to get out of the storage box and into the hands of someone who might use them.  So here are two patterns that I will do a drawing for and mail out to you.
The Catch: please tell me your Time Saving Sewing Tip. I'm writing a post for Craftsy so you might see it there, but if you are willing to share some timesaving tip, something that helps you to use your sewing time wisely, or cut down how long it takes to make something then I will be really grateful. Also tell me which pattern you would like to be in the drawing for. You can say both if they both interest you!

Pattern 1: Vogue 9246 corset type top and ballgown skirt. I think I bought this to use to make a formal dress but ended up designing something else - so this one is unused. Note the pattern size is 6-8-10. I love the square neckline on the top.



Pattern 2: McCalls top, designed for leather or suede. Size 12. Don't laugh - despite the shoulders this pattern is a wealth of information. I seem to have more than one copy of this pattern so I must have liked it. The other copy was used and I made at least 3 suede t-shirts which I thought were the epitome of casual+luxury. Also I made a suit - all of these items are now languishing in a closet somewhere and candidates for being cut up and refashioned into something else.



Lest you scoff at this funny looking pattern  - here is a peek at the instruction sheet. It includes a complete lesson on working with leather. How to determine how much to buy, piecing, machine tips and techniques, seam finishes etc. This is in addition to the regular pattern instruction sheet. Rather clever and using this the info all my stuff turned out really well. Leather is really easy to sew, the tricky part is the cutting layout.



So that's the pattern scoop. I hope someone is interested in these patterns, as I said they need to get out into the world and be sewn up!
Remember to tell me your timesaving sewing tip, and I look forward to seeing the Sew Photo Hop in September, is it happening? I hope so.

And remember, today's skinny jeans will be the oversized shoulder pad of yesteryear. I guarantee it! Perhaps they already are :)

Happy nostalgic sewing, Beth

today's garden photo, this rose bush was not thriving so I pulled it out. Stuck it in the no man's land which is behind the garden shed. And it kept growing. Thus I took pity on it and planted it in a pot. I guess it just didn't like it's original spot because the blooms are beautiful. Now I just have to find a better permanent home for it.

Vintage Pattern Obsession

Stop me before I shop again.  Why am I obsessed with vintage sewing patterns?  and is there a group for this problem.  I know I am not alone,  based on the incredible number of blogs, sites and shops devoted to this topic.    My favorite is the Pattern Junkie blog.  


Here are a few patterns that I am currently thinking of making.  They all look great - the one drawback (well there are several)  but the biggest one to my mind is the quantity of fabric they require.  5 1/2 yards is a lot to devote to one dress.  And of course where would I wear it?
But the happy coincidence of my pattern and someone else's need for a vintage style will come along, probably when I am not expecting it.


This one is my absolute favorite.  The short sleeve version in a pale color makes me think of Doris Day in one of her movies, and the long sleeve version in black is so Audrey Hepburn.


   The pattern envelope is in bad shape but the pattern pieces are perfectly usable.  In Size 16 which is a 36 bust.  


My other favorite is this Simplicity,  I love that little collar and the sleeveless version is so cute.  

And lastly, a nod to my earliest sewing days,  I recall sewing something like this back when I was 11 or 12.    The shoes, the flippy curling iron achieved hairstyle - vaguely familiar.

If I get any of these sewn up I will post a photo.     

Spring Jacket - can't seem to get started

For spring and summer I have been wanting to make a lightweight unlined cotton jacket, something to wear with jeans and a t-shirt.  Lately I have pulled out a couple of fabrics from the closet and pondered, but nothing jumps out at me.  Right now I am deciding between a
dark turquoise or a purple.  Since I wear so much aqua and turquoise in the summer either will work.  Maybe it is the pattern that I find uninspiring.  Here is New Look 6942, version B is my choice - no need for ruffles on a jacket.  perhaps adding the collar.

Maybe it is the weather that had held me back.  Last week we had a day of heavy rain and for May this is so weird.  Coldest May here in ages.  So the summer clothes have not made much of an appearance.

Or  maybe I am thinking about a jacket I made for Bev last summer.  She showed me a photo from a magazine of a blazer with ruffle sleeves.  In solid deep blue, very pretty.  What I like about this jacket is the shaping, the unexpected juxtaposition of a fitted blazer and bare arms.

Here is the magazine photo - pardon the crease where I folded it and stuffed it in a folder.

Then she purchased fabric, in white/black floral silk dupioni.   Equally gorgeous but not at all what I thought she had in mind.   

For a pattern I used Butterick 5331 which was almost identical to the jacket in the photo.

                                                                                                     

Here is the finished jacket.  In the end we chose to use the cap sleeve instead of the ruffle.  I made a muslin and the ruffle sleeve made us both think "Little Bo Peep".  Not really the fashion look we were going for, and all wrong for that fabric.  

One note on working with this fabric.  The design did repeat, but it was not symetrical, and it was a large pattern for a jacket with relatively small pattern pieces.  Consequently I took a long time to cut it out, playing with the pattern pieces because I wanted to both show off the interesting floral pattern and avoid having a big black flower right on the bust or having it seem a bit off because of too much black pattern on one lapel or the other.  Note the back,

even with the small-ish pattern pieces of a princess style, I wanted to highlight the floral design.

With a pattern like this a good 45 minutes of staring and moving the pattern pieces around really pays off in the end.

The pattern and the blue jacket both had buttons on the front, but I thought button holes in this very delicate and thin fabric could turn out badly.  Also I played with various styles of button holes but in the end I liked it best with no visible buttons.  I sewed 1/2" black snaps on the inside in place of buttons.  If the jacket is worn open, the small black snaps disappear into the pattern.   The jacket is fully lined, including the sleeves, in white poly satin which gives it some nice body and weight, supporting the lightweight silk.   

One last note about this pattern, Butterick 5331.  I thought the lapel and collar were poorly designed and just by virtue of very careful adjusting I got the collar to sit right. But I don't think I would use this pattern again for that reason.

Here is today's SunnyGal garden photo.    My Valencia orange tree,  lots of oranges and blossoms being pollinated by very determined bees.  Yeah bees !   keep up the good work.