EvaDress Contest!

Well, it came down to the wire again, but I managed to get my entries for the EvaDress contest in on time! I entered two garments this year:

The first was made from this beautiful evening dress pattern.


The bodice is made with a striped rayon fabric, which I love; I made a skirt with it a few years ago, and I still have about four yards waiting for the perfect pattern. I lined it with a sheer black material so as not to weigh it down. When I first saw the pattern piece for the bodice, I thought, "Hmm; where's the rest of it?!" It has a little less fabric on the top than I'm accustomed to, but it's so beautiful!

The skirt is also rayon, and cut on the bias, which allowed me to eliminate a zipper. Hooray! I think the back is the best part. I found this vintage buckle that matched perfectly.


I'm hoping to wear it to a wedding in August. I love this pattern, and I'd really like to make a shortened version for a summer daytime dress.

My second entry is this blouse. I found this beautiful herringbone wool on sale, and decided to use it to make up this pattern. Don't you love the sleeves?!


I had to grade it down to my size, which was a little challenging. It's hard to tell from the photos, but I made the herringbone pattern run vertically on the sleeves and lower bodice, and horizontally on the upper bodice and belt. It's much more noticeable in person. I made the skirt and gloves last summer and never got to share them; I'll show some more of them later.


I'm so glad that I got a chance to enter the contest this year; if you have a chance, you should visit the site and take a look at all of the other wonderful entries. Of course, I would never attempt to influence your vote (please vote for me) in any way! :)

Hello, Sailor!

Another unseasonably warm day! Although I had so many fall and winter projects planned that didn't come to fruition, I must say that I am ready for spring! Here is Henry's outfit for Easter (if he doesn't outgrow it before then)!

He had a store-bought sailor suit just like this one last year, and I loved it so much that I decided to make another one just like it for this year, using the old one as a pattern. It's made from a navy cotton blend fabric. It was one of the rare times when I bought a fabric that wasn't on sale, but that's the beauty of these tiny outfits: they don't require very much fabric!


Here is a picture of the old one; I took this photo before I hacked it to pieces. Just kidding! I just took apart all of the seams and used the pieces to make a pattern, adding a few inches to make it larger. It was actually easier than I expected it to be; easier even than working with an actual pattern, because I could see exactly how it all went together. My trim is a little bit simpler, and I added pockets in the front, because he is currently obsessed with them and now refuses to wear anything without pockets. The old one was also polyester. Aside from these small alterations, I really just copied the original.


I used some anchor buttons, which I thought were cute, but now I'm thinking that they look less vintage than the pearl buttons on the original. What do you think?

I found the wool sailor's cap at a thrift store at the beginning of winter, and the shirt came from a resale shop. The sash is just a satin ribbon. Those cute little white shoes are vintage from ebay. I love them so much...if only he would stop growing!

Sorry about the blurry pictures; it's difficult for a two year-old to stand still for long! I also took some pictures of my newest completed outfit, which I'll be sharing soon!

Altered Knits: Mad About Plaid Part Deux!

I made this dress for the Burns Supper that I hosted a few weeks ago, but I couldn't get a good picture of it until now.

My sister and I have hosted a Burns Supper for the past few years. I always ask everyone to wear plaid, although we don't have a completely traditional supper. I am a vegetarian, so we don't have haggis; we still do the "Address to a Haggis", though, if only so we can stab something. My sister and I are the only ones who are really serious about it, and the rest of the family just sort of humors us, so we have to keep them entertained! We do make everyone recite one poem, and sometimes we make up little tunes for them and have my cousin accompany on guitar. Pretty entertaining. Then we watch "So I Married An Axe Murderer"; you know, because Mike Myers plays a Scottish character who eats haggis. Robert Burns would probably roll over in his grave, but we have a good time!

Please forgive the funny pose; I was trying to ensure that the sleeves showed. I had to take these pictures myself using the timer on the camera, so if it looks as if I was jumping into position, it's because I was. I also cut off my feet; apparently the Lincoln Log tubs on which the camera was sitting weren't stacked quite right...The light inside my house is terrible, but it will have to do until Spring arrives! At least I'll get to show a little bit of my house, which never seems clean enough to photograph.
The plaid parts started out as a huge vest from Goodwill, and the equally large red sweater dress was an etsy find:

I knew that I wanted to do something to alter the sleeves, but my options were limited by the size and shape of the available vest material. In looking for inspiration, I spotted a lot of bell-sleeved dresses and sweaters with contrasting lower sleeves.

Ever since I saw this picture, I've been hunting for enough black fur to make this coat; I have some red wool that would be perfect! I think the orange striped one is actually a jacket over a bell-sleeved blouse.

I was afraid that using a different print for the lower sleeves would make them look too much like they were altered; like they were just stuck on the ends of the existing sleeves (which they were!) instead of appearing as if they were knitted all in one piece. I found quite a few examples, though, that were knitted that way, including these beautiful full-color ones!

This one looks like a knitted jumper over a coordinating sweater. Lovely!

I started by removing the sleeves in order to move the shoulders up and take in the sides. The sleeves were originally gathered at the shoulder, but I wanted the shoulders to lie flat for a smoother line down to the bell, so I put in a series of radiating darts. The sleeves were three-quarter length, so I cut off about six inches so I could add the bottom part. I reattached the sleeve band to the bottom, which I had gathered. I was very proud of the way these turned out; I had to do a lot of measuring (which is not my forte) and drafting, and they ended up exactly as I had planned, which is rare for me!

Luckily, it came with a tie belt, so I just cut it down and put a buckle on it. I used the extra red material from the sleeves to back the collar and the insert for my hat. The plaid collar comes from behind the shoulder and is stitched in place with a big vintage button.

This dress took me about three days to make, most of which was spent planning, measuring, and drafting the sleeves, and then procrastinating because I was afraid that my measurements were wrong. That's pretty much my M.O. on every project, although I have managed to get another sweater dress finished; I'll get some pictures of it if we ever see the sun again!

Flattering, Forgiving Sweater Dresses

Hello, everyone! I apologize for the lack of outfit posts recently; the truth is that I gained eight pounds over the holidays (I told you they hit me hard)! That may not sound like much, but when you're five feet tall, it's enough to render all of your clothes too small. Especially when it all goes to your hips (Thanks, Mom)! Growing out of your clothes is always very unpleasant, but I think that when you sew your own clothes, when you invest your time and love into each garment, it is especially hard.

Perhaps it was the fact that I was in charge of Christmas dinner this year; of course, I had to test (eat) all of the recipes before I served them! Or it could have been the dozens of cookies that my mother-in-law baked and then left at my house; I mean, I couldn't let them go to waste...Anyway, since I will be working hard to shed those extra pounds, I haven't been too keen on sewing anything that might not fit in a month or two. My solution: knits! If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that altering knits is already one of my favorite things to do. They're stretchy, so they will still fit me after I (hopefully) lose a few inches, and it's the perfect time of year for them. Since I currently have almost nothing to wear, and since my husband gave me a serger for Christmas this year (so exciting!), I've been furiously working on some '30s-style knits. Here are some pictures that have been inspiring me. All of these photos come from reproduction knitting books available at Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions. I could look at the pictures on her site for hours; so much inspiration!

A knitted pantsuit! I don't think that I could pull this off.

If you want to see that amazing dress on the lower right in person, check out this post from A Cat Among the Pigeons. Beautiful!

Knickers! I think that, traditionally, Henry is really too young to be in knickers. It seems that in most of the old pictures I've seen, boys his age are in shorts year-round, and the boys wearing knickers are older. I just can't put him in shorts in the middle of winter! And the knickers are so cute. If only I could find those socks!

Speaking of knickers and Henry, at least I can share an outfit post of him:

These are the same shoes and knickers that he was wearing in the last post. The shoe paint has held up pretty well; however, there was an incident when he tried to jump into a swimming pool (indoor!) fully clothed. The paint sort of sloughed right off. I'm not sure if it was the water, the chlorine, or something else, but just keep that in mind if you plan to try this technique. The hat is vintage; I found it in a flea market last summer, and he has been wearing it nonstop ever since. I made the shirt a while ago, and the vest is from Carter's. He is obsessed with pockets right now, so I have just finished another pair of knickers for him, with pockets this time. Looking at these pictures, I decided that he needs some little ties!

I finished my evening dress, and it was a hit at the wedding, as was Henry's outfit. We just got a new camera, so as soon as we figure out how to use it, I will share pictures!

Aviatrix Costume: The Coat

I'm back! Boy, the holidays really hit me hard this year; I haven't done much sewing, blogging, or really much of anything since Thanksgiving! I almost didn't post this one since it has been so long since Hallowe'en, but I had it mostly written and decided that I really wanted a log of the entire costume. If you're tired of seeing the same pictures that you've been seeing for the past two months, scroll down; I finally managed to post a few photos of my little one!

As I used real leather to make the coat, I really wanted to be able to wear it again. I used the leftovers from a huge thrift store coat that I had cut up to recover a chair cushion, so most of it was in pieces.

I used parts of several different patterns to make it. I had to do a bit of improvising, as I needed to use the largest pieces for the sleeves, hence the panels in the bodice. I didn't take as many pictures of the process as I had thought, so I hope that you can see how it all went together . I was finally forced to do bound buttonholes; seven of them! I was terrified to do these in leather, as I don't have much practice with them in the first place, but I found that the stiffness of the material actually helped a lot.

I had originally planned for the coat to have four buttons, but then I found these amazing vintage buttons on etsy, and I decided that I wanted to use more of them! Luckily, it worked out that I could put another buttonhole between each one that I had already done; I had to lengthen the coat slightly to make the spacing right, but I think it still looks fine. And yes, I did use one of my son's blue crayons to do all of the markings. It worked like a charm and wiped right off!

Putting on the waistband. Have you ever tried to gather leather before? I hadn't, and I hope that I never have to again! It does make the back look pretty, though. Here you can see how the waistband is pieced together, and how I couldn't quite make the seams on the bodice and the waistband match up. They match in the front, though, and it's really not noticeable when I'm wearing it. I still think that it turned out better than it would have if I had used a vinyl or some other cheaper material.

To make the coat more versatile, I wanted to make the sheepskin collar removable. I had this big piece of faux sheepskin that came home with us from the hospital when I had Henry and which has been sitting in my stash ever since.

I cut out a piece the size and shape that I wanted it, and lined it with some brown satin.


You can see how bad the bound buttonholes look from the inside in this picture. Don't look! Allow yourself to be distracted by the clever way the collar buttons onto the jacket!


The lining was a pre-quilted acetate that I got on sale from my local fabric store. I was so proud of how the lining came out; I don't line things very often, and I really struggled to figure out how to put it all together. Especially the sleeves. Success!


Here's what it looks like without the collar. Sorry for the quality of the photo; our camera broke last month, so it will be more of those old camera phone pictures for a while! This was an unseasonably warm day, so we decided to do some outdoor activities.


I was inspired by the jacket illustrations at the lower left of this advertisement. I'd love to have these sporty skirts and blouses, too, and especially that plaid sweater!

I made this little scarf and hat using a regular-sized scarf from Target. Making the sweater-covered buttons was a nightmare, but I think it was worth it.


Here we are getting ready to go on a little hike.

I made Henry's knickers using brown corduroy, and he loves them! He won't even wear regular pants anymore, especially since we attended a showing of "A Christmas Carol". When he saw Tiny Tim, he decided that he would "be that little boy when he gets bigger". I'm so proud of my husband for letting me put girls' tights on him. (On Henry; not on my husband. Although there was that year that I convinced him to be John Adams for Hallowe'en....)

The hat is an adult hat that I found at Goodwill; I just put a seam up the back to make it fit his head. It does look a little big, but I think it works! The sweater came from a resale shop, and the scarf is mine. The shoes were white; I painted them brown using these Angelus Leather Paints. Worked like a charm!


And now that the new year is here and I have finally finished talking about my Hallowe'en costume, on to other things! I've been working on my very first evening dress, which I plan to wear to a cousin's wedding in a few weeks. Since I can't seem to concentrate on just one project at a time, I've also been sewing a vest for my husband, a few more dresses for myself, and the cutest outfit for Henry to wear to the wedding, which I can't wait to share!

A Duchie Award For Me, and A Coupon For You!

Some time ago (okay, over a month ago; ack; so sorry!), I received the Duchie Award from the lovely Lauren of Wearing History! I am always so honored to receive blog awards, but it feels extra special to receive one from someone whose style, skills, and creativity I admire so much!

“When you receive a Duchie Award, post on your blog (in any order)":

• Five things you love about historical costuming/wearing vintage clothing
• Three (or more) blogs to pass the Duchie Award onto
• A link back to the blog who awarded you the Duchie”

Five things I love about historical costuming/wearing vintage clothing:

1. The details. Vintage patterns have beautiful details that most modern patterns just don't have. A sleeve from the '30s can have more features than an entire modern dress, and don't even get me started on all of the wonderful seaming and pleating!

2. As Lauren said, learning new skills is a huge part of making vintage clothing. Most of my '30s patterns have very limited instructions, and I am amazed at how far I have come since I began sewing with them. I remember saying things like, "It says to put the bodice together, but it doesn't say how!" In fact, I just purchased an early '30s pattern very cheaply because its instructions are missing, and I can't wait to get started on it!

3. Dressing my little one. While finding pretty dresses for little girls is not difficult, finding nice clothes for little boys is a different story. They can be had for a price, but even these stop being available after about age 2. If you don't want your little one going around in t-shirts that say something inane like "You Bug Me!" or "Macho Man!", you must either buy expensive clothes or make them yourself. I haven't been posting any pictures of my little vintage boy, but I have been taking them, so I will remedy that soon!

4. The Accessories. Hats, gloves, collars, cuffs, beautiful jewelry; there is so much opportunity for creativity with accessories.

5.The limitless possibilities. Almost all of my patterns have one or two variations, and I've found that I can make up the same dress using different materials, and it looks like a completely different dress. I can't see myself ever getting tired of '30s fashions!

And now to pass this award on to three more blogs! I always have such a hard time with this, because there are so many wonderful blogs out there, but here are three that I just love:

Lilacs & Lace- I first found Laura Mae through Sew Retro, and she makes the most beautiful vintage clothing! I'll never know how she manages to make so many wonderful garments so quickly!

Time Traveling in Costume-I love all of her beautiful creations! Plus, according to her latest post, she is getting ready to make some dresses from my favorite era; I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

My Happy Sewing Place-Debi just celebrated her blogiversery and re-posted photos of many of her lovely creations, which reminded me of all the beautiful outfits she has made over the past year!

Thanks again for the award, Lauren!

Also, Rhiannon of the lovely etsy shop Garb-oh Vintage has graciously offered my readers a 20% off coupon for Black Friday! Just use coupon code "SHOPFRIDAY" at checkout to save on some beautiful vintage clothing.

There you have it: an award and a coupon; plus, someone at Walmart told me that I look 25 yesterday...Christmas has come early for me this year! Ha ha