Mom and Vintage Patterns

My youngest son just graduated from college this weekend, and pretty much my entire family came to witness the graduation and celebrate. Well my mom and dad bought an extra suitcase, and my mom blessed me with a suitcase full of vintage patterns! There were over 30 patterns in the suitcase. A lady gave them to her; she knew that my mom sewed, and told her to do whatever she liked with them. Well needless to say she thought of me, her eldest!

Here's a picture of a few of them.






Most were in my bust size, can you believe it! I don't know where to start. So many fabrics, ideas, patterns, but so little time.

All I could do was hug her over and over again (My Dad couldn't figure out why I was so excited about a "box of old patterns"). I knew God put that woman in my life for a reason, if only to bring me a suitcase full of vintage patterns. I always knew she was the perfect mom, but now she has taken perfection to a whole new level.

Oh well, time for me to stop ranting about my mom and start sewing.

What does LOVE look like 25 years later - A sewing story

I know for a fact that sewing for anyone is nothing less than an act of love.

When my sister was a little girl, the cabbage-patch dolls had just come out. She of course wanted one but my Mom told here no. Now mind you I am 15 years older than my little sister, and of course she came to her big sister (that's what we are here for!).

Since I couldn't go against my parents wishes, I had to find an alternative. At the time Butterick had just posted a pattern for "soft-sculptured" dolls. So off I went to the fabric store to complete my first doll. I finished her and gave her to my sister. She took that doll with her everywhere she went. This doll was loved beyond love!

Now fast foward to over 25 years later. My sister is now 31 years old and an attorney:

(My Sister)

She no longer carries the doll with her everywhere. If you are wondering what happened to the doll?

Well I recently returned home and my mother had a surprise for me. That little doll that was "homemade" with love was sitting on the bed in one of her rooms. She had on a new dress, and new socks purchased by my Mom. I think she is more beautiful today than she was 25 years ago.

My mom says all she could think of was the love that this little doll reminded her of. Even though her head is a little wobbly now, she's loved more now than she was in her first year.

So if you're wondering what love looks like as it grows old, well words can't describe it, only a picture will do it justice.

Vogue 8491 Completed and On to Vintage

Well its done! And I'm really pleased with how it turned out. (Forgive me not smiling, but I never liked to take pix - As I learn to use the self-portrait timer on my camera, I now know why my husband and kids are always complaining about how hard it is to get a picture of me smiling)

I'm going to add a little weight at the hem in the back near the bottom of the slit, I think that will make it hang so much better. I could have placed the center back such that the design didn't fall so close to the seam line on both sides. I was so focused on the design direction (nap). There are no regrets on this one and I am loving the fit! I will definitely be making this again!


The pattern was very simple to. Its fully lined. I was given a label with the fabric so of course I had to put that in with my own label:


Also another thing that I have started doing is putting the "eye" portion of a hook & eye set at the top of slit openings that are on a seam. It helps cut down on the stress at the seam.

Now on to my next project, I just bought my first vintage pattern.

I've got a piece of red linen that I think would look really nice in this.

sewing and half.com

Well recently I had checked out a book from the library on fitting: "Every Sewers Guide To Perfect Fit" and really liked it, but had to return it. So after looking at one of the many blogs I peruse (Cellie's Pants, to be specific), I read about half.com.

Needless to say, off I went, and have just order the following:

They have already shipped. It came to about $6 per book with postage. So guess what I'll be doing over the Memorial day week (in addition to sewing) - I'll be reading about sewing. What a way to spend a weekend

The dress muslin

I began my work on Vogue 8491. I got the initial paper pattern marked up. I'm doing a muslin. The initial pass was rather loose thru the hips, I had to go back and taper it some:


I've still got some more fine tuning to do, but am pretty pleased with it. I raised the armhole by 1 inch but I'm going to lower it back, and will add a little more ease thru the waist. Well I guess enough sewing on the muslin for the night.

I'm looking forward to the extended weekend so that I can sew.

Skirt pattern alterations done!

Well as part of this fitting class, I've also fitted a skirt. This method of using a different pattern size for the back piece worked amazingly well for the skirt. I just had to add a dart in the back pattern piece, and take the pattern in at the waist. I also added 2 inches to the length.

The pattern that I altered is:



The fabric I'm using is a piece I purchased from Vogue Fabrics Store in Chicago, IL:

I had a difficult time deciding which side to use the right or wrong side. (I liked the green color on the wrong side). But finally decided to go with the black/white-stripes. Turns out the stripes were on the cross-wise rather than length-wise, but don't like the thought of cross-wise stripes.

I just finished cutting out the skirt, and should have the skirt made by the end of the week. I'm contemplating putting a lining in the skirt (although the pattern doesn't call for one).

I also got a muslin done for the dress in my previous post (Vogue 8491). I ended up grading from a small upper body to the larger lower body back piece. I purchased a piece of designer fabric, Carnet de Mode, to make the dress out of:











Then it's on to my first set of pants done from the pants muslin alterations.

International Magazines Arrived

Last week I ordered 3 international magazines: Patrones #266, KnipMode - May 2008; Moden Diana, #27. I already have a dress in the Patrones, a top and suit in the KnipMode chosen to make.

Just more things to feed my addition to sewing!
Oh well, its back to my pants muslin for now.