New Butterick Pattern

I picked this up yesterday while I was out and about. It's starting to creep up to the top section of my to-do list; I'm liking it more and more.

A pattern tale

This one is to die for, no?

It's the epitome of a charming housewife, yes?

She was probably a farmwife, as it came in an envelope from The Farmer. But, let's not talk about that right now. I will divulge the saddest thing in my entire vintage pattern collecting career....

...this is not the dress that the pattern makes. *tears* Yes, true. When I finally got around to examining every pattern that I possessed (which I should have done much sooner!), I discovered that the pattern pieces do not look anything like the shapes in the illustrations. You can only imagine how upset I was! I had been looking forward to making this dress for months!

Maybe someday I will feel like trying to piece together the pattern that did show up in the envelope, but for now, I want to dream that this dress will someday become a reality in my wardrobe...

Vintage Pattern Stash part 6

Cocktail and party dresses:

Vintage Crochet: Shooting Star

Long since finished...

Just pressed.

Vintage Pattern Stash part 5

I like these dresses especially for the fun details they have. Much more thought went into the clothes of yesteryear.

The far right dress below is currently in the works for yours truly with some alterations.

Vintage Pattern Stash part 4

No matter what lot of patterns I buy, there is usually at least one simple dress. That's good. I like simple dresses and I can envision quite a few options with these that I decided to keep. I think #1 (view B) would make a nice apron, too with some alterations. Bows, pleats and collars abound plenty. And look at those heels!!!

Vintage Pattern Stash part 3

The neat school-boy suit.

Collared shirts and pressed pants! Little boys never looked so good!

To keep the little ones cozy at night:

Vintage Pattern Stash part 2

School dress, perhaps?

She could twirl all day!

Peasant blouses are just about the sweetest thing for girls! Casual, yet sophisticated.

I think little Miss-on-the-left can't decide which cake to try first!

Yes, I do seem to get the basics.

A trip to the post office after school?

Vintage Pattern Stash

I always love seeing the vintage patterns that other people have, so I thought I'd show a sampling of mine over the next few weeks! Plus, since I somehow lost my camera cable, I can't post my newest projects yet! ;)

Starting off with some little girls patterns:

This reminds me of nightgowns I wore as a child in pink Lanz flannel! Oh so soft!



A smart blouse for back-to-school.



Look at that collar! And those pockets! And those cute little sleeves!



Another lovely sleeves dress, but more day-to-day than the prior one.


Have you seen Deanna Durbin in Three Smart Girls? She would have worn this! Gotta love those sailor styles!

Vintage Crochet: Seafoam

Seafoam is quite a fitting name for this lacy confection! Completed just last week.

I pray it survives a very long time...

Simplicity 2681: Vintage Nightgown

This nightgown has been planned for many months, but just recently became a reality. I really needed to get back into sewing after my first trip, so I thought this would be a good one to begin with. Time-consuming tracing of the vintage pattern kicked it off!

Vintage Crochet: Pinwheel

No pictures of the vintage pattern, just of the finished project. I am so thrilled that I was able to complete this one is such a short timeframe! Probably one week from start to finish and then I almost completed a much larger one and got halfway through yet another before I ran into problems with it. :)

Since I couldn't decide which flowers I liked better, I've just posted both! :D

Vintage Advance 2249 - Forties Afternoon Dress

I have completely fallen in love with this dress. It's so elegant!

There was no instructions with the unprinted pattern, but it wasn't too difficult to figure it out. I used a sweet pink floral cotton print that I found on clearance at Joanns and lined it with muslin. There is a left side zipper opening that has an invisible zipper and the back ties define a shape so that it doesn't look like a twenties dress. Six pink buttons and pale pink rick rack finished the look.

First the bow, then the front collar and darts detail. Lastly, the back keyhole opening.

Vintage Style Blouse

I altered this cute dress pattern to make a blouse. I'd already made a muslin for a now almost finished dress, so I knew it would fit (perfectly, too, in my opinion!). I couldn't pass up this perfectly darling fabric when I saw it. With only 1 1/4 yds, I knew I'd have to be careful with the pattern choice. This was the perfect one!


Results: The ghost of a vintage pattern updated for the empire waist fashions of today!

The right side of the fabric was too bright for me, so I have the wrong side out; it's so much more pretty that way! It's lined with white muslin, but is still lightweight and perfect for the unbearable heat I'm anticipating this summer.