Sewing Retro

Taking a step right outside my comfort zone and for that matter my style zone!  I have completed my very first vintage sewing project - which I would never have attempted if it wasn't for the online sewing community.  Earlier in the month I revealed the pattern and fabric (read here) as my Fall for Cotton project.

I am really smitten by the bodice of this dress and in particular the neckline, which was really easy to sew BTW, just had to make a triangle when sewing the facing on to the dress and cut it out!

Don't you just love the stand-up collar!

Side Tracked by underwear

This month I'm sewing along with The Monthly Stitch and Fall for Cotton, and if this wasn't enough to keep me busy I've been easily side tracked into what is worn under these lovely dresses!

Gosh, I don't event know how I got side-tracked but next thing I know I've ordered two bra patterns on Esty, and purchased a panties pattern from a local store so I can have a matching set!  (That's my obsessive compulsive behaviour at it's best!!!)

Hello Chloe

Chloe is a semi-fitted, mid length A-line dress that hints towards a 60's mod style - a pattern by Canadian company Victory Patterns.  I purchased the pattern from Dresses and Me together with the Lola pattern - you can read about my Lola here.

I really like the capped sleeve and contrast effect of version 2 and I chose a wool with a very fine red pinstripe which runs vertically.

Spring calls for Group Sewing

Today is the first day of spring and to kick it off I am participating in a couple of group sewing activities.  Luckily I can sew one garment for both - oh year love that!

I love sewing dresses and who doesn't like a good cotton fabric, but I don't usually sew vintage!  Athough now vintage includes the 1980s I probably have a few patterns from that era in my statsh!  Anyway my intuition must have known something I didn't, because about three months ago when sewingpatterns.com had a Butterick sale I acquired this Butterick Retro '51 pattern.  The dress to the left particularly caught my eye.

This pattern wasn't even on my sewing 'to do' list, then all of a sudden it is first out of the box for September - don't you love how a good group activity changes things :-)

Last week I took a wee detour to The Fabric Store hoping to get some inspiration for fabric.  I was hoping to find a cotton voile or similar light weight cotton that would have a transparent nature.  Next thing I knew I was at the counter with this fabric!

The pin in the centre will give you a sense of the size of the pattern.

Now this is sooooo far removed from my comfort zone, but the purple and blue combination found a soft spot and intuition said 'BUY IT'.   So what is a girl to do ... follow her intuition of course!

To keep inspired and gain some confidence in my selection I joined the Fall for Cotton Flickr group - check it out there are some great patterns and amazing fabrics to google over.

Check out this fabric!   I ordered this from Spoonflower, not long after I discovered the awesomeness of custom made fabric. 

Two yards of cotton sateen - devine!  At the time I ordered it all I knew was that I wanted to make a dress with it, one with a fullish skirt.  Then along came this pattern from Kay Unger in the Vogue collection, the perfect combination. 

On my way past the Fabric Warehouse yesterday I called in to pick up some lining, 100% cotton batiste, which is lovely and soft to match the cotton sateen, knowing that this pattern would be at the top of my sewing list soon now that it is Spring ;-)

It feels like Spring is my permission to start sewing summer dresses - well that's what I'm telling myself anyway.  That's not to say that I've finished my winter sewing list yet - still two pairs of jeans to make and a nice wool blazer!  There is no doubt that they will get loads of wear before summer is truly here.