Sew Weekly: Mad Men

Happy Friday! This week, myself and the Sew Weekly gals from 2011 had a 'series' return of our own in ode to the Mad Men Season 5 starting in the States this weekend! It's hard not to be around the sewing online community without knowing about Mad Men, and it's (I believe) one of the reasons vintage fashion is so dominant in many contemporary designs from the past 2-3 years... you see catwalk (not that I look at catwalks that often) designs have a real 50s / 60s flavour... and I wish I knew which designers I was talking about here... but! That's why I just make my own clothes, I guess... I haven't got the knowledge skills to be a fashion commentator!

My knitty gritty in making this dress I wrote up in my facts section on Mena's blog, but the fabric is another bedsheet from my stash (stash busting is going well!) and a pattern I bought in Bendigo at one of the op shops there... it's a 1955 which is a little early for some of the mad men fashions, but it still has a late 50s vibe with the shape overall.

For the photos we visited the council building in Footscray, and the afternoon sun made for perfect back light! You know if you're a regular of my blog, that Husbie stands facing the sun, and with me in between, so you get the sunlight on your hair, and around your frame (see my arm in the shot below 'highlighted' with the back lit sun?):

It really makes your shape stand out from the background, and that's using any camera. If your camera shows your face a little dark, you can put the flash on (seems weird to use the flash during the day) but that will bring a little light to your face while keeping the lovely light around you.

The peek a boo detail was a little tricky, especially since I didn't cut the additional neckline pieces as I thought they were facings, and I'd lined the bodice (just using spare white cotton, and the normal pattern pieces) instead... but the neckline was sooooooo wide, and sooo off the shoulder I was like this can't be a 1955 pattern! THEN, I was like 'OHHHHHH', (and read the instructions properly) and spent a little bit of hand stitching to get the collar/neckline piece attached cleanly and retrospectively. (That was a funny sentence!)

It's a really love result and make the dress just a little unusual:

The ribbons on the skirts, are just that... however they do make it look like little pockets... which in a 6 gored skirt, would actually be cute to add another time... I love all this little detail in what could be just a simple 50s frock. I never find 'interesting' patterns at the op shop, so I'm happy this one came to me... I do have one more from my trip to Bendigo, so I might save that for another Sew Weekly adventure.

It was so fun sewing again with the 2011 Sew Weekly gals, as I write this Debi's post hasn't gone up yet, but I'm sure it'll be AMAZING! I loved seeing Sarah's & Adey's creations! 

And, just quickly, here's the first of my 100 THINGS! Yippee! My challenge has begun!

Sew Weekly: At the Movies

Last week's Sew Weekly wrapped up Hitchcock completely! Mystery, murder, birds! We really got into the fun of it all, and personally, I think it was the best looking week for all of us! You can see the archives of Sew Weekly to find us, and get a little boggled (like I just did) at all the creations so far! OMG!

Lean with me, for my Grace Kelly look is about to get weird:

Husbie was directing me! I hadn't realised how muscle-y my legs are. OMG what exercise have I been doing to get those?

And a little spying, a la Rear Window:

 It's such a sweet dress, and really lovely to wear. The MIFF opening was last week, and I wore it without the tulle underneath (like this photo below)

Thanks for visiting my blog once again just for the pictures! I'm a little strapped for time this next week, but I'll be back gung-ho in August. And one of those blog a day challenges in September! Plus of course, I still want to shake up the look of the site. Recently you may have heard me worried IRL (You got most of it Sophie and Stasia) about how I'm not reading your dear comments... blogger sometimes breaks and it's hard to leave a comment. GOSH DARN I do not like that. We'll see if I can work out how to migrate to another publisher though. Maybe Google Plus will change blogger too?

Butterick 7181 - TICK!

"Dress and Stole: Day or Formal Lengths" 11 Pieces and "Cut low to show off your shoulders" is the description here, and by gosh I think it shows off my shoulders just enough for me to remember why I don't like strapless bras.

Yay, this darling dress is finished and it's totally taught me a bunch of things along the way! For those of you 'joining me today for the first time', I'm making every pattern that dear penpal Amanda of Adelaide has supplied me (which is 13 patterns from her collection) and talking about the process and giving you a little insight into the pattern. I adore a challenge in the sewing room to keep me motivated and focus, because I turn into a forgetful seamstress and busy lady otherwise. Hence, I'm revealing to you today Round 2 of Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge.

So if you recall, I had to choose this pink stripey stuff, because I thrift/op shop all my fabrics, and I'm on a bit of a stash busting rampage at the moment. Pink candy stripes it was because this skirt has over 2 metres of gathering AND darts in the waist. So that's shitloads of fabric, and by gosh it looks good because of it.

The other thing I realised as I started the bodice bits, was that the fabric was quite see-through, and if a girl had to wear a strapless bit of underwear you'd probably want to hide it as well, so I lined the whole bodice with some other creamy pinky stash fabric. AND please allow me to gush at how skilled I am at LINING A FREAKING BODICE! I even attached the sleeves and lined it that way. I can't even remember how I did it now! I think I explained the timeframe in this post, so I guess I did do it and not the Sewing Fairy or Whatever.

The other thing I found out about in this pattern, was to do a 'zipper facing'. It's where you get a bit of fabric long and rectangle like (say 3 inches across and 10 inches down), you do only 3 edges (in my case I overlocked it) and then you stick it right sides together to the skirt, and where you want the zipper to be. Stick it, of course, is the 'Veronica Darling Term' for sew it in a really skinny long v-shape vertically down the thing. (Err, this is sounding bad, hey?) Anyways, then you cut in between the v-shape and then you turn the facing inside and iron it flat and you have yourself a dandy little opening in the skirt that's all ready for the zipper. I'm sure if you google it, someone has explained it better than me!

 

There's the side zipper, with the zipper facing, that unfortunately you can't see, but I'm not fond of showing the inside of my things, because they *can* look dodgy. But in my hastiness to 'stick' aforementioned zipper facing to the skirt, I kinda stuck it in the wrong place, and now the seam (vertical again) of the skirt now sits at the front. It is hidden in the gathers, but I'm not altogether happy with it.

Oh well!! At least it looks pretty spunky!

I just realised how daggy my shoes look since I didn't do them up. My lovely friend took the phots and she did say "You don't want toe strap them up?", and now I realise how much of dork I am. It's Pincurls Saturday again at my house and I just took them out before and yep... I pretty much look like Marilyn Monroe. Whatever.

The stats, as borrowed from Mena at The Sew Weekly (best challenge EVER):
Fabric: Some sort of light cotton or linen from the Salvo's in Tempe approx $2 a metre and pinky cream shiny drill from my stash
Pattern: Butterick 7181, on loan from Amanda in Adelaide
Notions: Lightening Vintage zipper, Vintage buttons & thread handed down to my stash from my friend's granny's stash.
Time to complete: Over 2 weeks, perhaps 10 hours.
Year: 1950s
First worn: Today, just to try it on.
Wear again? Nup, not into strapless bras, will be up for sale.
Total Cost:  $8.50 AUS

Love to you on the weekend!

Spending too much time with pink...

I have never never never created things from so much pink stuff. The dusty pink fabric for Weigel's 1941 was fine, it had a sheen to it that was kinda grey.

But here's MORE pink!

Yesterday I sat down with 3 pieces of fabric, yellow, greeny yellow and pink stripes, to measure out what was needed for Butterick 7181 and this must have been the glory days, oh yes indeedie! For the skirt I measured out 100 inches (I prefer using inches because they're a lot meatier and you can always remember the numbers more that 84 cms or whatever) around the waist! Lots of darts and lots of gathering!

So I had to choose PINK again for this dress, as my yellow and greeny yellow checked material had hardly enough material to make half that skirt! The pink stripes is from the Salvo's in Tempe and I remember buying it last year thinking this is the LAST time I'm buying fabric from this place BECAUSE they really run the costs up in the giant warehouse. You know how you can leave with 5 bits of fabric for $10 or so, from a normal op shop? This place you'll buy the same bits and it'll cost $50. I know it's all charity driven etc, but as my sewing is a hobby, and not a profession, I'm not out to spend a lot! I just can't afford to go there!

Anyways, this is kinda linen pink stuff, and kinda soft and a little bit see through.

 

So! Yesterday, before I cut it all out I measured the length I wanted for the skirt, since this was going to take up most of the fabric, I mapped it out (100 inches by 20 inches) and cut that first. Then I looked at the rest of the pattern pieces and saw that the facings were only very thin, and considering my fabric was so light... I decided to line the bodice with spare pinky drill I had in the stash.

Putting together the bodice took AGES because I had to look at it, and then look at it some more. Then I went and played some computer games. Then I came back and looked at it with the sleeves pinned on. I looked at it some more. I pinned the whole thing together and folded it out (the lining of course wasn't as straight forward as I thought, and I had to get the sleeves involved without sewing up the wrong bits!)... and I felt like I could do it! Yippee! The lining has given it a bit of stiffness too, because how the hell does it stay up? The sleeves drop down past the shoulder (I've named this the 'Rochelle, Rochelle' look after Seinfeld) so the bodice needs to be kinda stiff and fitting to stay up!

It looks great hey!??? The buttons are from the stash too, and were rather tricky to put on for some reason. I, of course, forgot the interfacing along the holes so it's a bit flimsy. OH WELL!

And here's the side without the zipper. How much gathering is there??!! 

So, it's a pretty goodlooking dress so far, but I'm totally OVER pink. I don't even know if this is for me now either, as it's pretty syrupy and I don't really tend to wear these kinda colours. 

Hopefully I'll finish this today, before I go to the Laneway Festival. It's changed locations this year, so perhaps it'll be fun. Not sure if 'Rochelle, Rochelle' is up for a music festival yet!

xoxo

Weigel's 1941 - TICK!

Hooray!

Great news just in, I've completed my first vintage pattern as part of my "Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge"! Yippee. If you've only just stopped by now, I have a pen pal in Adelaide (called Amanda!) who has shared with me several delicious vintage patterns recently. And as I'm a keen seamstress, but always in dire need of a motivator, I've decided to make and review these lovely patterns, and hence "Amanda's Vintage Pattern Challenge"!

So, here you have Weigel's 1941, and if you love the history behind patterns, Amanda found this awesome note about Johanna Weigel. She lived in Richmond in Melbs and started the pattern making business in 1877. CUTE. And YIKES.

The pattern is Bust 34, and I'm around that usually, but this is much bigger, say 2 inches. (You may see me holding it in above) But the main thing for me, the shoulders and the waist are just too big too. I didn't alter anything else from the pattern piece (apart from cutting a foot - at least - from the hem), so overall it's not really my size, but I have a feeling a few girlfriends from work would be EXACT fit.

There are a few gathers around the shoulder/armhole/under the collar, and I'm not sure if that's just me being a bit too little in the shoulder to hold it up, or if it's because I missed interfacing the bottom collared bits. I forgot about them til it was too late, and maybe the collar doesn't really sit properly on my wee little shoulders.

 

I told you about my skirt mishap the other day, but overall it hasn't affected the style of the dress. I did add an extra row of buttons above the waist line, since I wasn't going to do the belt, and I think it looks really cute!

I love the scoopy sailor-esque collar!

Everything is made from thrifted materials, the pink cotton/sheeny stuff is opshopped, and the buttons and zipper (on the side) are both thrifted too. Even the pinky thread I was given from my friend's granny. So all second hand and totally one of a kind dress. I used up all the material, so there wasn't even enough for the belt.

I really love the pattern, it was SO easy to follow (apart from me being silly and misreading the amount of fabric for the skirt) and is a really pretty dress.

What did I learn? I need to remember interfacing in collars and not rush them, as they can kinda look a little homemade if not attached properly or carefully ironed etc. And yay! Again for my Husbie's flash, so I can post today!

Dress One: Wiggle in Green (aka Outfit 99)

And finally, my first dress for Frocktober, and it's pretty geeky but cute at the same time.



It's a 1959 wiggle dress, and probably looks better on me than Diana (although Diana has a fine figure, let's just say I fill those gaps a little bit more). This was from a vintage pattern, and it took so long because it was a little bit fiddly. With at least 2 darts in each pattern piece there was a bit of preparing to do (I kinda do darts too quickly, and there's a slight measurement stuff up on the front bodice bit that hopefully no one will notice) and THEN I didn't read the packet first on what materials I'd need because there are TWO ZIPPERS!


Yep, a back neck zipper that you chuck in first (only 7 inches) then a side zipper that you put in last and I'd never really done a side zip before!!! SUGAR! But I read the instructions through about 12 times (luckily it was one of those patterns that actually tells you how to sew the zip in) and it turned out ok! Although the flap is a little bit bigger than you'd find on a store bought dress, I'm pretty happy for my first side zip effort (where the flap hides the zipper).

BUT! I did alter the pattern to what I thought would make a better fit on my upper torso (my bod is usually in proportion to normal patterns apart from my shoulder to bust, which means straps have to be altered almost 2 inches) but in my haste I also altered the in built sleeves (vintage patterns often tend to have bodice and sleeves all in one) so the sleeves (perhaps you can tell in the front on pic above) are pretty tight around my arms. Husbie reckons that I should cut them off, and stick another sleeve on...?

Anyways, so it was a bit of a bigger project to start this Frocktober challenge, but oh well! Done now!

If you'd like to donate dosh or sign up for the real Frocktober and Ocsober challenge (for real charities) you can find them here for now, as I'll fiddle with my blog here and put a linkydink on the side bar soon.

And for extreme followers of my blog, this was Outfit 99 in the 100 Outfit Challenge... which means this current dress I'm working on will be Outfit 100. Yikes. Gulp. I'd like to say 100 Outfits went quickly... but it didn't! Phew Phew Phew!

Outfit #98 - OMFG It's almost 100

I haven't posted a Numbered Outfit in AGES! Sozza! Been working interstate AND my parents stayed before that, and it was my birthday before that and ... before that... I can't remember! Thanks to you all for 'hanging in there' til I got my shizz together and finally completed another garment.

It's a vintage spring frock!



I tried to make it a little Mad Men esque, using a 'sub-teens' pattern from 1959, and perhaps if I make the jacket that goes with it, it'll look the part.

Once again, everything you see is thrifted from the op shop! Buttons down the back, and side zipper (can't remember doing one of those before!) and of course the darling fabric. I think it may have been a tablecloth that someone made.

My goodness, with just 2 garments of 100 Outfit Challenge, what should I do next? Is it too soon to do another dress a day, but this time for October? I'm HONESTLY considering not drinking for a month because I'm just way too fat (hence me not wearing that pretty dress above) and stonkered-drunk after Melbs.

Speaking of Melbs, a HUGE cheerio goes to Rachel, who happened to be dining at Gills Diner the same night as I (last week), and who also happens to be the first person who's said to me 'Are you Veronica Darling? I read your blog'. EVER. And sorry Rachel, I was not only looking a mess, I'd not prepared anything to say in response. My plan in the future is to say 'THANKS FOR READING' (which I can't remember if I said to you Rachel, since I was a little EMBARRO about someone in real life reading my blog) and 'YAY for SEWING'... So if I meet you again Rachel, or perhaps YOU dear reader, in the future, I honestly will say 'YAY for Sewing'.

Oh dear I'm a goose sometimes!

Outfit #64 - Madmen fashion inspired!

Ok, so I've got a few posts on the way, but this week we're heading to Melbs for a holiday, and have a bit of things to get done before blogging UNFORTUNATELY!

But here's a vintage inspired dress, a smidge Madman! Here's the pattern I used, but as a lot of the older patterns have smaller waists, I made sure I let the waistline go a bit, but still it's flattering:





On the right gal, it'll be a perfect wiggle dress! It's 64 outta my goal of 100, and I'm thinking to do a dress a day in July to boost the numbers up! My friends have done 'Dry July' before, where they don't drink for a month, and raise funds for a hospital. So perhaps I can come up with a catchy name to go with July's Dress a Day efforts... 'Sew-vember' would be a better month... I'll have to think about it or ask my puntastic friends!

More tv than sewing - Hmpf!

Well, the West Wing is getting exciting (as in building to an end - that's for sure) and last night we laughed at our Sunday (Long Weekend) Night of pizza, puppy hugs, and getting drunk watching the West Wing. Haha!

Today I almost finished the yellow wiggle dress (Outfit #64), as you can see, and only have the hem and the inside tacking things to do.


The bow at the front is so sweet.

I also redid the ironing board cover because the old one was giving me the creeps:



Yellow again! I must be in love with it. Both fabrics above are second hand bedsheets, so are totally great cotton for dresses and ironingboard covers (in my books).

I was having a think today, whilst doing the wiggle dress, that I might do 30 dresses in 30 days... to amp up my numbers for the 100 Outfit Challenge, and to get my crafting into gear. A few of you lovely guys have pointed out how far my sewing has come, since I started the challenge, and I think (combined with the better machine) so too. I've got a week off toward the end of June, where I'll be away again, so I may start for July... a dress or outfit for each day in July... seems do-able... but I may have to stick with the easy styles, cause the ones I've been doing lately take AGES!

Also, as I sew in my front room, a friend walking by spotted me adjusting the yellow dress on Diana, and called in... she took home yesterday's dress to try on! So it's almost like I'm a store... the light's on and the shop's open! Ha Ha! AND Chrisy, she said the same thing! Some leggings would look great underneath.

Take care, Veronica Darling

Outfit # 56 - vintage style dress

Once a bedsheet, now a pretty vintage style dress! You may recall my messy sewing room post, where I posted the Butterick 1950s (no date listed at all, it was designed in New York but manufactured in Australia) pattern and overall it was quite easy to make, and those old instructions are just so much better and really straightforward to follow. So the wrap over bit is actually fine, but the shoulders may need shoulderpads or something, and perhaps heaps more boobs that I've got!

Inspired by my new sewing crush, here's my photo collection!




So it looks great, but I'm a little bit little for the larger top, so let me know if you're interested and I'll list it on etsy for you with the measurements! I'm pulling it in at the back so it looks good on me! Because of the wrap pieces on the front I'm reluctant to take it in further, because they sit really nicely at the moment!

I'm making some shirts now for a lady friend of mine, from so excellent bedsheets, so it's a big refashion week for me! I might quickly go and post this on Wardrobe Refashion too!

Starting some new (but old) dresses

I've been mucking a bit lately (see the vests and the bowtie!) so today I started a normal nice frock! (Although I did cut one more bowtie, for a birthday present for the boy who's vest got turned into a ladies vest by mistake, and today I gave to my lady friend! She's going to look like Annie Hall)

So I found a yellow bed sheet in my stash, it's really thick and soft and doesn't crease too much!



I made a little mess, that's my little scrap box on the floor there... I like to have it by my feet as when the bobbin needs rethreading or you wanna test the tension it's good to have the scraps close by... plus you can use them later for other stuff too... I think the material hasn't been in the stash too long actually, as it may have come from a recent Tempe Tip (Salvos in Tempe) Trip.



My new scissors... They're KIA brand I think and how lovely is the focus on the camera... I'm testing out the M function on the Canon... I usually use automatic or P (for Practicing I call it!)... but the focus is amazing using M!



And the actual frock! I've cut it shorter (this version pictured would be at my ankles. I'm such a shortie!) to my knee, but will adjust later. And I'm also making the shorter sleeve (pink) version. I love how the bodice wraps and is tailored into the waist... I'll see how it goes and post tomorrow! I was about to use some gorgeous material my Mum brought me from Vietnam, but thought since I've not used the pattern before I should test it out on some second hand cheaper material first!