Craft Rage

You'd think after all the patterns I've dragged home from garage sales, I'd start to get a bit ho-hum about the whole experience. Apparently, not so much. I had to restrain myself from doing the happy dance on some lady's lawn when I found a box of vintage patterns.

The lady sewed for herself, her three daughters, and all her friends, so there are patterns in a variety of sizes, right from size 10 teen to size 23 1/2 woman. Most are from the 50's and early 60's. There are a few from the '70's, which really isn't my favorite style period, but for the most part, they're still patterns I think are interesting, and a few are actually items I'd sew for myself, which I don't often say about '70's styles.

Here are a few of my favorites;

I'm starting to think it's time to do another giveaway, because once again, my collection has now overflowed the two dressers I bought solely for the purpose of storing it. Stay tuned!

Labels: vintage patterns

My mom and her boyfriend decided to get one last motorcycle ride in before the snow flies, so they took their last week of holidays to go camping and fishing, and stopped by to visit for a couple of nights here.

My mom is awesome. Of course, she's my mom, so I have to say that, but really, she IS pretty great. She's really go-with-the-flow, and very non-judgmental, which is good, because it means she eats my cooking without complaint, and doesn't care if I NEVER dust under the TV.

My mom blames herself for the fact that I'm clumsy, though she herself is incredibly graceful, and up until a few years ago, was winning dance competitions all over western Canada and the US.

When I told her about falling off my deck, and showed her my still-swollen ankle (yes, three months later, it's still swollen and painful, but that's another story) she sighed heavily and shook her head.

Mom: "It's all my fault."

Me: "Wha...?"

Mom: "Me and your dad. We should have broken your legs when we had a chance."

Me: "WHA...?"

Mom: "I just couldn't do it to you - you were so little. And cute."

Me: "What. Are. You. Talking. About?!"

Mom: (nonchalantly) "Oh, you were born with crooked legs."

Me: "Crooked...legs?"

Mom: "Oh yes, REALLY crooked. The doctors wanted to break them and splint them right after you were born, but your dad and I just couldn't do it to you."

Me: "Crooked? How crooked?"

Mom: "Oh, like this, kind of." (she draws a sketch on the table with her finger that resembles frogs legs - in at the knees, out at the feet) "But you were so little - we just couldn't do it." "But I guess if we had, you probably wouldn't have fallen off your deck."

Me: "Or out of the back of the truck. Or off the dance floor. Or at 7-11. Or at prom. Or in the parking lot. Or off the swing set. Or..."

"Mom: "Yes, yes. See, it's all my fault! And your dads!"

Now I have an official excuse for being a klutz! It's my mom's fault! I wonder if that will cover me for sewing through my fingernail this weekend. Maybe my arms are crooked, too!

In any case, I'll leave you with this:
Simplicity 1447, size 18, bust 36. I LOVE this dress.

I couldn't wear it, of course, because my legs are crooked, so I'll end up selling it, but what I really love is this cover art.

The lady in the blue dress is obviously the clear winner of a fairly scathing verbal exchange between herself and the lady in red. But nobody who wears a red dress is going to take the humiliation kindly. Her little red clutch purse contains a tiny vial of something that mixes very well with a vodka martini, and her next words will be "I'm sorry, you're right. May I get you a drink?"

Labels: family, vintage patterns

In the city about a half hour north of the small town I live in, only losers wait until the weekend to start their sales. Literally 90% of the garage sales start on Thursday, with a few starting on Wednesday afternoon - by Saturday morning, you might as well stay home, because all that's left is old Barney videos, broken toys, and cheap glassware. Of course, by Saturday morning, it's pretty much all free, 'cause everyone's sick of sitting on their lawn with all their worldly goods around them, but crap is still crap, even if it's free. That's a lesson that took me nearly 30 years to learn. If I've actually learned it, that is.

Anyway, yesterday, on the way home from a meeting, I stopped at a garage sale that was just being set up, and I bought a bag of vintage patterns, sight unseen - the bag was stapled shut and just said "Old sewing patterns". I decided it was worth a chance, and the price we negotiated was certainly fair.

Boy, did I score BIG!

They're all really great vintage patterns, from the '40's to the '70's or so, I think. This in itself is great news, but the best part, the very BEST part, is that they're nearly all larger sized patterns. The smallest one is a size 16, with a 34 bust.

Eeeee!

And how about these?

That last one? B3615? Yeah, it's uncut & factory folded! EEEEE!!!!

There are about 10 other patterns here; Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm so excited about these, since I've barely had time to sew anything for the last couple of weeks. Still, I find myself very inspired, and am, this very second, going to go off and work on the last of the adjustments to the Pink Abomination. My goal is to finish it, and get started on the next version - Abomination 2.0, as it were, with a more flared skirt and the new front bodice.

Oh, and by the by, I've also started a new, non-sewing blog, at www.notverycool.com. That way, I can spare you endless stories about my cats and poor driving habits, and my lack of ability to control the sounds that come out of my mouth. Unless you actually want to read about those things, in which case, you can see that stuff over there. Lucky you!

P.S. And for those of you who are fans of Jenny at Chronically Uncool (as I am), please note that I checked with her before starting notverycool, because, well, they're kind of similar names. Thanks Jenny!

Labels: great deals, thanks, vintage patterns

Okay, now that the blog isn't pink, surrounded by pink swirlies, I can get back to posting. I completed three projects this week (yay me!). Okay, in truth, the projects don't merit a "Yay!", because honestly, they're pretty simple projects.

First up, the Orange Skirt. Made More Important With The Inclusion Of Capital Letters!

This skirt was made without a pattern, which isn't surprising, since it's a simple straight skirt with an elastic waist. It's very...orange. Orange and I play well together, far better than pink and I do - I'm a "fall", or so I learned from Chatelaine, circa 1989. Even so, this is probably one of those skirts I'll only wear if all my pants are dirty.

Of everything I've made so far, this is the one I paid most attention to. I made flat-felled seams on both the lining and the fashion fabric. I found the process to be absurdly simple, and quite gratifiying, since it results in a really nice finish. See? Lookit me, talkin' about nice finishes and such!

Here's a shot of the inside. Again, I didn't use a pattern, so if my lining is way too short, that's 'cause I got overenthusiastic with my rotary cutter. Seriously, I have a love affair going on with my rotary cutter. It would love to cut off my fingertips, and I would love to throw it away. It's just that I have a sense that it would come back, like that movie with the doll - that woman kept throwing it away, and giving it away, but every time she came home from work, it was sitting in her living room, looking at her.

Funny story. Okay, not really funny. Strange. I got the lining fabric from the Salvation Army. It was new, unwashed, and folded, and by the fade on one of the folded sides, was in someone's stash for a good long time.

I bought it because it was shiny (I'm a crow - shiny things attract my attention). When I was at the checkout, there were two ladies at the till - one ringing things in, and the other folding and bagging. They finished with the woman in front of me, and as she walked away, I set this 2m length of fabric on the counter. The bagger actually CRINGED away from it, and said "Oh, my!" as though it were printed all over with naked female parts.

The lady at the till stood there and stared at the fabric for a few seconds, then gingerly reached out a hand to flip the tag over, careful not to actually touch the fabric, and murmured "How interesting." Both ladies tried to rally gamely - the bagger asked me what I might make out of something so...orange..., and the lady at the till smiled uncomfortably and said that it looked as though it would take an iron well, obviously straining for something kind to say.

So anyway, apparently the lining fabric is cursed. Or so horrifically ugly that it shocked these women out of their shoes. I'm betting on cursed, because then I get to call this the Orange Skirt Of Evil. I really like to Capitalize Things To Make Them Important.

Anyway, on the elastic casing, I think I cheated a bit - I sewed bias binding around the unfinished top edge of the skirt, then folded it over and eyeballed it to one inch all the way around, then sewed it. I think I was probably supposed to do something fancy that wouldn't include bias binding at all, but by the time the elastic was going in, I was getting a bit bored.

Second project - vintage top, made with a real vintage pattern! Well, if the '70's or early '80's is vintage, at least. Not really sure where the line gets drawn.

So, I have more vintage patterns than I should have, and only about four of them are in a size that I could sew and wear today. This is not one of them. As you can see from the package, it's a size 12, 34' bust. My actual bust is 50", so a small adjustment was necessary.

Since this pattern was comprised of two pieces cut on the bias, and some bias binding, it was an easy one to edit, although I'm not sure if I did it the "right" way. All I did was measure the distance across the top of the pattern, where the top seam is supposed to sit, then measured the same spot on my actual chest. The difference was six inches. I was supposed to cut the piece flat, not on the fold, but figured I'd take a shortcut - I carefully folded the fabric on the bias, folded the pattern piece down the middle, and slapped it down. Instead of lining the edge of the pattern up with the fold, I shifted it back three inches from the fold, which gave me six inches of extra fabric, right down the middle, but didn't change any of the other dimensions.

I actually like this little top - I got the size just right, so it fits well and is quite comfortable. However, if I make it again, I'll likely change it so that I can have straps over the shoulders, to hide a brastrap. Because honestly, a 50" bust isn't perky enough to carry this top off without some serious support. We won't discuss the fact that it's pink. It was a remnant, so it was cheap. I'm not down with pink, but I'm down with $1.20 for 1.6 metres!

And finally, the blue skirt I talked about in this post.

Here's the thing. I finished this skirt. I stitched all the rips closed, put a side zipper in, bias-bound the hem, and tried it on. I liked it. Now, however, I can't find it. I've looked all over the house, in all the spots that these things usually end up, including the laundry and the closet in my office, but I can't locate it at all. So either the universe is trying to save me from wearing the saddest little ripped skirt in the world, or Smooshy has stolen it and hidden it with her trove of black socks and spools of thread. Either way, no pics today!

Labels: projects, vintage patterns

Okay, this is the least exciting sneak peek ever. EVER!

Remember the Walkaway dress that I was afraid of back in December? Well, fear no longer rules me. Plus, seriously, I'm ashamed that I was ever afraid. This was WAY easier than the Pink Abomination, and that was pretty easy.

It's not done, and my dress dummy is wider than I am through the waist and hips (yay!), so it doesn't close properly, plus I want to make some edits, AND I need to redo the bias binding around the neckline, but it's a start!

I edited the neckline to drop down a bit lower, basically about 2", because according to everything I've read, the weight of the dress pulls the back down a bit. I finished the poppy fabric with bias binding in the green, and am planning to finish the green with binding in the poppy.

Also, I need to edit the darts that run horizontally at the sides - there's some serious gappage going on. And, I think I'm going to add a strip of fabric about 2" wide along that top inside edge of the poppy fabric, because right now, my bra shows in the area under the arms. I think I probably should have lengthened the bodice, back and front. Next time! And oh, yes, there WILL be a next time.

You know, I'm not really a dress person. Or at least, I wasn't. The only times I've ever worn dresses or skirts in the past, quite literally, were when I was a bridesmaid, and when I was in the military and had to be in full dress uniform, which included a skirt.

At the end of February, my fiance and I both had a block of time empty, and we had $2000.00 set aside for fun stuff that we never got around to spending over the last year (we have no kids, which is why we have disposable income, not 'cause we're rich), so we decided to go on a last-minute trip to Mexico.

We had about a week from the time we made our decision to the time we boarded the plane, and on the second day, I stopped at my favorite fat-girl store to pick up a couple of pairs of shorts. It's an outlet location, so every couple of seasons, they have a huge, Take 70% Off The Lowest Marked Price! sale, which means that items that have already been marked down are basically free.

I picked up an entire wardrobe of dresses, skirts, and tops, for $50.00. That's four pretty, floaty, summery dresses, three skirts, two denim short-sleeved jackets, and four tops. I figured I'd surprise him with an all-girly vacation. In typical male fashion, he was mostly oblivious to the difference, until the first night I dressed up for dinner. Well, really, I did everything I normally do, but instead of putting on jeans and a t-shirt, I put on a dress. He was poleaxed. Best fifty bucks I ever spent.

Back to my sewing room!

Labels: projects, vintage patterns

Okay, so this is very bad. Last weekend, I bought some vintage patterns that weren't my size, this week, I bought some patterns I actually think are hideous. Why would I do such a thing?

Seriously - there are few redeeming qualities to either of these patterns - judge for yourself!

See, I wasn't kidding! That bib collar thing on the one on the left is...blech! And it seems to me that the only person who could do the one on the right any justice at all is a very lanky stick-figure type, which I most assuredly am not.

I can't think of a single good reason for me to have bought these patterns, except that...well...I coveted them. I am covered in sin. And shame. And secret glee!

On the other hand, I also picked this up;

Again, it's the wrong size, but so very cute, outside of the horrible yellowness.

You know, I've never been one of those diety girls - I've gone beyond making peace with my curviness- I actually like it, and think I'm kinda hot. It probably helps that I can still see my feet, and I still have an actual waist, but still, my recent love of vintage patterns has me rethinking my priorities a bit. It seems that all the best vintage patterns only come in a small range of sizes, and those that come in a plus size are...well, they're often of the muu-muu variety. Since, as I mentioned, I think I'm fairly attractive, and I still have a waistline, I really prefer to wear clothing that doesn't look like a gunny sack with a hole for my head.

Would it be weird to drop a few dress sizes because I really want to be able to make and fit into this dress?

(dress can be found at oldpatterns.com).

Oh, and one last thing - Smooshy says hi!

Labels: vintage patterns

Well, as I often do, I went out this weekend for one purpose, got sidetracked, and ended up doing something else altogether. What I MEANT to do was buy office supplies; what I DID was buy a bunch of vintage patterns, maybe from the '60's or early 70's - I don't know for sure, because I'm still kind of fashion-challenged. Do patterns from this period even qualify as vintage? Are they old enough? When I think vintage, I usually think 50's and earlier.

Oh well, terminology aside, what I DO know is that someone in my town had a cute little wardrobe!

I love the little ruffles on the skirt and sleeves of the 7626 - oh, how I wish these patterns were in my size, because it would give me an excuse to bust out my ruffler foot!

These two dresses are so simple and pretty, though I'm not really a fan of puffed sleeves.

My FAVORITE new pattern, though, without a doubt, is the Crazy Cat Lady Dress. Tell me this isn't the funniest thing you've ever seen! I didn't buy this pattern because I thought I'd ever want to make the dress, I bought it because the picture made me burst out laughing in the middle of Value Village.

Notice the cat that view B is gripping - maybe it's just my imagination, but doesn't the cat kind of look like he's wishing he were anywhere else? Kind of looking out of the corner of his eye, thinking "If I stay still long enough, maybe she'll put me down."

Labels: vintage patterns

Well, I held back from buying the fabric I lusted after yesterday, and rewarded myself with a pattern today!

It's a reproduction of the Butterick 6015 "Walkaway Dress" pattern. I'm a little skeered of it, and I'm all freaked out about what I'm going to make it out of, but I'm really looking forward to giving it a go!
Has anyone out there made this dress? Anyone have any suggestions?

Labels: vintage patterns

Well, now that the epic cleanup is complete, I get to pull out some of the cool things I've been squirelling away for just such an occasion.

Last year, when I let it be known amongst my coworkers & friends that I intended to sew my own wedding dress, everyone was horrified. See, I'm an accountant - give me an Excel spreadsheet and I'll make it tapdance and wash your dishes while singing along to a Garth Brooks song. However, my friends are pretty aware of the fact that I failed cut and paste in kindergarten, and know that I tend to be a little...accident prone.

Also, one time, I kind of told them the story about how the only item of clothing I'd ever sewn for myself was a dress for my McDonald's Christmas party when I was 13. I didn't use a pattern, and I barely understood the workings of a sewing machine, though my mother is an exceptionally good seamstress. Anyway, the dress started to disintegrate about an hour into the party, and I went home at midnight with staples holding the skirt together.

Anyway, after the announcement, for a few months, they poked fun at me, and generally banned me from wearing a wedding dress they hadn't had the opportunity to critique first. Then one of the girls, KC, started seeing a nice farm boy, and doing nice farm boy things like processing cattle and attending auctions. At one of these auctions, a box of patterns came up for bid, and for kicks, KC put in a bid of $2.00, thinking that she'd be bringing me a joke gift. When she brought them into work, I almost burst into tears of gratitude, to her utter amazement. What she'd bought was a box of the most amazing vintage patterns, nearly all of which are in the size range I need. Not only that, but many of them are uncut, and those that are, are cut in the right size!

Labels: vintage patterns