Sewing Retro Style: Coat / OOP New Look 6074

I started to cut this project years ago.  It wasn't until recently that I stumbled across the forgotten pattern pieces cut from the coating fabric and finished cutting the lining.   And then I started sewing despite the fact that my serger has been in for repairs for almost a month and I have no idea when it will come out of the shop.  We're waiting for a new needle plate to arrive.  So, I'm sewing retro style, pre-1964 sewing technology.  And it turned out.  Go figure.  

This is a fully lined coat.  The faux lambs wool coating fabric did not fray and the seam allowances were not serged or required any finish.  The cotton back satin lining did fray and the seam allowances were finished with pinking shears.  Retro style.  

Also retro style was the hand worked buttonhole.  The automatic buttonholer on the Janome sewing machine would not handle the thickness of the coat fabric plus the canvas interfacing.  Never mind that it doesn't have the range to sew a button of this width.  The vintage Brother sewing machine might be strong enough to create a buttonhole but the thickness of the fabric wouldn't fit under the presser foot.  So that left me with two options, use a large snap or sew a hand worked buttonhole.  

This hand painted rooster button was the one I really wanted to use so snaps were quickly eliminated as an option.  This lead me to sit down and do some research and reading since it's my first ever hand worked buttonhole.  

This vintage Singer Sewing Library How to Make Buttonholes and Pockets and The Vogue Sewing Book were my go-to resources.  A quick trip to the fabric store for some button and craft thread and I was ready to attempt my first hand finished buttonhole.  

The button was a cherished find that I stumbled upon during a sight-seeing day-trip to Gimli with a dear friend many moons ago.  It was a lone hand-crafted button found at the local quilt shop.  I've held onto this button for years waiting for the perfect opportunity to showcase the rooster design.  The rooster is a national symbol of Portugal and my parent's home country.  Perhaps that explains the attraction to this cherished lone button.  

The Pattern  

Out-of-print (OOP) New Look 6074 was a second hand store find and it's a keeper.  This is a well drafted pattern.  There is a generous amount of ease that will be great for layering this winter.  Best yet, there is enough room for unrestricted arm movement while winter driving.  And I don't mind the dropped shoulders.  I will note the princess seam hits at my natural shoulder length.  

This project was a slow process with lots of hand stitching.  The canvas interfacing was basted in place along with stitching tailor tacks for transferring pattern markings.  I haven't sewn tailor tacks in decades.  Tailor's chalk wouldn't transfer well on the pile of this fabric, so retro style tailor tacks were in order.  It was worth all the little extra steps, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I quite enjoyed sewing this project.  

Project details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Wool coating fabric is left alone since it doesn't fray.  The lining fabric and front facing were finished with pinking shears.  

Fabric:  3.9 metres

Interfacing:  0.7 metres tailoring canvas

Button:  1 -- 1 1/2" decorative button

Snap:  1 -- medium sized, black

Pattern:  OOP New Look 6074

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, measuring gauge, fabric scissors, thread clippers, hand sewing needle, thimble, button thread, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, polyester thread, steam iron, clapper, pressing cloth, ironing board, buttonhole cutter, cutting board, many breaks for rest and tea.  

Happy Sewing!

Earth Day and Fashion Revolution Week: What Does It All Mean Decades Later?

This year, the beginning of Fashion Revolution Week and Earth Day happens to fall on the same day.  Both campaigns encourage followers to "get inspired, take action and be part of the green revolution."  The Earth Day movement has been around since 1970 and April 24th will mark the tenth anniversary of the building collapse of Rana Plaza from which the Fashion Revolution movement emerged.  

{Photo source}

The fashion industry produces an estimated 150 billion garments a year for a world population of 8 billion.  The problem One of the problems is that fast-fashion is not built to last, it relies on a business model where clothes are discarded and replaced with the next big trend at an unsustainable rate that takes a toll on the environment and human and worker's health.  

Get Inspired.

Shop for vintage clothing over second hand fast-fashion garments.  There is a huge difference.  Vintage clothes are built to last.  Vintage clothes have details that you won't find in fast-fashion garments and they are constructed with a higher quality.

Vintage Sybil Connolly dress details
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Even if you don't purchase and wear a vintage garment, just appreciate the details, quality and workmanship of a by-gone era.  Many vintage pieces are a work of art and a rich source of inspiration.  In the sewing room, they can become an inspiration to research and revive retro sewing techniques.  And they are a reminder that clothes can and should be made to last.  Vintage clothes are not only found in shops, you can visit museums for inspiration.  

Just because a garment is found in a second-hand shop, it doesn't mean that it's made with the same standards and quality of fabric as those found in vintage pieces.  In recent years, in this corner of the world, second hand stores are packed with discarded fast-fashion garments made from man-made fibers.  And then some brands like Levi's have jumped on the second-hand trend of recent years and launch buy-back programs.  

Take Action.

Over the years, there have been many books, articles and documentaries written about the impact of the fashion industry on the environment.  Take the time to watch a documentary or read about the impact of the fashion industry on the environment and our health.  Climate change is real and has serious consequences for all.  But it is the poor and vulnerable that pay the highest price when action, no matter how big or small, is not taken.  Stand up for the poor.  We can do this with a simple act of making informed decisions on what we wear, the questions we ask and demanding better from businesses.   

Take care of your clothes, it will make them last longer.  Pre-shrink your fabric before you cut so that they don't shrink after they are sewn.  Many fast-fashion items skip the preshrinking process and this is a reason why many fill second hand store racks and landfills.  

Before you get rid of that wool sweater that your accidently shrank, wait!  Try to reverse the shrinkage!  Yup, that right you might be able to save it.  

Be Part of the Green Revolution.

In 2015, Pope Francis appealed to the world that we must all work together to protect the environment and that pollution hurts the all of us, especially the poor and is linked to "throw-away culture." 

Most of fashion's environmental impact comes areas that you might not realize.  Did you know that man-made materials like polyester require an estimated 342 million barrels of oil a year?  Obviously getting off our dependency of oil is more than purchasing an electric car.  How often do we think about petroleum products are used in clothing.  A re-think of what we wear is part of the green fashion revolution.  Pesticides and fertilizers used in conventional cotton production are an environmental threat to soil and water used along with a threat to biodiversity and farm worker's health.  Did you know that 2.5% (approximately 106 million acres) of the world's farmland is used for cotton production?  And to think that after all of that, many textile products end out in landfills.  

There is hope and inspiring people out there.  It's in all of us.  

Happy Earth Day!

National Button Day!

Today is National Button Day.

Clockwise top L to R:  recycled large black rose coat button, green and blue vintage buttons circa 1960s, vintage black and silver buttons, new burgundy shirt buttons, recycled large red decorative buttons, polka dot buttons, large rooster decorative button, red shirt buttons, and black and silver coat buttons.  

A day to celebrate buttons! When it comes to sewing clothes, I prefer using buttons to sewing a zipper. It's just easier to get in and out of a garment with buttons never mind replacement. I would much rather replace a button than replace a zipper! And buttons can be decorative besides functional. Sure, there are decorative zippers out on the market but do they really compare to these gorgeous buttons?  

There are so many buttons out there that are tiny pieces of art. Of course there would be a National Button day! If you're interested in reading a fascinating piece on the history of buttons and some beautiful visuals, I recommend this read.

Happy Sewing!  (with buttons!) 

Tackling My Biggest Sewing Challenge: Trousers

Of all the garments that I have made only 5% have been some form of trousers, pants or shorts. These leg covering garments include culottes, shorts, jumpsuit, elasticized, and my much-loved OOP Vogue 1325 raised-waist trousers and have been sewn for either myself or others. If I were to only count trousers I've made for myself that only account for 2% of my makes.

I would wear more trousers if I can break the fitting code on this type of project. And this is my next Me-Made-May journey, trousers.

I Graça, of Sew Essentially Sew, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May 2017.  I plan on being more mindful of the fabrics that I chose to wear, the environmental impact of my sewing decisions, and to pass along the clothes that don't fit and replace them with items that reflect my current life-style and values.  

I should confess that my wardrobe also has a pair of ill-fitting trousers that I haven't been able to part with (until now) because I made it and searched high and low for needed supplies. I'm looking at you, Vogue 1507. This is a perfect example of falling for a beautiful designer look that doesn't really do my petite pear shaped body any favours. It was an error in style choice, not any flaws on the pattern's design.

Vogue 1507 was not doing my pear shaped figure any favours.

The crotch sat a little low because it was loose around the waistline. Add to that my curvaceous hip and thigh area doesn't lend too well to a tapered leg or the opportunity to properly adjust that waist. It is all good because these pair of trousers have taught me a few things that I hope to use on this trouser making journey.

I have a small waist measurement compared to my hip measurement. Most of the time when I've tried on RTW trousers or tried to make my own, I have an issue with the waistband.  The waist will stick out and doesn't properly sit on my body. According to some research, contour waistbands should work with this issue. But I once made OOP Vogue 1309 which has a contour waistband and it didn't turn out quite how I hoped. I might consider another pattern instead of re-visiting Vogue 1309.

Vogue 7881, from Claire Shaeffer's Custom Couture Collection, has a contour yoke. This might be a possibility. And it's sized for Misses' petite, at just over five feet, I could use a petite sized pattern. And it has a European cut. To be honest I had to research what this meant. An European cut refers to a longer rise compared to a low rise typically found in North American trouser styles. And according to research, a person, like me, with a smaller to hip ratio would benefit from an European cut.

And I have thighs, fabulous full thighs that present a challenge when fitting trousers. I have a copy of Sandra Bettina's Fast Fit:  Easy Pattern Alterations for Every Figure and it had some wonderful advice on this fitting issue and it worked like a charm when I made those Vogue 1325 pants. But, now that I want to try another pattern. I'll just have to remember that this worked on this pattern.

I mentioned that I'm also petite and apparently, that means that I should avoid wide leg trousers. But to heck with that!  

Katherine Hepburn, trouser wearing style icon. 

I want to look like a 1940s trouser wearing starlet. Except, I'm petite and the style icons that I'm thinking about were much taller than I am.  

Doris Day, circa 1948.

I would love to recreate that 1940's vintage look, just minus any pleats.  

And I have OOP Vogue 8887 is sitting in my collection of trouser patterns with that 1940's vibe I'm looking for without scaring me off with pleats. But these trousers are wide-legged, cuffed and have side front pockets, all design elements that a petite curvy lady should avoid.  

So, this is the plan. Work on Claire Shaeffer's Vogue 7881 and learn the "inside secrets of luxurious couture construction details" and then take that knowledge and apply it to OOP Vogue 8887. And maybe, if all goes well, I'll have my dream pair of pants.  

Happy Sewing!  

David Bowie

Today has been a heartbreaking day, the world woke up in a state of disbelief to the news that David Bowie is no longer with us. 

Heroes is one of my favourite Bowie songs. Yet it is not only the music that I find fills my heart and toes with absolute joy. Bowie is a artist in every sense of the word and his impact on the fashion scene is undeniable. Bowie's influence on the fashion scene is not limited to street fashion and the looks that his fans try to mimic, Kings and Queens of the design world have also benefited from his creative genius.  

I want to share a quote that was shared on another sewing blog because it is perfect.  

"If you're ever sad, just remember the world is 4.543 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie."

Thanks Karen for sharing this quote. I am without a doubt grateful to have existed at the same time as David Bowie. It has indeed been a true gift. Rest in peace, Mr. Bowie. You have left us with an legacy of creativity to be inspired by.  

We'll Meet Again...

This past weekend I braved the heat (have I mentioned I can't wait for autumn to arrive?) and drove out to Lower Fort Garry National Historical Site. They were commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the First World War and the 75th of the Second World War with various activities and displays at the historical site.

Did I mention how hot is was this weekend? It was crazy hot and yes, I left the comfort of the great air-conditioned indoors to sit in the scorching heat. The Costume Museum of Canada was presenting a fashion show outlining how political and global issues affected how people lived, played and worked through the clothes they wore. The timeline of the clothing shown spanned from the early nineteen hundreds into the nineteen fifties.  

The show, stories and information made up for sitting in the hot sun. Many of the costumes were replicas but there were also some original garments. And they were all so stunning in their craftsmanship.  

This was one of the outfits that opened the show, from the early twentieth century. I may be mistaken but I do believe this was a 1919 outfit.  

The hats and footwear were equally exquisite as the clothing.  

It felt as if these could have been costumes from the set of Dowton Abbey.

I quite enjoyed hearing tales of how lace trimming were made by hand, treasured and re-used.  

This is a tennis outfit--how stylish and horribly unpracticable!

The attention to detail!

And the stories and memories woven into these garments. This Parisian ensemble came to a young Prairie woman when a solider, her father, returned from the First World War. 

Even technical sewing secrets were revealed as to how certain design elements held their shape and structure.

It is was a beautiful show on so many levels.

Happy Sewing!

Holiday Dressing

What's your holiday dressing style?

Or is it more like this?

There is much to do about dressing during the holidays. I'm not going to offer advice here other than wear what makes you feel confident and comfortable. Besides, I'm a wear-your-pj's-whenever-you-can kinda gal, so who am to give holiday fashion advice?

I rather hear what you think about the dressing for the holidays. Are you more fun or formal when it comes to holiday dressing? Or do you just skip the festive dressing and stick to the usual wardrobe attire?

Fashion Mistakes

This past week a Huffington Post article listed top ten fashion mistakes.

The top ten fashion faux pas 

{Source}

1. Socks and sandals.  Some people argue that they wear socks with sandals for the comfort. Really? A wedgie for your toes is comfortable? The only rationale that I can come up for wearing socks with sandals would be to prevent the thong tan lines. But then you have to worry about the sock tan line. That's it, it is a no win look. I'm going to have to agree with this one.  

2. Platforms for men. Awwe, guys just wanna have some fun.  

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3. Low slung trousers.  Yes, the great debate of the twenty-first century. Why? Must be a political mooning statement.   

4. Velour tracksuits. Oh Madonna! What did you do? Back in 2001 you made that custom Juicy Couture velour tracksuit trend. That's what you did! And now everyone feels that it okay to wear tracksuits and yoga pants for non-athletic activities.   

5. Harems.  The harem look has certainly come a long way from  "I Dream of Jeanne" hasn't it? Part skirt, part pants.    

6. Crop tops. Yup crop tops for men appeared in the Spring 2014 Menswear collections. Did you notice that the model is not smiling? 

{Source}

7. Bum bags. Okay, that is just politically incorrect. Or do they mean Fanny packs?  

8. Shell suit. Awww, yes Madonna strikes again inspiring the masses.  

9. Trucker hats. Another ironic suburban fashion faux pas.  

10. Scrunchies. Seriously, they're back and have been seen on Spring/Summer 2013 fashion runways with mis-matched socks and sequins. They were joking right?  

Okay, that was enough fun for tonight. I have another dress cut for Mama R and I'm tickled pink that I managed to avoid these fashion mistakes. I'll get busy and sew it up tomorrow.

Until then, Happy Sewing!  

Things I Learned While Sewing Advance 8436

The Women's Shirtwaist dress, Advance 8436, is finished. And I absolutely love it.

I had to do some tweaking to get to this point. And if I sew another one, which I plan to do, I will have to consider some of the changes that happened.

• Several inches were cut from the hemline.  
• Next time I will shorten the sleeves to achieve the three-quarter length.  
• and the waist, oh my goodness the waist!  

I learned that it is a good thing to do some research when sewing a vintage pattern. This pattern, I suspect, is from circa 1950s. It was a size 16 and the measurements corresponded with modern body measurements from a Vogue size 14, which is the size that I typically sew. I thought I wouldn't have any issues. Boy was I wrong. 

Where did I error? Well, that would be in omitting any historical research into this era. My bad.  

Post-cutting I discovered that gals back in the fifties were into a form of body modification called waist training. My ribs hurt just thinking about it.  

Gertie blogged about Corsets of the 1950s and it seems to be the important detail that I neglected when I started working on this dress. This might explain why I had ample room in the bust and hip area but I had to let out the waist area over three inches! 

It was either that or do this. And I don't do diets. Yeah, there is a diet that goes with waist training. Sew, letting out the dress was my only option. And to think that waist training is apparently making a comeback. Who knew? And why?  

This might explain the high placed bust darts, no? {Source} 

There was another issue with the Advance 8436 pattern, the ill-placed darts. Or are they ill-placed? It just seemed so odd. I know I recently had a birthday but the girls are not sagging. The armhole and ease around the bust seemed fine but the darts seemed high. And then I found this photo of Deborah Roberts of ABC News.    

I suspect that if I were wearing a corset (such as Ms. Roberts is wearing or a waspie mentioned in Gertie's post) the darts would be perfectly placed for the pushed up girls.  

I'm still not convinced to dabble in a bit of body modification, I'm going to work on the pattern instead.  

The plan, remove the darts completely. There is ample ease around the bust they won't even be missed. I wouldn't mind keeping the tucks the way that they are on the pattern but that will mean adding to the side seams on the bodice.  And then I will also add to the skirt pieces where they meet at the waist. 

I don't think there is anything else that I would change. The pockets and the button front are my favourite detail.  

And I really did like they way the tucks looked before I had to let them out significantly. 

With these things that I learned while sewing the shirtwaist dress in mind, I think I'm ready to tackle the dress in the plaid fabric.  

But first, I have some sewing for others to clear off my table.  

Happy Sewing.  

Shirtdress Vintage vs. Modern

Sewing Advance 8436 I have to admit there is a feeling of déjà vu.  In some aspects, this Vintage pattern reminds me of the Simplicity 1880 dress made this summer.  

The bodice has tucks from the waistline in the front and back, just like Simplicity 1880. 

Both dresses have yokes with slight variations. Advance 8436 has a back yoke that meets with the front bodice piece at the shoulder. It also has easing that I do not typically find in modern sewing patterns. 

What's different between the vintage and modern shirtdress. Where to begin?  

The dart placement at the bust on the Advance pattern is quite interesting. The pattern has two bust darts from the side seam. The Simplicity pattern relied on bust ease through gathers from the front yoke. I do prefer the double breast darts. It is something that you don't see in modern designs.  

{Source}

And I am aware that vintage patterns are sized differently than modern patterns. The Advance pattern is a size 16. The measurements on the pattern envelope correspond with modern Vogue measurements in a size 14. I thought I was safe to cut out my working muslin in a cotton paisley fabric without much concern. 

Oh my Betty!  

Did gals back in the 1950s have a waistline? Seriously.  

I would really need to do some serious waist training to fit into the Advance waistline design. This vintage pattern would be perfect for Betty Brosmer's 18" waistline. And Ms. Brosmer would be able to do up her shirtdress and still look smart.  

The pattern has ample room in the bust line. Not so in the waistline. I'm not of the corset wearing / waist training generation. Sew, I had to get to work. 

I let out slightly over three inches along the waistline by letting out the six tucks between the bodice front and back. There are still six tucks, but they are just 1/2 the width they were before. After doing so, I can breath! 

The skirt is my next issue.  Since I have let out the bottom portion of the bodice, the skirt pieces are being sewn with a 3/8" seam allowance.  

After that, I might have to do some sit-ups. Or I can just alter the pattern for the next time around. 

Until then I'm still going to work at it and hopefully I will have a wearable muslin.  

Happy Sewing!