So Far So Good ... Or Is That Tempting Fate?!

Well I'm really getting back into the swing of dress making again (thank god!) So far I've traced and cut all the individual patterns pieces for the dress. I've completed 4 of the 6 darts that are in the design. Having not done darts for while I was a bit dubious at how good they'd be. I expected the odd muck up. So far so good ... see for yourselves ...

Above is the bust dart in one of the front panels. A triumph if I do say so myself!

You may be able to make out the two long darts in the back panel. (The neck darts in these panels are currently only held in place by pins.)

Here is a closer shot of one of the darts in the back panel. I'm really rather impressed with them for my first darts in a LONG time!

Here is the front of the dress. Obviously when the dress is completed the open lower part of the dress will be stitched together and the top part will button up. That's why these style of dresses are usually referred to as 'step in' dresses.

So far the only part of the dress which is stitched are the darts. I have pinned all 4 panels together just to check everything is where it should be. At the moment there is a bit of an inconsistency in one of the shoulders. The front and back panel don't match as perfectly as the other side but I'm sure I can rectify that quite easily.

I'm quite happy with how it's coming along and I'm also very happy with how the dress making process is coming back to me. I'm one of those people who needs to keep doing things regularly to maintain the skill. Too much time away and I lose my confidence.

I have to say though that I had forgotten just how long a process tracing a pattern onto fabric can be. I felt like I'd never get it all traced off at one point. Then again I was being extra careful that I didn't miss transferring any important markings onto the fabric, so that added to the time it took I guess.

Oh and one other thing ... I know the fabric pattern won't be to everyone's taste. The dress is only being made as a toile and since I have currently run out of calico, I used this cotton curtain fabric more out of necessity than for its aesthetic qualities!

I hope you like the progress I've made so far and hopefully the completed dress will follow shortly. So watch this space!

Cheers Then!

Well That Didn't Take Long, Did It?!

Since by friend bought me all those wonderful vintage dress patterns last week I've been desperate to have a go at making one. It's taken me a week to make a decision on which one to make a toile of.

The decision was made a little bit harder due to the fact that Rose passed yet ANOTHER pattern to me the other day. Turns out there were 17 patterns not 16. One had fallen out of one of the plastic wallets and she found it in the bottom of her bag a few days later ... and here it is!

I decided to go with a 1967 Simplicity step-in dress pattern. The pattern can be made with either full length sleeves, short sleeves or completely sleeveless. I've gone for the sleeveless option. I've never been too fond of doing sleeves and this will be the first dress I've made in far too long. Hopefully I'll not make a pig's ear of it! Since I've run out of calico I decided to use some curtain fabric. I actually quite like the fabric. I think it's very retro!

Cheers Then!

Vintage Dress Patterns Galore!!

I have to say that I have some of the greatest friends! One of my friends recently picked up a few vintage dress patterns for me in a local second hand shop. I think she only thought she'd picked up 5 or 6. However it turns out that each plastic pouch contained multiple patterns ... 16 in total!

They range from 1952 to 1975. They're AMAZING and I absolutely LOVE them all. Don't know which one I want to make first. However since I haven't actually dress made since what feels like the dark ages I feel slightly rusty. Well with patterns this amazing there is definitely no way I'm going to stay rusty for long!!

Here are the wonderful patterns. I've tried to list them in what I think is their date order of creation!

Cheers Then!