Blow the trumpets of triumph; the dress is done!  Thanks to LIRR’s drastically reduced service last night (read: poor Lois in a vintage beret and vintage elbow length leather gloves is confused by the deserted LIRR platform and returns home crestfallen), I spent a pleasant evening zigzagging the edge of the hem and sewing on a bias strip.  This afternoon, after an equally pleasant morning of vintage scavanging, I hand sewed the hem and added the snaps and buttons to the midriff.  (This while listening to NPR StoryCorps Podcasts - highly recommended by the way.)

For those of you who don’t know, I started this project in early July and gave myself a six week (August 18th) deadline.  Well…better late than never, eh?

Sometimes things seem to crumble and recreate themselves at their own will.  For some reason, after weeks of reticence, I sat at my machine tonight.  I constructed the two sleeves to my dress, added a bias strip to the cuff, hemmed them, and basted one on.  It looks pretty good.  The next step is to sew it on with a smaller stitch and then do the same for the second sleeve.  Hopefully I’ll finish this dress after all!  

If I don’t finish this frickin’ midriff soon, I’m gonna scrap the whole thing. No, not really. But seriously, this is super frustrating. Here’s why: 

My attempt is to make the midriff more functional, for it to flap open rather than for it to just be decorative.  This way the dress will be easier to pull on and off.  Somehow, some(how?) the first midriff was too small for the dress.  Weirdness.  So I cut a new one, two of each of the front pieces (luckily, the back piece was fine), and basted them together.  (I’m doubling the midriff since it’s being made from a flimsy muslin.)  I redid the point on the one piece and it looks good.  But I realize now, that I need a bigger second piece in order for it to flap.  Duh!

See - the part on the right needs to fit the entire length of the flap now, and not just meet the pointed part…

Also, for some reason now I’m not getting seams and triangles to line up.  Ugh!  (If you sew from patterns, you know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t, don’t worry about it.)

Oh well.  In other news, I’ve readjusted the flaps of the bodice to give the collar a more open, less constrictive look.  I think it’s prettier.  See?

P.S.  Sorry I’m not so eloquent when I write about technical stuff.  So hard to explain! 

Stay tuned for more updates!

I finally got back to work on what I’m calling “Project Replica” - the construction of a rockabilly dress from a 1950s pattern.  (Totally cool, right?  The only thing that would make it better is if the fabric itself was vintage too.  Alas, I purchased this material at JoAnn’s Fabric just a few weeks ago.)  I first had to fix a mistake I made during my last sewing session when I got a little too zealous and sewed a seam that was supposed to be left open.  For those of you who don’t sew, there are a few ways to remove stitches.

The first way to remove stitches is to pull the bobbin thread.  When a sewing machine sews thread comes from the top of the machine as well as below.  Underneath the machine is a shuttle with a bobbin (small spool of thread).  To put it as basically as possibly, the needle pulls the thread from the top through the fabric and it loops/knots with the thread from the bottom before pulling back up and propelling forward to repeat this process just a fraction of an inch away from the initial needle insertion.  (For a more accurate description of how sewing machines work, visit this link: How Stuff Works - Sewing Machines.)  If you can get a hold of the bobbin thread and pull it ever so gently, you have a good chance of releasing all the knots/loops so that the whole seam easily unravels.  (This is why you should never pull a loose thread in a garment of clothing if you are wearing it or right before you put it on.  I’m sure thousands of ladies can testify to pulling at a thread on their skirt hem only to have the entire hem fall!)  In the following picture I am attempting this technique, however I never have much luck with this.  My mother always had a real knack for it, but I can never get it!  

It’s been a week and a half since I’ve done any work on Project Replica.  And I am ashamed.  In my defense, I’ve been very busy otherwise.  Plus, it had been even longer since I had added anything new to my LonesomeBrown shop, even though I have a stack of clothes that have been laundered and photographed and are ready to list.  So, after finishing my Anita Shreve novel (omg, The Last Time They Met was soooo good!) in my yard (while being attacked by bugs who thought my eyelid was tasty), I spent this evening adding a few more things to my etsy shop in hopes that customers will be drawn in, items will be sold, and I’ll get rid of some of the clutter in my house!  (Long sentence, I know.)  Anyway, rest assured I *will* work on the rockabilly striped dress this weekend even if I have to chain myself to the sewing machine.  My goal is to do little bits at a time.  Slow and steady wins the race.  But I have just under 4 weeks to meet my deadline.  Yikes! C’mon guys - start rooting for me!

So, I think I’ll call this new creative endeavor “Project Replica.”  I’m counting last night as night # 1, because I did some of the prep work - basically clearing off my sewing machine/makeup vanity.  Don’t mock me; that was a big achievement!

Tonight I opened up the pattern, gathered all of the pieces, laid them out on the fabric and did all the cutting!  See?

Once I started actually *thinking* about the placement of pattern pieces and cutting process I wondered if I chose the strip a little too hastily.  I had considered the conundrum that stripes would pose with the collar and midriff and had opted to do those segments in white muslin.  But when I took a real close look at the pattern I realized that the front of the skirt is flat with pleating on the sides, not all around pleated/gathered as I had originally though.  So, I had to think about lining up those stripes.  Even though the bodice and the skirt will be separated by the white midriff, I don’t want the stripes to be too far off.

I enlisted my mother’s help.  She is the professional seamstress after all.  Besides, I get her involved (willing or not) in all my projects.  As we bent over the fabric pinning pattern pieces in place I said to her, “Wow - last time we did this together was probably ten years ago!”  Then I realized, I need to move out.  Soon.  @__@

Mom helped me figure out how to line up the stripes and, if it turns out disastrous, I have plenty of extra fabric to recut.  I cut the pattern with an extra 1/4” at all of the side seams because, according to the vintage pattern measurements, a size 11 waist is 24.5”.  Well, I’m at *least* a 25”, so I’m giving myself some extra room.  I can always tailor it back down if necessary.  By the way, can you believe the difference in sizing over the past 50-ish years?  

Snip snip!  So the entire dress is cut out.  Although, dang, I forgot to cut the interfacing.  I guess that will be for another night.  Anyway, the bodice, sleeves, and 6 paneled skirt (!) will be out of the floral stripe and the collar and midriff of white muslin.  It’s gonna be loverly!

As diminutive as it seems, this little pile of fabric pieces will supposedly add up to be an awesome rockabilly dress!  Stay tuned for more!

I don’t remember what made me start browsing vintage patterns on Etsy.  I probably saw a dress I wanted and didn’t want to pay for it.  I’ve also had this desire lately to clear all my makeup off my sewing machine case (yes, I’ve been using it as a vanity) and tune up the old stitcher for some creative fun.  (Granted, I should take care of the laundry basket full of mending before I take off with the fun stuff, but I probably won’t.)

Somehow, though, I ended up looking at 1950s dress patterns, and - oh! - aren’t they incarnation of femininity! In my perusing of MBChill’s Shop, I came across this: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/30944355. Looking at this pattern, I started musing about my own seamstress talents, wondering if I had it in me to start, and complete, such an undertaking.  On a whim I bought the pattern, along with a few others, and confidently paid for my purchase.  I love vintage clothing so much, why not make my own to fit me perfectly?

When my patterns came in the mail I was quietly excited.  On Saturday afternoon I dragged my mother to the fabric store, requesting her input on prints and fiber content.  I settled on a cotton blue and white floral and stripe print.  Since this particular pattern has a somewhat difficult looking collar and midriff, I decided to use the stripe for the bodice and skirt and accent it with a starch white for the collar and belted area. I think it’s going to be fab and am looking forward to emulating Betty Draper!

I’m going to blog about the project as I progress.  Hopefully this won’t be a tale of woe.  Since the dress is a summer print and blend, my goal is to be finished by August 18th, giving me 6 weeks.  Is that enough time for this endeavor?  Especially with a full time job, two bands, a social life and an Etsy shop?  I have no idea.  But, if I don’t set a goal I doubt it’ll *ever* get done!  Ok, folks - cheer me on!

P.S. I will be undertaking this on my grandmother’s pink Kresge Newark, circa 1950.