Unfortunately tonight’s progress wasn’t that visual. Meaning that that little strip of white that I’m holding up in the pic is sort of disappointing to behold, right? Believe it or not it was kind of a lot of work. That’s going to be the midriff. I’d love to keep working but, alas! there are other tasks calling my name tonight. Like taking care of my horribly overgrown and polish-chipped nails! (I can’t stand long nails…)

Tagged: retro swing 1950s rockabilly repro replica sewing handmade project crafts

Project Replica Update # 4

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!

One can also pull out the stitches one by one. This is tedious. Very tedious. No one wants to do this. See below:

Perhaps the most lucrative technique is pulling the bound pieces of fabric tautly apart from each other and breaking the stitches with the seam ripper between the two pieces. This gives the sewer the opportunity to break a handful of stitches at once, however you have to be very careful because you could easily tear the fabric.

Anyway, once I removed the unnecessary stitches from the collar I attached it to the dress, constructed the facings, sewed them on, clipped the seam allowance and pressed it. Seams are clipped to reduce bulk. In this particular case we have the seam allowance from the bodice, the seam allowance from the collar, and from the facing. The collar seam allowance is doubly thick. I actually made a zig zag stitch around the whole seam allowance as well after clipping it because both of the fabrics I’m using seem to fray easily.
So, the bodice is basically constructed! Here are some pix:

Not great pix - sorry! It’s hard to photograph yourself! :) Anybody have an comments?

Tagged: project replica diy sewing craft etsy vintage 1950 rockabilly swing dress

Posted on July 25, 2010

Night 2 of Project Replica

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!