A Terrible Lack of Impulse Control

Most of the time I am pretty good at behaving myself when it comes to fabric shopping... Sure I may buy things to fulfill visions of impractical or unwearable garments.  But in my defense, I almost never pay full price!

What am I guilty of though?  Binge-shopping... and like binge drinking it leads to a certain guilty nausea which can only be partially alleviated by running my hands across the soft pile of newly acquired silks and velvets.  (The rest of the guilt usually dissipates with an adorable distraction... oh, look!  A cat!)

 

Isn't that better?

But the important thing is that I bought fabric... far too much fabric.  So I am going to make a coat with this gray and purple wool herringbone and line it with a lightweight silk floral.

I also purchased several yards each of the following: (1) a gold and navy striped cotton that is fairly sheer, (2) a dark sapphire blue wool and rayon lightweight suiting, (3) a cotton fabric with a blue and cream stripe, and (4) a black brushed wool that I plan to use for a shift dress. 

 

And I decided I wanted to create some glamorous sleepwear and so purchased some silk charmeuse, lace, and silk velvet. 

So far I've started cutting out my lingerie wardrobe.  I am using Vogue pattern V8888 and so far I've cut out a long claret colored velvet robe and two nightgowns... I am going to be so pretty when I'm asleep!

So I am have a lot of work to do this weekend, but luckily I have an assistant who is always alert and ready to help me out...

 

Um... or not...

A Little Bit Vintage... the 50's housewife look

 

 

Several years ago a certain Mad Men episode suggested that all women wanted to be a Marilyn or a Jackie.  Of course Mad Men itself gave us it's own three iconic women and this classic shirtdress is straight out of the Betty Draper playbook.  Simplicity 2047, dating back to 1957, features a forward shoulder seam, soft vertical pleating at the natural waistline, and cuffed sleeves that hit below the elbow.

 

I cut this pattern from a brown and white polka-dot border print cotton sateen.  This fabric has a crisp hand at holds the pleats yet is soft enough to drape nicely.  As this dress is unlined I finished all the inside seams with a serger to prevent fraying.

 

 

The dress has a fly-front button opening.  As the buttons are fully hidden, I used generic neutral buttons from the stash.  I probably would have bought brown buttons, I probably should have bought brown buttons, but I am both cheap and lazy and used what I had on hand.

 

The other thing I love about this dress?  Pockets!  A dress with pockets is always a win in my book! 



 So as I mentioned in my last post, I'm entering this into the Pattern Review vintage contest.  You can check this link for the full review. 

The Shirtwaist Dress circa 1957

 

As I've been doing so well completing my Pattern Review contest entries lately, I decided to enter the November competition: The Vintage Contest!  The rules require sewing a garment using a vintage pattern, defined as pre-1978.  After digging through my stash of both fabrics and vintage patterns, I decided to tackle this classic shirtwaist pattern published by Simplicity in 1957. 

 

 

Now this pattern has a few advantages over some of the other vintage patterns I consdered... First and foremost this pattern is in the appropriate size.  As anyone who has purchased vintage patterns before can attest, these patterns are not multi-sized like our modern day versions.  Rather, you purchase the appropriate size based on your bust size.  Second, I had a perfect polka dot border print in a cotton sateen on hand which has been languishing in my stash for years.  Third and finally, this is a "Slenderette" pattern.  As per the Vintage Patterns Wiki, the Slenderette line of patterns were drafted with the goal of making the wearer appear slender or at least slenderer!  And I ask you, who could possibly resist a cotton polka dot "I Love Lucy"-esque dress which promises to skinnify you as if by magic? 

I also like the directions which I found to be straight forward, simple, and fit on a single sheet of paper.  I often misplace the multiple sheets of directions (this is a tragedy of working on multiple projects simultaneously) so a single page of directions is an organizational godsend in my book!

 

 

Now I say this pattern is the correct size as it is a Bust 38... and clearly my bust has not been a mere 38" in many a day.  However, my upper bust measures at 38 so this size provides the appropriate sizing in the shoulders which is the most difficult part to alter.  That said, I will have to do a classic full bust alteration here to add the necessary volume to the necessary areas.

 



 After making a standard full bust alteration, I cut the altered pattern peices out of a plastic backed paper tablecloth from the grocery store.  This allowed me to pin together the basic bodice and further adjust the fitting. 

 

For example, I noted that I would need to add a bit of additional width to the center back.  I also noted that after my alterations I needed to re-adjust the armholes that now refuse to line up properly.

 

Once I was satisfied on the matter of fit, I cut into my fashion fabric and pinned together the peices to make further tweaks to the fit before taking to my needle and thread.  This also gave me an opportunity to make some stylistic decisions.  For instance, did I want to use the border polkadots for the collar?  Sleeves or no sleeves?  And the ever important conderation of length...  

Next I take on actual assembly of the dress.  As I noted above, I've reviewed the directions and they seem clear.  Plus, at the end of the day a shirtdress is not an overly complex garment.  Ultimately how it turns out will be more a reflection of fit and fabric than of any complicated technique. 

 

I know what I'll be doing this weekend...