Wasp Waists and Wiggle Skirts

From Menonite Milkmaid to Diner Waitress

Hi All!

So, the boxy, shapeless grey dress has been going through a process of transformation. 

I went into reworking it without a plan, but as I lay awake in bed this morning, I realized that there was a good chance that I could make the dress wearable without ripping out all of the seams and starting over.  (Initially I figured that I'd have to reshape the bodice and cut a wiggle skirt from the pieces of the existing full-skirt.)

 

Instead, I decided to:

1) shorten the full skirt to knee length;

2) shorten the sleeves and flip the facing so that it could be turned up like a cuff;

3) take the back seam in 1 inch from neckline to hem;

4) turn out the neckline, quasi-collar, placket thingies; and

5) add shoulder darts, which quickly morphed into loooooong darts that ended quite close to the bust dart.  These darts were added to decrease the shoulder width and make the sleeves fit better, but it had the added benefit of doing the full-bust adjustment I should have done in the first place. 

Bad lazy, vintage pattern sewing lady!

 

On another note, have any of you used one of the old-fashioned chalk hem markers? (Click on the photo above to see it a bit more clearly.) 

They're a God-send for hemming! 

All you do is pop your dress on, set the height to the height of your hem plus two inches (or whatever width you'd like your hem to be) and squeeze the little rubber ball as you slowly turn. 

After turning for a full circle you'll have the cutting line for your hem.  No more measuring and cutting!  If you can get your hands on one of them, hold it close.  It will quickly become your best friend!

I'll be sure to take a photo when I'm all gussied up and heading to work sometime this week!

Considering moonlighting in a 50's diner,

Elle

xox

Sigh...

So...yeah...the dress. 

 

Well, if you were to take a potato

(a big, old, oblong roaster, not

one of those cute, little new potatoes)

 

and dress it up

in a short-sleeved version of

 

this

you would have a pretty good idea of how

my first fitting went. 

I repeat......sigh.

All is not lost though, for the penance for impatiently

opting out of making a muslin

is to pick stitches

until

my seam ripper becomes

fused with my digits. 

I'll maked the darned dress and

I'll make it look good on me

dammit.

Swearing that every dress will now have a premade muslin craftily crafted from an old bedsheet,

Elle

xox

***photo courtesy of the Quaker Life in Tasmania site.

 

***what the heck is up with my spacing?!  Typepad must be in cahoots with the Bedsheet Muslin Gang - they're all conspiring to make my life a wee bit more challenging, methinks.

Ahem...hi...

Well, that was an unfortunately long break. 
I could spend this post filling you in on all of the reasons for my disappearing act, but I fear I may bore you to death!

Instead, I will tell you about my two "resolutions."

One:

I am taking on Dottie Angel's "Challenge of the Utmost Kind"  and I hereby pledge to only buy handcrafted or thrifted items for my home for the next 12 months.  I have a couple of exceptions (undies...a no-brainer, really) but I'll go into them in a later post.  I began this on January 1st and other than a sneaky little "this could be handmade...maybe...somehow" slip-up I've stuck to my guns.  I'll be updating you on how I'm doing as the weeks progress.

Two:

Inspired by Mena at The Sew Weekly, I've challenged myself to begin sewing regularly.  My goal is to use (at least once) all of the vintage patterns I've been collecting for eons.  If using it isn't an option due to size or appropriateness, I will pass it on to someone who will love it and use it.  You will note that this fits nicely into my first resolution.  I am going to begin sewing my way through them one-by one. 

I realized after reading Gertie's post on collecting vintage patterns as opposed to using vintage patterns, that I was going to find myself in the former camp if I didn't get off my arse and start sewing.  I hope to sew an item weekly, but as I'm starting a new career as of Monday (disappearing act reason #1) I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself or schedule my sewing time too strictly.I flipped through my patterns this afternoon, looking for the perfect starting point and this is what I found.  Easy (no need to discourage myself with tailoring or tricky details this week) and perfect for the new job.  I also love the fact that there are so many options for detachable collars and cuffs - how much fun is that?! 

In my fabric stash (courtesy of my Mother-in-law's move across the country) I've got 4 metres of a great, charcoal grey cotton.  It's in the wash now and I hope to start chopping it up tonight.

hoping her thrifted plate isn't too full,

Elle

xox

The Week of Vintage Vogue Knitting Fall/Winter Edition...

...I promise I'll finish it before the Spring/Summer edition rolls around!  I've been working hard, finally getting my Etsy shops up and running and helping my Mum to get hers up and running too.  So...coming soon, the return of the Vintage Vogue Knitting Fall/Winter Edition and a special suprise for everyone reading this blog.  Stay tuned and thanks for being so patient and lovely! 

xox

Elle

A Week of Vintage Vogue Knitting - Fall/Winter Edition - Day Two

Hooray!  Day Two!  I was worried that I wouldn't have the chance to have this post finished before the end of today...my day job was threatening to get in the way.  Darned day job.  Anyway, here she is, the lovely, the phenomenal, the gorgeous...

Fitted Boucle Jacket

The pockets, the turned back cuffs, the collar, the model's self-assured expression...sigh.  I may have to start searching for Boucle yarn!

Click here for the pattern instructions. Be sure to download Page One and Page Two!

As I've mentioned before:

I've made a couple of changes this time around - I'll be hosting the pattern instructions on Flikr, so that viewing and downloading the instructions is a whole lot easier. 

Step 1:  Just click on the link below and then click on the "set" on the left hand side that shows the pattern you're looking for. 

Step 2:  Click on the first page of the pattern and then click on the tiny, little "All Sizes" button at the top of the photo and pick the size you'd like to download. 

Step 3:  Click (wow, that's a whole lot of clicking!) on the "Download the ____ Size" button and Save or Open the file for your printing pleasure! 

Let me know if you run into any trouble with this.  

In terms of the needle sizing (most vintage patterns use UK/Canadian needle sizing) please use a conversion chart to find the needles you need depending on where you live.

Be sure to choose a fine yarn for this pattern, making sure to compare the pattern's needle size to the suggested size on your ball of yarn.

These are vintage patterns in small - medium sizes.  If you're a curvier girl, I suggest that you use slightly larger needles than the ones suggested above, but stick with fine gauge yarn.

xox
Elle

A Week of Vintage Vogue Knitting - The Fall/Winter Edition - Day One

I figured that it was about time that I take a wee break from digging myself out from underneath the gigantic pile of fabric.  The stash has been sorted...sort of...and six (yes, six) garbage bags full of the "do-not-wants" are going to a girlfriend of mine, much to the chagrin of her lovely husband.  I wish I had been a fly on the wall on the set of a certain big-budget action film as my movie-lighting fella told her movie-lighting fella just how much fabric was on it's way to his house! 

Anyhoo, here it is...Day One of the Fall/Winter Edition of A Week of Vintage Vogue Knitting!  Yippee!

I've made a couple of changes this time around - I'll be hosting the pattern instructions on Flikr, so that viewing and downloading the instructions is a whole lot easier. 

Step 1:  Just click on the link below and then click on the pattern pages. 

Step 2:  Click on the tiny, little "All Sizes" button at the top of the photo and pick the size you'd like to download. 

Step 3:  Click (wow, that's a whole lot of clicking!) on the "Download the ____ Size" button and Save or Open the file for your printing pleasure! 

Let me know if you run into any trouble with this.  

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for!  May I present (drumroll please)...

...The Openwork Striped Blouse!

This is an ideal Summer to Fall transition garment.  The openwork stitching gives it a little bit of "breath-ability" and the three-quarter length sleeves add some of cool weather coverage.

 

Click here for the pattern instructions. Be sure to download Page One and Page Two!

As I've mentioned before, in terms of the needle sizing (most vintage patterns use UK/Canadian needle sizing) please use a conversion chart to find the needles you need depending on where you live.

Be sure to choose a fine yarn for this pattern, making sure to compare the pattern's needle size to the suggested size on your ball of yarn.

These are vintage patterns in small - medium sizes.  If you're a curvier girl, I suggest that you use slightly larger needles than the ones suggested above, but stick with fine gauge yarn.

xox
Elle

Halp!!!

My mother-in-law is moving across the country - in fact, she and my Mum are doing the drive together, starting tomorrow in the wee hours of the morning - gulp!  "What does this have to do with vintage clothing, sewing and fashion," you ask?  Well, my mother-in-law is a seamstress.  A seamstress who shipped her fabric across the country five years ago and doesn't want to do it again. 

Yup, you guessed it, yippee!!! And...Halp!!! 

Does anyone have any ideas for storing such a vast amount of fabric?  Of course I won't be keeping it all.  I'll be selling some of it for her in the shop and I'm sure that I'll be adding fabric to the list of giveaways on this blog (stay tuned...I've got some ideas brewing.)  Anyhoo, any storage ideas or links to sites that suggest ways to store fabric would be very much appreciated!

xox
Elle
(who is feeling very, very lucky!)

ps  Due to the fabric-related chaos, the fall edition of a Week of Vintage Vogue Knitting will begin later this week.

Congratulations....

...Karlie!!!!!  You're the winner of the latest Giveaway (as chosen by the fancy schmancy Random Number Generator.)  Drop me an email and let me know your address and I'll Post the pattern right away!

Check back over the next few days for some fall-inspired Vintage Vogue Knitting Patterns.  Get your needles ready ladies!

I'll leave you with this...yet another reason I love the Fifties.  Even the toilet tissue ads were elegant!

(I've had this image for years - if anyone knows which site to credit for it, let me know.)

xox
Elle

And So We Revisit The Shirtdress Giveaway!

Do you remember this sweet little pattern?  Adorable, huh?

Well, I never did receive the contact information from the winner, so I decided to do the draw over again late last night.

(insert imagined drumroll here...)

The New Winner Is...

Casey from "Casey's Elegant Musings." 

Congratulations Casey!!!

I'll pop the pattern into the Post as soon as you email me your address.

xox
Elle

The Forties Pattern Giveaway!

Here it is - the third Pattern Giveaway from

Wasp Waists and Wiggle Skirts!

Simplicity Number 1043

Size:  Bust 38  Waist 32  Hips  41

The pattern has a slim skirt and a Sweetheart Neckline with optional ruffle and tie trim.  There are two sleeve options - either three-quarter length or short sleeved and again, there is an optional ruffle trim.  My favourite part of this pattern (other than the jumping dog print on the mauve dress) is the ruffle detailing on the pockets!  I may just have to steal the idea!

As always, leave a comment below to be entered for this giveaway.  If you leave a comment in your blog linking back to this giveaway, I'll enter you twice!

The draw will take place on September 21st.

Good luck!

xox
Elle

ps  This pattern is 65 years old and has therefore had it's share of wear and tear.  All the pieces are complete (I checked) but the envelope is in rough shape.  Also, please note that this pattern is a punched (or perforated) pattern, not a printed pattern.