The sleeves or the fabric made the whole thing look like a house dress. The picture is very cute, but it looked really dowdy on me, so I removed the sleeves. The bodice is self [...]]]> I’ve taken another crack at Butterick 5209, a 1947 re-issue pattern. This time, I made the other view…but…

The sleeves or the fabric made the whole thing look like a house dress. The picture is very cute, but it looked really dowdy on me, so I removed the sleeves. The bodice is self lined (doubled), so I didn’t have to make any facings, just press and top stitch.

As with the yellow halter dress, I had to add an underarm dart as a kind of FBA to fix the gap-osis that was going on.

No, this is not the most awesome picture. It’s blurry, and I probably should have ironed the dress. The thing is that I’ve already made two other things, so I’m too far behind to worry about pictures being [...]]]> I have made two versions of this dress, but I’m only 100% done with this one:

No, this is not the most awesome picture. It’s blurry, and I probably should have ironed the dress. The thing is that I’ve already made two other things, so I’m too far behind to worry about pictures being terrific. I’ll settle for Not Awful. I did need to cut off my head and feet though. I was squinting, and these shoes are wrong. I have the *perfect* shoes in Virginia.

I also made the other one, View B, which has sleeves of a sort and does not have an open back. I’ve actually worn it, but it’s going back for changes. The sleeves are unflattering, and the low-cut bust gaps and does not maintain bra invisibility. I added a pocket to the right side seam in both versions.

See the pattern here.

It comes together quick, and the longest step was cutting. The bodice is self lined (even the sleeved one) so there’s a whole 2nd set of pieces to be cut and marked. The skirt has one pattern piece cut 4x, so again, another set of cutting and marking. Even with that, this is a very quick pattern with clear, easy to understand instructions.

I intend to make another halter version in a dark batik fabric because I think I can get it kind of tiki-va-va-voom. I’ve really wanted a tiki-va-va-voom type dress since I saw this pattern (View A):

Because I’m sure I’ll never see that pattern for sale. What are the chances that I’d find it, it would be a reasonable price and it would be close enough to grade it to my size? I will grade up from a 34B or down from a 42B, but that’s as far as I can go, and many sexy-cute-vintage things seem to primarily be available in 30B.

I’ve been in St. Louis away from my Bernina and using a Kenmore that’s been sitting around gathering dust probably since the ’80s. I lost time fighting with this zipper because I didn’t have the right foot as well as other minor issues with the machine, most of which amount to me not being at all familiar with it. It’s perfectly serviceable, and I’m sure I’ll use it more this week before we go home.

*Well, any zipper foot. I bought a Universal Coats and Clark Invisible Zipper foot, but my experience with that was “universal, my ASS.”

While cleaning out a bookshelf in my office, I found the Butterick Home Catalog from Spring 1961. I had *completely* forgotten I had it. Obviously, there’s a reason I cleaned out the bookshelf, [...]]]> Yes, it’s a sewing post. I have been sewing lately, but not clothes. Back to that in a moment.

While cleaning out a bookshelf in my office, I found the Butterick Home Catalog from Spring 1961. I had *completely* forgotten I had it. Obviously, there’s a reason I cleaned out the bookshelf, right? The photo above is a link to flickr that will take you to the set. I will be adding pages as time permits, and hopefully, I will someday soon have the whole thing up. The page shown here is not characteristic — the others have three patterns across the page and do not have photos. This catalog does not *quite* fit on my scanner (or the vast majority of scanners, really). The yardage requirements will be missing from the bottom, and the illustrations will be just slightly cut off at the sides. The pattern number and name will always be there, and I’m focusing on getting all the illustrations on there, since they are the awesome part anyway.

While flipping through the catalog, I came across a pattern they have re-issued that I have actually made. It looks foul on me though, and it’s in my sewing room to be recrafted, probably into a big, full skirt. Note that it says “Retro 1960″. I also need to have a closer look at the catalog and see what other patterns I actually have that are pictured inside. I’d love to find one of these from Simplicity. I have more vintage Simplicity patterns than anything else.

I made the view shown in yellow.

I made this on April 5th as a birthday gift for Tino. It’s hard to buy him things since he already has most things he wants anyway, but this…this you can’t buy.

It’s a Domo-Kun Tea Cosy! I also made these Mii heads, and I think he likes them better. These took FOREVER to make, and it’s going to be a while before I’m willing to make a any more, something he will probably talk me into.

I got the idea from here. One can actually order them from the Craftsholic Etsy Store, but I figured that would take a while. I certainly could not have one in time for Tino’s birthday! If you’re more patient, you can have one made for you. I’d advise it unless you *really* like making tiny things, because it’s a pain in the bum.

I [...]]]> If you sew much, you wind up with a lot of small pieces of fabric. Some are too small to do much of anything with them, though I have made some stuffed critters out of those. Some are just too small to make *clothes* out of, and that’s what I used up here.

I decided to go with re-usable grocery bags. It’s not that I feel like I’m saving the earth or anything. I’m not trying to make some political statement or shame other people into bringing their own bags; I don’t care what other folks choose to do as long as the plastic bags don’t become roadside litter. I do have what seems like an obscene number of plastic grocery bags waiting to become small trash bag liners, so I really don’t need any more of those, and I feel bad throwing them out and not re-using them…but I’m out of space to store them.

The pattern I used is McCall’s 8259 from 2000. I got it from Pattern Rescue, as a trade. Oddly, I was attracted to it because of the bear backpack pattern. I can’t see myself actually *making* that, but you never know.

In addition to the bags above, I also made this one:

It’s lined with plain muslin, and it’s really too nice for a grocery bag. I’m calling it a beach tote, though I don’t ever go to the beach, really. I would be *so* pissed if it got messed up from groceries, and I don’t really want it knocking around in the car trunk or the back of the truck, so I’m keeping it aside from that purpose.

The denim one is made from pants legs from cut-offs, the blue plaid one is from a very small remnant from Jo-Anne, the pink and orange ones are scraps left from thrift store fabric cuts after making a garment, and the tote bag is part of a skirt from Heritage 1981 that I bought on sale. The skirt is still around — it just had so much fabric, all gathered at the waist, that I altered it due to unflatterning-ness and wound up with the two panels I used to make the tote. These are all unlined. The inside seams are variously french seamed or overlocked. The blue one has a narrow hem to finish the top edge, and the others have double fold bias tape.

I’ve already used three of the bags at the grocery store, and they hold more than the plastic bags. This is fine by me as I usually use the self-checkouts and pack my own bags. They might even prove useful at Costco, but due to the exit inspection procedure, maybe not.

My review of the pattern can be seen here at Pattern Review.

I made four tote bag thingies intended to be re-usable grocery bags. One, however, is too nice so now I have three. I have some more planned – they are a breeze to make.

They are all McCall’s 8259. When [...]]]> But I still don’t feel like writing about it. I know, I suck.

I made four tote bag thingies intended to be re-usable grocery bags. One, however, is too nice so now I have three. I have some more planned – they are a breeze to make.

They are all McCall’s 8259. When I finish the set, I will post them with pictures. All are recycled, upcycled or not-enough-fabric-to-make-clothing-cycled.

I have finished projects since my last post, and I have photographed them, but I can’t seem to be bothered [...]]]> My sewing machine went away for a while. It was generally behaving badly, and there was something about of alignment involving feed dogs, needle height and presser feet. It’s fixed now, and sewing smoothly.

I have finished projects since my last post, and I have photographed them, but I can’t seem to be bothered to do the other chores related to posting them at the moment.

I have another project planned — I made a re-issue vintage Butterick dress pattern some time ago, and it’s just not flattering, so I don’t wear it. My plan is to give up on the bodice and make it into a skirt instead. I may also add pockets as this makes wearing a something more attractive.

I also found a pair of Burda WOF pants in my unfinished projects. I put them away because they didn’t fit me. The fit is not awesome now, but they are no longer too small, so I think I will also hem those and call them done.

I suppose all these posts will go up in a bunch instead of being spaced out, but oh well.

Yeah. Awesome!

This was a Coats & Clark invisible zipper — really the only brand I have access to out here in the sticks. Clearly, I will have to make a stock-up run to G-Street if their quality is this unreliable.

I made a pair of pants (no write-up, no photo yet). I tested [...]]]>

Yeah. Awesome!

This was a Coats & Clark invisible zipper — really the only brand I have access to out here in the sticks. Clearly, I will have to make a stock-up run to G-Street if their quality is this unreliable.

I made a pair of pants (no write-up, no photo yet). I tested the zipper before I put it in, it ran fine. I tried them on, and the zipper worked fine. I finished the seams inside the pants and around the zipper, then I decided to wear the pants. I think you can guess what happened next — the zipper failed. One of the links was a teensy bit out of true. I wiggled out of the pants (couldn’t move the zipper). I used the iron to re-press the links into place, just in case I could fix it. I got the pants zipped once. I went to take them off, and it stuck again *and* opened a gap below the pull.

This necessitated a very messy removal, the result of which is pictured above. I had to replace the zipper with a non-invisible one because there was no way to get the invisible one in there correctly at this point. Since these pants are made of leather, finishing the seams around the zipper involved glue. Quite permanent glue. (Fabri-Tac)

The pants work now, but I’m kind of pissed off at them at the moment. This doesn’t matter much as it’s too cold for capri pants at the moment.