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Wait 'Til Next Year

Erin15 Comments

You know how some people have a go-to little black dress, which they can wear to anything? I feel like I need a go-to costume, for the same purpose.

McCalls4336

It's too late for this year, but I feel like this dress, made in silver lamé knit, would be THAT DRESS. Obviously, it could be any kind of Space Empress, but also you could turn it into a robot, or add some kind of tabard and be a playing card, or a knight, or any number of things. And if you did it right you would never be cold on Halloween, and you wouldn't have to worry about showing too much skin, or uncomfortable shoes, any of the other dumb things that come with costume-wearing. Silver hooded dress: the savior of Halloween. (It's almost as good as a gorilla suit!)

The jumpsuit … could also be a costume. A very, very scary costume.

This dress is even ON SALE: Jen of MOMSPatterns is having a Halloween Weekend sale of 20% off until The Witching Hour of Midnight (ET) on October 31, 2010. Coupon code is 'sewscary'. [Geddit?]

Book Review: 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips

Erin7 Comments

1000clever

Deepika (disclosure: PatternReview.com advertises on this blog) sent me a copy of the new PatternReview book, 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips: Top-Rated Favorites from Sewing Fans and Master Teachers, and boy, am I happy to have it.

I love books of tips because they reinforce two of my prized assumptions: first, that no one is ever so much of an expert that they can't LEARN SOMETHING NEW, and second, that bite-sized pieces of information are always more fun than long tracts.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for huge, project-based books (I think I still have a copy of a book called 'Make Your Own Mission Furniture' around here somewhere) but in my current reality, it's as much as I can manage to learn that (for instance) you can fold the fabric in the seam allowance perpendicular to the stitching line and clip notches OUTWARD, letting you have nice neat notches in curves without the risk of cutting into the stitching! (Which I do with regularity.) 

Some of the other tips I will be using:

  • make cardboard templates to make spacing guides — I really need one of these for pockets, so I remember that the best spacing for a pocket opening for me is about 5 inches … 
  • use fusible interfacing instead of tape to shorten or lengthen pattern pieces (genius!)
  • take apart a jeweled stretch bracelet for gorgeous sew-on decorations — they already have holes!
  • buttons too shiny? Sand 'em down with fine-grit sandpaper or an emery board.

I really like that this book is organized by category — makes it easier to find tips that apply just to the difficult project you're currently tearing your hair out over. And part of this book's charm is that some of the tips are really cautionary tales, of the "don't let this happen to you" variety — who doesn't identify with a good story about a heinous mistake? 

I also recommend reading it with a bunch of little sticky notes, so that you can mark the pages of the tips you want to try for yourself! 

Hypothetical Upon Hypothetical

Erin12 Comments

ShrimptonBarbieri

If I were in the market for a wedding dress (which I'm not) and I were about a size 6 (which I'm not) and I had a budget of about $1500 for a wedding dress (which I didn't even when I was in the market for a wedding dress), I'd be looking real hard at this lovely gown from Shrimpton Couture. 

She's got all the details, so you should really check out her writeup. This is just one gorgeous dress, and I don't think it was originally intended as a bridal gown, which somehow makes it better. (Not sure why, it just does.)

The lovely champagne color makes this a nice gown for an evening wedding. Think candlelight … 

Today's Pattern Story: Simplicity 1199

Erin9 Comments

Simplicity1199

Pansy: It's awesome to be us.

Daisy: TELL me about it. I mean, look at us. Me in particular. Awe. Some. Some serious awe goin' on here. 

Iris: Although, I think it's more awesome to be me and Pansy than you, Daisy, because, frankly, we have better shoes. We are totes awesome-er.

Pansy: Gotta hear that!

Daisy: I have a kickass bag, though.

Pansy: True dat. Can't deny.

Daisy: It may be slightly more awesome to be me and Iris, Pansy, because we don't talk like a passé beer commercial.

Pansy: How's "whatevs"? I think "whatevs" is still awesome. Whatevs, Daisy.

Iris: Whatevs. Remember when we used to be aMAZing? I kind of miss aMAZing.

Daisy: Whatevs. We can leave it as given that we're all awesome. Until we decide that we're fabulous, of course.

[This awesome pattern is from Penny at Antique Dollhouse of Patterns. Awesome.]

 

Oh, sure!

Erin20 Comments

McCalls_9136

I've been thinking about skirts lately, and came across this one from Jen at MOMSPatterns. It's got SIXTEEN GORES! And it recommends PLAIDS! There is not a single alternate reality across the multiverse where I have the time, the patience, or the number of pins necessary to match a plaid across SIXTEEN GORES. 

In fact, the reason that the plaid example here is oddly truncated is because the model's HEAD FELL OFF while she was completing the skirt. And she's just an illustration! Imagine what would happen to a real person.

I recommend you to to MOMSPatterns to look at this pattern and marvel, and then click around to take advantage of her sale – 
you can save 25% using coupon code 'costumes' through midnight (EST) on Sunday (August 29, 2010). The sale is good on ALL
items, even patterns in the sale section.

 

 

Eh. Meh. Whatever.

Erin11 Comments

AnneAdams_4962

The very ordinariness of this pattern makes it special. So many patterns have Pictures! Of Exciting! Glamour! And! Hilarity! that finding one where the woman seems to be waiting for her husband to settle Saturday afternoon's golf foursome so that they can get back in time to run the babysitter home is somehow more of a coup. 

I hear her inner monologue as something like:

"Did I take the laundry in off the line? It looked like rain. I have to call Joanie's orthodonist tomorrow and reschedule her appointment. I bet I have spinach in my teeth; better keep my mouth closed until I can get to the bathroom. What's taking Angela so long in there? Oh, dear, Ted really is losing his hair, but I'll let his mother bring that up. I should ask Sheila for the recipe those stuffed mushroom canapés … I bet it's packaged salad dressing, that sauce. Someone's going to have to drive Keith home again; we should leave or else it will be us. Maybe I'll grab another one of those mushrooms before we go. "

(If you really want some excitement, maybe the fact that this dress is on sale (15% off! use coupon code SUMMER!) at Out of the Ashes will help. Sale starts now, runs all weekend!)

A Cape? Why not?

Erin12 Comments

Advance_8720

I kind of miss the days (not that I ever lived in them) where it was just NORMAL for a dress to have a matching coat. Or cape, as seen here. Where you would think "Oh, sure, I'll just wear my lavender dress-cape-purple styrofoam packing peanut-hat combo! I wonder if my incredibly long white gloves are clean?" 

Although, really, if you're going to match your hat, dress, and CAPE, wouldn't you go find some smoky lavender suede pumps, as well? It'd be worth the effort.

My favorite here though is the red dress — I love that neckline/midriff band combo. Such a sleek and oddly modern dress! It would be the world's best evening gown, slightly lengthened and in silver lamé, wouldn't it? It's so elegant, but you could throw a cardigan right over it (okay, not the silver lamé version) and go anywhere.

If it were one size bigger (it's a B34, anyone have it in a B36?), I would be buying this beauty … But as luck would have it, it's on sale at MOMSPatterns and for a good cause, too! Jen's very best friend in the world is visiting from England for a month, and she is a recent breast cancer survivor.. so in her honor, Jen is offering a 20% off sale with which 5% of the proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Research. The sale lasts until midnight EDT Sunday, August 1, 2010 — use coupon code 'sherri' to receive your discount.

 

A Mullet Dress

Erin22 Comments

Why is this a mullet dress? Because if you can look at this picture and NOT think "Business in front, party in the back," you are a better human being than I am.

Advance_4923
 

This would be a great dress to wear on those uncomfortable folding chairs they use for school assemblies — you know which ones I mean, the ones that are always painted "cafe-au-rancid-milk" brown. Built-in padding!

And this pattern and the rest of the lovelies at the Vintage Fashion Library are 20% off through Wednesday 7/21 … use code "Christmas". (Christmas in July!)

Meet Our Advertisers #[something mumble]: Michelle Lee of Patterns from the Past

Erin2 Comments

So yes, we're restarting this long-forgotten feature — more to come!

Meet Michelle Lee, of Patterns from the Past [oldpatterns.com]

How long have you been in business?

I started my business around December of 1995, (yes, I was an early adopter of the World Wide Web). Before I had a website, I sold box lots of sewing patterns on listservs.

What motivated you to go into the vintage pattern business?

I have been interested in vintage fashions since I was a child.  Some of my favorite books were the Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum.  They were filled with beautiful illustrations of 1910's and 20’s fashions.  I started sewing vintage clothing in college and found it was cheaper to go to tag (yard) sales and buy large boxes of sewing patterns than to just buy the patterns I liked. When I began my website, I was already a web author for other companies. I started my business to sell off my collection of extra patterns more easily.

What did you do before this?

I was a high school Biology teacher and a part time historical researcher of vintage fashion for Past Patterns.

Where are you based? 

I’m a half hour North of Boston near the border of New Hampshire.

What's the weirdest/best/craziest/most beautiful thing you've ever found? 

I have this pattern in my private collection. 

Vogue_4087
 

I know I will never make the dress – but I love the illustration and the how someone would feel wearing it. I think a friend of mine gave it to me years ago.

What do you have in stock that you can't believe hasn't sold? [

I love these McCall’s dress patterns from the 1940s.  They came from an old store that closed in the 1940s – they are in excellent condition.  I acquired over 100 of them many years ago.  Only the smaller sizes are left.  I’m surprised that I still have so many on hand given how unique they are.

What do you dream about finding?

A box lot of dress patterns from the 1930s.

What do you enjoy most about working with patterns? 

I love looking at all the illustrations.  There are an amazing number of designs produced for sewing patterns. I also enjoy the range of sizes that the patterns where produced in, such as the petitable, half size, and chubbies … There were patterns designed for all shapes and sizes of people.

What do you wish someone would ask you about your site?  

"Can I give you credit for your pattern in my film/tv show or school musical?"  There are several movies and dance companies that have purchased patterns from my company, and I worked with the TV show Mad Men – but I have yet to see my company name in the credits.  I love to help find costumes for vintage productions!

It's a good day at work when … 

I can ship out my orders AND add new patterns to my site.

If I ran the internet for a day I'd … 

Find a way to put my site on top for vintage pattern searches!

The blogs I read (other than ADAD are …) 

I love reading about the projects people are working on at Sew Retro.   I’m also enjoying the research about vintage sewing patterns that Unsung Sewing Patterns is doing.

You'd laugh if you knew this about me …

That I have over 3 times the amount of patterns in my back stock than I have on my website.  Maybe I should cry rather than laugh.  The order processing and data entry never seems to end for me!