So this is the finished dress from my 1938 magazine:
If you haven't been following my blog, I wrote a bunch of posts about some techniques I used to make this dress, taking a sewing book with copyright from 1935 as my reference, since the instructions for these vintage patterns are usually minimal:
Post 1: how to make that slit-built-up-neckline
Post 2: how to prepare the sleeves
Post 3: how to baste and sew in the sleeves
Post 4: Making the skirt
Post 5: how to make the snap button closure
I was very unsure of how this skirt part would turn out - I had once tried a similar pattern and changed it entirely because I didn't trust that the "bunching up" of fabric in the center front was going to cut it for me. This time I went for it and I am liking it! I like how it adds width to the skirt and still keeps the silhouette narrow, from front and back!
By the way, one of the few things I changed from the original is that I didn't make the stripes on the back, as they would have in the original. With my short and rather wide back it would have been quite unflattering.
Now here's for some fun - I have actually once made that coat, too, following the highly recommendable RTW Tailoring sew-along from pattern-scissors-cloth. Now I finally made the dress, but actually I don't think I'll be wearing it together much. I would have had to use a different - calmer - outer fabric for the coat for that to really work. But here it is, anyway:
The final post about that coat can be found HERE. I know the lengths aren't right, the skirt should be slightly shorter than the coat, but somehow I think it works that way, too. I tried to keep the dress quite original in its length. The proportions would have been strange and too modern had I made it as short as the coat - and like I said, I don't think I will be wearing it together much anyway.
HERE'S FOR THE VOTING AND WINNING PART:
As you might or might not know, I make these vintage patterns not so much because I like to wear vintage, but because there is so much to be learned from those vintage patterns and techniques. So I am planning on making another vintage item with the help of my vintage sewing book. Which, by the way, looks utterly nondescript:
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| Copyright 1935, published by Otto Beyer Verlag |
Would you please help me decide which one of these five options to sew? I will send a hand-copied pattern* to one of the commenters (chosen by True Random Number Generator) who votes for the one I end up making, i.e. the one with the most votes. Please be sure that I can contact you, so I can get your mailing address if you win. If you comment with a profile that will get me to your blog or email address, all is good. If you are anonymous, make sure you either leave your email address right away or subscribe to the follow-up comments and replies so you get the message if you won.
The pattern will be in one size only, the one it comes in originally... I can't promise that I won't ever make the other patterns, but for now the one that gets most votes and that I am making first is the one that wins, ok? You can vote for up to two patterns, just in case you find it as difficult to decide as me... Voting is open utill April 1st!!!
No ties are coming with this, you don't have to sign up for my blog, you don't have to follow me on my facebook or twitter, as I am using none of these platforms (facebook yes, but privately only). This really is only to help me decide. If you want to let others know about this, sure, feel free to spread the word.
* I will also include any instructions - translated to English (unless you speak German) - and xerox everything in that magazine that has to do with the pattern.
Here are the patterns, in historical order... So which decade will it be?
Option 1: A blouse from 1903, we'll learn about the pleating, tucks and possibly some embroidery detail etc... Don't you love the sleeves? And it comes with that belt you see on the top left. I am not sure what size this pattern comes in and it will be big time muslin-making. This would be the oldest pattern I've ever sewn up.
Option 2: A striped blouse from 1916 with a white collar (yes, it's a double collar!) .I'll have to do some grading for this, as it comes in size III (Bust: 102cm/40 inches, Waist: 72cm/28inches, Hip: 110cm/43 inches), so we'll talk about that. I love the play with the stripes and I think it looks really modern!
Option 3: A dress/jacket combination from 1935, it comes in bust-size 92cm/36 inches and has this beautiful cording-embellishment that we will kneel ourselves into :-) A detail sketch of that is in the top right corner. I'm talking about the white outfit. Of course there will be many other details to be learned from this, too...:
Option 4: A drop dead gorgeous pattern for a blazer skirt combination, from1949, very "new look", I will probably take several peaks into Gerties starlet suit jacket sewing class over at craftsy to make this! This comes in size I, which I believe is bust size 88cm/35 inches.
Option 5: Another drop dead gorgeous blazer, this one from 1952 which I have in a tailors magazine that shows you how to draft the pattern using your own sizes. I shall again take reference to the above mentioned sewing class with Gertie for some techniques. For this, you will not get a real paper pattern, but a technical sketch into which you will have to fill your own measurments. Don't worry, I will show you how to do that on the blog, in case you are new to it:
So - which one will it be? I can't wait to hear your votes - I have a new commenting system, it should work for everyone now! If it doesn't work (...), and you still want to enter your vote, please send me an Email: dreamsandseams at gmail dot com.
Best to all of you - thanks for being such a fabulous community!
Katja
