Vintage Pattern Illustrations: Fantasy Vs. Reality (Plus Other Questions About McCalls 4144)

There were some interesting comments in the post last week about the difference between the envelope illustration and the actual finished garment. This difference is especially pronounced in 50s vintage patterns, where the illustrations are so much more fantasy than reality. So how does one visualize the end product? For me, it's a result of analyzing the garment construction, fabric choices, and my own body type.

Here's what I mean:

 1. Garment construction: McCalls 4144 has an interesting skirt feature. It's actually a pencil skirt with a big fluffy overskirt. Take a look at the line drawing and the pattern pieces. You basically make a pencil skirt in lining fabric (I made mine in coordinating ombre silk charmeuse), and then cut 8 of the overskirt panels that get gathered over the pencil skirt.

Since the skirt lining is slim, I knew the design wasn't intended to be worn with a crinoline underneath. So, the fullness was meant to come from the overskirt on its own.

2. Fabric choice: Since I decided on chiffon for the dress, I knew I couldn't count on the fabric to provide a poofy look like on the envelope. For me, this was kind of a plus since I wasn't looking to have a huge skirt going on. I also decided to minimize the poofy effect by cutting 6 overskirt panels, rather than 8.

Now, if I really wanted the poofy effect, I would have to choose another fabric, like organza or tulle.

3. Body type: This is the trickiest thing to analyze, and you have to be brutally honest with yourself. Is your waist this small?

No. No, it's not. Also, keep in mind that fashion illustrations have a proportion that is entirely fictional--really! The standard for fashion figures is a height of 9 heads.

[source]

The average person is 7 heads high, for comparison's sake.

Given these three factors, I expected the dress to have more of this silhouette, but on my body.

And now! A couple other reader questions.

Anonymous asks: I love love this dress!! I do have a couple of technical questions. When looking at the pattern and then your dress, the front darts appear to be much shorter on the pattern front, did you lengthened them? if so why? Did you encounter any problems gathering and attaching the silk chiffon overskirt? One of the things I love about your blog is your attention to details.

Why thank you! I did not lengthen the darts. Looking back, I wish I'd shortened them! They looked great on the muslin, and then behaved a little differently in chiffon. By the time I'd sewn and pressed them, though, it was too late. Ripping stitches in chiffon is almost impossible, because it always shows. Also, the creases from pressing really wouldn't have come out. So, I decided the lesser evil was to have dart points on my boobs, rather than damaged, creased chiffon on my boobs. The gathering of the chiffon was one of the easiest parts since chiffon is so lightweight. I basted it by hand to the underskirt once it was gathered, and it was very easy.

Another Anonymous says: I'm in the minority on this, but while attention grabbing, this is not a look that flatters. Your eyes have disapeared between hair and the the undulating green waves of the dress. The darts at the shoulders are also not restful. I think the light pink dress from the top of the site is more complementary.

Okay, that's not really a question but I thought I'd address it. I agree that this isn't my best dress, but not every dress can be the awesomest, most flattering. One of the things I love about sewing is that we can try out different styles. Even if light pink shift dresses are the most flattering thing on me, that doesn't mean that I have to make only that for the rest of my life. I want to sew with chartreuse ombre chiffon! And wear swishy skirts even if I know dirndls make my hips look bigger! Screw it! As a sewing blogger, I post everything I make, not just the things I think will be unanimously agreed-upon as successes. It's all about the process. (As for the shoulder darts, they're actually tucks/pleats. They're not meant to lay flat. I can see how they might look weird, but I really like them!)

Vintage Pattern Giveaway from Prior Patterns!

McCall's 3820

Fun news today, readers! Etsy seller Prior Patterns is hosting a giveaway and discount for us this week. I got in touch with Sheila, the shop owner, after buying a cute dress pattern from her. Turns out she's a reader and wanted to do a little something for all of us. How sweet! Anyway, the prize is a $20 gift certificate to use in her shop (which is full of patterns from various eras). Enter by commenting here, making sure that your comment has a way for me to get in touch with you (linking to your blog, leaving an email address, etc.). You have til the end of the day on Friday to enter! All countries eligible.

Guest Post: Pattern Junkie on Heart Pockets!

Readers, I'm delighted to have a guest post for you today! It's from Jace, the blogger behind Pattern Junkie, of which I have long been a fan. Bonus: Jace is a fellow pinkhead (well, more like a lovely magenta) and is really fun to eat Mexican food with. Enjoy!--Gertie

Hello, fellow Gertie readers!  I’m delighted to be a guest writer today: I’ve been a fan of Gertie’s blog for several years, and had the chance to meet her when she visited L.A.  (Guess what?  She’s as wonderful in person as she is in blogland.)  Like many of you, I have a love of sewing – and a love of (some might say obsession with) sewing patterns.  And why not?  They offer glimpses into fashion history and individual seamstresses’ lives.  Some designs make me gasp at their beauty.  Others leave me scratching my head at their peculiarity.

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about an interesting vintage detail: heart pockets.  Beautiful?  Weird?  What’s your take?  I think they can go either way, so join me on a journey through some examples.  I’m focusing exclusively on women’s dresses with heart pockets: aprons and kids’ clothes with this detail are a little too easy to find…and when you do, they look like this:

 

 ACK!  Didn’t I warn you about the weird?  The more you look at Aunt Martha’s 9619 (1940s), the stranger it gets.  The twin kitties…Sis wearing nothing but an apron, socks, bonnet and shoes with Mom looking so sad in the foreground…I’m about to take a hot iron to my eyes to burn the image from my retinas.  Quick!  Something pretty!  Let’s take a gander at Anne Adams 4923 (1940s):

For me, this works.  The dress is classic and simple and the pockets are a sweet, unexpected touch.  Bravo!

Next: Simplicity 3716, 1950s.  Giant heart pockets are one thing, but hearts on the end of a rick rack neck bow?  That’s taking things too far.

Plaid agrees: she’s looking a little smug.  And you know what?  Now I’m coming around to Blue’s point of view.  It’s a housedress, after all.  Blue, if you want to eat your breakfast looking like a Valentine and getting muffin crumbs stuck in the little pointy bottoms of your pockets, you go!  Don’t let Plaid put you down.

This mail order pattern, Anne Adams 4589 (1940s), does everything right in by book.  I love how the illustration places a plain heart and yoke against a flowered fabric.  It’s not too sweet – almost matter-of-fact.

 Unfortunately, I just can’t get behind Simplicity 1090 (1940s).  I don’t think anyone’s going to take you seriously if your business suit features hearts right above your bust – or anywhere, for that matter:

While the lace-trimmed pockets of Simplicity 3186 (1950) are too sweet for my taste, I love the pattern illustration:

Navy Lace makes a heart with her hands, while Pink Gingham scolds her for being so forward!  And what is Pink about to pull out of that heart-shaped pocket of hers?

Lest you think that the heart pocket faded with the fifties, check out its appearance in Simplicity 5803 (1973):

Finally, a pattern I can’t resist including, even though it technically doesn’t have a heart pocket.  Check out Simplicity 4924:

YES!  You saw that right!  It’s a HEART HAT!  Glorious, isn’t it?!

Thanks for exploring this odd little corner of the sewing pattern world with me, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thanks again to Pattern Junkie!

"Drifting Lace for Evenings of Dancing"

Champagne lace over a rustle of taffeta . . . one of the prettiest dresses you could wear to a dance. In white, it would be charming for a wedding or graduation. The tiny bodice has a wide neckline underscored by a double organdie collar. A wide, drifting skirt whittles in your waist, whirls gracefully as you dance. It should take about 20 hours to make. Vogue Pattern No. 7631. "Easy-to-Make." Sizes 12 to 20 (30 to 38). Price, 60 cents. Also in Junior sizes, No. 3462. 9 to 15 (29-1/2 to 33). See the pattern envelope for the yardage requirements. 

Ah, doesn't VoNBBS know how to talk to a lady? A rustle of taffeta, whirling, whittling--I'm swooning! Of course, VoNBBS is also very practical. No "instant dress" nonsense here. No "one hour project!" promises. Nope, young lady, you are going to spend 20 HOURS on this thing. And you're going to do it right--tailors tacks and all!

Here's the picture diagram on the pattern instructions.

 And VoNBBS's charming illustrations of the pattern pieces.

As for my progress, I'm happy with my bodice muslin! I didn't get good pictures of the first (sorry), but here is the second muslin.

As you can see, I'm practicing how to stand in an evening dress. This is how I imagine it must be done.

A closer look at the front. You can see that I've repinned the darts on my left side; they're a much better fit now. I plan to take in the neckline dart just a smidge to get rid of the small about of gaping.

Can I take a moment to wax rhapsodic over corsets? Where have they been all my life?! They're much more wearable than my powernet waist cincher (I've even worn it all day at work), and they provide the perfect 50s silhouette under dresses. I had a revelation about fitting too. Previously, I was trying to mold my body into a retro shape with my fitting--taking out too much ease, etc. Now I can just let the clothing skim over me and it looks lovely! (I think so anyway.) The one thing I had to do was take out fabric at center front for the corset. I notice that fabric can pool around the midsection on a corseted figure. Taking in the side seams just cause horizontal pulls. But drawing a new center front line (the "cut on fold" line) is the solution. I took out 1/2" at waistline center front, and drew a new straight line up to the original neckline center front, as shown by the red line below.

That's my new center front. It shifts the grainline a bit. It worked surprisingly well.

Here's the back.

So I'm feeling ready to cut! I want to retain the original collar shape, and the skirt is a simple gathered pattern, no fitting required. I will keep you updated on the cutting and construction, readers!

Making a Muslin from a Vintage Pattern

I've finally refined my method for this, and while I have a feeling it may be a totally obvious method, I thought I'd share it anyway! This is a non-fussy way to make a muslin from a vintage pattern without tracing it first--and it doesn't harm the pattern at all. This only works for perforated patterns, not the printed kind. Here's what I do.

First, I lay my muslin out, on the fold. Next, lay your first pattern piece on top of the muslin, check the grainline, and hold it down with weights. (Note: you can use a dry iron on vintage patterns, but the folds are very hard to get out completely. I just smooth it out as much as possible by hand, unless there's a really egregious wrinkle.)

Transfer the pattern perforations by filling them in with a pencil. Also fill in notches.

If you're not sure what any of the markings are, refer back to your pattern instructions, where they'll be labeled.

Make any pattern alterations you know you'll need right off the bat. Here, I've added width below the armhole.

Next, cut out the piece with a rotary cutter, being very careful not to nick the pattern.

Remove the pattern and weights and hold the cut pieces together with a few pins. Label the pieces, making a note of any alterations you made.

Transfer the markings to the other piece by putting tracing paper face-up underneath your muslin pieces. I use a blunt knitting needle to transfer the marks. 

Now both pieces are marked!

If your pieces have a grainline marking (which is denoted by two large circles), I connect the circles and transfer the grainline to the other piece so I can use it as my pattern later.

Now your pieces are all marked and ready to assemble as a muslin! You can later rip apart the muslin and use the pieces as your pattern, which saves you having to make a tracing of the vintage pattern. I only make a muslin with the crucial pieces (no facings or anything), so I will later carefully cut out those pieces on the fashion fabric with weights and a rotary cutter or make tracings of them if needed.

Like I said, this may be completely obvious, but I'm pleased with it anyway. It kills two birds with one stone (the pattern copying and muslin making) and is very gentle on brittle patterns. Any tips of your own to share, readers?

Found! Zig Zag Wire Stays

Just the thing you were looking for, right?

I get so excited when I read vintage pattern instructions and they call for something really obscure. A great example would be this McCall's pattern that I bought last year because I loved the neckline.

I haven't made it yet, but I did read through the envelope copy and instructions. (Yes, that's what I do for fun, okay?) You'll see on the back of the envelope that the pattern description and notions call for "zig zag wire stays." Have you ever heard of such a thing?

I hadn't, so I was very interested to see how the pattern incorporated these stays. Late in the construction process, when the bodice is finished and has been attached to the skirt, the stays get hand stitched inside the neckline, right on top of the facing.

Isn't that interesting? I would think they would get sandwiched between the facing for comfort. (Maybe they're on top so they can be easily removed for washing the dress?)

The facings don't call for interfacing, so the wires would provide all the support for that crisp neckline. (There's a lot of interfacing elsewhere in the dress: the midriff, the collar, and--a bit oddly, I think--the entire slim skirt are fully interfaced.)

Anyway, I assumed that these stays weren't something one could find anymore. But then I came across some! On Richard the Thread, you can buy these stays in packs of 100, in 3" and 7" lengths. (I wonder what you would need 100 of these for?) Richard the Thread is pretty theater-focused, so perhaps this something used in costuming. Any costumers out there familiar with them?

P.S. Also, you should check out Richard the Thread for lots of other great stuff, like nice corset brocades and BIG sheets of wax tracing paper. 

New Black Tie Plan

You all definitely set me right in my thinking on the Black Tie gala I'm attending at MoMA. Your message was loud and clear: choose sleek and sophisticated rather than poufy ballgown. I love the idea of doing something floor length, but slim. I was pondering vintage patterns on Etsy, when I came across the stunner pictured above. It's a 1950s McCalls pattern designed by Pauline Trigere, whose work I've often admired. I fell in love with this design: I love the flared-back skirt, the bodice interest, and the unusual combination of a boatneck with a strapped back. So, of course, this pattern is on its way to me. How could I resist? I'm definitely looking forward to diving into it.

The pattern has a photographic envelope front, which was a rarity in the time period. Hello, Betty Draper!

As for fabric and color choices, I've been playing around with the idea of ombre-dyeing my own silk. Do you remember Gwen Stefani's fabulous Galliano wedding gown? I've thought about this dress so many times in the past few years!

I would love to try something like this in ivory silk (either 4-ply crepe or shantung), gradiating from a deep red at the hem up to a pale pink above the knee. Though, honestly, the Trigere design is so lovely and clean that it would be pretty in a solid color too. We'll see.

Have any of you tried ombre dyeing? There's a good article on it at Dharma Trading, which also carries tons of dyeing supplies.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts!

Sale at the Blue Gardenia!

Happy Sunday, peeps! Are you all ready for a little Mad Men? To get you in the retro mood, there's a sale for Gertie fans going on at The Blue Gardenia. Simply enter the code ILoveGertie (aw!) at checkout, from now until midnight on Tuesday. How about the very Peggy Olsen dress above? (It's Simplicity 1939, in a bust size 34").

Or a fabulous halter dress?

Spadea 3133, Bust 34"

I'm also loving the current selection of 40s blouse patterns.

McCall 5984, Bust 40"

Isn't the draping on this one gorgeous?

McCall 6716, Bust 38"

Happy shopping! And thanks to The Blue Gardenia.

40% Off Vintage Patterns at ZipZapKap

60s tie-neck dress, size 36"

Happy Friday, all! I took this whole week off, so it's been like one big weekend for me, with lots and lots of sewing time. I can't wait to show you the fruits of my labors!

In the meantime, here's a little weekend surprise for you: Katherine of ZipZapKap will be having a baby any day now, and to make room for the little one she's having a fantastic sale on all of her vintage pattern stock. Here's the deal:

• 40% off the price of patterns on every order from a blogforbettersewing.com reader (discount is calculated before shipping).
• Claim the discount by putting the code NEWBABYWOO in the message to seller field at checkout.
• 40% discount will be refunded via PayPal within 24 hours of payment. 
• Sale will last until Midnight CDT Sunday, September 5th.

She has some pretty awesome patterns to choose from. I love the cummerbund detail on this gathered skirt. It's so elegant with the deep v-neck blouse.

Cummerbund skirt pattern, size 24" waist

And isn't this trench the coolest? I love it in the blue houndstooth with the little beret!

60s Trench and Dress, bust 41"

Enjoy the sale, ladies and gents!

P.S. I'll be back later today with a post on fabrics for the sew-along, so don't be a stranger.

When Women Padded Their Hips

Readers, I just scored the coolest piece of 50s sewing ephemera off of eBay: a Vogue pattern for shoulder and hip pads! Casey knows that I'm obsessed with the engineering of Dior's New Look suits (blogged here) so she sweetly e-mailed me when she spotted this pattern. Hip pads are a sort of mythical being to me: I've read about them countless times but never seen them in their natural habitat, so to speak. Hence, I had to make this pattern mine.

A New Look jacket, like that of the Bar Suit below, would have been intensely structured with interfacings, pad stitching, and padding in the shoulders and hips. (And, of course, the model would be wearing a "waspie" corset to cinch her waist.)

I think the reason hip padding is so fascinating to me is that it's such a foreign concept to a modern woman: we're supposed to want to make our hips disappear, not emphasize them! (That's what you'll learn if you watch any yogurt or cereal commercial today, right?) But think about it: a little tailoring goes a long way in a jacket (just see the difference sleeve heads made in my red suit) to creating a more flattering fit. And there's nothing worse than a droopy, flimsy peplum. (Okay, that's not true. There are actually a lot worse things, but you get my point.) Wouldn't it be great to create a smooth, structured line on the hips as well? Hence, I've actually become rather attracted to the idea of tailoring the hips of jackets, just as the shoulders would be tailored.

So how does this pattern work, you ask? Well, I was surprised to see that it's not really padding at all, but three layers of heavy stiffeners: one layer of heavy hair canvas, one of buckram, and one of heavy muslin. (That's a lot of heaviness!)

There are two pattern pieces: an inner piece for the three stiffeners, and an outer piece for a fabric cover.

Here's how the construction works. All three layers are basted together, stitched in horizontal rows (this is how padstitching is done by machine), and then covered with a fabric outer cover.

Pretty cool stuff, huh? I'm kind of dying to try this in a jacket. What's really exciting is that you could manipulate this idea to be more extreme too: for example, deeper darts and some serious hand padstitching could get you super-structural hips, like in the Bar Suit above.

But this more subtle effect (well, relatively speaking) of the pattern above would be perfect for a slim suit, like the one from VoNBBS. (Which, by the way, I finally found! Thanks to a helpful reader. Only one VoNBBS pattern left to find!) Can't you just see this with the hips getting a little help from these pads?

What do you think? Could you ever bring yourself to pad your hips? Or will you happily leave this idea in the 50s?