"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!

Vacation Shots and Shopping

Don't you hate it when a perfectly good sewing day is lost due to lack to mojo? And then on top of that, I'm having a bit of writer's block. Trust me, I was going to write the most interesting and profound post ever for today. I swear! Okay, maybe it wasn't going to be brilliant, but it was going to be something. But instead I spent half an hour staring at the computer screen . . . before remembering that I still have some vacation shots to show you. Hurrah! Won't you indulge me?

Building a Sewing Library

I've always been a book person. I grew up in a town where the library was a converted one-room schoolhouse and I remember clearly the tiny children's nook on the second floor. I love to browse book shops and libraries, and I've worked in more of them than I can count at this point. It wasn't much of a surprise that my chosen career ended up being in book publishing. I mention books often on this blog, and I've recently gotten some requests for a post dedicated to my favorite sewing books. You demand, I supply!

I enjoy reading about sewing almost as much as I enjoy actually sewing. Is there anything better than curling up in bed with the new issue of Threads or a lovely vintage sewing book? As you can imagine, I have quite a collection of sewing books. But out of all of them, there are a few gems that I come back to again and again.

But before I begin, a couple tips for building your library:

• Buy used. This cuts down on cost, and you can find out-of-print books pretty easily as well. My favorite site is Alibris.com.
• Look for older editions. The book nerd in me loves having the first edition of sewing books. Plus, if you're sewing vintage, these older books correspond well to vintage pattern instructions.
  
• Focus more on technique-based books rather than project-based books. It can be hard to resist fancy new books filled with tons of trendy patterns, but I find that these are the books I use the least. You'll get more bang for your buck if you focus on skill-building books.
  

Now, on to the list!

1. SEW: Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp. This is my absolute favorite beginner's book. Even if you've never sewn a stitch in your life, this guide will make you comfortable with the basics of sewing. And lots of cute projects as a bonus.
   


2. The Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing. This is the classic guide that tons of sewists use and it's a fantastic supplement to your pattern instructions. Drafted your own Peter Pan collar but don't know how to sew it properly? Want to use a lapped zipper rather than a centered one? Make a simple waistband for a skirt without a pattern? This is your book!



3. The Sewing Book by Alison Smith. This is a DK guide, which are known for their clear pictures on glossy pages. This is an all-in-one reference like the Reader's Digest Guide but with photos rather than illustrations. I use this as a second reference, after my RD guide.
   


4. Design Your Own Dress Patterns by Adele P. Margolis. I'm obsessed with this book, as you've probably noticed. I have a 70s edition of this book, but it's available currently as Make Your Own Dress Patterns. If you're interested in making design changes to your patterns or drafting your own elements like collars, yokes, and waistbands, this is a fabulously accessible book that you must own.
   


5. The Complete Book of Sewing by Constance Talbot. Published in 1943, this is the oldest sewing book I own. I love it for the illustrations as much as the time-tested techniques.
   


6. Fit for Real People by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto. This is the fitting book I recommend to anyone who asks. It teaches you tissue fitting and how to address every fit issue you can think of. This covers dresses, blouses, and skirts.



7. Clare Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide. Whenever I'm sewing an unfamiliar fabric, I look it up in this book. It gives all the info you could need from recommended needle size, care guidelines, best finishing techniques, and more.
   


8. Easy Guide to Sewing Linings by Connie Long. The bad news first: this book is out of print, hard to find, and quite pricey. But I got my used copy for around $30, which is an excellent price. I have to say, it is so worth it. Lining always brings up a lot of questions, and this book answers them all. I love her method of quick lining. (See the technique here on the Threads website.) Update! This book is available as a pdf download here for only $13.99. Thanks to the commenter who pointed this out!



9. Threads back issues. Okay, this isn't a book, but I've learned SO much from perusing my back issues of Threads magazine. You can order back issues directly on the Taunton site (watch out for their 50% off sales), but I bought most of mine on the cheap on eBay.



10. Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer. The classic text on couture sewing at home.



11. Tailoring: the Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket. All the tailoring I did on my red coat, I learned from this book. It is fantastic. Trust me.



12. Pattern Drafting for Fashion Designers by Helen Joseph-Armstrong. If you want to get deeper into drafting patterns, this is an excellent resource. It's geared toward fashion students (and it comes with a textbook price), but still accessible to the home sewer, I think.

Did I skip any of your favorites? Do share!

A Look at All Fourteen Styles of Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing!

Well, this is something I probably should have posted sooner! This post is a look at all fourteen styles featured in VoNBBS.

The projects go from easiest to most difficult, though you'll notice I've been jumping around. I am starting with the first half of the book, though.

Another thing to note: there have been a couple questions from commenters about how I'm obtaining the patterns. VoNBBS does not come with the patterns, so I've been tracking them down online. I still have a bunch to find, and I'm afraid they might never turn up. (Vintage pattern sellers, please let me know if you come across any of these!) If that's the case, I'll have to come up with a suitable alternative. I'm thinking a similar Vogue pattern from the same year would be a good substitute (I could make any necessary changes to the pattern). Let me know if you have feedback on this solution!

Anyway, on to the eye candy!

1. "The Slim Chemise Dress" made here in a grey wool-like rayon
Vogue Pattern #7231

2. "The Feminine, Portrait-Neckline Blouse" in black linen
Vogue Pattern #7630

3. "The Full, Gathered Skirt" in gingham
Vogue Pattern #7375

4. "The Late-Day, Short Sheath Dress" in satin
Vogue Pattern #7101

5. "The Cropped, Cutaway Bolero" in black velveteen
Vogue Pattern #7259

6. "The Slim, Supple Skirt" in checked wool
Vogue Pattern #7436

7. "The Bow-Tied, Cap-Sleeve Blouse" in wool jersey
Vogue Pattern #7347

8. "The Starched Party Dress for a Little Girl" in dotted swiss
Vogue Pattern #2588

9. "The Figure-Flattering, Full-Skirted Dress" made here in a "pale, creamy-beige Shantung" (ooh la la! This is a personal favorite.)
Vogue Pattern #7422

10. "The Slim, Background Dress" made up in navy silk faille.
(The dress has a matching scarf that you can wrap through keyhole openings in the collar. Sweet!)
Vogue Pattern #7263

11. "The Evening Dress of Lace" made in taffeta and lace, with an organdy double collar
Vogue Pattern #7631

12. "The Classic Shirtwaist Dress" in striped silk shirting
Vogue Pattern #7329 *

12. "The Raglan-Sleeve Coat in Creamy Fleece"
(The shape of this thing terrifies me.)
Vogue Pattern #7442

14. "The Fitted, Grey Flannel Suit."
Vogue Pattern #S-4240

And there they are! What do you think? Have any particular favorites?

Update: I've added the pattern numbers! I also added an asterisk next to the ones I'm still looking for. If you have any of these to sell (particularly in a bust 34-36, but any size will do), please let me know!

The Best Patternmaking Book Ever

I love vintage sewing books. I used to only look for the most current books, until I had a light bulb moment: if you want to sew vintage patterns, you need vintage sewing books! Plus, they're filled with fabulous illustrations and photos for inspiration.

The one vintage book that I refer to time and time again is called Design Your Own Dress Patterns: a Primer in Pattern Making for Women Who Like to Sew by Adele P. Margolis.


It was originally published in 1959, but my edition is from 1971. There are a lot of expensive patternmaking text books out there, but for my money, this is really the best one for the home dressmaker. I found my copy for under $20 on Alibris! Also, I believe it has been reprinted by Dover in a new edition, but I'm not sure how it varies from the original.

This book tells you everything you need to know to make your own dress patterns. You can either start with a sloper, or adapt a pattern you already have. You want to change a straight skirt into a circle skirt? Add a midriff band? Turn darts into gathers? Yes!

Make leg o' mutton sleeves? (No? I didn't think so.)

Anyway, snatch up a copy if you can. Adele P. Margolis is (was?) one special lady. I especially love the dedication in my edition:

To my editor and very good friend,
Harold Kuebler, who has borne up nobly through a decade of darts

Can't you just see poor Harold Kuebler? In my mind, he's a tweed-wearing fellow who dreamt of editing the great American novel. Alas, that was not to be. It was Harold's lot in life to edit primers for ladies who like to sew. Did he indeed accept his burden nobly? Or did he drown his lost dreams in dry martinis on his lunch break? I suppose we'll never know. But thank you, Harold. This lady who likes to sew salutes you.

Hello darlings!

"Complete, step-by-step instructions showing you how to make smart additions to your wardrobe. You can become an accomplished dressmaker while making clothes you will want to wear."


Or so promises the dust jacket of Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing, a fascinating look into home dressmaking in the fifties. According to VNBFBS (hmm, might need a catchier acronym), you can become an expert seamstress, all while making Vogue patterns like "the slim, supple skirt," "the fitted, grey flannel suit," and "the late-day, sheath dress." At the end of the book, not only will you be a sewing genuis, you'll have a fab new wardrobe!

I like it. Please follow me while I attempt to become a couture-level seamstress, one project at a time.