Fall for Cotton: Red and White Vintage Blouse

Fall For Cotton:  The challenge was to sew a vintage pattern or a vintage inspired design from any decade in the 1920's through the 1970's using only 100% cotton fabric.

The Pattern:  Simplicity 4750 from 1943.  I had recently purchased this pattern when the sewalong was announced so it was the ideal choice.   I think the print on this fabric is so cute and it was the perfect match for this blouse.  The decision was made - that was the easy part!

The pattern instructions were interesting but it was easy to make.  I decided to use plain white for the facing which opens out to be the collar.  I used red buttons and added a piping accent.

I have doubts about how often I will actually wear it.  There are some issues with it that I feel uncomfortable wearing.  It has these little tucks/pleats in the waist area which makes it so blouse-y that I really don't quite know how to fix and still keep it era appropriate. 

Yes, I know it's vintage and the style is what was worn at the time but there is way too much fabric for my liking.  Any suggestions?

Left untucked it looks like a nurses uniform hehehe!

I enjoyed using the vintage pattern and making this blouse.  If I can resolve the back fabric problem it will be a great little blouse to have in my wardrobe.

Thanks to Rochelle and Tasha for hosting this sewalong!  It was fun and I enjoyed seeing what other participants have made.

Finally, some normalcy in my life

Hello everyone.  I thought I'd pop in and let you all know that I'm still here.  Even though I have nothing really to show you right now I hope to soon.  Things have been very hectic here for the last couple of months, what with selling our house in Melbourne and having to empty out the remainder of our contents along with starting a new job and getting my head around the training  and all that goes with it - whoa, my head is still spinning!  it left little time for any sewing.

However, on the weekend I did manage to get into my sewing room, though I didn't really achieve much. :(  I stitched the collar onto a blouse I had started making about two years ago that I found when clearing out the old house.  (Stashbusting?  Mmmm... not sure that it can be counted as Stashbusting, but I'm going to anyway.  Well I will when I finish it.)  I did however, make a bit of progress in cleaning up the mess that seemed to have multiplied while I wasn't looking, so feeling much better about that.

During my clean up I was putting away some patterns that were sitting on my sewing table and came across the pattern I was going to make for the Sew for Victory challenge and it left me feeling completely ripped off disappointed that I wasn't able to finish due to an injury when I remembered seeing this on Instagram.

Now I'm feeling so much better and really excited because Rochelle and Tasha have just announced they are hosting 'Fall For Cotton' - A vintage sewing challenge for the cotton lover and I AM soooo in.  Being a lover of the 1940s and especially WWII fashion, and... well... everything 1940s this sewing challenge is right up my alley perfect for me.

I had decided recently that I needed to add some shirts and blouses to my wardrobe and I already had a 1940s pattern in mind, Simplicity 4750, when they made the announcement so the choice of pattern was easy.  I'm planning on making view 3, the white one.  I just wasn't planning to make it straight away, after all it is winter here so I'm not in need of a short sleeve blouse for a while yet.  I haven't chosen my fabric yet, although I have plenty of cotton fabrics in my stash to choose from, I just can't decide if I want a plain or a print.  I'm tempted to make both but don't think I'll find the time to do two before the end of September - we'll see.  One thing is for sure tho', this time I AM going to finish. 

Is anyone else joining in the Fall for Cotton challenge?

On finishing, I will say that I haven't been completely slack.  I've managed to get in a little knitting.  It's much easier to pick up and get a few rows done in five minutes than it is to make a little space in a messy sewing room.  I'm making a vintage cardigan - not sure what year it is but I'm thinking it's 1940's.  A pattern I picked up from a secondhand bookstore.

What are you crafting at the moment?

Oooh...1940s my favourite decade

With my ever growing infatuation obsession with the 1940s I've been wanting to try out some vintage patterns.  I've got a few that were my mother's, I've collected a few from thrift stores, ebay, etsy, etc and I have several reproduction patterns all waiting for me to make a decision on which will be the first to join my wardrobe.   My last post showed that I decided to play it safe with a very classic style skirt which wouldn't make me feel self conscious to wear a vintage outfit.  I really want to start including vintage outfits into my daily life like so many others most of them much younger that me, that I read about in our wonderful blogging community.    Yeah, I know, I'm not 20 anymore and I have the greatest fear of looking like 'mutton dressed as lamb'.  I feel there is a real stigma with people wearing clothing that is not modern and contemporary but my love of these vintage styles is slowly taking over my life and ya know what, I don't care anymore.

When I saw that Rochelle over at Lucky Lucille is hosting Sew for victory! A 40s Sewing Challenge I thought what an opportunity to indulge in this all consuming love of 1940's.

I decided that I will make a dress for this sewalong.  I've narrowed it down to a couple of dresses and now I just have to decide which one.

Sense and Sensibility's A 1940s "Swing" Dress.  I love wrap styles, they're so flattering.

Butterick 1411, View A; this is another one of my Mother's dresses.  Isn't the collar cute?

A reproduction; Vogue V8728.  This is the first reproduction pattern I ever bought and I haven't made it yet.

Australian Home Journal pattern #5963  - the green dress.  I love the faux collar on this one.

Another Australian Home Journal pattern #5966 - the red one.  I like the interesting line on the bodice/midriff and the shirring details.

They're all so nice, it's hard to choose.  I think I'm favouring either the Swing dress or the Butterick.  Which one would you choose?

Stashbusting sewasaurus rex

How awesome is this button!   I knew the minute I saw it I just had to have it.    In order for it to be added to my blog I was required to make a commitment.  A commitment which shouldn't be too hard to stick to, but then part of it would be extremely difficult for me to do.  As I've said previously I have trouble sticking to plans so I've only committed to the first part to see if I can take something on and stay with it till it's finished.  After all 12 months is a long time.

Oh!...  You want to know what it is?  Really?

Well then, let me tell you.  Emsewcrazy from Tumbleweeds In The Wind has started a Stashbusting Sewalong challenge along with Cindy from Cation Designs.  (The artwork is by Jen Sy.)

The idea is to use only fabric from your stash thus reducing it's magnitude.  Just for fun there are themes to follow each month which I'm not so good at sticking to things like that but I'll try.  You don't have to follow them just as long as you use your stash.  There's also a flickr group you can join to show off your progress and a Pinterest board for inspiration.

So, now my pledge...

"I, Shelly of Shelly's DIY Style commit to using one piece of fabric from my stash per month for the next 12 months."

The second part  is to also commit to not buying any new fabric/patterns/notions except for _______ until ______.  Now, I know I could never commit to that part, so instead of shaming myself when the inevitable happens and I fall from the bandwagon next week (or the week after) I felt it better not to take on that part of the challenge.

So... Are you interested?  Do you feel like reducing your stash?  Are you up for a challenge?  Then head on over to see emsewcrazy or Cindy and join in the fun.

Heading off to see what I can find for January's theme...

Help! My first muslin!

Blogoshpere,  I'm calling for your advice and guidance.  As you know I am making the Rooibos dress.  So I have measured and made my pattern ready.  The next step in the sewalong is to make a muslin.  At this point I thought I would only sew up the bodice because the pattern looked quite short in the armscye and I didn't want to waste time and fabric if I was to need a larger size.  Now I don't know anyone who sews that can help me with the fitting of the muslin.   I can't do it alone, so after much coaxing by myself I managed to get David to help.  Finally...I'm pinned in!  (He made it seem like  such a mammoth task - I had no idea!)  

Front view

Back view

What's with the boobs on my back?

Obviously I need to adjust the back darts as they are way to sharp creating a back bustline.  After more pinning (and loss of blood, not mine - David's hehe!) the darts are much better but I continue to have wrinkling across my back.  What is the causes this?

This is my first attempt at a muslin and I have not done any fitting before other than minor shortening etc.   I'm at a loss as to what to do hence my seeking your advice.  My dilemma is this.  To remove the wrinkles from the back should I a) lift it out at the shoulder (note- I'm short and always make shortening adjustments at waist level but I probably really need to take it from between the shoulder and bust if that makes sense) or b) do I need to make a full bust adjustment.  But then maybe I need to make a size larger as it is very firm.  I do like things to be well fitted but also with room to move.

The pattern also has a fitting problem at the shoulder, it's to wide for me.  I don't know how I should correct this either.   In the past I have just redrawn the seam line.  Is this the right way to do an adjustment here or do I make pleats/tucks in the pattern?  I have no idea!

So what do you think?  Is there some secret to knowing where or what adjustments I should make?   Or is my short curvy figure just not suited to this pattern?  Maybe my fitting assistant is not cut out for the job although I'm very proud of his efforts.  Even though he claims he needs a blood transfusion.  Hehehe!  Both the back darts are pinned to the same length and that in itself is a great achievement.  I'm going to put this project aside for a few days so I can return with, hopefully some guidance from you, my internet friends...

Fabric chosen

I have been following along on many blogs for several months now and it has opened my eyes to the fact that there are so many more pattern choices out there other than the major ones we see supplied in the shops.  I had no idea, although it had crossed my mind that there should be, I had never looked. 

One company in particular that I have discovered is Colette Patterns.  So many of you have made at least one of the designs from Sarai which I have liked since seeing the first one, that I thought I would take a look at them.  She has such lovely designs I found it difficult to choose which one I should make first.  I took the plunge and ordered the Macaron dress, then the very next day Sarai announced the Rooibos Sewalong.

I was quite excited about this and signed up as soon as I saw the announcement.   Is anyone else sewing along?  I've never participated in a sewalong before and thought it would be a fun way to make this dress.  I ordered the pattern and waited for it to arrive, all the while thinking about what fabric I would use.  Should I make it in a Summer fabric or perhaps a heavier one more suited to Spring and Autumn?

Rooibos pattern & fabric

Eventually I decided I would use this beautiful rich wine coloured bengaline and a floral rayon sateen for the trim.  I think this will work for all three seasons.  I can add layers or a cardigan when the weather is a bit cooler.  With fabric chosen and pattern in hand I hope to start this weekend.  I'm looking forward to this and perhaps learning some new techniques along the way.

Have you participated in a sewalong, if so, how did you find it?