Advance Pattern Co Vintage Dress

It was some sad news to hear Hancock Fabrics went bankrupt recently. It's currently the only fabric store within 30 minutes of where I live. But—looking on the bright side—everything in the store is almost 50% off, so I got some great fabrics and notions yesterday to keep me busy for awhile!

I started with this dress by Advance Pattern Co. (it looks 40's—maybe?) and I think it turned out super cute! Of course I brought the length up...into the 21st century...but other than that, it's the vintage style. Originally I thought I'd ignore the shoulder pads, but it would definitely solve the alignment issues I'm having with the waist and armpits, plus I think it might look kinda sharp anyway, so I'm going to try those (plus, they're easy to take out if I change my mind).

Of course I'm still learning, but I get better every time. The zipper didn't baffle me much this go around, and the button holes were a breeze after I discovered my sewing machine had a nifty little foot that literally did the whole thing for me. (I geeked out over that for like 20 minutes, haha!) I also took it a lot slower than usual and tried to think through how something would work before I started sewing. I didn't cut any corners this time. Like, you know, not forgetting to hide the raw edge or gather with a basting stitch. (I know, I know.) I will say one thing though—collars are the WORST. I spent a few hours trying to figure that one out. And most shirts now don't make them this way (at least most of the ones I had in my closet). It helped when I finally found one I could look at as an example.

Overall, I am really happy with the way it turned out! Can't wait to wear it AND to make more dresses with this pattern!

Carnival Dress

After setting aside my dress project for awhile, my Granny and I finally picked it up again a few nights ago. We had a lot of adjusting to do, and a lot of learning on my part—such as the zipper and how to take in the skirt without skimping on the fullness of the bottom. Granted, it's nowhere near perfect, but I think it turned out extremely well. But I couldn't have done it without my Granny's help. 

I took these pictures today in Auburn when I went to visit John. I was wearing it when I went into a gas station and got a lot of funny looks. In Alabama, most of the girls walk around in short shorts and T-shirts, so my outfit was—needless to say—quite unusual. But I'll put up with the weird looks since I am excited to finally have it finished I couldn't wait to wear it. And with all the work I put into this dress, I am definitely wearing it. :) Even if it is 101 degrees outside.

The hardest part, I would say, was attaching the top and bottom pieces. the dress was a little big and it called for a lot of gathering, so it took us awhile to figure out how to trim it down. The ruffles weren't actually that hard to do, and the sleeves were easy once Granny explained to me how that seam works. The only thing I have left to do is sew down the button holes!

And this is a ring my granny gave me a long time ago. I thought it looked nice with the dress. She was really into turquoise so she will give me one from her collection every now and then. It's such a pretty color. This is one of my favorite rings. 

So there's my 1944 dress! I encourage anyone who likes vintage to take up sewing because not only will you get to customize it, but you get the satisfaction of knowing that you made it. Next project, here I come...   

:)

Granny's Helping Hands

Here is the pattern I am working on with my Granny. It's a 1940s pattern, and much too complicated to do on my own--I couldn't have even gotten this far without her!