Voting open for 2012 Eva Dress pattern contest

I entered this lovely piece into the 2012 Eva Dress Pattern Contest and voting is now open! Just pop over to the word press blog to vote. Xandra the woman behind Eva Dress Patterns has included a line in the side bar so you can see all of the entries in each of the four categories. Click on the stars on the entry's page to vote for it but only vote for one entry in each category!

I'm entered in category #1 so feel free to vote for me if you liked this outfit. (here) Please also look at all of the other categories and vote too! There is a $100 Eva Dress Pattern gift certificate on the line in each category so please vote. Voting is open until March 26, 2012 12:00 midnight EST. Also, if you get super inspired by all the entries and want to whip up some of your own Eva Dress Patterns, you can find them online here.

Build Your Own Playsuit Options

You don't have to have a "playsuit" pattern to make a playsuit! Here are some great separates that would be perfect of integrating into your playsuit ensemble.

1930s

(c) Wearing History

Looking for a more modest 1930s option? Try the Smooth Sailing Blouse from Wearing History. It's available an it's own as an e-pattern or with the Smooth Sailing Trousers in a paper pattern.

(c) Wearing History

For a fun and flirty bottom, try Wearing History's Rita Pleated Shorts! I just adore my version! This pattern is great for late 30s-mid 40s.

1940s

(c) Wearing History

Wanting a romper for your playsuit? Wearing History's 1940s Home Front Overalls pattern include a romper option. It's too cute!

(c) Eva Dress

Bra tops were really popular for playsuits. Eva Dress offers this cute multi-sized pattern with four bra tops to choose from!

1950s

(c) Eva Dress

I also just adore this 50s summer top pattern from Eva Dress. I really love the wrap around style in view 2!

Looking for an all in one pattern? Check out this post. Also, coming up are vintage playsuit patterns.

Repro Patterns and Where to Find Them

Reproduction patterns are a great way to wet your feet with vintage patterns without having to deal with all of the issues that come with actual patterns. I'm just going to give a mini review and some info about some of the repro pattern companies I've used. You can find everything from hand traced copies of original patterns to completely remastered and multisized patterns.

The Big Four

Butterick 5281

Simplicity, Butterick and Vogue do have reprints of vintage patterns. Pros: cheap, easy to find, loads of styles. Cons: They took perfectly good vintage patterns that actually fit on a person and added, oh, five or so extra inches of ease.
 
Eva Dress

Some Eva Dress pretties!

Eva Dress has a huge selection of 20s-50s patterns! Most of them are single sized but they have recently been putting out multisized patterns. The website is easy to navigate and you can search by decade or bust size. I've had great success with their patterns.

Past Patterns

A 1930s Past Pattern in my stash

Past Patterns carries repro patterns from the 20s-40s as well as a historical patterns. Most of the vintage patterns are Vintage Revivals, which are hand drawn copies of vintage patterns (one sized) with a photo copy of the original directions which may or may not be legible.  They also do have some multisized patterns as well but I've not used any of them. Their website is not the greatest and the pictures on the main page of each decade are often tiny and hard to see so you have to click on it to tell what it is. But they are great for hard to find styles like 19-teens. And they are based out of my town!

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is a darling pattern company that does historical as well as vintage patterns. They come professionally printed and drafted and have good directions. Now, the only time I sewed one of their patterns, it came out way tiny! As in my husband had to cut me out of my first muslin. So I haven't quite figured out the ease for their patterns but lots of people have had good luck with them and I'm planning on giving them another go sometime!

Wearing History

Even more Wearing History love!

I love Wearing History! I have 9 or so patterns and have sewn them all. Some several times! This company focuses on 40s and 30s patterns but has recently been branching out into historical patterns as well. There are two pattern lines, Resto-Vival and Signature Styles. The Resto-Vival patterns come straight from vintage patterns but with modern markings. They include original directions (but not a photocopy!) and retain the original vintage fit. Some are multisized and some are not. The Signature Styles are based off of vintage patterns but with reworked step-by-step instructions and many also have been adjusted to reflect a mix of vintage and modern fit. Recently, Wearing History has been re-releasing patterns in e-pattern format for those of you who love e-patterns.

30s Wool for Winter

When it is not going to get above 20F all day and you have to be in a building with no central heat, dressing warm is a must!

So out came my 1930s me made skirt and cape set!

It's Eva Dress SE30-1399 that I made last year for the Eva Dress Contest.

Alas, my yellow sweater is too big now since I was only half way through my weight loss when I made it last year. So I paired it with a green sweater and vintage green velvet beret.

I also got some new boots! They have a faux fur lining and are so warm!

I did attempt to wave my hair but I think I took it out before it was dry so it didn't take.

The whole ensemble kept me very cozy!

I love this cape! :D

1930s Sewing and Knitting

 

 
I've been wanting to add some 30s style to my wardrobe for so long and I finally did it!

The Facts
⁃ Fabric: rust and cream herringbone wool (free) plus lining from stash
⁃ Pattern: Eva Dress SE30-1399
⁃ Year: 1934
⁃ Notions: snaps ($2.50), buttons ($1.50)
⁃ Time to complete: 5 hours
⁃ First worn: March 2012
⁃ Wear again? Yes! I'm so in love with this matching set! And it's so much warmer and less itchy than I thought it would be.
⁃ Total price: $4

It started out as this huge cape that I got for free in my friend's destash. All I had to do was deconstruct it and voila! yards of free wool! When I saw this piece at the destash, I just knew it was destined for this pattern which was already in my stash. I've been wanting to make it up since I saw This Old Life's version last year. I put it off because I could never afford the large amounts of wool fabric this pattern called for.

I paired it with my 1930s sweater that I finally got finished! I'm so glad that I decided to reknit the back. It fits so much nicer now.

Look! No awkward bulges of fabric!

The most disappointing part of this pattern is in the scarf. It calls for a bound button hole that you are supposed to slide the other end of the scarf through but my fabric is so thick, it won't go through! Oh, well. I just put that side on the back and it's mostly covered.

Adjustments to the pattern:

• I made the cape shorter because I didn't have enough fabric and also left off the arm holes as they weren't necessary for the shorter length.
• I added extra width to the hips because I, ah, .... don't have the ideal 30s figure.
• I made the opening on the side of the skirt much lower. On my wearable muslin, I have to pull it over my head instead of stepping into it. Oh, hips!
• I also shortened it to midcalf as it was a bit long on me.
• And the pleats came out one way on my muslin and another way on the skirt. Not sure which way is right but that's ok.

And I got to wear my 30s style suede gloves from Target! Super cute!

I decided to enter this in the Eva Dress competition so I'll give a shout out when it's time to vote. Hopefully, I'll be able to make the matching blouse next fall/winter!

Winter/Spring Sewing Plans

 After a rather hectic weekend and my husband and I's first bridal expo (He's trying to start up doing wedding photography so cross your fingers that we'll be super busy this summer!), I just feel like I need a bit of refocusing to get me going. I also have a proposal due soon so I can get funding to do research this summer so time management is super important right now. And seeing as you'd much rather hear about me planning out my sewing projects than my research proposal, here's what I'm planning on making over the next few months.

1. Eva Dress 30s Skirt

 I'm making this skirt from that yummy herringbone I got in the fabric destash. I've actually started on a muslin for this so hopefully it'll be done soon.

2. Past Patterns Edwardian Skirt

I so need a black skirt to go with my Dressing Downton tops.

3. Sybil's (and Edith's) blouse

 I've already started drafting this top but I've run out of tracing paper and haven't made it out to get anymore yet.

 4. Sybil's Flower show dress

You guys just heard about this one but I'm planning on wearing this for Easter.

5. Mary's blouse

 I have fabric for this but haven't gotten around to buying a pattern to use as a base but I want to get it done this spring.

6. 40s pinstripe dress

 I'm also itching to make this pink dress! I have an adorable drapey twill with pink and grey pinstripes stashed away for this dress and it will get made this spring!

What are your sewing plans for the up coming spring (or fall for those of you down under) season? Or are you still in full winter (summer) mode? Winter here has been so mild that I'm just so in spring mode!

Fabric Destash Goodies!

 On Saturday, I went to my friend's fabric destash and came home with some goodies.

Top to bottom: Dark blue special occasion fabric (>5 yds) for next Ren Fest dress?, red velvet/velveteen (1.5 yd), Yummy green linen/linen look (3.3 yds) to make a hot weather/peasant-y Ren Fest outfit, grey suiting (1 yd), wine special occasion fabric (1 2/3 yd), pleather remnants to play with/make stuff for my husband's Ren Fest costume, white eyelet (1.3 yds)

This blue square polka dot fabric was partially made up into a dress. I'm hoping to finish it later this year for a fun summer dress.

I think my favorite fabric find of the day is this lovely rusty red herringbone wool partially finished cape. From what I can tell, it's mostly just two lengths of fabric stitched together with a neck tie. I'm not sure who my friend was making this for because she's tinier than me and this is HUGE! I'm planning on taking it apart and making this Eva Dress pattern.

Unfortunately, many of my friend's vintage patterns had been damaged by water but I did snag this Simplicity pattern. I'm not a huge fan of view 1 or 2 but 3 is just darling!

I loved the fun pockets and 40s feel of this 80s skirt pattern.

I choose this wedding/bridesmaid dress pattern to use as a base for Edwardian evening gowns. The neckline and back neckline need some adjusting and the waistline can easily be lowered but I think it's a good place to start from.

Yummy Elizabethan and Renaissance undergarment pattern by Period Patterns.

Look at all of the historical info included!

I also grabbed tons of bias binding and some lace.

She had probably 8 tables covered in fabric, one for patterns, one for notions and trims, one for linens and some other odds and ends. She wasn't able to bring all of her fabric (and there was lots still left over) so there is likely to be another destash day soon.

Photography Date Night

Last Friday, the hubby and I hit downtown with another photographer and his wife for a photography double date night! And it just so happened that I had a brand new dress to wear.

This is the tropical print rayon I snagged in the garment district last year. I finally got to sew something with it! :D

Fabric: rayon ($4/yd)
Pattern: Eva Dress D40-3863
Year: 1943
Notions: snaps
Hours to complete: 5
First worn: June 2012
Total cost: $15

This dress was pretty crazy to make just because I had to do 4 separate FBAs because each layer of the wrap front needed an FBA on each side. It was kind of complicated to figure out but I think it worked out ok.

It was a really fun dress to wear and I think the print looks amazing in these photos.

The other photographer's wife and I took turns being the model so sometimes I got to hold the reflector.

We also went to a hat store down town called Brim. It was super fun trying on hats.

This hat so had my name written all over it!

I also adored this great tilt hat! Alas, both were way out of my budget.

I had such a blast hamming it up for the camera!