News — Vintage Patterns
Dec. 29 - Jan. 6 The Week in Patterning - 56, Raven Takes Flight this Year
Alexandra Reynolds 1930s Cos30-607 costume crinoline DuBarry 607 EvaDress Patterns raven The Week in Patterning Storyboard Vintage Patterns
I posted a couple weeks ago about developing the crinoline costume from a 1930's DuBarry original. I am doing a raven version after modifying the pattern a bit for my purpose and will make a multi-size pattern of the original design late this summer. I just finished the panniers to go under it and it is soon to unveil! I wanted to give a word here about the process of building the panniers as there are no pieces for it included with the pattern. Matter of fact, all DuBarry originally gave is a small crinoline to be worn at the...
Dec. 26 - Dec. 30 The Week in Patterning - 55, Pattern Tour 1943 Dress & Redingote
Alexandra Reynolds 1940's coat D40-4662 dress EvaDress Patterns redingote shirtwaist dress The Week in Patterning Storyboard Vintage Patterns
Simplicity originally designated this a dress & coat pattern. I refer to the coat as a redingote as I feel its single-button-at-waist closing really aids in revealing the dress underneath (would also be smashing with trousers underneath)! In testing this design, I found much more ease in the redingote sleeve cap than I prefer. It may be advisable to reduce some of the sleeve cap height no matter what size you are sewing, but see what your muslin says about that (of course). That goes ditto for the dress sleeve. The collarless redingote is clean, yet brimming with details. Princess...
Dec. 12 - Dec. 16 The Week in Patterning - 53, Developing a Raven
Alexandra Reynolds 1930's costume crinoline EvaDress Patterns faux fur raven The Week in Patterning Storyboard Vintage Patterns
...an 18th Century-esque raven, that is. Actually, a costume pattern from the 30's as a retrospective on a crinoline costume per The DuBarry Pattern Co. I modified this design to come up with a raven costume and now it is in the finishing stretch! Just a few 'teaser' (throwback process) photos until I have it all together and share it for The New Year! I plan to make the pattern available in multi-sizes in 2017. (Funny enough, my muse perched atop a pine outside my window and 'sang' as I worked up the costume!)
Dec. 5 - Dec. 9 The Week in Patterning - 52, Balancing Patterns
Alexandra Reynolds 1940's EvaDress Patterns The Week in Patterning Storyboard Vintage Patterns
As everything in life, sewing patterns are a balancing act-especially VINTAGE patterns! After being folded for who-knows-how-long after having been treated who-knows-how by the one(s) who previously owned it and after warping the ease in the fragile tissue paper to create as careful a draft as possible, chances are a vintage pattern will be un-balanced at best. When I first started drafting from vintage originals back in the 90's, I did so verbatim. That is, I drafted each piece as it lay on my table (after CAREFUL iron pressing) without matching the balance between front and back, side seams, etc....
Nov. 21 - Nov. 25 The Week in Patterning - 50, Everything is coming up Poppies!!
Alexandra Reynolds 1940's Apron EvaDress Patterns The Week in Patterning Storyboard Vintage Patterns
I fashioned an apron from View B of my pattern A40-3250 (originally a 1945 Butterick). I did so thinking that upon entering a vintage apron challenge that we had to actually sew from the apron pattern we were posting (this was not the case). Understand that I was in the sewing challenge frame of mind at the time just having concluded my EvaDress Pattern Challenge. Regardless, I have a fabulous apron in fabric I have been drawn to for a few months! As I posted in the challenge: 'Had I been able to source the contrast fabric I wanted for...