It’s been awhile since my last post in April so bit of a catch-up post. Back in May when I went to visit my Mum in New Mexico among other lovely outings we spent a wonderful afternoon at an iris farm. Irises by the thousands, so gorgeous…who knew! On my “to-grow” list for next year. No smuggling of bulbs in my luggage was necessary as apparently I can buy similar beauties from Holland and also in the UK. However something I couldn’t seem to get in the UK (at a price I was willing to pay) was a half scale mannequin. Yes, I know irises to mannequins? – quite a jump. Anyway ‘back at the ranch’ after the iris outing I was doing some recreational web surfing and came across a place in Alabama that sells PGM half scale mannequins at a nice price. Clickty click done deal. It arrived at my Mums house a week later. You maybe wondering what is the point of a mini-mannequin. Continue reading Gingham & Stripes & More- Oh My!
Category Archives: Free pattern
U.F.O -abbreviation for Un-Finished Object. [noun] A sewing term.
UFOs.
Oh yes.
If you sew you have ’em.
They lurk in closets or huddle in bags. If left long enough they transform from UFO into a WTF was I thinking? or an OMG I remember this! and get cut into quilt pieces if they are lucky or simply binned if not. This past Friday I had a pre-summer closet shuffle, a.k.a. What-Fits-This-Year and I found two UFOs from last summer.
But isn’t it wonderful how if you take a break from a project, anywhere from overnight to ahem a year! and look at it with fresh eyes that whatever seemed wrong with it isn’t such a big deal after all? That’s how it works for me most of the time anyway. A sleeve suddenly fits in perfectly…. the pattern correction needed is blindingly obvious…. the pocket placement is clear. Continue reading U.F.O -abbreviation for Un-Finished Object. [noun] A sewing term.
All tied up
Issue 58/March 2015 of Making magazine was released in the UK yesterday and in it is this simple front buttoning bow tied blouse pattern and tutorial by yours truly 🙂 Now the issue is on the shelves I can share this version with you- available on my Free Patterns Page
A little more on the kimono front
Left over from my recent adventures in vintage Japanese kimono deconstruction I had enough of one to also make this simple magyar/kimono blouse.
The definition of magyar blouse says that ‘…the sleeves are cut in one with the body.’ I’d also call that a kimono style top. I’m not sure of or even if there’s much difference between a magyar and basic kimono cut …if anyone does know a distinction please enlighten me.
In any event the magyar style of dress bodice & blouse seems to have been around for a long time in western fashion history from before WWI through the 30’s, into the 50’s and pops up beyond though in more recent decades maybe that’s when it began to be called a ‘kimono’ cut. Really I’m just making a supposition on that, don’t quote me. Continue reading A little more on the kimono front
The sewing book winner is…. and something for everyone
I want to say a huge thank you everyone who participated and to all VV followers, but especially the 18 who help me reach 1000 and the 5 beyond that even! I enjoyed all the lovely comments everyone left too 🙂
And for all, just added to VV Free today :
This is a pattern for a cardigan/kimono coat, commissioned by Making magazine UK, for their February 2014 issue. I always get my project samples back and now it is Autumn I thought those in cooler climes might like a super easy casual coat to make. I am wearing mine almost every day at the moment. Continue reading The sewing book winner is…. and something for everyone
I have a bias
I have a bias towards slips. I am a slip convert, a slip missionary even.
Do you know that these days many women don’t own even a single slip ?!
Continue reading I have a bias
Handbags and Gladrags
Where did that summer go? Cold, wet and nasty here in the UK now… where I am at any rate. But tomorrow morning at some hideously early hour I start the 18 hour long trip that lands me in still warm and sunny southern New Mexico to visit my mum for two weeks. A very welcome break from work and crummy weather 🙂 So this post is a quicky Hi y’all with a free 50’s style dress pattern AND a cute bag to make. I did these two projects for the Christmas issue of Making Magazine that hit the newsstands yesterday. The patterns can be downloaded from my free stuff page. The dress pdf is 33 pages! I’ve put the full size A0 & A1 pattern pdfs up too for those of you with access to large format printers. I expect to be making quite a number of the bags myself soon in tweed, fake leopard fur, sequin- fab to give as Christmas presents I thought.
Something For The Weekend: a vintage styled sundress pattern.
It is the hottest summer here for 7 years – sundresses needed fast!
This cotton swimsuit (still my fave) I made from a vintage Butterick pattern a couple of summers ago provided the inspiration. I re-drafted a similar style bodice (bust 35-37ins/89-94cms) and the pattern is now up on the VV Free page for you to download and use with just about any skirt pattern you like or even sew it onto shorts or bloomers for a cute swim/play suit similar to the Butterick one. Continue reading Something For The Weekend: a vintage styled sundress pattern.
Nicole Needles made a LBD!
I’m so thrilled to see that someone has used my free Little Bias Dress pattern with such great success 🙂 Click on the photo to get to Nicole’s blog for more photos of her fab results plus an interesting mini history lesson on the Great Depression and her thoughts behind making a cotton version.
The One That Got Away and Circular Knicker Redux
Been cruising eBay a bit recently. Yeah, it’s under control, just. Got some chic vintage French fashion magazines, a wonderful German pattern magazine that is killing my eyesight with deciphering it’s spider-webs of pattern sheets, and a couple of Weldon’s Lady’s Mags from the 20’s and 30’s complete with tissue lingerie and dress patterns. This 1920’s Weldon’s Fancy Dress issue is the One That Got Away:
I really do wish I’d bid that little bit more on it. It reminds me of this wonderful early 1920’s photo of my Italian grandmother in a fancy dress costume. She was a dressmaker too.
Also during WWII she was the only woman out of 4000 employees in the U.S. tank parts factory where she worked who became a Journeyman Machinist. Continue reading The One That Got Away and Circular Knicker Redux