The Promised Projects

I know it is a lot for one day but it hasn't been brewing for one day only. These are the pattens and projects I must complete before buying fabric, patterns, or materials for something else. I must commit. I feel like things get very pretty and I get distracted.

First up Vogue Pattern V1078. This beautiful dress require 7 yards of fabric! Luckily I am blessed with an amazing student who provided me with the perfect exact shade and stretch. I am almost done cutting out each piece only one more to go but it is a big one. After that there is a lot of gathering and sewing to be done. I will have this one done before June possibly for Vegas.

What I love about this pattern is the 30s-ish glamorous back. The only thing I am not fond of is the strapping in the front but we will see how it will turn out.


Next up we have this amazing jumper/dress. It looks great for the summer time with an easy wrap around skirt. Challenges for this dress is that it is not in my size. I need to make a muslin mock up before trying to cut up material to ensure the right fit.

I think I am going to try to find a vintage bed sheet to make this dress out of. I wish I had the same fabric as my blog background but alas I have not found it yet.







Finally the last project I am working on is trashy prom dress inspired. I found this dress at the local mall for $500. Those rhinestones aren't that nice dear! I started drawing up my own pattern and mock up. I think it looks like a good start. I need to buy some boning and experiment with the skirt and I should be ready to roll.

First early 60s Sheath Dress

Recently I rediscovered the vintage patterns I had been collecting since I was 17. It used to be an impressive collection but after many moves the pieces dwindled to 10 or so patterns. I had never really attempted to complete any of the projects until I pulled out my vintage 401A sewing machine.

I hadn't realized that my machine was so old. My mother had given it to me so I assumed it was from the 70s. I finally researched the machine and found that they were mostly manufactured in the late 1950s! It was my grandmother's machine. I have never met her as she passed away when my mother was in her early 20s.

I love this machine! It is 22 lbs but so sturdy, although I admit I need to take it in to get some of the dials unstuck, other than that it is perfect.
I set to work on my first vintage dress. I decided to do a wiggle dress from the early 60s. I set to work by creating my first muslin mock up. What a brilliant revelation! It makes so much sense to do this rather than ruin such lovely fabric.

I created this dress with burlesque in mind so I added a longer zipper that unzips from the bottom and has snaps on the shoulder for easy removal. I also created a matching tilt hat which I learned how to make in a millinery class from Vienna La Rouge, a burlesque performer in San Francisco.

Here is a close up of my tilt hat with added fabric roses, veiling, and feathers. It was a lot of fun to make and at this moment is one of my favorite hats.

To make the dress I used a patterned satin fabric that is sheer beige with velvet roses. I lined the dress with a lovely shade of red and added red bias tape to the edges of the sleeves and neckline. I also added decorative tassel so that it is easier to zip off during my act.

These pictures were take by POC Photo and are the finished product!