The idea is that you pledge to actually sew up some vintage patterns, rather than just mooning over them. Admittedly, it is phrased a little nicer than that! I have pledged to sew up three items this year.
This is the first of my vintage sewing pattern makes. It is from 1975, and I think it looks great; the pattern is a little bit battered but it's intact. The little tabs on the neckline and the flared shape at the hem are rather fun and lovely.
So here is my attempt. It is not great by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not terrible.
I've used a nice soft knit in a 4-way stretch. The finished garment is so soft and comfy, I may never take it off! I don't think it was a very wise fabric choice, though, as it was too stretchy. The suggested fabrics were a little more stable: crepe, double knit, shantung,or wool.
The dress looks okay, but due to the stretch it was a bugger to sew. I used a walking foot for the sewing and this made it a little easier. But I made mistakes - I forgot to stay-stitch first, and this meant the neck and armcycles are not perfect.
Luckily those little tabs take your eyes off it, so it is not too noticeable.
I stabilised the shoulder seams with stay tape. The instructions didn't say to, but I'd read about it a lot on other people's blogs, so I gave it a go. It really helps keep the shape of the seam and stops the seam moving.
I think I may give the pattern another go in a woven fabric. This would make it much easier for me to sew, but I may need to tweak the sizing a little. The pattern was a size 12; not knowing how to down-size a pattern properly, I literally brought the pattern in by a cm all around. It worked (sort of) and it is at least a workable base pattern for tweaking in the future.
Given the slightly stretched seams, dodgy sizing and fabric choice, I'm not sure I should wear this out in public much! The only trouble with that is... it is so comfy, and I feel good in it! So I'll just have to brazen it out. Either that, or wear it as a fancy nightie.
