Monday, February 20, 2012

Lucy, I'm home!

Whew, it's totally done and I'm in love with it. If I make it again I need to widen the waist about an inch for a better button overlap. There was no waist measurement listed on the pattern so I just winged it and prayed for a fit. Pre-children this would have easily fit better but as it is I put the waist size down for a 25 inch waist woman with approximately 4 inches of room for the button packets etc. Now it's more like 2 inches for the buttons which technically fits but isn't the best. I could always get a waist nipper like a woman then would have worn but I'm not going down that tight and upright rabbit hole.

The fabric was a beast. It was very shreddy and slippery. One seam mistake and the holes are there forever. The totally botched the shoulder/collar area too. You have to make a slice then wiggle the fabric into place to make the back neck and shoulder seam. No matter how I tried it need up looking like a child sewed it. Luckily the collar covers it. I did French seams and just did a narrow hem on the bottom. I like the look of a deep hem but it's way more work and I'm pretty skrimpy when it comes to fabric usage. I wish it was warm already so I could go June Cleaver grocery shopping.

5 comments:

  1. Love the dress! Quick question- you never posted the name of the pattern company or pattern number. I'm really keen to find this out, as i would like to try and hunt one of these patterns down. Thanks!

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  2. Oh snap, you're right! Let me look..... Ok, there is no name on it. Envelope has nothing on it either. I think it must be from a newspaper or something but I dated the bulk rate on the stamp and it puts it to mid to late 50s.The pattern does give a number #2853, also not listed in the vintage pattern wikia site. Totally a bummer really. The dress I'm making now is the same in that it's unnamed. The envelope has "household" written above "pattern department" followed by their NYC mailing address.

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  3. Found it, it's a Ladies Home Jounal pattern. I would be willing to swap patterns if your interested. I would just trace mine and send the original to you and you could give me a couple options to pick from and send one to me. I'm still on the hunt for a perfect shirt dress pattern that's super quick and easy and has few pieces but still looks great and vintagy so I could let this one go.

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  4. I may be suffering from a brain tumor but Lucy dress has no envelop. I found the envelope of the pattern I'm currently working on (duh) and that one is a Ladies Home Journal pattern. Based on the unmarked instructions and unprinted pieces I would throw money down on a newspaper or magazine pattern.

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    1. Thank you, I would totally take you up on this offer, but i bit the bullet and took and existing shirt dress pattern and redrafted it to make it very similar. I did a muslin and it worked out pretty well, I'll be sewing it up tomorrow, so we'll see. I'm also currently living (surviving this winter barely) in Siberia so a trade right now isn't really practical. I look forward to reading more of your sewing escapades!

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