Much ado about nothing

I have been so busy! Not busy in the photo department apparently. I finished a sleeveless camp style shirt from the 60s, a 1950s housedress, and bathroom curtains. I've cut out pajamas for my hubby, and a pair of pants for myself.

And great news, I have inherited 13 (yes thirteen!) garbage bags of fabric. It's all vintage too from a friend. It was hers and her mothers stash. I have been washing fabric for a week and still have two bags left. I think I am going to start a quilt this winter to stash bust the small pieces.

Pics to come I swear!

Sneak peak: McCalls

I got it baby! Thanks to Butterick 5605 I figured it out. I never thought I would thank a modern pattern for helping me with a vintage problem.

Butterick 5605

I had some serious doubts about this modern reproduction pattern. I don't usually do well with multisized patterns. That being said, this one came out really well. I did change a couple big things; first off I cut the front bodice piece on the fold. I don't know why they seamed it, I find a middle seam distracting. Anywho, then I flubbed my pattern pieces for the skirt. I cut the skirt back first and didn't have enough fabric for the front piece. Gar! I should have measured it out first. Rookie move. So what I did was use the back for the skirt front with my own box pleats (I didn't want fluffy butt back pleats) and I took the back piece again and used it for the front with the pleats taken out. I just fit everything in and I don't think you would notice that it's not supposed to look that way. I also added the back ties on like an apron. It's crazy to think that Butterick wanted to waste that much fabric with ties attached at the bodice. I have never fully lined a dress before but it was not as unpleasant as I thought. It does increase my sewing time quite a bit though. I also chopped off about 6 inches in length from the hemline. I had it long but once I tried it on I realized it looked like a weird 60s bridesmaid dress. So much better this way. The yellow belt is a an 80s number I got at an estate sale.

I think the modern sizing is just so off. I ended up cutting an 8 on top and scaling to a 12 at the waist and since I couldn't go back to an 8 at the hips I just left it as a 12. It worked out just fine. I also omitted the pockets thinking that the free floating lining and more fabric for the pockets would just be too bulky at the hips.

The only problem i had with this dress was the gussets. They just did not want to turn correctly. But after doing the 4 points of the lining first I think I got enough practice to make the bodice fashion fabric to look good. The fabric is from an estate sale too. I got a gigantic bag of vintage fabric for $10. I never posted it, bummer, but that estate sale was amazing! I walked away with so much for the $11.50 I spent.

And, as per usual, the pictures are out of order. The Blogger app isn't so hot on pictures.

McCalls #1712 again and again and again

I love this pattern! I have made it a few times before and it's always a crowd pleaser. Last time I made it I used a bright floral cotton and bias binding like it called for. This time I did it in a quilting cotton and bag lined it in muslin and added jumbo ric rac. I used a button tab to close it instead of the bias trim neck ties too.

I changed the pockets to make them deeper and added a couple narrow pockets for paint brushes. Then I filled the pockets with art supplies. I think this will be a great birthday present.

The smell that stuck

Help! I can't get the smell out! Any ideas on this wool fabric?

I got fabric for $2 at an estate sale and I can't get the stink out. Anyone have experience washing it in the washer machine on the wool setting and drying it on zero heat in the dryer?

Pattern grading for the highly inept

Well, every single one of my projects is either at a dead end in the scrap pile or in an indefinite hiatus. The McCalls armpit issue is still an issue, the knit mail order has me in fits and I'm dumping it, I had tried a muslin of another and it's like wearing a potato sack (ie, not worth trying to save it). And now I'm onto something worse.... Pattern grading.

I don't grade patterns as a general rule. If I can just add a bit to the side or take in a bit at a center I won't mess with it much. That being said I really love this pattern. Love. Unfortunately it's a size small and it's yoked so I have no idea how to do it. I only need 3 measly extra inches to make it fit. I measured all the pieces and there is only 1/2 ease at the waist and 3 at the bust. That puts the pattern at a 33 bust and 26 waist. I want it to be around a 29 waist total with ease and 34/35 inch bust total with ease. So, here we go.... I need some ideas as to which option seems best:

Plan A-

Bodice front: slash at yellow line, insert 3/4 inch. Slash at green line running into yellow line, insert 1 inch lengthwise.

Bodice back: slash at each red line inserting 1 inch for length and 3/4 inch for width.

Plan B- all pink lines

Bodice front: and 3/4 inch to the center fronts including the back neck collar seam.

Bodice back: add 3/4 inch to CB

Inherently I like option B because it's simple and fast. Will it work? Option A sounds more technical and makes me think it would work too, maybe. The tricky part is that the yoke is top stitched so I don't want to mess with taking anything off the seam allowances for the turned under bits bc then it will effect the arm hole. So there it is, in all it's confusing glory.

Ugh

Here is the disaster. It's just lumpy and poofy. Wtf, it's supposed to be flat. The instructions have you make a snip to turn the corner. It never works; never.

Advance 8574 - again

I just love this pattern. I made it again in a vintage Peter Pan fabric I got from an estate sale for $2. Next time I make it, and there will be a next time, I want to try attaching a different skirt so I can button it down the whole front. Although, I do actually have a pattern like that I haven't tried yet so maybe that will be my next attempt..... after I finish the three dresses I have cut and in various forms of completion. Oy.

I didn't do anything to alter the pattern except add about an inch to the bodice length. The buttons are vintage I got for $0.15 at an antique shop. The white collar is an old tablecloth scrap and the cuffs are white bias quilt binding from Joann Fabrics. I didn't make a belt again. I usually wear my own belts. I think the dress isn't novelty enough to for a self belt so IMHO it would just make the dress look dated instead of vintage-y.

I just bring myself to fix the armpit of the McCalls either. Maybe tonight I'll work on it and post pics.

Vent time

I am having some issues as you can tell. It's 11pm and the armpit of my newest McCalls is a disaster, a flipping' disaster. Its a raglan style dolman sleeve if you can picture that. I can't even articulate myself fully right now. I am smoking mad, I hate when I mess up. I'll post pics tomorrow when the light is better since in sew in a G D basement. Grrrrr, I'll have to rip it all out.

Singer 201-2

I have been looking for a good vintage machine for a while. I had my sights set on a Featherweight initially but one I really started scoping out the scene I was on a desperate hunt for a 201. After stalking Craigslist for what seemed an eternity I found my 201-2 in a table for $95. The picture on CL was awful but I was pretty sure it was a 201-2 by the little light switch.

I spent 3 hours last night vacuuming out the dust in the desk and oil and greasing the machine. I cleaned out the old grease; Ick is only word. It was thick and nasty and I'm pretty sure it was from the 40s. Anywho, it purrs like a kitten and is pretty clean on the inside now. When I cleaned out the desk a whole slew of attachment were in there. A buttonholer, a pantyhose mender, two old springy buttonholers, a bunch of attachments for making rugs, a box of original Singer attachments, a darning thingy, a "magic foot", an embroidering foot and hoop thing, a pinking attachment (which looks like a torture device and is the size of an apple), and a box of 100 original needles. Wow. I also found the original booklet and two blue glass hat pins.

I have to fix the tension dial next. The push pin seems to be stuck and the tension is off. I have a dress to finish today and I think I'll hem it on the new machine. The stitches are beautiful and far superior to my junky plastic Brother. I'm not quite brave enough to try the buttonholer out in the new dress but I do think I play with it.

Anyone have any suggestions on how best to clean the outside of the machine to make it shiny? I used mild soap and water and it left it cloudy so I just rubbed a small amount of Singer oil on it. It soaked it in. There is some crazing around it and I don't want to lose the paint.

The breakdown

Okay peeps, I am thrilled. I have an envelop of stray pieces that I couldn't match up but everything else looks good. I even got an apron pattern from newspaper, a child apron from newspaper, and what looks like a doll clothes pattern. There are also a couple kid patterns outside of envelopes and no instructions that are a total mystery. The Hollywood pattern is missing instructions but I don't really need them.

My favorite items besides the adult patterns are the two mommy and me patterns. I have been looking for a set of 40s patterns for ever. They are usually soooooo expensive.