Shades of Emerald

This color combination takes me back to my childhood choral uniform.  Our performance outfits were a very similar combination, although the dark pinafore was more teal than green, and perhaps the collared blouse was a slightly lighter shade.  But the overall theme is the same.

Of course, I didn't realize what I had done until I put these two items on one morning and had a bit of a flashback.  

I never got around to sharing this sweater, except for minimally on Instagram, and I think that the construction photos got eaten by a failing external drive.  It's a vintage pattern that was reproduced by Susan Crawford in A Stitch in Time.  

I was smart enough to put some basic info on Ravelry, so I know that I knit this in 2016.  I remember being slightly disappointed in the length of the sleeves, until I decided I would "hem" them by folded up a bit and hand stitching it into place.  In the end, I think this gives a nicer finish than the cast on edge, so perhaps that was a happy mistake!

The skirt was an experiment with a made-for-knits sewing pattern that was quite successful.  And honestly, a solid colored wool skirt is always a good idea, in my opinion.

I have been wearing this skirt lately, and I do love bright colors in the Winter months.  Well, I guess I love bright colors all year round, but it's nice to get out of the rut of wearing black when it's raining and it gets dark at 4 p.m.  Color really does elevate my mood sometimes.

I love the sweater.  Sometimes my knit projects are not very well thought out, and I end up with a collection of knits that match nothing in my wardrobe.  This is not one of those!

And I do love a tie at the neckline, even if I really dislike knitting a long strip - all that switching back and forth on the needles drives me bonkers.  But I suppose the aggravation was worth it in this case!

Sweater:  Made by me, "Jersey with a Soft Bow"
Skirt:  Made by me, Vogue 8685
Shoes:  Vince Camuto

Emerald Green Wool

This skirt was stitched together back in 2022, but I only got around to wearing and taking photos last year, and here we are, two years later, finally getting around to talking about the project on the blog.  I'm not even sure that this garment made it on my Instagram account.

I really loved making multiple versions of Vogue 8685, which is a dress pattern made for a stable knit.  I made a polka dot version, a solid rayon ponte version, and made a knee length ponte version in solid black (which also never made it to the blog), and decided that it would make a lovely skirt.

Well, I wasn't sure that I wanted a knit skirt in my wardrobe, or that I would even find a knit fabric that I wanted to make into a skirt.  But I did have plenty of wool yardage.  So I decided to see if the design would work in a woven.

Spoiler alert . . . it did.  Now, I did add a bit of extra width to the hips since my wool coating doesn't have the same amount of stretch as a ponte knit.  That alteration worked great.

The wool is not lightweight at all, so an invisible zipper was out of the question.  I ended up using a regular zipper with a lapped application.

It's definitely a bit bulky, but I think this was the best choice for the fabric.

As with most of my waistbands, I added a bit of plastic boning to keep the wide band from collapsing.

It only takes a bit more time/effort, and it really makes a difference that an interfacing cannot accomplish on its own.

The skirt itself is not lined, but to finish the raw edges of the wool I cut out duplicates of the yoke in a cotton that I had on hand to serve as a partial lining.

And a pair of ribbon hangers is something I always like to add to the waist seam because I hate the marks that hanger clips leave.

This particular wool does not fray very much at all, but I still wanted to have a clean finish, and I happened to have a very complimentary colored seam binding on hand, so I wrapped all remaining raw edges with it.

Because this fabric was extra wide (I think it was somewhere around 64"!) I was able to make the skirt nice and long, and give myself a generous hem for a flared shape.

And since there was a nice seam binding finish at the hem, I decided to catch-stitch the edge.

This is probably one of my most used patterns.  While it is technically a modern style, it does have very classic lines, but is slightly more interesting than a standard skirt.

And I don't think I will ever be able to say no to adding another wool skirt option to my closet!

Buttoned Up

It feels like I haven't worked with a 1940s silhouette in quite some time, which was an oversight on my part.

Perhaps the lightweight rayon is not especially cold weather friendly, but I think this silhouette would work quite well in a drapey wool, as well.

As for how this particular version turned out, I am very happy with the finished results.  The original length of the sleeve was a bit ridiculous, but that was an easy fix, even if I am loath to "alter" anything.  Give me a new sewing project and I will happily spend hours upon hours working away at it . . . but ask me to replace a button that has fallen off of something and I will avoid it for YEARS.  But those sleeves were down to my elbow, and they had to be fixed! 

I also do love a fully buttoned front closure.  That means that there are more buttonholes to contend with, but a front or back opening that allows me to step into a dress is always preferable to a side zip.

And there are plenty of 1940s styles that rely on a side zipper, which may be why I have been avoiding them.

So, once again, a vintage Hollywood Pattern comes through for me.

The long sleeve version of this pattern is also calling my name . . . perhaps in that theoretical wool I was thinking about . . .

Because I am really enjoying a great collar, and even though it gets a bit lost in this floral print, it's there!  And the puffed sleeves aren't too shabby, either.

Dress:  Made by me, Hollywood 579
Shoes:  Kate Spade
Earrings:  Kate Spade

Checks & Plaid for My Archie

It has come to my attention that I have not introduced Archibald (aka Archie) on my blog, which is definitely an oversight!  He has been on my Instagram account a few times, but it is high time he had a blog post to himself.  And since I just made him some cold weather gear, it seemed like the perfect time to formally introduce him around these parts.  He came into my life in May, and he is a complete love bug with a rascally disposition that keeps me on my toes!  I am not sure about his age, but he is somewhere around 1 or 2 years of age, and according to Embark, he is 47% Chihuahua with a fabulous assortment of other breeds, including Poodle, Pomeranian, Pekingese, Cocker Spaniel, Min Pin, and a dash of Cattle Dog (I suspect that's where the freckles come from), Pit Bull, and Dachshund.  I always wanted a Pittie, and now I have my own pint sized version.  Like me, he is pigment challenged, has a tendency to freckle, with short legs and a long torso - he is definitely my son!

And now for the doggie jacket info . . . I pulled out a couple of patterns, and ended up choosing Simplicity 2695 to start.

To complicate things, I decided that I would quilt my own fabric.  I also decided to allow myself to only use items that were stashed.  

The cotton gingham is leftover from this dress, I always have red cotton scraps around these parts although I couldn't tell you specifically which project they were used for, and the poly batting was, in a moment of madness, used to quilt this skirt.  I still can't believe I quilted those huge skirt pieces by machine without going mad.

The quilting on this relatively tiny bit of fabric is far from perfect, and I thought I was going to have to put the whole thing on hold due to a lack of velcro, but I did manage to finish it.  I think that Archie looks rather charming in the ensemble.

There were a couple of things that I thought could be modified, so I found some leftover flannel and decided to make another version before I forgot the changes that I wanted to make to the original.

I scooped out a bit at the side of the main body piece, and flattened out the underbody straps for a bit more clearance from any wayward urine streams (the joys of clothing a male dog).  I also moved those straps forward by about an inch, and I ended up doing the same on the quilted version since they are finished and then stitched into place and it was an easy fix.

I do have a few other suitable patterns, so I should probably try one of those next to see if the shape suits Archie better.  But for now, he has a couple of options to keep him cozy!

Now if only I could figure out a better rain jacket situation since everything seems to be catering to a Frenchie body type and I have no idea where I would find rain resistant fabric options that I would actually want to cut and sew.  Also, if someone could let Archie know that he won't melt in the rain, that would be great, because he is NOT a fan, and I am not sure he believes me.

Jackets:  Made by me, Simplicity 2695

A Hollywood Classic

I was gifted a handful of vintage patterns from a friend who thought I might like them, and lucky me, there are quite a few really special ones that are going to work for me!  First up is this classic shirtdress style from Hollywood Patterns.  While this particular pattern is not on the Vintage Pattern Wiki, and I don't think that the copyright is noted on the pattern envelope or instructions, it definitely fits with the classic 1940s style.  

While I haven't worked with that many Hollywood Patterns, I am quite fond of all of the ones that I have made, so I thought it was a good place to start.  And thankfully, the pattern was complete.   There was a significant tear on the bodice front, but it was complete, so I just traced a copy to ensure I didn't do any further damage.

And like so many vintage designs, there are plenty of elements to love.  First, we have a few lapped seams for the back midriff piece that extends into self-fabric ties at the front.  And of course, it's hard to miss those pleats!

The pattern suggests bound buttonholes (be still, my heart!).  But interestingly enough, it has them constructed after a large portion of the dress is already stitched together.  It also does not mention interfacing, but since I was using a drapey rayon, I decided to add a bit of structure to make those bound buttonholes a bit easier to construct.

And if I make this up again - I do love the long sleeved version - I would begin with the buttonholes to make it easier for myself.

Raw edges were finished with rayon seam binding, per usual.

And there were some hand finished bits.

I even found some lovely vintage shell buttons that were a perfect match, and I had the exact  number needed stitched to an old piece of cardboard.  I just love when that happens!

I didn't add shoulder pads, but I did want those puffed sleeves to stand out, so I added a bit of cotton covered netting to the area to make sure the silhouette looked right.

Archie approved of the dress, as do I.

The hips were slightly more fitted than expected, but that is the ideal 1940s silhouette, so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. 

This project turned out great.  It's always fun when the fabric and design end up working so well together.  And while it may take me some time, I do think it would be nice to have a long sleeved version added to my collection of vintage reproductions.  But for now I have a few cuts of wool coating calling my name.