go vintage

Grandma Ruth Kleinman passed away the Monday before little Rex Lee Foster was borned.  What does this have to do with crafts or sewing?  Well, turns out Grandma Ruth hoarded sewing things and I got to pilfer some of her sewing things.  I scored some great patterns, which actually may fit me (mostly!).  I also scored some awesome fabric, both of which you will see momentarily.


I have never sewn vintage before.  There is a whole vintage sewing movement going on and I think it is great, but I only wanted to enjoy it as a lurker, not necessarily an active participant.  Well, I found this awesome pattern.

When I open a pattern, I am used to it being all marked up and in one gigantic piece.  Patterns from the early '40's back don't come printed and are pre-cut (!!!! for the pre-cut!)  They also have all these holes and perforations that have a code to them.  The only directions that this particular pattern contained was a diagram explaining such holes and perforations.  Back then, they were able to assume that everyone had a basic knowledge of garment construction, is my best guess.  Any how, here's what I ended up with.

 The fabric was also pilfered from Grandma's picked over stash.  I can't believe no body took this stuff!  Gray and pink!  


I had to make a few modifications on the blouse. First, I lengthened it by two inches.  I put in a dart under the bust line, as well as lengthening the dart and put in and lengthened two box pleats.  I actually tried darts but it just didn't look right, so out with the seam ripper.  I thought that since I lengthened it so much that darts would work.  But it was a fail.  So two box pleats instead of one looked the best.  


I love vintage!  I am not a total convert or vintage purist (I WILL use my button foot and my zipper foot, no bound buttons unless it is just really that much more awesome, FUSIBLE interfacing all the way), but I have another vintage pattern I am currently looking for fabric to sew.  It was pretty fun.  My favorite part?  Well, there are two parts.  1.  Zippers are called fastener pulls.  2.  Since button holes and zippers were hand sewn, they were avoided at all costs, which is excellent!  That is my kind of sewing!  My Grandma and Great Grandma would have KILLED for my Bernina and her beautiful zipper foot and oh, so glamorous memory buttonhole function!  
Here's to you, Grandma!!