1950s – Stacey Stitch

Cotton Couture: 1950s Commissions from Manchester (Manchester Art Gallery)

Published on July 30, 2015 by Stacey Stitch6 Comments

I stumbled across this fabulous exhibition when I was researching a blog for Time Out Manchester. You may have read my Gallery of Costume Dior blog a couple of years ago – I’ve always wondered what’s in the vaults there and it turns out this is.

This exhibition runs until the end of August, and is all features dresses from the Catwalk as featured by the Cotton Board and many of them modelled by Barbara Goalen (swoon). If you live in, or are planning on visiting, Manchester go and see them before they get packed away again. These are fantastic pieces which your heart will melt over.

The exhibition is free, as is the rest of the Art Gallery (although donations are welcome).

Craftsy: Sew Retro – The Gertie Bombshell Dress So Far

Published on May 22, 2014 by Stacey Stitch4 Comments

I thought I’d give a little update on my Sewing for Vegas Sew Retro bombshell dress and my experience of using Craftsy for the first time.

I signed up for this course with a little trepidation, boning? yikes! But you never get anywhere unless you push yourself do you? And in some respects I have all too easily become used to doing what I can do and sticking with the “safe” stuff.

So first things first:

When I found out about craftsy I thought it would be marvellous for me. As you may know I am dyslexic, so looking at instructions in the written word are usually quite confusing.

Add with that mild dyspraxia and you have a whole heap of confusion when it comes to things such as left and right.

I learn so well when people show me physically how to do something rather than from reading instructions, hence the idea of video classes which I can access at any point seemed perfect.

So sign up I did.

I downloaded the course materials and pattern (easy enough) ensuring that the test square was the right size and then ordered everything I needed to make up the dress (apart from the boning – you really need to measure your bodice pieces for that).

I decided on a cerise medium weight cotton for the main fabric with the lining in a lightweight light blue and white polka dot.

I cracked on with making up the pattern.

Now, I know this should have been easy and it was up to a certain point but honestly, being told that it’s “fun, like doing a puzzle” doesn’t actually make it any more fun and less fiddly.

Oh, and if you’re like me and don’t have a table big enough, prepare for some backache.

This was however soothed by watching the amazingly trashy cultness of Showgirls while I was doing it.

Next up was marking the pattern pieces on calico for the toile of the bodice.

When I first discovered that the pattern had no seam allowance I was struck by a little bit of fear, I completely didn’t understand how beneficial this actually would be and how easy it would make the whole process. Thread tracing is a new one on me but I feel like it’s something that might change my sewing life!

After a short time I had my cups made and decided it was time to leave it for the night.

The next day I began stitching the rest of the pieces together. It took me about 40 minutes of not understanding why the cups weren’t fitting into the bodice sections before I realised I’d sewn them on the wrong way round (dylexia-dyspraxia strikes again!). Once they were un-picked and re-sewn I had a bodice which looked pretty fantastic.

I just made a few adjustments to the height of the cups (these would make me blush in their original form, and I’m not shy by any means) which Gertie talks you through every step of the way, There’s also a section on a full bust adjustment, which I didn’t use but I did watch and it was very thorough. It will be a great reference if I make something for someone in the future who is bustier than me.

I added a little height to the back of the bodice too, in line with the height I’d added to the cups and then I graded this down towards the closure section where the zip will be inserted.

After this I made the changes to my pattern pieces to incorporate the extra material and I cut more calico for the interlining, marked it up and used these pieces as a pattern for the main bodice material, which I then cut and tacked together.

Then I made up the bodice as instructed, step by step, including inserting a bit of padding to the cups and a few other tailoring techniques as shown (I don’t want to give everything away).

This where I’m up to, an almost complete bodice. I am so happy with how it looks.

My thoughts on the class and on craftsy:

I am really loving doing something new and more challenging with guidance from others who have completed the course and from the instructor. I would definitely recommend this type of learning to anyone who is talking up sewing. The instructions are clear and concise and it is invaluable to be able to see in motion what you can only read about in other respects. The little tailoring and hand sewing techniques and finishes and shared experiences from Gertie are well worth signing up for, never mind the fact you’ll have a gorgeous dress at the end of it.

I fully intend to carry on doing more craftsy courses after I have finished this one. What I have learned so far is so much more than I thought I would, and it’s great to find out little tips and tricks so that if (like me) you’re learning as you go, and on your own, you find speedier and more accurate ways to make garments.

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME

8 DAYS TO GO AND EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

If you liked this blog please vote for me in the NVAs as I’ve been nominated under the Best Vintage Fashion/Lifestyle Blog category. Voting is open throughout May and it’s a simple click to select Stacey Stitch and then enter your email address to confirm the vote (you wont be spammed). Clicking on the photo or links above should take you straight to the website.

I need to be in the top 3 and I’m currently in 4th place. Only the top 3 go through to the judges panel. Help a fellow vintage sewing enthusiast out?

It’ll only take a few minutes of your time if you have it spare! Thank you!

March Vintage Pattern Giveaway

Published on March 28, 2014March 28, 2014 by Stacey Stitch5 Comments

This month the pattern I’m giving away it this beautiful early 50s blouse, 34bust, McCalls 3088.

To enter please comment below, visit my facebook page like and comment on the post related to this blog:

or visit my twitter and retweet the giveaway tweet.

I’ll pick a winner next Friday, 4th April.

Good luck folks!

Vintage Lingerie: Historical Patterns and Techniques

Published on March 20, 2014 by Stacey Stitch3 Comments

When I saw this book on Amazon I knew I had to get it. I had a quick scan through the reviews online and decided to purchase.

I adore vintage styled lingerie (total Kiss Me Deadly addict) but it doesn’t come in cheap. If you want quality, you’re most certainly going pay for it.

When it landed through the letterbox with a comforting thud I tumbled downstairs, pulled apart the packaging and gazed and the beautiful front cover.

I was aware of the author, Jill Salen, as my cousin’s (then) girlfriend (now wife) had lent me her fabulous book on corsets a few years ago when I was first foraying into making my own burlesque costumes. While the book was amazing, the thought of making a corset was very daunting and I loved reading through but it was packed up and shipped back to the lovely Sarah (thank you!).

But, I digress….back to Vintage Lingerie: Historical Patterns and Techniques.

I am more than happy with its stylistics. The book is laid out in an easy to read way, spaced out generously (I find books that are “too busy” very confusing due to my dyslexia) and sleek and stylish. It covers 30 pieces from 1890 to 1970 and is set up for each piece as follows:

The first page devoted to a beautiful piece of vintage lingerie, photographed beautifully and simply.
The following page with a description of the year or era, detailing on the fabric, techniques, measurements and embellishments used.
Following this is the scaled down pattern, each reproduced on graph paper for ease of scaling up separately.

While this book as an absolutely beautiful addition to my collection I really should say that it is definitely not aimed at beginners.

There are few (if any) instructions for actually making the garments but it really doesn’t feel daunting to me to consider starting to reproduce any of these items, after all using the internet to find clarity on certain sewing techniques is old hat at this point for me!

There are two comprehensive projects contained in the back on this book, with full detailing and step by step instructions:

A black brassiere (1930s)
A petticoat (1905)

Neither of these grabbed me as items I would really like to crack on with; there were far more gorgeous offerings in the previous pages (corselette or the Dior style longline bra for instance) but I am sure that is just a matter of personal taste.

At the back of the book is a handy chapter about embellishing and finishing techniques such as scalloping, making button loops, fastenings etc.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for good a resource of vintage lingerie. I have been looking for something like this for a while now and everything else seemed to fall short of the mark.

I can’t wait to get cracking with my first project from this, although I will definitely be making a toile, sewing in a cheap fabric and then making the final in something a little more luxurious!

Oh and I am very tempted to purchase Jill Salen’s next book Vintage Swimwear Patterns: Historical Patterns and Techniques, but that’s for another time when my purse is a little fatter I think!

New Pattern Purchases (& Pattern Giveaway)

Published on July 20, 2013 by Stacey Stitch5 Comments

I appear to have somewhat of a pattern buying problem at the moment.

I’ve recent added these beauties to my collection:

And I have also added these two. Tim thinks they’re horrible but I’ll be the one laughing when I’m all snuggled up in winter in a lovely flannel gown!

Giveaway

Can you give the below 2 patterns a good home?

The first is this Simplicity 6197 Bust 44. It was advertised on wrongly on ebay as B34 so I don’t think I’ll use as it’s it’s quite far off my measurements. More details can be found here.

I haven’t checked the pieces but in the original listing it said they were all there.

The second is this repro Vintage Vouge V1072 40s suit pattern. It’s in size DD (12-14-16-18)

It’s brand new and uncut. More details on the pattern and sizing can be found here. As far as I am aware this pattern is now out of print.

When I first started to get into vintage clothes I was very much in love with 40s designs but I’m more partial to late 50s -60s rather than earlier now so I don’t see myself making this up at any point.

If you’d like either of these patterns please comment below (with Simplicity and/or Vogue in the body of the text) by 28th July, follow my blog and I’ll announce the new owners on here on 31st.

I’ll be using a random number generator to pick the winner/s.

Simplicity 2654 & McCalls 7292: All Sewn Up

Published on July 14, 2013July 14, 2013 by Stacey Stitch13 Comments

I have been sewing, honest! I know I’ve been quiet but with the heatwave we’re having at the moment and Wimbledon proving to be quite a distraction it’s taken me quite a lot longer than I thought it would to complete the skirt and top combo I started a couple of weeks ago.

I started with the McCalls 7292 view B top and went for quite a thick red cotton that I had in my stash. The top was quite simple to make but did come out a little bit bigger than I would have liked. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve lost weight recently or if I should have allowed some ease on the pattern. I have used this pattern before (view C) and it has fit me like a glove so I’m not entirely sure why it was different this time around.

I decided once it was finished to embroider a flower on one of the shoulders to make it a bit more interesting and it came out quite nicely. The patterns are ones that were handed to me from my Nana, now her eyesight isn’t too good she can’t do much needlework.

I started on the skirt from Simplicity 2654 view 3, a full circle skirt. I used quite a thin black cotton and it was simple from start to finish (apart from taking ages to cut out as I was watching the men’s final and getting very excited about Murray!)

I did embroider the bottom with the larger flower pattern, hoping that it would lift the skirt a bit as it looks very black. The red against the black didn’t make it pop as much as I thought it would. I know that might sound a bit silly but I did think after maybe I should have put some red ric rac on the bottom of it, then again it might have made it look a little cartoon-y and this is, really, a top and skirt for work so it doesn’t have to be too colourful.