Vintage pattern Archives

Dripping in Crushed Velvet // The Ultimate Holiday Wrap Dress

6 February 2019 by Heather Lou Leave a Comment

Our Sew Frosting challenge may be long over but I still have one very special dress to share with you. You might not think of a gold maxi-length crushed velvet wrap dress as a wardrobe staple, but given the number of occasions I found to wear it over the holidays, I would beg to differ. I think it's important to have at least one show-stopping number to pull out for those special nights, something that makes the memories a bit more precious because you felt so good about what you were wearing.

The story of this velvet gown started at Tonitex, one of my favourite fabric stores in Montreal. I spotted this outrageously luxe gold crushed velvet last year and had to have it, despite having no idea whatsoever what to do with it. Crushed velvet gives me intense 90s flashbacks but I found the colour too seductive to resist. When Kelli and I started planning Sew Frosting, I knew this beauty had to get pulled out of the stash and put to over-the-top use. It's a nice companion to my silk velvet Amy Jumpsuit; sometimes you need a little soft nap action in your life.

I knew I wanted to use a vintage pattern for this project. I used to sew from them all the time and kinda missed the challenge of making a totally different size work for me while scratching my head over the instructions. The search on Etsy is always the best part, and I stumbled over this pattern, Butterick 5119, designed by John Kloss. I have another John Kloss in my collection (I used it to make this dress and this dress) and I love his sexy disco designs for knit fabrics. The pattern was about 3 sizes too small, so when our patternmaker Celine had a slow day I asked her to grade it up for me. Knits are so simple to grade, especially when the pattern pieces are as simple as this one. Basically, we just added some width and length through the bodice and skirt. The bodice ended up a bit too long so I did end up recutting the shoulder and armhole to reduce gaping.

While I love this design, the instructions were basically garbage. The wrap neckline runs from the front all the way to the back and the directions were too simply fold and stitch the seam in place. With such a long bias seam, you really need a more stable edge to lay close against the body and prevent gaping. I brainstormed a few solutions and settled on using a hidden bias tape finish. I bought a roll of knit bias tape a few years ago and it was perfect for this application; I stretched it very gently as I sewed it the neckline and then folded and pressed it to the inside before using a long and narrow zigzag to stitch it in place. It's not invisible but it is very stable and I have none of the gaping issues I generally have with wrap necklines.

The construction of this dress is a bit funny. Each side wraps around the body before joining into a skirt at crotch level. The visible wrap on the outside secures with a tie, while the hidden wrap on the inside lays flat against the body. The instructions called for individual hook and eye closures but I figured it would be faster and easier to just secure the edges with bra hook and eye tape. It's not the prettiest on the inside but it's super sturdy.

I ended up leaving the sleeve and skirt hem unhemed because this fabric doesn't unravel and I preferred how clean it looked. As for the ties, I made a facing for them so you never see the wrong side of the fabric. The instructions wanted them hemmed and stitched in place but it would have been very hard to get a nice finish around the curves. You really need to be a bit of a sewing Columbo when you're using vintage patterns, amiright?

The best thing about this dress is how dang comfy it is. It's form fitting but flexible, and I can dance, sit and eat with relative abandon while wearing it. It ended up being both my New Years and studio Christmas party dress, and both nights I felt more glamorous than I have in a long, long time. I miss fancy nighttime Heather. She doesn't make that many appearances anymore, but it's nice to know I have the right dress in my closet when she is called into action.

So that's the story of crushed velvet Sew Frosting dress. An adventure to sew, and a pleasure to see hanging in my closet.

How do you feel about crushed velvet? And does anyone else get as frustrated with vintage sewing pattern instructions as I?

Have a Very Disco Halloween

31 October 2018 by Heather Lou Leave a Comment

If you've been reading this blog for long, you know Halloween is basically my favourite thing about being alive. Nothing makes me happier than getting dressed up in something ridiculous that took way too much time and energy to make (for proof see here and here and here and here).

This year I decided to tie Halloween and Sew Frosting together in a neat little sparkly bow and make a costume I could maybe wear again. You know, because gold lame jumpsuits are SO practical out in the real world.

Meet my disco queen:

Technically, I was aiming for Maggie Trudeau, the iconic wife of our greatest prime minister (Pierre Trudeau, father of Justin). She was a 70s wild child who ran off with the Rolling Stones and hung out with Andy Warhol at Studio 54 and I've always loved her. She's a gorgeous, free-spirited symbol of freedom from my favourite style decade. Here is the inspiration image:

In all honesty, this costume may have been a little too specific. Even my prop of a babydoll with Justin Trudeau's face taped to it didn't really register with anyone at the party I went to.

So... general disco lady it is. *Shrugs*.

This costume gave me an excuse to finally do something with the vintage Vogue 9634 pattern my mom got me at a garage sale. The fabric is a super clingy, liquid gold knit from Mood. It hides NOTHING so I had to wear these Spanx-xy bike short things underneath to protect my dignity.

The pattern was a few sizes too small so I did some frantic, emergency grading a few days before Halloween. Because it's a simple knit, I just did a slash and spread adjustment to add width through the whole thing, but in hindsight, I should have added length through the crotch as well since it's a little tight in the tush.

It's a funny pattern - it calls for super stretchy knit fabric but then has all these facings they instruct you to hand tack to the inside (uhh, no weird 70s sewing pattern, I don't think I'll be doing that). Instead, I stitched all the facings in place with a long, narrow zig zag and it worked just fine. One thing I am considering doing if I wear this again (when I wear this again) is to hand stitch the neckline in place along the drawstring to create more of a V-shape at the front. On the envelope, it's open to the waist but even I don't love the 70s that much, so I sewed it a fewer inches higher, and I think a little wedge of skin at the neckline could be pretty.

For once, this costume didn't break the bank so I splurged and got my hair done at the salon. I love that disco/30s style of straight on top and very curly at the bottom, and it felt nice to treat myself to a professional 'do. Honestly, I've been obsessively googling perms ever since; this is what my fantasy hair looks like all the time. To keep it period I slathered on as much blue eyeshadow as my eyelids could handle and did a strong lip, because disco = more is more.

I wore this to a pretty chill house party before meeting a friend out a bit later. No one was in costume at the second location and I only felt a little overdressed, which I'm taking as a sign that I should and could wear this again. I am headed to Palm Springs in March for a creative entrepreneur conference so I may pack it in the hopes of a dance party materializing. It feels Palms Spring appropriate.

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you have a wonderful night. Let me know in the comments if you think I could get away with wearing this Halloween Frosting as Regular Life Frosting or if I should keep it in the tickle trunk and call it a day...

ps. I'm spending the night with friends watching Watcher in the Woods, my favorite scary movie of all time. I highly suggest giving it a chance if you love Bette Davis and can find it somewhere online...

pps. Thank you to my pal EK from taking these pictures! For once I actually have decent images of a Halloween costume.

Caftan Cult // Summer Living in Vintage Simplicity

27 July 2016 by Heather Lou 69 Comments

You know how magazines always write those "20 Things you Absolutely Must Have in Your Closet to Qualify as a Human Woman with Any Value" articles? And it's always like, a beige trench and a white v-neck? I will concede that both of those things are "practical" and "useful", but what these magazines fail to understand is that sometimes what I really want in life is to be encased in a fabric cocoon. I don't want basics. I don't want realism. I want an extravagantly printed, borderline excessive linen statement piece that requires a pool and a bottle of rosé to function.

What I want is a caftan.

It's kind of hard to understand how such a voluminous amount of fabric (which conceals nearly every little bit of skin) can be as unequivocally glamorous and chic as caftans are, but life is full of mysteries. They emit confidence and attitude. They say, "Look at me! But not at any of the body parts you're used to seeing. Look at who I am. I give zero f*cks about the male gaze. I am wearing this for me. See me? DON'T I LOOK FABULOUS?"

Basically, it's my kind of feminism embodied in an actual garment of clothing.

As you may know, I headed to Europe for a much needed vacation this month. Guillaume grew up spending summers in the south of France so we flew in for some intense family time followed by a few days on our own in Barcelona. I wanted desperately to pack the perfect "summer in Europe" capsule wardrobe, so I feverishly sewed up a few new things to bring with us. This caftan was the first thing on the list; I wanted something glamorous I could hang around the pool in which that would also protect me from the sun. As I've gotten older I've become a little paranoid about getting too much sun exposure, and a caftan is basically the most effective sunscreen ever.

I wanted something with an exuberant print, so I was lucky to stumble on this medium white and cobalt zig zag print at Tonitex in Montreal. It's got quite a lot of body, and while it's maybe not as lightweight as I would have liked, it still kept me cool since it's made of the universe's gift to bodies, linen. While I had lots of noble plans to draft a caftan myself, I just didn't have the time, so I dug out Simplicity 5315, a vintage pattern I've been meaning to make for a while. The design is pretty awesome. While it's essentially a giant rectangle of fabric, it is gathered at the bust and tied inside the dress under the bust and around the back to create some bust shaping, so you're not just swimming in a huge sack.

Like most vintage patterns, the instructions were completely wack-a-doo. I kind of winged it as a I went along and spent a lot more time finishing the insides than directed. The collar and arm openings are finished with a facing that I topstitched down from the outside to secure, and the rest of the seams are serged, except for the facing under the bust which was entirely handstitched from the inside. The only thing I wish I could change is the print matching along the shoulder seam, but I was a little short on fabric so I just made do with what I had.

It was a relatively quick make, although I didn't get a chance to make the super lightweight white linen version I was planning as well. There is always next summer....

I was thrilled to pull this one while we were visiting Guillaume's aunt and uncle in Languedoc. They bought an old stone house and have spent the last few years turning it into paradise on earth, with incredible views of the valley, a huge pool and landscaping and terraces that made me constantly feel like I was in a really, really good movie. I love France and French families. The entire extended clan (almost 20 of us) spent an entire week together almost non-stop, eating beautiful simple meals (always accompanied by rosé and finished with mind blowing cheese) , playing petanque (the French version of lawn bowling) and laying in the sun or swimming in the pool. It was was a serious dream, and I am so grateful and lucky to have fallen in love with someone with such great vacation options 😉

Needless to say, this caftan was the perfect thing to bring on our trip. My mother in law wore one as well, and we decided we're going to start a Caftan Cult. Caftans and rosé are the only membership requirements.

So, do you agree a caftan is just as necessary to the modern woman's wardrobe as a basic white tee? Have you ever rocked one of these babies? Should I design a pattern next summer so we can all rock caftans together?

Summer Maxi Dress DIY With Art Gallery Fabric

12 May 2015 by Heather Lou 75 Comments

I have a new strategy for keeping cool this summer and it involves wearing a surprising amount of fabric. I like a voluminous, billowy maxi-dress because it lets the bod breathe and saves money on sunscreening the lower half. It's a little sexy and a little modest; I'm calling it the halftan.

This pattern is Butterick 3407, a vintage favourite from my stash, and one I've been meaning to sew again. I first made it way back in 2011 (one of my first blog posts!) when I was much less experienced sewing with knits. I remember cutting it out on my best friend's floor, using a serger for the first time, and then sewing the neckline by hand. While I LOVE that dress, these days I basically need to wear it with 3 pairs of Spanx on top of each other because the fabric is light coloured and super slinky and shows off every everything, and I have put on a little weight since that summer when I gave up sugar, wine and processed carbs for health reasons (aka the summer of WHY GOD WHY). I have a different body now so I was excited to make another version in a sturdier, less slinky fabric.

Enter Art Gallery Fabrics. They got in touch last month and asked me if I'd like to try something from their new solid knits collection. I've been curious about this company for a while since I think they're doing some truly original work (I love the April Rhodes collections) so I was curious to see what the quality was like. I wasn't disappointed; the navy cotton lycra they sent me is gorgeous. It's super soft with great recovery, a nice weight and good 4-way stretch. It's the perfect choice for leggings or a Nettie bodysuit (or a drapey summer halftan).

I'm super into blue these days so I'm not surprised I gravitated towards something called "Deep Dark Ocean". I looked at my stack of spring and summer fabric the other day and realized almost 80% of it was some shade of indigo. I'm not sure when this colour shift happened but I'm not complaining; navy is a softer alternative to black, and I love how it reads classic or modern depending on the context.

The best thing about this project? I think it took an hour and half, tops. The dress itself is only two pattern pieces, with one seam going up the center front and two along the sides. The back seam is folded and sewn over a piece of elastic, and the front is folded over and zigzagged to create a channel for the halter strap. I left the hem unfinished because the length was perfect as is and I like a raw knit hem every once a while. Most of the volume is happening in the front which creates these deep drapey folds, nicely highlighted by the weight and hand of the fabric.

I love the easy-breezy bohemian feeling of this dress so it felt natural to throw on a bunch of art teacher jewelry and my handmade Greek sandals. I expect I'll be wearing it pretty much non-stop all summer. Who else is riding the halftan train with me? Has anyone else sewn with Art Gallery Fabrics knits before?

Art Gallery Fabrics supplied me with 3 yards of fabric to review; all opinions are my own.

Vintage Pattern Love and Giveaway

26 July 2014 by Heather Lou 31 Comments

Happy weekend everyone. I am currently writing this post from my newly redecorated, sun-filled studio with a cup of tea. I love this space so much. I'll be sharing more information about it in the coming weeks, but suffice it to say, having a dedicated, functional and aesthetically pleasing workspace does so much for your sense of well being.

Other things that are good for your well being? Meet-ups with other sewists! After my very last day of work I met up with Vicki, Caroline and a few other Montreal based sewing devotees. It felt incredibly apropos to start my new life in their company. Vicki managed to talk me into going to New York in a few weeks to see Lauren (if "talking into" means inviting myself along because that is precisely what happened). I think we will be having some sort of Friday afternoon Mood/park hang if anyone wants to join us on August 15th, but I will share more info as I have it.

As for the reason for this post? At the aforementioned Montreal meet-up, one of the ladies present worked at a thrift store. When I was a teenager this was my number one most desired job because I had non-stop fantasies about all the treasures I would score if I didn't have to dig through the picked-over merch like all the other scavengers. Sadly, my small town's St. Vincent de Paul only operated with volunteers, which is how I ended up getting paid minimum wage to bake bannock bread in a pioneer costume at a 19th century homestead, while secretly in love with the re-enactor who played the blacksmith, but that is a WHOLE OTHER STORY.

Ahem. So as I suspected, working in a thrift store really is the best way to score the good stuff, because Renée showed up with bags and bags of vintage patterns she scores before anyone else can buy them to like, decoupage furniture with, or whatever it is people who don't sew use patterns for (shudder). I got to the party after everyone had already made their choices, but to my delight, there were still a few beauties left, dating back to the 1940's.

I can't even. They looked so good on my newly whitewashed cutting table I almost cried. I decided to hang on to two of them:

Which means I have three to giveaway! We have a classic WWII era skirt suit, a buttoned dress with scallop details, and a little boy's onesie and shorts pattern:

The women's patterns are a size 18, with a bust of 36". If you would like to channel my favourite 40's gal Lucky Lucille, or even just add these to your vintage collection, leave a comment below and follow me on Twitter or Facebook. I'll randomly select a winner next week.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend my friends!

Vintage Pattern Rage

5 July 2014 by Heather Lou 40 Comments

I initially started sewing so I could reproduce vintage clothing. I bought dozens and dozens of vintage patterns, and made a few garments using instructions that almost broke my brain.

Are you new to the wonderful world of sewing? A word of friendly advice - vintage patterns may not be the best way to learn how to sew. The damn things are lovely to look at but can drive even the more experienced among us ABSOLUTELY MAD. We like to complain about the instructions of new Big 4 offerings, but some of the instructions I've encountered in older patterns are borderline sadistic.

Case in point: I have ebay and etsy stalked this stunning vintage 70's Emmanual Ungaro Vogue pattern for years.

I finally tracked it down in my size (uncut!) and it sat in my stash waiting for the perfect moment to make its debut. Since I don't get a chance to wear eveningwear very often (oh how I suffer), it wasn't until a friend's upcoming wedding that I decided to break the seal. I ordered 8 yards of this gorgeous feather crepe from Girl Charlee and decided to halt production on the latest Closet Core pattern to make myself a piece of beautiful, indulgent frosting.

Until I started making the damned thing. You probably heard my swearing, no matter what part of the world you live in. I suspect the instructions were written by a 70's misanthrope who was silently rejoicing in the inevitable heartache and headache encountered by anyone trying to make this dress. So vague, so confusing. Written instructions didn't correspond with illustrations and the construction was an illogical mess. I spent hours tracing it and cutting it out, and quickly realised as I started assembling it that it was destined for my UFO pile. Which I don't have. Because I always make it work. But this? Disaster.

To be fair, part of the problem is that the bust needed to be lined, and I wanted to remove the floating scarves from the halter pieces. I just didn't have the time to figure out how to modify the bust pieces and avoid side boob gappage; I was hoping for a quick project and realized half way in I was basically sewing a dress using half-assed couture instructions on an impossible schedule. It really made me appreciate all the indie sewing I've been doing lately. Instructions are so well explained and diagrammed; worst case scenario you can always check out other blogs or contact the designer if you're stuck. It's not like I can call Emmanuel Ungaro in Italy and ask him why his waistband construction is so deranged, or why the side seams ended up over my butt.

So I was especially enraged when I turned to the internet for help and learned Vogue reproduced the same pattern a few years ago, except modifying it so it apparently made sense to everyone using it.

They changed all the tiny pleats I laboured over into gathers, and added lining pieces and variations that would have eliminated my pattern McGyvering with the straps. I would have saved myself a lot of time, energy and an Ebay bidding war if I had known...

So, my 70's feather maxi dress is dead for the time being. I'm going to wear my Sallie dress to the wedding instead, and track down the Vogue reissue so I can give it a try next year. Has anyone made Vogue 7521? Please pipe in about your experience with it!

After Dinner Mint // Butterick 5605 Sewing Pattern

6 July 2012 by Heather Lou 53 Comments

I did it guys. I finally made something I can't pick apart and criticize and beat myself up for failing to execute such and such perfectly. Because I F*CKING LOVE THIS DRESS. Like, make it breakfast every morning and read it e.e. cummings in bed love. Like, buy a ticket to Vegas and elope love. And just like the first time you fall in love with um, a person, I can't stop talking about it and hanging out with it and it feels so strange and exciting and new.

Butterick 5605 Sewing Pattern // Closet Core Patterns

This minty-kelly green and white striped cotton called to me from a cheapo fabric store after a long day of spending too much money. I talked myself out of buying it (even though it was only $3/yd!) but had a strong "you must go back and get 4 yards of it" vibe so I listened. I wanted to experiment with some chevron action, and browsed the big 4 websites for hours until I found one I thought had some potential. This Butterick 5605 had a seam running down the centre of the bodice which would facilitate the chevron effect. The gussets allowed me to run the stripes horizontally on the side and i figured I'd run vertical stripes on the skirt. And I loved that little button strap detail on the back.

I asked you guys for your opinion on necklines and skirt shapes last week, but ended up sticking with my original plan of high neckline and short circle skirt. I had to do some serious figuring to work out how to cut the circle skirt and still get the vertical lines. The diagram I found here seemed to make the most sense, and I like the chevrons that happened where I matched my seams.

The real bitch of this baby was those damn gussets. They were nearly my undoing on this dress. The sharp pivot needs to be sewn VERY PRECISELY or else you get some major puckering. I found this great video on a Pattern Review write-up and Karen at Did You Make That had some good tips as well. Super invaluable. Thank donuts for all you wonderful knowledge-sharing sewing miracles out there, all your wisdom available after 2 seconds of googling. Couldn't have done it without you.

I modified the pattern a little to make it feel more modern. I shortened the sleeves about 2", cut it into a mini and added one of my signature exposed zippers (I wasn't planning on doing this but found a perfectly matching kelly green and gold zip at a great old-school notions store where i found my carved plastic button, and just couldn't resist). Sallie suggested I do an exposed zip tutorial for all of you, and as much as I love you and want to share in the wisdom-sharing, I haven't had a chance to properly put one together. So in the meantime, here is a very helpful Burda tutorial that should explain things to you should you be considering adding this fun detail (DO IT!).

As for fit, I did a muslin for the first time! I cut a 14 but it was way too big so went down to a 12, taking the shoulders down and taking in even more at the waist. Maybe a bit too much. There is ZERO ease on this dress which makes for an awesome fit but also means I had to unzip it to eat fried chicken in the park this weekend. Classy. Lined it with a cotton batiste at the bust but left the skirt unlined since the cotton is quite thick and sturdy.

I love that it doesn't really look like a 50's era dress at all. I feel like a thoroughly modern Millie when I wear it, and it's garnered more attention than almost anything I've made yet. Both men & women were stopping me to say how much they loved it - when do men ever do that? It's a magical, magical dress. Which is why I'm debating remaking it for the Tessuti challenge. According to the rules you can use commercial patterns, and I'm not feeling brave enough to draft my own design in such a short period of time. What do you guys think? Is it dumb to enter a competition like that with a commercial pattern? Now that they've opened it up to world-wide entries it feels ridiculous to even consider it, but I'm mighty tempted.

Off on a little mini road trip with some homies to see one of my favourite podcasts (Uhh Yeah Dude) do a live taping in Boston. Gonna eat lots of fried seafood, laugh my ass off and maybe take an ocean dip. I'm bringing the dress. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

(Big thanks to my lovely friend Dara for taking these magic hour alley shots for me!)

A 70's Summer Dress in Brooklyn // Vintage Simplicity 6979 Sewing Pattern

26 May 2012 by Heather Lou 27 Comments

As I've mentioned before, I've been sewing as if my sewing machine has only a few weeks to live (if my Singer's bucket list included exposed zippers, chiffon and buttonholes, she'd be ready to peacefully leave this world). I'm pumping out at a garment every week or so. And by garment, I mean dress, because that is apparently the only thing I am interested in making. I've always been a dress girl. Long before I started sewing I had about 50 bright, thrifted dresses I more or less lived in. I'm so insanely finicky about the fit of skirts, and really find separate dressing much harder than throwing on one thing that needs nothing but a necklace and/or belt to be on your way.

I snagged this vintage Simplicity sewing pattern and vintage floral cotton from that big Craigslist haul from a few months back. I fell in love with this pattern and thought it would make the perfect summer dress:

Vintage Simplicity 6979 Sewing Pattern // Vintage dress pattern // Closet Core Patterns

Right?! How great is that little peplum top? I'll definitely using this pattern again. Maybe even get around to doing it in a maxi....

I recently found a beautiful Egyptian cotton sheet which I used for the trim, and picked up that neon pink zipper for $1 (which unfortunately is not reading as bright as it is). All this to say, I doubt this little baby cost more than $5 to make and I LOVE it. Super comfortable, breathable, bright, and I love all the little details like the band at the top and the ruched bust. I wore this for the first time in Brooklyn and got a few super enthusiastic compliments from girls on the street which always feels amazing when you've made it. You may also have noticed my gold orthopedic sandals. Ladies, do yourself a favour and get yourself a pair of Worishofers (thanks Sallie for the heads up). They have changed my life. I had no idea my feet could feel so good. They're kind of ugly but in a cute way. Did I mention being carried on the gilded wings of angels?

Also, big thanks to Brooklyn for this conveniently matchy graffiti.

Vogue Paris Originals // Vintage Sewing Patterns

23 April 2012 by Heather Lou 12 Comments

I know I am not alone in spending obscene amounts of time hunting vintage patterns down online. I have, do and will spend entire nights crawling the interwebs ogling what has come to be my favourite sub-genre of the vintage pattern: Vogue Paris Originals. Vogue started printing these in 1949, featuring straight-from-the-muslin reproductions of Balmain, Lanvin and Schiaperelli, among others. For most women in the 50's and 60's, the only way to experience the physical bliss of a Lanvin design was to make it yourself. The early designs were couture quality, and many women took lessons to learn how to reproduce these garments since many of the patterns were too advanced for the average home seamstress.

My favourite era for Vogue Paris Originals is definitely the 60's. The styling of the models on the envelopes is kind of awe-inducing and it's rather fascinating to see how incredibly timeless a lot of the designs are. Especially interesting is realizing how current designers for these major houses have the most incredibly deep and beautiful archives to dig through for constant inspiration.....

What follows is a very image heavy selection of some of my favourite patterns from this period. Try not to drool on your keyboard (all images taken from the Vintage Pattern Wiki).

Let's start with some very of the moment black and white colour blocking:

Vogue Paris Originals // Vintage sewing patterns // Closet Core Patterns

I'm not sure how I feel about this in the mint green but the B&W with the

gloves? Si Si Si!

Hey, I love your Oompa Loompa tan and your little graphic sheath dress.

Super slimming side panels. Givenchy was no fool.

Oh, hello you sweet color-blocked miracle. Does anyone else want to wear a jaunty white beret & gloves everywhere?

This is maybe a little crazy but loving The Liza Minnelli-esque model. Mod Maid!

!!!! This only very slightly reminds me of this Victory Patterns dress. That topstitching! Those hats! The Liza Minnelli doppelganger!

Now, how about some little black dresses?

Classic 60's sack coat and LBD. So Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Pretty simple silhouette but I love how exaggerated the A-Line is. Again, it's the styling on that model that kills me. She could be pouting at us from last month's Vogue magazine.

Girl, I'd be laughing crazy too if I was wearing this classic Jackie-O number.

If I had to choose favourites? Don't make me reenact Sophie's Choice. But this look?

This look I could live with the rest of my life. That belt, that hat, those gloves.
If you look up "chic" in the dictionary this lady is the one who blithely looks
the other way when you drool on her picture.

Classic silhouette but the cowl back and the detail under the bust are spectacular.

Some 60's Grecian magic.

And now for some little white dresses:

This is so simple and architectural and NOW.

Loving the asymmetry of this.

Lanvin was really brilliant at the super simple but supremely elegant sheath, wasn't she?

Oh, hello LOVER. Doesn't this cape remind you of Gwynny P's Oscar stunner? And how perfect is that dress with the cleavage slit? (Forgive me but this may actually be 70's, not 60's).

The dress for the most sophisticated kangaroo on the block. The neckline and detailing on this are just so fabulous. And is that Debbie Harry on the right??

You really must have magnificent arms for this number, but if you have magnificent arms I think you have the perfect dress, no?

If I ran a brothel this is what I would wear.

And neither black nor white, but simply marvelous:

Pierre Cardin you brilliant maniac. That coat/cape/miracle needs to be on my body IMMEDIATELY even if it means never carrying a purse or being able to freely move my arms. That is a cocoon of immobility I will happily live in forever.

DO I EVEN NEED TO COMMENT ON THIS?? DO I??? Except maybe that Zara kind of knocked it off. I think sunshine yellow and silver sequins would be on my national flag.

Such a cool, weird, awesome shape. In neon pink or some other shocking colour? YES.

Hey Yves, that crazy Amish bonnet is a little kooky but I forgive you because of those sleeves and that bow in the back.

If you needed more evidence that Pierre Cardin was THE SHIT, boom. Here you go.

And finally.... wow. Just... wow. I think if you wore that exact outfit on the left in NYC today you'd be on every street style blog in the world. It's basically what I wanted to look like as a grownup working lady when I was a kid looking through my step-mom's Marie Claires. Sigh.

Apologies for the epic post but i think it was worth it. This is only a small portion of the Vogue Paris Originals released in the 60's but it's pretty staggering to see these all together. I guess it's apparent I have a real yen for the sleek, modern and streamlined sheath dresses that were so iconic of the decade - it's the career girl in me. The architectural hats and gloves are making me rethink everything I know about accessorizing. I do so love a New Look tiny waist/full skirt combo but there is something so optimistic, fresh and forward thinking about the 60's silhouette; I can just imagine the liberation and sense of freedom women of the time must have felt when they could put away their girdles and bullet bras and reach for something that they could move and make change in.

Hope you enjoyed this little piece of pattern history!

Update: Thank you to Amy for reminding me of this amazing website. This link will actually explain the history of a few of the garments above! (SEWING BLOGGERS ARE THE BEST).

Tent Party // Vintage Simplicity 7203 Sewing Pattern

22 March 2012 by Heather Lou 10 Comments

This here is my "let's not commit to this new weight gain and make something loose and forgiving, shall we?" dress. Made from a be-YOO-ti-ful cornflower blue crepe I scored in the best Kijiji haul of all time (story forthcoming) and a vintage Simplicity pattern lent to me by friend Dara. Total 60's tent magicness. I find the only way these shapes work on non-modelly types is to crank up the hem so it's not too sexless. So that's what I did. Unfortunately, it's basically summer in Montreal right now so when I wore it to work I was a sweaty wool wreck but I can't wait to wear this in the fall with thick cream tights and boots.

She came together real smooth and easy except the mock turtleneck was more like a neck brace. Seriously a good 1.5 inches higher than the illustration. I've been noticing these weird quirks in patterns lately. I would hope that companies hire people to test them out before the print them but when I notice things like this I wonder... This dress is a similiar story. There were at least 2 major construction issues with that pattern. I expect more from you Vogue!

Also, even though it didn't call for it I lined this dress with a pretty lilac poly because wool + skin = itchy scratchy. Overall I'm really happy with it. Groovy, swingin' 60's vibes are pretty good vibes indeed.

Lessons learned:
1. Just because it's printed on official looking paper does not mean it is the holy word of sewing goddesses. Pattern makers are people too, and sometimes they make mistakes.
2. First topstitched item! Learning to keep those babies straight and clean.
3. More battles with an invisible zipper.
4. Making prettier, more invisible slip stitches.

Tent dress:
Pattern: Simplicity 7203
Total Cost (including notions): less than $10
Time to Make: 12 hours (there was a lot of hand sewing with the lining and hem. A LOT).

Patches // Vogue 1788 sewing pattern

13 January 2012 by Heather Lou 3 Comments

When I was in Paris in September it seemed like EVERYTHING with a sleeve had elbow patches. I've been wanting to make something with elbow patches ever since and I thought this sewing pattern was a good opportunity:

Vogue 1788 sewing pattern // Closet Core Patterns

Found this at one of my favourite vintage pattern sites (Lanetz Living) and then scored a really beautiful, heavy weight navy jersey on sale at Fabricville for $4/meter. Normally I'm not a navy girl, but I loved how elegantly Parisian women wore it. It really is a versatile neutral and I've been looking forward to using it in a project instead of boring black.

This dress was really easy to whip up - my serger does a great job on the hems. There were a few major issues though; I must have been off in my cutting because the waist seam is totally off where it is attached to the zipper. Thankfully I made this with a really wide obi style belt so it covers the booboo. Also, I did a few weird things to the interfacing so the necklines sits a little funny. I always envisioned wearing this with a scarf for that true Paris je ne sais whatever so I didn't sweat it too much. Still so much to learn!

Mistakes aside, I LOVE this dress and have worn it many times in the past month. The skirt is really full and flattering - I always gets a lot of compliments on it and then people are totally astounded when I tell them I made it. My boss was flabbergasted ("It looks like a $200 dress!" "It cost about $16 to make". "GET OUT!! MAKE ME ONE!!!") The elbow patches are a good contrast and I still have some of fabric left over so I'll probably add them to some old sweaters. I will DEFINITELY be making this dress again.

Sorry for the bad lighting in these photos - this was the only part of my apartment fit for public viewing at the time and the natural lighting was not ideal.

Navy dress with elbow patches:
Pattern: Vogue 1788
Total Cost (including notions): $16
Time to Make: 14 hours including cutting

Second Dress Ever: Surprise 60s Magic // Vintage Simplicity 7245

22 November 2011 by Heather Lou 3 Comments

I found this pattern thrift shopping and picked it up for a whopping $0.69. I don't generally do an empire waist but found a great neutral animal print for $5/yard and thought it might take it down a few notches on the sweetometer.

And OH MY did it. I could not love this dress more if it bought me dinner and read me e.e. cumming in a bubble bath. I've been wearing it more mod with thick black tights and flats but this day I wore it with my favourite suede boots and some lacy tights and tried for a more Haight-Ashbury vibe.

It was pretty easy to make. I serged all of the seams since it was a weird unravelly polyester (which normally I would have avoided but the pattern called to me and it doesn't feel that bad on the skin). The only real snag (besides how easily the fabric would actually snag if I wasn't careful) was my interfacing. I'm lucky in my hood to have access to an envy-inducing amount of fabric stores and I'm blessed to have a little sewing supply place basically around the corner from my apartment. Since I've never used interfacing before I didn't know what to ask for. So I ended up with a non-fusible interfacing that was way too heavy for this lightweight fabric. Rather than go back to the store I figured I'd use it and see what happened. The obvious happened. The neckline is way too stiff, not so much that it looks bad but I notice it when I'm wearing it. Lesson learned. Buy the correct weight of interfacing.

Either way, this lady was super easy to make and makes me happy every time I put it on. Not bad results for my second effort sewing from a pattern!

Self portraits in the sample room at work. Plastic laminates make the best backdrop I think you'll agree.

Pattern: Simplicity 7245
Total Cost (including notions): $15
Time to Make: 12 hours

Obsession in Green - The Atonement Dress

11 November 2011 by Heather Lou 2 Comments

I love colour. Hard. When I was in Paris I was utterly disappointed by the "classic French" style. Yes, everyone looks chic and elegant and timeless, but all the women also look interchangeable. A sea of grey, beige, black. Every once and I while I would peep a Parisian in red or yellow or aquamarine and it was almost titillating - like a Victorian man starved for skin who is shocked by the nape of the neck or an uncovered ankle, a shock of colour in Paris is scandalous.

My favourites are easy to spot in my closet. I have altars devoted to bright coral and acid yellow, but my oldest love is kelly green. There was a time when it was more or less the only colour I wore. I've branched out since then but still get verklempt when I remember this green dress from the film Atonement:

Omg, my knees are buckling. KIERA KNIGHTLEY WHY MUST YOU BEGUILE ME SO.

Of course, this insanely beautiful bias-cut 30's style emerald green majestic wonder is from the film Atonement. So many of my favourite things in one garment. It is here that I would like to say a little thank you to the internets; because of you I can easily find the dozens, nay, hundreds of women also obsessed with this dress. This site does a great job of dissecting how it was made. And this one takes my obsession to dizzying new heights with an incredible history of the dress with various photos taken in person.

My reading revealed that the hallucinatory colour is probably not available at your local fabric store. A master dyer made 100 versions of this emerald green - they narrowed it down to 3 which they used at different times in the film to invoke varying subtle moods.

Suffice it to say, 3 dresses into what I hope is a lifelong learning curve/love affair, I doubt my sewing skills are quite up to snuff yet. Besides the fact that the fanciest thing I've done over the past few months is sprinkle parmesan on my popcorn on Netflix/jammie night with the fella. If only my friends would have ill-conceived, doomed weddings!! I NEED SPECIAL OCCASIONS TO WEAR MY DREAMS, DUDES.

Alas, you can imagine the shriek of joy uttered when this popped up on one of my embarassingly frequent "70's vintage dress pattern" google image searches (what can I say - I'm a sucker for Studio 54 stylez):

Eff off. Get on my body immediately. She looks so easy to make! Again, occassion-less, but the more I sew the more I feel I should just wear the damned things wherever I want. I've earned it. I think this number would look bewitching floating behoind me when I ride my bike to the market, don't you think?

Unfortunately every online source I've found for this pattern is over $70 which is more than I feel comfortable spending on a dress for a hypothetical bike ride/doomed wedding. So until then, I keep it in my dream bank and pull it out every once and a while to pet and murmur to: "One day pretty baby. One day".

Orange Crushing // Butterick 3407 Sewing Pattern

7 August 2011 by Heather Lou 3 Comments

One of my oldest, nearest and dearest friends got married this month. For our bridesmaid dresses she requested bright, summery colours. I immediately got to thinking about coral. It is the colour of my kitchen, the theme of this blog and the hue I turn to when I need an encouraging tap on the ass.

But what I was envisioning was not likely to be found in the mall, and I've been meaning to get to sewing already. So I started trolling the web looking for vintage 70's patterns. I have a knee-quivering weakness for those sexy, slinky Halston jersey numbers sported by the Bianca Jaggers and Maggie Trudeaus of Studio 54. And this my friends is what I found on Etsy for $8.99:

Butterick 3407 Sewing Pattern // Closet Core Patterns

An easy-peasy discotastic pattern in my size and at the right price. I (blessfully) live spitting distance from a slightly rundown sewing district filled with dusty shops of discontinued fabrics, mismatched buttons and old man proprieters whose hands are welded to antique cutting scissors. And for only $5 a yard I found the most beautiful, silky 4 way stretch jersey in an almost neon coral.

I quickly realized my old Singer could not handle the stretch fabric so I borrowed a friend's serger and pieced the bulk of it together in a few hours. I finished the gathered neckline by hand and left the bottom seam unfinished since the fabric looks cleaner without a hem and won't unravel or fray. The end result? This little number:

For the wedding itself I tied up my hair and kept the make-up pretty minimal. The humidity in Windsor in July is too intense for much else. Added some huge gold earrings, a vintage belt and flat Grecian sandals (unfortunately in the following photos you may see, ahem, Birkenstocks. I have recently sprained my ankle and required full hippie support at the drunken time these were taken).

Meat Locker Modelling 101:

Miriam, Tereska, Barbi and I. Friends for 17+ years and going strong.

'Twas a magical night surrounded by DIY decor, fireflies, dancing toddlers, roasted pig and momma-made desserts. A fitting debut for my first homemade dress.

Outfit deets

Dress: homemade

Belt: thrifted

Earrings: Old earrings I picked up at the mall years ago but had fitted with 14K hooks so I could wear them all night without my ears going postal.