Moving On

I can't stay idle for long. Idle without a new project to begin, that is.

The PR Vintage Sewing contest is underway. I had so much fun participating last year. It's incredible to see what old patterns people have lurking in the depths of their stash. Even more, it's fun to see the glorious garments that are made from them.

Last year, I entered two items in the contest. This year, because of our impending move, I'll only have time for one. The task of deciding what to make out of what has been tough. Of course, that's all my own doing because I want to make everything!

I've been going round and round trying to decide which one to make, and of course, with what fabric. Many patterns were pulled out and sprawled on my cutting table. An equal amount of fabric came out from closet. All were placed side by side, shifted and mulled over again and again.

I kept going back to McCalls 9333 from 1953. It's a classic halter dress with jacket. I have many fabrics that I think would look gorgeous sewn up in this pattern. But I kept going back to some sweet vintage fabric: swiss dot that I'm fortunate to have in both blue and tan. It's a beauty of a fabric, 100% cotton, lightweight and slightly crisp. I washed it, worried that the little fuzzy dots would flake away. But they remained in tact and when ironed, a lovely subtle sheen came out of the cotton.

I started to cut the pattern today. It's always fun. Every vintage pattern brings questions and speculation that make my thoughts drift away. Whoever previously owned this pattern made the jacket only; the dress was still factory folded and uncut. It made me look at the jacket in a bit more detail. More often than not, it's the dress that is made leaving the jacket untouched. Somebody recognized the smart details of the shawl collar, cuffs and buttoned front. I wonder what fabric she used? Where did wear it? Was it for a special occasion or a good, smartly styled jacket meant for regular use?

I have more of the tan swiss dot than the blue. My plan is to make the dress entirely in the tan. Time permitting, I'll make the jacket in blue with tan for the collar and cuff contrast.

After I cut the dress, I went ahead and took pictures of the RTW Real Silk Dress/Jacket that was similar to the poly imposter I found the other day! Thanks so much for all of the fun replies! Apart from being a hoot, it's a great way to knuckle down and learn more about fabrics, weaves and manufacture.