Weekend sewing inspiration

1960s Mail Order Pattern 9484

Gosh I love those vertical lines and the cinched-in waist. Someone needs to make this!

1960s Mail Order Pattern 3232

The second version is my favorite.

Simplicity 2444 from 1948
Such an adorable vintage play suit.

Butterick 2460 from the 1960s

I especially love the flouncy skirt overlay at the upper left.

Vintage patterns too fabulous for words.

These gorgeous, architectural dress patterns are from the 1957 Vogue Pattern Catalog. It's not so much that I want to own all these patterns immediately, it's more that I'd like my closet to already be full of unique, gorgeous outfits like these, so that I too can look completely fabulous all the time.

Weekend vintage

Variations on a collar theme:

Vogue 7208 from the 1960s

Vogue 7060 from the 1960s

Simplicity 6239 from the 1960s

Vogue 6948 from the 1960s

Great vintage shapes

I was thinking about bringing back Vintage Pattern Thursday, since I'm sure that many of you love finding inspiration in vintage patterns as much as I do. It isn't Thursday today, but I had a little time and found some vintage patterns with really great details.

Vogue 5175 from the 1940s
It may be completely the wrong season, but I think the shape of this sun dress is so classic and would be really stylish these days.

McCalls pattern from 1944
The gathering on the bodice of this dress is so cool--it must look like soft armor when made up.

Modes de Paris pattern from the 1960s
This pattern looks like a marriage between two dresses, but it somehow works for me. I do kind of what to iron the seam at the center front though...

Vintage Pattern Thursday

Let's hear if for knitting during the warmer months:

Modern Knitting, Crochet and Needlework, 1948.

Early 1980s (?) lacy halter.

Above and below, Good Housekeeping Needlecraft from the 1960s--lots of fantastic patterns.

Vintage Pattern Thursday

This week: cute vintage finds I wish I had time to make for the summer.

Beach-ready capris with the perfect belt. McCall's 9229, from 1952.

Classy blouse with a great shape. McCall's 6185, 1945.

Mail order play suit--adorable in a cute print fabric. Vintage 1940s.

Simple yet effective dresses--I love the blue and red ones. McCall's 9465, 1968.

Sailor inspired, and I love the way the bow pops through the jacket opening. I'm picturing blue and white stripes for the contrast fabric. McCall's 5021, 1959.

Vintage Pattern Thursday

This week's vintage pattern finds:

Dress with fantastic gathered neckline, circa 1950s

Mail order dress pattern, circa 1960s
I thought this was a pretty cute wrap bodice, then I saw that it came from the Progressive Farmer Pattern Department, and that gave me a whole series of interesting mental images.

Sleeve drafting patterns, circa 1945
I think this would be such a great resource if you're at the point where you're learning to draft your own patterns. There are some really unique sleeve designs here that would look spectacular and current. A1, D, and C are my favorites.

Cute hats, circa 1940.
I especially love the plaid one.

Vintage Davy Crockett Frontier Costume, 1976.
Ok, you might think I'm totally nuts, but if you take away the hat, rifle and powder horn, and make the pants a bit slimmer, wouldn't this outfit be completely in style right now? Ok, maybe you'd have to draft slightly different sleeves with the above pattern...but really, I think I've seen this ensemble in Lucky Magazine.

Vintage Pattern Thursday

Vintage Pattern Thursday: DIY Vintage Bombshell edition.

Vintage evening gown, 1940s?
I don't know if I've posted this one before, but every time I see it I'm stuck by how gorgeous it is. I'm sure it would take 30 years to make by hand, and I wonder what kind of yarn they recommend...but regardless, you'd knock the socks off of all of your knitting friends.

Vogue Knitting, 1956

Perhaps a more updated (by a decade) version of the first dress. More streamlined, certainly more feasible to knit. I think I have a real attraction toward black and dark blue knitted lace.

Vogue gown, 1950s?

Some glamour for you sewists. Though I think to fully achieve this look, you would need to have the whole ensemble: gloves, perfect coif, and pose.

Evening dress in two lengths, 1960s
I was really struck by the lines of the gray dress--I hadn't seen anything quite like it. I imagine it would be far less dramatic on your average woman, but still eye-catching.

Minerva, 1941
For the fully DIY look, perhaps you could even make your own fancy stockings. Again, I wonder what type of yarn/thread one would use for these?

Vintage Pattern Thursday

The other day, I came across a vintage knitting pattern book that I absolutely loved. The seller says it's from 1953, which I found a bit surprising--I would have guessed they were from the 1960s. I decided to do a little search for other patterns from 1953 to see what was going on that year, and if these knitting designs fit in, or were ahead of their time. You be the judge:

Above and below, the adorable knitting patterns from Women's Day Magazine, 1953.

I love the blue striped dress above, I suppose this might be in keeping with the knitting styles. Simplicity 4341, 1953

Super fancy ball gown, Butterick 6011, 1953

Are those tiny llamas on her shirt, or have I spent too much time looking at Pre-Colombian artifacts? McCalls 9651, 1953

Finally, something that I see as typical 1950s: the shirt dress. Advance 6460, 1953