vintage may guest: running with scissors

May 21, 2012May 24, 201210 Comments

kicking off week two of guest posts for vintage may is a good friend, jess of running with scissors! i knew of jess’ blog before we competed together in project run & play (due to her awesome dino tails, which took blogland by storm a while back) but i became a big fan of hers during our season, where she sewed some really amazing garments – check out this suit! jess’ designs are often heavily influenced by history and she is especially great at designing for boys, so i asked if she would do a boy look for vintage may.

jess came up with this fantastic modern take on lederhosen and a tutorial for you to make your own! as a gal with german heritage, these make me especially excited. check it out!

I’m excited to be here participating in Vintage May! I love looking to vintage or even historical clothing for inspiration, and trying to take the old fashioned styles and make them modern. It’s a challenge for me to design clothing with the influence of the vintage piece, but make something that doesn’t look like a historical costume. I also love to sew for boys! So how I was inspired to make modern lederhosen. My neighbor is German and immigrated to the United States as a child, and was showing me a pair of heirloom leather lederhosen her brothers and sons wore. They were so cool, over fifty years old, and had metal exposed zippers for the side front closure. So I pinned quite a few lederhosen for inspiration and got thinking of ways to take a traditional Bavarian short design and make it modern and hopefully cool.

This top photo in the collage is my favorite, specifically the boy on the far right. {top}, {left}, {right}

So I designed a pair of knee length shorts with the double exposed zipper front, slant pockets, and a side flap-patch pocket.

The front of the shorts unzip into a front panel. To secure the front panel to the rest of the shorts, Velcro attaches at the waistband. I thought Velcro would be easier for little guys to get them on and off rather than two snaps, buttons, or hook/eyes.

I added my son’s nickname “RJ BOY” to the front of the flap on the side pocket, and you can see the contrasting orange stitching that I used throughout the shorts.

I also included standard back pockets on these shorts, as boys need lots of places for their treasures.

Here are the shorts as is, and below with the orange vinyl belt I made him.

We found the shorts were perfect for running and playing, and he liked how easy they were to get on and off himself.

CLICK THROUGH FOR THE TUTORIAL:

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vintage may guest: cirque du bebe

May 18, 2012July 2, 201319 Comments

my guest today is sophie from cirque du bebe, and she is quite the impressive lady! she sews for herself, she sews for her boys (be sure to check out her tutorial for sarouel pants), and her vintage-modern style is so dang cool i can hardly stand it. i love gals whose styles stretch my comfort zone a bit, and sophie does that in a really inspiring way. sophie also has an awesome sense of humor that makes her blog a treat to read, and her post today is no exception.

today she has put together a fantastic vintage-inspired but oh-so-modern outfit for her little guy, complete with tutorial. take it away, ms. ringleader!

When Kristin first announced Vintage May, my thoughts were ‘how has this not been done before? Genius!’ Needless to say I was a bird with a French fry at the thought of putting together an outfit celebrating hand-made, vintage kiddie style. Pretty much all my favorite sewing criteria in one. Here, I’ve taken two modern patterns you know and love, the Oliver and S Sailboat pants and Made By Rae’s Flashback Skinny Tee and busted out a vintage remix and a how-to to go along with it!

~ Le Pants~

They’re charming, swanky and oh so yesteryear, yup, I’m talking boys in bloomers. Once a skeptic but now a convert, they add instant vintage style to any outfit. For this version, I started with everyone’s favorite, the Oliver and S Sailboat shorts. To add that ye olde touch, I found a rather vintage looking (but probably circa last year) thrifted fabric, piped the top edge and added bloomer cuffs to the legs.

~ Le Shirt~

I once had a particular fondness for poaching brand new men’s shirts for their vintage images to re-fashion into boy’s t-shirts, see here and here. I had it totally justified that I was supporting Etsy sellers but it soon dawned that hey, what if I could transfer my own images onto tees? And since then, I’ve been on an endless quest for an easy and washable transfer method that doesn’t involve a screen print, messy solvents or the plastic-y feel of iron-on transfer paper. Last week I discovered the Lesley Riley TAP Artist Transfer Paper. This stuff is worthy of an eternal happy dance. Think super high quality iron-on transfer paper, with a matte finish, washable (apparently not just the once) that works on knits! I bought the ‘gentleman with antlers’ as a digital image from here. If you’d like to find a million more impossibly vintage images search for ‘digital download’ on Etsy and let the fun begin. The t-shirt here is a short sleeved version of Rae’s ‘flashback skinny tee‘ and I decided to leave off the ribbing at the neck and cuffs for an edgy effect. We’re all about the edgy.

~ Le Fedora~

The best part of this challenge was being able to take ‘vintage children’s outfit’ and take it where you like. I set out to make an outfit that was both modern and comfortable, with a vintage flair. So it needed a fedora hat with this pattern, made from a candy striped vintage men’s shirt. I didn’t read the size guide before buying the pattern and it says the largest size will fit a three year old, not a four year old with a big head. Somehow it works!

~ ~

and now, won’t you please…

~ Click through to Cirque du Bebe for Le Tutorial ~

Adding instant vintage with a bloomer bottom!

***

see what i mean? argyle bloomers! antler-bowtie man! sophie is simply the coolest. head on over to CINO to check out a lovely lace dress tutorial by jessie of i’m thinking!

vintage may guest: made by rae

May 17, 2012November 20, 201228 Comments

not sure if i can introduce my next guest without gushing all over the place, so i’ll try to restrain myself. it’s rae of made by rae, and she’s pretty rad. i believe i discovered her during the very first “celebrate the boy” series that she co-hosts with dana, and i’ve been an avid (rabid?) fan ever since. she’s funny, she’s opinionated, and she can sew like the dickens! she makes fantastic patterns (i’ve used six of them and loved every single one), and aside from celebrate the boy, she also hosts an annual spring top sewalong and helpful learning events like the kniterviews. just go buy her flashback skinny tee pattern if you haven’t already, seriously. it’s a must for remixing – you’ll never have to create a bodice pattern again!

today rae is sharing a bubblegum dress so sweet, it’ll rot your teeth! (that’s what i told rae when she sent it to me anyway, and i’m standing by my statement.)

Hello skirt as top readers! I’m so happy I was asked to make something for the Vintage May series, it was just the excuse I needed to finish this 50’s-era dress for my daughter Clementine!

A couple years ago my mom gave me this vintage pattern in a toddler size 2 that had been passed down to her from my grandmother. I immediately fell for the cute design:

The trim! and the double-collar!! Trim always adds such a smart effect for very little effort.

When I started it last year (yes, yes, it actually got abandoned somewhere around putting in the invisible zipper), I was hoping it would fit Clementine, who was almost a size 2 at the time. Now, well…she’s nearly a size 3. But vintage baby patterns tend to run a bit wide and I used a 1″ hem instead of the 3″ hem (?!) built into the pattern pieces, and what do you know, it’s a perfect fit for this summer!

The dress is made with a lightweight bubblegum pink voile and white eyelet lace that reminds me of the stuff my sisters and I sewed on all of our doll clothes back in the eighties. Not sure how 50’s it is, and the color is pretty bold, so let’s call it a modern remix?

Bubblegum Dress

I feel like I’m the only person who feels this way because everyone seems to love the voiles but I find them a bit difficult to work with. For some reason I just can’t get nice crisp, smooth seams. They tend to pucker a bit even after they’ve been pressed. I ended up hand-sewing the hem and the neck and arm facings as a result. So she’d better wear this one is all I’m saying! But the weight is so lovely and light for summer, so don’t worry, I’m still glad I chose it. This dress might also look really incredible with a poplin or similar fabric that would really hold the shape well.

And what’s a vintage dress without a pair of bloomers to go with it? Those took less than a half hour to make and are totally worth it; bloomers are kind of like a pettiskirt, and they add a little lift to the dress which I love.

She seems to enjoy the bloomers on their own.

One final thing: I wanted to give you a quick look inside the pattern package. The diagrams are beautiful, as to be expected:

But one thing I wasn’t expecting was tissue paper pieces that were entirely un-marked, at least in the traditional sense:

These delicate pieces are marked by a series of perforations, which all mean different things: where you must mark the fabric for gathering and such, the edges where the pattern should be placed on the fold, and the direction of the grain. Very mysterious and a bit perplexing at first, but once I figured it out, it wasn’t a big deal.

I did trace each piece onto Swedish tracing paper (as you can see above) so I wouldn’t accidentally cut into or rip the original pieces when I was cutting out my pattern. An additional bonus: the pattern will last much longer.

Thanks so much for having me, Kristin! I hope you’ve all enjoyed the dress and the peek at this vintage pattern!

***

clementine is so cute i could just squeeze her to bits! thanks so much, rae! head on over to CINO to see what the shwins have cookin’ for you today…

vintage may guest: girl.inspired.

May 16, 2012May 24, 20128 Comments

my guest today is stef from girl.inspired. stef and i were on season three of project run & play together, and while our styles were quite different during the competition, we had very similar experiences and really bonded via email once it was all over. stef sews classic, feminine, lovely clothes for her three beautiful daughters, and i know my Em would adore wearing every single one of her creations! she sells a selection of frocks in her etsy shop, and oh did i mention this lady can throw one heckuva party?

today stef is sharing a sweet dress that feels vintage but is actually made with modern fabrics and a modern pattern!

Isn’t Vintage May such a lovely idea for a sewing series? I’m so excited to be included! I do love some vintage goodness – furniture, dishes, housewares, sewing notions, clothing – I love to get lost in the stories of old items, imagining how these “vintage” items might have played a role in someone else’s life. History makes everything so much more interesting and fun! Children’s clothing from years past, in particular, conjures up images of innocence, attention to detail, simple embellishments, carefree play…it’s different in so many ways from today’s clothes. It was hard for me to choose a direction for a vintage-inspired outfit – so many fun options to try!!

In the end, I created a sweet little dress with tucks, pretty piping, and embroidery details. The fabric for the dress is Pink Mini Rose from the Annie’s Farm Stand line by designer Holly Holderman for Lakehouse Dry Goods. Love this fabric! The dress is cut in an A-line shape with cute little tucks across the bodice. I used a new pattern – Butterick B4176 for this main part of the dress.

But a vintage dress HAS to have a collar, right? So, I added a crisp, white collar and embellished it with handmade piping. A little satin bow finished it off.

In the back, truth be told, I ran out of fabric, and had to get creative.

I actually love how the dress came out with the pieced white panels on each side of the center. Rather than a zipper, I closed the dress with these great pink, vintage buttons all the way down the back. And then I couldn’t resist throwing some embroidery on there, too.

With so many “pretty” details, I decided to leave the dress sleeveless, with simple hemmed armholes. Cute, puffy sleeves would definitely fit the vintage bill, but I think that by omitting them, I’ve created a lovely dress that is vintage-inspired, while still remaining current.

Pretty, playful, and sweet.

This was such a fun and unique challenge. Thanks for having me over, Kristin! Come visit me at girl. Inspired. for more sewing and crafting inspiration!!

***

thanks so much, stef! what a pretty dress, and still so wearable and comfy for a little gal to play in!

today jess has simple simon providing great tips on sewing with vintage patterns. head on over to learn more!

vintage may guest: hart & sew

May 15, 2012May 17, 201222 Comments

my guest today is stacy from hart & sew. i “met” her when we guest posted for sparkle power together and i’ve been a loyal follower ever since. stacy is a true lover of vintage style, in her home, in how she dresses herself, and in how she dresses her two adorable girlies (here and here). she has an etsy shop selling the cutest vintage kids’ clothes (O’s easter shirt came from there!), and has fun creative ideas like turning your child’s drawing into a stuffie, which i had to try as soon as i possibly could (resulting in this)!

today stacy shares a tutorial to add sweet vintage-inspired detail to an existing pattern. take it away, stacy!

Hello! Today I am going to show you how to alter a dress pattern to add a sweet vintage-inspired scalloped yoke. First, of course, you will need to choose a pattern – I chose a simple vintage sleeveless jumper for mine, in a size 4T.

Find the dress front pattern piece. We are going to use it to make our yoke pattern pieces. Using paper you can trace with (I used freezer paper), trace the outline of the top shoulder to about 2″ past the sleeve opening, then draw a straight line across the bottom. Trace all of the seam allowances and add other important information such as the center fold as well.

Cut out your new yoke pattern piece and it should look similar to this:

Next, we are going to make a yoke facing pattern piece. Lay your tracing paper on top of the yoke pattern piece you just made, and trace around the bottom going 4″ up the sides. Draw a straight line across the top. Remember to transfer over any important information on this piece as well.

Now you should have yoke and yoke facing pattern pieces that look similar to this:

Now, we will add the scallops to the yoke facing piece. Starting on the side with the center fold, measure 1 1/2″ up from the bottom and draw a large dot. Then measure 3″ over and add another dot, and again a dot 3″ over one more time (these measurements may be adjusted depending on how many/what size you want your scallops to be).

Next, draw the scallops connecting them at the top with the dots and making sure to leave yourself a seam allowance at the bottom (in other words, do not go all the way down to the bottom edge of the pattern). Now the yoke facing piece is complete.

The last pattern piece we need to make is the bottom part of the dress front piece, or the skirt. To do this place the yoke facing piece on top of the original dress front pattern piece. Using the tracing paper trace around the top of the yoke facing piece, then trace around the rest of the pattern down to the hemline without making any additional changes. Essentially, you just want to chop off the top.

Congratulations, you now have three separate pattern pieces where you originally had one! A yoke piece, a yoke facing piece, and a (decapitated) dress front piece.

Cut out your fabric pieces now. On the yoke facing piece you may want to add thread markers on the large dots as I did in red thread, but this is optional. Open it up, and using your choice of fabric marker draw the scallops on the WRONG side of the fabric all the way across.

Then pin the yoke facing piece to the yoke piece RIGHT sides together.

Sew along the scallop markings.

Trim the seam and clip curves.

Then turn the yoke facing right-side out. A little trick to get smooth curves is to poke a crochet hook or something similar in the scallops and push out along the edges. Iron flat.

Next, open up the yoke piece and pin the yoke facing to the dress front piece RIGHT sides together.

Sew along the top edge.

And, you’re done! Okay, maybe not entirely done, but your new dress front piece with a darling scalloped yoke is done. Continue to sew your dress per your patterns instructions.

And, here is my finished dress! I embellished mine with fabric buttons on the scallops as well as two pleated pockets.

And, I think she likes it!

BONUS!!! Use these same instructions to make a jagged yoke dress!

Using the same measurements (1.5″ up, 3″ over), simply draw a jagged line on the yoke facing piece instead of scallops:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, thank you for having me Kristin!

***

argh, SO cute! thanks, stacy! when i saw this tutorial i immediately thought a good “new pattern” to try it on might be the tea party sundress (available as digital pattern).

today, jess has a pretty awesome blogger with a lovely adult project! find out who it is right here!