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[ITG]

1940s Patterns

A lady from my church has offered to make me a 1940s style dress. She loves how I love stuff from the 1940s and for fun she's offered up her services. However, I will have to find a modern pattern (one that isn't just found on ebay but is instead found at local fabric stores). Do any of you have any suggestions that may have already done some field research?

 

[Lauren]

Vogue patterns makes vintage repros. They took some of their vintage patterns from the 20's 30's 40's and 50's and made them so the modern sewer can use them easier (vintage patterns were a tad bit trickier). I've got some but haven't used them yet, though I've heard good things about them!
here's the link:
http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/voguepatterns/shop.cgi?s.list.20006.x=1

 

[kamikat]

I have made dresses from Vintage Vogue patterns and really like them. You can also try the Folkwear "Glamour Girl" dress or Sense and Sensibility "Swing Dress", both of which I've used. Since you've listed before that you are short waisted, I'd recommend the S&S pattern, since it's the only one that is easily adjusted for short waist. Many 40's patterns have interesting waist treatments that make adjusting for short or long waists difficult. The owner of S&S is really nice and willing to help you with her patterns. I have all her patterns and usually get them within 2-3 days of ordering. I think the reason your seamstress wants modern patterns is because vintage patterns use a different marking system. All the patterns I mentioned use modern markings.

www.folkwear.com www.sensibility.com
kamikat

 

[Lauren]

Here's a link to reproduction pattern reviews by pattern maker. They're mostly for reenactors of edwardian and earlier, but there's a few for the last century:

http://www.gbacg.org/Patterns/index.html

I have a sensibility pattern, but I haven't tried it out yet, though I have heard as well that she is extremely nice and helpful, and is a christian.

 

[ITG]

Thanks, gals!

Lauren, that little number you had on Friday night at the QM that you made company did that pattern? It looked great on you.

 

[MissQueenie]

Repro Vintage Vogue Patterns?

Hi gals,

Just wondering if anyone has tried any of these patterns. http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/voguepatterns/shop.cgi?s.list.20006.x=1 I'm hoping to get something made for either of the upcoming balls, though I am a little wibbly about which pattern to use and what sort of fabric to get (I just can't make myself like prints for evening wear!).

So far, I'm leaning towards:

#V2858
#V2786
#V2609
#V2241 (especially)

There's also one from simplicity (#5876), but I'm afraid the ruffle-y bits will make my bottom look enormous, though I do really like the ruffle-y sleeves. Ideas? Suggestions? I'm quite short -- 5'2" -- so I'm not sure what I can and cannot get away with without looking as though I'm playing dress-up in my mother's closet.

~ Queenie.

 

[renor27]

Nice looking patterns

Very Nice,
To bad there are no PAtterns for vintage Mens clothing.
David
Reno Nv

 

[Lauren]

Hi!

I have a few of them, but I've actually never tried them! Whenever I have time to make myself something (lately I've been busy making things for other people ) I usually just go straight for the real vintage pattern stash! I've tried the butterick repros, and they're not too hard, and from my experience, Vogue has been the most reliable in terms of modern pattern lines for the seams matching up right, etc.

The thing that makes modern vintage remakes of patterns easier is that they're printed! Up until the 1950's Mccall held the patent on printed patterns, so every other patterns company had to use "perforations" (just a bunch of hoes and Vs punched through the tissue to tell you where to sew), so a real vintage vogue pattern would be hard to sew for the modern sewer, who is used to printed patterns!

I think that a solid would look well on the patterns. You can order real silk satin online if you want to splurge but stay away from the shiny polyesters. Not only are they super shiny, polyester is a synthetic that's made mostly of a plastic like substance, so at a dance the room can suddenly get really hot if you're into dancing!

Give me a call or email if you need any help, since we're so close. I'll be around until the 26, then I'll be over working on the movie.

OH! And call your JoAnn store, because they have sales every once in a while where the Vogue patterns are 75% off, and they're always 50% off I believe (that's how I got mine. $25 seems like an awful lot for a new pattern).

Good Luck!
Lauren

 

[BellyTank]

Perforations...?

The 'pounce holes' in patterns are for chalking-through onto the cloth aren't they? So that you then have the pattern transferred to the cloth and can cut away... Seems like a good alternative to cutting out the panels from the paper pattern. The perforations are made with a 'pounce-wheel'- you know, the little pin-wheel that turns on a handle. This technique of pouncing was used in signpainting among many other areas for transferring a design to the material to be used. You have your pattern with the holes and a chalk bag- like a powder puff- dab it along the perforations and transfer the chalk mark onto the cloth.
I always thought it was a good idea. This was something that initially confused me when hearing about pouncing in 'hat talk'. Different pouncing altogether-

Polyester is completely plastic- it IS a plastic.

B
T

 

[MissQueenie]

Well, polyester is never something I would have chosen anyway (I don't even wear modern clothes with polyester fiber in it if I can at all avoid it!), so that's not a terrible concern.

Thanks for the tip about Jo Ann's, Lauren! I'd forgotten that they do that from time to time. I really like the idea of making up the simplicity dress in a very light cotton voile (with a slip) in a soft print -- it'd be darling for summer -- but there's that damned "prints are NOT evening wear" caveat my mother drilled into me as a kid, and I'm still cringing over the rear-ruffles.

A teeny bit off topic, but does anyone know where I could find a small straw cloche-type hat? Not exactly a cloche -- a little less enveloping, more like a bonnet, almost? Something 30sish in straw.

 

[MissQueenie]

I found this old thing in the back of a closet at my mother's house this weekend. The drapey bits used to attach to a pearl button and hang a little more smoothly, if I remember right. It's got a pretty bad stain at the hem, but I'm hoping it'll come out if I took it to the cleaner's or handwashed it maybe (though I am reluctant to attempt that). The dressform is a little porky, so the gown hangs a little differently than it does on me, but it gives the general effect. The back is just plain bias cut, with the drapes attaching at the sides.

I'm thinking if I could get this thing in shape by June it'd be a heck of a lot easier on my schedule (2 jobs & graduation looming -- the weekend after the seaside ball, actually) than trying to sew something up and a lot cheaper than buying a new vintage piece. I know little or nothing about the dress itself -- have no clue how we came by it or how old it is (is it just a new dress in an older style, or is it old? I have no idea), but I do know it looks charming with my gold and bronze dance pumps.

~ Queenie.

 

[Lauren]

Lovely dress!

Does it have any tags in it? Like a label or care tags?

 

[MissQueenie]

Ah ha! Okay, so I checked the dress (I don't know WHY that didn't occur to me before) and it does have a care instruction label stitched in, as well as a small label with the designer's name on it (which is what made me wonder if it was new-ish or what). So, not true vintage, but either way, I think it's pretty

 

[swinggal]

I know several girls that have made a few of these patterns. I have quite a few of them too. The dresses turned out quite well but I know that some of them were hard to follow. V2354 was one of these.

We just had a Lindy Exchange here in Perth the Swing Ball that always goes with the exchange is a very dressy, formal affair, and people in the swing scene here love to dress vintage. I saw V2354 made by quite a few people actually. Sky blue crepe with a satin insert was one design.

I have aquite a big collection of original vinatge patterns that I make repro clothing from. Its not too hard to undersatnd the instructions, but I bought a 1940s Sewing manual so that I could understand some of the old 'sewing terms' that just arent referred to any more. Think I saw someone wearing V2494 as well at the ball.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Here's a page you may find helpful. I have heard that the Vintage Vogue patterns are more difficult then others, but I’ve yet to try one myself (need to take a sewing class this summer so that I can make use of 1930s-40s pattern collection!)

http://www.gbacg.org/Patterns/vogue.htm

In terms of fabrics, patterns were pretty popular for evening wear in the 30s. I think these gowns are stunning examples:


Swinggal--one of my dancing friends used to live in Perth (I believe she helped start up the swing scene while she was there). Her name is Janet--did you know her? I helped style her hair and poses for the “Girls of Perth� pinup calendar that was done a couple of years ago.

 

[Lauren]

could have fooled me... looks like a real vintage dress.

Loveley pics of vintage prints, jitterbugdoll

I love it that there are seamstresses on the board! I get a crazy look from people when I told them I made something... I guess us vintage girls are into the "lost arts"

 

[swinggal]

Janet, yes! I am one of the originals of the Perth scene and was there from the beginning with Janet and Roger. What a small world!

I actually designed the Perth Girls of Swing calendar and art directed all the photos (except the one of Janet). I also retouched them all to make them look vintage. I was Miss May!

 

[MissQueenie]

Oh my goodness -- I'm in love with the second dress you posted, jitterbugdoll! My prom dress was almost identical in the front, but done in matte champagne that shimmered into gold. I actually love the fabric on the gown in the picture -- I wish I could see the back of it!

Thanks for posting those -- I've got to work on widening my horizons

~ Queenie

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Isn't it dreamy? I love 1930s-40s evening gowns--they are so feminine and glamorous.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a picture of the back. However, the description reads: “…deep-cut back, belt looped into a rear bow, and full-length skirt flaring to hem.�

Swinggal—I thought I recognized your photo! However, I only saw the calendar briefly, and I can’t find any photos online. Can I still view the other girls?

Janet is a real doll, and such a good dancer. I remember that she wanted to do a cowgirl shoot to represent Arizona. I don’t know if you have seen the poster that she did for www.swinglindy.com, but it sure was cute!

 

[swinggal]

Yep, I saw it, but she was never allowed to have it up in the house because of...well...you know who!

The calender was never online, only the ad for it. We sold quite a lot and Rusty Frank took a heap back to the US with her the year in came out. I can send you a Pdf of the whole calendar if you life. I still have it.