Show us your vintage patterns!

[Elaina]

I get zippers and elastic and stuff from Sew true. I got their buttons a while ago for the shirts and they're something like $30, but you get a thousand of them in assorted colors and sizes. White, Black, Brown, Navy, Natural, Grey,Blue, Royal, Green, Pink, Purple, Red, and really, that's all the colors I truly need. Anything odd colored (like seafoam green) I like using white or grey anyway.

They're pricey to start out with, but worth it if you make a lot of buttoned clothing (I do). I once got a jar of 120 tuxedo buttons at a thrift store for $1 and can make my own fabric buttons cheaply. I also scavenge buttons off old clothes to reuse. For $6 it may be cheaper to go to the thrift store and buy a garment JUST for the buttons.

I also use some weird notions and use sew true for alot of those. I spend maybe $100 a year on things (I'm pushing it, this year I've spent about $20, I need to reorder some stuff, but I try to get it to the highest shipping platform, and I'm about $12 away), and buttons aren't even on my list of things I need to buy in the next..oh 2 years.

I kind of agree on the whole new to sewing thing, I know quite a few who can't wait for the pattern sales and buy whatever is closest to what they want. Coupons help in that instance (thread is the only thing I WILL buy from the JoAnn's aside from patterns). Dunno, for me I can't afford to go out and blow 50 bucks on one outfit, that $50 better darn well supply me with at least 4 outfits. I tend to buy fabric online at a variety of places and do a huge order at one time, sew like mad and then grump when I need more material. I have a budget and have to buy EVERYTHING within $10 a week, which sucks, but makes one learn to budget wisely.

 

[Lady Day]

Well...
I live near this place http://britexfabrics.com/ and let me tell you, they have a super great (all be it overpriced) selection of buttons. All types of buttons, all types. Sigh, if only I had so many button holes

LD

 

[absynth]

I just received this pattern for $6.50. It's a steal for me since it's really hard to find patterns my size in a 'swingy' type dress.

I bought some navy cotton broadcloth that at first I thought was rayon. It was literally that smooth and drapey. $5.99/yd at the local quilters shop.


Jen

Just Jen

I have a huge ginormous favor to ask of you. Is there any way that I could get a copy of that pattern from you, or borrow the pattern to get copied or anything? I am a size 20 and have never seen a dress pattern that I really liked that much, but that dress is very pretty. I could send you some money to copy the pattern and send it or if you would consider lending the pattern, I could try to get it copied and send it back or something. If you don't feel comfortable with that I totally understand and have no issues with that. Also are the patterns close to modern day size 20 or alot smaller/bigger? Thanks for any help that you can give me.

Absynth

 

[Elaina]

You know maybe we should all think about being part of an excahnge: list the patterns we have/would be willing to copy and "trade" those off. I know in my case, I don't have much in the way of patterns, but I'd be happy to offer something else like a vintage inspired bag for a few or something.

What do you guys think?

 

[Honey Doll]

Sounds like an idea

You know maybe we should all think about being part of an excahnge: list the patterns we have/would be willing to copy and "trade" those off. I know in my case, I don't have much in the way of patterns, but I'd be happy to offer something else like a vintage inspired bag for a few or something.

What do you guys think?

I'd be in.

Honey Doll

 

[GOK]

Vintage Pattern Sizing

OK please forgive me if I've been a little slow on the uptake but I've just noticed (whilst going through some of my patterns) that the sizing between 10 and 20 is in years I suppose this explains the discrepancy between then and now....I'm sure a size 4 in today's sizes has nothing to do with a four year old child!

 

[~landgirl~]

Sewing Patterns

Hi ladies

I am new to dressmaking and will be starting lessons in January. I am after vintage dress patterns and have a few questions:

1) where to find them - obviously there is e-bay and second hand shops, but can anyone recommend any good websites?

2) the sizes - i am a 38 bust, so what vintage size would i have been?

3) fabrics - where is a good place to get vintage type fabrics and what kinda fabrics were clothes made of back then? a couple of my stop staring dresses are banolin, but i'll be damned if i can find that ANYWHERE!

4) essential 'must have' items for any seamstress

5) finally, what garment should i make first, something simple to work on!

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[Lauren]

Hi! Here's a few threads from the past dealing with vintage patterns you might want to check out:

Sizing

Some sites of patterns for sale

Some fabric info
And another

What to begin with
And how to start

Hope that helps

 

[jitterbugdoll]

For patterns, I can suggest www.evadress.com, www.scissorhappy.com, www.thebluegardenia.com, www.vintagemartini.com, and www.woodlandfarmsantiques.com.

Size wise, you are probably an 18-20 (but you can alter a pattern size up or down.)

Popular fabrics depend on era and style of the garment, but common materials for day dresses include crepes, gabardines, jerseys and so forth, in silk, rayon, wool, cotton, etc.

 

[D-Day-Doll]

I just got back into sewing recently, its been a few years since I took some fashion and sewing classes in college. I can recommend the Eva Dress (www.evadress.com) patterns. I made the 1945 trousers and found them pretty easy to sew and alter. I made a muslin first, and am now making them in linen. Hope this helps!

 

[Lauren]

Oh, and another one I just sewed up is from Decades of Style. I highly recommend them. They even revamp their instructions to make them more user friendly!
http://www.decadesofstyle.com/ And of course, the Vintage Pattern Lending Library, who has great customer service and fast turn around times.

 

[~landgirl~]

Thanks for the links! I kind of guessed there would already be threads in here answering my questions, but it's 11pm and I am tired and lazy and wanted a quick answer!

I was thinking of doing an apron, I got this on e-bay but it is a 36 bust:

Or I would like to try a night slip but can't find one that really screams out to me!

I forgot to say that I am after 1940s patterns.

 

[Snookie]

That's a really cute apron, landgirl! I'm glad you found one you like. It being a size too small is probably not a big deal, since it's an apron and probably not extremely fitted anyway. (It looks like it ties in the back? Then it should be fine.) If you're worried, add a little extra to the seam allowance when you cut it out, so that you can let it out if it's too snug.

Start with the apron -- cute cottons are plentiful, and so much easier to sew than a slippery nightgown fabric.

As far as vintage sizes go, just always go by your measurements, because the companies weren't always consistant with their sizes.

I've got two sewing tips -- 1) If you get frustrated, put it down. You'll sew better when you come back (even if it's only 20 minutes later!). 2) Get some small scissors and hang them around your neck. They're easier to use for snipping threads than large scissors or seam rippers, and you won't lose them if they're tied to you!

 

[~landgirl~]

Hi Snookie - it is quite like yours isn't it! I searched high and low to find one similar.

One question I left out was that on the subject of actual sewing machines. Any tips when searching? My other half is going to get me one for christmas!

P.S. I was looking at this one, but the price is quite cheap - so wasn't 100% sure if it is decent enough or not:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130045188259&fromMakeTrack=true

 

[Elaina]

Sewing machines (I've found) are highly personal things. I sew on a 1927treadle because I want to. (I own several machines of various years: 1929, 1942, 1955, 1969) and truth be told, I would kick my husband if he bought me a modern machine. I can treadle faster then I can get an electric to sew (barring the industrials, which I can sew on, just don't want to, and I'm not too much slower when I'm sewing then the ones at school.)

My advice would be to have him get you a gift certificate, or go with him, take some material you'll likely use (like cotton, and a good amount, not just scraps) your own thread (important because a good portion of dealers don't use the same thread you will for demonstrations, theirs is usually thicker) and sit and sew on it for 15-20 minutes before you commit. Decide what you're going to make so you're not impressed by the extra doo hickies.

When I got my treadle I had specifications in mind. I HATE HATE HATE my singer 99 from the 40's. It and I have a love hate relationship: it loves for me to hate it. I wanted a treadle that would reverse, be side clamping, short shank Singer. (Believe it or not, that was a hard order to come up with) that was under $200. (And only because I have all kind of all kinds of attachments that work for my 99: it's a short shank side clamping model). I hate buttonholes made on a machine, I have an attachment I use so that wasn't a big deal to me. I have a machine that zig zags (and coincidentally fits my treadle base that can be converted to a treadle if I wanted), I have the other attachments, so I wasn't looking for whistles and bells. I don't need decorative stitching, I don't need the "extras". I wanted a work horse that I could sew at all day and never worry about anything. And because I knew what I wanted, it made the process a lot easier.

 

[~landgirl~]

Hi Elaina, it's a great tip about taking some fabric to try but I am such a complete novice. I haven't used a sewing machine since college (some 8 years ago) and I wouldn't know 'what to feel' when using it as I wouldn't be using it confidently. Another thing is that I think I will have to use an electric modern type as I suffer with fibromyalgia - I think the older types will be too heavy for me. But then again, I have no idea as I have never even tried one!

 

[Elaina]

Novice or not, bringing your own fabric and trying them out on a few machines will give you a comparison of the stitches, what they look like, and an idea of how they feel to you. The first time I tried my treadle, you would have though I'd never touched a machine before.

For example, my first machine was a 70's Monkey Wards. It did fine, was an okay machine. (There was nothing wrong with the machine at all.) Compared to the 99, the stitching on it was coarse, the needles seemed to be a little harder to push through (even the same size), the sound was more pleasant on the 99. The 99 went through the same fabric like butter, hummed along nicely, and even set to the same stitch length seemed to produce finer, and more even stitching. And if nothing else, it will give you an idea of what you will like sewing on.

I tried a White treadle recently, and compared to my old thing...it sucked. (In fairness the White was a good machine. The owner of it spent a lot of time getting it to work good.) I like my machine's idiosyncrasies, to me it's enjoyable. If I had to sew on the White at home, I wouldn't sew near as much as I do, and I'd be on the lookout for another machine (which I don't need. I have 6 of them already) and it would have been a waste for me to have gotten anything but what I did. To my friend I bought it from, my treadle (hereafter will be fondly called "Mike" since that is his name) was a piece of junk that she couldn't stand that wouldn't sew to save its life. I saved it from a life in a garage. Point is, my preference was for Singers, and Mike specifically. We fit together. Like my 99 (also named Friday because it's a 99-13, and a darn unlucky machine for me) isn't a good fit for me, and had I of taken my own advice I would never have bought it (although it's about to become a hand crank in the near future, so I'm hoping it'll sew better reverted to its natural state).

Old machines are heavy little buggers. My 99 is the lightest at 15 lbs. My 201 is a whopper, I don't even carry it around, I roll it. Weight is always going to be an issue, but one thing you may want to ask about is the bobbin casing and if its construction is mostly plastic, or if there is actual metal. Newer machines may not be able to get anything but all plastic construction, and there is alot of complaints that they just don't hold up (again, it falls into what are you going to use it for and how much do you plan on using it?) Is repair you can do yourself important? (It was for me. I can fix all of my machines without having to take them in from motor repair to disassembling and reassembly. I can't afford to pop them in when they don't work.) Even is buttonholes important to have on the machine? Do you need some kind of decorative stitching? Zig Zag? Where do you plan on putting the machine to sew? (Seems stupid doesn't it? Even when I use an electric, I put the machine in my treadle base because I needed a dedicated area with a longer bed (area to hold the cloth) for sewing. My kitchen table and the consequent putting it up and dragging it back out was too time consuming. I also needed a lot of drawers for all my notions and accessories, which a treadle 7 drawer does so nicely.) What's the most you can comfortably lift? You've mentioned classes, do you need to take this machine back and forth to them? Do you like front loading bobbins or drop in kinds? Do you need a machine that bobbins and needles are easily obtained (like from Wal-Mart versus Joann's because I always bust mine in the middle of the night) Do you need the free arm on your machine (the thing that pops off to make sleeve setting easier)? Some of these may also bring up other questions too (motor speed and/or power for example) Even your price range can impact and help narrow your choices down. You may also consider getting an economical model and then upgrading later too (which is something you need to decide about price range). You may also want to consider feet. Do you intend on using just the foot that came with it, or do you think you want to try attachments like the hemmer and the Teflon foot? They vary in price depending on if you have a low shank, high shank or snap on foot (why is beyond me. I have a Teflon foot for a low and high shank. There was a $10 difference between them.) Do you need your feed dogs to drop? Even something simple like, do you want a seam guide already on it (which just saves you having to buy one and install it if you want it, or not at all.) Some/Most/None/All may apply.

I apologize for the extremely long post. I firmly believe that people should go about getting a machine like they would a car. I think people would sew more if they got a machine that fit them. I don't support any one brand, not a paid sale person, and am a little too fanatical about machines. (Especially vintage ones. I'm not even doing that! Be proud!) There is just so much to consider that someone else buying them is a little hard (and overwhelming). And I've found, here at least, that sales people are not concerned about your needs, just getting you to buy the most expensive model they can get you to buy without thinking of the whys. [huh]

I'm gonna hush up now.

 

[Lady Day]

Thanks for the links! I kind of guessed there would already be threads in here answering my questions, but it's 11pm and I am tired and lazy and wanted a quick answer!

I was thinking of doing an apron, I got this on e-bay but it is a 36 bust:

Or I would like to try a night slip but can't find one that really screams out to me!

I forgot to say that I am after 1940s patterns.

If you do get that pattern, look on this packaging, thats a perforated pattern, meaning, it is not printed on, so there are no guidelines on the pattern itself. Most patterns in the 40/mid 50s are like that before printed patterns became the norm. That my be a bit too much for a beginner. I suggest doing a 'modern' pattern first, and making it look vintage until you get the hang of patters themselves.

As far as sizing up/down a pattern, a lot of it is about trial and error. As you progress with your sewing, youll do mock up of junk fabric to see how a garmant will drape/hang, and adjust the pattern accordingly.

Good luck!

LD

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I have a Toyota sewing machine that I got from Freemans catalogue for about £100, but Argos have a good range. I find it fine, anything fancier would only have extra stitches that I wouldn't use. My only annoyance is the length of the stitch isn't adjustable, so for zigzag I can't easily get it to be closer together. For proper finishing, as I understand, you need an overlocker, so I would just go with a top of the middle of the range, nothing too complicated but with a nice lot of stitches.

Oh, and go for a skirt to start with. And it needn't even be a vintage pattern, just a nice pencil skirt or something. That way you get used to the terminology, pictures and methods without really challenging yourself too much. But certainly perforated patterns might be a stretch too far for a complete novice! I took sewing at school and have sewn a few clothes projects as well as a lot of altering and cushions etc, and I could not handle a perfed pattern.

 

[~landgirl~]

Thanks for the tips everyone!

It's too late with the apron pattern as it has already been bought, but maybe I will hold off for a while with it.

Fleur, can you recommend a modern pencil skirt pattern to me? Thank you!