#vintagesewingpattern

That Not So Simple Knit Dress: Simplicity 5364 from 1972

We tend to thinks of knits as perfect for very simple garments we simply pull on. The T-shirt, T-shirt dress, leggings, etc. But when knits first became common in women's wear because of innovations in machines that could knit fabric, they were not shown as all that simple. The T-shirt dress showed up in the 1950s and came with the full assortment of accessories including hat and gloves. The synthetic knits which became so popular in the 1960s still had zippers down the backs of the dresses they were made from.

Similarly, this formal evening dress from the early 1970s required a knit fabric, see the "STRETCH" directions on the front that literally stretched out the font. It was not a great deal of stretch, in truth. 4 inches had to stretch to a bit over 5 inches, while we have super stretchy rayon/lycras today that practically double in width when pulled hard. But it was far more stretch than the "bonded knits" which were popular for A-line shapes and had no stretch at all (and not purpose as far as i can see). They especially recommended matte jersey (which would be Quiana in those days), cire jersey (which has a wet look and would have looked sooooo louche), and tricot (which we see today only in lingerie fabrics). But any jersey with stretch from cotton to rayon to polyester or nylon was approved.

With only a bit of stretch built into the fabric, the pattern, which was close fitting, has shaped front and back pieces and back straps. It shuts at the back neck with buttons and loops while a zipper shuts the back bodice and then the top of the long gathered skirt.

The 1970s: The Return of the Dress, Vogue 1948

One of the reasons pants became so popular with women for all kinds of public wear, including office work and formal evening events was the in inconvenience of mini skirts. Their short length meant sitting and movement could become awkward, especially at work, and when European designers starting showing formal pants outfits in the late 1960s, women bought pants of all kinds. But the pleasure of novelty also meant that eventually dresses had appeal again, but at a longer length.

Tiny Waist, Big Hips: Simplicity 9699

This re-issued separates pattern in modern sizes captures several of the key features of 1950s women’s fashions. It has the tiny waist and big hips that first debuted with Christian Dior in 1947 with the New Look and remained popular through the 1950s. It was a look that emphasized the hour-glass figure and used a generous amount of fabric, a sign of a longing for an end to war-time austerity and a move towards abundance.

Many dresses appeared with this silhouette, while these is separates with a sleeveless, fitted blouse to tuck into the wide, pleated skirt. Notice there is no obvious opening to get into the blouse; a side zipper gets you in. Then, it is darted and worn tucked into the skirt. Many skirts in the 1950s were literally rectangles with pleating or gathering used to reduce the circumference at the waistline. This means you can use striped fabrics turned sideways as you see here on the left. Then, we have the little jacket. This one is cut very, very short in order to show off the tiny waistline. It has cut-on sleeves, darts at shoulder and the waistline to fit it to the body, and a small shawl collar, as well as buttons.  

For fabric, they recommended practically everything: cotton, silk, wool, and velveteen for the jacket. Crisp fabrics will give you the wide flare to the silhouette although a stiff petticoat will probably be needed to create the flare of the illustration.

With a belt, it appears like a neat look, but in practice, it would need adjusting as you moved in order to keep blouse tucked and the belt in place. You would have an easier time without the belt.  

Not In Factory Folds, Or The Trouble with Vintage Sewing Patterns

Sometimes vintage sewing patterns are offered for sale in "factory folds" or uncut. So, no one has ever used them. These are your best bets if you are new to using them.

Most patterns are sold used which is fine by me. Except that some are sold without any mention that the seller has checked all the pattern pieces are there. And some are sold with the seller saying they had no idea if all the pieces are there cause they aren't going to check. Buyer beware.

This pattern came in a tattered box at an antique mall. It offered both popular silhouettes of the 1950s: the fit and flared with longer skirt, and the tight, straight skirt, along with a pullover knit blouse with cut-on sleeves. As you can see, the envelope itself was not in the best shape. Pieces of other patterns emptied themselves into the box. So I was making a bet buying this pattern.

Simple A-line, But So Much Work: McCalls 8645

This 1966 pattern illustrates the impact of the Youth Quake, the time when the large numbers of Baby Boomers dominated the marketplace and thus style of a great deal of goods. A cultural shift then emphasized that everything that was young was probably good, and everything that was not young was probably bad. The abandonment of sophisticated styles for women 30 and over was part of that shift which meant the loss of the draped dress. Instead, every woman, regardless of age, was supposed to wear what were called Young or Youthful styles.

You see such an example here in the A-line dresses which came with matching patterns for girls as well. The silhouette was certainly simple, and reminiscent of toddler’s dresses of the time, as were the look of the patch pockets, but this dress was anything but simple to make.

First of all, it was lined, as were the patch pockets which might be cut on the bias as you can see in the plaid version. The collar was also cut on the bias and one version, seen here in stripes, had a contrast collar with a bias-cut tie as well. The striped version also had gathered sleeves, a lapped facing to add cuffs, while the flower print had 3/4 sleeves with elbow darts and bias-cut cuffs. A zipper ran down the back.

Big Blooms Organza Overdress: Inspired by Simplicity 8252

While hunting through my fabrics to make a dress for a wedding, I realized that I had a print and a silk organza that would work perfectly together as a dress and an overdress. Sheer overdresses, along with sheer skirts tied on almost as aprons, show up in the 1950s for evening wear. They allowed for a covered up during an era when the pinched waist of the hourglass and the long skirt were the fashion.

This over-dress was cut differently than the skirt of my dress, Butterick 6582, so I decided to cut my dress’s skirt pattern and simply adding 2 inches total at the side seams, and inch and a half at center front, and an inch in length at the hemline. While I tried to use this Simplicity pattern for the bodice, I realized I wanted flared, set-in sleeves, so I ended up drafting a pattern from a combination of bodices.

In working with silk organza, you definitely want a chalk powder marker, something so light that you can accidentally brush it away. I used the Chakoner which I picked up at the American Sewing Guild marketplace one year, but you can find it online at many places. Do NOT use a chalk pencil as the mark can be too solid and you will spend much time trying to brush it out. You can mark both pieces at the same time, although you may need to add chalking to the bottom piece.

Silk organza is sewn with a dry iron and dry cleaned in order to keep its crispiness. I actually washed this before I realized that was a mistake, but it remained relatively crispy all the same.  Because it is transparent, it has mass but seems to float.