Vintage Patterns & Me: #vpjuly

To launch #vpjuly, our dedicted month of Vintage Pledge fun, Marie and I are both blogging about our own use of vintage patterns. I love using vintage patterns, although my vintage tastes have changed somewhat since I began sewing in 2010 and first started to use vintage patterns. This was the kind of pattern I was first interested in:

 

 

Elegant illustrations and pretty dresses! I certainly made my share of those, but found that they didn't really fit into my lifestyle. Although I made some lovely dresses, it began to make me feel sad to spend my time sewing things that I rarely wore. So this is where my heart lies now:

Patterns from the 1970s and 1980s - the above are all New Look Maudella. I have found so many fantastic, wearable patterns from this era - and bonus, they are usually very reasonably priced. I really love trawling 1980s patterns on eBay and finding the gems amongst the large-shouldered monstrosities. Here's a favourite example:

Style Sew Simple 3597 - a pullover dress with elasticated waist and cut on sleeves, from 1982. This is the double of the Tilly & the Buttons Bettine dress. I first used it last year:

This dress totally ticks the boxes for being easy to make, forgiving to fit and easy to wear. I've made two versions, as well as two dresses merging it with a different top pattern. Here's my second version:

I made this dress as a wearable muslin last year but left it unfinished as I got on with making my proper version, above. I always intended to finish it, and months later I finally have. As it wasn't wearable until 2016, it's fine to count it as part of the 2016 pledge, isn't it? (The answer is yes).

Available here for £2/m

 
I used a polyester crepe from Regency Rags on eBay at £2.99 per metre. I'm not generally a fan of poly fabrics but I loved the fun heart print and cheap price, plus I also like the easy care aspect. I passed the rest of the fabric on to Franca of Oranges and Apples at a sewing meet-up, who made a top from it. The fit is a little blousier than the gepmetric version in viscose. This fabric is really a little thin to make a whole dress out of but it will be fine with a half slip or for warmer weather. It would be great as a holiday dress as it doesn't crease.

Here are a few recent purchases:

 All bought from a vintage shop for 50p each - bargain!

An eBay purchase - I'm planning to make it in a wool linen mix fabric - the middle view but knee length

I think you can see a theme here - simple shapes and easy to make and wear. It's taken a few years but I've really found my favourite types of patterns. I still admire the illustrations and styles of 1950s or 40s patterns, but I know where my heart lies!

Essentially what I love about vintage patterns is being able to have decades of styles at your disposal - you can mix and match decades or stick to your favourite. There is something for everyone.

K x