vintage may...

This post is a part of the Vintage May series hosted by Craftiness is not Optional and skirt as top...

How awesome has this series been so far?! Seriously, if you haven't been keeping up with the posts, make sure to check out the series on both Craftiness is not Optional and skirt as top and be prepared to be blown away! Below is my contribution...I decided to sew up a little dress for the kiddo using a vintage Vogue sewing pattern from 1950. Thank you, Jess and Kristin, for inviting me to be part of Vintage May.

Using a vintage sewing pattern was quite the departure for me. I've pretty much always sewn things using printable pdf patterns and am so used to the detailed instructions, step by step photos, etc that go along with them. Totally not the case with vintage patterns. While I really enjoyed the adorable cover drawings, the historical aspect of working with something that was 60+ years old, and the finished product; I did find the vague instructions and unfamiliar sewing terminology a bit challenging. For example, the raw edges of the collar and sleeve cuffs are covered in bias tape but no measurements/dimensions were given. That said, I think everyone should give it a try! You might just learn a new thing or two. 

Overall, I really like the finished dress - the fit was pretty spot on (Syd wears a 4T in tops/dresses and the pattern is a size 4) though I do think I should have used a fabric with a bit more drape so that the gathered front isn't quite so full. I did not originally plan to shirr the waist of the dress since I really liked the look of the swingy dresses on the pattern cover. Unfortunately, my dress just didn't look like the cover dress - it was muumuu-esque rather than swingy and that wasn't the look I was going for! Elastic thread to the rescue.

I found the pattern I used at this shop. It was in pretty good physical condition - especially the tissue pattern pieces. Both Etsy and Ebay have a ton of vintage sewing patterns if your local thrift shops don't carry a good selection.  It is pricer to order them online but I found myself browsing for hours since I just love the cover art - especially on the children's patterns. I'd much rather pay a bit more and shop from home than have to dig through the pattern/fabric bin at my local thrift shop - it's located right next to the underwear bin. No thanks!

I paired the pattern with a yellow and white dot print - Scatter Dot from Alice Kennedy's Taxi collection. 

A few other patterns that caught my eye (not only do I love the outfits but I also adore the sassy hair styles!)... 

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