Memorial Day Weekend Dress

Okay, so the "name" of this dress is not entirely accurate. I didn't wear this dress Memorial Day Weekend, and I didn't even finish this dress Memorial Day Weekend. However, I got the fabric I used for this dress last year during Memorial Day weekend and completed the majority of its construction this Memorial Day weekend.

My birthday spoils from last year

So there you go.

General details about it's construction:

Source: Vintage Sewing Wiki

Pattern: Simplicity 7011, circa 1975, purchased on Etsy

Fabric: Synthetic border print, which I then hacked apart and reconstructed to make use of the different prints on it. I could have probably just used two different fabrics all together.

Changes made: The pattern is really simple: four pieces to cut for the dress, and then little tabs and facing to cut. I ended up cutting the dress pieces into different sections to help me place the border prints at the places I wanted. I also added a strange little pleat to the front pieces to add extra belly fabric. It wasn't the prettiest alteration, but the gathers/elastic end up hiding it well enough. Not to mention the print. I skipped the tabs, because they felt a little like overkill with this print.

I used flat-felled seams with the border print transplants.
If you look right under the beads, you'll see where I had added the extra pleat, too.

I also added the border print portion to the hem as a separate piece. It cut down on the need to hand-sew, and tied up the dress pretty well. In retrospect, I'm not sure it mattered too greatly either way. It's a little longer than I had planned, but it's a little neater on the bottom, overall. (Just ignore my horrid finishing stitches and poor matchup of seams. Leave it to Buddy to take detail pics of the parts I'm least happy with.)

Overall Impression: The fabric is very light and totally appropriate for a summery dress, so I am happy to have finally put it to good use. The construction of the dress is interesting--shaping relies mainly on the use of elastic at the shoulders and bodice. I would totally make this dress again, a little shorter and with some simpler print just because I think it would have such a vastly different effect. And if you take out all the frankensteining I did with the fabric, the construction would be even simpler. I would even venture to say I'd finish the sleeves with bias binding because it would work well for seam finishes and a nice detail on the outside. I just need to buy LOTS of bias binding for that.

Excuse the wrinkles (skin and dress) from the long drive in the car.

This dress fits the vintage, alterations, and dress categories for the Sew, Baby! challenge, too, I think. :D

And as full acknowledgement, I really am working on some sewing here and there. And I still need to post on Me-Made-May conclusions. Sorry! You'll see more soon, I hope! Third trimester starts Sunday, so I am now realizing how little I've accomplished and how much I have to do to prepare for major life change!

Leona Caldwell Belt

I just thought I'd share an awesome Leona Caldwell find that Susan at McKenzie Creek Jewelry has posted. She let me know she had a beautiful Leona Caldwell belt after she found my post on Ms. Caldwell. I know Leona had done some ceramics work and jewelry in her studio, but the examples online are few and far between.

Check out how beautiful and adorable this belt is!!



Source: McKenzie Creek Jewelry



I love Leona Caldwell's quails and roadrunners SOOOOOOOOOO much! She inspires me every time.



Source: McKenzie Creek Jewelry

 Thanks Susan for helping to spread the word on Ms. Caldwell! I love it!

Relearning the Past

When my paternal grandmother passed away in 2007, it fell to me to go through her clothes. At under 5 feet tall, my grandmother was far too small for any of her other grandchildren to have any use for her closet contents. Let me just say, I felt very privileged.

I do not know how to describe my grandmother's style to you, but I'm going to try. Think leopard print couches, bleach blond beehive, red velvet flocked wallpaper, deep red shag carpet, half-shirts, teeeeeny tiny shorts, terry-cloth strapless pantsuits, little tank tops with nautical themes, burgundy velvet evening dresses, high high heels, fake fur coats, cigarettes, Manhattens, and coffee. Get the picture? An awesome mix of EllaMae from Beverly Hillbillies, Dolly Parton, and French bordello. I LOVE it!

This isn't too far off. Just add a beauty mark above her lip.

I've stated before just how much I love the memory aspect of inheritance and vintage. That what you inherit or find in the thrift store has a story and a person (or a few people) who have lived part of their lives in these clothes, or using these patterns.

My grandmother did not have a lot of contact with us growing up. After about the fourth kid, we never seemed to see her. She was a mystery recluse, who never managed to make it to big family events even though her husband always seemed to. I'd like to think I *almost* got her out to my wedding.

However, I have over the years learned more and more about her. Though she barely saw us, she often talked to my father daily at work. And having to do a project on my family history, I was able to learn more about her childhood. She was very hesitant to share much, but my understanding is that she and her family went through a great deal of hardship in rural Virginia. Her father left the family when she was very young, leaving her mother to care for a large brood of children on her own. Her brother died very young, tragically. She married young, divorced young, and often struggled to make ends meet and find happiness. Things improved when she remarried an amazing man, who was able to support them well. But she still struggled, finding unhappiness still followed her.

When I inherited my grandmother's clothes, I was super smitten by her amazing style sense. It was always apparent that her appearance meant a great deal to her. My father often said that aging was very difficult for her, as she had put so much value in her appearance.

This pair of pants was one of the pieces that I took home. They fit me really well, and I always loved the wide-leg style even if I am short.  I was tickled to learn that they were from Frederick's of Hollywood, as it perpetuated that glamorous yet slightly trashy mystique that I imposed upon my grandmother.

I never wore them, because the seams were coming out, and I needed to resew them.

Chameleon branding

In resewing them this past week, after a year of pursuing sewing more seriously, I quickly realized something very important. These pants were handmade. They were not from Frederick's of Hollywood. I had earlier realized that some of the velvet dresses I inherited were handmade, but my greedy little eyes never actually looked at these pants seriously. I just saw nice pants, saw a tag, and thought "gotta keep them".

hand-stitched seams, after the first one came out

Instead, what I now see is the story of my grandmother: a woman aspiring to convey glamour on limited means. Hand sewing clothes, reinforcing seams multiple times over the years, and putting brand-name tags in her work so others see her as she wants to be seen. Not as she truly was: a resourceful woman who grew up without a lot. A woman who constantly strived to feel like she fit in and was desirable, by heavily relying upon how she looked.

No, she wanted others to see her as the epitome of glamour, of financial stability. A good life. Not the hard one she came from. Maybe that was another reason why we barely saw her in later years: it was just too hard to feel confident when you felt tired and unattractive. When you couldn't be sure that you could hide that you were just you.

I wish she realized just how amazing she really was.

The Year's Still New Dress

So, I had intended on making this dress for New Year's Eve. Not so much because I was planning on going to a fancy cocktail party, as I actually was going to be outside in the cold country for NYE. It was more because I got this for a pattern swap through The Sew Weekly Circle, and they had encouraged us to have our pieces done around the holidays.

The original pattern and starting curtain for fabric. I have other plans for the beads.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I blame the fabric. It's green on one side and black on the other. You can't let that go to waste!

Alright, alright, mainly it didn't happen because I was me: I waited until the last minute (New Year's Eve, to be exact) and made the project more complicated than usual (reversible). Not much more complicated in this case. All the problem spots would remain problem spots (read: zipper, slippery loosely woven fabric), but making a dress reversible changes some of the planning for details.

Instead of regular seams, I had to go with flat felled seams for the skirt. Instead of facing, I just did the same cut of the bodice and sewed those two together.

Matching darts was a pain on such slippery fabric, and the darts themselves are way off from the apex of my bust, but, I still think it works overall.

Because the dress was reversible, but the skirt was only one layer, I decided to do an exposed zipper. Using gifted vintage curtains for the fabric, I used the existing hems for the skirt hem and the dress tie. Since that left a bright green hem on the black side of the dress, I decided to go for an exposed bright green zipper to tie it together.

I also added a black ribbon to the dress tie, to cover the hem and any flyaway threads where I cut, and to continue that theme of color blocking.

 The fit was quite good! It's a little snug because I had to redo the zipper from my NYE attempt in which I already cut the fabric down and then sewed the zipper to like three layers of the dress. I ended up having to pull in some extra fabric on the side when handpicking it the second time around.

Besides the wandering darts, my main issues with the dress are the zipper (I'm getting better, but still wouldn't consider myself good) and the fact that the zipper isn't technically reversible. Fortunately, I can take my arm out and then unzip it when I'm wearing it green-side out. Most reversible zippers that are already made are for jackets, so are too big and boring for a cocktail dress.

Yay! First project of the year down, now too many to go! (I think I have three or four in mind already, some deadline driven, so you're actually likely to see them completed!)

Happy New Year!

Sew Weekly Circle's Round the World Pattern Swap

Kat at the Sew Weekly Circle did it again! She helped organize a pattern swap for members of the Circle recently, and of course I had to partake!

Sandy Vojta, of Harlem Homestead, whose Halloween costume you must go see, got my name. It was not even a week since we were to send our patterns that mine arrived in the mail! And let me say "WOW!"

The collar is mind-boggling, and the pattern is super cool! Sandy has challenged me to lower the neckline, but I'm almost imagining the collar going on that scooped back. What do you think?

I've never sewn on something so fancy, but Sandy assures me it's quite easy. Here's hoping I do it justice and don't botch it in the process. That would be shameful.

Cool part is that I have the perfect fabric for the dress and collar, I think, with that green curtain you see in the picture. My friendly neighbor gave me the curtains to use in a sewing project, so I will be happy to give it a good second life.

I must admit that I did not take pictures of the patterns that I sent to my drawn partner (the lovely Charlotte Powell-Brooks). The last time I did a swap, I took tons of pictures, but then my package took forever to arrive in Australia and I just never did a post on what I sent. To summarize, I sent her three vintage patterns roughly her size. I think I sent one each of the 90s, 80s, and 70s. But I may be wrong. I will post a picture if/when she posts one of what I sent.

(Post update: Here's what she got from me)

Source: Sew Weekly Circle

I also sent her some vintage 40's fabric with cherries and rectangles on it. And some little moose/reindeer card or picture holders (they're hiding in the back of her picture). Quite cute.

And as an only slightly related statement, I must say I'm eyeing up some fancy silk over at Charlotte's Etsy shop. It would go well this pattern, too, I think.

Christmas has come a tad early in the House of Seeks.

Born in the Wrong Era of Fashion

Source: Glamour Daze

Source: Glamour Daze

If you were to give me a few more inches in height, I'd have done quite well in the 20's, I think.

Not sure I could pull off all the petting, drinking, and partying, but I could certainly pull off the look.

Which is a bit of a bummer, since I'd love to fill out those awesome 40's and 50's fashions as well. Can't win them all, I suppose.

DC Launch Party, GenXY Vintage

This past Saturday evening, I attended a launch party for GenXY Vintage, a DC vintage boutique and coffee shop. I had heard of the event through the Capital Area Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Group (DCFABB), and thought it would be a fun event to attend. And free. Free events always seem more appealing to me, for some reason. ;)

No matter how much I like these, I'd never be able to walk in them.

Now, my style sensibilities these days have been veering towards the early 20th century: the late 20s and early 30s, the 50s, and the 60s. So I was a little surprised (though certainly not disappointed!) at the type of vintage clothing that was being showcased at the event: more 60s, 80s, 90s. I think this can be one of those platforms in which we could debate what qualifies as vintage, but I have never felt the need to do so and won't partake now. I liked the clothes, no matter when they were from! In truth, the style was palpable among the guests; I felt a little dowdy comparatively speaking. But then, I suppose I'm not all that surprised: I have often found that I'm a little out of sync with much of fashion. 

Amazing beadwork top!

If anything, I think it was a great reminder of just how much I enjoy the loud bright colors and daring combinations that vintage can offer. Who needs to be dowdy when they wear vintage? My wardrobe wheels are turning much more now... oh the options!

The owner of GenXY Vintage: Ashley Tyrus

It was also a pleasure to meet Ashley, the owner of GenXY Vintage: her enthusiasm and her energy were great! It was clear that she is very proud of her venture and determined to make it into a fun place to seek out in the DC area. And really, who can't appreciate a chance to shop vintage while getting to drink a nice cup of coffee? Or tea, I suppose. I'm not picky. If you can't make it to her DC shop, you can also shop her wares here! (No coffee or tea though.)

I love the range of models, and those tights, and that knit dress. 

I'm such a shoe freak.

Color!!!!!

I love the bold and the class here.

I think I have a crush on that pink dress. Maybe I'll make a swing dress from a similar fabric?

Hoppin'!

My compulsive detail photo of future embellishment aspirations.

If you want to see more photos from the event, I'll post them up on Flickr. I have to say that the show gave me a great opportunity to play around with my camera; wallflowers should always carry around a camera. ;)

DC Vintage Fashion Week Goodwill Auction

Last Friday, DC Goodwill held a "Traveling Trunk Show" and vintage auction at Gossip on 23rd in Arlington, VA. This event was to tie up Vintage Fashion Week in DC, and was an excuse for me to start sending out feelers in the DC fashion community. I love people, but I'm not the most social of persons, so I didn't exactly come away with a bunch of new friends. It's a start though. Maybe next time, I'll actually talk to someone. 

So, I went to the auction, and they had some seriously cute dresses up for bid. DC's fashion bloggers Spicy Candy DC did the photo shoots, so I thought I'd show off their good work and better pictures of the pieces. I would say that I liked almost all of them, but here are some of my immediate favorites: 

Polka dots!

Simple cut, with a fun print

I really love the details on this 1930's dress. I was so sad that it didn't fit me well.

I love the fabric for this 1940s dress. The cut is really cute too, but wouldn't have fit me well.

This one ended up being my favorite.

An excellent example of a 1930s party dress. 

Lace insets on the flutter sleeves.

This dress's design is a little hard to see because of the color and fabric, but it reminded me of this pattern, only with flutter sleeves:

Courtesy Vintage Pattern Lending Library

This was my other favorite: A 1940's dress

"waterfall cascade detail"

The main dilemma that I found myself having at this event was that the dresses just didn't fit me. Most of the clothes didn't. I know that vintage fitting is not the same as it is now, what with the different shaping undergarments worn in different decades. But in order for me to spend the money on a quality vintage piece, as they often run in the $40s-50s in forums like etsy (or at auctions meant to raise money), I want the fit to be as close to right as possible. 

I can accept that I may have to settle for Jr sizes or a snug waist, but in order for me to do most of the auction pieces any justice, I really needed some curves. And maybe some heighth-these were some loooong skirts for a short girl.  I eventually found myself looking at the busts' cut on the dresses before I would decide if I could try it on or bid. Though some details are lovely, say like the cut of the flowery 1930s dress, if you can't fill in the top, it really just looks frumpy. Trust me on this.

One of the things I love about thrifting is the find of a dress just your size or a piece of clothing you can rip up and make into something that is just your size. The quality of the pieces on auction and their age really made me hesitant to bid, because I just can't see myself altering them. Do you alter vintage clothing older than the 70s or 80s?

I've never seen this ribbon trip before, and I'm not quite sure I understand it, but I'm interested in figuring it out.

There were other vintage clothes for sale as well, though again, the fit on some were just not quite right. So, I just took pictures of the details that I liked about them. Daydreaming of executing them in future sewing projects.

An Anne Sui romper. I liked the print and cut.

I'm not sure of it's age, but I love this top's collar

So, at the end of the evening, I ended up buying a super cute brown cloche hat that looks very much like this: 

Source: Hat Show

It fits, and I can wear it more often than an evening dress. The only part that bums me out is that the hat wasn't Goodwill fare, but rather from the boutique. I've been wearing it a bunch since Friday though.

So, tell me. When do you alter vintage and by how much before it feels like butchery?