Project Run & Play Sew-Along: Streak, Stroke, Stripe Part 1

Rory's 1930's Playset

 Among my vast collection of children's patterns are some treasured original vintage ones from the '30's, 40's, and 50's.  (Let's not talk about the patterns from the 1960's-80's.  They can't be vintage because that would make ME vintage, too!)  I don't have very many of these because they are hard to find and very expensive when one does find them.

But I have discovered a marvelous source of legally copied and reproduced vintage patterns on Etsy.com.  

Frank at A PATTERN PEDDLER has an entire shop filled with gorgeous reproduced vintage patterns with envelopes just like the originals.  The copies are printed on sturdy paper and are very clear.   In addition,  all the big pieces are cut and taped together for the vintage sewing enthusiast.  I have purchased about 15 of these patterns so far and this is the first one I have made up.  (BTW:  I am not affiliated with this shop in any way, except as a very satisfied customer!)

I was anxious to make this pattern up because of those cute shoulder/arm ties!

Rory reminded me so much of Shirley Temple in this outfit and those sweet curls!

Original copyright:  1934.  From A Pattern Peddler on Etsy.com.

Pattern:  Vintage McCall 7813, size 2.

Although the pattern has sweet little shorts included, I opted to make a pair from one of my go-to shorts patterns in Australian Smocking & Embroidery # 78 in a size 2.  (Rory is a slender three year old and these fit perfectly.)

Fabric:  Poly-cotton plisse from JoAnn Crafts purchased ages ago.

I did make one change to the pattern.  I added a placket and a ribbon tie to the back to facilitate dressing for a busy three year old.

Those curls!

Love this sweet pose!

  I have another dress I am working on to enter for this striped   

Sew-Along challenge for an almost 8 year old young lady.  It just needs buttonholes and buttons. 

 I hope to fit in a photo shoot and get that one blogged before Saturday's deadline!  

Be sure to check out the Project Run & Play Stripes challenge and Sew-Along challenge HERE and HERE.

A Little Southern Charm for Avery

Signature Style for Project Run & Play Sew-Along

"Charm is more valuable than beauty.

You can resist beauty,

But you can't resist charm."

Audrey Tatou

This sweet little baby dress is for Avery, a darling little 1.5 year old who is the daughter of a former kindergarten student of mine.  Megan's mother, Jill,  was the speech and language specialist at my school for over 25 years.  I had the pleasure of teaching all of Jill's children in my kindergarten class and she taught my daughter.  (She had a lisp.)  Now I have the pleasure of working with Megan as she is the occupational therapist at our school.  Megan has very similar tastes to mine.  She loves smocking and embroidery, lace, and vintage styling.  She loves the southern style bonnets little girls in the south wear in the spring and summer months.  I very much enjoyed making this for Miss Avery!

In my last post (HERE) I discuss my two signature styles.  This outfit is obviously The Classic Children's Clothing style.  It has nearly everything:  hand smocking, lace, vintage buttons, a bonnet, hand hemming, heirloom pattern and techniques, and a longer hemline.

Outside & Inside of Front Bodice:  hand smocking, min piping, antique lace, glass beads, hand stitched facing.

Avery's Dress & Bloomers:  New Look #6501 size 19-21 pounds (Medium) for the dress and the bloomers.  This size was chosen because the pattern seems to run 'large'.

Materials:  I used a soft tiny blue and green floral cotton print from my stash from Concord Fabrics, Inc.  The selvege says that if is designed 'By THE KESSLERS' and crafted with pride in the U.S.A.  A piece of vintage Irish crochet, mini piping from Farmhouse Fabrics, an antique shell button, and tiny blue glass beads were the notions used.

Adaptations:  I widened the front skirt width to 3 times the width of the bottom of the bodice piece to pleat it for smocking.  I also added a couple of inches to the width of the back skirt piece and cut it on the fold.  I lengthened the hem to give a more traditional 2 inch hem,  I completely changed the back skirt placket in order to make a more dainty heirloom style placket.  I made narrow bias for the underarms (instead of using purchased bias tape) and hand stitched it down.  I hand stitched the linings, as well. I used French seams on the sides of the dress.

Avery's Southern Bonnet:  Petite Poche "Le Petite Enfant" (size 18 months), the tiny floral print, mini piping, antique shell buttons, white cotton sateen, woven interfacing, and a bit of elastic were used to make this adorable bonnet. 

Bloomers & Bonnet
The back of the dress.

A tiny running stitch for 'ease' was sewn on the A-line back hem to bring in the fullness when making a deeper hem.  

The heirloom placket is nearly invisible from the front and is neat and tidy on the inside.

Smocking Plate is part of 'Spring Riot' by Julia Golson.  Crocheted lace was found in a basket of trimmings at an antique store.  It was nearly teddy bear brown with age and dirt but a good soak in a Biz bucket restored its beauty.

I am very pleased with the way this bonnet came out and look forward to making more of them!  I actually have a reproduction of an antique baby bonnet collection pattern that includes this very bonnet with a slightly deeper brim.  There are several companies that sell this style bonnet for rather steep prices.

Unbuttoning the bonnet for laundering makes this bonnet much easier to care for than you might think.  There is a little bit of elastic in the bottom back that causes it to curve a bit there but otherwise, you iron the bonnet sections flat.  Buttoning the brim to the back causes the fluting/ruffling around the crown.  

I hope that you have enjoyed looking at Avery's Southern Charm outfit.  I will be linking up this post to the Signature Sew-Along at Project Run & Play HERE.  I think that you will enjoy checking out all the other wonderful outfits there.

"The South....

Our tea is sweet

Words are long

Days are warm

And faith is strong."

Pinafore Sundress Outfit From Vintage Patterns

I love vintage sewing patterns!  I love so many of the styles of years gone by:  full skirts, circle skirts, bonnets, butterfly sleeves, puffed sleeves, and beautiful embellishments.  I made this little ensemble in 2008 and sold it at the Women's Exchange in St. Augustine.  I used two very old patterns from my pattern stash to create this toddler outfit with vintage appeal.

The fabric was a soft muted yellow floral cotton that reminded me of fabrics in the 1940's.  The embroidered eyelet was some that I had 'mellowing' in my stash and was just enough for the butterfly sleeve treatment.  The buttons were from a button box passed on to me by a friend.

The pattern is one of those really old ones from the 1940's that had been ordered from a newspaper and had no written pattern markings, just different sized holes arranged in patterns to show what the pieces were for and how to attach them.  This was my first attempt at sewing with one of these patterns and I discovered that it wasn't difficult at all for someone with pattern reading experience.  The pattern called for a deeper hem but the style was already a short one so I opted for a narrow hem.  The little shorts were part of the original pattern and were obviously quite needed for modesty.

 The bonnet was made from a different vintage pattern from the same decade.

 The bonnet buttoned in the back making the bonnet much easier to wash and iron.

 The bonnet has a great brim for shielding delicate skin from the sun's damaging rays.

Someday I'll have to make these patterns again.  I hope you enjoyed them!

Something to ponder:

The game of life is a game of boomerangs.

Our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us

sooner or later with astounding accuracy."

Anonymous

Think wonderful thoughts, do kind deeds, and speak beautiful words, my friends!  Have a wonderful day!

Sydney's Blue Birds

 Isn't that outfit just adorable?  It was not made by me.  It was made by Kathy Berry, a dear friend of my dear friend Jana, for her only granddaughter.  The whole ensemble is just beautiful!  The sun bonnet ties with fabric ties under the chin and has ribbon in a casing in the back to draw it to size.  There are hand embroidered flowers all along the outside of the brim.  Please notice the little matching beach pail.  Yes!  Kathy made that to match the ensemble, too!

 Kathy used a floral cotton print with lots of flowers and butterflies and then coordinated the embroidery of the sunsuit bodice to match.  The floral spray is her own design.  I tried to enlarge the photo I have in the next picture.  It is not as clear as I would like.  The embroidery is really stunning.  Check out the wooden hanger.  You guessed it!  Kathy made that, too!

 The vintage pattern in the next picture is the one Kathy used for the sunsuit and bonnet.    It's charming and quite old.  It was published in the earlier 1940's and sold for .25 cents.   When people were making only an average of  $16-30 dollars a week, the $.25 wasn't the deal we would think it was.  Minimum wage in 1945 was just .40 cents per hour!  A forty hour week would bring in just $16!  ( When my dad proposed to my mother in 1950, she said that they had to wait until he made $50 a week to get married!  They were married in 1951.)

 The following pattern is one you can purchase today from Wendy Schoen Design and from many online heirloom sewing shops.  It is obviously a remake of the pattern above with lovely added heirloom techniques (lace work, applique, embroidery).  It comes with  sizes 1-6.  I have this pattern and plan on making some cute little sunsuits to add to my grandmother's hope chest!

I hope you enjoyed seeing Kathy's lovely little beach ensemble!