More Sew It Yourself - 1950

Yesterday I showed you some photos of clothing  made from Bates cotton fabrics in 1950.  Today's examples were made from Milliken Woolens. Yes, you can make your own suits and coats at home.  The possibilities are endless!

At left: A pleated skirt and bolero made from all wool plaid, worn with a red blouse made from rayon twill. 
At right:  A simple navy dress made in navy wool basket-weave fabric.  The short topper coat is in red wool fleece.  Unfortunately, I cannot find an example of Simplicity pattern 3033 that the dress was made from.

The skirt and blouse on the left were made from Simplicity pattern 3157 from 1950.  It's interesting how the look of these pieces changes from summer to fall with a change in the choice of fabrics.

The bolero jacket on the left was made from Simplicity pattern 3093.  Yes, you can mix and match pieces from different patterns to make your own take on a suit!

The red topper jacket shown on the right above was made from Simplicity pattern 3090.  I love how this can double as a suit jacket or outerwear!

At left:  A suit made from a wool/rayon blend in navy with tiny red dots.
At right:  The same navy wool dress shown at the right in the first photo is worn with a longer coat in green wool fleece.

The suit on the left was made using Simplicity pattern 3127.  Look at the versatility this pattern gives you! 

The green 3/4 coat shown on the right was made using Simplicity pattern 3090 again, this time in the longer version.  Both pieces look great over the navy dress, don't you think?

Sew It Yourself Dresses - 1950

I recently added a couple of vintage Simplicity Pattern magazines to my collection.  The images shown here today are from a 2-page advertisement for Bates Fabrics dating to 1950.  We are so lucky today that we have internet shopping so we can find many of the original vintage patterns that were featured in the old sewing magazines.  You can search for a particular pattern on the Vintage Pattern Wiki, where hundreds of vintage pattern enthusiasts have uploaded images and information about thousands of vintage patterns.  Or you can simply do a search for the specific pattern you are looking for and you're likely to find it about 75% of the time.  That way, you can make your vintage dress in a fabric you like and in a size to fit you!

A pretty off-the-shoulder evening gown made in Bates stained glass cotton print and cotton velveteen from Simplicity pattern 2964.

At left:  A pretty full skirted dress with contrast collar and cuffs made in cotton flannel in a paisley print from Simplicity pattern 8210 (the only pattern I couldn't find available today.)
At right:  A full skirted shirtwaist dress with tucks at the bodice made from woven cotton plaid from Simplicity pattern 8144.

My favorite of the dresses show here, a daytime dress with big pockets, here accented with braid trim made from Simplicity pattern 2971.

I have a few vintage patterns from my grandmother's sewing room still available at SewHallie.  Maybe something will inspire you!

Introducing SewHallie on Etsy

You know that feeling when you open a closet door and things start to tumble out on your head?  That was the impetus for my new Etsy shop, SewHallie.

My grandmother Hallie taught me to sew when I was 12 years old. I was always fascinated with her sewing room. Every drawer and cupboard was filled with vintage sewing notions and fabrics that she had saved all through the Depression years and beyond. Fast forward through the decades. I started my own collection of high end fabrics and notions during my years at fashion design school and then during my time as a manager for a fine fabric store. I spent years as the owner and designer of an infant clothing business. I also had a brief stint as a costume maker.

All of those fabrics, laces, patterns, buttons, and bits and bobs were packed into boxes and moved with me from place to place.  For the last 10 years, they have been stored away in a rather large closet here at Couture Allure.  That closet was loaded floor to ceiling with all these wonderful treasures I planned to use "someday."

Time for a Reality Check. It's rather silly of me to keep hanging onto these treasures when they can be used today by a new generation of seamstresses and crafters who have an appreciation for the quality of vintage.  I am now offering the contents of the closet to you at Sew Hallie.  Lots of the things I'll be listing have personal memories attached, but it's time to let them go.

My grandmother Hallie grew up in a family of 13 children and was a young mother during the Great Depression. She saved and reused everything! Many of her laces and trims were removed from garments that were worn out or they were the leftover pieces after sewing a new dress for one of her daughters or granddaughters.  It was my job to clean out Grandma's house when she had to leave it in the late 1970s.  I remember approaching the project of the sewing room with many fond childhood memories.  But I didn't find this lace in that room.  The multiple drawers of the nightstands in her bedroom were jammed full with pieces of lace and trimmings.  I scooped all of it into a large box and brought it home with me.  I've used lots of it over the years, but I'll never be able to use it all.  The piece of lace shown here is just one fine example of what is already listed and what is to come.

When my sisters and I were young, Grandma used to make the most wonderful doll clothes for us. Our Barbie wardrobe was the envy of every little girl on the block.  I found lots of those patterns when I cleaned out Hallie's sewing room.  But I don't have the time or patience to make clothes for dolls, so those patterns are now listed as well as loads of other vintage patterns that are soon to come. 

During my years as a designer and costumer, I would travel to the fabric show in New York once a year.  While I managed the fabric store, I amassed a collection of designer woolens and silks that I always planned to use "someday."  I have yards and yards of gorgeous dressmaking fabrics for you. The gold metallic crepe shown here was used for Renaissance costumes, and I have yards leftover and available to you.  I also have it in silver and checks.

And then there are the odd bits and bobs that have come to me during my years as a vintage clothing dealer.  There are lots of little treasures that I simply could not throw away, as I know they are beautifully made and can be used in another way today.  This umbrella handle is a good example.  This was in a box of jewelry that came out of an estate about 7 years ago.  A broken handle off an umbrella?  What good is that?  Well, it's genuine Bakelite, that's what!  This piece is now sold and I'm sure the new owner will use those beads in a new and wonderful project.

I have loads more to come.  Ribbons, buttons, millinery feathers, rhinestone trims, thread, zippers, patterns, etc, etc, etc.  I hope you'll add SewHallie to your favorite shops and check back often for the treasures that will show up there!