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Just for fun: vintage sewing

Runs With Scissors

Veteran

One of my sources of fashion inspiration, as I've mentioned before, is my vintage sewing hobby. I love the fashion illustrations on the envelopes of these old patterns. I have a collection of close to 1000 patterns, from the late 1930s to present, and I have photos of most of them on Flickr if you are interested: https://www.flickr.com/photos/.....1750347036

For those of you with favorite eras:
1930s: https://www.flickr.com/search/.....0s&vi
1940s: https://www.flickr.com/search/.....0s&vi
1950s: https://www.flickr.com/search/.....=1&te
1960s: https://www.flickr.com/search/.....=1&te
1970s: https://www.flickr.com/search/.....70s%20sewi
1980s: https://www.flickr.com/search/.....=1&te

For the handful of folks on here who enjoy vintage fashion and/or sewing, I thought it would be fun to share some of my vintage makes. None of these are particularly appropriate to my real life, alas, but they are a form of inspiration nonetheless. I used to do photo shoots of them, but my job has changed and I am very busy these days, so I don't bother anymore. (And I get far less sewing done than I used to, too.) So, most of these are from 2009-2012.

Where I date a pattern to a specific year, this comes from research done using old pattern catalogs by some kind soul on the Internet who has since taken down their work.

1940s:

1-2 -- Simplicity 4294, circa 1942

3-4 -- Mail order pattern 2318. Mail order patterns were more likely to be used in rural areas, and were typically a few years behind the "big names" like Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick and Vogue style-wise. This one was probably meant to be a dressing gown/house coat. Made up like this, it looks like a uniform for a waitress or housekeeper to me.

1950s:

5-6 -- Anne Adams 4753 -- Anne Adams was a popular mail order pattern company.

7-8 -- Butterick 6075, circa 1952

9-11 -- Butterick 6149, circa 1952. The pink and red one is straight from the pattern. For the gray one, I did a mod to shift the button placket, and add a scalloped edge -- a popular vintage detail.

1960s:

12-13 -- McCalls 7245, circa 1963. I have been meaning to re-make this one out of nicer fabric. For this version I used a thrifted bed sheet.

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27 replies

Latest reply was from Ginger

Laurinda

Veteran

Wow, gorgeous!
Thank you for posting, I love vintage looks (and wish I had your sewing skills).

JAileen

Veteran

What a fun hobby! The first two definitely seem of their period. The second one looks like the 30s to me. The others don't look dated to me. I especially like 5, 9, and 12.

I make my husband and son Hawaiian shirts periodically. I use a pattern I got from my mother, that she used in the early 60s to make a shirt for my grandfather. The cover shows one of the models smoking.

donnat

Veteran

Wow is right! Those dresses are gorgeous.

Anonymous

I LOVED looking at these pictures. YOU ARE SO TALENTED.

Anonymous

What a pretty set of photos - and what a cool hobby to have! I love vintage sewing patterns and fabrics : I don't do anything with them but really love the details.

Greenjeans

Veteran

Squee! So fun/inspiring to see these made and modeled by you. 7 and 12 look especially fresh/wearable to my eye.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

These are great! I know you feared these pieces would feel costumey at work, but I totally think you could pair some of them with more modern items and have some great outfits. Throw a leather or denim jacket over #5, 7, or 12, especially, and you'll be instantly up-to-date.

rachylou

Veteran

You can seriously sew! And you can send me any leftovers! I could live in these

ps: 12 is very Lilly Pulitzer. You look so Jackie O

Vix

Veteran

Hi RwithS --

Thanks for sharing your inspirations and talent with us! Your user name has a new dimension for me now....

I'm like LisaP in that I love vintage, including patterns/fabric.

And I love custom (or heavily altered) clothing and have worked with some lovely sewists to bring things to life. But despite reading several sewing blogs a while back I completely lack the patience required to BE the sewist -- so my cloche is off to you!

To me #7 and #12 are timeless silhouettes. I hope those still get out of the house on warm days! Maybe you'll find some inspiring "real" fabric for a remake of 12 (hint hint)?

Mochi

Veteran

So much fun. Yes, you are very talented.

Staysfit

Veteran

These are absolutely beautiful! You're lucky that you know how to sew.

rabbit

Veteran

Thanks for sharing. These look lovely on you, and I'm fascinated by history as told through dress and everyday life. Do you ever do any costume work? (local theater people would probably love to put your skills to work).

chouette22

Veteran

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!

Bonnie

Veteran

Wow! These are great - makes me want to sew something.

Anonymous

You are a very talented seamstress! What lovely dresses, thanks so much for sharing them here, I think #9 and #10 are my favourites of the bunch, from the '50s. I have a fair old stash of patterns myself (not sure how many), but WRT vintage patterns, I have some 60's and 70's. I also have some fab '80s patterns...coats with lots of volume and high waist pegged ankle pants. When I'm sewing for myself, I like to do my spin on the latest, current trends, but do sometimes refer to old patterns for adapting designs.

Diana

Veteran

Oh wow, this is so fantastic. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed looking at these. I think my favorite is #7, because DINOSAURS. It also looks quite timeless - I'd definitely buy and wear that today. #12 also looks quite current to me, maybe because of the current 60s revival trend, and I hope you get a chance to make another!

Alassë

Veteran

You're very talented - thanks for sharing!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Thanks so much for sharing! I was, at one time, a fairly accomplished sewer, and I have a serious interest in the 30-40s, so I enjoyed every pattern illustration (I think my Mom has a couple of these).

Pics 10 and 12 strike me as quite adaptable to a modern wardrobe, which is something I"m interested in, too. I have a concert and a wedding to plan for this Summer, and I'd like to find a way to wear vintage-inspired looks for these occasions, while stopping short of a costume. With my love of the 30's, I think a gored (modified trumpet) skirt and a banded-bottomed blouse or sweater might be a good look.

I hear you on business as the enemy of sewing. However, I swear I could have made a Vogue jacket pattern in the amount of time I've spent shopping for a pair of white bootcut jeans! I'm thinking of carving out some space and time to start with something simple -- like a beautifully shaped midi skirt!

Also, I'm looking to incorporate small vintage touches in my looks. Maybe a vintage necklace, or a fuller skirt, or a shoe like the one below. If I were 22 and petite, this would be easier, but I'm a grownup, and definitely not petite! However, I'm a woman who likes a challenge!

Naturalizer Defiant Pump

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2

Runs With Scissors

Veteran

Thanks everybody! I wasn't sure how well my vintage sewing would "fit" here, since it sits somewhere in between fashion and costuming. The art is knowing how to avoid crossing that line, I guess. I love that current fashion draws from many eras.

JAileen - mail order pattern 2318 could indeed be from the late 30s -- I'm not positive on the date for that one. The fact that mail order fashions lagged a few years behind also muddies the waters a bit.

Jenn -- I should try some of these dresses with more modern jackets -- I have a few that could work for this!

Rabbit -- I'm not really good enough to do costuming -- my skills are skewed towards the particular types of things I sew. I've never done a jacket, or a pair of pants. Or sewed with "difficult" fabrics like chiffon or velvet. And I really only know how to fit myself at this point, so I have a lot to learn there as well.

Diane -- I am developing an appreciation for 80s patterns! I got my mom to bring me one she used to make my sister and I dresses in the late 80s, and have been meaning to make a current version of it. One of the versions even has a hood, and I love the idea of a hoodie dress!

Diana -- I love novelty fabrics, and have stashed away quite a few. I also have another dinosaur dress, a flamingo dress, and a mid-century modern houses dress.

Beth Ann -- That is a fantastic shoe! Retro shoes are another love of mine. 1920s/30s styles are my favorite. This could be a whole 'nother digression!

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

These are so pretty on you. Well done! I'm smitten with 12. The dress is so charming on you, and I love it paired with the flip flops for a perfectly modern take on retro. I would like to be able to wear that style; I'm not that comfortable in dresses with waists, so I'm happy to admire it on you.

heather.enhui

Love all of these and really inspiring! I'm a fellow "sewist" who is desperately trying to make time for some summer sewing. My mom has an extensive collection of vintage patterns that I covet, but since we live on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean I haven't been able to try any.

chirico (Chiara)

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for sharing, I had a blast looking at these pics.
Now I am off to check your flikr

Ginger

Veteran

Wow, another vintage sewer! Yay! I focus a lot more narrowly, but for comparison, here's most of my collection. (I've got a couple dozen more pictures to add but I keep forgetting.) You have WAY more than I do, which is awesome. I've been studying and collecting (slowly) for quite a while, just like you.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/.....4989743967

Mail order are SO tricky to date. I've got a very good feel for late 30s/early 40s from the style. 2318 is later, probably perfect early 1950s New Look; the drawing's hairstyle helps, and I think it's past 1950.

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures and your collection! There's a lot to drool over.

This is cute! It's mid-late 1930s, say 1935-1937. The skirt's a little long for 1937, but as you say, mail order patterns aren't necessarily the most up to date. It's a really cute house dress; I love the yoke and sleeves cut in one.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/.....337218595/

I'm firmly on Team Wear, especially for vintage style things. But I know what it feels like to be wearing a costume, too. I like to wear very updated footwear and accessories to minimize the costume effect.

I couldn't resist sharing a few pictures, although I'm terrible at documenting what I make.

#1-2: Dressed up to go to an antique/vintage textile show. Most of it's vintage, but I made the blouse. Blue wool tricotine, in this pattern (c. 1939).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/.....989743967/

#3-4: My mother and I at a hanger fundraiser. I made both dresses. The navy is c. 1940 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/.....989743967/), and the flowered print c. 1938 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/.....989743967/).

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Anonymous

I am so impressed with your skills! Do you wear these in your everyday life? I think you definitely could.

Runs With Scissors

Veteran

Thanks everybody!

Ginger, your pattern collection is great -- so many 30s and 40s, and even some 1920s patterns! I would have guessed that you'd have lots of 50s stuff. Your sewing projects look great too - very authentic, and expertly fitted.

zoiechic -- I chose ones to share here that I don't wear in real life ... but the feedback I'm receiving here is that apparently some are not as "out there" as I thought. Because I work as an engineer in a male-dominated domain, I don't want to stand out as a "token woman" so while I do wear skirts to work now (I didn't feel comfortable doing that my first few years at the company) I hesitate to "stand out" that much. But perhaps nobody notices anyhow.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for posting these! You look amazing. Ginger too!

I love vintage sewing and I'm quite passionate about dresses from the 40's. My favourite ever dress pattern is from that era, which I liked so much I made two of them (1 & 5). I might make another one of these days.

FYI, the coat in the first shot is a vintage Issey Miyake pattern from the 80's. I've included my 90's vintage Issey shirt dress too. I recut this with modifications from the first one I made because I lost the pattern (duh).

And I totally think you should wear that dinosaur dress to work one day. The geeks will love that.

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Ginger

Veteran

Wow! approprio, I love that 40s pattern you used! Early 40s had some of the most amazing piecing and two- or three-tone stuff going on. So much fun to make! Like the navy and white one - the white inserts, going into pockets, were just a lot of fun to put together. I love the colors and patterns you've chosen, and am just in awe of your sewing in general. I'm good at following directions, and flat-patterning modifying for older historical stuff, but I totally don't get avant-garde.

Runs with Scissors, my pattern collection is very much geared toward developing a late 30s/early 40s style wardrobe. I'm a lot more 50s in style now, but that's because like you, time to sew is just so scarce. I have a lot of pretty awesome rayon solids and prints to make up, and just haven't gotten to them yet. Plus, while 40s dresses are in my opinion pretty subtle in terms of style (whereas 50s is all "I Love Lucy!"), I periodically do WWII reenactment stuff and need to choose period appropriate materials. So I just found it easier to go with 50s styles where I found them.