A review of the Parfait dress, Colette Patterns #1003

After the wedding, which despite being small still took a lot of time to prepare and some stress, we both got a cold. That is, J got a cold and I got what I for a few days feared was the return of pneumonia. Turned out it was "just" a severe case of bronchitis and I was ordered complete rest. As in "not even emptying the dishwasher"-rest. I spent a few exceedingly boring days on my back, but thankfully I have now progressing to sitting in the sofa stage. And sitting up means that I can actually hand sew and I'm not quite as bored now. My inner puritan is having a merry time, though, telling me that I ought to be able to do a little, but I have been told off by all my near and dear to not listen. So I try not to and is now working through all the blog posts I have not read in a while, answering mails and sewing. I'm currently working on a brown hat that is turning out somewhat more extravagant than usual and I have finished a dress. Hence this review.

The Parfait dress is the second pattern I purchased from Colette Patterns. The first, the Jasmine blouse, is reviewed here

Source: colettepatterns.com via Elisa on Pinterest

The bustle effect- a somewhat forgotten fashion

Most people think late 19th century when you say bustle, but the fashion of fullness around the rear was popular in the late 18th century as well. When World War II ended and the restrictions on fabrics began to lift, the possibility of adding surplus fabric to fashion designs came back. Culminating in 1947 an emphasis on the back, sometimes just draped fabric, sometimes even a small bustle under the skirt, was part of the fashion silhouette. It’s often labeled under The New Look, but it seems to have been at its most popular just before The New look hit the world, even if it remained popular during it as well. I rarely, if ever, see it around vintage blogs; it is a fashion that seems to have drowned among the pencil skirts and wide skirts of The New Look.

Not quite a bustle, but the drapery put attention of the behind, The Chase, 1946.

Source: ocdviewer.com via Elisa on Pinterest

"New" black dress

Yesterday I went to a vintage sewing meet-up at Lillgull’s from Onedreamycloset. It was only me and Betty from Kalops och champagne who were able to attend, but it was really nice. As none of us had met outside the Net before we spent more time talking and getting to know each other than actually sewing, but it was fun and I’m sure we will do it again.

I also thought it was a good opportunity to wear my new dress. For once neither home-made nor a repro, but something vintage. It isn’t that easy to find vintage clothes that fit’s me, but a while ago Va-Voom Vintage talked about Vintage Curve, an Etsy shop that specialize in larger sizes and I found this one:

The swing dress in action

Here is a few pictures of Sense & Sensibility's swing dress that I reviewed here. To be truthful, I have been more pleased with other sewing projects. I strongly suspect the polyester in the wool blend is to blame for the skirt not draping nicely. I really need a brooch at the neckline as it gapes much too much left as it is. The dress isn't fancy, but it will work nicely for everyday and I'm sure I will wear it, even if I'm not 100% satisfied.

A review on Simplicity 15c Pattern #3474

It seem like Simplicity re-used pattern numbers because when I googled I found a 60's pattern with the same one. This review is for a dress with a pointed yoke from 1940.

The envelope says "Simple to Make" and I agree. It may look a bit complicated when you look at the pattern as it has a yoke and no shoulder seam, but if you have your basic sewing skill in pat, then I don't think this one is hard to make at all. It's unprinted, which I have never used before, which means that all indications on the patterns are made by tiny holes and not lines. When I got used to that I found it very easy to work with. The pattern has two sleeve options and though I really like the short sleeves, i opted to make the long ones as this is meant to be a winter dress. I choose thin black wool crepe for it, a fabric I haven't worked with before. It's beautiful but somewhat slippery, but I basted all seams before sewing. Somewhat more time-consuming, but so worth it.

The "Popover dress"

I was given 100 dresses for Christmas and fell instantly in love with this dress, the "Popover dress" by the American designer Claire McCardell from 1942.



I love clothes that are both practical and beautiful and this one is a perfect example. I'm not sure if it is in cotton or linen- I have found it credited to both fabrics, but I'm apt to think that it was made in cotton, as the Metropolitan website says. It looks very stylish with its buttons and top-stitched details, but also very comfortable and truly something you can wear around the house without being afraid to open the door.



I don't think the pattern is too complicated either. I'm lazy so I rarely draft patterns by myself, but I do know how to do it and I think I will have a go and try to re-create this one.





I think you should pop over to the Metropolitan Museum website and fo a seach for Claire McCardell. I think she had a wonderful knack for everyday clothes that looked great too. She seems to have had a penchant for wraparpund dresses, even if I like the "Popover" the best.





(Picture sources: http://www.metmuseum.org/)