Sold But Not Forgotten - Du Barry 2413B

I haven't blogged in some time, so today I'm writing up a quick post on a past sewing project to help get back into the swing of things.

This dress is easily one of my top ten favorites of all the reproduction pieces I've made to sell so far. This super cute 1930s/40s reproduction cotton print was a lucky find at my local fabric shop. (I was also able to find it in a purple colorway as well!) A few of you may remember the first time I used Du Barry 2413B, waaaaay back when I first started sewing 30s/40s clothing for myself. It's a great pattern and one I can see myself sewing a few more times!

It's a fairly basic pattern but it has some great details too. I love the option of the little V-shaped pockets! They make the perfect accent for a war-era dress. While the skirt does have some tiny pin tucks, they are kind of lost in this particular print. I think in a solid fabric they would stand out a bit more.

Here are a few in progress shots on the dress. Another thing I like about this dress are the little pouf sleeves and gathering at the shoulders.

Playing with some trim for the pockets! I ended up using this cotton eyelet. It helped break up the bright red print just bit. I added some dark colored vintage buttons from the stash too for the same reason.

Here are a few photos of the finished dress. I'm very happy with how this one turned out.

My friend Christiana bought the dress and she looks amazing in it! She even wore it for a photo session with A Timeless Collection. Here are a few images from that shoot, shown with permission.

Photo by A Timeless Collection

Photo by A Timeless Collection

Interested in purchasing a reproduction dress or blouse from me? Have a look at my Etsy shop.

Summary of the Pattern
Fabric: Late 1930s/early 1940s reproduction cotton print
Pattern: Du Barry 2413B
Year: About 1938/39
Notions: Buttons, thread, cotton lace trim
Time to Complete: Start to finish, I'd say about a week. It's an easy pattern to complete in a weekend if you have the time to sit and sew.
How historically accurate is it? Pretty darn close! The pattern is original vintage and the fabric is a historically accurate print. The buttons and lace trim, though vintage, are likely 1950s or 1960s.
Any tricky parts to the pattern? I've made this pattern once before and it goes together pretty easily.
Did you change anything? I chose not to add a side zipper. Instead of adding a collar I just turned but the front edges to form mini lapels.

Playing Catch Up - What's been happening

I'm finally sitting down to write real blog post. I have so much to share! I had not really realized how busy things have been until this week when I actually found myself with some much needed down time.

Most of January was spent finishing up some long neglected projects in the UFO pile, and I'm pleased to report I've made it through about half of the pile. The items that are left will need to be reevaluated so I can reside what's really worth finishing and what can be reused for other projects or just tossed. I'm at the point where I really want to clean and organize the sewing room and the UFO pile is a great place to start.

Here's a look at what I've finished!

Reproduction 1940s pinafores - Available here on Etsy

At the end of February I attended the Northeast Reenactors Fair and set up a booth for Emily's Vintage Visions along side Joani from A Timeless Collection. I had heard good things about the fair in the past but never had the change to go. This was a new experience for me as I've only done a handful of displays and vendor shows. Overall it was a successful weekend but I think I'll plan my set up a little differently next time. The Reenactors Fair was a great opportunity to meet and visit with people. One of the highlights was actually getting to do a live FB video at the end of Saturday with Joani, even if the video was sideways! Ooops!

Photo credit - A Timeless Collection

The first weekend of March was the GBVS's White Lightning Ball. Another fun event and one I look forward to each year. I was super excited (but also really nervous!) to debut the 1920s style head pieces I have been working on. They are made from vintage, and in some cases antique, trims and feathers in my stash. The two silver head pieces with the feather sold right away! I couldn't believe it!

Thanks to A Timeless Collection for this photo of hubby and I at the @Greater Boston Vintage Society's White Lightning Ball this past Saturday. He is wearing a 40s vintage sweater and pants fromOverAttired Vintage Fashion. My late 1920s/early 1930s dress is from @We, McGee Vintage

Over the last couple of weeks I picked up a sewing project I first started well over a year ago, a new 1770s gown!!! I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to dive head first back into historical sewing!! It's really my zen sewing, and yes, I'm doing all by hand. I'm using the Fashionable Gown pattern from Sign of the Golden Scissors. I've posted a few pictures on my Instagram account as well as on Facebook. There will be a proper blog post, or two, on the gown. So far I'v been good about taking construction pictures.

My Latest Sewing Project

The last couple weeks have been very busy! Lots of sorting, sewing and packing to get ready for some big events. Most of my sewing has been mending or little projects like adding buttons to an otherwise finished blouse and adding removable suspenders to my blue linen skirt.


One of the things I have been working on is this late 1930s dress. I'm using Du Barry 2413B one of my very first vintage patterns which I made up once before (see the dress here). The first time I used the pattern I made View A so this time I thought I would make it a little different. The pleats in the skirt are pretty much lost in the print but I'm happy with the fit of the skirt. I also decided to leave the collar off and alter the neckline a bit. The cute V pockets really make this dress so those will be added as well.

Here are the pockets with the cotton lace ready to be added.

The fabric is a late 1930s reproduction print in 100% cotton. I also have this print in a lavender colorway. :) It sort of reminds me of tiny balloons.

Of course, no sewing project of mine would ever be complete without the proper kitty "help." Miss Rita likes to help whenever there are large amounts of fabric involved. More then once I've had things side off the table as I'm working only to discover her fluffy butt rolled up in the fabric under the table.

Due to time restraints I'm cheating and using snaps to close the front of the dress but will be adding buttons that match the dark colored belt. Because the print is so bright and busy these will help break it up some.

That's all for now! What's on your sewing table?

A 1940s Sewing Challenge

Hello everyone! I hope your day is going well for you all. First up, I'd like to thank you all for your feedback on my very first video post. It was certainly a new challenge for me but fun to create. My editing skills need work but that's alright. I'll figure things out as I go. If you missed it you can find the video here, and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I have loads of ideas for future posts. If you have suggestions for a video post please let me know.

I also look forward to meeting some of you at the White Lightning Ball this weekend. You can check some of the vintage goodies I'll be bringing here.

Now, who's up for a 1940s sewing challenge? Alexandra of EvaDress is hosting a sewing challenge that will focus on tailored garments of the 1940s using using any original, reproduction or multi-size patterns from EvaDress Patterns.

EvaDress Patterns "Fitting 40s" Sewing Challenge

The contest will begin on March 21, 2016 and closes at midnight EST on June 1, 2016. You are not allowed to start your project before March 21, although you are allowed to create a muslin to test the fit of your pattern.

I am very excited to be helping Alexandra out as a guest juror for this contest! It's going to be so much fun! Yeah!! Entries will be judged on the quality of construction, overall design and how closely they have followed the pattern and contest guidelines. The top finalist will receive a $100 gift certificate to EvaDress.com!

Here are a few of my favorite patterns from EvaDress.

SE40-210 1940s Suit and Blouse

D40-5087, 1940 Dresses

C40-3969, 1940's Men's Jackets

To join the EvaDress 'Fitting 40's sewing challenge simply visit the  challenge group on FaceBook , click join and then submit your project for consideration. When posting photos of your finished project be sure to including the front, back, side views and any construction/design details in the comments section under your main photo. Tell us a little about your project. And don't forget to let us know which EvaDress pattern you used.

The top finalist will be notified on the event wall by 11:59p.m. EST, June 3, 2016. Good luck to everyone!

Ready-Made Clothing - Future Plans Update

Earlier this spring I posted about my future sewing plans for Emily's Vintage Visions. There is still much to be done! I'm making progress, it's slow going, but progress none the less. I hope by this fall to have a small inventory of ready made items to list for sale on etsy. (Probably October or early November, stay tuned for updates!) I am continuing to work on my business plan while I work a some sample items using fabrics I already have in my stash. The second part of my clothing survey can be viewed here.

Looking at the results of my clothing first survey, (which is still available here) many of you want to see more separates like blouses and skirts that can be mixed and matched. I totally agree! So I will be starting with some 1930s and 1940s blouses first. Dresses are great, and I WILL be making some :), but having items that can be worn multiple ways just makes sense. Our mothers and grandmothers did that so why not us? Here is a peak at some of the patterns I plan to use. I've made several of these for myself, some like Du Barry 5172, Hollywood 1530, and Mail Order 2588 I've sewn more then once. I used Simplicity 1782 for my Spring for Cotton project.

Here are a few of my favorite and easy to sew dress patterns. I'm working on Advance 4199 in a lovely purple and white print for the shop now. You can see more of my patterns here.

McCall 3306 was my 2014 Sew for Victory Dress. I listed this one on Etsy.

See version of dress here

See Simplicity 1668 one made up here.

Good news for the larger size vintage loving ladies! With the help of some amazing friends I've been increasing my stash of vintage patterns with bust sizes 38 to 44! If anyone has vintage patterns they would like to sell or trade for please let me know.

This suit is divine!

Survey results
The results of my survey so far have been extremely helpful! Some of the feedback matches what I expected to see but some of it was pleasantly surprising too. 1940s clothing seems to be leading the way with the 1930s and 1950s in a close second. You should have been able to select more then one option for this first question but for some reason that didn't work. However, most people have been good about leaving a comment with their additional wished for decade(s). Over 90% of you who have taken the survey said you were looking for vintage style clothing to wear everyday or just for fun. Just under 50% said they wanted items for vintage inspired events or for dancing.

For colors, blue was by far the most popular with green not far behind. In the comment section of this question the most popular colors suggested were red, purples (including lilac and eggplant), yellow or gold and grey. The number of suggestions for grey surprised me but it makes sense as it's a color that can be paired with so many others.

It looks like prints are in high demand too.


Here is a look at some of the fabrics I plan to use or have already made sample garments from. If you follow me on Facebook you will know that the cherry print has been made into a 1940s pinafore. The eagle print is true 40s vintage, others are reproductions! I will try to get more of the Scottie dog print. I also have some of it in red.

I also posted some other possibilities for reproduction prints such as this one, or this one, or this one on Facebook. Thank you to everyone who has commented on which color(s) they like best. There are so many options out there! I know what colors and prints I like best but it's important that I offer things that you will like and buy. :)

Some of my fabrics in the stash.

Some purple and pink prints in the stash! I have some of the Scottie Dogs in red too.

There are literally TONS of places online to buy fabric and I have several brick and mortar options near by too. My local quilt shop has, no lie, a WALL of 1930s/40s reproduction cotton prints!! They are a little pricey but I have been able to find a few of the prints they offer for sale at other location for a bit less. Which is great because the less I have to spend on materials up front the more you will be able to save on my finished clothing! Hooray! However, I know I will need to take the time spent sewing each garment into consideration when figuring out a price. This is one of the areas where having a good business plan will really help.

Some of the comments on my survey about pricing that I've found very helpful are ...

•  "I LOVE reproductions, but don't like to wear originals or things made with original fabric." 
• "I realize that it can cost more than that to produce a garment, I'm just stating my realistic budget for spending money on a garment."
• "It would really depend on the fabric and the details. $100 for a very plain cotton dress to over two hundred for wool or silk dress with special touches of buttons or trim."
• "For a nice dress I can save and spend this range, but I am most likely to buy lower priced items that can be mixed/matched, like blouses or skirts in the 70-100 range."
• "Would prefer less-costly historically similar textile & finishings to more-costly actually-historic textile/finishing." 

Other helpful comments included:

• "Specifically with INTERESTING details like fun collars or sleeves!"
• "It would be great to see prints based on actual vintage."
• "Separates are always very nice - cute blouses and skirts."
• "Trousers, suits, things that can be purchased and help build classic mix and match wardrobes."

And a few that made me smile!

• "I would love a beautiful wool suit!"
• "For church, and especially everyday, since my wardrobe is all made of vintage-inspired clothing."
• "Red! I look excellent in red."
• "Anything . So long as it catches my eye, the colours compliment each other and me and is a standout from the crowd sort of fabric"

In addition to  blouses and skirts I want to offer some light jackets. LOOK at this pattern I scored on the evil bay! Can't you envision a line of cute cotton print bolero jackets? Or lace? Oh the possibilities are endless!

Depending on how well things sell, I eventually want to expand my selection to offer play suits and outerwear. But that will be a ways down the road. I need to start small with just a few items at a time and see how well they sell. But it's so much to fun to think about all the possibilities. ;)

I would love to hear your thoughts! If you have not taken my survey please do. The second part is here! (Or at the upper right of my blog.) Also, please feel free to leave a comment on this post or feel free to send me an email at vintagevisions27(at)gmail(dot)com.
Thanks everyone!

A Proper Look at the Check Gown

This is an older project but one I realized, after a recent Facebook discussion on 18th century crossbarred gowns, that I have not properly shared. This post has actually been sitting, unfinished, in my draft folder for quite some time so I figure it was about time to complete it. Also, it has been a while since my last non-vintage post. I first blogged about my blue and white crossbarred gown here. And you can read a little more about my research here.

The  inspiration.
The black and white print, Native Meltons, by British artist Richard Houston (c.1721-1775). Which is based on the painting, The Oyster Girl, by French artist Philippe Mercier (1689-1760). The original painting by Mercier was sold by Christies in 2013.

Painting - "The Oyster Girl" by French artist Philippe Mercier (1689-1760).

Print - "Native Meltons" by British artist Richard Houston (c.1721-1775) Fitzwilliam Museum

Second print

Print - "The Fair Oysterinda" British Museum
"The oysters good - The Nymph so fair! Who would not wish to taste her Ware? No need has she aloud to Cry'em Since all who see her Fare must buy'em.' "

The fabric.
You will notice that my fabric has one extra vertical stripe so it's not a perfect match to the print/painting. Pretty darn close though! As I mentioned in my first post about this gown, I bought the fabric long before I found the painting/print. Here in New England there used to be an annual gathering called the Women's Winter Weekend. It was a chance for the ladies to get together for a couple days and share research, period recipes, patterns, and various 18th century sewing and crafting skills. It was also a chance to purchase fabrics, trims, books, etc.

Gown construction.
I had made a few gowns before this one, but mostly with solids and one with stripes. I feared the checks on this fabric would be difficult to work with but found the opposite to be true. Plus the linen itself was a dream to work with. It didn't hurt that I had some very talented ladies helping me out! A very large portion of this gown was constructed during a Hive workshop with the ladies that run Larkin and Smith. This gown is made very much like their new gown pattern.

The lining is constructed first using a firm linen fabric. The back of the gown has a center back seam and the side seams are lapped. Next I cut the panels for the center back and skirt, having measured from the base of my neck to a few inches above the floor, and from my waist to a few inches above the floor. The skirt panels were seamed with the long running stitch and then set aside. It's important to note that if you plan to wear any kind of hoop or bum roll under your gown you need to take those measurement over them. Since I planned to use this gown for a gowning class impression I didn't bother with either of those.

Setting the sleeves.
You can set the sleeves of an 18th century gown yourself if you have a dress form, but it's certainly easier if you have someone to help you. This is a nice close up showing the pleats and basting stitches on the sleeve head. This area is then covered with the robings.  

This is a good photo showing the gown front before the robings were adding. You can see the little darts that help shape the bodice at the bust and also the placement of the sleeves. I was wearing my old stays for this workshop. The gown fits a little differently over my new ones.

Adding the robings
The robing are just stripes of fabric sewn into a tube and then tacked to the gown fronts. On some surviving examples the robings are only sewn to the shoulder area and left floating. We did a pretty good job of lining up the stripes. :)

Adding the gown robings.

Here you can see the neck facing being pinned in place. The edges are mitered to meet the edges of the robings.

Adding the back neck facing

Pleating the skirts.
Here you can see all the pins holding my pleats in place. The gown bodice and pleats are first basted in place. Then the pins are remove. Basting is an extra step but it makes sewing the pleats so much easier and you don't need to worry about pricking yourself.

Pleating the skirts

 Side view

The finished gown. My first outing with this gown was a trip to Colonial Williamsburg.

This has become my favorite gown to wear for events. Because it's linen it is cool and comfortable. I enjoy wearing it with a striped petticoat and printed neckerchief just to mix things up a bit. One of these days I'd like to get the materials together to actually reproduce the print this gown is based on.