I'm trying to keep the fabrics and prints I'm using as era appropriate as possible. Ideally I'd make it all out of vintage fabrics, but finding fabric that old, and in long enough lengths seems to be like finding a needle in a haystack. I'm getting around this problem by using modern fabrics that have vintage-y looking prints, and vintage fancy bits like buttons, belt buckles, and collars.
So this is what I've picked!
This is a sheer polyester chiffon, and its hard to see, but it has a gold shimmer. I thought the small scale floral print was suitably vintage-y so I bought enough to make the dress on the left. I am toying with the idea of using a gold rayon velvet to make the cape collar, but its a day time outfit so I'm not sure. Thoughts? And I have bought this vintage belt buckle, which dates from the 1930s. It hasn't arrived yet, so I have borrowed the sellers photo.
I'm also thinking of using my bead embroidery skills to make a beaded collar in a V shape, like on the pattern illustration. I think it will finish the outfit off perfectly.
This is the evening gown pattern I have used before, and I decided to turn it up a notch by making it out of lace. I have also purchased a rhinestone encrusted belt buckle - well actually, I purchased a whole damaged 1930s silk dress that still had the undamaged belt buckle attached. It hasn't arrived yet, and the seller has removed the photo from Instagram, so I can't show you what it looks like.
But the other thing an evening outfit needs is a cape. Thankfully, the same store that had the lace, also had a rayon velvet in the same colour!
I'm going to be making a floor length cape with a hood! So I'm on the hunt for another belt buckle to use as a closure for the cape.
For the dinner dance dress I found this fabric. Is there such a thing as a burn-out satin??? Cause to be honest, I can't think of a better way to describe this!
You see, its sheer and the solid bits have a satiny texture. I like the deco-y print and I think it will make up really nicely. And I already own a 1930s cape in the same colour!
I'm really excited about this one! It all started with the vintage 1920s beaded collar I found on Etsy. I remembered that I had seen a chiffon printed with bows! A match made in heaven!! When the fabric gets here I am going to find a plain fabric in the same shade of blue for the jacket.
And here is my needle in a haystack. Some 1930s rayon crepe fabric that I'm going to use to make this dress. There are quite a lot of colours that I could pick out to make the solid coloured jacket, but I'm pretty sure I can easily get some plumy purple rayon which would be perfect!
So that just leaves one day dress with a jacket, and the beach pajamas. I do think I have enough to go on with at this point, so I will probably stop searching and see if the right things find me.
But then I am faced with the biggest dilemma. Recently I have started to lose weight. I have been working hard at the gym and watching what I eat for AGES (ie. two years) but for one reason an another (probably mostly medication for my depression, which was actually bipolar) I haven't put on weight, I've actually gained it. But in the past 5 weeks I have lost an inch off my bust, two inches off my waist, and another two inches off my hips. My personal trainer, who has been with me for this whole rollercoaster, has set me a goal of getting my waist down three inches to 28" by the end of the year. He says its achievable and I believe him.
So this leaves me with an issue - what size to I make all of my dresses? I can't leave it until January to start because I won't have enough time. All I can do I think is make them to approximate measurements (I'm thinking 38/29/41) and leave a generous side seam allowance so I can let them out an inch, or take them in, whatever is necessary.
Any opinions or advice???
Beccie
xxx
