Vintage Dress Lesson 5

To make a sash carrier, thread a needle with thread close to the color of your fabric. The thread needs to be doubled and about 18" long. Knot the end of the thread and come up through the fabric where you would like the carrier to be. Take a small stitch in the fabric to form a loop.

Holding the loop open with one hand and holding the needle in the other, pull a loop of thread through the original loop.

Pull the loop down close to the fabric.

Continue to draw the thread from the needle through the loop.

When the loop is the desired length, run the needle through the last loop.

Insert the needle back down through the fabric and tie off on the back. And there is your sash carrier!

Michie'

Vintage Dress Lesson 4

This is one of those dresses that just needed a sash to look complete! The sash should be cut with the grain of the fabric, but I have discovered that in a "fabric emergency" no one will know the difference. Here are the basic sash measurements that I use, but you want to adjust them according to your style dress. Remember, you will be cutting two sashes

Width- 6 1/2"

Length- 12 month 26", 18 month 27", 2 years 29", 3 years 31", 4 years 33", 5 years 35"


Working with one sash at a time, right sides together, fold the fabric in half and pin the raw edges together. At one end, fold up the corner at a 90% angle and cut off the corner. Stitch a 1/4" seam across the angled corner and down the side leaving the other end open. Clip the corners, turn the sash right side out and press.

Fold the sash in half and baste the raw end of the sash to the back side seam of the dress. I like to place the sash so that it covers the back yoke edge. Now sew up the side seams and complete the dress!

Our last Vintage Dress Lesson will give directions for the thread loop to hold the sash in place.
Michie'

Vintage Dress Lesson 3

Now for Lesson #3 of the Vintage Dress! I redrafted the sleeve for the dress to take out a lot of the fullness, so that it would have a more vintage look. I started by tracing off the sleeve pattern onto tracing paper, then drawing two lines down the center 1" apart.

I then folded the paper along the two lines, folded it over and taped it in place. I drew long dash lines along the bottom of the sleeve where I wanted to take off 1/2". My blue plastic Flexy Curve was used to draw curve at the "new" bottom edge. It curves up 6/8" at the highest point from the bottom edge. I then took 1/2" off the top edge of the sleeve and cut out my new sleeve pattern. These were the measurements that I use for a size 24 month. They will need to be adjusted slightly for smaller or larger sizes.

I add 3/8" to the sleeve band to accommodate the new sleeve. It turned out perfect!

Wait to sew up the side seams if you want to add a sash, which will be covered in Lesson #4!

Michie'

Vintage Dress Lesson 2

We are now ready to attach the front skirt to the yoke. All of the old patterns that I have attached the skirt by slip stitching by hand...I knew that I needed to come up with something else! Once again "Wonder Tape" came to the rescue. I used a fabric marker and drew a line 5/8" from the bottom edge of the yoke. This is the seam allowance and where the stitching will go. Stitcky side down, I stuck Wonder Tape slightly below the marked line. Peel off the top paper layer of the Wonder Tape. Carefully matching the yoke and skirt center, lay the smocked area of the skirt on top of the tape, so that the top row of smocking lines up with the marked seam allowance. Take time to double check that the centers match, and that the pleaters are spread out evenly. It is easy to pull the skirt away from the tape and reposition if needed.

Although this part made me a little nervous, I was successful on the first try! Using light weight machine thread to match the main color of the fabric, straight stitch right below the first smocked row. Once everything is completed this stitching line is hard to see!

I should have taken more pictures at this point, but I got excited that the sewing was going so well and forgot, so you will need to use your imagination......sorry about that! :) We now need to get rid of the Wonder Tape. Although it will rinse out in cold water, I chose to just pull it off by hand. I turned the garment to the wrong side and gently separated the bottom yoke edge that was "taped" to the skirt and pulled the Wonder Tape off. You will also see that the smocked top edge of the skirt extends into the armhole. Baste this extended edge of the skirt to the armhole edge and them trim away the excess fabric. On the wrong side, press the bottom yoke edge up toward the yoke.

You are now ready to continue sewing the dress. Stop when you get to the sleeves! For next weeks lesson we will redraft the sleeve.

Michie'

Vintage Dress Lesson 1

Here we go with lesson 1! I used pattern #131 for my vintage dress. I started by cutting the skirt front according to the directions and pleating 6 rows. The top row is 5/8" from the raw edge.

Next, I "whipped and rolled" the lace edging to the top raw edge of the skirt. The skirt front for the size 24 month is only 36" wide and I had a piece of antique lace that was the perfect size!

Following the pattern instructions, pull out 5/8" of pleating on each end of the skirt. Count the pleats (these are the "hills") and pull out one row of pleats if necessary so that you have an even number. Mark the center "valley" with a fabric marker. Measure the bottom edge of the front yoke. Draw up the pleating to match the bottom edge of the front yoke and tie off the pleating at each end. *It is always better to tie of a little long than short.

Now you are ready to smock! I smocked cable rows on Row 1 and Row 1 1/2. Row 2 1/2, Row 3, Row 3 1/2, Row 4, and Row 4 1/2 are all half step Baby Waves.

Enjoy you smocking and next Friday we will attach the skirt to the front yoke.

Michie'