The It Girl-Prairie Dress

                                                        by Amy from ViennasGrace

Finding fashionable everyday gals, everywhere I go. I have always noticed what women wear, how they put things together, and what makes some fashions work. Looking at the fabric, the cut, and the everyday fashion changes. Always in the back of my mind I'm thinking, I could make that, I have that pattern! I will talk to anyone and if they let me take their photo they might just end up here because they got IT right. Let's see what the everyday gal is spotted wearing this time.

Call it a prairie dress, baby doll, gingham pull-on, a granny dress,  it's a look I see everywhere. When the prairie dress is done right the ease and comfort of the style is just as comfy as the dress itself. I spotted this IT girl, wearing a soft buttery yellow print simple dress with mild front and back pleats. Perfect afternoon style at Avila Valley Barn in Avila, California. As she passed through the chicken coop, she was happy to pose for a quick photo for me. Her whole look was just perfect, down to the peek of the eyelet on her white socks, and her perfect girlish suede combat boots. Sadly, I was in a rush to catch up with my kids before they fed the lettuce to the "DO NOT FEED" donkey, I didn't get her name, but told her the blog address, hope this IT girl stops by. 

You might be thinking, this isn't what comes to mind when thinking of a prairie dress. Maybe you visualize a traditional Gunne Sax dress, or a ruffled edge skirt? This IT girl in her easy fit dress with a gathered skirt dropping from the yoke style bodice mimics a classic pinafore. Add the classic calico print and voila, prairie dress. It says, I shop organic, recycle, hand craft items and rescue animals. Love those gals! It also says, I am aware of style trends that those uber cool country music girls are wearing and what is in the closet of most Austin Texas fashionistas. I do love Austin! I wondered could I recreate this IT girl look at home? So off to my multi-era closet for a peak.
I pulled out a floral print no fit empire waist dress with a broomstick skirt from 1990's. Not quite the calico print that I was looking for, but it will work great in a pinch. I pressed out the crinkly broomstick skirt to give it a more updated look. Called on my lovely assistant Tallulah the dress form, added a cute pair of combat style boots. For that little show of sock I made a pair of boot socks from the lacy knit sleeves of a pink cashmere sweater that had a little mishap thanks to my sweet husband doing laundry one weekend. Now since Tallulah is without an important accessory, like a head, I added this vintage grey wool Pendleton fedora that I picked up recently from a nearby thrift shop for $1.00.  Plus who doesn't love a grey fedora? 

       Tallulah was so nice to get dressed up and pose for me since, she had no need to do her hair, put on makeup or shave her legs.  I on the other hand would need to do all three, and frankly, Tallulah has never been much of a photographer.

But even a better idea, I could recreate this dress to the exact fabric of choice, by finding a quick and easy sewing pattern. This dress with it's few pattern pieces and no fit style is a perfect choice for even a newby sewist. Take a look at the diagram of the pieces for Butterick 4912-Fast & Easy-this dress has a dropped waistline. If you leave off the pockets and bow (which I would highly recommend) you only have 5 pattern pieces.

ladydiamond46 Butterick 4912

I love this one, I think it's a near perfect match

Check out the pattern piece diagram, only 6 pattern pieces. 

This is a really fast & easy pattern.

omasbricabrac Butterick 3356

Here is another great pattern, getting the idea, pattern pieces are few and they all have about the same type of construction.  This one is a Butterick Classics plus a Fast & Easy Pattern.

                                        retromonkeys Butterick 4333                           

And another great example, easy to sew too. A different back and a sleeveless style, see how it looks like a pinafore?

paneenjerez Simplicity 8136

If it's an empire, natural or dropped waist style, the basic pattern pieces and instructions are going to be very similar, with some sleeve and bodice variations.  Conquer one of these easy fit dresses, and you can quickly have a prairie dress of your own.

denisecraft Vogue 2006

PrettyPatternShop McCall's 8157

Here is an Etsy treasury of more patterns all from the Pattern Patter Team

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS TREASURY ON ETSY

I was so inspired from my own closet finds, that I made a treasury featuring sewing patterns from the Pattern Patter team along with some other great items available on Etsy. Hope this helps to give you ideas to complete your own floral print prairie dress with the fun combat boots, and of course a vintage hat to complete your look. I even added the option to make your own hat, how cool would that be?

So the conclusion to creating this IT girl look, I think the best option....go sew IT girl!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS TREASURY ON ETSY

Sewing Through the Cinema~ Love is a Many-Splendored Thing

                                                                                                                                                                               by Amy~ViennasGrace

        Get your tissues ready, no not that kind of tissue silly, although this one does happen to be a bit of a tear jerker. So get both kinds of tissue ready.  I'm searching sewing patterns modern and vintage to find the looks featured in classic films. Although it might not be possible to duplicate the exact look, I'll show you how to easily mimic the feeling of the style. Soon you'll see that a silver screen wardrobe is only a pattern away.

LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING

a 1955 drama-romance, set in 1949–50 Hong Kong.  A married, but separated, American reporter Mark Elliot  falls in love with a beautiful 
Eurasian woman, Dr. Han Suyin.  Their love story leads them to face prejudice from her family and from Hong Kong society.   

 STARRING......

And Also Starring.........the timeless Cheongsam Dress
in many-splendored prints, colors, cotton or silk, each just as lovely as the next. 

Just a few sewing pattern examples that are available from the Pattern Patter Team.

Polynesian Pattern 125                          Simplicity 1018                           McCalls 4911                            
SewBettyandDot                                   Redcurlzs                                    VintageNeedleFinds

There are no open backs or deep plunging neckline, this modest cut neckline only adds to the classic sex appeal and every perfect figure curve.

Here is a partial quote from Wikipedia regarding the Cheongsam dress:

"The cheongsam (/ˈtʃiːɒŋˈsæm/,^[1] /ˈtʃɒŋˈsæm/ or /ˈtʃɒŋˈsɑːm/) is a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo (旗袍; pronounced [t͡ɕʰǐ pʰɑ̌ʊ̯]) Wade-Giles ch'i-p'ao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown. The stylish and often tight-fitting cheongsam or qipao (chipao) that is best known today was created in the 1920s in Shanghai and made fashionable by socialites and upper class women."

Designer Charles LeMaire winning the Academy Award for Costume Design in Color that year. Marking another grand achievement for the renown designer. His dress design for Jennifer Jones' wardrobe in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing surely launched the Cheongsam dress into high fashion wardrobes everywhere that season and for all the years to come.

Three of the actual Charles LeMaire dresses worn by Jennifer Jones in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.
In 2011 at an auction the blue silk dress was estimated to sell for $3,000 but the winner of this iconic dress paid over $27,000.  The yellow Cotton dress sold for over $13,000. The Beige Cotton Dress over $12,000.

Here is Dr. Han Suyin- Jennifer Jones and Mark Elliot-William Holden in a very well known scene on the beach. Her lovely pastel yellow bathing suit is a strapless sweetheart shape accented by a v strap halter cord.

I'd imagine that if they had another chance to sit on the beach together Dr. Han would have worn this playsuit and one of these stylish mandarin style beach robes.

                                   
     Simplicity 1608                                                                                        Vogue5477
     PinkPolkaDotButton                                                                                Fancywork

A perfect overcoat, lounging coat, or in Dr. Han Suyin's case a lovely Doctor's over coat.

Simplicity 3354                                                         Simplicity 3604
Sandritocat                                                                 FriskyScissors
                                                                                                       
How can you get all this style into your closet? I told you, pull out your tissues! Pattern tissue that is, go sew it girl! Below is a Pattern Patter Team Treasury inspired by the lovely fashions in Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.
Click Here to View Pattern Patter Team Treasury Link on Etsy

Neckline Styles Part I

By Mary Beth, RetroMonkeys

When choosing a pattern, there are many variables to consider. Necklines are one. We all hear the different terms for neckline styles. Some we have never heard of at all. Below are some sketches and descriptions of several necklines that you might choose for work, play, or evening wear along with some patterns showing the featured necklines.

This first selection includes some of the most basic necklines. The jewel neckline was very widely used in the 1950's and 1960's. It was an essential element of the demure dress.

Here are a few examples of the Jewel Neckline

Left to Right: 

Simplicity 5702 by  McCall's 7001 by ViennasGrace Vogue 7611 by AllThePreciousThings

                                  

Next is the V Neckline. From dresses to tops, the V neck Can be plain, ruffled, high or deep. 

Left to Right:

Butterick 3731 by MBChills            McCall's 3045 by Virtual Vintage     Butterick 4456 by HeyChica

Cardigan Necklines can be found on some shirtwaist dresses as well as, to state the obvious, cardigan sweaters.

Left to Right:

   McCall 6008 by DesignRewind          McCall's 6583 by PatternShop        Advance 8645 by Jantiki

Slit Neckline A popular alternative for decades! Especially popular during the 1970's on Caftans, Dashikis and Tunics.

   Simplicity 1375                Simplicity 5043                 Advance 9336                     Vogue 7808
by RetroMonkeys                by ErikaWithaK             by Paneenjerez                    by CaliforniaSunset  


U Neckline A basic fashion. The U can be deep or shallow. Deep U necklines are seen in jumpers.

       Butterick 6009                      Simplicity 2948             DuBarry 5793                       Simplicity 8626
        MaddieMod                     MonkeyandFriends         SewBettyandDot                     AdeleBeeAnn  

Stay tuned for more neckline styles!

Piet Mondrian 1960s Dresses

Piet Mondrian and His Influence on 1960’s Fashion

Piet Mondrian (1870-1944), considered to be the founder of Modern Art was born and raised in the Netherlands. He is most famous for his Color Block series of paintings.  He was also an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement.

I have always loved the Mondrian Dresses of the 1960’s.  I imagine that Yves St. Laurent’s homage to Mondrian’s works would have pleased him immensely.  The design was so popular after St. Laurent introduced it in 1965 that the imitations sprouted out in many forms from dresses to boots. Some of the imitations were from other pattern companies. In 1966 it seemed that every pattern manufacturer had a version of their own.

I Rifled through my pattern leaflet collection and found the following examples from Vogue, McCall’s Simplicity, and Butterick.

            To this day, the Mondrian Dress retains its prestigious spot in fashion history. The sewing patterns continue to be popular when available.

               

                                    Vogue’s Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian Dresses 1965

                                              

                                    

                                                          Vogue 1556 and 1557

                                        McCall’s 1966 Mondrian Styles

McCall's 8139                                                              McCall's 8131

   McCall’s 8131 is one of my favorites. I have never come across one.

  

                                                                            

Butterick Mondrian Style Dresses and Blouses

Butterick 4170, 4171

Butterick 3798, 3886, 3907 

                                                                              

 Simplicity’s Contributions

Simplicity 6384 Matching Daughter Dress 6432 

    Even the littlest girl wasn’t left out!

 Simplicity 6376

                                                                     

    

       

                             

                                      

      

July Fashion Trends Vintage Pattern Style

by Amy Russo of Vienna’s Grace

As I watched videos of Paris and New York fashion week for Autumn /Winter 2013-14 season, a dominate design element kept popping up; hip draping. From Christian Dior to Guy Laroche, I noticed designers placing an prominent accent on the hips. Some with elegant tiny hip pleats, like Carolina Herrera (….oh how I love her designs), and quite a few others with very heavy hip sashes, like seen below from Vera Wang and Balmain. So I set out to see if these classic yet unique design elements could be found or even mimicked in our vintage patterns. Although some of the heavy hip draping would not be of interest to many of our buyers, how could they get that fashion trend in a much more wearable way?

My eyes scoured page after page of Pattern Patter team members’ shops and I found so many ways to obtain the look of this hip draping trend. Below are just a few examples of the patterns and styles I joyfully discovered. You can see the illusion of hip width from a side bustle, gathered wide set pockets, and straight forward front seam rouching. I do think this has been a classic design trend for decades, but will it be in the ready to wear departments this fall? Well, if designers have anything to say about it, we will be seeing gathers, swags, hip pleats and side bustles. So when you are listing patterns for the Fall and Winter seamstress, take a closer look; does that 1940s dress drape or that 80s skirt swag? Try finding new and creative tags to describe this unique design element. Always remember to include patternpatter, the pattern era, bust size, and all the expected search phrases, but add one or two key descriptive words unique to the pattern. This will help the DIY fashion huntress add hip draping into her trendy, but not spendy wardrobe.

Here are just a few ideas to add into your listing title and tags: drape, drapey, draping, drapes, overskirt, hip, hips, hipline, girdle, ruching, ruched, swag, swags, Grecian, Greek, sarong, wrap front, gathers, gathering, gathered, pleat, pleated, pleats, pleating, side bustle, hip sash, sashes.

June Trends Alert

by Amy of ViennasGrace

Gucci spring/summer 2013

Elie Saab did it and so did Ralph Lauren, a big summer fashion trend that is showing up from ready to wear to high end fashion, ruffles. Sometimes as a dramatic flounce flowing down a caftan, an asymmetric jabot placed perfectly on a one shoulder blouse, or feminine ruffles spinning around a soft tiered floral skirt.

Ralph Lauren spring/summer 2013

We see the changes in the use of ruffles throughout the decades in our sewing patterns. In the 1940s an 

off the shoulder blouse or sundress frequently had a single or double ruffled neckline. Late 50s and early 60s used ruffles more as a trim, showing up on collars or finishing off hem lines. The 70s disco scene had a great look, using soft cascading waves down the front of a wrap dress. Let’s not forget the 1980s use of ruffles, blouses adorned with high neck jabots and the multi tiered skirts seen on numerous prom dresses and bridal gowns.

Top row CherryCorners Butterick 3511, AdeleBeeAnnPatterns Butterick 4801, CloesCloset Vogue 2218, retromonkeys Simplicity 1628

Bottom row Vogue 6403, allthepresiousthings Vogue 6229, RomasMaison McCall's 4269, DesignRewindFashions Vogue 9667

So as the peak of summer is nearly here, keep the fashion savvy seamstress in mind. She won’t be shopping in the high dollar designer stores, She will be hunting for the latest summer trends in all our lovely vintage patterns. Use your listing descriptions and tags creatively so she can easily find that special blouse with rows of ruffles and that perfect glamorous party dress with a flounce.