I was trying to decide what pattern to start with and thought it would be gut wrenching to pick one out of the many that I have laying about. Then I saw one that I always keep out, kind of for good luck. Let me explain.
(insert hazy and terribly biased flashback here. Maybe even an 80s starswipe, oh yeah, old school flashback)
Many many moons ago, ahem, years ago. I was living in Chicago, drowning in retail misery and in a pretty sad little funk. I had graduated from an arts school in Arts Management (insert snort of laughter here for an "Art" school having a management program), and realized, hey, management sucks, a lot. And what sucks more than management? Retail management, oh yeah, soul sucker. So after drowning my sorrows in the bottom of a vodka pineapple (I know right? All I needed was an excessive amount of pink velour and some pom poms with that drink. My prior lameness is duly noted and I am appropriately shammed. I'm sorry if you are offended and over the age of 23) I dusted myself off and decided to change it up a bit, so I move to London to attend school for Costume Design. Well, I won't go into great detail about what happened (we'll save that for another day) but lets just say it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be and there were many "I hate designing all I want to do is sew" comments thrown about.
Upon my first few days I realized that, aside from a few of us, everyone was under 22 (eek). I immediately forged a drinking/whinfest friendship with a lovely British tart (ahem "lady") by the name of Anwen. We were united in our general hatred of designing and our love of sewing. I moved back to the US a year later and we have stayed friends (duh). Last year was my big 3-0 and Anwen sent me a beautiful vintage pattern. I knew the second I looked at it that something special needed to be done with it and it has remained out, flirting about my sewing room nagging me (with a snotty British accent) that "doing something with it" meant picking it up.
So here we are (starswipe back to present, and still seriously biased, day)
Behold my first pattern, for your viewing pleasure! I will be posting in a few days more about my progress. With pictures of course, because let's face it, we don't really read anything unless pictures are involved. Maybe I should do a post where, in-between sentences, I just post random pictures, oh that is SO going to happen…
McCalls 5412 (1960)
7 comments:
Wow, I just found your blog via Sew Retro, and I'll def. be checking back mostly because this bizarrely coincides with a conversation I was having with my boyfriend last week about vintage patterns - I was telling him that I wished there were a sewingpatterns.com type website, but for vintage patterns, so we were discussing the ins and outs etc... and you're pretty much the closest I've seen to such an idea! Sounds like it'll be interesting for you :) I look forward to seeing more!
Hi Carisa! Have you sorted out your career issues yet? I have not. I've decided that every industry sucks, except the "sitting around the house doing what I want" industry. I tell people that my ultimate goal is to be a housewife and they all think I'm kidding, but I'm deadly serious (although I hate housework so I need someone to come in and do that bit for me).
I also love vintage style and I make all my own patterns. Although, I have to admit that I MUCH prefer designing than sewing (hehe don't hate me) :)
Len: I'm so glad you will be coming back! It will be interesting for sure! Once I get into a groove I'm going to start posting several "next projects" and letting people vote to see what patterns people want next :-) Then again if I stopped blogging and started sewing I might get on a bit better ;-) It's addicting I tell you!
Lily: It's not that I hate, it's just that I don't understand you designer peeps. ;-) I'm sure at some point Anwen will comment to this post and attest my poor design skills! I have not sorted out the career, but I'm starting to believe that all jobs suck. I applaud your idea on finding a way to creating a sitting industry! Might I suggest you tell your S.O. that you do all the cleaning, then spend $50 a week on a house cleaner. I say if you aren't going to be specific then you have no say in how it's "done"...teehee. This opinion, of course, does NOT apply to my occasional stay-at-home-boyfriend who thinks it's OK, I mean I invented slacking...the nerve.
Thanks for the support ladies!
Hello Carisa! This is Susan from crew. Congrats on the blog... what a great subject and new adventure for you! I adore vintage dresses and as a girl who has always been too tall and wide and now has sizably larger arms than I used to (thanks to rowing) ... finding ones that fit are difficult indeed. It made me think of this store in New Orleans that has "vintage" dresses sized for all us gals.... you may find some inspiration :)
http://www.trashydiva.com/site/indexSHOP.html
Not sure about attesting to your poor designs skills Carisa. I always liked your designs, but they WERE always beautifully tailored, nipped in waists, 1940s style, classic colours. In other words, just the kind of thing I like to wear. What they were NOT, was the kind of designs a tutor who thinks its normal attire to turn up to work in stripey knee-high socks, open toe sandals and plaid shorts would give an 'A' grade. Still, at least bitching about the lack of sewing gave us something to bond over! Oh, that and the wine....
Anwen x
Just a simple question - what is the pattern number...I don't see it on wiki and it is a winner! Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Katherine :-) It's Mccalls 5412 :-)I'll change the post to reflect that too, I didn't even notice it didn't show on the cover!
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