A Matter of Taste: Am I wrong …

… to like this pattern?

I fear I might be, but there’s something about those angled hour-glass-esque shapes that I love and I think could be very flattering.  I’m picturing a stretch cotton in two colours – a neutral and a bright, perhaps.

The pattern immediately reminded me of this really flattering ‘bodycon’ dress that was on How to Look Good Naked (sorry, couldn’t find a picture!) with nude-coloured side panels and a black front and back.  It was incredibly flattering on the woman wearing it (in her late 40s, size 14) and I think the panelling on this pattern could work similarly.

Something along these lines:

 

I’m still not sure, though – is this pattern actually hideous or potentially awesome?

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Not a Miss Selfridge Dog-tooth Check Dress

Back in the summer I fell in love with this dress from Miss Selfridge:

That collar, those little cute button details and dogtooth check – what’s not to love?

Oh yeah, the fit.

As soon as I saw it, I was in love with this dress – I walked past its window on my way to and from work for weeks and it haunted me all that time.  So I finally went in, prepared to buy it, especially as it would be good for work, home and even going out with some dressy accessories – that’s a hard-working dress!  But when I tried it on, it really didn’t fit well – tight on the boobs, loose everywhere else – and for £45, I wasn’t going to put up with a poor fit or faff about fixing it.

What’s a girl to do?  I saved photos from the website and have been on the lookout for the right fabric ever since.  I haven’t found it yet, but I have found a similar pattern:

The photos look a bit bleh, I know, but you get a better idea from the back drawings:

I’m thinking – full skirted version with the button tabs and adapt the top (perhaps using the bodice from Simplicity 2444) to make it a regular sleeveless bodice and then mess around with calico until I work out that asymetric collar.

So, I’ve got my eyes out for the fabric in the meantime.

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Vintage Pattern Fun

Yay-ness – I just won this lovely early 60s pattern on Ebay (it’s not the right size, but just needs a little bit adding here and there and it’ll be fine):

And for just £7.50!  I saw the same pattern go for £15+ a couple of weeks ago.

Just check out that cute jacket!  I love the dress, but there’s something about the jacket that makes me smile – I think it’s the combination of the buttons and cropped-ness.

With narrow- and full-skirted options and the jacket, this pattern gives three different items – I definitely consider that a bit of a bargain!

Together with my other 60s pattern, I’m starting a very small collection of vintage patterns:

I was originally planning to use the pattern to work out how to make an early 60s pleat-skirted dress, after seeing one in the window of a vintage shop in town (I love those bell-shaped skirts with inverted box pleats!) but the separates have grown on me and now I have Simplicity 2444, I’ve got an appropriately 60s-esque pattern:

Aaaand, the other week, my lovely Mum bought me this silk crepe to use to make the blouse in The People pattern:

It was on sale in John Lewis (£10/metre rather than £20!) – huzzah for that!  I’ve also handwashed it in cold water ready to go/sew.  Dry clean only?  HA!

Also, I’m currently working on the cat from this book:

It’s my first go at crochet and I’m enjoying it – photos when the kitty is complete!

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We Need You – Historical Costuming Bloggers!

Hello hello!

The lovely Abby over at Stay-ing Alive is writing a paper on museums and the historical costuming blogging community and she needs your help.  If you blog on historical cotumes or read blogs about them, please head on over to her blog and respond to her survey – I suspect it might lead to some very interesting things, indeed!

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Protected: The Birthday Masquerade – at long last!

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