I sewed this cute 1930s puff sleeve dress. 

The pattern is 1930's Flirty Puff Sleeve Tea Frock from My Vintage Wish on etsy.

The fabric was vintage from a thrift store. It is possibly late 1980s to 1990s based on the colours, but I'm not an fabric dater expert. The side had 'Northcott Sik INC' on the side, which may be Northcott Fabrics. Like they advertise, it is cotton that feels like silk. 

My measurements are close to the pattern, so the only size adjustment was add 0.5" to the wait just in case. It ended up being too loose there, but the belt tightens it up.

I knew right away that the shoulders would be too huge. I took out a lot of fabric there, but should have done another half inch at least. The puff sleeves end up kinda hanging of my shoulders.

The bust in particular was very challenging. I ended up moving the center where the middle triangle meets up about 2", so I could gather in more fabric. Before I made this change, it really stuck out there and looked terrible. I could have stored a third boob in there!

I may go back and take more out of the shoulders. They bug me enough to make me not want to wear it as much.

Overall, it is a very cute summer dress. I probably won't make this pattern again though, since it was a lot of work to make it work.

I finished knitting a 1930s sweater pattern and it turned out pretty great!

Pattern: Barbara, a 1930s delicate lace jumper from Subversive Femme on Etsy

Yarn: Rowan Yarns Purelife Cotton

My gauge was very different from the pattern gauge, so I had to do a few test swatches and some math. In the end, I found I was able to make it work by dropping 2 of the stockinette stitches in the pattern.

I also had fun joining in on the #nostalgiarulesknitalong on Instagram. I've never been part of a knit along before and was fun to see how all the different sweaters turned out.

I finally did it! A pair of pants 2 plus years in the making are finally done. After many delays and problems sourcing material, my dream pants are a reality.

Pattern

Burda 6573

I wanted a pair of 1930s style sailor pants, but with a slightly more contemporary fit. Burda 6573 was a perfect choice. 

Fabric

7.5oz Raw Organic Denim - Deep Indigo from Sitka Fabrics

The fabric ended up being perfect! The weight is just right. It has a bit of drape and not too structured. Yet, it is still heavy enough for a sturdy pair of pants. 

Alterations

 I made my usual adjustments for Burda patterns. I sewed a size 12 graded to size 14 for waist (I have 38" hips and 30.5" waist). I find their crotches a little weird and tend to bag out, so did my usual 'flat pubis' type adjustment. I also ended up letting out the front seam on my tummy out a bit, since it was pulling on the pockets. 

If I sew again, I am going to try to make the pocket or at least a pocket facing on the pattern pieces. I had originally sewed them in a different colour material, but it was too obvious. I had to go back and make the pockets out of denim. But, I won't complain too much, since I at least have pockets. 

These are seriously now my favourite pair of pants. I can't wait to wear them with many different tops. They are super comfortable and I think I'm the bees knees in them.

Check out my new jeans! I've used Closet Core Patterns Ginger Jeans to make a new pair of jeans.

For fabric, I used Blue Enzyme Washed Stretch Denim - 8.5oz from Simplifi Fabric (it was so hard finding denim with no polyester!). 

I wanted a new pair of jeans with a high waist and not too skinny legs, so I mashed together View A and View B.

I need to go back and fix one of my belt loops, but everything else seems good enough. It's hard to have perfect sewing when you have a 5 year old that keeps interrupting haha. Overall, I'm really happy with how they turned out.

Some of you who might have followed in the past might be wondering what happened to all that 1940s wardrobe planning I did. I spent hours and hours making a plan and even making a 1940s blouse and wide leg pants, but then like everything 2020, it all fell off the rails.

Why can't I just snap my fingers and look like Vivien!

Like many out there, the pandemic left me with a lot less time and money to do things. And less of a need for fancy clothes, since I'm working from home. Also, I started to realize that the 1940s are nice, but I'm actually more into 1930s era clothes. I think they fit my body shape and style a little better. 

I also made some mistakes with my past attempts. One main thing was using cheap polyester fabric. It didn't matter how well my cool wide legged pants turned out, I never ever wanted to wear them because the polyester felt gross. I have come to realize that I really, really hate polyester. It even makes me itch (or perhaps that just whatever other weird chemicals are being dumped on the fabric).

So...

NEW GOALS!!!

• Look at the 1930s for inspiration, but don't feel limited by choosing this era (what if I want an Edwardian blouse!).
• Stay away from nasty polyester and not cheap out on fabrics.
• Try to pick items that will fit in with what I have already, so I don't feel like I have to start completely from scratch.

This tie-blouse has 1930s vibes. Source: Sézane

A lot of 1930s day dress vibes with this dress. Source: Simple Retro

I made the perfect work-from-home jacket! It's a simple yet stylish kimono jacket in a lovely rust colour. 

I'm back! After a long break from blogging and crafting (2020 was crazy, yo!), I'm trying to get back in the groove. One project I did manage to complete was this lovely Sea and Surf Sweater in Rowan Softknit cotton. 

Pattern: Sea and Surf Sweater

Yarn: Rowan Softknit Cotton (584 Walnut)

Needles: US 6

Size: Medium

I love the 1930s fan type pattern of this sweater. It has a nice retro vibe to it.

It was fun to sew and looks a lot more complicated than it actually is. The pattern is simple and yet makes a very nice fan design.

It's a bit stretchy and loose from wearing it. So, it now tries to slide down my shoulders when I wear it. I may try washing in hot water to see if that helps.