For my next 1950s project I chose this dress pattern from 1959. I’ve had this pattern
for a little while now and have been waiting to find the perfect vintage fabric for it.
I came across this vintage polka dot cotton in a fabric shop in Brighton. I knew it was
vintage as it still had a label on that said “Made in Czechoslovakia”. It is most probably
from the 80s but blue and white polka dots are a pretty classic 50s motif so I went with
it.
I almost always trace my patterns as I normally make several fit adjustments at this stage
but as this was a Misses pattern, my 163 cm self matched the size guide almost exactly
so I skipped that step and just cut the pattern as is.
I am making view 2, with the short sleeves but am leaving off the skirt bands and detachable
collar, as this dress already has one hell of a statement collar.
The skirt is made of three of these rectangular panels and has a placket opening at the centre
front that matches to the button front on the bodice.
The skirt has a deep self faced hem but the pattern instructions also called for some
bias strips to hem the sleeves and neck edge. So I used my pattern master to help cut those.
There were a lot of markings to transfer on this pattern, but as with my slip, I didn’t
want to use coloured chalk if I could help it so I mostly used tailor’s tacks to mark
all the pleats and darts. The previous owner of this pattern had obviously
done the same things as there were little perforations at the small circles. This meant
that I could sew through these little gaps to make sure my markings were as accurate
as possible without causing the pattern further damage.
I could then carefully peel off the pattern paper, before pulling apart the two layers
of fabric and snipping the threads in between.
I used these little clips to hold the pattern in place instead of pins which also prevented
more holes in the pattern paper.
I carried on transferring all the markings for the pleats, darts and balance marks. As
well as tacking in the centre front of the bodice. This is really important for garments
where the closure has an overlap as these need to match up exactly for a good fit.
I then started work on the back pattern piece by stay stitching the neckline, following
the directions indicated in the instructions.
I stitched in the small neck darts remembering not to reverse at the point but instead to
leave long threads. These are then tied off and trimmed down.
Next I moved onto the pleats at the waist. I matched the balance marks using a pin then
pinched the layers tight before putting in a second cross pin, and removing the first
holding pin. I then machined these pleats in place.
I had a bit of a delay before I could start on the front as I was waiting for my interfacing
to arrive in the post. So I took my government sanctioned daily exercise to visit the ducklings.
Several days, and many distractions later my interfacing arrived. I had chosen woven
non-fusible interfacing for historical accuracy. I cut all the pieces that needed interfacing
before returning to the front pieces.
I started by turning the front facing edge under by ¼” or 6mm and pinning in place.
I then pinned in place the strip of interfacing that reinforces the centre front and the buttonholes.
I took the fronts to the machine and stitched the facing edge under, pivoting at the corner.
I then turned up the stitch length and machine basted the interfacing in place firstly at
the hem and then along the centre front which I had tacked in place by hand earlier.
I then trimmed the interfacing down to the shape of the neck.
I then pinned in the side bust darts. Matching the balance marks with holding pins, and then
cross pinning the dart in place.
I also pinned in the pleats at the waist in the same way, matching the balance marks before
cross pinning in place.
To mark the sewing line for the darts I used a tracing wheel and a piece of cardboard to
protect my table. This leaves a little pattern of indentations that will disappear when ironed.
This is a great way to mark in a sewing line when you can’t use chalk.
I stitch the darts along my traced line leaving the long tail threads at the point.
I then stitch in the pleats at the waist, pivoting at the top of the pleat to create
a little right angle.
I tie off the threads of my darts and trim them down before removing as many of the tailor’s
tacks as I can from the darts and pleats.
I then take the fronts to the ironing board and give everything a thorough press: The
hemmed facing edges, the waist pleats and the darts. I press the darts over a tailor’s
ham to make sure I get a neat point.
Then I move on to the collar. I pin the interfacing to the wrong side of one layer of the collar
and then machine tack it in place around all three edges.
I then trim down the interfacing close to the stitching to reduce bulk.
Then with the right sides together I pin the two layers of the collar around the outside
edges. That is the edges without balance marks. I then machine them in place, pivoting at
the corner for a sharp point.
I then trim the seam allowances of the main fabric down and notch the curved edge so that
the collar will lay flat once turned inside out. I also trim the corners to reduce bulk
and help with that essential sharp point.
Then back to the ironing board for a good press. I turn the collar right side out and
use my fingernails to crease the seam open before using the steam of the iron to help
roll the edge into shape. I then give it a firm press.
It was at this moment I realised that I had forgotten to stay stitch the neck edges on
the front so I quickly did that before proceeding with the collar.
I joined the shoulder and side seams making sure to match the balance marks, and then
pressed them open.
I then overlapped the two halves of the collar at the centre back, matching the circles,
and then machine tacked them in place sewing all the way along the open edge of the collar.
I then pinned the collar to the neckline, matching the markings and tacked that in place,
making sure to keep adjusting the angle of the bodice to prevent puckers.
It’s been a while since I’ve made anything with a collar like this and I’m not gunna
lie it felt really weird. I don’t know if that is just me or if this is a bit of a funky
vintage pattern moment, let me know what you think.
Once the collar was tacked on I then folded back the front facings with right sides together
and tacked those in place.
Next it was time for that bias strip that I had cut earlier. I pressed a fold into one
side and matched the fold to the tacked sewing line overlapping the edges of the facing slightly.
I now think that I should have pinned the bias on the other way around because trying
to press the other edge under once it was already on was really tricky. But hey that’s
a lesson for next time.
I then tacked the bias strip in place by hand. This was definitely needed as there were some
points on this collar with 9 layers of fabric and it was becoming distorted with the pins.
I then finally, stitched the whole thing together in one go. This had to be done very slowly
with lots of smoothing and adjusting on the way.
To
neaten the short edge of the bias strip I simply folded them under as I got to them.
I can’t decide whether this was a really efficient way to sew the collar or unnecessarily
long winded. It did work for me on the first go though so maybe all that tacking was necessary.
With the collar on it was time to set in the sleeves. I make up the sleeves by running
gathering threads around the top of the sleevehead and then joining the sleeve seam making sure
to match the balance marks.
I then pin the sleeve in place in two halves, easing in the excess as I go.
Now I’ve actually made an entirely separate video dedicated to sleeves where I go into
much greater detail so to avoid repeating myself, I will give you a quick overview here
and leave a link to that video for you to watch in your own time.
I evenly distribute the ease around the top of the sleevehead, while keeping the underarm
flat. I work in sections, smoothing the excess into the middle before halving it evenly with
a pin. I repeat this process with as many pins as necessary, before tacking the sleeve
in place by hand.
I then machine the sleeve in two halves, starting with the underarm, and then returning to my
starting point and working from the inside of the sleeve. This way I can smooth the excess
as I go with my fingers preventing tucks and puckers.
I then hem my sleeve. This probably would have been easier to do before I set it in
but of well. I pin the bias tape in place matching the raw edges. Again I should have
pinned the tape on the other way around with the folded edge at the top but I only realised
this would be easier as I was editing this video so….. Next time.
I leave a little excess to neaten the raw edges
and then machine the tape in place.
Then using my sleeve board, I pressed the bias tape around to the inside of the sleeve
and folded the remaining raw edge under for an even hem. I then pinned the hem in place.
To neaten the join, I rolled the raw edges under so that they just met at the sleeve
seam before I pressed the top edge in place.
I also folded under the edge on the bias neck facing, which I ended up having to do around
a tailor’s ham to get it to lie correctly. I pinned it in place before steaming and pressing
it over the ham to retain the curved shape.
Then I hand stitched the bias facings in place. For the sleeve hems I used a slip stitch but
for the curved neck facing I decided to use a herringbone stitch as I still wasn’t sure
it would lie completely flat and that extra bit of movement from a herringbone stitch
might cover a few sins.
And with that the bodice part of the dress was ready for a skirt. But this seems like
a natural place to take a break so I’m going to leave that until next time and part two.
If you’d like to see pockets, pleats, plackets and of course the finished dress make sure
to subscribe so that you don’t miss out on that video.
Thanks for watching part one and I’ll see you next time.