vintage pattern galore
when i browse through eBay or etsy or vintage-related blogs, i always get fascinated by vintage dress patterns. (yes, i do mean fascinated.) they’re almost like little windows to the past. and the more yellowed or tattered the envelope is, the more drawn i am to it. and i’m not sure if that’s a normal thing..
right now i’m scouring the web for the best one/s. i’d like something simple and easy. i also really like the idea of a 50’s dress with a tiny waist and a gigantic skirt, something i might wear a crinoline slip with.
of course, i’d have to find the perfect vintage (or vintage-looking) fabric as well, so i’m also searching for something floral or perhaps a gingham kind of pattern. i remember seeing this sewing project by casey, dressmaker extraordinaire, from flickr. she did such a fantastic job that i got convinced to have a little sewing adventure of my own.

this was taken just before the dress was completed. isn’t the pattern just the sweetest?
and here’s the lovely casey herself, wearing the dress on her birthday.
while all of that is well and dandy and utterly inspiring, what i am most concerned about is HOW in the heck will i able to complete such a task? i am no dressmaker of any kind. the last time i touched a sewing machine was in high school, and i didn’t even like the experience very much.
so i’m thinking of sending the whole thing to a professional dressmaker (i know, i know, it’s really lame). i guess what is more important to me is having a truly one-of-a-kind dress, something vintage-but-not-really, something i will love for all my life.
what do you think? is it absolutely ridiculous to go through all that trouble? or better yet, if you have any experience with vintage dress patterns, i would LOVE some pointers.
July 1, 2008 at 12:34 am
I don’t think it’s at all ridiculous to ask someone to make the dress for you if you know that you dislike sewing. I would do that myself if it weren’t such an expensive thing to do here given how little time I have to devote to sewing.
Casey really is *so* talented.
July 8, 2008 at 3:11 am
I absoloutely love the dresses, and I’ve seen a few of the patterns before. Maybe you could get someone to teach you sewing and in the process make the dress? I don’t know. Great post though.