...although...the first photo is from late March, so...maybe not. Of course, who knows how many pieces of doll clothes I made before that, so, yeah, maybe--oh, I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorry! On to the projects!
I wanted a simple project to act as a sort of shakedown for the Singer 328K I'd thrifted a few months before, and this was the result. It's basically Butterick See & Sew 5067 from 1997. I pretty much can't follow a pattern as printed, even a pattern I've never sewn before, and the big difference with this one was that I created facings instead of finishing the neck and arms with bias binding. The cloth was a thrift store find, and probably vintage, since it was only 35" wide. I never wore this and ended up donating it.
Once the 328K was tweaked into working order (a matter of tightening the carbon pile in the foot control), I used it to make this. Simplicity 9803 from 1971, using thrifted (the black and gray "Bats And Pumpkins And Jack'o'Lanterns" print) and clearance (the purple print) cloth. I've had this pattern forever (adopting it from Mom's pattern stash in the 1990s), but this was the first time actually making it. And I even followed the pattern as printed! Like this one a lot, and have worn it several times, and not just in October.
Star Trek shirt! I'd made a Star Wars print shirt in late 2012 and wore it a lot, so as soon as I saw the Star Trek prints in JoAnn Fabric, I knew I was going to make another shirt (thank you coupon.) This is Simplicity 2936 from 2008, view D, which is incredibly easy. If you're hesitant about making shirts because you don't like attaching set-in sleeves, I'd highly suggest going for something like this with a raglan sleeve instead. Plus, this pattern doesn't technically have darts, it has tucks (no tapering on the ends), and they're entirely optional anyway. I'm pretty happy with my pattern matching across the front on this, but I made the buttonholes a bit farther in than I think I should have. Ah, well.
I found this cloth in Goodwill and immediately thought it would be good for something with a 1930s feeling and was happy to find that view C of New Look A6093 from 2012 fit my mental image. Unfortunately, this dress shape does not flatter my current body shape, and there was so much white that it might as well have been see-through (even if I had a good slip, it'd be visible, heh.) I eventually sighed and sent it off to Goodwill.
So then I decided to make something simple, using a crushed-look satin and Simplicity 6573, a simple bias skirt, from 1974. This gets worn a lot, although the nature of the polyester means it's getting a bit pilly in areas. Every time I wear it, I think about how I should make more skirts from this pattern...
I threw this together from the leftovers of the sorta-1930s dress using the slip pattern (adding a ruffle) from McCall's M6696 from 2013. I want more cute pajamas, and this is a good start!
Hey, look, thrifted cloth again! This combines the bodice of Simplicity 8629 with the sheath skirts of McCall's 3830. The merge was successful, but the dress...well, it wasn't me, and off to thrift it eventually went as well.
Something for the kiddo! He picked out this print himself, from the JoAnn clearance section. Since his shirts are small enough to take around a yard still, I'll spend more per yard on his stuff than on mine...but...still not that much more. Simplicity 7994 from '97, which I've used many times before and plan to use many times again (he's already picked out the cloth...) Once again took the time to match the pattern across the opening--I don't do that because pattern matching is important o me as much as because I really hate it when I cut stuff out and the pattern is almost but not quite matched on either side of centered seams. So. Pattern matching.
Simplicity 9803 again! This time I had to get creative, since I didn't have as much cloth as the pattern envelope called for. The main cheats were cutting the collar on the bias, making the sleeves shorter and gathered with elastic, and making the skirt hem less deep. I didn't notice until it was finished, of course, that I should have flipped the skirt pattern pieces so the pale pinky lavender would have continued from the bodice to the skirt. That doesn't keep me from wearing it--with a belt...
Thrifted very synthetic cloth with two usable faces, used Simplicity 6261 from 1973 (making the hem not-scalloped and bound with foldover lace), forgot how bias makes my brain hurt, very quickly donated the result.
After the previous skirt failure, decided to make something simple and pattern-free. The two prints and the lace were all thrifted. I'm wearing this skirt right now!
...and then I decided to do some stash busting and make something I knew I'd never wear... Rainbow stripey cloth was thrifted, as was the lining; sparkly purple knit was from the glory days of the Walmart dollar tables, snaps were from Mom's stash. The pattern is Simplicity 8175 from 1987. The pattern does not call for lining, but I do like to make things harder than they should be...
As soon as I saw this fabric--a medium weight twill--I knew this was what I would make from it. There wasn't a whole lot (thrifted, y'know), so I cut it as long as I could and then bound the edges with bias tape...which might be something I do for circle skirts more often...maybe... I cut the skirt free form in four parts, waistband, front, and two back pieces, with center back zip. I was so concerned with maximizing cloth use that I didn't get the pattern to match across the back, but I'm probably the only person that bugs...and I more than compensated with the pattern matching from the waistband to the skirt on the center front. I tend to have problems cutting circle skirt waist openings free hand, so I used the bias skirt pattern mentioned above for that.
Buoyed by the success of the paisley circle skirt, I decided to finally use this wool tartan that I've had for ages to make another...and I managed to make the waist too small. To thrift it went!
And then I found a huge trove of genuine vintage patterns at Goodwill, with this--Simplicity 2666 from 1948--the first of the patterns I used. The pattern as given is way too small, so I added width as I cut out the wool blend thrifted cloth, and it fits perfectly. I was at first severely disappointed by the way it looked, but, as soon as I added a petticoat, it became perfect. (And then I tried making another skirt from the same pattern, adding--I thought--the same extra width and it was way too small. I held on to it for a while, then finally convinced myself that it was too polyester-y to make me happy, so I donated that one, too.)
Another of the vintage patterns, Simplicity 1692 from 1956, made with cloth from the JoAnn clearance section. The original owner of the patterns had cut this with some extra tissue left on the sides to add width, so I decided to follow her lead (since B32 is kinda iffy for me) and the result is fabulous. And, yes, pattern matching. I don't wear this as much as I'd like, because black skirts seem a bit harsh for it, but I haven't yet made a skirt from a color I think would work. Always another project! Plus I have another print picked out to use this pattern again, so, there's another project.
I bought this cloth ages ago for $2/yard at Walmart and have never quite known what to do with it. (It's been a shower curtain, too.) Made this skirt free-form, thought it had a fabulous vintage look, but felt weird wearing it, so off to thrift it went. I still have yards of this left.
My first Advance pattern! 8984 from the 1960s, in cloth that was actually bought not-on-sale! Although I did use a coupon, right when JoAnn stocked its Halloween prints for 2013, but before they started discounting it. Technically not enough of this cloth to meet the pattern envelope requirements, so I used a different print (white with yellow polka dots) to make the facings and fake a deeper hem on the skirt. The arm openings are a bit uncomfortable, but I can survive the day in it.
Irresistible supertacky print WITH GLOW IN THE DARK ELEMENTS from Goodwill, using the shirt from McCall's 3905, 1973, with the modifications of making the sleeves gathered instead of ruffles, and moving the zipper from center back to the left side (because I never have lightweight separating zippers and can't imagine me being able to contort enough to zip it while wearing it, anyway.) This shirt is so much fun! I do tend to wear Halloween stuff all year, but this...this is a bit specific, so it'll probably stay in October.
Another with no pattern needed. The giant gingham is thrifted, as is the cluny lace (which spent time in a black dye bath), while the faux border print is from JoAnn, carefully cut into strips and sewn together with reasonable pattern matching. Yay, finally found a way to use that print!
So I put 'em together! McCall's 3905 for the bodice + a freeform faux border print with cluny lace edges. Very very happy with this, maybe someday will have someplace besides Halloween to wear it.
I like to set up a scene on the porch and sit out there on Halloween during Trick'or'Treat hours, and I know it can get cold, so I decided I needed a cape. The polar fleece had been thrifted for another purpose (then not used), the black satin has been in my stash forever, and the lining was, I believe, a gift. Polyester lined polyester with polyester trim. It was warm. I did use a pattern to get the basic shape of the cape, Butterick 5741 from the early 1970s.
And of course I needed a hat. I used the hat from the Gandalf-esque McCall's 3789, 2002, and added inner layers of heavy twill for stiffness and an overlayer of spiderweb lace for fun, plus some more of the satin used on the cape edge for the bow. I eventually had to add a tie, because this fits fine on my head, but simply slid off the wig...
And this is why I had the Gandalf-y pattern! Everything was thrifted or gifted or stashed (and could have used more ironing.) He was very happy, although he still didn't quite get the finer points of trick'or'treating.
In 2012, I used McCall's M5952 ©2009 to make a race driver costume for the kiddo, with a separating zipper so I could turn it into a jacket later, which I did and he loved, so I decided I would (mis)use that pattern again to make a retro-ish jacket, using child-approved thrifted cloth. He wears it happily, peppered with pins.
Last thing! I found Simplicity 6601 from 1974 in Goodwill and thought the jacket looked like it had lots of potential. I used the rest of the polar fleece to make this; while I adore the jacket, I'm pretty sure I'll never use polar fleece again, because, hoo, does this stuff pill. Always learning!
...hmm, I didn't think I'd sewed that much human-size stuff last year, but that's 26 up there, which is just over two per month, and that's not bad (especially considering how many items of doll clothing I made...although...I haven't counted that yet...) Plus, I have a vest I started last month, just needs buttonholes and buttons to finish...soon...
Has anyone else been surprised by how much stuff they sewed last year?
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