I realize that I still have plenty of friends and family who don't really know what I am up to over here all day. It's not that I am hiding anything but it just doesn't come up in conversation since we usually have other things talk about. I love sewing and creating patterns though and when I do talk myself up ti opens lots of doors that otherwise would not have been there! One of the coolest things about sharing your love of sewing is that friends give you stacks of fabrics like this...
My friend Rose gave this fabric to me. We became friends since she is actually the mother of another friend and when I asked her if she used these fabrics to sew for her children, she said they were actually HER mother's fabrics that she couldn't bear to get rid of before but now she knows someone will use them. I feel really honored she shared them with me and I wanted to make something special. I made my first project with the stack yesterday.
This is a pattern from 1971 that was given to me by my mother in law. She gave me a whole stack of late sixties/ early seventies patterns that I will share here sometime soon (I only wish I were 5'2" and a size 4 and I could have a whole new wardrobe of bohemian seventies dresses!) I felt like this was a fitting pattern to try on my new to me fabric stack.
It really was super easy. It is fully lined which is so nice for a newborn. Remember how I discussed sewing for friend's babies in this post? I know this one will be appreciated! I had lots of fun pounding on the 8 snap sets on this little dress. My 3 year old son was amazed that I knew what to do in the basement workshop with the hammer. Obviously I need to start setting an example that women can use tools too!
Both the gingham and the floral were really soft and a nice weight for sewing clothes. I usually choose really bright colors when I sew this time of year but I like these soft muted tones for this dress. Sometimes I feel like really bright colors on a newborn can overwhelm the baby and look garish (that's right, GARISH).
The elastic casing is so great on this dress- totally enclosed in the lining! Anybody else sewing up vintage baby clothes? I have 2 sets of layette patterns from the early sixties that I am dying to use. I need to find more friends having babies since I am pretty sure I won't be sewing this stuff for myself ever again!
Hard to believe but I have that same pattern!! It was handed down to me from my mother and has been put to good use over the years. Not only has it been used many times to make clothes but I actually used the envelope in a banner for decorating at a tea party I had recently. It was fun to see the cute outfit you made using such a sweet pattern.
Posted by: Jennifer | May 26, 2011 at 11:53 AM
It is very appreciated!!!! I'll be sending a photo of the dear little girl in it soon.
Posted by: Jen | May 11, 2011 at 01:42 PM
What a good friend you have to give you such beautiful fabrics, the baby outfit it's so precious and the fabric look vintage and really turn out gorgeous for a little girl. I think I am gonna try to do some too, maybe I get inspiration from your work.
Posted by: Miami lasik surgery | May 2, 2011 at 07:20 AM
I am really enjoying your blog and all of your projects. This one is just darling.
Posted by: Julie B | April 30, 2011 at 07:40 AM
That is such a crazy awesome pattern. It's such a pity we're heading into winter and by next summer my baby will be too big for it, or I'd be hunting the pattern down and making a stack of them!
Posted by: Cate | April 30, 2011 at 06:58 AM
I want to make one of these so badly now!! I keep looking at the picture trying to figure out how I can make it.
Posted by: Ali | April 29, 2011 at 04:42 PM
Such a pretty outfit. I have lots of smaller pieces of fabric that can't be made into adult clothes, now I know what to do with them. I'll be saving them until there are babies to sew for!
Love the story you shared too. Fabric with history is so special!
Posted by: erin | April 28, 2011 at 09:47 PM
I LOVE this pattern! I just googled it and found one to buy. I hope it is in good condition. I can't wait to make this for the baby boy I am expecting in July!
This is one more reason why I love your blog. Thank you!
Posted by: AnnaPK | April 28, 2011 at 09:01 PM
So cute. I've been seeing lots of muted blues and brown on sewing blogs lately. I guess everything old is new again...eventually.
Posted by: Kristi | April 28, 2011 at 08:33 PM
OH gosh, that is adorable. If you feel the need to find more babies to sew for and want to make cute little boy things my 2nd grandchild is expected Sept 2nd and we just found out is going to be a boy this time. I'll be happy to send you my address. LOL I did make a lot of really cute things for our first grandchild, a girl but I have had a horrible time in the past with those snaps so now I avoid those at all costs. Of course, that dramatically reduces the cutesie baby cloths that can be sewn too. LOL I think maybe I'm going to buy the plier-type tool for installing snaps to see if that works better for me. In my sewing things I do think there are some of those older baby patterns that were purchased about 1982 or so when I had my first baby.
Posted by: VickiT | April 28, 2011 at 07:03 PM
Ohhh that fabric. I had that pic up on my computer while I did other things to admire the vintageness of them. LOVE the stack. You' lucky gal.
Posted by: nanette | April 28, 2011 at 04:12 PM
That pattern is hard to come by online, but yours sure did turn out cute! I have a couple of the fabrics in that stack in my stash...
Posted by: Kara | April 28, 2011 at 01:29 PM
That is an unbelievably awesome pattern!!!! Super cool and you did such a nice job! :)
Posted by: amy dunn | April 28, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Gorgeous and totally up to date . classics never age.
Posted by: madebymum | April 28, 2011 at 11:15 AM
That is so sweet! I might have to look on ebay for that pattern too! Great job, and such a cute choice of fabric!
Posted by: MochiPan | April 28, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Adorable! Great job!
Posted by: www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmybaN27vFE48n6fapsM8RK9d7iaTaP-iA | April 28, 2011 at 10:17 AM