Monday Morning Musings

With a cup of herbal tea in hand I sit and ponder my path for the day.  My weekend has been spent working on my 1912 Princess Slip pattern for the VPLL Project as well as adjusting a corset pattern by Festive Attyre.  Being as I am not the diminutive type that these patterns were made for I have had to adjust them for my 5’ 10” frame and build.  Teeny, tiny, I am not!

So…what is in store for today and the remainder of my week?

…mmmm

I am anxiously awaiting the Frances Grimble book “The Voice of Fashion” which I won in a Give-Away on Gwen’s blog After the Dress.  I just purchased Frances Grimble’s book “The Edwardian Modiste” several weeks ago and fell in love with all the fashions and patterns in that book.  As a winner in Gwen’s give-away you were given a choice of one of four of Frances Grimble’s books and in choosing one I decided on the book directly preceding the Edwardian Modiste which includes the Gibson Girl Era of fashion.  How wonderful it is going to be to have this reference in my library!  The other portion of the give-away included a membership to the VPLL(Vintage Pattern Lending Library) which is associated with the 1912 Sewing Project.  I am just aching to get my hands on some of their patterns.  I’d like to offer Gwen of After the Dress a heart-felt thank you for offering such a wonderful give-away.

Well…enough Monday morning musings…onto cutting a mock-up for my Princess Slip and corset and a little bit of sewing.

Happy Sewing….

Mail Call: Up Next the VPPL 1912 Project

Lookie-lookie what the mail lady brought me today!!!

What a haul!!!  I have been waiting patiently for two books from Amazon, The Edwardian Modiste and Patterns of Fashion 2 as well as lace trim from Deb’s Lace & Trims and my patients has finally paid off with a box from both UPS and the Postal Service yesterday.   The final piece to the puzzle, my Challenge Pattern – Princess Slip, was received today.  These items will get put to good use all in preparation for participating in the VPLL 1912 sewing project.  I am so thrilled to have the main components to get this project underway, all that is left is the fabric which I will hopefully acquire this weekend.

The books were ordered in preparation for this project and I have quickly perused their pages and am very excited to find that the authentic patterns have been included along with the accompanying instructions, fashion plates and period sewing techniques.  There are also directions for converting the pattern illustrations in the books into the actual size pattern.  In the Edwardian Modiste there are scales in the back of the book that will aide you in drafting a pattern for your individual size based upon the American System of Cutting Rulers.  It is rather interesting seeing how these patterns were designed during this time period and what the seamstress utilized to enlarge them.  As for the Patterns of Fashion 2, this book also has patterns based upon actual dresses that have been studied in museums and galleries.  The garments have been graphed out with accompanying notes on fabrics, trims, etc.  There is an evening dress I am eyeing up on page 58 (c1909-1910) that will be a future project.  Both books are well worth the money paid in the information that can be gleaned from them.

Onto VPLL…

Allow me to give you a little background information on the VPLL 1912 project.   I was reading an interesting article on the Threads Magazine website which lead me to a blog post on Vintage Fashionista that had made a request for test sewers for a special project.  The VPLL Library is transcribing patterns from the 1912 editions of La Mode Illustree in hopes of making the patterns from that year available to the public for lending/purchase.  As a test sewer I will receive patterns over the next year and will construct the clothing, post photos and blog about my experience sewing  on these vintage fashion patterns.  There are over 400 test sewers for this project and each has been designated a group based upon their geographic location.  As patterns become available they are assigned to a group.  As it stands right now not all groups have received a pattern but each sewer is given the opportunity to sew a “Challenge Pattern” that will be offered each month.  Officially I am now a member of Group #28, of The 1912 Project and am thrilled to have received the challenge pattern and am looking forward to receiving my regular group pattern once it becomes available as well.

I can’t wait to begin sewing vintage fashions!

Happy Sewing…