Fall Photo Contest Entry

I finished it!  Well, mostly.

My entry for Emily's Vintage Visions Fall Photo Contest:

The timing of the contest was perfect!  I already had the blouse and trousers in the works.  While I didn't get the trousers I wanted to completed, I already had these ones.  The blouse is from the Smooth Sailing pattern.  The print has flowers and bees in perfect fall colours.  Maybe bees aren't autumnal...?

The jacket is a gift from my Dad.  I've always felt it has a little 1940s feel to it so it was a great addition to this outfit.  I panicked a little because it's been so darn cold the past week.  I though for sure I wouldn't be able to find a tree with any leaves left, but I did!  Huzzah!

The brooch is something near to my heart.  Not because it's heart, but because I got it from the first real costuming job I had.  I moved across the country to work at Fort Edmonton Park, and when I started working in costume one day a week I bought this beauty to wear with my 1884 bustle dress.

And now for the hat.  I had my outfit all planned out until I remembered I don't have an appropriate hat!  Ack!  But then Jill of Adeline's Attic posted this little number for sale.  Don't mind if I do!

I made the mistake of following the directions, which I sure won't do again.  The hat has a bit more personality than I anticipated.  Such is life.

All in all I'm quite happy with this adventure.  It's such a joy to participate in contests like these.  I love getting to see all the entries in the Facebook page.  I do hope this is a yearly thing!

Up next:
I have no idea.  Maybe I'll finish my winter coat before the snow?

Fall Photo Contest Outfit

Have you heard of Emily's Vintage Visions Fall Photo Contest?  Because you should really check it out:

Emily's Vintage Visions

Even if you don't enter do enjoy the vintage clothing descriptions.  Such detail!

I do plan to enter and I'm quite excited about it.  I'll save the final photos until I get my entry together next week, but here's a little teaser description to pique your interest:

- Blouse - lovely slate blue with a floral print.
- Trousers - grey-ish brown wool
- Velvet hat & matching purse - my Grandmother instilled the necessity that one's purse should always match one's hat and shoes.  How can I go against such sound advice?
- Jacket - a Christmas present from my Dad with a distinctly 1940s feel.  
- Shoes - purchased from ModCloth.  And yes, they match my hat and purse!

I'll be making everything but the jacket and shoes.  The blouse is done.  Victory!  Now to make the rest...

The blouse and trousers are part of the Smooth Sailing pattern set from Wearing History.  Since I already had the pattern and corresponding fabric it just seemed to fit with the project.  And ensure I get the damn things done this season!

The hat pattern I can you.

I snapped it up last weekend from Adeline's Attic.  If you haven't checked out her Etsy shop here you should!  She's based in Edmonton so I have the advantage of meeting her in person to shop her attic.  This little pattern was too cute to pass up!  I've wanted a beret style hat for awhile, but wanted something with a bit more structure.  I found it! I'll be making it up in a berry-red velveteen to match the little red flowers in my blouse.  And my shoes and bag (see above).

No idea how I'm doing the bag yet.  I know I want a shell shape, and I probably want some beading, but unless I have yet another sleepless week I should probably scale it back.

And now, back to the sewing machine!  I have a lot of work to get done in a week.  Eep!

~M

Winter Coat: Butterick 5824 - Prep

As I finally catch my breath after September's flurry of activity, I'm focusing just a little bit on sewing for me.

My new winter coat, which has been in the works for  two years (!), is finally cut and serged.  This is not a feat to go unacknowledged!  I've had my lovely turquoise wool for almost two years.  When my favourite fabric store was going out of business (RIP Estee's) I snapped it up at a rather reduced price.  The downside, of course, being there was only 4 meters of it.  At time I hadn't picked a pattern and thought surely it would be enough fabric.

Enter Butterick 5824:

A divine 1950's swing coat with an opulent shawl collar.  What else could I ask for?  

More fabric :( 

The pattern takes 5.2 meters.  Of course!  

I knew I would be short fabric, but thought with a tad bit of creative cutting and a contrast collar I could make it work.  As I laid out my patterns pieces Sunday afternoon it was clearly not going to happen.  After a panicked trip to Fabricland to discover there was no suitable alternative, I returned home to brainstorm.  Lovely B even offered to drive to Calgary next weekend to find an alternate fabric at my new favourite fabric spot.  Note: marry someone who will drive 3 hours each way to get you the right fabric!  

As we stood in line at Sunterra buying too much, as always, I realized I had two options.  Cut the length significantly (um, nope!) or use contrast for the hem band as well as the collar.  The more I thought about a black velvet hem band the more I liked it.  Done!

I hacked 8" of the bottom of each skirt pattern piece and tried my luck again.  When I laid out the pattern pieces this time I actually had extra fabric.  VICTORY!!!  

I laid out my wool, double-layered, then added my wind-breaker fabric on top.  Again, double-layered.  These are layers 1 and 2.

The layers are as follows:

1. Turquoise wool.

2. Wind breaker fabric.  I actually have no idea what it's really called, but that's what I call it.  Comment below if you know it's name.

3. Wool interlining.  YOU GUYS.  Do you know how hard it is to find lambswool interlining?!?  Ugh.  I'm using wool quilt batting.  Fingers crossed.

4. Silver Kasha back lining.  

I'm debating on lining the coat at layer 2, then making the kasha back and wool interlining a removable layer.  That will give me a more versatile coat plus give me the option to increase the interlining if it's not warm enough.  I'm pretty sure it will be though.

Why am I not using the thinsulate stuff they sell at Fabricland, you ask?  Because I hate that stuff.  It doesn't breath properly and it makes a crinkle noise.  I do not like to crinkle when I move.  

The lady at the quilt store gave me a disapproving look for wanting to add wool batting to a coat until I explained I plan to quilt it to the lining in a matching turquoise.  Then she was on board.  Related note, I LOVE Johnson's Sewing Centre and Quilter's Dream.  So nice and friendly.  And they saved me money!  

But I digress.  Moving on.

The collar, 8" of the skirt hem, and 4" of the sleeve hem will be black velvet.  It will be a lavish swing coat that will probably cause me to twirl all the way to work.  Meh, it's Jasper Ave.  Unlikely the weirdest thing to happen on my route.

~M