Fashion Library: Most Loved Vintage Sewing Books

When people who sew get together, it's likely that one of these books is part of that gathering. Assembled here are probably the best loved sewing books, trusted for their depth, organization, and clear, concise instruction.

New Vintage Pattern Review: Butterick 6212 Pop Over Dress

New retro sewing pattern Butterick 6212 is a super cute 1950's style popover, or pullover dress pattern destined to become a popular model this summer. It has great details in the shaped sweetheart neckline, midriff waistband and double buttons in the skirt back, with an optional back waist tie.

These photos show the how the actual garment looks on a model. At this point, small details are more clearly seen. This pullover style is really a multi-fit house dress, with a mock blouse attached to the mock waistband of a contrast color skirt.  The front bodice wraps around to the back where the skirt is buttoned to an 'inner back' panel.  This panel can be seen in the gap between the skirt at center back.

In several ways this dress is alot like Butterick 4790, which wraps to the front, rather than the back. The schematic draft for that dress shows how one bodice is sewn to the skirt, while the other side of the body has a plain sheath style design.  The sheath is worn to the front with Butterick 4790, while it is worn to the back with this pattern.  Both have bodices that wrap around with diagonal edges where it meets: at the front with Butterick 4790, and in the back with buttons in Butterick 6212.

The back view photo above shows where the skirt wraps come together, and there's fabric strain at the waistline where it buttons in back. This view also shows that the 'inner back' is probably a 'sheath' shaped one piece pattern: from shoulders to hem, shaped with 2 vertical darts.

The flat drafts of this garment reveal the seam lines and darts.  But the inner back piece of this dress is not shown. It is clear that the front bodice will wrap around to the back, and this bodice and waist band will be held in place by the button rows in back.

Looking closer at the back view, it seems that the 'inner back' sheath piece is not tightly fitted at the waistline, in fact the vertical darts used for shaping this piece are the only means used to create a snug waistline fit in back.  Without a tight fight, the front of this dress will shift and hang loose.

The strain along the waistline in back results in horizontal wrinkles as seen in the back photo. This strain may cause the buttons to rip out or tear the fabric of the "inner back" sheath, unless the waistline area has interfacing (which does not seem likely).

The back can be made into a better fitting piece if that "inner back" pattern has some adjustments. I feel that it should have a true waistline seam across the back. Even better, a waistband could be inserted with the same width that the "outer back" panels have, so it matches across the back, rather than showing a gap between the buttoned skirt panels that are now seen.

A waistline would also make it possible for the "inner back" lower skirt area to be cut from fabric that matches the rest of the skirt (it doesn't match with the current pattern design).

How to add a waistline seam:

Using the top button placement on the back sheath pattern, draw a horizontal line across the back at the waistline button location as shown in the picture above.

Cut along this line.

Using a wide piece of paper or tissue cut into 3" wide strips the length of this cut edge. Tape a 3" wide strip along each edge, then mark a line that is 5/8" from the cut on the newly added strip. This will be the new seam allowance.

There is a tutorial for a similar process that shows an example of cutting apart a pattern, adding seam allowances and sewing it back together HERE from Craftsy that shows this method as used when creating color blocking pieces.

After two pattern pieces have been made, the lower pattern piece will become the 'skirt' and can be cut in fabric to match the skirt front.  This will make the back view have a continuous color, rather than the gap between the buttons.

The upper piece can be cut from the bodice fabric.

Baste this seamline together for a fitting. The existing darts may need to be made deeper to shape the waistline and add curves for hips in back.

When sewing this seamline, it can be reinforced with a ribbon or seam tape to keep the seam from 'popping' or breaking when the skirt is wrapped around and buttoned along that seamline.

Other fitting finepoints: The bodice has bust darts that 'end' into the armhole wrap. This shouldn't gap or fall open when wrapped around to the back. If the arm hole seems too loose, the bust dart might need to be taken in more, making the loose armhole tighter.

Style alterations: If you want to see the back of the skirt meet, rather than show a gap, just extend the skirt pattern to meet in the middle of center back with a 1" overlap for buttons. By lengthening the back waistband and skirt, it will be possible for the center back of the skirt to button together, rather than expose the "inner back".

Once this pattern has been fit and any style alterations have been made, this will be an easy dress to sew and wear, especially in easy to sew summer cottons.

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Teach Yourself to Sew with Vintage Style Patterns

Learning to sew own your own can be fun when you work with patterns that fit your level of sewing skills. If you love vintage and retro styles, then carefully selecting vintage patterns can help to create new ‘vintage style’ looks. But authentic vintage pattern may be difficult to find in the right size, and often they need some alterations for a more modern fit.

Probably the easiest true vintage pattern group to look for are Simplicity sewing patterns from the 1960's forward with a "How to Sew" banner. These patterns have instructions that show details on sewing specific techniques. Often they were designed to be used in traditional home ec. classrooms, so the styles have few pattern pieces and involve simple or entry level sewing techniques.

Starting with a new pattern that is a modern copy of a vintage pattern is a short cut to getting that retro look you want to sew. Learning to sew means that the styles you choose shouldn’t be difficult for someone with beginning sewing skills. The blouses shown above are excellent examples of styles that have easy to sew design elements and limited techniques required.

If you want to sew a blouse or dress with buttons and button holes, prepare by doing some research in sewing books or online so that you understand how buttonholes are located. You may need to consult your sewing machine manual to learn how your machine settings can make those buttonholes for you.

I feature here two styles that have short kimono sleeves, making the bodices easier to sew since set-in sleeves are not required. The patterns in this post are just a small selection of retro or vintage style sewing patterns currently available through the major pattern companies. These patterns were selected for their very basic level of design, limited pattern pieces, simple darts, facings and ease of fit. Using vintage prints or stripes, cute retro styles are possible using these sewing patterns. Some of the patterns do require an entry level skill in fitting, so be sure if you are very new to sewing that you select a style with a looser fit.

Even dresses are possible, just seek out styles that have few pieces and can be easily fit to your size if that is required. Usually dresses have zippers, so that technique may be your main challenge in sewing a dress.

When looking further at sewing patterns, read the list below so that you have a good idea what sewing projects may be at your skill level. You might want to avoid the more advanced level projects, since those techniques or design elements may be too difficult to sew right now.

Level ONE: You are a new sewist, and need patterns that aren’t difficult or complicated. Look for:

Few pattern pieces
Loose fit “A” line shapes on dress or skirt
2 dart front: side seam darts or French darts
Sleeveles and collarless blouses or bodices
Wrap skirts (no zipper)
No waistband on skirt
Back zipper (no side or underarm zippers), with one side overlap (not centered)
Patch pockets
Fabrics that are stable, smooth and easy to cut, sew and press, such as light weight quilting cottons, woven stripes and plaids in cotton.

Level TWO: You have started sewing fashions and are ready to try some patterns that are a bit more difficult. You are ready for some of the more easy challenges in fitting patterns too. Look for:

Sheath dress: a more fitted one piece dress with 2 or 4 darts in front, 2 darts in back
Princess seamline dress: more fitted one piece dress with shaped vertical seamlines from underarm to hem, both front and back
Fitted bodice with darts in front (not tight fitting)
Fitted bodice with princess seamlines in front (not tight fitting)
Plain sleeves (no cuffs)
Sleeves with gathered shoulder or puff sleeves
Waistband on skirt
Side seam pocket
Loose pajama pants or elastic waist pants
Collar sewn in a dress neckline
Men’s bowling or Hawaiian style shirt (small collar, no back yoke, short sleeves)
Invisible zipper: hard to understand, easy to sew
Fabrics: add soft cottons or rayons to your selection, also consider embroidered fabrics and border prints

Level THREE: If you have been sewing for awhile, then projects that require good sewing techniques, fabric control and fitting are nice to work on. Look for:

Close fitting one piece dress with darts or princess seamlines
Close fitting bodice with 4 darts in front or princess seamlines, has skirt sewn to bodice at waistline
Collar on blouse, convertible collar
Straight skirt, fitted with darts or princess seam lines
Dress with a waistline seam
Buttons and buttonholes
Pants with waistband or yoke, back or size zipper
Fabrics: wool flannel, velvet and velveteen and denim have the level difficulty that would be good to try sewing

Level FOUR: These projects are for the sewist who is ready to sew just about any style. Fitting and complicated techniques in sewing should be great for this skill level

Sleeves with cuffs
Men’s style shirt collars
Men’s style shirt with back yoke
Fly Front zippers on pant or skirt
Side zipper on dress with sleeves
Fitted bodices such as corsets and formal wear.
Difficult fabrics that might be slippery, thick or hard to work with.

In my next post, I'll go over a few sewing resources to help you problem solve and learn new techniques.

Easy to Sew: Make your own Dress

Do you want to try sewing a dress that is easy to sew and looks great, but don't know where to start? Here's a few ideas to start with. The first two patterns are vintage, and the third is a modern take on vintage styles. All are easy to sew up in this gorgeous pink cotton floral print. All are available in the shop this week.

On the first pattern, the "A" line shaping just skims over the figure. This pink dress with the bias cut collar is a silhouette that is very flattering on figures with curvey hips. It is a vintage pattern by Simplicity 7625 from 1968. When finding patterns, look for "A" line shift styles like this that have simple darts and 2 main pattern pieces.

Hate to sew zippers? This second pattern is a super straight shift style that has only side bust darts. Chances are you may be able to get away without sewing in a back zipper if the dress slips on over your head! Look for vintage pattern Simplicity 4471 from 1964.

For a modern fit, I like this third pattern, a discontinued McCall's 4768. Although it has only 2 main pattern pieces, the upper body is shaped by princess seam lines. Princess seams are the best way to fit a curvey bustline because you can make adjustments for a perfect look. The flutter hem detail is optional, so this pattern is perfect for a slender sheath dress project.

When it comes to sewing, this pink floral fabric is an easy to sew cotton sateen that has a smooth finish. This is a recent textile with a vintage look, and it would be perfect for sewing any of these dresses.

You may have noticed that I selected sleeveless styles for this group. That will save you time and energy spent sewing in sleeves. When fall arrives, just throw on a cardigan and tights, and you'll wear your dress into the cooler weather.