introductory Tag

16 Feb

Posted at 16:20h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Vintage Patterns by
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Gil Brandao's patterns have a seductive quality in their simplicity and clarity.  Often with pattern making instructions, simplicity is no more than an absence of information that can be finally very frustrating.  Not so for Gil.  His diagrams have all the required information.  So much so that my inability to read Portuguese does not present a problem.

09 Feb

Posted at 16:29h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Sewing patterns by
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The simplest of shapes have a tendency to be the most difficult to solve in the pattern puzzle.  When there are no recognisable pattern parts (armholes, necklines, etc.), a huge amount of creativity is needed to make sense of the pattern shape.  Each week our fans excel in their ability to work their way through the information, ask the best questions and eventually win the day.  :)   They are the best!  If you don't fancy making your own pattern this design is now available as a PDF sewing pattern to download and sew for your self at home.  Click through to see my very first PDF patterns online!

02 Feb

Posted at 16:43h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft by
1 Like
At last the detail for the Saturday #PatternPuzzle is here!  My apologies for the delay to our usual posting but I had a little trouble with my graphics.  It was a wonderful round of creative answers and clever solutions that finally solved this puzzle.  Our Handkerchief Fold Dress is so named because it struck me that the construction of this dress is much like a handkerchief with the corners folded into the centre.

12 Jan

Posted at 17:16h in Pattern Making, Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Vintage Patterns by
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I finally had a chance to use some of the wonderful work in the Gil Brandao book.  In particular, this pattern hooked me from the beginning as it doesn't seem to make any sense.  To start with, the thing that looks like a dart is really an armhole?  And that thing that looks like a sleeve is in fact, a waist tie. As you can imagine I was looking forward to an interesting fitting.

29 Dec

Posted at 17:34h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Vintage Patterns by
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Once again I have been seduced by a Vintage Fashion Illustration promising so much in fit and style.  Add to that the fact that this bodice promised to be one of those fascinating one-piece patterns.  They were so thoroughly investigated in the first half of the 20th century when manufacturers were looking for a  reduction of machine processes for the mass manufacture of fashion.  This blog now has a great number (5) of these style of blog posts which I plan to develop into a more detailed post in the future.

15 Dec

Posted at 17:55h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles by
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We have had a good run lately with Cowl Drape styles and this week is no exception with the Cowl Back Tee.  Last week was the Vivienne Drape Dress featuring a Cowl Drape on the neckline and in the skirt.  And two weeks ago, a reworking of The Drape Shift, in a woven fabric, for The Drape Shift - Woven.  You might say we are coming at the #CowlDrape thing from all directions.

10 Nov

Posted at 10:17h in Pattern Making Instructions, Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Vintage Patterns by
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It's a mean thing to present the fans with a rectangle as a #PatternPuzzle and expect them to describe the garment.  In my defence, I did include a couple of very small notches as a clue.  In the end, Mioara was able to produce an almost exact image of the idea in knit fabric. I think we may have been reading the same pattern making books.  :) I found this image on Pinterest, but have had no luck finding the original source material.  If anyone knows the origin of this piece I would love to be able to include the correct information here.

09 Oct

Posted at 14:53h in Pattern Puzzles, Self-draft, Sewing Pattern Alterations, Vintage Patterns by
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The Patent Blouse has become a favourite top for me after the first set of samples were very wearable.  It has become such a favourite that I managed to wear out my first red sample very quickly.  Unfortunately rayon is not made to last and very soon the surface of the knit was a little shabby with pilling.  I have promised myself that the next red patent blouse will be made in merino.  July 2019:  This pattern has now been added to the website as a PDF download - The Patent Blouse Sizes XS-XXL

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