On being bothered!

vintage simplicity pattern 6772

It’s been an eventful few days. Asides from the usual back to back workload, there was Holly Johnson on Thursday, Fleetwood Mac on Friday and a whole sunny day with the children at Pools on the Park in Richmond on Saturday.

I was therefore a little jaded last night. Like a hologram, in fact. a pink frazzled sleepy hologram! I wanted to sew. But the pattern I wanted to sew, typically wasn’t in my size, let alone relative to my proportions. I knew it needed some grading and it pained me to think I had to put some effort in before I could just sit and sew. I made another cup of tea. Did the washing up. Put a laundry load on. Flicked through Facebook. Made another cup of tea. I certainly could have graded and cut out the damned thing instead of doing all that, and by that time it was 9.30pm.

So I got cross with myself and my refusal to do what I’d arranged with myself to do. And set about it. The punishment being that if I fannied around anymore and didn’t put my mind to what was needed to be done I’d just lose more sleep-time. And I was tired, I can tell you!

So with the infamous Nike strapline loud and clear in my head, two back-to-back episodes of Eastenders lined up on iplayer, I got tracing and marking and cutting like a good’un. The bodice needed one set of grading, the skirt section another. And the darts needed redrawing and repositioning. I don’t know that I’ve ever employed the cut-and-spread method of grading so properly before. I’ve thought about doing it but it always seems like so much work. It really isn’t! No more winging it with adding a bit here and a bit there on the side seams!

graded pattern pieces

It’s a shirt dress by the way. Simplicity 6772 from the 1960s. I’m making version 3, the blue one on the right. Not my usual style of shirt-waist dress like the ones I made previously: the 1940s shirt dress and the shirt dress revisited, but a more casual, straight like shirt dress that buttons all the way down. I will skip those bound buttonholes though. The fabric is a suiting fabric, a lightweight wool-blend, confirmed by a burn test that revealed a crumbly kind of ash, signifying more poly than wool! So it doesn’t deserve such couture details. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve done the hockey run, put another wash-load on, seen my daughter off to the Park Club and had lunch with my son. Mr O is on his way to a wedding gig and I kid you not, I just actually heard a pin drop!

So now the pieces are cut out, darts marked and pinned and I’m now about to embark on the part I love the most. And fingers crossed, will be so pleased that I bothered to grade those pattern pieces. If it does work out good I will no longer have to miss out on those fabulous vintage pattern bids for being the wrong size.

vintage simplicity 6772 cut out

I won’t tempt fate. In fact I won’t waffle on any more as I now have a couple of hours of very valuable sewing time on my hands. Just have to avoid the distraction of the sun. Repeat. Just have to avoid the distraction of the sun!!

 

10 Replies to “On being bothered!”

  1. hmmm maybe I should go sew instead of playing around on the internet…

    love the black and white gingham BTW 🙂

  2. God, I admire your work ethic, Oobop. You are relentless! When I’m that shattered, I can’t do a thing. I had a friend who went to Fleetwood Mac on Friday. O2? Love that gingham – it’s everywhere right now. I keep wanting to find a really big gingham and make something.

    1. Thanks Karen. Sometimes. Not always! I can’t resist gingham. Was just blown away with suiting gingham! It’s from Dave/Danielle the Drapers for a silly price. I might have to go back and get some more for some capri pants a la Doris Day! x

  3. Think I have that pattern! It never occurs to me that you can grade single size vintage patterns. Why have I never thought of that? I am impressed by your get up and sew! Looking forward to seeing it sewn up.

    1. Thank you. It involves a bit more effort. Much easier with multisize but vintage patterns are always single size apart from the repro ones. Fingers crossed it works!

  4. I agree with you that there are so many other things to do than sew. And pattern alterations can just seem like so much work. But they need doing, and they need doing well. I hope you can take a breath between your hectic social life and getting started on this pattern.

  5. I’ve never been brave enough to grade to that extent, looking forward to seeing how it works out. Love that gingham and oh yes, Doris Day capris would be fantastic on you.

  6. I LOVE the gingham, too. I can’t wait to see your finished dress. I have some black and white big gingham, just waiting for the right dress pattern to come along.

    In other news…
    I was wondering if you might be interested in participating in Refashion Runway: Season Three.
    We’d love to have you!

    All my best,
    Beth Huntington
    aka
    The Renegade Seamstress

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