Vintage Inspiration

 

Lately I've enjoyed looking around the internet at all the vintage patterns that are available for the humans among us and this one appealed to me.  I think it's from 1956.  So I tried to recreate it.  

I really struggled with making the pattern, specifically getting the bodice to fit but after many muslins, I finally got it.  The fabric is raw silk from Cocomaran on Etsy and I love it.  It's like a soft shantung and comes in about 70 colors.  The bag is made from faux leather.  

The jacket turned out pretty well I would have liked the collar to be a little lower and more shawl-like.  But I'm learning with every piece I attempt. 

 This was first time taking pics with my new camera.  I broke down and bought a Canon EOS Rebel T7, a beginner level SLR with a learning curve that I could manage.  I remembered that somewhere out in the garage I thought I had a 30"x30" photo tent and, amazingly (you should see the sorry state of my garage), I found it.  I used the same lights that I used to use for taking pics of my jewelry.  The only hitch was that I had to watch three different YouTube videos to figure out to twist that thing up again and get it back in it's bag.  Some YouTubers are heroes!  

Sequins--Love and Hate

I love the unnatural shade of red hair on this Tyler but someone please put me out of my misery if I ever decide to sew with sequined fabric again. I didn't realize until I watched some YouTube videos that you have to cut all the sequins out of the seam allowances. That alone took hours and gave me blisters on my thumb, not to mention creating a pattern that fit.

But it turned out not too bad. The bracelet is made from sew-on rhinestones and seed beads. My original idea to make it with two rows of rhinestones worked in theory but in real life my eyes couldn't handle it.

Wondering is she needs a fur stole to go with it.  

Fashion Doll Stylist

 There is a super fun blog that I've been following since I got interested in fashion dolls, Fashion Doll Stylist.  April follows the runway shows and the red carpets, and recreates some of these designer looks for her 12" girls, as well as sharing helpful information on how she does it.  She even makes her own shoes!  Her blog is stuffed with great inspiration photos.  The one of Dennis Basso designs particularly inspired me because I had the perfect fabric to try my hand at miniaturizing these looks.  (April generously gave me permission to use her photoshopped version of the runway pics.)

I've done the first three and have a great old piece of animal print velveteen for the last coat.  But here's what I've done so far.  

I only just noticed that the original coat has buttons on it.  LOL  I have some tiny black buttons on order and that will be fixed.  I didn't have anything that would work for fur trim down the fronts so I just bound the edges in black fabric.  

Same fabric but in a simple sheath with a black lace overlay on the bodice.  The fabric came from Etsy seller Letty Sewing Supplies.  

The jacket is made with a minky fabric, and the skirt is really made from a piece of very thin lambskin leather that I had on hand.  The belt is also lambskin with a eyelets attached and tied with velvet ribbon.  

Thanks for the inspiration, April!