I really love the look of them and always wish I had my own to wear! But seeing as how I was born in '82, that's kind of a problem. :ponder: :wink: I have an awesome sewing machine that I use every day (most favorite. hobby. ever.), but I'm still a beginner -- only just started at Christmas! I just got done taking a Sewing I class, and will be taking Sewing II (and III, eventually :p) on March 1st, where I will be learning how to make a skirt. Figuring out how to make pretty, nicely-fitted dresses can't be too far off from there for me, right? :face:

I know there MUST be a way to make these dresses, but I don't know how I could, or if there are even any patterns available for them anywhere... So I thought I'd ask here and maybe you guys would know. :grin: :inlove:

Help or advice of any sort is very much appreciated. :grin: TIA!

oh wow!
What a great question!

I received a sewing machine for Christmas also. And I would love to get my hands on some vintage patterns.

Here's some, the prices aren't too bad:
http://www.rustyzipper.com/shop.cfm?Type=Sewing%20Patterns&source=overture&kw=vintage%20sewing%20pattern&OVRAW=vintage%20sewing%20patterns&OVKEY=vintage%20sewing%20pattern&OVMTC=standard

http://www.oldpatterns.com/

What about a thrift store? I see them all the time, but they seem to be from the 70's.

I've bought from Patterns From The Past, listed above, and had a good experience. I'm in the process of trying this out now, because I think some older silhouettes suit me better. Also, if you want to go whole hog this site sells reproduction fabrics:

http://www.shopvintageandvogue.com/

Vintage clothing stores may have some.
Yard sales may turn up old patterns. Especially try church yard sales.
Maybe KissedByFyre can give some advice?

If you use vintage patterns... I think the sizing was different then? Like way smaller?

Surf online and you can find patterns - Ebay has them but so do some vintage sites.

I've had great luck with ebay. There is a significant size number shift, but when buying patterns you should buy according to your measurements anyway, so this isn't a big deal.

Dani, the first dress I made was a simple sleeveless semi-fitted dress intended for swing dancing-- selecting a retro fabric goes a long ways towards making a modern dress look vintage. If you can sew darts, you're probably ready to try a simple side-zip dress already. ^__^

Something you might find interesting about working with vintage patterns is that the seam allowance is 1/2" instead of the 5/8" that is standard today. It doesn't make the patterns harder to put together, but it does mean that there is less extra fabric should you decide to adjust the fit. Also, the instructions are a tiny bit more vague because they assumed more sewing knowledge than patterns do today.

With that in mind, why not try one of the modern reprints being offered by Vogue and Butterick? Many of them are rated easy, and the patterns have been redrafted so that sizing and seam allowance are identical to modern patterns. Plus you can get them for 1-2$ when Jo-Ann runs their big pattern sales, which is about what you'd pay for shipping on some of the ebay auctions.

Good luck! post pictures when you finish!

If you use vintage patterns... I think the sizing was different then? Like way smaller?

Yes that's right. I sewed a lot for myself in the 60s. I wore a 12 in real life and bought size 14 patterns. God I wish I was still that little. :rolleyes:

You might talk to some of your older female relatives. If they are like me and mine, they still have the patterns, the fabric, and probably the shoes. Ask, you might be surprised. I NEVER get rid of things like that. My mother and aunts all still have drawers full of patterns, boxes of material, zippers.

You might also look for one of those cool dress forms that you can "fix" to make it your shape and sizes. You can even adjust the height so that you can hem them without someone else's help. They are really helpful, and you can find them cheap at garage and estate sales sometimes.

hth

On the subject of sizing differences, as long as you know your measurements you should always be able to pick the correct size. In case you don't know them, any website selling new patterns will have a list of the measurements you'll need.

I've seen on Amazon some fashion books with those old styles. You can check Dover Publications too, sometimes they have interesting reproductions of old books. I too am interested in making my own clothes in that style! There are also books and classes I've seen on making your own patterns from existing clothes, which I'd like to try too.

Does any of that help?

~Haley