McCall's 8813 Suit: Finished

My suit is finally done. I was waiting for some good weather to take pictures outside but it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon (it's meant to snow tomorrow), so inside photos will have to do.

I've written a bit about the construction of the jacket in the previous posts, so I'll spare you any more about that. The skirt was pretty easy to sew. I tapered the bottom in a few inches because I don't like straight skirts.

I really should make some sort of effort to change my facial expression between photos

I lined the skirt in a black satin from my stash that someone had given me, because I didn't have enough of the fabric I used to line the jacket. In fact, almost everything I used for this suit was from my stash and/or second hand. 

I look surprised, probably because I managed to make a suit. 

Hat: Saltaire Vintage Fair
Hatpin: I made it
Suit: I made it
Vanity case: Sumner Street Fair
Shoes: Op shopped
Tights: Columbine (still made in NZ)
Gloves: From the dressing up box we had as kids. They probably belonged to my grandma.

I took this photo with the flash on. It gives a better idea of the actual colour. It's not as dark green as it looks in the pictures above.

My hair is always messy at the back...and at the front, but more so at the back. 

Here's one of the hatpins I made in action on the hat I was wearing.

McCall's 8813 Progress

I've almost finished the jacket part of the suit I'm making. It's taken me quite a while because of all the hand sewing. I hand sewed the whole lining in place. This is an experience I'm not that keen to repeat because it took forever.  

The lining is the leftovers from some fabric I used before to line a jacket. I love fancy printed linings. It's not actually lining fabric so it's really nice and soft. It originally cost me just over $1 a metre, but I'm going to call it free since it was leftover from another project.

The flaps look like they be pockets but they're just decorative. I stitched them down with a few hand stitches because they were flapping all over the place. 

Just ignore the fact that it doesn't fit the mannequin. It's smaller than me. I have a few little things left to do on the jacket, like pressing and stitching down the collar, and then I'm done.

After that, I have the skirt to do. I'm using Simplicity 3581, view 3. It should go together much quicker than the jacket.

Fake Hatpin DIY

I have a couple of hats that need something to secure them so they'll stay on my head. I don't have any hatpins, and the vintage ones I've seen are really expensive. After seeing this tutorial, I decided to make one.  

You need a long doll needle to use as the pin. I had to buy a whole pack because you can't buy them individually. I also got some black faceted beads and some crimps.

I ended up hot gluing the bead over the eye of the needle because the crimps didn't feel that secure.

After making the first one, I made another shorter one with a bead from a broken necklace I had. 

I put an earring back on the end to stop any hatpin-related injuries. I really should get a silver one but, since I don't wear earrings, the gold was all I could find.

This was a quick project and so much cheaper than buying hatpin. I'll post a picture when I actually wear one of them with a hat. 

What I'm Sewing

I don't generally post pictures of things that I'm in the middle of sewing. Mostly because, in my rush to finish something, I forget to take photos. The project I'm working on at the moment, a suit, is pretty labour intensive and slow. Since most of the detail is inside, I thought I'd take some pictures of the inner workings before they get covered up by the lining.

I'm using McCall's 8813 for the jacket. I bought the pattern without the envelope, so the only picture is the black and white one on the instruction sheet. I can't find any info about when the pattern dates from, but the next pattern number up (McCall's 8814) is from 1952, so it's probably from around then.

I don't love the straight skirt in the McCall's pattern. It seems like an unflattering shape and length, and I don't like the seam down the front. I'm thinking of using a pencil skirt pattern like the one above that I recently op shopped.

The white thread is just basting holding the buttonholes closed

This is the jacket so far. I'm using a dark green wool that I got from trademe. Because good wool fabric is almost impossible to buy here (in a country where there are more sheep than people), I ended up buying a secondhand roll that had 16 metres on it. This was way cheaper than buying one of the nasty wool blend (20% wool, 80% polyester, 100% likely to start pilling if you so much as look at it) fabrics that you can get new.

I couldn't find any in my huge stash that went with the wool, so I made some covered buttons using this old kit that I op shopped. They required lots of bashing with the hammer because the fabric is so thick. I have to say, bashing things with a hammer is quite therapeutic. 

  

The colour came out funny, but they are the same green as the jacket. 

This is the inside. The front and hip pieces are interfaced with hair canvas. Hair canvas feels gross, but it's traditional in tailoring, and the pattern says to use it. It helps things hold their shape. Cotton tape is used along the armholes and the front seams and bias tape along the waistline to strengthen them.

 I still have quite a bit to go on the jacket before I start on the skirt. It's a lot of work, but I'm actually enjoying all the handsewing.

Shiny, shiny, shiny

It's been raining here in the last couple of days which means that I've finally been able to wear the red vinyl raincoat I bought at a charity shop in the UK. I took these pictures quickly during a break in the rain. 

Beret: Op shopped
Raincoat: Sue Ryder charity shop, Haworth
Dress (peeking out under the coat): Trademe
Shoes: Hunters and Collectors

The weird expression on my face is because I'm overcome with excitement about the pockets, obviously

P.S. I'm having a stall at Anissa Victoria's Vintage on Saturday from 12pm to 3pm at the Sandridge Hotel, 30 Huxley St.

Black and Gold

After my last post complaining about how expensive the op shops have become, here I am wearing one of my favourite op shopping finds ever; a 1950s/60s beaded, lambswool cardigan. I bought it about three years ago for $5. I found another one at the same time (they must have belonged to the same person) with black beading. Sadly, that one is too big for me, so I gave it to my mum.  

Sunglasses: My grandma gave them to me.
Vintage Dress: Oh La La Vintage in Haworth
Vintage Cardigan: Op shopped
Bakelite Bangles: Etsy and Ebay
Bag: Two Squirrels Vintage
Shoes: Hunters and Collectors

Recently op shopped

Op shopping has been pretty rubbish lately, or maybe I'm just becoming more discerning as it's becoming more expensive. I'm shocked by some of the outrageous prices I've seen in the last few months; $12 for a faded and stained 60s hat, $50 for a matted faux fur jacket, $2 for a zip (I can buy them new for less than that), $30 for a typical '80s dress that you could find a dozen of at any op shop. These aren't fancy, clean charity shops like I saw when I was in England, these are musty, junky op shops. Don't get me wrong,  junky ones are my favourite kind of op shop, but the reason I love them is because of the thrill of finding a bargain hidden under all the rubbish. Anyway, enough of my complaining, here's some relatively cheap stuff I op shopped recently. 

This blue pom pom hat is cute and it only cost $1.

This '60s sewing pattern also cost $1. The lady on the front has been partially beheaded, but is still keeping it classy with her gloves and handbag.

I know, I know, it's another blue hat. I was actually going to sell this at the vintage fair, but then I tried it on and really liked it. It was $2.

This vintage bag is my most expensive purchase. It cost $10. I didn't really want to pay that much, but it's really nice.