Hello and happy Friday, friends! This week on BurdaStyle, my guest post is about choosing the right fabrics for vintage sewing patterns. I find that's often one of the most confusing aspects of sewing styles from times gone by - we just don't have the same fabrics widely available anymore, sadly. Come by and read my tips!Speaking of fabric, isn't the 40s rayon print pictured above just darling? There are several small(ish) pieces available from this Etsy seller.
Gertie - Great tips - and I used some cotton recently for a vintage 70s pattern - and you're right it drapes horribly - and although I got it at a quaint garment sewing boutique - I will never use it again for dressmaking. After I made it - I went into Mood (I live near LA) and of course, they would NEVER have anything like this!! thanks for the column!!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips!!
On the other hand--I started sewing in the mid sixties and there were lots of fabric stores, but the clothing manufacturers insisted that they have exclusive rights to a lot of the good stuff. No designer overruns in places like Memphis, anyway. You had to buy cloth made for the home market. They actually considered fabric stores to be rivals. And everything was synthetic in the 60's. It was the latest and greatest! One thing I do think was better was the interfacing and underlining. You could get a variety of stuff in colors and that had exactly the right properties. I really miss SiBonne. I think the best time to get fabric was actually in the 80's--
ReplyDeleteThank you Gertie, that's interesting to learn how thongs are run in US with fabric detailing (you seem to have more options than us). I'm often dreamy after having read the fabric suggestions on the back of a pattern...
ReplyDeleteBut the super good part in you Burda post is the scan of the background dress! So lovely!!! It's more than ever my favorite, now. The sad counterpart is we'll surely have to wait a long time before you make it, but anyway, I'm really glad to see the enveloppe at least!
Hi Gertie,
ReplyDeleteActually people in the US are in a pretty good position because they actually *can* get things online or order from one of the big stores that you mention. As your commentators have suggested that's not the case all over the world.
I am also lucky because here in London we have a range of nice fabric stores on Goldhawk Road, plus high end stores like MacCullough and Wallis (online, and with a great selection of interlinings and interfacing as well as fabrics) and Liberty (also now selling things online).
I love rayon, especially challis, which is difficult to find. When I was a girl, in the 40s, I wore cotton dress and wool coats, made by my grandmother. The cotton was not quilters cotton though, but good quality, probably like lawn.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see you showing a pattern here as most of the clothes you seem to sew are single colour. You keep inspiring me to buy more single colour as it really brings out the cut of the garment, but I always find myself gravitating back to the patterns when looking online or in store.
ReplyDeleteI'm a real sucker for larger prints too, but often find them quite maddening, as they can be hard to accomodate with some of the vintage styles I like (large print/ narrow gores, not a marriage made in style heaven!). Small prints like this one are really cute and much easier to work with, but when looking for vintage, it's often difficult to find the right yardage.
I also had a bit of a disaster with a vintage rayon the other day, when washing a dress I made and absolutely love. I'd read that rayon could be washed cold - which I did - only to find it had shrunk several sizes by the time I had finished! I have several other vintage rayon fabrics ready to use, but am rather weary now for fear of having to starve myself and lob off a couple of inches in height in order to wear them after wash! Does modern rayon also do that, or is it just the luck of the draw?
Thank you, Gertie, for another excellent post. I learned a few things I didn't know.
ReplyDeleteI live in Georgia, (Atlanta area) and in years past, fabric was both easier to get and a lot cheaper than it is now, because a lot of fabric mills used to be located here. Not anymore. It used to be wonderfully cost effective to sew, but nine times out of ten, it now cheaper to buy mass produced, commercial clothes.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually have that problem with draping, as what I usually sew is cotton-recommended. Though, I did just make lined vests for my brother for Christmas--one to match his suit out of black suiting and black satin that he knows about, and one from gold brocade and gold satin for a Christmas present--that wasn't from recommended fabric.... It was interesting. :) It's the first bit of men's clothing I've made that wasn't pajama pants. ;) Wish me luck, today I make a pair of white cargo pants for my brother in law. It's what he wants...
OMGOMGOMGTHATISSOCUTE!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hate holidays. They bring that sort of thing out in me. Shoot me NOW.
You are SOOOO right about no polyester; it's okay if it's more than just personal preference! Using an all-natural-fibers rule of thumb produces higher quality, classier clothes. Wool, silk, cotton, linen. Yumm!
ReplyDeleteLet me wipe a tear from my eye for the passing of so many fabric stores...sniff, sniff - ok now. (I'm going to sound way older than I am - I justed started young) Used to be I could run to one of several stores 15 minutes away and buy, things like, challis, surah, worsteds in every weight, venice lace, cottons or linens of every hand and finish, organza, organdy, not to mention the rainbows of silks. Janet's right, the interfacing was much better - it DID NOT disolve in the laundry before the garment had died. Now when I'm jonesin' for handkerchief linen or batiste in the horse latitudes of summer - good luck. Thank goodness there are wonderful resources but nothing, nothing is a substitute for touching, seeing the drape and comparing color in person. Seamstresses are losing their language! I get blank stares when I reply what a garment will be made from - sigh. And Laura, I have often said the opposite - I think that more often than not I can make better clothes than I can afford to buy. (When you need to tailor it adds up...) Since most clothes are mass produced by people paid fractions of pennies where is the craftmanship? Why have an overstuffed closet of disposal fashion when one can have an edited selection that makes a lady feel unique and beautiful? Great fabric makes the dress, coat, blouse whatever - just get good quality for chrissakes.
ReplyDeleteGreat pointers! But it makes me a little panicky that I don't even know what I'm missing! I think my exposure to fabric has been so impoverished that I may not even know what quality fabric is :( (let alone where to get it)
ReplyDeleteI just saw some cute vintage looking rayon blend jersey knit at fabric.com.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashion-fabric-just-arrived-fashion-fabric-printed-stretch-rayon-blend-jersey-knit-rayon-blend-jersey-knit-kristina-floral-teal.aspx
It comes in other colors too. It reminds me of the 40's print quilting cotton out there. I bought some in red to make a vintage 40's dress.
Great article, Gertie! I'm definitely linking to it this week. ;) Wish I had something like this years ago, when I started sewing with vintage patterns and couldn't find 1/3 of the fabrics recommended. That being said, I do think one of the delightful aspects of sewing with older patterns, is the sort of "detective work" you have to do when choosing materials: you have to find something that approximates the original fabric specifications, even if it's not available any longer (or just hard to find).
ReplyDeleteJust to go on the record (again!): I envy you for living so close to the NYC fabric stores! *sigh*
♥ Casey
blog | elegantmusings.com
I've thought a lot about this post since I read it and I wonder ... what do you use for cotton for garments? It seems all of the cotton fabric out there, plain or printed, is quilter's cotton. I know you can get it in different qualities, but I don't think I'm a good judge of fabric quality. Although I have access to a good fabric store (Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, IL), I find it very overwhelming with the sheer amount of fabric and the different names for all of it. How do you keep your focus when you go into a store like that? Do you look at a pattern and get an idea of what fabric you want to use, or do you shop until you find what you want? I love to sew but generally find shopping for fabric to be a daunting and sometimes depressing experience.
ReplyDelete