VINTAGE SEWING and CHERIE!

Jody Miller Photography

I am so excited to show you another photo shoot from my friend Jody Miller who is the most incredible phtographer and you can see her photo stream here: My friend Tipper is Modleing. When I got to speak at a quilt guild I met the most lovely lady who loves sewing vintage garments. She had approched me to make a dress using my newest fabric collection Cherie! I was thrilled. NANCY WHITE IS an amazing seamstress and artist. She Made both dresses and you can see her vintage patterns and her beautiful scetches below! The blouse at the bottom is made by me using MCALLS 5388

MCALLS 5388

 Beautiful sketches by Nancy White.

 From Nancy White:

   Pareau wrap dress

Cotton breathes, in hot weather it is the absolute best thing to wear. The closer to the equator, the more an unlined, loose fitting, breezy cotton is just the ticket! For the wildly exuberant colors in the Cheri collection a pattern for a pareau from the Victoria Jones collection .#303 was my first pick. No zipper, no buttons, not even a hook and eye required. A inside tie is optional, I opted. The fabric suggestion is for tight woven yardage so that the 1/4 " curved turned edges do not ravel. The cotton from Frances Newcombe's was easy to work with and gave me no grief. I wanted this to be a bit more mid-thigh so I did cut the pattern and added two inches. It folds beautifully flat and is ready for a trip to Hawaii for a test run!

The Victoria Jones collection has an on line site for ordering patterns! WWW.victoriajonescollection.com

 Also the lining fabric for the lined dress is my absolute fav, 100% polyester "crinkle habutae" made in Japan, avail at Joann's in lots of colors.

Vintage Simplicity Dress

   Never mind that these high quality cottons were designed for quilters,  I got all dreamy for a dress at first sight! The lettering cursive on yardage drove my inspiration. Romantic words, up near the neck, where perfume goes, and hidden in pockets for letters. A vintage pattern seemed right, modern patterns strike me as sexy, functional or comfy, but not particularly romantic. Simplicity #5914 from the 1960s fit the bill. I purchased the pattern from www.Momspatterns.com, a very fun place to scope out the not-latest fashion. Sketching of options gave me the confidence of my design to go get the scissors and start cutting fabric.

  The pattern was altered by adding pockets and decorative pocket flaps. I lined the garment as well, so I never have to find a slip. The pleat in the front is also an addition. There is a seam running the center of the skirt, an easy alteration is adding four inches to the cutting edge and then folding under two, trim the curved adge and sew as the pattern directs. Just for fun I trimmed off the selvage and used it as hem binding. A little splash of color on the lining doesn't hurt anything. I am loud and proud of my Frances Newcombe print cotton!

   I am super impressed with adults who learn to sew. It is so much easier to take on the concept of building a 3D object inside-out when you are a kid. I have been wearing my home sewn dresses since Jr High. Curiously, yardage would find it's way to me, one of five children, but not hand-me-downs. I learned to sew as a means to hide my nakedness. I learned to draw people by copying paper dolls from the 1940's and the leggy models in the Butterick pattern books of the 1970's. I was way ahead of the curve in art classes, especially life drawing. Various art jobs include three years of back drop painting for a portrait photographer, murals, illustrations, faux marble installations, but for the last 23 years I have settled down to being a happy shop keeper at New Creation Picture Framing, WWW.newcreationframing.com  you will see my Facebook page is full of framed needle art for our avid fans, though we do framing of all kinds.

     Nancy Norcross White is a Southern California native that never left, married a tall man and raised two tall sons. No little girls to make dresses for, don't fret, the boys had plenty of matching flannel Jammies.