christine – WeSewRetro.com

custom lace- is that even a thing???

By christine on August 15, 2013

Hey guys and gals! I’m trying to figure out a place that can make a lace pattern for me, and am having ZERO luck. I thought maybe some here may know a place or two?
What I’m looking for is to basically have the design from a black and white illustration made into a lace fabric for a skirt bottom… I’m assuming I will end up having to order a boat-load of it to get it made, so that isn’t and issue right now… I just don’t know where to look! Any help would be MUCH appreciated!
I’m attaching a photo of an incredible bird piece, and while i realize it is a bunch of things put together, something like this is what I want done, if possible at all. Thanks a ton!
xoxox,
Crissy

16 Comments

Vintage Sewing

southwestern-ish dress

By christine on April 6, 2012

i think that like, 90% of the posts i make are from the same sewing pattern… and today isn’t going to be an exception! i made this little dress last night from simplicity 4637, and am having a pretty hard time deciding if i like it or not.

i just stared at it on the dress form for like, an hour last night… it was weird. so today i dressed it up with a big buckle and cowboy boots and i think i like it a little bit more, but i’m STILL not totally sold…

basically, i live with a boy and he is NO help. everything i make he says, “that looks great, honey!” so i would like some honest girl opinions please. what do you think?

thanks for your help! as always, more on my blog!

xoxo,
christine

5 Comments

Vintage Sewing

bernie dexter dress

By christine on April 3, 2012

i recently discovered all of the glory that is bernie dexter, and of all of the amazing clothing she makes, this dress blew me away!

i needed it. badly. i love how sweet and sexy it is…. i love everything about it, so being the person i am, i made it sunday afternoon! check it out!

not too far off if i may so so! i used butterick b5033, which i’ve had laying around, sadly ignored for a good while now, and i think it was absolutely the perfect pattern for this! i obviously altered the cut out, and it had to bring out the top a bit so i could make the heart so big, but aside from that it was a perfect pattern to use. i didn’t even alter the size at all. it was absolutely perfect!

so, like always, more on my blog!

xoxo,
christine

4 Comments

1950s | 1960s

Sewing Like a Champ

By christine on March 20, 2012

hey guys and gals!
it’s been a little while since i posted, so i just wanted to share a few new things i’ve been working on between bigger projects! i’ve been sewing like a CHAMP lately!

i made this little dress from simplicity 4637- a pattern i’ve used a few times before, to make my st. patty’s day dress this year:

it’s not green green, but it’s green enough not to get pinched! plus, since it’s nautical themed, i will wear this ALL OF THE TIME!

i also made this little yellow lace dress to wear on a birthday dinner date with my boyfriend’s family. it is from advance 9825.

this little skirt is from butterick 9633…. but the best part about this is the ribbon!

i got the ribbon at a whole sale flower market for CRAZY cheap– super deal of the spring!

and lastly, here is this amazing skirt i just made from an old men’s shirt! it only took about 20 minutes to make, and i am SO summer ready!

so, like always, more on my blog including a few more garments! happy sewing!

xoxo,

christine

5 Comments

1950s | 1960s

puppy dress!

By christine on February 8, 2012

one day, i will start making things that are more appropriate for a girl my age to wear, but that isn’t today! so here is my latest version of simplicity 4270!

the fabric is something i picked up a while back at a market a few towns over…. and the trim and buttons are things i had laying around! the buttons actually aren’t functional on this, as right now i only have a straight stitch machine, and none of my button hole attachments are working, AND there is no way in hell i am hand sewing THAT many buttonholes with my crazy mystery diagnosis arm problems!

this is probably the 5th or 6th time i have used this pattern… and really it won’t be my last. at all.
so, as always more on my blog!

xoxo,
christine

9 Comments

Vintage Sewing

workshop tips!

By christine on January 18, 2012

hey everybody! i am teaching a quick little workshop on saturday on ‘how to use a vintage sewing pattern’ to what i am assuming are people with little to no sewing experience…. i have my whole little lecture laid out with a lot of little tips and tricks…. but i was thinking that maybe some of you might be interested in sharing some of your favorite helpful tips and secrets when it comes to using old patterns!

i’ve got a few things in there on storing patterns, cutting them out, reading marks on unprinted patterns, altering the bizarro b-w-h proportions from the 1950s to 2011 sizing and so on…. so any other good hints would be appreciated 🙂 thanks folks!

xoxo,
christine

12 Comments

Vintage Sewing

a new dress for the new year

By christine on January 5, 2012

hey there guys and gals!

happy new year to everyone! i just wanted to share a quick dress i made last week-

it is super soft and comfortable to wear– and just in case you noticed, there actually aren’t orange stains on it. i replaced a jacket liner last week and am still finding tufts of orange thread on EVERYTHING i own! i sewed it up with simplicity 1538… a pattern i’ve had sitting in a box for a few years now.

it is definitely a pattern i will be using more of in the future! oh- i also wanted to share a link! my brother recently graduated college and has been on the hunt for his first real big boy job! while prepping for interviews and potential jobs and such, he realized he has a more expensive taste than a newly wed/expectant father’s budget allows for, and i live a little to far (i am the family tailor now apparently) so he figured why now buy crappy suits, and turn them into amazing ones! a few sewing lessons and lots of google-ing later, he is off to a fantastic start and has finally started a blog about it!
so, if there are any fellas out there looking for some tailor tips, or ladies looking to make their guys a little something special- check out his blog! www.thewriterkyle.blogspot.com he is awesome!

ok, so as always there is more on my blog, and also a story of the ultimate sewing saint– a woman who has given me over 1,300 sewing patterns in the past 3 years! happy sewing!

xoxo,
christine

7 Comments