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Better Dresses Vintage

Better Dresses Vintage

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Hi! I have 20 of these, which you'd think would be enough, right? Turns out, I need about 25, maybe 30. I kept losing count. Here, you try. Don't forget the sleeves:
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Making this 1876 dress from the original pattern. Well, mom's going to try, anyway.

I could just buy a big pack of some other ones, sure, but then what do I do with the 20? Lol.

Anybody have some of these exact ones?

Note that some size 24s are 5/8”. These are 9/16”. Half round.
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p.s. Any idea what's behind the white inset at front? It's very confusing on the pattern. There doesn't even seem to be a pattern piece for the inset provided.

Thanks.
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Liza, perhaps you've already searched Etsy, but I found at least one Etsy supply seller with a packet of 9/16 Prym buttons. Only 5 in the packet, but would get you closer to your goal. Another seller had a bulk purchase of nearly 70 "size 24" Pryms plus more than 100 size 18.. You'd have to inquire which size 24 they are.

Edited to add - looks like an amazing dress. Your mom must be awesome.
 
Hi Maggie -- Yes, I've seen the 1 pack, and a few others on eBay. Just checking here before jumping on those. I've got time, as mom was entirely freaked out by the project and is unlikely to begin, if ever, in the immediate future.

Even with her sewing expertise, the 19th century instructions (which give "minimal" a whole new meaning*), and all (period) reference materials provided on PDFs, it's a huge challenge. She's beyond old-school. Can't text, still uses IE, and doesn't know what "right click" means, just as an example. She refuses to learn. I think she's "fully saturated" at this point and technology just isn't of interest to her, regardless of the fact that so much is required for basic living these days.

Add to that a definite preference for tailored, mid-century styles like skirt suits -- well, it should be interesting, to say the least. We've scoured her stockpile for muslin so as not to cut the silk prematurely. I have hope, but less-than-confidence that this will ever be completed. We shall see.

All that said yes, she's awesome.

* the entire instructions for the pattern are one page that says, "sew #1 to #2" and similar. That's it. I've used 1930s patterns which assume plenty of sewing knowledge and offer little more, but somehow seem far more complete and detailed. For this one, I did spring for paper pattern from the seller, because there's no way we could've even attempted it if I had to cut the thing out using pieced PDF images. No way.
 
Any idea what's behind the white inset at front? It's very confusing on the pattern. There doesn't even seem to be a pattern piece for the inset provided.
Click to expand...
My guess is its just a "normal" neckline (though I'm not entirely sure what normal would be for the period), and the white thing might just be a shawl-linke thingy that's drawn throught those three fabric carriers.
 
I don't have any pertinent info, I just wanted to ask if your mom could come live with me and fix all my dresses that need repairs. I'm in awe of her talents. :)
 
MaryLC said:
I don't have any pertinent info, I just wanted to ask if your mom could come live with me and fix all my dresses that need repairs. I'm in awe of her talents. :)
Click to expand...

LOL. She's definitely got mad skills but...

#1. My mom hates doing any sort of repairs. Only does it grudgingly. I rarely ask. She also doesn't finish stuff. I don't think she's ever made me anything 100% complete. She says ,"OK, it's done. Your turn." and she hands me something unhemmed, without any buttons, hooks&eyes, or snaps. I get to do all that tedious stuff. Sweaters? She knits the pieces and I have to sew them together. I kid you not.

#2. She's so intimidated by this crazy non-pattern (see directions, below) that not only has she not begun, she refuses to mention it. This may or may not ever get done. We shall see. She broke her foot (she's fine) recently and has been in a boot, then her car (she's 83 and drives a hard-top convertible Miata) needed repair and it took days so she was stuck at home (I couldn't help as I was on set and/or at school registration with my kids). On the phone she said she was getting deathly bored. I really wanted to say, "Hey! I know what you could do to pass the time." But I didn't dare. She'd have been far more enthused had I handed her a 1950s Vogue Pattern for a tailored suit. In fact, I might just do that to get her in the mood.

***
(This is the entirely of the provided ) DIRECTIONS (for the 1876 Louisine Dress):

This dress consists of a skirt, over-skirt, and waist buttoned behind, and is trimmed with ruffles and bands of gray Louisine.

Before cutting the over-skirt join Figs. 46a-48, and set Figs. 46a and 46b together along the line cut across according to the corresponding letters.

Cut one piece each from Figs. 46a, 46b-48, sew up the pleats in the front breadth, gather the latter from 20 to 21, cut a slit along the double line on Fig. 48, and hem the edges narrow.

Face the right back breadth with the material from the front edge to an inch and a quarter beyond the next dotted line, and fold it on the outside in a revers along this line.

Join Figs. 47 and 48 according to the corresponding figures, pleat the over-skirt at the top, bringing x on ●, and set it into a double belt seven-eighths of an inch wide, furnished with hooks and eyes for closing, letting the back breadths overlap the front breadth at the top two inches wide. Set on the trimming as shown by the illustration, and fasten together the points marked * on Fig. 48, so that an outer pleat is formed. Tapes serve to tie back the over-skirt.

For the waist cut of the material and lining two pieces each from Figs. 49 and 50, and cut the sleeves of lining only from Fig. 51, observing the outline of the under part; the latter covered completely, and the upper part from the outer seam to a width of four inches and seven-eighths, with Louisine.

Sew up the darts and seam in the fronts, join the latter from 25 to 26, and sew up the front and backs according to the corresponding figures.

Furnish the waist with buttons and button-holes for closing, and set on the trimming.

On the bottom of the upper part of the sleeve, along the outer seam, set a side-pleating of Louisine eight inches and seven-eighths high and four inches wide, and furnish the sleeves with the trimming piece, which is cut of the material from Fig. 52, bound along the tabs and trimmed with a ruffle as shown by the illustration.

Sew up the sleeves from 33 to 34 and from 35 to 36, and set them into the armholes, bringing 36 on 36 of the fronts.

***
 
Midge said:
My guess is its just a "normal" neckline (though I'm not entirely sure what normal would be for the period), and the white thing might just be a shawl-linke thingy that's drawn throught those three fabric carriers.
Click to expand...

That's what we suspected, but honestly, we won't know until we look closely at the pattern pieces. I saw no pattern piece for the shawl-like thingy (not a big deal, I guess).
 
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