Take heart! It's possible!

Sometimes I look at a pattern like this one (it's a vintage Vogue Couturier from Jean Muir, # 2756.) and quail. Do I really have the chops for all those curved seams? Do I really want to sew on all those tiny buttons? Wouldn't my time be better spent making yet another circle skirt (number eleventy-billion in a series)? What if I mess up the fabric?

Well, sometimes all you need is the news that someone else has freed the pattern from its paper-envelope prison and made it into a real dress. In fact, Carmen did that for this pattern, and even better, sent me a picture! Yep, it looks complicated, but it's doable:



The goat's name, by the way, is Billie Holiday. Just thought you'd like to know. (Look at the shoes too, they're gorgeous!)

I'm glad to get this reminder, because even if I'm not going to sew this particular dress, there are plenty of other complicated ones in my stash begging to be set free. I'm going to get some cheap cotton and really WORK on one of them. Really do a muslin, and take my time with fitting. And if I ruin some cheap fabric, it still won't be a waste of time, as I'll be learning.

Monday night I went roller-skating (don't worry, this isn't as alarming of a segue as you think). I started working on backwards crossovers, and of course went immediately ass-over-teakettle to the floor. One of the instructors skated over to make sure I was all right, and I said "don't worry -- if you don't fall down every once in a while, you aren't learning anything, right?" I think I need to extend that philosophy to sewing. If you don't ruin four yards of cheap cotton every once in a while, you aren't learning anything!

Comments

[Heather Outside Boston]

It looks eve better on Carmen than it does on the envelope. :-) And I love that she's wearing it next to her (beautiful) goat.

[Anonymous]

At what point has one ruined enough cheap cotton fabric that one is obviously not learning? Not that I have any personal interest in the answer to that question, of course. . . .

[Kirsten]

Just a note for future reference.... I completely wish you would post pictures of the things you sew. The pictures you already post are inspiring me to learn to sew, and a couple of things actually sewn up would push me over the edge, I think.

[twollin]

My husband asked me once what was the one thing that would help me sew more of my stash up and I told him to get me muslin. He ran out to JoAnn's and got me ...a bolt (love guys - they don't see any necessity to cheap things out...he did not know how many yards to get, so he got the whole thing).

[Anonymous]

Way to go, Carmen! Lovely dress and the goat is cute too.

[Miz Shoes]

I want twollin's husband.Then, I want a new dress-maker's mannequin.Then, I want the pattern from yesterday.And then, I want to lock myself in my sewing room and not come out for a couple of months. Sigh. I come here every day, Erin, to read your beautiful prose and to pine over the vintage patterns, and loll around in the virtual companionship of other craftspersons.

[Erin]

Pictures coming soon, I promise!And I guess that you have ruined enough fabric when you don't feeling like trying again. When I don't feel like skating through another song I know it's time to go home!

[knitgirl]

I was NOT loving the skirt in that stiff fabric, but Carmen's version is beautiful! Also, LOVE the goat!

[lucitebox]

That is an exquisite dress--way to go, Carmen!! I have a girl crush on you, your fabulous dress, your adorable shoes and your noble goat. Erin--keep on skatin' and keep on sewin'! We're all looking forward to seeing more examples of the latter (and the former, too, if you want to post some video streaming!)Holly

[India]

I want twollin's husband. And miz shoes's sewing room.And a dressmaker's dummy.And the goat.

[S.]

Wow, it didn't look appealing to me in the vintage photo but,Carmen's is truly lovely!

[Anonymous]

I once took a very promising boyfriend who was quite a citified charmer type to my home town, where we ended up tromping through some fields with my brothers. I noted he was quite adept at dodging cow patties to protect his expensive polished shoes. Then we stopped at a shack in the woods where my brothers introduced us to an old hermit type who graciously offered us bottles of Grapette. While sitting there chatting, a goat walked in and this young man continued to sip his soda, smoke his cigarette, and pet the goat for a good 40 minutes. You would have thought he had grown up out there! My brothers decided he was okay after that, but we didn't marry. We still meet every once in awhile, though, and he always mentions that goat with a smile.

[Kate in England]

I want that pattern! That's gorgeous - I've been looking at 30s-type patterns for something similar but hadn't thought of 70s patterns. Nice goat, although I prefer llamas myself.And I second Kirsten - when are we going to see pictures of those eleventy billion skirts?

[Julie The Vintage Goddess]

I REALLY like Jean Muir's designs that were done as Vogue patterns. I haveone that is a bit like this dress right now, big sleeves, huge gored skirt with a tucked and buttoned bodice. I'll have to post a picture on my blog.The one Carmen made has such a 30's vibe.....

[Anonymous]

The young lady in the photo is very beautiful and has a lovely figure, and I like her goat, too. But I would recommend not making this dress. Perhaps I've been contaminated by reading too much "Go Fug Yourself," but it definitely is one of those dresses that would provoke the fuggers to start riffing on how you seem to think you're auditioning for the part of Maria fresh from the convent in The Sound of Music. The high neck and long sleeves are aggressively chaste and look bizarrely asexual in today's world. If you have a nice figure and can carry off this kind of fitted style, why not go with something that doesn't suggest you're hiding a chastity belt underneath? This dress is not retro in a fun way; it is frumpy and prim.

[Anna]

I sooo don't agree with last comment! This dress is not asexual in any way. It may not be showing cleavage, but it is certainly showing all of Carmen's curves to their best advantage. I don't believe we have to parade around half naked to be sexy or appealing.Erin, can't wait to see some of your creations!

[Nadine]

I love the way Carmen looks better in it than the model does! And not at all frumpy; rather, "safe for work". I really wish the photo had better lighting, though. I mean, if it looks THIS good in all that harsh light and shadow, how much better would it be in some flattering uniform shade . . .

[Pamela]

I have several Jean Muir dresses which I inherited from my British MIL. They are anything but frumpy, since most are fairly fitted to the figure. I always felt I had to be in good shape to wear them. I think many people now confuse celebrity style with what looks good in real life. AND Carmen looks lovely in real life! Perhaps she is a doctor or lawyer or landowner and does not need to flash her trash. Since when did having one's chest or bra straps or midsection exposed become stylish? It used to be that fashion magazines were about clothes for work or lunches or parties or play...not just parties. That said I think fashion is heading to a more covered up and looser state. I know that many of the original Jean Muir dresses are made in wool crepe, rayon matte jersey or wool jersey. Could the lovely Carmen please tell us what fabric she made this dress in? Did she do all the topstitching? The Jean Muir topstitching is gorgeous. Congratulations on a beautiful creation, Carmen.

[lorraine]

When I saw the pattern, I thought, "No. We simply cannot go there." Then I saw Carmen and changed my mind! She looks fabulous. And sexy. Let the fug girls say what they like. What makes this sexy is its audacity and trends-be-damned attitude. Go, Carmen!I'd love to see more real dresses made by and for real women.

[the_lazymilliner]

I rather think Carmen looks like a 1940s lindy-hopper. She could go swing-dancing in that dress on the East Coast and fit right in! With that full skirt, she'd look HOT and most definitely not asexual.

[Lee Anne]

I love this dress. I'm seeing it made up in a softly draping wool or rayon challis, perhaps in a subtle paisley or floral pattern. I would so wear that dress to work, or out to dinner. Maybe go with a midcalf length to wear with boots.

[twollin]

Thanks to all who appreciate my husband - but sorry, he's definitely already spoken for. Can't agree with the remarks on the "asexual" nature of the dress -- except for the fact that this design doesn't show off a whole lot of skin (which, as a fashion design element has been way "overexposed" as far as I'm concerned), it shows all the curves the wearer has, so it is a very sexy dress, esp. in something drapey - like wool challis. I would, however, do some work on the sleeve. It's too "little girl" to me, but then, I'm 54 years old and I was wearing those types of sleeves (ahem) 30 years ago. Something a little straighter, but with a little gathering at the top would be very 1940s and attractive on a lot of us.As for the goat, we used to raise our dairy goats without horns, but each to his or her own tastes. I suppose even a goat with horns is better than no goat at all (and will perhaps inspire some of us to unearth our "Firesign Theatre" albums from the early 70s, with that bit about "May I take your hat and goat"?

[Anonymous]

Ah, the joys of having your own bolt of muslin.I recently took a "30% off on one cut of fabric" coupon from the Hancock's Fabric mailed flyer (known in our house as "sewing porn"), took it to the store, verified with the manager that the uncut 50-yard bolt of 36-inch wide natural muslin counted as one cut of fabric, had the clerk at the cutting table write me a cut fabric ticket for 50 yards, took the bolt, the ticket and the coupon to the checkout and walked away with 50 yards of muslin for $35.The latest Hancock's mailer has a 40% off coupon. A bolt of muslin would be $30.Why 36-inch wide? Regular price is $0.99 a yard. 45-inch wide is reuglarly $1.99 a yard. I computed the price per square inch, and decided the 36-inch wide is the better deal.This is the second 50-yard bolt I've purchased. I've used muslin for all kinds of projects, especially Ren Faire costume chemises and shirts. If you are exceedingly frugal, you can recycle your muslin test garments and garment scraps into quilts (or give them to a quilting friend):How to Make a String QuiltCMC

[Summerset]

Absolutely!

[Anonymous]

"Aggressively chaste" and "bizarrely asexual"? Aside from that being wrong, that comment weirds me out because of the implied statement that women are somehow required to dress in a sexually provocative manner. Ick. Yeah. I think you read way too much Go Fug Yourself.