Tracy Graffin » Sewing

Pink Coat

Tracy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:02:56 +0000

If you’ve landed here is search of the fuchsia pink coat… please pop over to the Tessuti blog for a write-up & pics. And just try to resist their be-autiful fabrics!

Sewing with Gertie

Tracy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:51:21 +0000

Sewing Diversion: some months back I joined in Gertie’s Sew Retro online course at Craftsy: Perfect Fit Bombshell Dress. I drafted my own 50s-style petal bodice – the lined ‘petals’ turn up or down, depending on your whim…

I’ve reviewed the course at SewingPatternReview if you’re interested.

Now that the warm weather has arrived downunder (and how), I’ll be sashaying down to HulaBula or Deville’s Pad in my halter bombshell dress. Unless an offer is forthcoming to jet over to, say, Tahiti.

Sewing Files

Tracy — Tue, 24 May 2011 02:54:35 +0000

For the vintage sewing girls – I made Butterick 2245 as a cocktail dress (see, I’m accessorising like illustrations now!), but the jury is out on kimono sleeves. Sure, they save heaps of time and can look quite lovely as shorty sleeves.

But I really like a fitted bodice, and there’s a lot of ease in a mid-length kimono-sleeve dress, to enable you to lift your arms at the end of it! I love the midriff section, and the summer frock version looks divine. Maybe it will hang for a while before getting an outing!

Deville’s in a Red Dress

Tracy — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:09:49 +0000

Yesterday we dropped in on Deville’s Pad ‘Hot Rods from Hell’. Wow, what an event! There are a bunch of photos of the day on Paul’s site.

For the girls: the dress was hot off the (steam) press, hemming finished only minutes before jumping into Paul’s Chevy pickup to hit Deville’s. It’s a combination of Butterick 5455 – I love the pleated bodice and v-neck – and a skirt from a trusty vintage pattern. The price – embarassingly – $10 worth of Textile Traders stretch poplin, plus a couple of bucks for the invisible zip. I made another version of this dress in a floral cotton sateen, with piping. This version (B) much faster without the fiddling about!

Paul modelling one of his vintage Hawaiian shirts. We’re trying to avoid sunburn!

50s Rose Print Dresses

Tracy — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:19 +0000

There’s something breathtakingly gorgeous about a 50s rose print dress. Posh Girl Vintage (red and yellow silk dresses above left) has the most beautiful vintage dresses. I dream of walking into a fabric store and finding a gorgeous red rose-print silk like this.

Taking a modern spin on the vintage look is top right, a J.Crew number, and the red box-pleated frock from ModCloth – it’s tempting girls, with the current USD exchange rate!

Sewing Diversion

Tracy — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:57:55 +0000

I’ve been sewing from Vintage patterns lately. This modern Butterick shift dress pattern with a turned boatneck collar worked a treat in fabric purchased from Tessuti – a kinda 60s look (and early Elvis hair). And don’t I match the blue Gordon Andrews’ Rondo chair perfectly?

It’s hard to sew when Miss Trixie exercises her rights to sit on anything papery or vaguely mat-like!