this is really a fundamental question once you get a little bit into sewing, especially with the increasing cost of vintage patterns:
when to draft…
and when to buy?
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i saw these two patterns on etsy and spent a few days playing with the pattern pieces of my advance 8280. i could see immediately that it wouldn’t take too much work to adapt A8280 to fit both M3489 and M5314 (i even started drawing the bodice on M5314), but i also decided that i wasn’t interested in reinventing the wheel, that i wasn’t yet totally confident in my re-drawing ability, and that the pattern art on these envelopes helped make up for the price of admission. that said, i stuck with my A8280 skirt on both new patterns, both for ease of cutting and for fabric economy–as well as for design purposes. i disliked the gores on M3489 and felt that the gathers on M5314 were not as attractive as the pleats on my advance pattern.
so really, it was a bit of a wash. the purchases may have been a waste. or the drafting may have been a mess.
McCall 3489
but honestly, this neckline on M3489 is fabulous, and i had never worked with a pattern piece like it:
it’s like a little cowl…cut on the straight grain. how cool is that?
i admit to being slightly iffy on the fit. i’ve only recently developed a moulage and sloper and i began these before i had either of those tools. so the back is a bit of a challenge and the bodice is not perfect.
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still. it twirls!
and i love the fabric.
McCall 5314
M5314 i’m more on the fence about. i think overall i made the right choices in terms of fabrics and finishings. but i did forget to take in the sides to fit me more appropriately, so for most of the summer i was stuck with this…which, let’s face it, is not that flattering:
pretty “meh” although i did have some fun with it, my “5-year-old’s party!” dress. it was the perfect garment for my friend’s med school graduation and my sister’s 26th birthday. especially with a petticoat.
but in the end, i dealt with the lack-of-fitting and got this:
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much better, right? it really does need a bright red belt and the bow on the back. if i ever get there, i am thinking of a bow belt.
and here’s the part where i flash you. (or, at least, my dress does.) as always, i got a bit obsessive on the bits on the inside:
no horsehair braid, but nice lace!
horsehair braid, lace and beads in the zipper!
