Yes, it’s October 1st, so I missed September by a mere 12 hours. I usually just post my fabric finds, but this month I also found some good deals on patterns that I’ve been wanting, so I thought I would share those, too. 
I won a $20 gift certificate from NY Fashion Center Fabrics by guessing the fabric on their Facebook page one week and put it toward this lovely turquoise gingham. I’m going to use it to make myself another Hawthorn.
Turquoise gingham
And yes…. I’m still making warm weather dresses as it’s in the upper 80′s here in sunny California and will likely be warm for another month or so. I can wear them with cardis when it gets cooler as well. It’s been warm here for the past few years through Thanksgiving, which I think I prefer to when I lived in the midwest during college and the first blizzard would arrive around Halloween. Parkas and leggings sure can mess up your Halloween costume!
I have on my sewing list to make myself some blouses this fall. I don’t have any blouses (can you believe that?) and I thought it was time to change that. I did have some, but they were all donated to the American Cancer Society thrift shop a few months back when I decimated my closet and weeded out most of my manufactured clothing. Anyway….. these three fabrics are J Crew fabrics from Fabric Mart that were part of Julie’s Picks Club for September.
The one on the left is a burgundy/ivory floral print cotton gauze, the middle one is a maroon/gold floral silk/cotton voile and the one on the right is a pale grey/ivory polka dot cotton lawn. I’m planning to make the Hawthorn peplum blouse, Simplicity 1590 and a retro blouse from BurdaStyle magazine that Diane sent me from the UK (not necessarily in that order….)
J Crew fabrics
This brown/pink floral cotton corduroy was also from Julie’s Picks Club. I’m thinking about making the Sewaholic Hollyburn skirt with it.
Brown/Pink floral corduroy
This Anna Sui suiting came from FM as well, but was an “end of the line” sale. It’s a forest green, gold, with a bit of fuchsia/magenta plaid wool blend suiting that I’m going to make this Claire Shaffer jacket with. I have never made a jacket before and as I’m dealing with a plaid fabric and an advanced pattern, I’m going to make a wearable muslin of this first in another suiting fabric before I cut into this. I think this jacket will great with a denim pencil skirt and brown riding boots.
Anna Sui plaid suiting
This fabric was ridiculously cheap during a FM sale a few weeks ago, so I bought loads of it. It’s a pale mint Hawaiian print cotton broadcloth that I think is very retro 50s/60s. I’m planning on putting this away for now, but next year I’ll be making a 50s dress for myself and a Hawaiian shirt for my husband with it. There are photos of my grandpa from back then in shirts like this and I think Brian will really like it. Just need to find a great pattern to make it with!
Hawaiian print cotton broadcloth
I often like to buy out-of-print patterns on etsy and ebay and I found this lot of uncut vintage reproduction Buttericks from 1999/2000 on ebay recently that I didn’t have. I got all of these for about $18, which is much less than they would have been individually. One of them I do have in my pattern stash, but it is in a smaller size.
Lot of OOP Retro Buttericks
This Anna Sui peasant dress pattern is another OOP pattern that I’ve been wanting. I found it for less than $5 on etsy and grabbed it up.
Vogue 2940
I find Etsy to be a great place to buy patterns individually as it’s easier to search for them on there as the sellers usually put all of the info from the pattern envelope that you need to search. The sellers are always nice and ship them fast. Ebay has more sellers and thus more to look at and the sellers often don’t put much info for you to search for. I find the pattern lots to be the best deals, but it takes a lot of time to sift through all of those. My MIL has bought pattern lots on ebay with patterns that go individually for $100 and up and the lot only $20 or so!
I also purchased my first vintage pattern. I do not have any in my collection that go past the 80′s. My grandma gave me all of her sewing stuff, but had given away her sewing patterns long ago. My mom did give me all of her patterns that are from the 60s/70s, but for some reason I do not know where I put that box…… so I haven’t even gone through them yet! This pattern is an uncut peasant dress pattern from 1952. I have been wanting one of these dresses for a while now and now I’m going to make one! I will obviously have to grade this pattern up to fit me, which I don’t think will be difficult as this pattern looks very simple and easy. I think it will be a pattern that I’ll want to make a few dresses out of. I had planned on making this for The Monthly Stitch vintage pattern month, but now September is gone… It will work for Frocktoberfest though!!!
Simplicity 3893
And don’t you love how the kitty likes to make herself at home on my sewing table?
Snowball taking a bath on the dress I just cut out
So… I mentioned before that the Butterick pattern lot I bought had one pattern that I already had. My MIL bought a pattern lot on ebay a few months ago and gave me this one (she already had it, too) and as I now have the same pattern in my own size, I don’t need this one, which is in a smaller size.
Retro Butterick 6409
This pattern is Retro Butterick 6409, an evening gown OOP 1948 reproduction pattern in sizes 12-16. It obviously has seen better days as the envelope is torn. It is a used pattern, but all of the pattern pieces appear to be there. The instructions are there as well. If anyone would like this, I will send it to you. The first to speak is the first to keep! I will also need your email address so that I can get your mailing address and send it to you. If you wanted this and missed out, I am still hosting the pattern pyramid giveaway until 10/4/13 and as I just bought a lot of 80 vintage patterns on ebay, I bet I will share some of those sometime….. :)
Happy Sewing!
You are going to be so Stitch Happy! Looking forward to seeing all of these lovely dresses come to fruition.
Yes, I just added more to my never-ending sewing list!
I love that first floral J Crew fabric, it’s so pretty! That retro butterick pattern with a black fancily draped dress would be amazing, you should make it!
I like that one, too, and was thinking about making it sometime for a future 1940s ball.
Gorgeous fabric finds. I have that Butterick 6582 pattern. It’s so pretty, but now sure how practical. Which version are you going to make?
I have no idea when/if I will make that one. It would probably be the full skirted version though.
What fun plans! I especially love that gingham and that silk/cotton voile. Oh, and that’s the method of grading I use too, but I’d never seen that tutorial! I was thinking of doing one myself because I’ve gotten questions about it, but that one’s great so I can just link to it…
I love them, too!
That is a great tutorial. There is another good one I had found a few weeks ago, but as I didn’t bookmark it, I don’t know where it is!
I look forward to seeing your garments! I love those fabrics and vintage patterns are my addiction. I have boxes of them hidden in my sewing closet, I hate to even cut them! And I am always on the lookout for more.
I see why they are an addiction! Just looking at them is fun for me!
I love the Anna Sui pattern… And I ALMOST bought the Hawaiian print fabric from FM… I went back and forth with myself and ended up passing on it. I think you have a great plan and I will look forward to seeing what you make. Looks like you have some great looking projects lined up! ~Laurie
Oh, if you would have bought the Hawaiian print, we could’ve been twinsies!
I had seen it on there a few days prior and noticed there were a couple hundred yards, so I waited, and then they marked it down. I did the same thing last week when I bought some $2.99 silk/cotton sateen. If they have hundreds of yards of a fabric, they generally mark it down if you wait. 
Clever! I do watch them and usually get pretty good deals. I got some of the red plaid silk cotton to make a dress… Hopefully in December! I kept looking at the Hawaiian print every day. SIGH- Ah well! There will be LOTS more fabric out there!
I didn’t see that one! I can’t wait to see what you make!
Hi Tanya,
wonder if I could ask what technique you use for grading up your patterns, do you pivot and slide or slash and spread, any tips gratefully received!
Kara
Hi Kara, I usually use this method: http://blog.megannielsen.com/2011/10/easy-pattern-grading-the-quick-and-dirty-method/ of pattern shifting.
Hello and I’d like that spare pattern please if I’m in time. I’d happily send you another Burda Style I’ve just picked up, forgetting that it’s size starts just where I stop. There are some great things in there.
Yay, Diane!!!!! You’re first!!! I’d love that magazine! We do not have that here and I love it! I will gladly send you this pattern and as I already have your mailing address, no need to send it to me.
Thanks Tanya – I still have your address too so I’ll get it in the post by the end of the week.
Hi Tanya – it went in the post today – sorry for the delay – wasn’t well for a couple of days but I’m fine now
No rush! Thanks!
You are going to be a busy sewing lady! I love all your fabrics and the blouse idea. I am building up my blouse collection too. I love the Hawaii print. I am going to look forward to seeing that outfit. It will be definitely perfect for your plans. Is it a 1950s day out??
I am always busy sewing! In which I will shortly be doing now that I put this blog up! A 1950s day out would be spectacular and perfect for that fabric! I’ll have to see if there is any event that we can wear those outfits to.