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You are here: Home / Dress Like Your Grandma Sewing Challenge / INSPIRATION for the Dress Like Your Grandma Sewing Challenge

INSPIRATION for the Dress Like Your Grandma Sewing Challenge

03/6/2017

Howdy, friends!

It’s time to dress like your grandma!  Or someone else’s grandma! Or just any vintage photo 1980’s or earlier that you’re inspired to recreate.  I’ve had a wonderful time perusing family photo albums searching for photos of garments that I’d love to sew.  I’ve loved looking at the treasured family photos participants are sharing in our Facebook group and seeing what your plans are on Instagram, using the hashtag  #dresslikeyourgrandma.  But don’t forget to join our group Pinterest board to pin what you make so that I can include you in the roundup at the at the end of this non-competitive challenge and be eligible for some amazing participant prizes.  For all of the details, check out this post.

Here are some outfits I’m inspired by from my family albums paired with similar patterns that could be used as a base for these styles:

1. My great aunt Margaret; 2. My great aunt Amelia, great grandma Ana and great aunt Helen; 3. My grandma

1. The Vintage Pattern Lending Library 1940 Day Dress; 2. Simplicity 8248; 3. vintage Simplicity 1261

1. My great-great aunts (three on the left); 2. My great-grandma Gertrude

1. McCall’s 7433; 2. The Vintage Pattern Lending Library 1940 Day Dress; 3. Simplicity 8247

1. My grandma with her sister-in-laws; 2. My grandma

1. Eva Dress 1947 Two-Piece Suit; 2. Simplicity 8242; 3. Butterick 6374

1. My grandma; 2. Friends of my grandparents; 3. My grandma

1. Butterick 6284; 2.  vintage McCall’s 8873; 3. vintage Advance 9784

1. My grandma; 2. My grandpa with friends; 3. My grandma

1. Butterick 6433; 2. Decades of Style 1940’s Empire Waist Trousers; 3. vintage Simplicity 4680

I can tell you that it’s super fun looking at photos and trying to figure out what they’re wearing and finding patterns that might work to recreate the style!  I have my picks narrowed down to three (not shown here) — but I hope to sew all of those someday!  For now, I think I only have time for one. 🙂

 

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Comments

  1. matkailijakirppu says

    March 21, 2017 at 10:58 am

    The inspiration pictures are lovely, and you have found so many suitable patterns! 🙂

  2. thedementedfairy says

    March 8, 2017 at 5:05 am

    Beautiful pics- you favour your nan I think. Well done on finding patterns so similar too, I’m looking forward to seeing what you have chosen. I’ve just had a rummage but there aren’t many family pics of any great age, too poor for cameras! I’m off to blog what I’ve found though

  3. Anne McClure says

    March 6, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    Mmm. My grandmother (maternal) was born in 1890 and died 1978. I don’t have photos of her when she was young – I remember her old yet I was 24 when she died at 88. I thought it might be nice to see a pattern from the 1910s when she was in her 20s but I haven’t come across any. I don’t want to dress like someone else’s grandma – that could be me! Or my mother – I do have some photos of her in the 50s and like the fashions. The 1910s are more appealing though.

    • tanyamaile says

      March 7, 2017 at 12:09 pm

      The 1910’s are so very appealing, aren’t they? Have you checked out Wearing History, Sense and Sensibility and the Vintage Pattern Lending Library? They have Edwardian patterns and there are a few really nice Butterick ones, too.

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