McCall’s 5055 • c. 1959 • Sheath Dress

It’s been a minute – Hi, hello!

Things change – as ever – and between putting down vintage selling for good in spring and shifting back into painting full time, last year I sewed exactly one project. Well, times four.

Remember that 1960’s Percy the Penguin slumber bag I re-engineered at the beginning of last year? I made four as Christmas gifts and it took up what little free time I had.

But! 2024 is lining up to be all about vintage clothes again! To say I’m excited is an understatement.

In fact, this post is catch up from December 2022. (Oi.) This is my holiday dress mock up – representing the best laid plans. As is my usual way, I reworked parts of this pattern to fit how I needed / wanted and it was – as all projects before it that I’ve decided to fine tune for my own purposes – full of research, lessons learned, and new skills tested. (I only banged my head on the wall a few times.) In the end though, success(ish)!

Time to make the final version! (With my first go at pattern matching, yikes.)

Note how this pattern wants you to believe it’s easy. I’d adjust that to “easy if you sew routinely.”

But before I get ahead of myself, here’s how this all started.

I saw this flannel fabric at Joanns (you know, the super snuggle that’s not a high quality flannel and probably terrible for any non-pajama clothes, especially fitted ones), but my plan is to stabilize by underlining and shrink the fabric down to tighten the weave and just, see how it goes.

The idea for the final. (The pattern is a smaller repeat than I yeeted together here. Closer to the plaid on the pattern envelope above.)

I love the colors / pattern for a holiday vibe. Reminds me of snow covered berries. It’ll be a fun experiment any way you slice it. (Read: more lessons with a possible wearable outcome.) A trial run / second mock up with my first attempt at pattern matching, so it’s probably best this isn’t a high quality (read: expensive) flannel.

On this first go, I underlined the entire dress – the thought being I want this warmer for winter and to help with the structure. Next one I plan to separate out the underlining to an interlined shell for the skirt section (I’m a bit worried about the seat of the flannel stretching and hanging weirdly at the side seams if its underlined, best to detach the skirt pieces? Though maybe it needs that underlining for structure support? Guess I’ll find out.)

Here’s the dress without the overskirt. I sewed it from Kona cotton because I got it on sale and liked the colors. (I know, you should sew with the weight / drape of the fabric the final will be in, I went rouge.)

Pro tip – hard raking light is the best for a photoshoot /s. Though I do need to press those seams better after washing and probably pay more attention to my stitch length / tension. It’s a bit loose on me here as I can’t figure out if I’m a size 16 or 18 in vintage patterns, I seem to fall just between being tall with a wide frame but on the less curvy side. (The joys of sizing and pattern ease. Still getting the hang of it all.)

Note – I’m not wearing any era appropriate shaping or foundation wear here. If I’m being honest I take these pictures primarily for my sewing binder so I’m pretty expedient in my styling. (We’re lucky I’m even wearing a bra.) In future I do plan on wearing it out with proper shape wear. I’ll have to share photos then.

The pattern calls for a bow at the waist – stitched into the princess seams – but as I wanted an overskirt for this look, I made a removable bow to clip on the overskirt waistband instead. (All about versatile outfits!)

I did lot of small fit modifications throughout that made this a process – what I wouldn’t have given for a me-shaped mannequin while making the toile. (One day.)

The adjustments:

• Shortened the waist.
• Nipped the point out of the bust so it’s smoother as I won’t be wearing a cone shaped bra with this (a small adjustment that did so much for overall fit and silhouette) as well as taking in the princess seams.
• Taking in the sleeve seam a bit because of the bust adjustments.
• Lengthening the darts at the skirt front worked wonders for puckering that was buckling too much over my hips. (Which I’m guessing was happening because I shortened the waist so it moved that dart tip up from where it would have originally ended.)
• Took in the back darts.
• Tapered in the side seams from the mid-hip down so it nips in at the knees more. The pattern has a straight skirt that flares out a bit at the hem. I wanted to go for that shapely look (like this dress) so I measured where my hips start to curve and echoed that on the side seams. It worked out pretty well I’d say.

This was my first time doing princess seams – tricky! Here are the resources I used to get this smooth finish: 1 & 2. Also, for more videos about the making of this dress, check the stories on my insta.

While I’m at it, here’s a little trick I use for darts:

@sultryvintage

I’m late to the game posting about my holiday dress (was preoccupied enjoying the season and hanging with my loves) but I wanted to share this little video about how I mark & finish my darts! . I use a blunt tool (here the back of my seam ripper) to impress a line to guide me for a perfectly straight stitch – no need for any chalk or markers – pressing just enough for a light indentation that won’t leave a permanent mark. & I finish my darts by tucking the tails. . Can’t wait to share my holiday creation! Probably not before next year though, haaaa. . . . . . #sewing #vintagesewing #sewingtiktok #sewingtok #vintage #vintagesew #vintagesewingpattern #sewist #sewingtip #sewingtips #sewingdarts

♬ Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love

Some other additions:

• Added bra / slip strap holders (like you’ll find in vintage) to keep that sleek line of the neck uninterrupted.
• Sewed a pair of my dress shields that snap in and out for easy washing and no worries with sweat. (Read all about my underarm shields & the pattern I drafted for them here.)

Last detail (because I’m always about every little detail):

• Found a vintage metal zipper at the length and color needed (because I’m a bit of a metal zip snob? I have no idea why, I just prefer the metal over plastic).

Side note, this is the true color of the fabric. My phone’s camera rarely does greens justice and I can color correct only so far.

Now for the overskirt – *laughs in sleepless nights.*

No but really, grinding on a deadline to get this done in time so I could wear it for Christmas, I stayed up just about all night figuring out the dynamics of this overskirt, from scratch, because I didn’t have a pattern. Never having worked with tulle before, I had no clue what I was in for. Probably was better that way (or I might not have even attempted this).

I learned a few things:

1. Tulle is the devil’s handmaiden.
2. Direction of pleats set into a band will determine how flatteringly the shape falls. I really wanted it to bell out from the waist (again, as those lying pattern cover illustrations show), so it took a bit of thinking and doing. My first attempt it laid horribly flat. (Though in these photos it’s not showing the work as the wind was blowing it down flat, whomp.)
3. Tulle is the devil’s handmaiden.

Which is a bummer for me because I’m obsessed with sheer over-everythings (skirts, dresses, wraps, nightgowns. Give me all the flowy sheers). So it looks like more lightweight nightmares await me.

The band I drafted after making a belt for this set and working off the same principles. Just angled my pleats to fall the right way and stitched them into the band.

I lined up the ends of the overskirt to match with the front dress skirt darts, rolling the raw edge back in on itself to give volume and a nice visual finish. Really, I got lucky though – the width of the tulle allowed me to double layer it so the folded edge is tucked inside the band and I didn’t have to do any cutting. I bought the exact amount I ended up needing to give it a wide enough pleat and wrap around the length I wanted. Sometimes it just works out.

A few firsts for this make!

This was actually my first ever dress (?!), as well as full underlining, princess seams, and a kick pleat.

It was all fairly easy to sort out until the sleeves. I just could not make them work. I studied tutorials specific to this type of vintage dress for setting them in and the sleeve cap was simply too full no matter how I tried to work it out. If you can smoothly get these sleeves into this dress you are a powerful witch. So they’re slightly gathered, and after so many attempts – I’m totally fine with it.

This all may seem like a lot for one dress. The way I sew, I pick out staple silhouettes I know I’ll love for ages, put a lot of thought into adjusting for fit, and plan on making multiples with my fingers crossed I’ll be able to wear them for a long time to come. Bodies change, it’s the way it goes, but once I get past all the laborious adjustments of the first (or second) mock up, I leave myself such detailed notes I could sew the next ones sleepwalking, so they go fast. Well, apart from all the hand finishing, but that’s a fun meditation for me.

xx Lauren

Some fine print: All images (save the photo of the pattern) & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time.

Lastly but most importantly – many, many thanks to my patient & generous person for listening to my sewing ramblings and taking wonderful photos. I’m lucky to have such magic in my life.

Advance 9600 • c. 1960 • “Percy” the Penguin

I’m a total sucker for anything fun & functional, so when I saw this pattern I had to snap it up and give it a go. It’s a kid’s ‘pajama case’ – meaning it has a zipper up the back where littles can pack their pjs & such for a sleepover. Adore. Another reason I decided to make these is that I’m very much concerned with being a responsible sewist in terms of the environment via over making & waste. I’ve yet to toss a single scrap or cut of thread from the moment I started sewing. I either use the scraps for my underarm shields or makeup removers, and anything too small gets stashed away. I used those too small scraps as filling for this to try and close the circle of my sewing material use.

This holiday version is the mock up where I worked out the bugs in the pattern. My idea is to use it like a Christmas stocking with presents zipped inside. A new little gift exchange tradition. Want to see a video of it coming together?

@sultryvintage

Let’s all pretend I got this project done in time for the holidays 😅 I saw this pattern (c. 1960) for this penguin slumber bag stuffed animal & couldn’t say no. Also couldn’t help but make it a bit more jolly than the recommended black & white. . It’s a slumber bag because it has a zipper up the back and an pocket you put pjs & a toothbrush in for littles going off to sleepovers. If you know me, I’m a huge fan of fun & functional. . It’s a straightforward make but in my usual style I refined and redesigned parts of it because – if you follow the original instructions – it’s a bit flimsy and nonsensical with the internal stuffing. This was my mock up, I have another I’m going to make that’ll be perfected with all the refinements and redrafts for the inner pocket. More on that later. . Overall I was pretty surprised with how well designed it is – it’s comically, wonderfully big! – & how it turned out. I filled it with all my sewing scraps I’ve saved (have yet to toss any scraps of fabric or thread from the time I started sewing in my no waste sewing efforts), and I have about two more bags left. Guess more penguins are on the way. . . . . . . . . #1960 #60s #penguin #advance9600 #percythepenguin #stuffedanimal #sewist #sewing #christmas #holidays #memade #sleepover #vintage #vintagesewing #sewingtiktok #sewingtok #sewingroom #sew #kidssewing #childrenssewing #midcentury

♬ Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Dean Martin

Overall I’m impressed with the design! It looks pretty exact to the pattern illustration (vintage clothing patterns illustrators should have taken notes…), and it is a chonky little penguin that makes us laugh. The dynamics of it are great – stands on its little feet and is a decent size. Well, a bit comically – but wonderfully – big at over a foot tall.

If you follow the original instructions it’d turn out a bit on the flimsy side (imho). I used cotton snuggle flannel for the shell and lined it all with cotton muslin for strength and to keep the looser weave flannel in shape. It only calls for lining on a few pieces but I’d recommend lining it all except for the hat. Speaking of the hat, if you do grab this pattern to make it, the hat instructions don’t mention leaving a gap between the lining and the shell pieces in order to turn it right side out. Remember to do that and then hand stitch the gap closed with a ladder or whip stitch.

I reworked the feet to be more refined as the original called for the fabric sewn around the cardboard on the outside and then just trimmed off. Instead I drafted it so the fabric is lined in flannel and the cardboard is enclosed with the raw edges inside, rather than fraying on the outside. Wasn’t much work to sort that out and the feet are plush and sturdy.

The more bizarre part of the instructions are about how to stuff it. It calls for Kapok (which I’d never heard about, it sounds neat, but also, expensive), and to stuff it into the head and tail firmly annnnnd that’s it? That would leave it a shapeless mess, and when opened to put your items inside, stuffing would be constantly falling out. I drafted a pocket that keeps the stuffing in, allows you to fully stuff it out, and makes it so you can actually use it as intended. For the next one I’m going to try drafting an entirely removable lining so the shell can be washed if needed. As I mentioned, I stuffed this with all my sewing scraps and it gives it a great weight and soft squish. As a choice I sew almost only with natural fibers, so it wouldn’t be the worst thing for me to dispose of the scraps as they’d decay (as opposed to synthetics), but I still feel responsible for low / zero waste creating whenever possible.

Instead of making a yarn ball I (fortuitously) saw these pom balls while grabbing the fabric and tacked that on the hat. I definitely think it looks better than any yarn ball I could’ve made (and will wear better too.)

So! Onto the next one of these because, as is my way, I really enjoy perfecting patterns (for my vintage pattern archive), and I hope to gift some to littles who would find them magical.

Next up I’ll be sharing my holiday dress I made from a 1959 pattern. (Hopefully sooner than later, because I’m clearly playing catch up.)

xx, Lauren

Update! I fully refined this pattern and made the second version with all my modifications so the shell is washable and the stuffing is easily removable in its own casing. It was a bit of work, but well worth it. Here’s refined mock up #2.

Some fine print: All images (save that of the photo of the pattern itself) & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time.

© Sultry Vintage, 2023. All rights reserved.

Self-Drafted • c. 2021 • Underarm Shields

They may not be a vintage pattern, but they are a must-have our grandmothers and great-great aunts knew to use. Underarm shields go way back into at least the 19th century. I self-drafted these from scratch, pulling the size from one of my favorite 1950s dresses that inspired the need for them. (It’s chambray, and if you sweat one drop it shows through, so a slip and dress shields are musts for it.)

I’m really proud of the design. I fashioned them so that there are no raw edges – no need for over-locked seams where a thread can catch and they unravel (as well as looking messy, imho). Everything is neatly turned in so that it can take a lot of (delicate) washing over time. Because that is the point of these, protection for my treasured garments, sustainability, and longevity.

I’ve lost count of how many I’ve sewn for my wardrobe. These medium-weight cotton ones are a staple, I’ve also made lightweight linen and jersey for my sheerer garments, and self-fabric ones so they blend into my jackets. There’s an entire page on my website that answers all questions about them, you can read it all by clicking here.

I work much too hard on my sewing projects to not take care of them. Here are the shields I made for my 1939 Bolero Jacket. Interested in making these for your own projects, to protect your special garments or vintage collection? This pattern is for sale in my Etsy shop, both as a digital download & a printed packet I mail out. Don’t sew? I do sew these and offer them for sale as well – though in limited quantities. Keep and eye on my Etsy shop (click the follow button) to see when they’re available.

It’s not an exaggeration when I say these save me so much time and energy that I cannot imagine going back to not using them. I don’t have a laundry room so I used to spend too much (back breaking) time bent over my tub soaking out stains from delicate garments. Mostly my vintage – a lot of which can’t take frequent, stain busting washing as it will start to fall apart. So, prevention is the best laundry hack. Now I don’t really worry about hot days, nervousness, or even just normal use for fabrics that seem to stain so easily. For the life of me I don’t know why we ever stopped wearing these & slips. Protective, easily washable undergarments just makes too much sense!

xx, Lauren

Some fine print: All images & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is available for non-commercial use, strictly for personal use, and can be found in my Etsy shop.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

Butterick 5685 • c. 1934 • Tilt Hats

When you can’t find it – make it. After collecting and selling vintage for so many years, I hit a limit. I simply could not find certain pieces I’d dreamed of in my size. It just wasn’t going to happen. There’s an intersection point of time, effort, and what you can afford to put into searching for desired vintage, and hats were just not turning up for this big head of mine. So, it was time to take matters into my own hands. & what a terribly fun, creative process it was!! Wish that I had the time to focus on millinery some more!

I bought this pattern as a digital print out repro from The Vintage Pattern Lending Library on Etsy. Original pattern photo via the Vintage Pattern Wiki.

Besides not ever being able to find a vintage hat in my size, I couldn’t even find a vintage pattern for one! So I turned to a reproduction. As a rule I love the thrill of collecting true vintage patterns and working from the originals, but eventually I needed to acknowledge I’d be waiting a lifetime because what I hoped for was so specific – a glorious 1930s tilt-able hat. Thankfully I found this one through The Vintage Pattern Lending Library‘s Etsy (highly recommend), and I’m glad I gave repro’s another chance. (My first ever sewing make was from a repro and it was an absolute disaster of a pattern.)

Pardon all the puppy hair – as I mention in most of my posts, I slap these photos together as they’re really just for my sewing book to document the makes, not aiming for glamour.

In total I made five of these. (I got carried away, ha, but it’s hard not to when they’re relatively easy to make with few material needs!) Also, in my usual way, I over-complicated everything by being mega choosy about the colors for each one, didn’t follow the pattern exactly, and added in a functional design element that helps me keep the hatband clean.

They’re actually a mash up of two versions offered in the pattern – I chose to mix the crown of view C with the brim of view D. In the process of combining these two I also expanded the brim an inch to fit my head circumference, added an inch to the length, and somehow the pattern pieces worked together pretty flawlessly. Experimental / dumb luck is sometimes beautifully on my side.

This hat is actually a deep dark charcoal but wouldn’t photo as such. It plays magically off the vintage raspberry ribbon. Here I designed some Deco style stitching for the crown and did the ribbon layout to compliment the angularity.

The details are what really delight me about these. I put a ridiculous amount of energy into searching out materials and designing each one. Select color pairings, vintage ribbons, era researched stitching – silk linings of my own Deco style fabric design.

Hidden inside – I added in a removable hat band so I can wash it to keep my skin clean from a build up of makeup and oils. The fabric is one of my favorites I’ve ever designed: Muse – Barcelona in an outrageously lush silk from Contrado.

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It’s hard to pick favorites, but I do intensely love this more simple dove grey with a sage rayon ribbon and peach silk lining. (I’m not a very elegant person but this one lends me that illusion, so I like it for that). I hand stitched the rayon band used for the bow with wider visible stitches (a 30s detail I picked up from one of the catalogs I shared in my fashion archive project) and tucked it around the underside of the brim. Here are a few videos of that gorgeous silk (from Dharma Trading Co) as I made the lining and stitched it in.

@sultryvintage

Playing with silk, part 1 #sewing #sewist #silk #sultryvintage #sewingtiktok #handsewing

♬ Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes

@sultryvintage

Playing with silk part 2 #sewing #vintagehat #vintagestyle #1930s #sultryvintage #sewing #sewist #sew #sewingtiktok #vintagevibes #hat

♬ Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes

As far as the technicality of the making went there was a learning curve (bah dum chshhhhh). I kid, but really there was because it was the first time I worked with one type of hat interfacing and sewed such deep curves. The brim and sides of the crown were stiffened with interfacing (the pattern doesn’t call for it but doing some reading I gathered it needed it – and it does). Sewing the curves took a lot of patience working in the ease so I didn’t catch any folds (rather tough), and one detail I’m particularly proud of is the way I was able to make my stitch design “jump” this dart at the back of this hat for a seamless visual line:

Always about those details!

Some behind the scenes I shared on my Instagram stories while busy sorting out how to achieve this detail.

On this hat I used my Leyendecker: Dusk Art Deco style fabric leftover from my 1930/31 Beach Pyjamas for the under side of the brim. Always looking to use fabrics I already have both for eco reasons and to create a thread of continuity through my wardrobe. This will look brilliant with my modified 1920s bandeau beach top I made from the same leftover fabric! The ribbon is a gorgeous 1940s silk taffeta (taffeta gets a bad wrap from the 80s synthetics but the early versions are gorgeeeous) and vintage real silk flowers.

As I mentioned, the most exhausting part of these was the decision-making over each hat’s individual details / colors and finding true vintage ribbons to match (the main fabrics are all Kona cottons). The sewing was fairly easy and straightforward – apart from the ribbons. I did more complex fashioning than not and getting them to all hold in place, the hand stitching – that was fairly tricky. Printing out the pattern and matching it up was super easy (my first pattern I printed out), and I highly recommend it for accuracy.

Some tips if you decide to make this pattern – press the hell out of your fabric. I mean it. Any slight wrinkle or pucker will show, especially when ironing it to your interfacing, and the collective end result will look sloppy if you don’t. That and make sure your tension is correct on your machine. My first hat had a bit of puckering when I stitched around the brim and I was able to sort it out by the next one. These are also meant to have the brim flipped up in the back (if you choose) and with my first one what contributed to that puckering was really toying with that flip as I was making it, compromising the adhesion of the interfacing. So maybe don’t do that haha.

This is the first ever hat I made! The under brim contrasts in a rich peacock color. I adore that vintage copper ribbon – reminds me of old school ribbon candies. Pro tip: seal the ends of your cut ribbons so they don’t unravel. The crown of these can be worn rounded but I choose to tap them down and buckle them for a mixed look between men’s hats at the time and these women’s tilt hats.

And that’s my collection of hats made from a 1934 pattern! I did so (so) much research on these and still have many variations I would love to make. Some with veils, more with flowers, different colors and shapes. Hopefully I’ll pick up another pattern to play with someday soon! Because I adore hats, wish they were a staple in our modern wardrobes again.

xx, Lauren

Some fine print: All images (save the one of the original pattern photo) & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

New York Pattern 1051 • c. 1939 • Bolero Jacket, Version A

It’s a miracle I’m still sane after this make. So much work into such a small jacket! It took 68 days from the first mock up to the final stitch (read on for allll the why). Worth it. Because in the end, I have a garment I self drafted an entire lining for, with lots of hidden functional features, and I learned an absurd amount from it. Baptized by fire seems to be my M.O.

Pardon the slapped together hair and outfit. I don’t put much work into my photo shoots as I’d rather spend my time doing pretty much anything else, hah, but you’ll notice my top is a modified version of the 1920’s Superior Pattern 9030 bras (here as a beach top), made with leftover fabric from my 1930/31 Butterick 3554 Beach Pajamas in my self designed art deco style fabric.

Where to even begin? I guess with the pattern itself:

Hailing from 1939 I was instantly smitten with this pattern and all the options. I was actually looking for a 30s/40s hooded peplum jacket pattern when I figured version B was close enough and I could work with it as the jumping off point. I’m still searching out the perfect fabric for that look so I decided to start with view A, as I’m slowly building up a version of this 1940s outfit (swipe to the end of the post to see the source photograph. I have yet discover who the photographer is to give credit – share if you know!). The pants & belt / pouch are still on the way. ANYWAY.

How silly I was to think this would be an easy make – only three pieces! Yeah? I ended it with 15 and modified all three of the original pieces (hahahaaaa). & the instructions? Might as well have been a technical challenge on the Great British Bake Off – so. sparse. And then here I come along making things as complex as possible.

The pattern illustration *shakes fist* – always gets me. (Read all about what liars pattern illustrations can be for my 1948 bra & shorts play set.) The pattern is in my bust size but otherwise runs small. The length did not drop down to halo my waist as pictured (more on that later), instead it hit just at my under bust. Mock up #1 was sorting that out, and the sleeve grain that didn’t point down (and I’m still not certain my fixing that was correct? Again, more on that later). I also had to cut the collar open a bit wider and I dropped the length of the sleeves slightly to get closer to my inspo photo.

Quick aside – the fabric I used for this I LOVE. It reminds me of stars strewn across an inky night sky (if they were all made to be perfectly aligned that is), it’s a deep blue cotton dotted with metallic silver and it shimmers like sunlight on water (wonderfully impossible to catch on camera). Also, had to pair it with an absolute favorite 1930s watch! Because I’m obsessed. (I featured it in one of my designer fabrics, here!)

Back to the fit – oi. It took two muslins to get this one right. The first addressed basic issues with the pattern itself, the second was an absolute mind melt trying to self draft my own lining, having never done it before. Hilariously the instructions just said – line. The other option was to just flip up the hem and call it a day, but since I’m extra and had a specific use in mind for this jacket I went all out. (I could have flat lined it – easier – but you’ll read why I didn’t want to go that route up next.)

Took a bit of thinking but I created a special holder for my sunglasses that keeps them snugly in place no matter how I move about. A favorite feature I may now put into any garment sturdy enough to support it.

As I wanted to use this for a beach bolero (because, emulating that 1940s outfit) I decided it needed certain features to keep me care free in my summer ramblings – a pocket for a credit card / cash / seaglass, a pocket for a house / car key, and a place for my sunglasses. One of my odd pet peeves is when your sunglasses always slip off and hit the ground when you fold them over your collar or have them on your head. These were easy enough to figure out, I just needed to learn welt pockets (having done bound button holes on this 1950s New York Pattern 1162 blouse it wasn’t too dissimilar, so, easy.) But positioning them just right was an unseen headache that took so. much. math.

Where I realllllly over-complicated it was the lining itself. I wanted a bright pop of color to elevate the playfulness of the outfit and to match in a similar color palette the coral on my bandeau top & the future belt / pouch, but I didn’t want it showing at the edges… so I had to draft the colored part of the lining recessed back a bit. Silly, silly woman I am. It was unreasonable to ask this of myself haha, but that’s never stopped me before.

I could talk forever about this lining (would you believe I’m trying to keep this post as short & sweet as possible) – suffice to say that it’s 12 pieces in total and I had to re-engineer it multiple (multiple) times, but it was well worth the effort. As I said I learned so much and got exactly what I was wanting from it. I won’t tell you how long I sought out that cotton lining fabric & still didn’t get the exact shade I was after (111 years, to be exact. Or at least it felt that way.)

Here’s a video of the overall fit all its details:

@sultryvintage

Started the mock up for this 1939 bolero at the end of March, final stitches went in a few days ago. Whew! Photo set w more info coming to my IG (@sultryvintage), all videos of this being sewn are here on my page. #1930s #30s #bolero #vintagesewing #sewing #sultryvintage #sewingtok #sewingtiktok #sewist #vintage #memade #tailor #sewinghack #vintagesewing #sewingroom #vintagefashion

♬ Trouble – Elvis Presley

More on the fit – when I did the first mock up this did not halo my waist beautifully like illustrated. It pointed out in front over my bust in the most awkward way. It totally ruined the entire look of the bolero and so I went back to that inspo picture and noticed they darted the hem under the bust & voila, that was the exact fix I need. Though it was deceptively hard to get that visual straight line. It actually cuts in just towards the bottom, but the way it falls over my bust when worn reads as straight when looking at it from the front. It now drapes perfectly.

There are a few minor issues I could focus on working out, but they’re not major enough to keep me up at night. The biggest one is the way the back of the sleeve head buckles (again, not sure if this is because the grain line shouldn’t be straight down and the original pattern was correct?) but some strategic crinoline is the vintage fix for that. (I also kept an eye out for similar sleeve heads in 30s/40s films and I’ve seen others buckle like this as well so maybe it’s just an unsupported, darted sleeve head doing what it does?)

As with all my makes, everything is hand finished – from the seams to the raw edges of the pockets, the vintage seam taped hem and invisibly stitched lining hem. & I made some self fabric underarm shields. Essential, as I’ll be wearing this in warmer weather and only want to have to lightly wash it to preserve that silver flecking. Prevention is the best laundry hack, as I say!

I did little videos of the entire process of making this, so if you want to quickly see it put together, here’s every video in order, enjoy!

@sultryvintage

Whewwwwww. Part 1 of sewing my 1939 Bolero that took agessss to redraft and refine. #sultryvintage #sewing #sewingtok #vintagesewing #vintagepattern #vintage #sewist

♬ Someday – The Strokes

@sultryvintage

Today was getting both single welt pockets into the lining. I sewed all the darts on the shell as well but was in the groove enjoying myself so I didn’t film it. Sometime you gotta live in the moment, clock app people! Details – single welt pocket interfaced with muslin, hand overlock stitched. The lining isn’t part of the original pattern, self drafted #sultryvintage #sewing #sewingtock #sewist #vintage #1930 #bolero #30s #vintagesewing #handsewn #vintagepattern

♬ No No No – Beirut

@sultryvintage

Sewing the inner lining of my 1939 bolero! The entire lining is self drafted (off the original pattern), and though it looks ridiculously over complicated – I have my reasons. Which I’ll get into when I’ve finished it 😘 #sultryvintage #sewing #vintagesewing #vintagepattern #sewingtok #sewist #1930s #vintage #memade #memademay #memademay2022

♬ S’Wonderful – Julie London

@sultryvintage

Sewing the shell of the jacket, setting in the sleeves and lining. Just a few more details and done! #sultryvintage #sewing #sewingtok #sewist #vintagesewing #vintagepattern #1930s #30s #vintage #vintagestyle #vintagetok #sewvintage #memade #memademay

♬ Sleep Walkin’ – Modest Mouse

Couldn’t tell you why, but WordPress is fine with some Tik Toks being added here, others, not. Obnoxious, especially because Instagram puts the entire caption on, but it’s all I could make work.

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@sultryvintage

Underarm shields – what you didn’t know you were missing & needing. Find the pattern in my etsy shop – Sultry Vintage on etsy. #sewing #sultryvintage #sewist #sewingtok #sewingtiktok #sewinghack #vintage #vintagesewing #truevintage #sew

♬ I Don’t Like It Like This – The Radio Dept.

@sultryvintage

Pro tip – fit the shields into your garment while you’re wearing it to ensure best fit and pin in place. It takes a bit of doing but it 1000% makes a difference (was awkward to film so just placed it on my sewing table for the video). #sewing #sewingroom #sewingtok #sewingtiktok #sultryvintage #vintagesewing #vintage #sewinghack #tailor #sewingtips #handsewing #seamstress #sewingpattern

♬ Untitled – Interpol

& that’s that! A totally maddening project that worked out in the end (mostly because I absolutely refused to give up), but I have a feeling when I eventually make the other versions of these it will be equally as nuts due to the poor fit of the original pattern. So if you pick up this pattern, know that its directions are sparse, its possibly a bit wonk, on the smaller fit side and so may need a bit of redrafting.

xx, Lauren

Some fine print: All images & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time and can’t point you in a direction for other originals or reproductions.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

McCall’s 7262 • c. 1948 • Bra & Shorts Play set

Two things about this pattern – 1) it’s one of the most comfortable garments I now own. I’m wearing it as I write this because I don’t ever want to take it off, ha & 2) the pattern illustrator took liberties with those shorts, eish! Spilling all the details below! (If you’re not into the sewing aspect and just want to see it worn, you can skip right to the bottom to see the photo shoot.)

Things to note: The crossed straps are my own modification (simple to do!) & to get the shorts to match the length pictured I had to cut off 3.5″

Some details about materials – the fabric is a modern cotton, “bursting stars” by Joanns, though I’m calling this my “Firecracker” set. This fabric was actually my first ever impulse buy (for fabric) & I loved it to pieces when I found it, then got it home an just couldn’t match it with a project. It’s so busy I knew it would be hard to pull off with something like a dress and it needed to be featured in smaller pieces. I actually used it as a working mock up here since I had a hunch this set would come together easily (kind of right), and I had enough of it. Lining fabric is a navy blue cotton I had in my stash from when I made my 1934 hats (post coming soon).

I always transfer out original patterns onto paper as I tend to make heavy adjustments and want to preserve the originals. Should use sewing dot paper, had this wrapping paper to hand.

Buttons are true vintage 1940s pressed glass in a lilac color that I’m obsessed with. The zipper is metal from the 1950s-ish. Belt made with a self fabric belt kit from Mood (because no sewing store withing driving distance from me carries them??). Also, I get no kick backs from these companies, I’m just sharing what I used. Also – this entire set features hand finished details as per the pattern directions: hand finished seams and hand sewn buttonholes.

Details are important to me / I spent way too long hunting down the perfect buttons (worth it).

Before we get into the silliness that are the shorts, let’s start with the top! I did a few modifications to it, and if you want the tldr version, here’s a video I put together on them:

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The breakaway strips that hide one strap for a single cross strap look.

Details about the details: first thing I decided was that I wanted a cross strap look. I just extended the strap length and figured out where I needed to move the buttons to get it to sit properly. This causes the front top to buckle a bit with movement so I just hid boning under the front flap & voila – issue fixed. In the video I mention boning over the bust seams, I ended up going in and making adjustments and taking that out.

This pattern is marked as 36″ bust, which I am, but it was way too roomy on me. I don’t know if this is because of ease in the pattern or because I’m a smaller cup size 36. After I did all that work to add the boning I realized I just needed to take it in, but since I’d already finished the entire top (hand stitched seam finishing & all), it was a bit of a pain to adjust – still, beyond worth it. Now the top fits me like a glove and – ironically – it wouldn’t have fit this well had I not gone about it this specific way, here’s why –

This is the toile, as I mentioned, so I didn’t go in and make any fit adjustments to the pattern before cutting it. I didn’t want to pre-measure the pattern pieces and try to make adjustments before knowing how this would fit and I didn’t want to take it in based on miscalculations and create more work for myself. This being a lined summer top as well, if it ended up too tight it’d be too hot to wear. So. I made it as the pattern is drafted hoping it’d fit and then it was too big – here’s how I fixed it:

The lining, shell, top fold over flap & straps all fit into one seam.

The top part with the straps and the fold over flap goes together all in one seam, so I’d have had to take this all apart completely to evenly take off inches from the pattern pieces. Instead I pinned out the excess over the bust while wearing it and just crossed my fingers that it would all work out (cue the mini panic attack I had in the middle of these adjustments, thinking about how I do these things while being self taught). Because of the top seam I could only take the bottom seam apart and sew as far as my machine’s foot could reach. So I nipped out the same amount from the bust apex down to the hem and tapered it up to the top edge.

This worked out brilliantly for my shape because it actually kept the top edge a bit looser and not too tight overall, I can move easily in it and it breaths. Perfect for my broad shoulders / rib cage. It’s now fitted perfectly across my bust and lower ribs. I’d have never thought to do this tapered adjustment before this ‘needs must’ situation and certainly would have made it too tight.

Sometimes you have to go a long way in one direction to come back and figure it out in a way you’d never have thought to. It’s a mix of dumb luck, thinking “I can make this work,” and a heavy dash of self taught tenacity. Thankfully it panned out – this time… but yeah, never again diving right into a make in a final fabric without a proper mock up first haha.

In the end I took out 3″ from across the bust. I kept the seam allowances for this adjustment instead of cutting them down. Although I have other backups I’ve devised to solve fit issues before I’d need to go in and mess with the seams again (due to my size not being static), the option is still there.

All the tedious bits – snaps, hand sewn button holes, hooks & eyes.

The other addition to this top that is non-negotiable with all my garments these days is underarm shields. I modified the top of my sleeveless shields pattern – as there’s no armscye curve – and these snap in & out easily for popping in the wash. You can find my pattern for the sleeveless version (with the curved armscye) – and the regular dress shields (you get both versions in the one listing) – via my pattern in my shop. All the details about how they work, the tutorial video, and more can be found here.

Now for the shorts. In the photos of my set you’ll notice it’s close to the look of the shorts on the pattern in terms of where it hits on my leg – I had to take off 3.5″ from the hem to get them there, lost the cuff in the process (worth it) and I’d have taken off more from the hem if I could (couldn’t because of where the crotch sits). I still can take off another 1/2″ above the crotch in a future make and I just might. The pattern instructions are a bit more honest in showing how low the real hem hits, and it’s more of a camp counselor quasi-culottes look instead of that fun, short halo around your upper thigh. They also flared out way hard and the creases were difficult to keep that helped hold them in a halo. Exhibit A:

The long side is without the cuff tucked up but it was still too long and goofy on my frame. The short side is where I wish I could’ve gotten it to hit.

For reference, I’m tall, and I’m also 60% leg (we measured). I can’t imagine where these would hit on a shorter legged person, probably very much closer to the knee. Which… illustration! What?! In sum, if you plan to make this pattern I would figure out how hip width will affect length and then take them up above the crotch if you can and at the hem if you want them to look anything like the pattern image. Obv the artist took liberties, those gals have zero pelvis and legs longer than mine, but I feel like they could have gotten that illustration a little closer to the end result of the pattern. Oh well, my search continues for my dream 40s shorts. Flow-y and more skirt-like, less boxy than these.

This make was also my first pair of shorts, shorts pocket, belt, belt loops, hand stitched eyelets, legit boning, and a zipper. Quite a few people had me real nervous about putting in a zipper! But I want to say either this was an easy one or beginners luck because it went in without issue (even without having the proper sewing foot. It was all about strategically unzipping it).

@sultryvintage

So many people told me to fear the zipper!! I must’ve done something wrong bc I found it a breeze 😅 #sewing #sewist #sewvintage #vintagesewing #sewingroom #sewingtiktok #sewingforyoupage #sewingskills #vintage #sultryvintage

♬ Chattanooga Choo Choo – Andrews Sisters

Speaking of easy, that self fabric belt kit was also way easier than I thought it’d be. & though I love hand sewing button holes, I discovered I do not love hand sewing eyelets. Passsssss.

@sultryvintage

& my 1948 set is finisssheddd!!! #sultryvintage #vintagesewing #moodfabrics #sewing #sew #vintage #sewingtiktok #vintagestyle #beltbuckle #1940s #sewingforyoupage #sewingfyp #fyp

♬ Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear

& finally! After my brain melted working through new skills and fit issues, I get the joy of wearing it. Please enjoy some of my best Betty Grable impersonations.

The set actually does give a good mid-drift look, I just had the belt too tight here. Whoops. So what did we learn? That pattern illustrations are make believe and 1948 was sweeeeeeet! Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this come together – on to the next!

xx, Lauren

Some fine print: All images (save that of the buttons close up) & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time and can’t point you in a direction for other originals or reproductions.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

New York Pattern 1162 • c. 1950s • Peter Pan Collar Blouse

Peter pan collars, how I love thee. For ages I tried to find a 1930s blouse in this style, but this is what found me. Certainly not mad about it, it’s hands down one of the most comfortable blouses I now own. & the details I was able to include are true delights.

Pattern photo via Backroom Finds (an amazing shop!) via Vintage Pattern Wiki.

I don’t know which came first, the buttons or the fabric choice, but either way – over the moon (pun, intended) with how it all came together. The fabric is my own design – featuring Edwardian celestial jewelry – based off a few pieces in my own collection. You can read more about that here (you can even watch a video of me actually drawing the fabric design in the last slide). The design is named Le Rêve, here it’s in the “Arabian Nights” colorway – a moody deep maroon / plum – in Spoonflower‘s organic cotton sateen. I loved creating this pattern so much I did twelve colorways / versions for it, all of which you can see here.

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The buttons – legendary. I don’t know how I got so lucky with these. They’re the most unreal vintage (possibly from the 30s), mirror-backed, glass star buttons. The faceting & foil makes it so they throw off light like crazy and it’s pure magic to see in person.

I’m in a phase where I’m either learning something new with each make (because I’m still new to sewing) or choosing something new. For this I chose bound buttonholes – mostly to support the shanks and weight of the buttons – but I also decided to go all out with the finishing touches of this one as I felt like the materials truly deserved it. Took me a bit to wrap my head around these buttonholes, but Wearing History‘s really wonderful video on them saw me though figuring it out.

Another place I decided to highly finish this blouse was in the seam allowances. I found a shop that offers a glorious stash of 1930s / 40s woven rayon ribbon (often used as or called hem tape) and chose some to bind each allowance (while normally bias binding is used for this, the nature of the woven tape has the edges locked in so I found it suitable to the task & it kept things lightweight. It also enabled me to finish the seams before constructing this as it would’ve been much more of a pain to sew these onto the finished allowances).

I did have one major face palm with this make and – uhg. This is the thing about sewing that can trip you up – the myriad of details. I’m always good about washing each fabric & ribbon before sewing with it – but totally missed on catching that need with my interfacing. (The agony. I’ve since completely given up iron on interfacing and stick with using fabric as interfacing.) So in the collar, I used an iron on fusible on the underside that wasn’t pre-shrunk. Which means if it gets wet it will shrink off the fabric and cause (what I’ve read is) irreversible bubbling. Which means I’m never letting the underside of this collar ever touch water. Wash day for this one will be a special joy (additionally considering those buttons will need to be popped off every time). Maybe one day I’ll just take it apart and address that. Hard lessons learned.

There were a few other difficulties (read: learning curves) with this blouse. The pattern notes were really sparse, and the one area I wasn’t able to fully sort out was the collar attachment point at the seam. The instructions don’t make sense in how to get it to turn out smoothly from the seam (I must’ve read it a half a million times, but the issue is most likely my newness to this). I was able to work it out so it’s passable but I still need to dismantle this issue for the next blouse. This pattern is also what put me off on cutting notches. I followed the pattern pieces and the notches cut way too deep and into the seam line (face, meet palm), so now I simply mark my notches with a washable pencil.

The blouse went together smoothly otherwise. All darts, pleats, and pattern pieces lined up seamlessly (apart from that collar). I love the finishes around the neck and inside the arm holes, I used a bit of a stiffer cotton left over in my stash and it gives a great hold & structure to the look. The fit is true (roomy, but wonderfully so) and is surprisingly long enough for my frame (I always anticipate needing to add length because, tall).

Paired with a true vintage 1950s quilted skirt, vintage velvet ribbon as a neck tie, & 1959 Bulova American Girl watch.

I consider this blouse a little work of art – my own designed fabric, very special vintage buttons, details tended to – and it brings me a lot of joy as it’s also a mood I had in my head that I was able to make into a wearable garment. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it! If you come across this pattern, highly recommend creating it! It’s so comfy.

xx, Lauren

Some fine print: All images (save the pattern photo, shared with written permission) & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time and can’t point you in a direction for other originals or reproductions.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

Butterick 3554 • c. 1930/31 • Hostess Lounge Outfit / Beach Pyjamas (Pajamas)

The reason I learned how to sew! I’m not kidding. At the height of the craze for vintage beach pyjamas a few years back (no, not the original trend, the one in the resale market) – I caught the fever. I love all things deco and lounge-y, but I quickly realized there was no way that:

A) I would probably ever find a pair that would fit my tall frame,
B) even if I did, they would be out of my budget, &
C) the chances were slim that I’d ever find enough original 1930s fabric to make a full pair. (The pants on these are insanely wide and require yards and yards of fabric.)

So what does any reasonable person do when they see something they imagine they can’t live without? That’s right, learn two entirely new skills sets – surface pattern design (fabric designing) & sewing.

If you haven’t figured out by now I’m a bit nuts, here it is in plain English.

Pardon the wrinkles, we drove to this spot trying to beat sunset so there was no time for all those professional photo shoot fancies, like steaming. Also, major love to my long suffering photographer ❤ & our dog who plays along.

Without getting into too much detail on the fabric end, the long & the short of it is I taught myself how to design fabric patterns. (To be fair, I’ve been a working artist most of my life and it was just a matter of figuring out repeats & color correction… mostly.) If you want to learn more about my patterns (like the entire line of art deco inspired ones I created first) click here. This top fabric is my Leyendecker: Dusk design and it’s solid color pairing At the Stroke of Midnight. Both in Spoonflower‘s Petal Signature Cotton.

The original vintage pattern I was so very thrilled to find in my size is Butterick’s 3554 – named as a hostess lounge set, though I’ve also seen very similar described as beach pyjamas, so I wear them for both. Witness2Fashion does a great write up on this pattern (with more photos of it) you should check out here!

Better photo of this on the way!

This was the second thing I ever sewed. Didn’t stop me from deciding to make alterations to the pattern, hah. (My first make was a nightmare of a pattern that was all out of whack and I was baptized by fire regarding fit issues. Major thanks to my sewist mom for guiding me through that fiasco. Also, having read just two Women’s Institute sewing and fit books cover to cover I felt ready… again, haaaa).

Strangely, the biggest challenge with this pattern wasn’t my alterations, but the shoulder seams, back darts, and front tucks. I’d have to give it another go to say for certain, but the issue was either me (likely) or, being from the era this pattern is, the tissue cutting wasn’t terribly precise. I certainly hadn’t perfected sewing darts yet (happy to report I’m now a champ) & the positioning of the front tucks make next to no sense with the grain line. I fought endlessly with the fit of this very simple boxy top. For future versions I may put in tucks from the hem to the waist to give shape and take out bulk.

The fit is off on me here as I dropped a size before I finished making them so the pants wouldn’t sit at the proper height on my waist but slung lower on my hips instead. Gotta love bodies and their constant flux.

First alteration was adding quite a few inches to the hem to have it sweep my ankles (as shown in the illustration) and not look like they were cropped (again, tall. & added the length at the hem because I wanted the extra swing, in answer to why I didn’t extend at the middle of the leg. Crazy how much they read like Jncos, haha, iykyk. The cotton holds its shape, with a lighter weight fabric it would flutter more).

Details. Altered armhole, added bust dart, custom designed fabric, vintage glass buttons.

The other alterations include: reverse tear dropping the arm openings down to match the neckline. I’ve seen this on some 1930s evening dresses and if you ask me, a reverse tear drop armhole is flattering to the figure (especially for garments up against the body) and makes way more sense for mobility – and in this case – a breeze on a hot day. & that dart at the side of the bust. The top was just way too out of control shapeless boxy (at least in this cotton) without it. Now it gives a nice little nod to my form. It took a lot of mental wrestling to sort this out on my second-ever make, and I’m glad I was tenacious as the fit needed it.

For my two versions of this I left off the front bow – but I did put it on for a commission (see below). The one thing I wasn’t able to follow with this pattern was a picot hem. This was way above my pay grade at the time of making it. I know there are picot machines and you can get close to the look with modern machine stitches, but a simple way to get around this is to edge the hem with a picot ribbon. Maybe next time.

Later I made myself a bandeau top based off a 1920s pattern (read all about that here) to make this a three piece outfit. Always looking for ways to reach back into my stash and ensure no fabric goes to waste!

One thing you should know is that I will eventually be making half a million of these. For now I’ve made myself two. This second version is in my Half Seas Over: Grasshopper deco inspired designed fabric & paired with the solid color – Steal Away.

I want to quickly talk about my Half Seas Over fabric designs because I llloooveee them so much. I hand draw every single one of my fabrics from pencil sketch up to fully worked design, and this one I really sought to emulate that geometric deco look. The idea behind it is cocktails and cruises and so the pattern is an abstraction of champagne bubbles and boats bobbing around in the waves. The name of each fabric? A popular cocktail of the deco era. Check them all out here.

Funny story, while trying to get some quick photos of this version the kids in town were trick or treating. I think they thought I was in costume too. Nah kids, I wear this stuff everyday haha.

On the first version I broke up the visual of form by using the top pattern on the pants yoke (it took a lot to decide on placement and get that continuity!), here I kept the pants all one fabric, which gives that impossibly long legged look thanks to the high waist.

I did take one commission for these, for a truly wonderful sweet soul I could not say no to! & here she is looking utterly magical in her chosen version in my fabrics! I like how the bow looks too, reminder to self to add it on my version.

Also, because I did this commission (after working out all the finer points in my two makes), I kept track of how long it takes to make these (a habit I need to keep up but always get so into the groove I hate keeping track of the time.) Keep in mind, there’s a ton of hand stitching done with these and I cut my own custom bias tape. I only use the machine as much as the pattern calls for and I hand finish every single seam and button hole.

& that is the story so far with this 1930/31 hostess lounge / beach pajama pattern. I love it to pieces. I have plans to make more pairs in these three fabrics (1, 2, 3) and eventually add in the bolero. One day I dream of finding a pattern for a one piece waist tie version. Fingers crossed!

xx, Lauren

Pardon the wrinkles again, sometimes you need to drive yourself to a stunning historic neighborhood to shoot in front of circa 1910s-30s architecture. Worth the wrinkling.

Some fine print: All images (save the one of my customer wearing her commission) & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time and can’t point you in a direction for other originals or reproductions.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy Lace Mask • c. 1966 • How to Steal A Million

If you’re not yet familiar with How to Steal a Million (1966), I’m here to fix that – at least where one glorious bit of fashion is concerned. From the moment I saw this Givenchy lace mask come on screen I had mega Jared Leto Green Jacket face. I knew I wanted it – nay, needed it – and it took years of thinking about the mechanics of it / searching out the perfect lace to finally get to here:

©SultryVintage 2022, all rights reserved.

I have so much to say about this mask, let’s break it down. First! Not only are the illusion and mechanics of it genius, but how it’s used in the scene is so cheeky. (My own analysis:) They use it at a moment when she calls a meeting with Peter O’Toole’s character to propose the main heist of the film. I don’t know how the connection can’t be made to her mask as a glam riff on the stereotypical idea of burglar masks, given the context.

For your consideration: Buster Keaton & Al St. John in The Bellboy (1918) in a scene where they prepare for a robbery. (Will never miss an opportunity to reference Keaton <3). DCMA takedown notices apply, please message me for removal if this violates your copyrights.

It wasn’t easy to find the lace with spacing enough through the pattern that would both emulate the lace used in the original & allow me to see – everything I kept turning up was pretty densely designed. By the time I found it, it was officially game on. (The lace was really the only thing holding me back from making it.) I’d been casually thinking about how to go about this for so long that I just dove in and threw together a quick mock up one night. It worked out perfectly, immediately (to my surprise, hah).

Here I should clarify – this is not going to be a tutorial moving forward. I have thought about making one but this mask is arguably more art than science so it’s tricky to describe the important nuances that make the design work. (Well, it’s definitely a lot of engineering, but as each face shape is different it calls for a very artful approach to make it.)

I will say though, the process is deceptively simple – and in that, awfully complex. At least how I went about it. Whoever at Givenchy designed this – standing ovation. I have so much respect for what they achieved. (Would love to know who they were and what happened to the original – though, from what I now know of this mask, I wouldn’t be surprised if it got utterly smooshed in handling / costume transport / improper storage. It’s SO delicate. I mean. So, outrageously, delicate. I have it stored in a very solid clear box where I can keep an eye on it and quickly address any issues that could arise.)

• • • Here is where I would love to show photos of Audrey wearing her mask, but since there’s been a rise of dead celebritie’s estates becoming extra litigious lately, you’ll need to look it up on you own. Whomp. • • •

To start, the challenges with making this mask included what it actually looked like. I was able to dig up enough photo references to piece together that it winged around the side of her face (something I didn’t notice in the film initially), had a bow and two additional lace petal details, and only in the movie could I quickly catch in one fleeting shot how they secured it around the back of her head.

How it wraps the side of her head is also the key to the whole thing. In mapping the points of the mask against the features of her face so I could re-create the frame, it occurred to me this must have taken a lot of trial and error on the designer’s part. Simple looking, (simple is never simple) but in the end the effect is brilliant in that it holds perfectly in place on your face.

It doesn’t even budge when you shake your head. In the first video above (I removed the video, I’ll need to reupload it, sorry for that!) of me wearing it there’s no tie around the back of my head holding it in place. Nothing. It just sits and holds that perfectly. & the points it holds at? You don’t even feel it. No joke when I wear this I forget I’m wearing it. It weighs barely over one ounce. You read that right – 1 oz. For context, that’s about as much as a brand new wooden pencil.

This is also what made creating it so difficult. Like stitching air. The lightness of touch needed was pretty maddening throughout. One wrong move and you could knock it out of skew and the whole thing wouldn’t work out. (As I found out when further toying with the first mock up.) Getting the exact right materials to make this took some sorting out.

The next – and biggest – challenge was the lace. In the film she most likely has false eyelashes on, and yet she’s still able to bat her eyes easily. This requires the lace to be held off the mask in a bowed out way. The biggest difference you’ll see between the original and mine is the height at the top. How they were able to get the mask that high up her face and still achieve the shape of the lace is pretty crazy to me. Having made this now I think I could figure it out, but this is definitely a once in a lifetime make, hah. I have to wonder if it didn’t cause issues with needing to be continually reshaped as it might sag. It looks like there is nothing frame-like running through that entire swath of lace seamlessly covering her face. Keeping that hold with lace is such a feat – for a few reasons – I found out while shaping my lace.

The last part was the trim. I really wanted to get the look of this as close as I could and it took so much searching for this finishing detail. I found it just as I was about to give up and go with something that didn’t quite hit the mark. Had to do a bit of altering and cutting to get it to work – there’s a lot of hidden mechanics in the lace trim alone – but it is a vintage lace from around the mid-century, which makes me mega happy to have gotten some true vintage in there and that it looks so near to the original. Here’s the mask at the point just before I put the lace edging on & what it looked like to map it all into place:

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See my previous post for what this mask looks like in the film. Almost done! #sultryvintage #cosplay #costuming #audreyhepburn #givenchy #couture #lace #lacemask #howtostealamillion #mod #1960s #60s #vintage #vintagevibes #sewing #sewist #sewingtok #filmcostume

♬ How To Marry A Millionaire: Street Scene – From “How To Marry A Millionaire” – Alfred Newman & Marilyn Monroe

Pardon the lack of glamor in the process shot below. Truth is it was not a pretty process putting it together – lots of pins and MacGyver-ing was happening with very (very) humble materials. (My detailed notes to myself on making this are pure comedy in terms of materials and what to do with them to achieve this. I can imagine it would be easier to make with access to professional tools I’m sure the workshop used.) I also had to do a lot of thinking ahead and planning for any part of this failing and how to address fixing it. It took very strategic piecing together.

©SultryVintage 2022, all rights reserved.

The one thing I’ll say for this mask is it’s a more involved piece of engineering than I could have imagined when I decided to re-create it. In the end I chose to forgo the lace petals and bow details (I still have them shaped and the materials ready to go though if I ever want to swap out for the gathered lace I decided gave it an airiness I like better), and I do have silk I will be attaching as a tie for added security, though it truly doesn’t need it. (In the original there’s a really complex and rather heavy looking tie around the back of her head I found a bit overwhelming and so I’m passing on re-doing that part.)

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about a film & a fashion detail that (imho) deserves more fans. I’m even more obsessed with this mask now that I’ve made it! P.s – for anyone wondering – you don’t even notice the lace. You can see through it perfectly. xx –

©SultryVintage 2022, all rights reserved.

Last notes: I am not a fan of taking photos and I put minimal effort into taking pictures for my makes. They’re really just to document them for my archives. Don’t mind the lack of glam this mask deserves, I save it for the nights out 😉

Also: I’ve had a few people ask me about selling this mask and I apologize but that won’t be happening, for reasons, but I’m glad it’s caused such a stir that some of you want your own! Because that’s exactly what compelled me to make it. Know that there will be pictures when I finally wear it out.

Some fine print: All text & select images here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. If any of the publicity photos shared from the film violate your copyright please message me and they will be removed. Thank you.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.

Superior Pattern 9030 • c. 1920s • Ladies’ and Missus’ Bandeau Bra & Bloomers

Seeing as I’m currently wearing one of these, feels like a great place to start with this journal! But where to begin talking about this pattern – ha. First, I’ve only made the bra yet, and the pattern is exceptionally basic. Three pieces: bra front, side / back, & straps. Right away I ditched the strap pieces as I’d seen more elegant solutions on antique examples – silk ribbons. I do deep research for each of my makes and comb through extant garments to pick out era details that I want to incorporate – the straps were the first change.

Before I dive into the rest of this – you should know – I’m a very meticulous craftswoman (more on that another time). If a thing is worth doing it’s worth doing right, and if I’m going to make historical patterns (because I’ve not been able to find true vintage in my size), I’m going to get it as close to an original as I can. & so the hunt was on for a suitable vintage or antique ribbon that would work in terms of size, color, and a material that was both delicate & lux and would hold up over time. Let me just say that the search took ages, but what I was able to find for these bras was a 1930s silk* ribbon from France with gorgeous sheen and softness. Perfection.

*I’m no fabric expert. I know enough though, and go by what sellers describe fabrics as / what I feel confident they are or test to be. So keep this in mind, and feel free to correct me if you know better.

The mock up for this bra was pretty hilarious. It hung on me like a halo of cloth, freewheeling and in no way offering any fit or support (always do a muslin!). The solution was to add in bust darts and take out a lot of the ease. I modified the two body pieces pretty heavily, including adding in French seams to keep things very neat. The pattern also called for just turning the raw edges under and stitching them down. Again, as someone intent on refined craft, I went with bias binding the edges – another detail I’d seen on true vintage 20s bras. This was the hardest part of the material sourcing (when I say I spent a ridiculous amount of time fine tuning and sourcing for these…). I was finally able to find a glorious 1920s petal pink cotton lawn bias tape – in the exact size I needed – that’s so insanely lovely.

Here I’ll share a little trick I worked out while sewing this. The body material is a vintage rayon and even with silk pins I didn’t want to risk unnecessary holes in any of these fabrics. Bobby pins are your new best friend with delicate and somewhat slippery fabrics. They gently held the bias in place as I stitched the one side down (I know there are sewing clips you can buy… but with bobby pins close at hand and super effective, why not?). I actually did nearly all of the sewing without pins. It was nerve wracking at first, but being patient and using a delicate touch worked it all out beautifully.

Did I mention I’m intent on refinement and craft? 😉 When I’m sewing I take pains to “hide the brushstrokes.” If I can at all avoid visible stitching (unless to an artful effect), I do. For the bias binding I hand stitched the turned over edge in place, taking care that it was initially ironed & folded properly so I could hide the stitches behind the front showing edge. Careful consideration was given to the body fabric – a 1930s rayon (blend?) I was able to score – and each stitch made with proper needles to keep the integrity of the fabric strong. Never thought so much could go into a simple looking bra, eh? Well, there’s much more you’re not seeing here. & unfortunately, I can’t show you.

The back closure calls for these three buttons. I adore (adore!) button closures. I don’t know, I just love the idea of them compared to any other closure style. Those buttons took forever to search out as well, they’re so tiny – antique mother of pearl at a scant 5/16 of an inch. Another thing that probably makes me crazy – I love hand sewing button holes. Not the level of focus needed to line them all up perfectly, no that’s awful haha, but actually hand stitching out a button hole is so calming, I look forward to it through my entire make.

What you’re not seeing here, though, is a massive amount of work that went into engineering a fit system that ensures these bras perfectly, gently hug me and guarantees their longevity better than this closure would. I want to say more, I want to show it to you, but I worked so insanely hard on it and I can’t protect the system that I developed (otherwise I would make and offer these for sale), so those secrets stay with me.

At current count I’ve made three in these very fine shell pink 1920s/30s materials. Two in an insanely soft modern cotton with a Kona cotton bias binding and a shimmery 1930s silk/rayon ribbon (I’ve dubbed these my ‘Saltwater Taffy‘ version), and one I completely re-engineered the closure system I developed so it can be worn as a day wear bandeau top. I, love, these, bras.

This bottom one is the daily wear bandeau made from leftovers of my self designed “Leyendecker: Dusk” fabric I originally created to sew my 1931 beach pyjamas (post on that make coming later). I did actually use the strap pattern for this one. You can see me wearing it with my 1939 bolero jacket in this video (post on that make also coming later. & this one is a doozy, whew).

& that’s what went into refining and sewing these 1920s bandeau bras from an original pattern. It was one of the first patterns I ever sewed from (I believe the third) & the pattern pieces themselves had nothing but the early cutout markings to guide (no writing as you find with later patterns), so it was a wild ride. Amazing how much of the difficult parts you can forget after you smooth out the process. Remember when I said I’m meticulous? Yeap, I keep extremely detailed notes as well. If I’m going to work so hard on something, I’m going to plot a course along the way so when I go back to make these I have it all laid out and I can just relax and enjoy the making. I use a sewing planner to keep track of it all & if you’re interested – I got mine here.

Overall, to rate this pattern: straightforward to make, will take a decent amount of work to make it fit right. If you’re a confident sewist who knows your way around fit issues, it’s a good one to make your own, as I’ve done.

Hope you’ve enjoyed learning what it took to bring this antique pattern into a wearable & lux bra! Click the button (scroll back up to the top of this page, it’s on the left) & follow along, I’ll be going into alllllll of my historical pattern makes on this blog. xx –

(Don’t worry, those very fine vintage ribbons don’t live in plastic, it was just for the photo. The patterns are, however, kept in acid free archival plastic bags backed with acid free cardboard.)

Some fine print: All images & text here are held under my copyright and are not to be used, sampled, or otherwise shared for any reasons – commercial, personal, or otherwise – without my express written consent. Thank you. The pattern shown here is an original pattern and part of my personal collection, I don’t offer copies at this time and can’t point you in a direction for other originals or reproductions.

© Sultry Vintage, 2022. All rights reserved.