Getting organised with vintage sewing projects

Last weekend, the dress I was working on took a left turn and became a two piece dress. I am still theoretically working on it to wear this Saturday night when I leave Little Prince with daddy to go to the ballet with my mother. He assures me it will be a boys night.

I decided to make it a two piece dress so that I could choose to match the skirt (which love, love, love) with other blouses etc and to maximise its “wardrobe return” (if you can all it that)! ha!

But it also got me to thinking about my sewing projects, sewing in a more selective way… things that I can wear more than once in a blue moon. So From July 2012 to July 13, my projects will assume the following shape. I am calling it a capsule wardrobe, though its probably more my Dream Vintage wardrobe!

Does anyone else out there want to try this July 2012 to July 2013? Plan your pieces- commit to them- and sew with the goal of a wardrobe, not just an outfit? Patterns wouldn’t have to all be chosen at the outset but the “missing links” in your core vintage wardrobe should be picked… I don’t know, just thought it would be fun!

Of course the ideal wardrobe will blend with the things I already own, and based on colour and style choices, I imagine will be essentially “ME”. Here is my current list of projects:

Slim Skirt

Ballerina (full and feminine) skirt

High waisted skirt

Coat

Two piece dress

sheer blouse

Bow collar blouse

Polka dot blouse

Sheath dress (maybe two)

High tea or Brunch dress

Red carpet dress (everyone has to have something mega-glamorous)!

Slip Dress (aka Goddess dress… think for the random last minute evening affairs… because there are so many of those in my life… LOL)!

Mummy-on-a-playdate dress

Saturday night dinner dress

Movies and coffee dress

The “Yoohoo” House dress

Summer nightie

What would you add? What am I missing? (Apart from the matching convertible and starlet lifestyle)?

Today’s pattern is nothing less than the iconic… Vogue Paris original 1557

A taste of Mondrian

Inspired by Piet Mondrian, Yves Saint Laurent showcased a colour block day dress in his Fall/Winter 1965-1966 collection. A photograph of this sack dress is featured in the book 1000 Dresses (The Costume Institute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art) but can also be seen on their website: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/C.I.69.23

Mondrian, Mondrian everywhere... thanks to Yves Saint Laurent

Many collectors are familiar with the subsequent spin offs across the globe. Today’s pattern of the day is a girl’s dress in three versions, clearly following the trend set by Saint Laurent… McCalls 8154, printed in 1965. In the background is a Villawool Australian knitting pattern book, printed at about the same time. The colour blocks are so eye catching! What a great dress for the most fashionable girl at school…!

After all the fifties bouffant and tailoring, it is no wonder the Saint Laurent Mondrian day dress set the fashion world on fire… I think nowadays we take for granted  the simplicity which must have been so refreshing then…