Tag: 1960s

New Old Knitting

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I was absolutely convinced I’d blogged about this last summer, but apparently not! Anyway, way back in July or August, my friend Chris sent me a parcel full of knitting patterns. Some I kept, some I passed on to my Mum, but the one that really stood out to me was this one. A probably-1960s raglan cardigan, with a smart cable detail, that should fit over the top of the 1950s dresses I’d been making at the time. One of the problems with new knitting patterns, even vintage-style ones, is that they tend to be very fitted. When you’ve got a dress or a blouse with quite wide sleeves, you need a roomier cardigan to go over the top!

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Image © Victoria & Albert Museum

The pattern calls for 18 ounces of double knitting yarn, in my size. That translates to roughly 525 grams, which seemed a little on the light side. I wanted to check on the yardage in those 18 ounces, as it varies from yarn to yarn, and I wanted to make sure I’d have enough. The yardage wasn’t stated in the pattern, so I went online to have a look. I didn’t find much in the way of helpful information, as it turned out – although the V&A do have this lovely shade chart. Remember those? I used to love choosing wool with my Mum, from the little tufty shade charts that she used to keep in the sideboard. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those again now, so that we could see what we were getting before we ordered online?

Anyway, I digress.

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What I did find, eventually, was this. The exact wool called for in the pattern, a grand total of 18 ounces, all in the same dye lot, and in absolutely perfect condition! And to top it off, a rummage in the button stash turned up the perfect set. I still can’t believe the serendipity of it!

The thing I still don’t know, sadly, is the yardage of each of those tiny one ounce balls of wool. It’s not stated on the label, so the only thing I can do now is unravel one, and measure it. I might also, for the first time in my knitting life, actually make a gauge swatch and measure that too. Given that I have precisely the amount of yarn called for, I can’t even entertain the possibility of running out. After all, it’s not as though I can pop down to the shops and buy some more!

Simplicity 3042

Simplicity 3042

Yes, I’m still here, just about. The last few weeks at work have been somewhat stressful, and I’ve spent a lot more time out of the Shed than I normally prefer, so things have been a bit quiet on the sewing front.

So, this is Simplicity 3042, a pattern from the late 1950s or early 1960s, in a Slenderette size 18½. Not my Holy Grail sewing pattern, because I wanted to make a test version in a size that should theoretically be absolutely perfect for me, so I could make the relevant alterations without too much guesswork.

Simplicity 3042

So, on the plus side, the fit of a Simplicity Slenderette size 18½ is indeed absolutely perfect! I didn’t make a single alteration to the pattern, the waist is in the right place (and the right size), and the length is spot on too.

On the minus side, I don’t really like this fabric now it’s a dress (maybe Paul was right about it looking like a sofa?), and there are quite a lot of mistakes that happened when I thought I already knew how to make a dress and so didn’t read the instructions properly.

Simplicity 3042

To begin with, I simply didn’t read the instructions for the front facing. That had implications for the collar, which now looks nothing like the illustration. I didn’t bother to unpick that, because I don’t plan to walk around with the pattern envelope pinned to my chest, so I don’t think it matters too much. Annoying, though.

The skirt, on the other hand… I knew I was going to need to make alterations to the pleats, because the side front/back panel piece was slightly larger than the fabric I had left… because I didn’t follow the layout given with the pattern. On top of that I somehow managed to sew the skirt to the top in such a way that it didn’t fasten properly, so I unpicked the waist seam and started again. I thought I’d done really well to get it to all fit back together again… and then I noticed that the left front (as you wear it, so on the right in the picture) has three pleats in the skirt, while the right front only has two. I also didn’t turn the binding of the skirt placket to the inside, so a) you can see it, and b) the skirt front doesn’t sit quite right.

Simplicity 3042

I am quite pleased with these cufflinks though. Two pairs of covered buttons, linked together by several strands of thread that’s covered with a simple buttonhole stitch. Now I just need to make the eight buttonholes in the french cuffs to fasten them through. Sadly I think that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow. The amount of hand sewing I can do in one day is gradually getting less and less. Making seven covered buttons and the three buttonholes in the front of the dress is all that I can manage for now.

This dress will be worn, mainly because I don’t want to waste four metres of fabric and two days’ work. I have a pink v-necked pullover that will go nicely over the top, and enough wool to knit a pink cardigan too. I’m also waiting for the arrival of another pattern, Simplicity 4838, which is a pinafore (jumper) dress.

Simplicity 4838

I’d planned to make a couple of these in wool or suiting fabrics, to wear over my smart shirts for work. Conveniently, it will also cover up the botched centre front of the dress I’ve just made, and lessen the impact of the sofa-like fabric. I think I even have some dusky green suiting which will go perfectly.

Next time, I might even read the instructions, too.

Young Designer – Mary Quant

Mary Quant - Butterick 5912

During the 1960s, the big pattern companies enlisted the help of the hottest young designers to bring the latest fashions to their catalogues. This is Butterick 5912, designed by Mary Quant, whose patterns were licensed by Butterick well into the 1970s. I have a sneaking suspicion that this design is about as old as me.

I’ve been on a mission to track down a copy of this pattern in a size that I could actually wear. Unfortunately it looks as though it was only manufactured up to a size 14. Sadly, because of the way clothing sizes have changed over the years, I haven’t got a hope of fitting into a 1970s size 14 dress pattern.

I suppose the thing to do now is to look for a modern pattern for a short princess-seamed dress, then re-draft the top so that I can add a collar. This one from New Look would probably do the trick.

Mind you, I should probably have a rummage through my own pattern collection first. There must be something suitable in there somewhere!

I’ve got a hole in me pocket…

Diane's Beatles Tunic

This is another tunic for Diane – a short hip-length one this time.

Diane’s online name is “Bloomeenee”, so you can imagine that she was very keen to have something made from this fabulous Beatles Yellow Submarine fabric!

Here’s a YouTube clip of the “Sea of Holes” part of the film.

While I was sending off to America for the fabric, I took the opportunity to order a couple of extra metres for myself. I’m thinking of making a psychedelic coat, lined with fleece. Watch this space…