Happy New Year!! It’s been busy over here at The Sewing Room and finishing this ensemble took some time. I think the blouse was one of my longest running projects in quite sometime. Partially, because of other projects that got in the way and also because I did a LOT of hand finishing.

For this blouse, I used version A of Hollywood Pattern # 698 that was purchased from JojoandCompany on Etsy.

I adjusted the pattern by adding 2” at the bottom opening blending to 0” at the underarm. Otherwise, the pattern was left as is. I used this beautiful grey silk charmeuse from my stash. It has some wonderful details -

Lovely drapey collar, lantern sleeves with button opening & tabs with buttons and buttonholes attached to the surplice front that wrap to the back.

I used covered buttons (made from vintage button kits) at the sleeve and back tabs. The sleeve openings and neckline were finished using a bias facing and hand stitched in place. There is bias binding at the bottom openings and the front collar edge has been hand finished as well. To top it off, the blouse suggests bound buttonholes at the back tabs. This is a lovely detail, but very hard to do with silk charmeuse. I think next time there will be some fusible interfacing involved.

The sleeves sewed together beautifully, but when I set them in the sleeve, the excess ease was just too much and the sleeve looked gathered and poofy at the top. I tried to live with it, but it just kept bothering me, so I unpicked the sleeves and re-set them, placing them lower in the armhole and removing some fullness off the top cap, making the sleeve opening a bit bigger and the sleeve cap a bit smaller. I still had a reasonable amount of ease, but the gathering was reduced dramatically. Below you can see what the inside of the sleeve looked like before I trimmed and finished the armholes. Armholes were eventually finished with bias binding (self).

Now for the Skirt - This is my favorite skirt currently and I can’t stop finding reasons to wear it all the time.

Using a plaid wool from my stash and the skirt portion of the 1934 Ladies Dress With Coat - Reproduction Sewing Pattern #T1418 from VintagePatternGirl, I created the skirt for this ensemble. After measuring the pattern and adjusting slightly at waist and hip for my measurements, It was cut and sewn (fully lined) lickety split. the Vintage Buttons are from The Recrafting Co. .

My hat was a last minute addition because I wanted something to go with my outfit. Having the 1934-35 Ladies Hat, Scarf & Gloves - Reproduction Sewing Pattern #H2851 on hand from previous projects, I decided to makeup the version I hadn’t made up already - Version A. In the end, I’m feeling a little unsure about this hat, even though it did sew up quite easily and looks fairly professional. It didn’t quite turn out exactly like the image on the cover of the pattern. It’s a little wacky but does feel tremendously comfortable on. Also, to it’s credit, the hat needed no pins to keep it perched on my head, even in the wind. I’m curious, what do you think?

Here is a recap of how it all came together:

Hat - made by me using skirt fabric/lining with vintage pre-made piping. Pattern: 1934-35 Ladies Hat, Scarf & Gloves - Reproduction Sewing Pattern #H2851

Blouse - Silk Charmeuse made with Hollywood Pattern # 698 that was purchased from JojoandCompany on Etsy.

Skirt - Wool plaid with synthetic lining, using 1934 Ladies Dress With Coat - Reproduction Sewing Pattern #T1418 from VintagePatternGirl

Shoes - Alice Retro Cutout Oxfords (Nutmeg) from Royal Vintage Shoes

Undergarments and Stockings - What Katie Did

Earrings - Daisy’s on Park Street in alameda

Necklace - Kooky Kitsch on Park Street in Alameda

Photographer - Sheila Askin - My mom! Thanks so much MAMA!