Sewing Project: Vintage Dress update 1

I've made an exciting bit of progress since deciding to embark upon my latest vintage dressmaking project.

I read some useful advice on the Sew Craftful website about sewing with vintage patterns, and I carefully marked up each pattern piece as recommended with notes and as many useful markings as I could figure out, like grainlines and construction guidelines.

All the pattern pieces are present and accounted for

Each piece has been marked with grainline and instructions

I noticed that the (scant) instructions included with my vintage pattern mention a 3/8 inch seam allowance, but I have no idea if that is 'included' in the pattern size or if you are supposed to add it when cutting out the fabric.

I've gone on the assumption that the 3/8 inch is included, but when I cut out the fabric I decided to add another 2/8 inch. Why? Because I'm so used to sewing using the now-standard 5/8 inch seam allowance that I want to avoid going on autopilot and sewing the entire dress too small. I'm not experienced in fiddling around with seam allowances but I couldn't see how adding another 2/8 inch on each seam would cause disaster, so that's my plan.

I've got jusssssst enough fabric - no room for mistakes!

Some common advice by expert sewers is to make a 'muslin' before starting on the project properly. Muslin is an inexpensive fabric used to make a life-sized mock up of the garment, so you can check that it goes together properly and make any adjustments before then doing the 'real thing'.

I know this is a really, really good idea. Very practical and prudent. But also kind of boring.

I'm wayyyyy too impatient for that level of care. Plus I HATE the 'pinning and cutting out' stage of dressmaking, and the thought of doing it twice (once for muslin, then again for real fabric) makes my eyes glaze over and fall out of my head.

So, my approach is to buy nice-yet-inexpensive material and essentially use that as my 'muslin'. That way if the dress doesn't work out first time round, I'm only out around $20 for fabric and chalk it up to experience. But if it DOES work first time round, I have a lovely new dress ready to wear with no need to 'make it all over again' in real fabric. Hurrah!

I know, it's not the recommended way to sew. And probably one day I'll graduate to using muslins. But not today :)

So, the marking up of the pieces and pinning to the fabric was one evening's work, and last night I did the nerve-wracking cutting out, adding 2/8 inch to each edge. Each piece has a label pinned to it so I don't get them mixed up and sew a skirt side front where a skirt side back should be!

Today is Saturday of the Easter long weekend and my goal is to finish the dress by the end of the long weekend. Perhaps it's an overambitious goal - we'll see.

Right. Enough blogging. Time to start sewing!