Sew For Victory: Draft Vintage Patterns using a Moulage

It's been a really busy month.  I got super excited about sewing and signed up for 4 sewing challenges/exchanges: 

• Mad Men Dress Challenge III (all done!)
  
• House of Pinheiro's Nametag Exchange (Finished Saturday, shipping today, Officially due next week)
  
• Sew For Victory (due April 30th)
  
• Spring Race Challenge (due in June)
  

Plus, I am choosing to make my hiking & exercise gear instead of buying whenever possible or when available RTW is rather ill fitting to my body shape (endless curves).

In my excitement, I forgot that I do like to rest and do nothing sometimes to allow my creative muse to winter & rejuvinate or to allow myself to follow the whim of the day.  I allow myself this because I find that I am more regimented in my work life; balance is key for me.

I have several hikes in the queue and know I will be needing base layers beyond what I currently have in the bureau.  So, thinking of making a cotton sun dress is STRESSING ME OUT!  Gah!  Let it go.... go with the flow.... 

So this weekend after I finished Vicki of Yellow Submarine Time's wearable nametag / mini-bag, (I went overboard and it took more time than I should have spent, but I love to go all out on somethings) I pulled out my Moulage from Kenneth King's Moulage class and the patterns I was toying with for Sew For Victory .

Original Vintage Sewing Pattern: Advance 5784

Reproduction Vintage Sewing Pattern: Eva Dress 4536

I stumbled on the idea to make the top half of this Advance Shirt Dress (upper left) as a Summer Shirt in a knit. The proportions are too small for me normally, so I laid it over my moulage (below) to see if it'd be a nice "close fitting" top.  Um, too too small. While vintage sewing patterns are much more generous, this just would not cut it.  I would have to draft this from my moulage. Ok, so let's see how the 1940's playsuit measures up... and, yep, the same.  No photo to show, but that was even smaller. Negative ease is fine and comfortable for my athletic tops (yes, I'd be making both of these into work out / yoga / running / hiking gear), but I want to try a 2nd one that is an exact fit.

"Which patterns will best suit my athletic lifestyle and mirror or reflect the Sew for Victory & 1940's theme?" -- GG

Recalling things Ryliss taught me, I looked at the Eva Dress pattern, then chose a place I felt comfortable to slash & spread for the tucked look that the playsuit has.  Even though this will be made from a swimsuit nylon 4-way stretch knit, I left the darts in.  Thanks to a conversation with Pamela Leggett at Sew Expo about allowing darts to exist in knits, I feel much more comfortable keeping them in and am grateful for the shaping they provide.  

My Sew For Victory entry will now transition into a piece that is "inspired by" the 1940's, but is definitely making use of the "make due" philosophy.  

1. I'm using fabric that's already in my stash.
   
2. I'm using a pattern I have already, but taking the time to draft it to fit me
3. I'm choosing colors that I love and will wear even though they aren't "true" to the 1940's (it's practically neon pink, do you notice a trend in one of my favorite colors right now?)
4. I'm using a 1940's pattern & style, but adapting it to my lifestyle

It's all cut out and ready to be sewn, so stay tuned for more colorful photos very soon!

"Any day drafting patterns is a great day and time well spent." -- GG