Vintage a la mode

This was not a suit of two halves:

Vintage Vogue 2476 - original from 1949
now OOP

Jacket

• Muslin mock-up
• 18 pattern pieces (cut twice)
• 10 weeks of (intermittent) hard labour
• 2.5 m fabric
• 2.5 m organza
• 2m lining
• 1.5m canvas interfacing
• 3m cotton tape
• 1m twill tape
• 600m navy thread
• 300m tacking (basting) thread
• 4 steel buttons 
• 3 hand sewing needles
• wax
• 6 pints water (steam pressing)
• Bleeding fingers
• Frustration - Ennui - Perseverance

Skirt

• 1.7m fabric
• 1.7m lining
• 4 pattern pieces (cut twice)
• 200m navy thread
• 1 zip
• Length of interfacing
• 2.5 m twill tape
• 3 hours - cutting out, sewing, trying on and pressing

Notice the difference?

The pattern says advanced and most definitely this applies to the jacket, but the skirt is tres facile!

The jacket as was last seen but with shoulder pads and sleeve heads attached.

Say goodbye to all that hard work and say hello to 

vintage a la mode......

 The lining of the skirt can just be seen here as I straighten the seam on my 1940s stockings - it matches the jacket.


But look, I can move in this fitted jacket! I can bend and stretch and sit without too many puckers or wrinkles.

It is a jacket that buttons high up so no blouse is required underneath, just a lovely 1940 style silk camisole (if I had one).

And the shoes.... These are almost as old as the pattern that I've forgotten where they came from. I call them my "cartoon shoes" 'cause they remind me of a female cartoon character's footwear. Anyway, they're navy, so match the suit and I noticed the other day in a movie that two-tone court shoes were popular in the 1940-50s - so quite in keeping with the era, I think.

Oh, there are wrinkles on the sides of the jacket where there shouldn't be, I machined the skirt hem instead of slip stitching, the points on the lapels are not sharp (in fact they don't resemble the pattern at all), my bound button holes do not deserve a close up, etc, etc, etc.... but boy! do I feel a million dollars in this suit. It is comfortable, smart and most importantly - FINISHED.


Problem is - what do I do now?

Thanks for reading. Ruth