Sewing a 1930's Hooverette Dress- Guest Post by A Very Vintage Farm Girl

Hello, Dear Reader, do I ever have a treat for you! I met the sweetest gal, Ms. Angie, through this blog. Over time we have become such great friends that it is crazy to think that we have never actually met in person (someday soon, sugar!). Not only is she a dear person with a big heart, but she can sew amazing things! Hello, smocked baby dresses... But what knocked my proverbial socks off was the dress she made from a 1930's pattern and reproduction feedsack fabric.

So, I'm going to turn it over to Ms. Angie (A Very Vintage Farm Girl) and let her tell you all about it!


Ms. Angie:

Hello, Ladies! Trying to find clothes each season is disturbing for me! I strongly dislike change and waste. Having to change and toss each time the weather changes is not practical. Nor do I have the time and finances to support keeping up with the latest trends. 

  I say, "Why mess with a good thing?" The styles from years ago were so lovely, just looking at them makes one feel so feminine and reminiscent of days gone by, when life was purposeful and slow. Family was first, and women stayed home to take care of their homes and loved ones.

I want that feeling! I grew up watching lovely old movies and always longed for the beautiful clothes....only they weren't in style so you couldn't find them. I always chose clothes that had a vintage feel, but they weren't the real thing.

Flash forward a few years- I have learned to sew, and thanks to the Internet, I have been able to search for patterns for the dresses I have longed to wear. I am a bit larger than the models on the patterns, okay, a lot larger, but they were tiny! Anyway, in my search I found the Vintage Dancer site. I had always wanted a pattern for a 1930s Hooverette day dress or frock. And she had one! Yay, my adventure and new challenge was about to begin!

  I was so excited to receive the pattern, it was wrapped so prettily! But wait, what about the material...? It took me a year to find fabric that suited me, then several more months to finally cut it. I told you this would be a challenge.

Oh, the stress...the pattern would have to be enlarged. I measured, then measured again. And did the math, ugh! I add the extra inches and began cutting, but due to anxiety and nervousness (this was not a brand of pattern I'd worked with before), I chose to buy some cheap white fabric to make a practice-run dress.

I got the pattern all laid out and realized I was shy of just a bit of fabric for the flounce. They take a lot of fabric, so I ended up piecing the shirt part. I don't think you can tell unless you are looking for it. The slot for the tie had me stumped for a while. Finally, I just went step by step with the directions and quit looking at the picture. The pattern also called for French seams. They take just a few minutes longer, but make such a nicely finished garment.

Now, I must mention that to find the fabric, I googled 1930s feed sack reproduction fabric. Fabric.com is where I found what I wanted. A little pricier than I'd wanted to pay, but I figure it's an investment that I won't throw out when the seasons, and styles, change.

Ms.Sam was such an encouragement to me to even start trying to wear vintage inspired clothing. She is always sharing her looks and has videos with suggestions on how to measure authentic vintage clothing, and examples of different era clothes, so you can chose your favorite. Also, the Vintage Dancer site has info on the different time periods of clothing, as well as reproduction patterns.

I hope that this will encourage you to get out your fabric and patterns and start sewing! The greatest compliment I have received is when my sister took one look at me and said that I looked just like my grandmother!...Sweet success!!!

Isn't this the cutest dress? I am in love! And if you happened to notice in one of the uppermost pictures, Angie got another pattern of reproduction material and is making a second dress. I am hoping she will show it in our #vintagegalsmake challenge :). Thank you so much for sharing, sugar, you are an inspiration!