DON’T FORGET: The brown plaid Civil War dress set Addy has been wearing all week, ends this evening (Tuesday) on Ebay… She still has the dress on, but I’ve told her she has to give it up very soon… She’s used to the drill and said she knew it! :o)
If you want to check it out, you can click the picture at the right side bar or click HERE.
I went to town this morning in search of some velveteen fabric and searched in the Goodwill first as I only needed about a 10″ square for the pieces. I thought maybe I’d find a little girls dress with a velveteen bodice or a ladies jacket or a skirt.. but nothing was in there today. Hobby Lobby didn’t have anything, but I found something in Joann’s… I was positive it was cotton velveteen, as it certainly felt “cottony” but it said it was polyester… It felt just like the velveteen I know, so I bought a quarter yard. It’s very nice and I’m sure it will work fine…
But… in the meantime, I was trying to keep up with the comments and several ladies voted for corduroy, so I decided to draft a pattern like the one on the pattern I’m copying, and make one in the corduroy first… Then I can make any necessary changes on my pattern before I cut into my “velveteen.” It ran $22.49/yard and I don’t want to make any mistakes on it…
So here is the vest with the buttons sewn on the front… (the back isn’t finished with snaps yet.)
I added the black bow to the blouse and it really dresses up the dress even more…
Tomorrow we will have some pictures from Linda… and I’ll keep working on the velvety vest…
See you tomorrow or maybe at the end of Addy’s auction tonight!
Blessings, Jeanne
I see that Addy’s dress has five bids already–woohoo!!!
I love how the vest turned out! But…NOT those white buttons (cute as they are). Too stark, too limiting for color. I know this is just your mock-up, and maybe you have something else in mind for this vest, but I would definitely go with black buttons or possibly metallic ones, so the vest would go with more things. Otherwise, I really like it, and it looks a lot like the black vest I once had! (I think my mom probably made it; I’m pretty sure I didn’t.)
I have been invited to a baby shower–oldest grandson and his wife are expecting a baby boy in Jan., but the shower is in three weeks, so guess I’d better get sewing! This will be our first great-grandchild! (Gosh, that makes me feel OLD…but I’ll be glad to have a baby to sew for again!)
Dear Charlotte, congratulations! A new year, a new little baby.
Oh, that vest is just darling, Jeanne! It will look perfect in both the velveteen and as you have it now, in corduroy! Now those buttons, well, they do echo the embroidered flowers on the blouse, but I think they are a tad big. I do like the color though. However, the more I look at them, the better I like them. Of course, if they were smaller, they would have to be placed closer together or somewhat differently. Does that make any sense?
I love the cut of the vest, and the darling black bow at the neckline! I was thinking that the vest would close in the front, but this is better! This is really going to be a festive looking outfit for Molly!
Congratulations on your forthcoming great-grandchild, Charlotte! It seems like it was just yesterday that we were newlyweds, but now some of my my friends are becoming great-grandparents! Time sure flies when you are having fun!!
Just thinking, maybe gold buttons on the velvet vest and smaller white pearl buttons buttons on the corduroy vest, since it is not as formal. Can’t see black buttons on a black vest, since how could you see them?
Hi Jeanne,
I look forward to reading your blog every morning but rarely comment. I’m up extra early this morning, so leisurely reading along with my cup of coffee.
I love the look of this classic outfit, but I’m with Charlotte… not the white buttons.
The buttons themselves are really cute, vintage-looking, but the first thing I thought of was DOMINOS!! I vote for either black or little gold ones. It looks like there might be metallic thread in the skirt but I can’t tell if it’s gold or not.
Funny story about sewing rooms– when you’re a sewer or crafter, you tend to accumulate alot of materials for projects or future projects, and my space has got out of hand. Seeing all of your sewing room transformations has always inspired me to finally get my space organized. Well, my hubby recently went on a hunting trip, so here was my chance. I took everything out and moved it to our master bedroom, thinking I could go through everything, but I do still work full-time and I had lots of baseball playoff games to watch on TV. He then calls to say he’ll be home three days early! Yikes! I just had time to move everything back to where it was and apologizing to my stuff as I placed it all back to where it came from. Funny part is for years my sisters have always joked that I can get organized when I retire and we would all laugh at that… well, I’m retiring in four months, so I guess my grand plan for organizing can wait a little longer.
Last bit, and I apologize for this long post (making up for rarely commenting I guess) My hubby and I are going to be grandparents for the first time! Our son and daughter-in-law are expecting a baby boy toward the end of December. This will be a rainbow baby, long-awaited and extremely special to all of us.
Have a great everyone!
Dear Linda, congratulations to you! What a wonderful holiday gift. Have you decided what you want to be called?
Thank you Dorothy! The other grandma called dibs on “Nana” which is fine with me, I always thought that sounded too close to banana. I’m leaning toward just “Gram” as that’s what all my mom’s grandkids called her. So it’s that or Gramma Lynn.
Congratulations, Linda!! Being a grandma is just the best!! I remember how excited I was when we found out we were going to be grandparents. You will have such fun!!!
Thank you Charlotte! Yes, we cannot wait!
Happy wishes and thoughts for the expected little ones! It’s so much fun to sew for them, but it seems they grow faster than I can sew!
Like so many of you I also struggle with way too much sewing stuff and projects, living in chaos.( Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome). I just found out I’ll be moving soon so “someone” needs to get busy.
The classic black vest is adorable, (at least to those of us who remember vests!) but I am afraid the big white buttons are too distracting for me. I would much prefer smaller sparkly black closer together buttons. Sparkly isn’t always rhinestones so maybe just some sort of faceted buttons or beads.
Other person and I spent yesterday cleaning the house. Looking a lot better, but still have boxes stacked around that need to be moved to another location and more fine cleaning. Ugh I’d much rather be outside pruning or planting. 🙂
Good luck on your move.
Well, since everyone seems to have taken care of the button problem, I’ll comment on the bow. I like the smaller size bow like you used on the original outfit. This one seems too big. A small 50’s velvet ribbon bow would be nice. Just try to find some of that. 🙂
Looks like my Halloween Ruby Reds will make the delivery truck today. Be thinking of me this afternoon between 1 and 5 as I try to figure out a way get the package inside without it being detected.
Dear Joy, I am already starting to laugh just reading your posting. I can’t wait to hear about what happens. I will definitely be thinking about you doing the designated 4 hours. As they used to say on Mission Impossible, “Good luck, Mr. Phelps!”
Dear Jeanne, well it looks like there are boys all around! I can add to the list. My daughter had her baby boy back in April. I tried to get her to hold off until May (my favorite month). My little sweetie will be 6 months next week. This is my first grandchild also.
So I guess you are Auntie Jeanne now, many times over, for the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the Sofa Sisters.
Congratulations on your first grandchild, too, Dorothy! As I always say, being a grandma is the best!!
Congratulations to all the grandmothers and great-grandmothers.
My sisters “organized” all my AG things (I have too many) while I was in the hospice — I may never get complete outfits back together again. I recently found 3 of Jeanne’s boxes with complete outfits inside. Opening them again was so much fun. You know how pretty the outfits look in Jeanne’s pictures. The pictures aren’t nearly as pretty as the real thing. There’s a real Wow! effect. I hope all the Sofa Sisters get to have the experience at least once.
One thing I have is an original version of Molly’s new outfit, and, since it’s mine, I am quite sure that the new one will come close to mine, but of course, can’t equal it. To come close, I’d consider Dorthy L’s suggestion of faceted shining black buttons or brushed gold. I love the way your black corduroy photographs. Is the winner going to get both vests?
Something I hadn’t considered was covering small buttons with the skirt fabric. It may not be the right kind of fabric. Whatever, you know that, in the end, you’ll choose the right thing.
Well you certainly got lots of comments on the vest and buttons😳☺️ I love the vest..either corduroy or velveteen and so clever to have it snap in back because it makes the front so flat and it fits so well. I thought the buttons looked like the flower in the blouse fabric but like others not fond of them. I would like gold..or silver…a bit smaller and closer together…whichever metallic is in the skirt.
Babies, babies! How wonderful.Now they don’t want babies to be covered with blankets so I’ve been making the cutest blanket sleepers out of fleece. Love using fleece because it is so so soft and cuddly, washes like a dream too. My pattern is McCalls 4236..comes in all the sizes. Easy too😉 it isn’t very new but hopefully still available or something similar. Congratulation to all of you!
Many sisters will soon have a new grandson or great-grandson. It cannot be otherwise with me. My next (third) granddaughter will be born at the end of January. The parents have not yet chosen a name. When it comes to the vest and buttons, in my opinion they are too big and bright. Regards.
Dear Alina, how wonderful. What pretty dresses you can make or buy for your little one.
Congratulations on your new granddaughter who will come in January, Alina! Maybe she’ll arrive on my birthday (Jan. 28)!! We have one granddaughter and four grandsons, and soon a great-grandson. What fun!!