Wear Your Retro to Expo Day!

NOTE: This post was first published several years ago. A glitch at Google unpublished this information. We have re-posted for the Pattern and styling content. The year of this event was 2020, right before the COVID outbreak.

The Sewing and Stitchery Expo has long been the place to show off your creative garment finesse, and this year will be no different! Having attended the expo as a vendor since 2012, year after year it's been a pleasure to watch people go from simply reminiscing to boldly embracing the mainstream return to vintage. Have you made the move to retro? If you like to feel beautiful, confident, and love getting compliments, then why hesitate?

Hello, my name is Laura Nash and I am the owner, designer, patternmaker, and instructor at Sew Chic Pattern Company where I design "Modern Patterns with Vintage Style"  at SewChicPatterns.com. Today I'm going to help you visualize how easy it is to make the move to retro, and hopefully debunk any arguments you may have against adopting this trend for yourself.  So get ready to plan your expo retro wardrobe!

Friday, Feb 28 is "Wear Your Retro to Expo Day!"

My Expo Team at booth #923/925

Retro Style, also known as "vintage inspired," is about a return to the clothing styles of the early first half of the 20th century and ranges from totally authentic looks  to second hand vintage or new vintage inspired separates that are paired with totally modern elements and accessories.

Premonition #LN1922

What is truly vintage can get confusing, but typically garments have lots of unique details, use classic fabrics, and feminine silhouettes. Pair your outfits with a simple Mary Jane or ballerina flat shoe. Classics like these can go with anything.

Spin Skirt #LN1209

   To give your outfit a more authentic air, add accessories such as belts, gloves, a small hat, or a fascinator.

If you've never worn a petticoat before, you can ease into it with a petticoat with less fullness. One word of caution.  Not enough fullness, or fullness in the wrong body areas can add visual weight and make you look fat. What you are looking for is structure to enhance the shape and  silhouette of your dress or skirt, filling in the area around your legs. The fuller your skirt circumference or the heavier the fabric is, the more fullness your petticoat needs to help the garment hold its shape. Lighter fabrics and less fullness look great with a lighter petticoat.

Gatsby #LN1923 skirt and pant

My standard go-to top for skirts and pants is a plain (often white) t-shirt worn with a button down sweater that matches my separate. I admit that I have a whole drawer full of these sets!

Phantom Pant and Jacket #LN1106

Retro need not be form fitting. At first glance, this is the pattern everyone calls my "Lucille Ball" outfit! Envision yourself wearing this stylish silhouette!

Myrtlewood  #LN7401

 Have you ever said to yourself  "I'd like to wear retro" but think you're just too old? Let me introduce you to Judy! Isn't she adorable in this cotton house dress? She is the focal point of the room! Age is no reason to avoid wearing what you love.

Southern Belle #LN8503 Plus Size

Maybe you think you can't wear retro because you have a full figure?  Not so! Wear styles that smooth over the tummy, flare at the skirt and broaded the shoulders to give the illusion of an hourglass figure.  Notice how my friend Jocelyn has accessorized with a bright bag and wears a flower in her hair to draw the eye to her face. These bright colors make us happy to just look at her!

Southern Belle #LN8503 Misses Size

Think creatively when considering your favorite retro looks. Southern Belle displays formally but is easily  made to look casual and visa versa as above.

Noelle Coat #LN1721

As with any project, I encourage my students to add a unique detail that will lean it toward their personality and give it that "pizzazz" that makes it uniquely their own. If you'd like more info on how to dress retro, check out my 1 needle expo class #1039 "Harmony in design, dress, and body type" or my trunk show #1040 "Style Me Vintage."

Join me and my booth crew at the Pavilion  #925/923 at 5pm Friday for a little Soiree and celebrate your style of Retro with us!

 

Interview with Laura Nash of Sew Chic Pattern Company

You have so many gorgeous patterns! Which one do you find yourself wearing the most, and why?

Pretty Petticoat

Pretty Petticoat

Thank you! I'm so pleased to be a part of INDIE PATTERN MONTH once again! 

The pattern style I wear the most may surprise you - it's actually one that no one sees! Whether I'm dressing up or down, staying home or going out, anytime I have on an outfit with a full skirt, it will be paired with my Pretty Petticoat pattern #LN1208. I have two- one that is longer with moderate gathers and one that is shorter and more full. Full skirts and dresses just don't have the right silhouette without the right structure underneath. This pattern guides you for both hand gathering or using a ruffler foot technique.

Which is your favourite design to pull out for special occasions, and why?

Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue

  If it's a very formal occasion I can't go wrong with the design called Fifth Avenue #LN1311. This dress is stunning on everyone, in part because the details are so distinctive and also because it's a great silhouette for all figure types. The details on this dress creates the illusion of a curvy figure for those that are boxy, and a curvier figure for those who have curves. The short person looks tall and a tall person gets taller. Fashion should always be good to our figure.

We're always curious about how much of their own wardrobe people make - how much of your wardrobe do you  think you have made yourself?

The Phantom Pant and Portrait Blouse

My personal wardrobe is probably 50/50. For years I haven't sewn any jeans and t-shirts because they are plentiful in the marketplace, both as ready to wear and as patterns.  I do have some nice basics such as the Starter Skirt #LN1000 and the Phantom Pant #LN1106, and these styles continue to serve an important place in my everyday wardrobe.

One of the things I buy a lot- and I admit I couldn't survive without my large collection of white t-shirts. Of course I have my fair share of sweatshirts and button down sweaters that I did not sew, but I  generally reserve my sewing time for invention and creativity. I would rather spend that available time designing something unique and exciting!  

      

   What's your favourite pattern to sew, and why?

The Averly Dress

The Averly Dress

This is a difficult question!  How can I choose just one? Though I enjoy them all, after much thought I decided that at any moment in time my favourite to sew has to be my newest! I say this because the new pattern is the one that has yet to be creatively explored, adapted to new uses, and style personalities that are yet to be developed. At this very moment, my favorite pattern is the Averly #LN1720. It's a sweet and romantic dress with a midriff drape and bow that is quick to make and comfortable to wear. I'm itching to make this one in a suiting fabric for fall.

 

 

We'd love to see how you wear your designs! Can you show us some of your favourite outfits and tell us about them?

Vignette Skirt

Vignette Skirt

This pattern is also one of the new releases published since INDIE PATTERN MONTH 2016 called the Vignette Skirt LN#1720. One of my favorite features of this high waist skirt is the boning placed in the waistband to keep the front from rolling down. It has the essential pockets, piping detail, and I LOVE the pleated detail at the hem.

This video I did shows you how easy it is to get those pleats made quick and accurate!

https://youtu.be/5EZPmS_BGdw

 This skirt is one of my dress quick styles. With a simple Tee, and a pair of heels I'm ready to go! This pattern has recently been made into a PDF and will be part of the INDIE PATTERN MONTH bundle sale. I hope you will give it a try!

 

A big thanks to Kat and everyone for hosting this wonderful online event for all of us. I hope I've provided you with some inspiration for easy to make quick and chic fashion!

How to Sew Underarm Gussets with the Portrait Blouse

 Before I dig into the meat of the "how tos" I want to go into what type of pattern would need a gusset.

"Hi Laura, ...My question is: Does a gusset benefit every garment? Why do some garments such as the portrait blouse have a gusset while others do not." -Laura K.

ANSWER: The whole point of a gusset is to improve arm movement, and there are several factors that
will be considered and as you might guess, all of them relate to the design of the sleeve. A cut-on sleeve ( a one-piece bodice and sleeve - often called a kimono sleeve) is generally the type of sleeve than needs a gusset, especially if the sleeve is fitted and the sleeve tilts down at the shoulder (such as the portrait blouse). Without a gusset, you could not lift your arm without pulling the whole thing up. Gussets adds fabric under the arm pit and allows the arm to move freely without pulling up the blouse.

Though I'll be using using Sew Chic Patterns LN1619 Portrait Blouse, this tutorial will apply similarly to any pattern with a gusset, or one that needs a gusset. 

Your pattern will look something like this one where the body and sleeve of the garment are all one piece. You'll cut according to your size needs, and there will be a gusset line marking where the gusset should be sewn. It should point to the neckline. 

 

During the layout stage, I must emphasize  DO NOT CUT ON THE GUSSET LINE at this point, but DO mark the line on the wrong side of the fabric with your dressmakers carbon.

After marking, the end of the gusset line will need a bit of fusible interfacing. The heavier the better. You will be sewing really close to the raw edge and there won't be much of an allowance. Interfacing helps to keep that end stable and supported. I know you are going to ask me which kind of interfacing, so I recommend fusible woven or knit. Make sure to fuse it tightly to the fabric! Heat and steam do this.  

The first "sewing" step is to mark the seam lines. I use a ruler and a chalk marker. The seam allowance is 1/4" where it crosses the garment seam line, tapering to nothing at the tip. It should look like a "V" with your original marked line running down the center.

Stitch, following the marked seam line. This is called "stay stitching." Use a standard or narrow stitch, especially at the tip to really support that narrow edge. 

Now cut down the center along the "gusset" line. 

Cut right the tip as far as you dare. If you don't cut far enough, it will cause puckering and this next step will be difficult to do. 

If you haven't marked the seam allowance on your gusset, do that now. Correct any cutting misalignment. An accurate seam line here will produce a perfect fit to the bodice.

 

 

 

Pin one side only, seam line to seam line as marked, joining the corner of the gusset to the corner of the gusset line stitching. The bodice will taper to almost nothing at that corner, but it can't be nothing, or the two pieces wouldn't stay together. 

Sew right over the top of the stay stitching. 

When you get to the tip, with the needle now, lift the foot to adjust the fabric. 

Reposition the fabric to align the seams and pin if needed. Make sure the fabric has been twisted to fit and doesn't have any bulk or bunching underneath. Lift the fabrics, as they can get caught on the feed dogs- make sure they are truly straight and aligned, then lower the foot and stitch down the other side.

 

 

 

Press seams toward the bodice. This gusset is complete. I do serge this seam after sewing and use a product called Fray Check to seal that tiny seam allowance on the bodice side.