 |
No reason a bathing suit like the one on the left
couldn't work as well today as in the early 60's!
Very flattering for many figure types too. |
My best guess is that this
vintage bathing suit pattern is early - mid
sixties era, because you don't see this waistline much after that on a suit. The 25 cent price tag is another clue. By the late sixties, most patterns were, at least, 35 - 50 cents. The model's hairband is another clue. Those wide bands say 1963 and before to me!
As you can perhaps tell, from perusing this sewing journal, I'm hard at work on a class project
sewing a bustier. It's a big project for me, and I really wanted to divert myself several times to some fun sample sewing. Before Valentine's Day hit I was sorely
tempted to stop and experiment with a simple example of
reverse appliqué. Wouldn't an appliquéd heart coming through a pocket square be perfect? I justified this mini-project by thinking that I could devote my February
Enchanted by Sewing Audio Podcast (
which I typically publish just before the end of each month) to talking about appliqué in general and then describe the reverse appliqué techniques that I would have slipped off to practice.
But I
kept myself on track and continued steadily on with my bustier. I still have quite a lot of work to put into it.
Stick-to-itness is one of those skills I've resolved to work on this year, whether it's sewing or regular work projects. I'm proud of myself for sticking to this and other projects.
I'm also proud of myself for
not purchasing any of the potentially swim-able fabric I might use to create a similar combination for myself. Yes, I do have a fabric inventory. But adding to it when I'm in the middle of my currently challenging project wouldn't give me the confidence I need to keep at it.
That doesn't mean I can't do a little blue-sky sewing!Blue-skying means.... I can
journal about creating an imaginary bathing suit, as I'm doing now. I can imagine whether or not I would try to find a print or plain colored
fabric. And question what kind of material would work best. I can also think about
how best
to create the pattern. The overskirt is a
flared skirt. I know how to drape those now, and I have Conchita, my foam core
dress form to help me. The
tanks, as the bathing-suit bottoms liner is referred to on the pattern back, could be created from an
underwear pattern I've previously created that I know fits well. I'd probably work on draping the
bodice on my duct tape dummy, not my Uniquely You foam-core dress form, because the duct tape model is a more exact replica of my torso. I can simply have the fun of
imaginary sewing, and the eventual project will be that much better.
BTW, I've also began work on my February
Enchanted by Sewing podcast. That show will reflect the pleasures of a little imaginary fabric shopping without actually adding to my fabric inventory. I hope you come along for the trip :-) You can
subscribe to the show notes if you want to be notified when podcast episodes are added.
Blue-Skying is just one more activity that keeps me....
Enchanted by Sewing!
~ ~ ~
Resources
Enchanted By Sewing Podcast Show Notes (and iTunes link)
http://enchantedbysewing.blogspot.comSewing My Bustier :
http://www.meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2014/02/bustiers-excuse-me-arent-those-your.html
