text: When I finished this dress back in early summer it was actually a UFO from the end of summer last year and who doesn’t love getting a UFO off their hands?
  This is the pattern I used for the bodice, only I made it sleeveless and brought the neckline in a bit as I didn’t want it quite so wide. For the skirt I just cut 2 selvedge to selvedge panels and pleated it up into the waist.
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  1960s, cotton, Summer Frock Parade, thrifted fabric, vintage pattern	16 Comments
  23Jun2015
  Illustration Imitation: Houndstooth McCalls 6566
  Posted in 1960s, Winter	by themodernmantuamaker	
  A few years ago I discovered something really fun (at least I think it’s fun!): I had this early 60s pattern:
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  Canadian Spring, thrifted fabric, vintage pattern, wool	3 Comments
  20May2014
  MMM’14 (my) Week 2 Round-up
  Posted in MeMadeMay'14, Spring	by themodernmantuamaker	
  Well, late again. But at least by not as much this time. I was hoping to be able to wear 2 Indie Pattern pieces for my 2nd week, but had to make do with one.
  Both are Elisalex dresses from By Hand London that I made last weekend, but the other ended up with some funny pulling at the back neckline and it took time to figure out why. I’m only just actually fixing it this week. I’ll explain more when I post it – hopefully as part of this week’s round-up.
  So here is Elisalex #1, I wore it on Monday (and over this past weekend as it’s so comfortable and great for cool-ish spring weather). It’s actually made from drapery-weight fabric I found at Value Village within the last couple of years. I think it’s a great weight of fabric for this style, especially for helping the skirt hold its shape.
  I decided to get snazzy and accessorize with a vintage purse for this photo! lol
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  By Hand London, Elisalex, piping, thrifted fabric	11 Comments
  19Dec2013
  Regency Ball Ensemble Post #4: The Ballgown!
  Posted in formalwear, historical, Regency, Winter	by themodernmantuamaker	
  I saved posting about the actual gown for the Regency Ball so that I could make it my entry for the last Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge of the year, #26: Celebrate!
  One of the ‘rules’ of the HSF is that items should not be finished more than about 6 weeks before the challenge due date (I think). This one just made it in being finished a little over 5 weeks beforehand. Even if it hadn’t quite fit in I probably would have cheated and entered it anyway because it was too perfect not too, being made explicitly for a celebration. And not just any celebration, but the commemoration of bicentennial of one of the most influential books on current costume afficiandos: Pride & Prejudice.
  I would have preferred more and better photos for this post, but for now the ones we were able to get in the low lighting of the ‘ballroom’ will have to do.
  Here are the HSF details:
  The Challenge: #26: Celebrate!
  The Item: Regency Ballgown (& ensemble) for a ball in honour of the bicentennial of P&P’s first publishing
  Fabric: pale blue dupioni (but a very smooth one), silk organza from an Indian shawl, ,
  Pattern: I started with Sense and Sensibility’s Elegant Lady’s Closet bodice pattern for the wrap gown and ball sleeves as a base but modified them a great deal and took off from there on my own.
  Year: c. 1813
  Notions: ivory and gold trim bought in Istanbul, little buttons for the back closure and for the neckline pull-backs at the shoulders, narrow gold trim/thread I braided to trim the front edges of the overlay and the loops at the shoulders, pale blue braid trim (possibly vintage) for around the neckline and sleeve bands.
  How historically accurate is it? It’s mostly machine sewn (I didn’t have time to hand-sew it up) with hand-sewn details so big points off for that. And it’s a mish-mash of dates spanning c. 1800 to almost 1820. The trim is made of synthetic fibres too. However, besides that I have to say that I think many a young lady during the Regency period would have been happy to wear this dress so I’ll give myself 70%.
  Hours to complete: Quite a lot over 3 weeks
  First worn: November 30th to the local Regency Ball
  Total cost: All came from stash so no money spent directly on this. I would estimate a total of about $50-$60 thinking back on when I did buy this stuff and the amounts of it I used on the dress.
  It was a very windy evening and we were having hair issues to begin with (the rag curls I tried to do didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped) so my hair is not nearly what I wish it to have been, but oh well.
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  Ballgown, dress, dupioni silk, Historical Sew Fortnightly, Regency Ball ensemble, silk, silk organza, thrifted fabric, Turkish trim	10 Comments
  12Nov2013
  UFO Fall Coat, Vogue 8307
  Posted in Autumn, modern, Outerwear, Uncategorized	by themodernmantuamaker	
  Hot on the heels of finishing my UFO fall dress from last year the other week I finished a UFO fall coat, also from last year. I had hopes to finish it to take with me to the UK for last Fall/Winter, but it didn’t happen. A winter coat happened instead, which was probably for the best.
  I used Vogue 8307:
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  70s wool fabric, colour-blocking, fall, funky collar, kasha lining, thrifted fabric, Toggles, Vogue 8307, wool	18 Comments