[Nicole]

I adore vintage patterns. Has anyone heard of Enid Gilchrist? Divine patterns but you have to draft them your self.

[Tamara]

Yes absolutely the Puppet show would look wonderful with insertion – had the same dream session featuring the Sunday Brunch yoke all done with lace! Totally achievable. But then that is what vintage patterns and Sew Beautiful does, inspire us to think outside the norms of what is current today and make the skills of yesteryear fit. It certainly doesn’t look dated when you apply some of the techniques. It just looks unique and handmade not homemade. My niece who is now 15 used to wear the dresses I smocked to Christmas meals with her wealthy Aunty – they were always wondering how her parents could afford such high end children’s clothing. I say it pays to sew!

[with love Heidi]

Oh Nicole, I love Enid Gilchrist patterns! I have quite a collection. I always pick them up if i see them at an op shop even if I think I already have them, I think I only have 2 duplicates and they’re not exactly duplicates because each edition is slight different, a couple of changed patterns and different advertising depending on the era 🙂

[meleliza]

I think current is the key with Sew Beautiful. You need a little vision to look at that magazine because they present things with such a very specific taste. I don’t know a single person who actually dresses their kids like that, now or ever. Still, it’s evident that their designers are supremely skilled. There is a lot to learn in the magazine too, if you have the patience and time. I’m starting to think it would be nice to go to the Martha Pullen workshop one day. It’s only 3 1/2 hrs from my parents house….

[meleliza]

I can’t stop speculating about what the spring patterns might be. There isn’t a dressy coat in the line, for example. And I feel like it’s been a while since a challenging pattern came out, hasn’t it?

[Mama_Knowles]

It sure has, I am wondering what they are as well.

I am thinking about letting Sarah wear her last years Easter dress again this year with all the work that went into the smocking. My family up here has not seen it yet and it still fits her very well. Oh how I still love it too! What do you think?

[meleliza]

The one from Sew Beautful? Of course she should wear it again if it fits! It’s beautiful and you put a lot of work into it! And the whole point of this stuff we do is to have fewer nicer things that we enjoy longer rather than the cheap fast stuff we throw away after wearing once. Kitty worse her Christmas dress from the year before. It was that Liberty Fairy Tale I did with the piped collar and the puffy sleeves. Still lovely and I didn’t care that everyone had seen it already. And she wore it to church a lot.

[Anonymous]

I love hearing about all of your Easter sewing projects. I was pretty set on doing the sleeveless Fairytale dress for my almost 2 year old. I’m new to O+S and I hadn’t even considered the possibility of NEW patterns until I read this post. Late March feels too far away. Maybe I’ll make 2 dresses, little girls can never have enough dresses. An O + S dress coat would be wonderful. It’s still a little chilly in April here. I agree, I love Sew Beautiful patterns. They are extremely well thought-out, but you do have to look at them with an open mind. In terms of fabric for the possible Fairytale Easter dress, I want something that is classic and nice looking, not too fancy. Something she could wear while searching in the backyard for easter eggs. I wanted to do a robins egg blue cotton with some cream flat piping and a cream bow, but at the same time I don’t want it to look too informal for Easter Sunday. What are your favorite dress fabrics?

[with love Heidi]

Maybe a poly cotton? More cotton than poly. I like them because just a little poly means no ironing! And easy to wash. I first thought of a pinwale courduroy but that might not be appropriate for your weather.

[meleliza]

Cord isn’t really a spring fabric. But a nice cotton poplin or pique if you can find it in the right color. Eyelet would be nice too, wouldn’t it? A silk cotton blend like Radiance would be lovely. I don’t mind if they wear silk in the back yard searching for eggs. I found some lovely Dupioni in robin’s egg blue one Easter and it was just exactly right. One of my aunts gave her a red ring pop which she got all down the front, but it came out.

[meleliza]

How about this in blue http://store.marthapullen.com/p-4945-swiss-cotton-sateen.

[Sarvi]

I keep seeing this thread and keeping thinking of the daisy-printed fabric I saw a few weeks back … sigh. Must NOT buy more fabric, must NOT.

[thejennigirl]

I need to order a couple patterns for my boys. This year is vests and (possibly) jackets. April 20 is still a gamble for cold or warm. No idea for the girl yet. Will have to see what Liesl has in store for spring patterns!

[Liesl Gibson]

I just spoke with the printer, and they’re hard at work! It won’t be long now…

[Nicole]

How exciting!