Hi! I have actually finished my vintage top! Yayy! But until I have some nice photos, you’ll have to wait for the post all about that.  In the meantime, I’m A Little Puzzled . . .

Have you seen the fabric kits you can buy from places like Craftsy?  (I’m sure I’ve seen them on other websites as well, but I just can’t seem to find any of them right now.)

For example, here’s a dress that I might consider making but I really don’t like the fabric they’ve chosen for the kit.  OK, this one has a choice of two fabrics, but it still puzzles me and makes me a little mad! Why? I hear you ask.

Firstly, why would I go to all the trouble of making something and then find that someone else has made the exact same thing?  I may as well just buy a dress from a shop, after all, one of the reasons I love making my own clothes is that they are always totally unique.

Oops!

Next, surely choosing which fabric you’re going to make up into a dress/top/bag/whatever is part of the fun of making something yourself?  I love finding the perfect fabric in a shop for that pattern I’ve been wanting to make.  Or even finding some fabric in my stash which I bought years ago because I loved it but never knew what I’d make from it, and realising I now have just the right pattern to bring it to life – this is what happened with my vintage top.

Hmmm, which fabric will work with which pattern . . .

For me, sewing is a creative endeavour and these kits just take the creativity right out of it.

Maybe they are aimed at the beginner who isn’t very sure what they’re doing and might make a garment out of a totally inappropriate fabric.  Ok, I’ve done that and sometimes it’s worked but when it hasn’t, I’ve learnt from it.

Ok, so I’m being a little silly now – but actually I’m a bit intrigued by this dress!

I just don’t see the point in these everything-included-to-make-your-dress kits.

Has anyone who reads this bought one?  What was it like?

I feel a little better now after having a little rant.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Craftsy, I’m one of their biggest fans, I just don’t get the kits.  And if they sell, then that’s fine, obviously they have an appeal to some people. . . I just hope one day those people will get a little more creative! 😉

And just before I leave you, here’s a little peak at a couple of recent vintage pattern acquisitions:

Butterick 8088

Butterick 8088; ca. 1957; Dutch-Boy Styled Dress and Jacket. A slim dress and waist length jacket – a combination that’s smart anywhere. The below-elbow sleeved jacket has a low placed collar, magnet shaped shoulder detail. The short sleeved dress is curved with tucks at the hips.

Butterick 7480

Butterick 7480; 1950s; Wing-Sleeved Dress: Slim Skirt. Pert, stand-up collar, bodice smartly detailed with stitched, curving lines, deep wing sleeves. Slim skirt has full-length pleat in back.

These both have slightly unusual styling features which I think are quite interesting.

Cheerio for now, 😀