Category: Patterns by Gertie

Beautiful Clothes with NO Sewing Adjustments – Is it Possible?
Is it possible to make an amazing garment with no sewing adjustments?

A garment that fits straight out of the envelope, with no sewing adjustments, with no problems, and fits you like a glove is a dream come true, even for me!

So I wanted to give it a shot.

I wanted to find out if I could make a dress straight from the envelope and have it fit decently well.

I chose the Charm Patterns Cinch It dress for this experiment, released in Spring 2021.

What drew me to this pattern was:
- The dress was described as a simple pop-over dress, meaning it should fit decently ok*, as long as I followed the instructions.
- If it worked out, it had many options for customization, with additional collars, sleeves, and pockets to make several versions.
- The completed pieces I saw online looked like vintage-inspired dream dresses!
*: I know pop over dresses are super simple, super generalized, and made to fit at a very basic level. My expectations were medium-to-low. I wanted to get in the general ball park and feel decent in the dress.

The moral of the story?

No sewing adjustments is a rarity if you already face regular sewing challenges, or experience the same fit issues over and over.

While the concept of the dress is brilliant, I face challenges very common for my body type, which were not easily addressed with most patterns straight from the envelope. This is extremely common for most people.

For the Charm Patterns Cinch-It, these included:
- My incredibly petite frame, which impacts my shoulder width. The shoulders of the Cinch-it dress were roughly 1.5” too wide for me, which would make it a challenge for well fitting sleeves, had I made those options.
- My petite frame’s torso length, which impacts bodice length and waist placement. The shirring line on the dress started over 2 inches too low for me, and extended down over 4 inches– which for a combined 6” of Torso + Waist, put the bottom edge of shirring past the midpoint of my hips.
- Overall dress length, which is easily remedied, but worth a mention.
Is there a pattern out there you can make with no sewing adjustments?

Yes and no!

Depending on the adjustments you may tend to do, there are pattern companies which may fit your body shape more closely due to the nature of their pattern drafting block.

For example, Seamwork Patterns tend to fit me decently well, due to a larger block cup size and shorter torso length. While alterations are still common, their drafting is naturally closer to my body shape. You can see this well in my Penny Dress, which fit like a glove.

For the most part, though, it’s rare to make a pattern straight from the envelope with no sewing adjustments.

This is perfectly normal!

Remember that pattern companies draft to their audience’s average. Even the patterns marketed as “easy to sew” may need some slight adjustments for a better fit.

Looking to dip your toe into pattern adjustments, or do you also have a petite frame like me and a larger bust? My fitting videos might provide some insights on how to approach fitting challenges!

Click the video below to start my Fitting Videos playlist!

Is there a pattern you’ve sewn that fit straight from the package with no sewing adjustments?

Please let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I never recommend products I wouldn’t personally use. All opinions are my own.
April 12, 2021
Video: The Retro Tiki Collab, Patterns by Gertie B6354

For pinup girls, Patterns by Gertie B6354 is a must have

This video features my tips for making this beautiful 3-piece ensemble reversible in both a beautiful rayon and black poly/cotton blend. Full disclosure, this video definitely took a very long time to shoot; you’ll see multiple outfit changes over the course of the video. I think all in all, it took me about a week and a half as I worked an hour here, an hour there.

The project was fun, though. Patterns by Gertie B6354 has been sitting in my pattern collection since June 2016 and it was nice to be able to pull it out so soon. There are many patterns which have been sitting in my collection for years that still haven’t seen the light of day- B6354 was put into use right away!

If you missed out on my previous post, this video was made as part of the Retro Tiki Collab with the beautiful and smart Christina from Gussets and Godets, Abi from The Crafty Pinup, and Akram from Akram’s Ideas. Please check out their individual blogs to read more about their versions of this pattern and their respective tutorials!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links :)

August 15, 2016
Completed: The Retro Tiki Collab, Butterick B6354

Vintage on Tap’s first collaboration- Butterick B6354 is FABULOUS!

Can I say how happy and excited I am to have worked on this collaboration? Featuring 4 lovely ladies in the retro and pinup blogging world, sewing the same pattern in their own unique way. We each decided to give Gertie’s Butterick B6354 our own twist and its been so fun to see how the pattern has been interpreted and styled!

Why this pattern? It’s summer time and tiki seems to be all the rage this time of year in the pin up sewing world. And besides, I was all ready itching for another tropical drink after my last tiki dress a while back.

For my version of Butterick B6354, I made my piece… reversible!

Sewing a reversible garment can be fun, and the amount of hand sewing should definitely not turn you off from trying it! There’s only a few special considerations to take into account for this particular piece.

#1: Plan your reversible from even before Step One

No, you can’t just cut into your pretty fabric and go! Take a look at the pattern pieces and directions and decide what can and can’t be reversible. Locate what will be tricky and will need work arounds and test those out on a muslin first. For this piece, I knew that the back closure, interior boning, straps and cup decoration would need extra consideration and need to be made differently in order to be fully reversible.

#2: Both fabrics on a reversible piece have to have to bought purposefully and thoughtfully

Making this piece reversible means there is no real lining fabric and that means that every side of the piece has to look good! There’s no way to hide a funky sewing fumble, either. For this piece, I opted to hand-sew anything that might be questionable, including the top stitching and back closure. Also, try to make both fabrics a similar weight and feel or the piece will not behave properly.

#3 Decide what parts of the pattern can work double time

The bias decoration on this piece is the same on both sides and merely flips the opposite way to decorate the other side. There are some parts of a reversible that just have to do double duty, there’s no way around it. On this piece, I made sure to carry my top stitching underneath the band to allow it to roll over a little bit more easily. A lot of the techniques that might make the bodice more stable (under stitching, etc.) had to be skipped in order to protect the integrity of the reversible.

#4 The closure can be the hardest part to make beautiful

Don’t mind the wonky skirt in this picture, but instead focus on what will work to make the piece look good at the closure. This pattern called for a zipper, but most reversible zippers are made for winter coats and not suitable for this sort of piece. I decided to go with flat buttons that wouldn’t add too much bulk to the bustier from either side. The result looks sleek and purposeful.

Would I make this piece again? Totally! For my particular piece I had to do a FBA on the bolero and bustier, but I may have just slightly overdone it on the bustier. Either that or I need to start rocking a bigger push up bra to fill in the cups a little bit more! Next time, though, I would take the cups in just slightly to have them not so “open” at the top.

The bolero was a breeze to sew, though, and I actually all ready want a bunch for regular wear. I can see making this in a wool fabric with a colorful lining for date nights.

The sarong was nice and super comfy; I actually would love to make it in a real casual fabric for an upcoming vacation, too!

There’s so many ways to update and change this piece to suit your style, though. Check out the other posts in the collab for Butterick 6354 to learn about different ways to make it a little bit more your own.

Meet the ladies who participated in the Retro Tiki Collab!

Abi from The Crafty Pinup

Abi exploded onto the sewing scene just a few months ago, but has all ready been featured by BBC and The Fold Line for her awesome blogging and sewing skills! She also owns My Retro Closet for all your boudoir needs.

Abi turned her piece into a full dress, taking the original B6354 design and merging the sarong wrap to the bustier top. She was able to match the darts in the top to the skirt perfectly and the zipper insertion looks amazing! Hop on over to her blog to see more pictures and find out the details on how to pattern hack this design.

Akram from Akram’s Ideas

Akram has been super active and such a fun blogger and vlogger who I have admired for a long time! She does everything from baking amazing recipes to sewing and thrifting up a storm. If you’re not all ready watching her on YouTube, you’re missing out!

Akram sewed up the pattern as is- giving a full break down of what you can expect to find the moment you open up your copy of Butterick B6354. She also did some adjustments on the skirt and the images on her blog really help guide you through the process! Hop on over there to read about her experience working on her piece.

Christina from Gussets and Godets

Not gunna lie, I’ve had a huge blogger-girl-crush on Christina for a while because of her awesome outfits and amazing styling skills. Every time I see her post on Instagram or her blog, I’m like “omg girl, weeeerk!” She’s been featured on the lovely A Stitching Odyssey blog and is beloved by the sewing community.

Christina turned her Butterick B6354 into a playsuit, merging the shorts and bustier top. She also played with the straps, making them into a cute spaghetti strap design which makes them that much more fun. Learn more about how to pattern hack Butterick’s 6354 by going over to her website, too.

Please leave your thoughts and comments on this piece and the others you’ve seen! And stay tuned for an update on a giveaway and the Making Of video of my reversible piece!

August 4, 2016
Tips for Sewing a Cocktail Dress, with video!
Embarking on sewing a cocktail dress is an exciting process!

The possibilities of stitching up your very own cocktail dress are absolutely endless. Things that you can dive into are…
- What luxurious fabric do you want to use?
- What sort of embellishments will you like to incorporate?
- Vintage inspired or more modern?
- What sort of silhouette?
- What SHOES are going to go with it? (had to throw in something fun!)
Without a doubt, it’s extremely easy to fall into a rabbit hole planning out the process for an exciting cocktail dress!

This blog post discusses sewing a cocktail dress, and some of the biggest tips and tricks I learned from making my own. In this case, I made Butterick B5814, a Patterns by Gertie design released in 2012.

Tip #1: Select your fabric with care.

Depending on your sewing level, this is one of the biggest factors in sewing a successful cocktail dress. The fabric will determine things like:
- The sewing tools you use (see my list of recommended tools here!)
- Your sewing machine settings
- Pre-sewing fabric preparation (eg. the silkier the fabric, the more finicky, which will mean sewing more slowly!)
Special considerations have to made to interior fabrics and materials as well!

As long as you’re mindful about the materials you’re using and how they operate, your sewing experience will go swimmingly. For example, for my Butterick B5814 cocktail dress, I decided to use a lovely acetone/viscose Italian crepe. It had a silky hand, medium weight, but was also difficult to work with because there was a slight stretch to it, was flimsy, and unravelled easily.

Due to the volatile nature of the fabric I chose for this dress, I had to go out of my way with additional sewing techniques, including marking all my notches with tailor’s tacks to maintain the integrity of the fabric.

Don’t know why tailor’s tacks are VITAL for delicate fabric? Click the link below to learn more about tailor’s tacks in sewing.

Tip #2: The interior of your cocktail dress should get as much care as the exterior.

It’s very easy to say, “No one is going to see the inside- who cares?!” but when sewing your cocktail dress, the interior is just as integral as the exterior.

For example, for Butterick B5814, I wanted to keep and maintain the quintessential pinup dress look, which meant some additional pre-planning.

Changes I made include:
- Spiral steel boning throughout the bodice (not the plastic boning that was suggested in the pattern)
- Bra carriers to hide my bra in the dolman sleeves
- Reinforcement at the neckline with bias strips to keep the neck from stretching through wear
- Underlining throughout
The final two points for my pinup cocktail dress were not included as part of the original pattern. However, because I was using some super luxe fabric, taking preemptive measures to care for the interior is key to a sturdy dress!

To learn how to both reinforce the neckline with bias strips AND to underline your cocktail dress, be sure to check out a tutorial video I did on this topic. The sewing techniques are incorporated into a Butterick B5603 holiday dress. The sewing tips covered in that video 100% apply to your cocktail dress!

Tip #3: Divide your work into manageable chunks.

My Butterick B5814 had… 50 individual steps. Not including cutting fabrics, boning, and prepping all additional notions.

Having reasonable expectations of how long things take will keep you motivated and focused.

If you’re making a cocktail dress for the very first time, beware of the following workflow:
- Laundering your fabric (dry clean, hand wash, machine wash)
- Tracing your pattern (highly recommended, if you have to do fitting adjustments!)
- Fitting your muslin (click here for example adjustment tutorials)
- Cutting your fabric (the fancier the fabric is, the more time should be allocated to this step)
- Underlining or any interior reinforcements (lining, underlining, spiral steel boning, etc.)
- Sewing the garment itself
- Hemming and pressing
Of course, each of the above steps will take longer or shorter depending on your sewing experience, but be sure to be mindful of the process! Projects started on a whim have a tendency to have a mind of their own, and a successful garment isn’t guaranteed when worked on in a hurry.

If you’re tackling Butterick B5814…

The dolman sleeves are super tricky. After 5 muslins, they still were slipping and sliding. I had to rely heavily on the bra carriers, not just to hide bra straps, but to also help hold up the sleeves.

Also, the gathered attachment at the waist is tricky to stitch through, at ten layers deep (!!) Switch sewing needles to something more industrial, and hand crank through the layers to attach them.

Interested in buying this pattern? Click the image below!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links :)

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April 19, 2016
Video: The Gertie Tiki Dress

Making the Gertie tiki dress makes me want nothing but sunshine. Sewing it was a breeze.

Materials I used for this project were mostly found in my stash, except the elastic thread I got to use for the very first time! The fabric was fun and loud and is getting me prepped and ready for days by the beach with a mixed tropical drink in hand! The photoshoot I did for this dress really expresses the sentiment 100%!

I’m happy to say that the Gertie tiki dress video was super fun to shoot- please check it out and leave a comment and subscribe!

April 12, 2016
Completed: The Tiki Dress

This tiki dress is the most immediately satisfying make of the year.

The moment it left my sewing machine, I knew it was a winner. This tiki dress was very much an impulsive “MUST MAKE IT NOW” sort of project and I’m glad I took it on because I feel amazing in it. Browsing the different vintage and pinup Facebook groups I’m a part of, seeing everyone talking about the Viva Las Vegas rockabilly weekend, and being sad that I can’t go this year isn’t very productive. So why not whip up a tiki dress for when I do get to go?

The pattern was super cool to work with because I all ready knew it quite well! The pattern is a combination of two different pieces from the Gertie New Book for Better Sewing. The top is the Sweetheart Dress and the skirt is the pencil skirt pattern, redrafted with a slash and spread technique.

Something different that I got to play with in this pattern was the shirring in the back, using elastic thread in my recently tuned up machine. It was fun to see the panel shrink! But So.Many.Rows! For some reason I anticipated working with elastic thread to be more complicated than it really was.

The fabric for this piece was something I picked up from a local fabric shop and absolutely screamed tiki dress. While I absolutely love the print, the fabric itself has a really weird hand that reminds me of a soft oilcloth. When I purchased it, it had a stiffer hand, which I had hoped was only the final finish and would soften during washing. It still softened and is wearable, but I can see this as a special occasion dress due to the weird texture of the fabric.

The video for this dress came out great! Please check it out!

April 4, 2016