Thursday, January 24, 2013

1940 Tartan Inspiration

Tomorrow is Robert Burns' birthday.  Burns is one of Scotland's greatest poets and his birthday is practically a national holiday in Scotland!  I was hoping to finish a dress in time for his birthday but seeing as I only just finished grading the pattern and cutting out the fabric, I might have to finish it for his birthday weekend :-)

Here are some photos that have inspired my 'Rabbie Burns' dress project.  These are all from the Fall 1940 Sears Catalogue:






Here's the pattern I'm working with to create my 'Rabbie Burns' tartan dress:


I'm really hoping I can finish the dress this weekend!  While I won't have it to wear tomorrow night, you can bet I'll be wearing some tartan and reading some Robert Burns poetry!
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21 comments

  1. Ooohh! I absolutely love plaid dresses, and I can not WAIT to see the finished product! By the way, I emailed you about your 1940 McCalls project, and I haven't gotten a response yet... Just a hint to check your email. :)

    Brigid Boyer

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  2. Debi_myhappysewingplaceJanuary 25, 2013 1:07 AM

    Hi Brigid! I love plaid dresses too! They are so much fun!!! Can you email me again...I don't seem to have your email??? So weird!!

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  3. McCall 3641 is lovely.  Can't wait to see it in plaid!

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  4. I love the Tartan dresses! And the pattern you choose for this project is lovely too! Can't wait to see the result.

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  5. Oooh... I can't wait to see it.  The pattern is lovely and I love a good tartan.

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  6. Some of those images are amazing - can't wait to see the finished dress!

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  7. I sent it again, so keep an eye out for it! :)

    Brigid Boyer

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  8. Those are fabulous. I wish that particular shirt-waist type dress would make a comeback. Perfect for any occasion. Thanks for sharing. And if you can get your hands on any patterns, please let me know.

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  9. Adrienne BeaudryJanuary 25, 2013 3:49 PM

    Oh Debbie! Your productivity and ambition with your projects puts me to shame! I look forward to seeing pictures of your outfit!

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  10. What a great idea! Well someone as famous as he surely would have celebrated his birthday all weekend anyway, in time for your dress to be finished. ;) I love the pattern you chose, that is just *such* a classic shape. I pretty much want one of every single dress you showed! Now I'm inspired to sew some tartan, I loooove it but haven't ever sewn with it.

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  11. Ooooh are you using the tartan you got in Glasgow, or something different?

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  12. I love that dress pattern! Is there a difference between tartan and plaid? I like to use plaid fabrics, but maybe I am calling it the wrong thing! The best part of the plaid/tartan IMHO is the ability to turn the design around in so many directions for different details. It really makes things interesting. But I must say that it took me almost 4 hours yesterday to cut a simple bias skirt from a plaid, and I haven't sewn the side seams yet, so I don't even know if they will match. Scary!

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  13. LOVE that red tartan outfit in the top pic (on the rights) though I think I'd put a slim pair of black heels on instead of knee-high chunky socks and flats!

    www.mancunianvintage.com

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  14. Oh, bias plaid skirts on shirtwaist dresses, how you take me back to the late 1970s, and my years of study at St. Andrews! (No, not THAT one. The Presbyterian Church (USA)-sponsored liberal arts college in Laurinburg, NC.) I particularly remember a brown-and-brown plaid, with puffed and cuffed short sleeves, a pussycat bow at the neck, and a twirly bias skirt that hung well past the knee. You go for this plaid dress, girl! You'll be able to return to it for many decades to come, lol.

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  15. Ahh!  This is going to be gorgeous!  Can't wait to see it!

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  16. Love old Sears catalogs! They're so much fun. Can't wait to see your finished Burns Birthday dress.

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  17. I love, love, love tartan. It started as a punk thing for me, but while I've stopped being a punk (I'm 44 after all) I still wear tartan.

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  18. Debi_myhappysewingplaceJanuary 27, 2013 5:41 PM

    Tartan rocks at all ages! :-)

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  19. Debi_myhappysewingplaceJanuary 27, 2013 5:42 PM

    Hi Kerry! Yup...I'm using the tartan I got in Glasgow :-)  I changed my mind about the project I was originally going to use that for...lol!

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  20. Debi_myhappysewingplaceJanuary 27, 2013 5:43 PM

    Thanks Adrienne!  I'm really enjoying the McCall patterns!

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  21. Debi_myhappysewingplaceJanuary 27, 2013 5:44 PM

    Fabulous! Thanks Brigid!

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I read each and every comment--thank you so much!

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