Mod Mini Skirt Project: Orange & Blue Plaid

This mini-skirt was my first time working with a plaid. I picked this particular plaid, because the neon blue and oranges are very mod. I like that unexpected color scheme combined with a classic look like plaid. Eventually, I will do a more standard plaid, the tartan style.

Plaid from the era
(ABOVE)

As I post all these skirts, I'm reading a great book called "The Mini Mod Sixties Book" by Samantha Bleikorn (Last Gasp). The author provides a fascinating history of mod fashion. It's also filled with iconic pictures from the era. One interesting fact I learned-- when minis first came out 4 inches above the knee was the standard but as time wore on, hemlines get shorter and shorter and when they got really short mini skirts were called "micro minis."

Front of Skirt
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Back of skirt
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All this talk of hemlines makes me want to measure mine and see where mine fits in. I will probably do that in the near future.


Happy sewing!
Astrid

Mod Mini Skirt Project: Lava Lamp Fabric

Necklace by Sarah Coventry
(ABOVE)

I love these neon belts for the pop of color and the drop waisted effect
(ABOVE)

When I saw this fabric, I had to make it into a skirt. The motif on it reminds me of a lava lamp. And I love the neon orange. It almost looks like a Peter Max print but nothing indicates that.

It's got a "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" vibe as well. I'm picturing myself on a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies!

Front view
(ABOVE)

Back view
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The fabric is a textured polyester that I purchased from "VanCraftyLand" on Etsy. No problems to report. : - )

Paired with knee high black socks and Mary Jane shoes
(ABOVE)

Accompanying the pics of the skirt is an image of a psychedelic ensemble-- fun beach wear from a late 60's Simplicity counter catalog.


Happy sewing!
Astrid

Mod Mini Skirt Project: Red, White, & Blue Zig Zags

I'm really loving knee high socks-- I also want to get some
different colored tights--adding pops of color is very mod
(ABOVE)

Necklace is by Sarah Coventry-- I think it was produced in
1976 for the bicentennial
(ABOVE)

I found this great red, white, and blue zig zag fabric on eBay and had to transform it into a mini-skirt. I'm a sucker for zig zag prints, and even though this fabric was a little thinner and drapier (is that a word?) than I am used to, I went for it anyway. And I'm glad I did. I'm very pleased with the results! By the way, this particular fabric was listed as a synthetic knit, but I'm not sure of the exact content.

Front of skirt-- this is a picture to show the shape and the garment better since my husband's pictures aren't always the best at showing the shape
(ABOVE)

The one thing I don't like about the fabric? (cue ominous music) It wrinkles! And you know what that means? (cue ominous music) IRONING!!

The look can be achieved with long or short sleeves
(ABOVE)

And I also figured out a new way to style these skirts. Or err, my husband did. I shouldn't really steal the credit here! I have now added a drop-waisted belt and the option of wearing knee high socks with shoes instead of always wearing boots. The knee high socks will be a lot cooler for summer. I also love that dropping the waist lengths my torso. And I'm excited about the pop of color that the belt adds--or in the case of white belts, the cool contrasted look. So mod! I also think the knee high socks are very mod. It's something I see over and over again in vintage mod fashion pics.

Back of skirt- it's mostly lined up but a little off.
I don't care, though, because I love it!
(ABOVE)

I also included a great picture of a zig-zag dress from the 60's too. I love these old photos, and I hope you all do too!

All three of these dresses are too cool!
(ABOVE)

Happy sewing!
Astrid

Mod Mini Skirt Project: Vertical Stripes

Someone help these gals, I think they need even more stripes on their outfits!
(ABOVE)

Stripes were big in the late 60's. Very much a part of the mod scene. I wanted to do a striped skirt inspired by the stripes of the 60's. Luckily, I was able to find a vintage fabric on Etsy from "retrolabs." The fabric was a little tricky to work with as it was sold as a "woven synthetic." I'm not sure what that means, but it did ravel a tad and didn't sew with quite as much ease as a

typical polyester.

I lOVE this photo-- the colors and the knee high socks are rocking!

(ABOVE)

I winged it when it came to the stripes. I know, I know. You're supposed to do some kind of special layout to make things as ascetically pleasing as possible. I really should learn to do these things, but at the moment, I just can't be bothered. I want to have fun and not have to spend half my time hair-pulling. I will challenge myself again one day....(maybe).


Anyway, I like the result fine, except that this being a woven synthetic, it does wrinkle a tad and needs to be ironed. Ironing is still my mortal enemy! I also think this skirt has a bit of circus feel, sort of reminds me of a ringmaster. I'm not sure why-- I googled images of ringmasters and could not determine why this comes to my mind.


I have inserted a few pictures from the era of stripes. These are the types of images that inspire me. As usual, I don't own the rights and am not profiting off of them. Just showing them for illustration purposes under fair use.

I didn't iron out the wrinkles--sorry!

(ABOVE)

For some reason, this skirt came out with less of an "a-shape" than some of my other ones-- I think it was because the fabric was looser and more drapey--less structured
(ABOVE)

Happy sewing!
Astrid

60's/70's Fashion Inspiration: Oversized Collars

I recently posted my peter pan collar shirt alteration project. As previously mentioned, I'm quite fond of oversized and peter pan collars, especially white collars that contrast the main color of the garment.

So, I'd like to share a handful of pictures I have found of oversized collars. Some I scanned, some I found online. I do not recall the exact sources of photos I found online, but I want to assert that I do not own the rights to them. Enjoy!

Mod Mini Skirt Project: Mid Century Circles

A bunch of my skirts laid out-- shows how the finished products look off the body
(ABOVE)

This mid century inspired print is eye candy!
(ABOVE)

I just LOVE the fabric that I got for this latest mini-skirt installment. This was one of the most mid-century of the prints that I tracked down. Fabrics that I could imagine as a couch are often favorites of mine! What can I say? It's one of my dreams to own an egg chair. And even better yet, one of those egg chairs that hang from the ceiling!




So, as usual I used my same pattern to create this piece. I used vintage fabric purchased from the Etsy seller "Reneesance." It was listed as vintage polyester, but it seemed a tad different texture than the polyesters I usually work with. Perhaps it had some cotton mixed in.

As usual, I am pleased with the results and pleased to share them : - )


Happy sewing!
Astrid

Mod Alteration Project: From Crew Neck to Peter Pan

I used the collar/cuff pattern pieces from this pattern
(ABOVE)

This is the crew neck before I made my additions
(ABOVE)

When I've gone shopping (both online and offline), I have not been able to find long sleeve shirts with peter pan or other oversized collars. I love oversized collars and oversized french cuffs as well.

Since I haven't been able to find these types of shirts, I decided to make one. I didn't want to have the trouble of making a whole shirt, so I purchased a crew neck shirt that fit well. My plan was to add white contrasting cuffs and collar to the shirt. Overall, the project went okay but here's what I took from it:

HIGHLIGHT REEL:

1.) NECKHOLE: Once again, when I added a collar, that meant the neckhole was too stiff to be a pullover. So, I added a 4 inch zipper, so that I could fit the thing over my head. It was kind of annoying, though, because I had to cut into the back of the shirt to insert the zipper and the fabric on the shirt was really flimsy. Also, there was no seam there, so is just cutting into the fabric going to work? I'm not so certain....

So, the zipper doesn't feel very sturdy, but I'm hoping it holds. It also doesn't look the greatest, either, but it works.

2.) FABRIC: I used white ponte roma polyester from my scrap pile to make the cuff/collar. It worked okay, but if I could do it over, I would have picked a fabric that was closer in thickness to the shirt. Because the shirt was so thin and flimsy, the ponte roma seemed very heavy on it. It looks okay, but it doesn't feel that great when its worn. The collar feels sort of lopsided and the collar/cuff areas both feel heavy due to the weight of the ponte roma.

3.) SIZING: Now, I like oversized cuffs and collars, but the pattern made them REALLY oversized. I ended up leaving the cuffs as is, but I had to make the collar a bit smaller.

Before adding cuffs
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4.) PATTERN: I used cuff/collar pattern pieces from a dress pattern. Simplicity 5150 from 1972. I plan to make the dress too, eventually.

Finished product
(ABOVE)

5.) DETACHABLE COLLARS: After making the project, I discovered that you can buy detachable collars from craftsters on Mod Cloth and Etsy. I bought a few and was really pleased with the handiwork. My only problem is that when I add them to plain shirts, I have a pretty small neck, and they're too big for me. So, I will need to pin them in place or find some other solution. If I can get them to work properly, they are nice, because they make a crew neck shirt into an instant peter pan collar shirt. I wish they had detachable cuffs too!

I have since learned that this shirt looks better with Mary Jane shoes and knee high socks. More pictures of that look in the future.

(ABOVE)

6.) EXPECTATIONS: I don't think I planned this project all that well, because I expected it to be easy. I didn't predict the challenges and didn't plan for them. If I do something like this again, I hope to learn from my mistakes. Some things aren't as simple as they sound in your head!



Happy sewing!
Astrid