I’m buried deep in fabrics and patterns and sewing and gluing. It’s the week before Halloween, and my children have requested costumes of all sorts and sizes.
(Sidenote – we haven’t “done” Halloween in years. Years. It’s not a long story, but it is a story. And while I don’t agree with much of the way it’s celebrated, we just can’t say no to a chance to dress in a costume and collect candy with a bunch of friends. ‘Nough said.)
Emma has had a few ideas on what she’d like to be, but we have our limits, and we do live in Maine, so warm costumes are a must for around our parts. Her request led me to my drawer of vintage patterns for something that I can use, and I actually found one that was close enough to what I need to not require vast amounts of redesign. 
I’m learning a few things along the way.
:: Vintage patterns are printed on a nicer quality paper than today’s patterns with better ink (I can actually see all the marks clearly. Some of the modern patterns I’ve used are printed poorly and lightly.)
:: Each step in a vintage pattern is the equivalent to about 8 steps in today’s patterns. I’ve had to read a couple of them 4 times to make sure I didn’t miss something important along the way.
:: Vintage fit is different. This is the first pattern I’m actually using from my collection, but when I first tried it on Emma, I was frightened by the lack of ease. I thought I mis-measured her. I had to put the bodice away for the night since I tried it on her just before bedtime and didn’t want to keep her up late so I could try to alter the bodice to fit better. Apparently, sewing fairies arrived in the night and adjusted the bodice just enough that I don’t need to make any changes, but it’s definitely a different fit than we’re used to.
I have a bit more sewing to do, and a collar to adjust, then I’ll (hopefully) get some pictures of Emma in her dress/costume. But now I need to get back to my sewing machine – so much stitching left to do. And I’m having so much fun!