Vintage Kimono Fabrics: About, Use, and Sources

Thanks to international retail being so easy via the internet, recycled kimono fabrics exported directly from Japan have become readily available to sewers abroad. These incredibly beautiful fabrics present tons of opportunities and challenges to the sewist and fashion designer willing to rescue them. They're worth the effort; the exquisite embroideries and printed motifs are so unlike what may be found at your average fabric shop, and honestly, they're so beautiful I'm glad they're being given another go at life.

Needlework,  Kitagawa Utamaro, c. 1797

Vintage Sewing Patterns: Resources, Preservation, and Use

Vintage patterns, I adore them! A modern sewist, collaborating with an artisan of the past, a step out of time. There is something poetic about sewing with them, isn't there? Breathing life back into these old patterns can be a more personal experience than passively buying vintage clothing. It also bypasses the fit issue associated with existing vintage clothing, which were often designed to be worn over the binding undergarments of their era. Me, I'm not too keen on that 'binding' bit there, so I alter them for casual wear.

Sewing with these patterns can be a challenge, though, as they use different markings and the fit usually needs some adaptation. Here I've outlined a few tips: storage, use, and some vintage pattern resources that will hopefully help you on your own vintage pattern adventure.

Pattern from my stash: 1930s McCall 9157