Our Vintage sewing projects

This will be my favorite Sewcial.  

I want to start working right away so I can plan 

each detail of my sewing. 

I know I will have to do a large bust adjustment

 I do not have a waist so I have to plan to add for any darts

that go through my waist area.  

My shoulders are small and they slant

 so some shoulder work is something

 I always check (see my posting on shoulders) 

I have three to choose from

I need some Capri's it's gotten so hot,

Not easy to find pants for women in the vintage patterns.

All rights to the drawings belong to the Lutterloh family

So what will it be The vest type top?  The cuffed Capri

or the white top and chevron shirt? 

It takes a bit of looking to find the correct

patterns in the vintage patterns, the older they

are the more places the outfits end up.  

You have to be sure you have

all the parts of any outfit.  

Want to help me choose?

Fonnell
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Here's what Ann is working on

I have noticed a decided dearth in Lutterloh patterns made up for men so I'm sewing for my brother this time around. I let him pick the pattern because I do want him to actually wear this shirt after all.  

My brother has finally worn through our father's shirts from the sixties. 

What better way to replace them than actually using a sixties pattern?! 

He has already requested a design change but it's only to the pockets so I agreed. 

I'm just waiting for the fabric to arrive!

Please stay tuned for more on sewing vintage Lutterloh Patterns.  

A Vintage Lutterloh Sewcial!

WELCOME 

 to our latest Lutterloh Sewcial!

This one will be strictly Vintage so please read on

Our Vintage Lutterloh Sewcial has concluded

See the final results in the Gallery post here.

Like many others, Fonnell and I got started with our Lutterloh collections from eBay. Now it seems there are so many other auction sites and artists collectives like Etsy that the vintage Lutterloh patterns are not that difficult to find anymore. With the release of Lutterloh's newest supplement #301 even those not willing or able to shell out for auction prices can get a taste of the beautiful vintage patterns. It is with this availability in mind that we've decided it's high time to invite our readers to "show us your stuff!"  

This Sewcial is not a contest. There will be no prize awarded. We just want to give all the vintage Lutterloh enthusiasts a place to showcase their work and share with the world the true potential of this versatile system. So, without further ado we would like to announce our next 

Strictly Vintage Lutterloh Sewcial.

Here are just a few points to help things run smoothly:

1. Items sewn must be started and finished between June 1st to July 10th, 2016.
2. Pick any Lutterloh pattern you own dated from 1935 to 1980. If you don't own any vintage Lutterloh consider buying the newest Supplement #301 to use the last patterns #159-160.
3. Your pattern can be sewn for any person willing to model it for a completed photo. 
4. Starting June 1st, please send a message to this post stating your intent to join that includes an era and item you intend to sew.
5. When your item is complete please send a message to this post that includes your e-mail address. We will not publish these messages. We will then send you an e-mail where you can send your completed photo along with a short survey.
6. Your item must be completed and photo submitted by noon on July 10th to be included in our Gallery post at the conclusion of our Sewcial.  

Now if vintage really isn't your thing or you just can't join in right now don't worry. We have another sew along in the works for later that everyone can join in. 

For now, let's get out those Lutterloh patterns and find something fabulous!

Vintage is our favorite

No where

 in any pattern company book 

will you find so many 

vintage patterns!

 

One of my first Lutterloh purchases was from an estate sale.

  It was a gold box full of 1950's & 1960's supplements. 

I was very new to Lutterloh patterns, in that box a world of sewing was 

open to the previous owner and now myself!  There were ball gowns,

baby nappies, robes, aprons, men's shirts, kids play clothes, women's dresses, on

and on the patterns went.

Clearly Lutteloh was a system designed to dress a whole household, a family!

The box came from Brazil, the women had used many of the patterns,

 her notes still on the pages captured in time.  

I felt she left a window into a vintage moment.

Every photo in my collage is a Lutterloh pattern from another time.

I own all of these pattern books.  

Patterns for every aspect of life.

There is a long history in Lutterloh patterns.  

Collected in each book pieces of an era.  

My greatest pleasure is spending an evening

Looking at the vintage Lutterloh pattern books!

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 300 - Model #91 - Spring 2016

Very Loose Pullover Dress

This is my version of model #91 from the current supplement. I have to say I am less than pleased with the outcome. Granted I was trying to use a knit for this pattern but if it weren't for the belt this dress would be positively shapeless.

Pattern Drafting Hints:

The enlarging of this pattern was easy enough. In fact, except for the neckline, the front and the back pattern pieces were exactly the same. If you wanted to save some time you really could just draw the back piece and then use it again for the front by just cutting the neckline into your desired "V" depth.

I was surprised at how deep the armholes were intended for this dress. When I constructed it according to the symbols on the pattern this is where the armholes ended up, nearly cut to the waist.

  

Fabric Used/Suggested:

Although it was not indicated, I used a lightweight interlock for this dress. This is where I think I went wrong. What can I say, this fabric has so much going for it. It's striped, it's blue, I have an entire bolt of it and did I mention it was free! You may be seeing a lot more of this fabric in future projects. 

Really I think this pattern was intended to be made up in a lightweight silky type fabric like crepe de chine, charmeuse or perhaps rayon challis.

Design Changes:

I did raise the neckline about 1 inch and substituted an overlapped band instead of neckline facings. I didn't add any seam allowances because I knew this was going to be very roomy already. For perspective, drawing the pattern out at my usual 102 cm bust and hip size I ended up with a dress with a 65 inch circumference! In the photos above I haven't hemmed either the bottom or the armholes, I knew I wouldn't wear this dress as is.

Since I had already used 2 1/2 yards of fabric and applied the neckband I decided  to refashion this disaster into something I could wear. I laid the dress folded down the center, inside out, and arranged my favorite T-shirt dress pattern over the top. I used my trusty Lutterloh hip curve and Chaco Liner to draw in a less exaggerated kimono sleeve and cut all the layers at once with my sharpest shears. Now this was something I could work with!

Once I sewed up the side seams again and turned up all the hems this is what I ended up with.

Fashion disaster saved!

Closing Hints:
When my son took the first photos he told me the dress looked "fine". My thought was, sure if I wanted a swim cover up. Perhaps on a more rectangular figure, in the right fabric, this dress might look fabulous. I think I will move on to another pattern and chalk this one up to experience.

Live and learn and keep sewing,

Ann in Calif.

Vintage Lutterloh Reprint

Hey folks, I was just going to peruse the German Lutterloh site for inspiration when I noticed that the newest Supplement #301 is already available. I'm sure many of you will be delighted to see that at the end of the supplement they have reprinted one page from a vintage supplement. I have written Marcus Lutterloh in Germany to ask if this is strictly a reprint or if the pattern has been updated with the modern ladies figure in mind. I will update this post when I get his answer but in the mean time I've included a link below so you can preview the new supplement too.

http://www.lutterlohsystem.de/modeergaenzungshefte/modeergaenzungsheft-301.html

Here is a quote from Marcus Lutterloh's e-mail reply:

"because of the great demand, we will once in a while publish some vintage  models and patterns in the future supplements. The pattern has been updated with the modern ladies figure!"

Enjoy the preview,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 300 - Model #81 - Spring 2016

Loose Crossover Blouse

I have a beach vacation coming up soon so I decided I needed a lightweight blouse to dress up my "resort casual" wardrobe. The very first pattern of Supplement 300 called to me as soon as I laid eyes on it. Once I spotted the chiffon print buried in my stash I knew they were meant to be together. 

Pattern Drafting Hints: 

The first thing I noticed about this pattern is that there is no real closure for this blouse. There is only a narrow elastic band at around hip level that holds the front pieces together so this turns out to be a pullover style. I did find the sleeves, once enlarged, were not going to give me enough room. I have heard this may be a recurring theme with recent Lutterloh patterns so you may want to check the sleeve width against your own arm measurement to be sure. 

Fabric Used/Suggested: 

The chiffon print I used for this blouse is an everyday polyester fabric from the local chain fabric store. This blouse definitely needs to be sewn out of fabric with some drape to it so chiffon certainly fit the bill. Perhaps next time I might try a tissue weight knit or perhaps a lightweight gauze fabric.

Because I knew I was working with a challenging fabric I took some precautions before I started. I first stabilized the entire piece of fabric by soaking it in a solution of a half yard of water soluble stabilizer dissolved in one quart of water. I squeezed out the excess water, without rinsing, before tumbling the fabric in the dryer. Once dry the fabric had a lot more body than its original state. This made it much less shifty and easier to cut. Next I applied fusible knit interfacing to the collar and front crossover pieces. The knit interfacing turned out to be just enough support for creasing without adding stiffness.

Design Changes: 
I'll admit I was tempted to make that collar and lapel piece in a solid navy but I didn't want to end up with just a small piece of the print left. So, other than widening the sleeves and a few other personal alterations for fit there were no changes to this pattern. I knew that the elastic at the hip would not be enough to keep this blouse closed over my ample bust so I planned all along to wear a camisole under it.
  
Closing Hints:    
Every once in a while I'm tempted to buy a fabric that I know will be difficult to work with. However with a little preparation and careful attention to details it can all be worth it in the end. This blouse was not a quick sew by any means. Some of this was due to procrastination but the end result was my reward. My next project will likely be a nice Summer dress just to lighten my mood. I'll think about it while I'm away.

Here's hoping you make some time to sew for yourself.
Happy Sewing,

Ann in Calif.     

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 282 - Model #254 - Fall 2011

Long Sleeve T-shirt

A couple months back when we were sewing T-shirts for our tea party I started this striped T-shirt for myself but I didn't finish it in time to post it with all the others. Now that it's done I think I may have found my go to T-shirt pattern. I was even able to use the pattern to duplicate a top that I bought from the clearance rack after Christmas. I'll get into that a little more later.

This T-shirt is a little on the long side but I wouldn't exactly call it a tunic. Depending on your chosen fabric and whether or not you want to add a little length this could easily work as a tunic if that floats your boat.

Pattern Drafting Hints:
This pattern is a pretty straight forward ladies T-shirt pattern. Its distinguishing features are really its longer length and flared long sleeves. I enlarged this pattern with my usual measurements and sewed it without adding seam allowances for a close fit. If I wanted an even longer length I would just add it to the bottom edge.

Fabric Used/Suggested:
Both of these shirts are made from Rayon/Lycra blend fabrics. The striped fabric doesn't have quite as much stretch but both fabrics have a nice drape to them. The striped shirt is finished at the neck with my favorite piped elastic. The solid color shirt is just finished with clear elastic serged at the edge and then turned and topstitched. 

Design Changes:
The striped shirt is the pattern made up with just a few changes plus personal alterations. I reduced the width of the bell sleeves and the width of the neckline. I have trouble eating gracefully with really dangly sleeves. I've also noticed that quite a few of my last Lutterloh patterns had rather open necklines.

This solid colored shirt, on the other hand, has a godet added into a center back seam to create an entirely different look.
I bought a shirt at Macy's after Christmas that had an interesting high/low hemline. When I was folding it to put away I noticed that it really had a basic T-shirt shape with just a slightly curved back bodice. The real shape comes from a wide, triangle shaped godet inserted into the center back seam.

See how close in shape my Lutterloh pattern is to the original shirt. I just needed to add a little length and shape to the back bodice and then trace out the godet triangle. Since the godet is just a triangle I only needed to draw three points and the shape of the hem. Connect the points and I had a nice curved triangle shape for the very back of my shirt.

 

The 3/4 length sleeve was from an entirely different dress pattern but it fit in the hole with no trouble at all, just like a Lutterloh pattern should. This is honestly one of my favorite features of Lutterloh patterns. 

 

Closing Hints:

With the right pattern to start with, a few tweaks here and there should allow you to make a whole wardrobe of T-shirts for Spring and Summer ahead. I have two more of these cut out with and without sleeves. I'm shortening them a little in back now that I managed the duplicate I was after. Here's hoping you find some staple patterns for your stash. It really does cut the sewing time down considerably.

Happy Sewing now,

Ann in Calif.

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 299 - Model #56 - Winter 2015

Princess Seam Knit Dress

While shopping for a dress to wear to a Christmas party last month I was reminded why I sew for myself. I found a bunch of dresses with a nice hounds tooth print as an inset but none of them fit quite right. If they fit on top they were too loose in the waist. When I found one that fit everywhere else it was too tight across my bust. If I'm going to spend good money on a party dress I don't want to have to alter it too. Then my Lutterloh supplement arrived in the mail and I knew just what to do with that great hounds tooth knit I'd been saving!

Pattern Drafting Hints:
This particular pattern is a shoulder seam princess cut. I have tried other princess seam patterns that end at the arm hole but always felt they drew too much attention to my bust. I have found the princess line ending at the shoulder to be more elongating and generally more flattering for me. I still use both my high bust and full bust measurements to enlarge the pattern so I need to remember to mark the dots on all the pieces to remind me where to switch numbers on the Lutterloh scale. For a visual of how I mark my dots see this post here.

Fabric Used/Suggested:
I was fortunate to buy the last 3 yards of this hounds tooth print Ponte knit from Girl Charlee Fabrics last Summer. Along with a solid black Ponte I was able to make this dress from just a little over 1 yard of each. If I hadn't needed to lengthen the pattern I probably could have made it with just one yard each. This pattern could probably even be made from a woven with stretch as long as there was a high percentage of spandex included and a nice long zipper to get into it.   

Design Changes: 
The first thing you likely noticed is that I left the collar off this pattern. I did make a collar piece but when I tried it on it reminded me of a schoolmarm and that was definitely not the look I was going for. I removed the collar altogether and cut the neckline down by about 1/2 an inch. My usual satin edge elastic treatment cleaned up the look to my satisfaction. Besides omitting the zipper my only other change was to fold the pattern a little longer than the pattern #56 view. The pattern has you draw the length out to the length of view #55 and then fold the pattern up a certain number of cm for view #56. I just folded it about an inch and a half longer and ended up with my perfect length.

Closing Tips:
I do believe this could turn into a TNT pattern for me. The shape is right and the panels lend themselves to options for color blocking or an allover print fabric. I can even see this shortened as a tunic over leggings or perhaps with godets added to the seams for more flair at the bottom edge. Of course with the Lutterloh System's ability to switch out sleeve patterns you end up with even more options. Uuugghhh, so many ideas, so little time!

If a princess seam pattern is what you're looking for I would wholeheartedly recommend this one! Here's hoping you can find some time for sewing with your Lutterloh patterns.

Happy New Year and Happy Sewing from,
Ann in Calif.
    
Bernice left a comment below and here is her lovely outfit

 Best wishes for the year 2016 ! I like your dress very much moreover because it has the princess cut from the shoulder. Using the Lutterloh pattern N° 41 of 2013 I too made a princess cut dress for a friend in December 2015. This pattern fascinated and challenged me because of the raglan Magyar sleeves with a seam in the center. But I changed the front opening making a double breasted front with soft folds at the waistline on the left. After drafting it, I realized that it was for a very tall figure so I had to adjust the waistline and remove a couple of inches between the bust line and the waistline. The rest had a perfect fit. I used a shiny dark blue lace for the front panel and black double knit fabric for all the other panels. I'm enclosing a photo of my gift.

WINNERS of our Lutterloh T- party drawing!

Well folks, our T-party has come to a close and it's our pleasure to announce the winners of our random Lutterloh drawing!

Without further ado we would like to congratulate Ruth in the UK and Bernice in France!

To see all the entries please visit the original T-party post here.

We are so pleased to have received entries from all over the world! Everyone did such a great job of translating their Lutterloh patterns to suit them.

Ruth and Bernice please contact Fonnell with your mailing address at the same e-mail address where you sent your photos and we will get your Supplement #298 mailed out to you ASAP.

We hope you all have plans to do some sewing with your Lutterloh patterns this season. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all from Fonnell and Ann! 

The Lutterloh T-party is now over

The T-party is now closed

Thank you for making all those 

great T-shirts.

See the WINNERS of our T-party drawing here!

Here is our first T-shirt!

• What is your first name and country where you live?

             Annette, US

• What was the pattern you used (listed as year and number) and the fabric you used?      2014-143
  

• How long have you been using Lutterloh patterns or the number of patterns you've made? 

It's been just over 1 year now and I've made 5-6 different patterns.  I'm still definitely learning but enjoying myself

• What did you like about the pattern/process; did you have any difficulties?

 I do not feel the bust measurement works well for my bust, it's not that it's real large or anything, but I am getting a better fit with the high bust measurement.  My upper back is always small and I have to make clothes smaller there.  It's all still a work in progress but I'm getting the hang of it.

• What sewing machine do you use?

 I have two machines, a Pfaff Expression 3.0 and a Brother Dreamweaver.  I also use my Babylock Enlighten serger and Janome Coverpro 1000

• What is your favorite sewing tool? 

I absolutely adore my gravity feed iron from Pacific Steam, it was probably one of my best investments ever.
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What is your first name and country where you live?

My name is Ruth and I live in the UK.

What was the pattern you used (listed as year and number) and the fabric you used?

The pattern is from a 2015 supplement 296 and the model is 191. The fabric is a lacy knit with a touch of gold thread running through it.

How long have you been using Lutterloh patterns or the number of patterns you've made?

I've been using Lutterloh since the beginning of the year so I've made quite a few garments now, mainly separates and one tailored jacket. They have mostly been a good fit just needing a few tweaks at neckline and shoulders.

What did you like about the pattern/process; did you have any difficulties?

I loved the fabric but hadn't got a clue how to sew it so chose the simplest T-shirt pattern I could find! As it turned out it, after some experimenting, it wasn't too difficult using 'Seams Great' and a serger. I ran some gathering stitches round the neck and hem edges to stop it stretching out of shape whilst attaching the binding.

What sewing machine do you use?

Janome as I work for the company and they are great machines.

What is your favorite sewing tool?

My wooden block and cutter for making perfect holes in eyelets and keyhole buttonholes.

I am looking forward to seeing what the other contestants make as I need some fitted T-shirts to wear under jackets for work. Your blog is great and has been a massive help to me in getting going with Lutterloh.

Thanks and regards Ruth 

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 What is your first name and country where you live?Bernice - France

What was the pattern you used (listed as year and number) and the fabric you used?N° 152 - 2013 and a polyster fabric.

How long have you been using Lutterloh patterns or the number of patterns you've made?When I looked for the cowl neck pattern this summer, I found another Lutterloh web site and since it is a challenge for me to sew without the least instructions I bought the kit and this is my 3rd Lutterloh pattern.

What did you like about the pattern/process; did you have any difficulties?I liked the length of the T shirt and the hidden pockets in the seam line. The bust measurement had an ease of 7 cm and the armhole was a bit small. Since I wanted a well fitted shoulder line, I used your method, then I increased the armhole and did the necessary changes on the sleeve. I have a few years of experience in stitching so I can manage the adjustments. If I was a  beginner it would have been difficult for me to use the Lutterloh patterns without any instructions.
What sewing machine do you use?For nearly a year I'm using Janome Jeans & stretch 8077. I also have a simple Singer sewing machine which used for about 30 years.

What is your favorite sewing tool? My sewing machine. I can't live without one, as it helps me to sew not only garments, a number of useful articles for our home like curtains, bed linen, table cloth, napkins, aprons,  etc. but it also helps me to do a lot of mending and transformation. I have done a lot of economy by knowing to sew. This credit goes to my mother for having encouraged me and guided me to sew from an early age. At the age of 8-9 years I first started using a hand sewing machine (USHA), then a leg machine (MERRITT), then an electric machine with a motor (SINGER). Now I have an electronic one (JANOME).

Bernice

Here is another T-shirt from Bernice

What was the pattern you used (listed as year and number) and the fabric you used?
N° 184 - 2013 and a cotton moderate knit fabric.

How long have you been using Lutterloh patterns or the number of patterns you've made?
I've been using Lutterloh from september 2015 and this is my 4th Lutterloh pattern.

What did you like about the pattern/process; did you have any difficulties?
In my kit of Lutterloh patterns (2013) there wasn't any simple T-Shirt. Though some of them had the knit symbol they were sleeveless, or had openings, or gathers or soft pleats. Being my first experience with knit fabric I wanted to stitch something simple so I chose this pattern because it had a side dart and raglan sleeves, but I didn't like the turtle neck. So I made a round neck and finished the neckline with a simple band (your video reference). As in my previous patterns the bust measurement had an ease of 9 cm and the armhole was a bit small. So I did the necessary adjustements there to make it according to my taste. The sleeve had an opening in the crown which was difficult to understand though I drafted it as explained. So I drafted it into a simple raglan sleeve and shaped the neck accordingly. For the hem finishes I used a knit stay fusible, and a twin needle (your reference). On the left hand side of the raglan sleeve seam I embroidered 3 small round mirors. It was fun and excitement about stitching knit fabric for the first time.

What sewing machine do you use?
For this knit fabric I used only Janome Jeans & stretch 8077.

What is your favorite sewing tool?
My favorite tool after my sewing machine is my cutting board which my husband and I made from a large plank of wood. I put my own markings on it in inches and centimetres, to help me cut straight lines, right angles, semi-circles to cut flares… and I place it on my adjustable ironing table whenver I need it.

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My name is Susan, I live in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Supplement 287 pattern 205  2012

 I have been using Lutterloh since the 80's. I was a tiny size 4 my daughter a larger size and I sewed for both of us. Some boxes  including the one with my Lutterloh stuff in it got lost in our move  in 2000 and it wasn't until 2007 when I purchased a used system and got started again. Counting my past pattern work I have made 100s.

I love the drafting, cutting sewing and fit. I decided not to use the facing as the pattern called for and made a neck binding. It did not work as well as I would have liked.  I also changed the high, jewel neck to a deep v-neck.

I have a Janome Horizon 7700 and a Babylock Imagine 2 serger.

I have no favorite tool, I love everything in my sewing room!

It is wonderful to have family here, and wonderful when they go. But the letdown afterward is sometimes hard.

 Saludos,

 Susan

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What is your first name and country where you live?

Joe from central Missouri, U.S.A.

What was the pattern you used (listed as year and number) and the fabric you used? 
Special Edition No. 27 (2000?) #37
I used a thin cotton jersey knit from Wal-Mart. I wish I had followed Fonnell's advice and gone with something with more weight.

How long have you been using Lutterloh patterns or the number of patterns you've made?
I have made a few shirts and pajama shirts with Lutterloh patterns in the past couple of years.


What did you like about the pattern/process; did you have any difficulties?
Am always impressed with how these patterns go together. I wish I had watched the binding video before I put my binding on, I assumed that the shoulder seams were the two center sides, assuming that may have caused some puckering in the end result. In spite of that I am pleased with how my shirt turned out. This will be a work shirt layered on top of or underneath another shirt.

What sewing machine do you use?
A Kenmore 158.1345. A five dollar thrift shop find that has never failed me and began my vintage sewing machine interest.


What is your favorite sewing tool?
I lucked into a Singer no. 74 Spinet cabinet that I find to be the most cleverly designed sewing cabinet. Small when closed, ample leg room for a big guy when opened, machine (a Singer 201) is angled in the cabinet placing the needle closer to you, the stool “locks in place” underneath the cabinet when closed keeping prying hands away from scissors, buttonholers etc All though, I didn't use that machine on this project.
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What is your first name and country where you live? Ann in Calif., USA

What was the pattern you used (listed as year and number) and the fabric you used?  2015/Pattern #238 from Supplement 298. I used a fine cotton rib knit with giraffes printed on it and a heavier rib knit for the neck and sleeve bands.
 
How long have you been using Lutterloh patterns or the number of patterns you've made?  I've been using Lutterloh patterns since 2008.

What did you like about the pattern/process; did you have any difficulties?  I wanted to see if a slim fit womens pattern would work for my slim pre-teen  niece. It worked much better than using the patterns for children because I didn't need to lengthen it. 
 
What sewing machine do you use? I use a Brother 4500D sewing machine and a Babylock Enlighten serger.

What is your favorite sewing tool ? I use my DRITZ EZY-HEM tool on nearly every project.

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