Thrift store buttons!
There’s been a bit of a sewing-type drought at my local Value Village for the last couple of months, so it was with some excitement that I realized there were actually fabrics on the rack this time, not just encroaching curtains, and even a few baggies of random zippers (expensive and not intriguing) and metal buttons (inexpensive and in sets still on their cards—yay!). Needless to say I walked out with the buttons. I managed to resist the fabrics, mostly due to excessive stashing last week.
Simplicity 8613, from 1978
There were also a few 70s patterns, in a misses’ 12, which is close enough to my size. I restrained myself, though, and just picked up the cutest one: isn’t this an adorable jacket? And look at that neat little waistband shaping on the skirt! Pattern includes jacket, skirt, and pants.
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Buying thrift store patterns (as opposed to from a reputable second-hand pattern vendor) is an obvious crapshoot. No way are the employees going through every single envelope to make sure the pattern is complete, never mind in good condition—not when they’re selling for less than a buck apiece.
Yup, this adorable pattern is incomplete. Half the pants are missing, as is that cute little waistband detail, and the first page of the instructions.
Fortunately for me, all the pieces of the jacket (what really drew me to it) are there (uncut!), and the instruction page that is left is the one for the jacket as well. So tragedy is averted. Most of the skirt pattern is there, too, except for that cute waistband, which I guess will be good if I get the hankering for an a-line, mid-length skirt.
Well, it could happen…
So, at least at this point, tragedy has been averted. Not that I really needed another jacket to want to make up. But hey, I’m sure I have enough fabric!
In Me-Made March news,
a fairy boring (not to mention weird hair) day. Sorry, kittens (or, as Patty would say, platypuses), it can’t be circle skirts and fluffy shirts every day. On the upside, it’s sunny!
Me-Made March, day 17
The Frankenpattern shirt
Skinny Cargoes
Oh, and happy St. Patrick’s day, to all you who are out there getting soused in honour of it ;). Apparently they started the breathalyzer-stops here at six AM this morning…
Tanit-Isis Sews 
I reckon those metal buttons would look cute on a military-style jacket with lapels ‘n’ stuff 🙂
Re: the waistband, you ‘n’ your skillz could sooooo draft one 😉 (*nodding*), you KNOW I’m right LOL!
That jacket is great, a lot of interesting details on it that make it distinctive, esp the shoulder yoke and gathering.
That photo of you is gorgeous. But I’m horrified that there’s still snow. When will it end???
LOL! Well, there’s a lot less snow than there was a week ago… I can actually see bits of lawn! I figure we’ve got at least one more good blizzard coming before the end, though, and quite possibly two or three… 😉
That IS a cool photo.
I have tried to find thrift stores in the Netherlands or Belgium, but I never seem to find any… Well, yes, they have Oxfam shops, or second hand clothing too, but they never sell sewing notions or fabric or patterns…
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