I got a present in the mail!
A Pattern from Peter!
Yay! Thank you, Peter! This is, of course, the pattern I won from his giveaway a few weeks back. Sweet and super-duper-uber cute.
Of course, now I’m in a quandary. Which yummy 70s pattern to make next? This new one, or this…
Man, I love these dresses...
Or this?
Simplicity 8613, from 1978
And Joy thinks I should make bellbottoms?
What to do, peeps, what to do?
Eaton's Jersey
And, I discovered this rather yummy jersey at Value Village yesterday while cruising with my mother-in-law.
It feels like wool, I thought to myself.
But it’s at Value Village. It’s probably some nasty mystery synthetic you really don’t need, I responded.
Then I discovered these little original tags, still on. 100% wool.
It went in the basket.
Originally purchased at Eaton’s Department Store.
This was a Canadian department store that went out of business when I was in high-school… but I have absolutely no recollection of them ever carrying fabric. Any Canadian readers remember when they stopped?
So, despite still not finding my little-girl-coat-fabric, and having to unpick and re-adjust the entire back of my coat (sniffle), life is not entirely bleak.
Now if it would just warm up enough, I could actually justify sewing some of these crazy little dresses.
Tanit-Isis Sews 
Oohh.. that is a gorgeous find! Teal wool, at a discount? Yes please! And I vote for the bell-bottoms, you could totally rock them!
I remember Eaton’s still had fabric when I was 14 – I made a red velveteen miniskirt for Valentine’s Day, from fabric I bought at Eaton’s. So that would be.. about 1996? They still carried fabric then!
Wow, that must have been pretty close to the end! The colour of that jersey just screams “early 90s” to me, I have to admit…
Nice find! I was at that VV today and forgot it was senior’s day so it was packed and I didn’t find anything I liked in the fabric anyway.
I’m sure Eaton’s carried fabric almost to the bitter end in some stores…when they had their huge remodels before they went bust. They also used to sell Viking branded sewing machines at least until the 80s.
Now does anyone remember if Woodward’s had fabrics? I used to love their food floors…only time my mom would let me eat “junk food” (meaning canned) from the demonstration ladies.
There hasn’t been much in the fabric there lately… I think most of the good stuff they had for a few months came from one stash (a lot of notions from Montreal) that is now exhausted… or at least that’s my theory… 😉
If Tasia remembers fabric from 1996, that must have been pretty near the end… they were gone by the time I finished high school in ’98. Perhaps they held on to the fabric in the big cities; there certainly wasn’t any at my hometown store.
Forgot to add you should make the first dress…love that sweetheart neckline.
I have no memory of when they stopped carrying fabric. But I loved Eaton’s.
I vote for the McCall’s dress pattern as your first order of bidness.
Discount wool jersey in a deep color? Lucky you! Used in a layering piece, I think you could avoid it looking too early ’90s…. or just let it rest for a few years and then it’ll be hip again. Isn’t that how these things work? (said she of the 90% black wardrobe)
Gorgeous jersey fabric! Any ideas for it? It is so neat to see those 70’s patterns, as I was still sewing for myself in the 70’s. Speaking of Eaton’s, I scored, at Value Village last week, a Greist button-hole attachment, w/ all 5 cams & instruction booklet, in original box w/ Eaton’s price sticker of $14.95 on it. (Value Village price, $1.99). It needs a good cleaning, but it may fit your machine.
And I am EXCITED! 😀
I vote for that 70’s MCcalls pattern, to make a great summer dress. Although I am worried about you there in what appears to be the frozen tundra (based on those recent snow photos) When spring really arrives do you skip around the garden? I would 🙂 I hope it is warm and sunny soon!
Follow up to my previous comment: Speaking as a totally wimpy Northern Californian. I am a weather weakling, more than a few raindrops and I want to hibernate, or bug out to an island somewhere . . .
Hee hee! I find my weather tolerance varies sharply through the year. In February, once it’s as warm as -10C, I’m likely to be skipping around in a skirt and tights. In April, on the other hand, I am craving real warmth (like upper teens to twenties C, that would be like 60s or 70s F). My elation at not having to wear my scarf every day has waned. I also need some brutal heatwaves (the Australians reading may feel free to snicker) of 30C+ in the summer, to get me emotionally geared up to face another winter.
It’s true, I live near Toronto and feel the same way. -5C in January is much preferred to this +6 crap we’ve been having. I’m tired of grey skies, cold rain and numbers that sound warm on the radio but don’t feel so warm crossing the parking lot into work.
I don’t remember Eaton’s having any fabric at all, and I could tell you which malls had a Fabricland in 1986 west of Toronto thanks to my mom. I also remember shopping the closing sale in Guelph while I was in university.
That’s a beautiful steal from VV. Good eye.
Oooh, want a lovely collection of vintage-goodness :)!
I vote that you make the first dress Simplicity 6023. Would the Teal work for another version of your That 70’s Dress maybe?
Aaah! That teal jersey fabric really is soooo pretty! And I adore the first dress pattern, very cute.
I remember Eaton’s selling fabric. I lived in Toronto in the 90’s and the big Eaton store downtown had some lovely fabric – I still have some black embroidered velveteen that I splurged on – probably still the most expensive fabric I’ve ever bought. But then I had a good job and no kids.
That blue color is so pretty! I’m a sucker for that color. I have to be careful or my whole wardrobe will end up in it. I’m seeing lots of ’70s patterns lately, I particularly love the one from Peter!
I remember when The Bay in Vancouver had a fabric department… and that wasn’t so long ago (maybe 7-8 years?). But, I wonder if it was just a Fabricland outlet located inside the store, or something like that?
The McCalls pattern!!!! OMG!!!!!
This is the exact pattern my mom made my senior prom dress from back in 1973!!! We did it just like on the front, in blue. I wore a fresh gardenia at the collar. She made it with a soft sheer blue overlay over satin or silk and it felt heavenly and fit like a glove!! I can’t believe it. I haven’t seen that pattern since that time. I don’t have the dress anymore…such fond memories. I was such a rebel, too with this daring halter style when everyone else wasn’t wearing those yet!
What is the number on it, I can’t see it with the red ribbon covering it in your picture?
Have fun!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane…
I vote for the simplicity pattern. I also vote for making it now so you can wear it the moment it is warm enough. (Also, never said it, but loving the springy coat)
I just hit the jackpot for ’70s patterns (in size 10-12, too) at VV tonight. I picked them up despite being waaaay too small on me. I’m sort of thinking of doing a give-away, but if you’re interested in any of them, I’d be glad to send any of them along to you. How can you pass up 4/$1 patterns??! Especially when you have a coupon for 30% off. 🙂
Whoops. Meant to say if you are interested, I could send you a picture of what I found. 🙂
a dress! a dress!!! make a dress! wow, i love that wool, what a find! i thrifted a wool shift dress (60s style) about that color a while ago and had grand dreams of making something amazing. now i can live vicariously thru you instead!
OMG! Flashback! Flashback! Susan this took me back to high school too.
Tanit Isis you MUST make the McCalls dress. That blue gown is a dead wringer for my prom gown, color and all. Only mine had a white sailor collar on it. I was too cute. LOL
I MUST find that picture so you can see it.
I was so pleased you won Peter’s giveaway, because I thought of you when I first saw the pattern!
The teal wool jersey looks gorgeous. I love a good bargain – makes the fabric extra-special in my opinion!
Of all vintage, I’m a sucker for 70s patterns–I have more than I’ll ever sew, thanks to my grandmother who passed a lot of hers on to me, and then of course a few do-I-really-need-more-patterns ebay steals. I vote the McCall’s– and love that black one on the left with the sweet collar!
& that McCall’s pattern number was what….again?
Hi, Susan, sorry for the delay—the number is 3415.
Pingback: A Tiramisu for New Year | Tanit-Isis Sews