Pan Am costume: there's still time before Halloween!

I'd love to be a Pan Am gal for Halloween, but I'm not too sure I'd want to go the "sexy stewardess" route. Nope, as the mood board below indicates, I'm thinking more along the lines of "Christina Ricci jet-setting vintage bombshell" as seen on ABC's Pan Am.

Just like there was a vintage explosion on the Halloween following the debut of AMC's Mad Men, we're sure to see plenty of flight attendants this Halloween.

My sewing machine is still in storage because we're still on the ranch, but it's not too late for you to wear a Pan Am costume on my behalf! I've done some of the work for you, choosing easy-to-find patterns with pencil skirts and jackets (so you don't have to buy two separate patterns).

1. Simplicity 2154 - Obviously this "Simplicity Retro" pattern is from the right era, but the fit of the jacket is slightly off for the stewardess costume. It's not as tailored, and is looser around the hips. But made from the right fabric, it's sure to look authentic to the era.
2. Butterick 5147 - Has a pencil skirt and a fitted jacket, with the correct length of sleeves. But the collar is all wrong.
3. Butterick 3037 - Has the four buttons, just like the show, a close fit, and the perfect collar. The skirt and sleeves are too long, but that could easily be fixed. This is probably the pattern I would choose.
4. Royal Blue Suiting - $5.75/yd from Fashion Fabrics Club.
5. Pan Am Bag - These are all over the Internet thanks to the show, this one is $89 from Brookstone.

Don't forget the white gloves, retro-fab shoes, and pill box hat! Here's Threadbanger's tut on "How to Make a Pill Box Hat":


Have you made a Pan Am Halloween Costume? I'd love to see pictures and hear what pattern you used (if you used one).

Pattern Haul: Butterick on sale for 99 cents!

Butterick patterns were on sale for just 99 cents at Jo-Ann last week! They were limit 10, but the hubs and the LO were with me, so I only walked away with four...

These four:
Butterick 5564

Butterick 5454

Butterick 5451

AND! The controversial Butterick 4790

If you're not familiar, B4790 is one of Butterick's "Retro" patterns; a remake of a vintage one. But most reviews of this pattern you'll find on the Interwebs complain that the update is not true to the 1950's silhouette; it's looser and baggier. But I love the dress and at just .99, I thought I'd give the pattern a shot anyway.

Did I make good choices? Kinda overdid it on the wrap dresses, didn't I? And I kind of regret not buying B5674. And Butterick's 5731, just to have, maybe to alter into a non-wedding dress. Darnit! More regret even as I'm typing this.

Have you tried any of these, and if so, do you have any tips for me? I'd appreciate it!

Oh yeah, and stay tuned for the dresses I actually make out of these.

Butterick 5731: Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress

A dress in my Facebook feed caught my eye today. Butterick posted a wedding dress pattern that is clearly inspired by what will arguably end up being 2011's most famous wedding dress.

While the description for Butterick B5731 does not explicity say it's meant to copy K-Mid's Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, there's no denying it. Butterick even styled their model with a tiara and a similar bouquet.

There are some differences; Butterick 5731 has some weird flappy bustle that I'd leave off were I to sew this, and it's absent the long train that the Sarah Burton dress has.

While I don't usually condone plagiarism, I think in this case it puts the royal dress within reach for us commoners. It's not like you're going to the Berresyessa Flea Market and buying an obvious Louis Vuitton pleather knockoff. This is a sewing pattern in which you, or the dress maker you hire, is required to do all the work, and you have the option to buy the most expensive "Peau De Soie" or the cheapest satin. You can make it any color you choose, and there are even cup size options.

The absolute best part in my opinion: it's a Butterick, so you can likely snatch it up during a Jo-Ann sale for .99 to 1.99.