A rainy autumn day has led me to stay in my workroom and sew, which has been such a treat!
I spent a happy hour yesterday at 'Rose Tinted Rags' a recycled textiles and arts project in Hereford. They have an amazing amount of vintage fabrics, haberdashery, sewing machines plus lots more and  I came home with a bag full of interesting finds.
Among them was some very cheap new cotton shirting with a pale grey stripe. I thought this would be ideal to try out my vintage Butterick maternity smock.
As with most vintage patterns from that era, the instructions were brief and the pattern unprinted! The pattern is for sale in my Etsy shop, so to avoid making pin holes I used weights to hold the pattern down and a fabric pen to make the dots etc. I decided to make the sleeveless version and the instructions called for me to make a bias armhole facing (no pattern piece supplied) which I did, again using my pen to mark out...but in all honesty I would probably use bias tape if I made the top again.

The shawl collar was the type I hate sewing with a facing that I struggled to make neat, and I wasn't happy with the construction method for the yoke. But perseverance paid off  and this was the finished top....

Excuse the black bin liner over the mannequin, but it is one of my vintage mannequins and in the smaller size that I needed....even though most of its covering has disintegrated!! Recovering will be another job for another day.
Happily my daughter loved the top, and has just taken it home with her.
Just a reminder, this was the pattern used..

Next on my list 'to do' is making some hats....as my millinery has fallen by the wayside lately, and withdrawal pangs are setting in. Ideas abound in the old grey cells including a clothe with soutache decoration...so maybe soon........ x x