Sew For Victory 2014 Project #2!

Flashback Summer:  Sew For Victory 2.0 2014 Project, 1940s Vogue 9384 velvet robe

It is done!!!  My second Sew For Victory 2014 project, the late 1940s velvet robe (Vogue 9384), is done!  My friend Darlene was kind enough to lend me her art studio to take some pictures in!

Flashback Summer:  Sew For Victory 2.0 2014 Project, 1940s Vogue 9384 velvet robe

Flashback Summer:  Sew For Victory 2.0 2014 Project, 1940s Vogue 9384 velvet robe

If you recall, I posted about my original plan here, but as I went along I still ended up changing it a bit.  Instead of lining it in flannel, I found that the large amount of velvet and the floor length actually made the robe quite warm without the lining.  I did, however, keep all the seams nice and tidy inside, since they would be showing!

I also tweaked my embroidery plans a bit and ended up embroidering the collar, cuffs, a strip down the back, and monogramming the pocket with my soon-to-be new initials (by hand, may I add!).  I changed the pattern to add the tighter cuff because baggy robe sleeves always seem to get in the way.  

I only made two other slight changes to the original pattern (besides basic size alterations).  I added shoulder pads for a more tailored 40s look and to help my tiny-shouldered proportions look a little more balanced with the voluminous, full-length bottom of the robe.  I also added some gold fringe to the sash..... because I happen to love luxurious garments that sometimes border on gaudiness and I liked it.

I TOTALLY love this robe.

It's, for once, pretty much exactly how I envisioned it, and I am quite pleased.  It feels so posh, and I can't wait to lounge around the house in it soon!

Also, be sure to check out the Sew For Victory flickr group to see more of my photos and the other fabulous projects people are working on!

Extra note:  Just in case you happen to like the embroidery pattern I used on this robe, I made a very ghetto version of it that you can print off and use in your own projects!  You can find it on the Flashback Summer Facebook page here.  (The flowers in my robe-- if you measure from a left side flower to the next left side flower-- are about 3" apart.)

What about you guys?  The April 30th deadline is getting closer!  How are your projects coming along?

Flashback Summer:  Sew For Victory 2.0 2014 Project, 1940s Vogue 9384 velvet robe

Flashback Summer:  Sew For Victory 2.0 2014 Project, 1940s Vogue 9384 velvet robe

7 comments

  1. That is stunning! I love the full-length, and the embroidery. I agree with you about tightening the cuffs of the sleeves; with most gowns, the sleeves are an accident waiting to happen (imagine trying to make or eat breakfast in them). Do you have something holding the inside edge in place? e.g. a tie at the waist? That's the other problem with robes like this; they have a tendency to gape, as the inside edge slips down, unless there is either an inside button or tie.

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  2. Gorgeous, totally luxurious! The embroidery is so authentically 1940s, all the details add up to a perfect robe. Congratulations on such beautiful work - very inspiring!

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  3. After finding a velvet robe I loved for about $400 I decided to sew my own. Your embroidery is great inspiration. Did you find the velvet difficult to sew?

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    1. No, it wasn't difficult. This particular velvet is a bit stretchy, so I had to account for that. The only tricky part is making sure the nap is going the right way!

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