A Vintage Find

 We interrupt the sewing to share a recent vintage find.

Gah... a blurry picture of the clasp.
It looks much better in person.
Note, the ring for a chain/strap

I found this cute little purse with a lovely rhinestone clasp plus it is black and could be used in a variety of time periods.  It is truly timeless and a very useful find.

Gotta love the built in lipstick pocket

It was listed as a clutch but the reality is that it was missing its chain.  I love the details on the inside.  Not just a matching coin purse but with a place to put your lipstick.  Love!  I have never heard of the brand  “Frilo”  before but if anyone out there has, let me know.

So the fix for this bag was a $2.50 pewter looking chain from downtown.  I picked pewter over silver simple because it looked nicer than the silver chains I was finding.  Besides, the price was right.  I threaded it through and linked it back together and voila a fixed purse.

Victorian or Art Deco

In making the 1930’s dress, I want to make a belt to go with…..so off to etsy I took myself to look for an appropriate looking belt buckle.

Imagine my surprise when I found this advertised as a Victorian belt buckle.

Ummm……really…what gave it away as a Victorian belt buckle….maybe the “made in” stamp on the back?  I knew when I looked at the picture it was not Victorian but would could be Art Deco…if not originally it certainly passes.  But Victorian?? Really?   I bought it because I liked the way the design echoed the dress fabric.

I tried to zoom in so you could see it.
Didnt work.
But it does say: "Made In" and a word
that looks like otto.  I cant figure out
where it was made.

Perhaps it is a tad naïve of me but I was simply shocked with the number of items clearly not Victorian advertised as Victorian.  I wonder how many people have been taken in by such false representations?

All I Need is a Hat

The 1930’s dress is done.  YAY!! For a relatively painless make.  That hand basting saved a lot of trouble.  Though I do think the collar area might be reworked; I am not happy with how it lays.  I can say I am pleased with how it turned out!  It is exactly what I envisioned.

It looks ok on the dress form but it really looks better on.  I thought the skirt would not be nearly as full as it turned out to be because the skirt is quite full.

Some details.  The hem is hand rolled as are the sleeves.  The v neck collar thing was hard to put on.  It took me longer to get that thing (not sure what to call it) on the dress than it took to make up the dress.  I do like the button accents on the pintucks and the sleeves…ah the sleeves are perfect and much better than the cape sleeves. 

Check out the buttons!!
Love that detail

Back view

What would I do differently?  The v neck thing I think needs be sewn starting at the v each direction.  I may try that because the left side is rippling.  Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is making the FBA just a tad bigger.  The bodice fits but I like a little looser more modern fit.  Amazingly, that is it!

Side

Now, I need to get some pictures of me in the dress.

When is a Vintage Dress Not a Vintage Dress?

This is a question that came to mind the other day. 

A couple of days ago, I was running errands wearing the Jerry Parnis Dress.  While out and about, I was stopped and asked about the wonderful vintage dress I was wearing!

What a nice compliment.  I answered that it really is not a vintage dress but it was made with a vintage pattern.

But I have wondered if my response was wrong.  Are the outfits we make from vintage patterns vintage outfits??  If you use vintage fabric in addition to the vintage pattern, does that then make the outfit vintage even if you made it in 2011?  Or does the fact that the outfit was made in 2011, never mind the age of the pattern, mean it is a modern outfit or a modern interpretation of vintage wear?

I have no answers to these questions.  I can see the argument for each.  I tend to think that if I made the dress now, in the modern age, it cannot be vintage.  However, I do not like the term vintage inspired because that is not wholly accurate either.

Perhaps next time, I should merely say thanks and that I found a new vintage store without further explanations.  Any thoughts? 

Oooo Shiny …..Pretty

There I was perusing a local thrift shop which rarely has anything vintage in nature. It really is a thrift shop with used modern clothes.  But there in the back of the handbag section sat this pretty little bag.

I had to have it!  I love the opalescence of the color.  I figure this is from the mid-1960’s though I could be wrong.  Don’t care, it was shiny and pretty and it is now mine!

Its the Shortest Day of the Year

It is the winter solstice, so let’s take a look at men with pipes wearing large shorts.

Is there not something incredibly effeminate about the man in shorts? Or is it the balloon shorts? I don’t know but something strikes me as off.

Looking at this picture and other men’s pattern renderings through my all too modern eyes, I am always amazed at the pipe smoking going on? Did men really smoke pipes that often?

The boy’s patterns seem nice enough.

New Technique?

The August 1949 Butterick Fashion News’ sewing tip is how to set in sleeves. It looks like a decent method but I still prefer to pin the bejeebuz out of the sleeve and then sew it in. Works every time for me and I am not going to mess with success (it took me long enough to get to this point with sleeves).

But if you are interested in trying a different technique……here you go!!

Fun in the Sun

No sun here just miserable rain. Blech.

However, Butterick Fashion News, August 1949 is here to supply the sun!

Take a look at these sun dresses. Though, I am curious about the thought process that determined to place fringe trim across the bustline of 4890.



My favorite is 4898. I can see making this into a strapless party dress in addition to a cotton sundress. Wow there are a number of copies of this pattern available but not for my purchase since the price is over $50 which is way out of the range of my budget. I will not even spend $40 on a pattern so more is definitely out. The fact that I can find one gives me hope, I bet I can find another with a cheaper price somewhere!

These resort ensembles are just perfect for a summer BBQ ----if only it was either summer or the sun showed its face. The crazy weather extremes are bizarre. Last weekend it was in the 80s now it is rainy and cold.

More of August 1959............

Again August 1949 Butterick Fashion Nes. I am really enjoying this issue.

Here are 5 young compliment catchers!

I love Pattern 4956. Again, I am disappointed in that my searches have failed to yield an example of this pattern out there. It is now a quest for me to find a pattern that I like from this issue! I love the yoke and I have a similar pattern from Simplicity but this one is a little more refined. I love the length of these dresses. It seems everyone, myself included, shortens vintage patterns to adhere to our modern ideas of length for dresses when the goal is to wear the outfit in our real life. Next time I make a dress from this period, I am going to leave it a little longer to adhere to the length sensibilities of the time the patter was manufactured.

I know tonight I will be dreaming of these elusive patterns.

Moving on to August 1949.

 

 The cover of the Butterick Fashion News for August 1949

The back cover :

Wow do I like this floating panel dress. It is Butterick 4973 and I want to make this dress! My search today for the pattern has brought up many ladybug glove patterns (also Butterick 4973) but not this elegant dress that I want to own! Alas….I will have to continue searching.

What I also loved about this Fashion News is the action wear – nothing that we would really call action wear. The tennis dress I understand. I just have to keep it in context of the times. Though, I have to say I prefer this action wear to modern day action wear for daily use. Horrors of horrors, the women sitting in front of me at the opera on Saturday night were wearing work out pants ……yes …..both of them. Even a nice little dress would have looked more appropriate. Oh well.

June 1949 - Butterick's Recommendations

Whew, following a to do list is really unexciting.  Trust me.  So I am not going to provide daily updates because it would put everyone who reads it to sleep...including me.  However, I think that black and white swirly dress has bad karma or maybe it's cursed!  Seriously, it took me hours upon hours to get that zipper in.  First I baste it in backwards one direction, then the next.  Then I get the right side but forgot to cut the extra bit at the top...and on and on and on.  No wonde this became an unfinished object, I almost tossed it aside for the second time!!!

But...take a look at these:

 

Every month Butterick, and I am assuming other pattern companies, would publish advertizing pamplets with what is "in."

She Shall Go To The Ball

Over Thanksgiving weekend I put in over 36 hours of sewing creating a ball gown.  What a mess.  Who knew that buying white fabric could be so difficult!  The white silk I bought for the skirt in no way matched the white for the rest of the dress.  The skirt white was blinding!  The whitest white I ever came across.  It didnt look that way in the store.

You might ask what do you do?  Well I thought about a tea bath much to late to try that.  I may still do that.

So what do you do when you realize on Friday night this isnt going to work at all??  Well, you take whatever remaining fabric you have and do not cut it but drape some overskirt.  Yah...that's the ticket and hope no one notices what in the world is going on.  Finish this up 25 minutes before the ball starts so forget about any further planned embelishment.

This is what you end up with............  you breathe a sigh of relief and go dance.  What else can a girl possible do.  The only other option is to stay home which is not an option.

Vacation Over

My sewing vacation is over.  Last week included a spree of pattern buying.  At least a dozen patterns were purchased of varying time periods….even some modern patterns….gasp!

Last night I rummaged through the stash to find the right fabrics. I dithered about contemplating various combinations or an all purple/white seersucker.  The yellow and multi-colored stripe won the day.

 

Of course since I purchased a number of patterns, I went with something I have sewn before.  Figures.  But I am on a tight deadline and I want a minimum of fitting issues. 

Tonight, I started cutting out the yellow fabric so no changing my mind now!

Inspiration?

I may not have any desire to sew but I am at least looking for inspiration.

Take a look at this website and see if you are not inspired!  I know I am.  If you enlarge the picture you will see that even thogh the magazine is French, there are English tranlations on the page!  Major score

2 skirt patterns are winding their way to my house sometime next week.  They are for some of the wools I bought in my fall buying spree.  Here is one of them:

Is it not yummy!  Is it enough to get me out of this slump?

Back Home

Long weekend.  Saw some amazing outfits!  I wore the 1918 dress on Friday and received many compliments and a few people asked to take pictures. 

More importantly, I learned a lot of great techniques like how to grade up or down a pattern!  I plan to use that knowledge very soon.  I also learned a heirloom sewing technique that looks amazing but is quite easy!

Dress o' Doom Conquered

It is done.  The dress of doom that is.  No pictures right now because I finished it at 2:30 am and then collapsed.

Tell me why I do this because I cannot figure it out!

Pictures to come.........................

Dress of Doom Update

I am beating this thing into submission.  Nevertheless it is the Dress of Doom because every thing just goes wrong with it.  My beloved workhorse sewing machine started revolting yesterday.  Luckily, I can basically finish this up by hand.

What needs to be done? A lot.  Finish the sash.  Buy and put on buttons and button holes.  Hem the sucker.  Put on the soutache collar (ready made and from stash).  Sew down the facings.  Whew, I am tired just typing that list.

There is still a lot of work to be done but the majority is completed.  Because, that is an awful lot of green and I do not want any kermit the frog comparisons, I am placing some off white soutache on the fichu.  Ah yes, something else to be completed on this. 

My love affair with late teens fashions continue.

What I Did? and Other Thoughts

Not as much as I had hoped to accomplish for 2 reasons (yes, they are merely excuses) but here they are:

1.  Spent too much time shopping on Saturday
2.  It was too hot.  When the sweat started dripping off my arm and onto the fabric it was time to STOP sewing and sit somewhere cool.

What I did accomplish:
1.  Facing has been sewed down to the bodice and the waist tape installed on the McCall's 5150.
2.  I completed putting the stays back to the way they were.  I started to move forward with the stays when the sweat fest hit and I decided to stop sewing.  I also messed it up....I didnt read the instructions...my fault.
3.  I cut out the 1918 dress view 2.  The fabric is a silk blend per my many burn tests and it was slippery hell to cut out.  I started marking the pieces so I can start sewing.

Thoughts:  It has just occurred to me that with the sewing that I have done, I have never sewed up a Simplicity pattern.  I have a bunch of these but always gravitate to other patterns when making a selection.  Odd.  I have read about problems that a lot of vintage sewists have with Simplicity patterns, is my subconscious at work?  Who knows, this is too much thinking for a Monday morning.

On a Roll

I finished my homework early!  So I have some free time tonight.  What a concept.  If only I could find one of my 5 seam rippers.  I do want to work on those stays and to do so, I have to rip some seams.

This extra free time has me thinking up more projects – like I need another idea rolling around in my head.  I already have enough fabric and project ideas to keep me busy until the end of the year.

 

One thing I pulled out this evening for inspiration, is this hat.  

I think it is perfect for a late teens/ very early 20’s dress. 

I think this fabric will be perfect with the hat.

I would show you what it looks like together but the fabric, of course, is in the bottom tub and I would have to take everything out of the closet to get to it.  So it is staying put for now.

Now a pattern: I can do a different view of the 1918 dress which would be easy for me to whip up as long as I don’t have to hand sew acres of trim.  Or should I try something different.

Decisions, decisions. 

The 20’s

How about some eyecandy because I am tired of the refrain about homework taking up my sewing time.   So after a “discussion” with Lisa, ( who has an awesome blog for you to check out),  about the 1 hour dress, I have been thinking about my foray into 20’s outfits.

I love the clothes from the 20’s but they do not love my hourglass figure.  I know that women in the 20’s had hourglass figures, but the styles make me look more than a tad dumpy.  Of course, that wont stop me from loving and wearing the styles.  In fact, I have a 20’s dress brewing in my imagination.

This 20’s dress, I adapted from a 1926 pattern, is one of the first dresses I ever completed.  Note, I said completed not started.  I finished it last August.

It is loosely based on a 1920’s pattern I own.  I changed up the sleeves, they were supposed to be cap sleeves but I like bell sleeves so there I go.  Also, there was no waist band, so added that in because I thought it worked with the stripes.  The front bodice of the pattern was a lapped front which I though would be lost with the stripes.  I am sure there were more changes I made but I am blanking right now. Oh yeah, how about matching the stripes up....sheesh.

Now, almost a year later, there is so much I would do differently.  The sleeves have pleats in them because I could not figure out how to set in a sleeve and get rid of the ease.  Also, I would finish the neckline differently. I would still use bias binding but have it hidden rather than as an element.  I think I will increase the darts.

This is a dress to slip over the head: no closures whatsoever (which may be why I did finish it).  It is sewn entirely with French seams as is the accompanying slip made of china silk.  However, I have no clue where that slip might be!

It is nice to know that I have advanced as a sewist.