July 1937 fashions

I had the luck of finding a few 1930s McCalls magazines at a thrift store the other day, and bought them without even flipping through the pages much. I was pleasantly surprised to find these illustrations for their latest patterns, the last set in particular I've been searching for after seeing the amazing potential!

A little thing to notice is the girls hat on the left. See how the ribbon comes up from the back, and rests on the front of her head, separate from the hat? It's like a backwards tilt hat, I though it was so interesting, never seen a hat worn like that before!

Learn from the past

As a vintage/history enthusiast, it is often funny to me how my generation takes credit for ideas, products, and even ways of life that are decades or centuries old. Spanx? Yeah. Thats a weak girdle.

Most people who grew up during the depression or the war are the "greenest" people you'll ever know. Only they didn't call it "green", they just called it life. It was a necessity for saving money, and making the most of rationed materials and guidelines. I know there are many ways modern culture uses the resources we have to conserve energy on a large scale: solar power, recycling plants, etc. But as far as having a green way of life, those people can tell you young whippersnappers how it's really done.

I have a few knitting and sewing books from the 1940s, and they are full of patterns for non-wasteful everyday things. Lots of reusable market bag patterns for instance. Plastic grocery bags were not in existence until the late 1970s, until then there was paper, and whatever cloth bag you brought with you.

Making new clothing out of old frocks was a necessity for almost everyone during WWII. It's now a fun way to take old unwanted clothing and make them into something new, but back then, it was the only way you would get a new dress, blouse, or hat. There are even patterns and how-to booklets for turning old into new, it was especially popular for women to take their husbands, fathers, or brothers suit, and turn it into something for themselves.

Homemade cleaning supplies are nothing new. They did wonders with vinegar, baking soda, and lemon.

Canning, buying food locally, purchasing dry goods in bulk, growing your own vegetables, keeping chickens, It's all been done.

Saving the last bits of soap bars, drying laundry on a clothesline, mending good clothes. They did it first.

My favorite online resource for helpful domestic tips and tricks from a pre-Martha Stewart era is Things Your Grandmother Knew. It is full of snippets from old magazines that will make you go "Oh! Thats amazing! Why didn't I think of that!"

Also check online, antique shops, and thrift stores for little booklets and hard back books that contain a wealth of "Make do and Mend" knowledge.

Honestly I think it's more difficult now to live a wasteless life since we live in a disposable world. We no longer have milkmen to drop off bottles of milk in the morning. Our flour no longer comes in cotton bags we can turn into blouses and dishtowels. Our snacks are conveniently pre-packaged in little plastic bags. Even our fruit can come individually wrapped. Toys come with a crazy amount of packaging, even books, books come wrapped in plastic.

What are your "green" methods of living?

1940s overalls

Photo by Twila Jean

Although overalls have been around for centuries, it wasn't until the 1930s that many women took to them for factory and farm work. There were even printed versions labeled "beach overalls" similar to beach pajamas. During WWII, as you can imagine, sturdy, easy to wear overalls accompanied jumpsuits in the factories, and became standard workwear.
Softer, more feminine versions came into fashion during the 1940s, either full length, knee length, or in a shorter romper style.

I made these using this pattern, from Eva Dress, and am really happy with them! Some days I just want to pull something easy on, and these do just the trick. For next summer I want to make them in the romper version, they would be darling in red!
The denim I chose for this is pretty thin, so not really working overalls, and I don't think the design would work as great with a thicker textile. I do however want to order this other 1940s overall pattern as it looks like it could handle a heavier denim. Y'know, for all that manual labor I do....

Kitty, of course, wanted to lay on the pattern pieces I needed. When I tried to pull them away, he grabbed them from me! Luckily the pattern is printed on thick paper :)

Colors of the day

Today was a colorful day. The nice people at We Love Colors sent me some fabulous goodies (!), Sam took me to the craft store for some ribbons and barrettes, and I searched for a knitting pattern to make a sweater just like Keira Knightly wore in this picture for The Edge of Love. I've actually been looking for a pattern to copy that sweater for months, and today I finally found one! this is about as close as one can get to what she's wearing, and I even have the perfect yarn in mind, in the perfect color (Turmeric, down at the bottom), but of course, the color is not available until August. Deja vu. Last fall I made this cardigan, which happens to be in the same film, and it's the same color. So I was going to buy the turmeric colored yarn, but it was not available for another few months. Am I not meant to have a mustard colored cardigan?
Anyway, I hope everyone has a nice weekend planned, for us here in the states we get a three day weekend! That is if you work a normal job or go to school. So in my case, just another weekend ;)

KITTY DRESS!!!!!!

I know, I know. Kitten overload.

You've probably seen Miu Miu's spring 2010 collection, which used a fabulous kitty print in lots of designs. Needless to say, I loved it. Also needless to say, it's expensive. What's a girl to do? Make her own kitty dress of course!

Sam took me to the fabric store and in the back, with all the quilters cotton was this darling pink and white kitten fabric. Kittens playing with balloons, I could not resist. There was a teal, and I think a purple and yellow too, but pink is where it's at for me.

But I couldn't just stop at kitten fabric. I mean, it's really cute, but you only see the kitties if you are close up. And I want people to know I'm a crazy cat lady from a block away.

Giant kitty pockets are the answer!

So I cut out and embroidered little happy kitty faces, to hold secret notes and candy wrappers.

But it needed something else.....hmmmmm...let's see....oh I know!

"Meow!

And there you have it. My kitty dress.

:)

1930s farm dress

Yesterday I was excited to finally be in a place to sew (all boxes unpacked, house is clean, and a day off). Lately I've been wanting something simple and neutral to wear, and all my spring frocks are rather bright. So I pulled out this yardage I bought a few years ago when I was working at a fabric store, and it was just perfect to pair with this much used 30s dress pattern. Including this dress, I've made four dresses from this pattern, and am looking forward to fashioning a black wool dress in the fall with long sleeves and a white collar, and little pearly buttons :)

But anyway, I was inspired to make it by watching Gosford Park a film that takes place in an old english mansion in the 1930s and revolves mainly around one of the ladies maids. She's so cute, very plain, very simple, but I still admired her style the whole film.

So I put together a dress that was just that: Plain and simple. Neutral colors with a basic design, but a few key details. I put vintage wooden buttons on the bodice, a matching belt, tie-circle pockets on the front, and instead of a zipper a side fastening of ten buttons and hand finished button holes.

The dress still needs a little fin tuning, I am going to take in the bodice a bit as it's a little billowy, which works on others but not me. But other than that I'm quite happy with the way it turned out, I think an old barn would make a great backdrop for it for photos.

Oh and the second picture is what my sewing area looks like when I'm not sewing, and the third is the machine ready to go!

Running away to join the circus

"What ever happened to that Solanah girl?"

"Oh she ran away with the circus and makes hats for the tattooed lady."

Last week I found this amazing old circus fabric while thrifting, and instantly thought of making a 1930s dress out of it. Kind of a "30s girl ran away with the circus and needed a new dress" dress. The fabric is already nice and worn thanks to age, it's always odd trying to make a vintage dress that is all stiff and crisp. In high school I made costumes for a play and rubbed them down with sandpaper to make them look used. I wouldn't do that for anything in my own wardrobe, but it is nice to have something look authentic and not like a reproduction. Is that weird that I would rather have worn down clothing than nice new frocks?
The pattern is the same as my 1930s bow dress, I love the pattern as it is so simple and versatile, and plan on making more, maybe even a long sleeved version for fall.

The only circus I have been to is Circ de Soleil, which is amazing, but I don't really have any desire to run away with the classic one after seeing Freaks.

Dress: Handmade by me!

Shoes: Etsy

Hat: The Urban Eccentric

Blue feather day

Today my friend Kendra and I went to Fabric Depot to find her some pretty material for her bridesmaids dress, and me some material for a honeymoon dress. Whenever I go there I get flooded with ideas, and just want to buy everything and make everything, and try not to think of the amazing circus outfit I could create with the pink striped sequins textile. I got away with some plain pink cotton for my dress, buckram, and some pretty trim and this giant blue feather for a project I'll show you this weekend. If you know don't tell! It's turing out quite well, and I'm having a lot of fun with it.
I wished I could have bought all the big bright feathers, they looked so amazing. Feathers as just plain fun.

40s Blouse and shoes-Buffalo Exchange.

Skirt and purse-The Urban Eccentric

Dress?????

Yesterday Shayla and I tried to make sense of a 1930s dress pattern she bought. The pattern itself has some pretty odd pieces, and trying to translate the instructions to something understandable was quite an adventure. We spent HOURS on this dress, actually we were each attempting our own, and spent waaaaayyy too much time on one piece that just would not fit. We figured that having two sewers would make this easier, which I honestly think it did, and I try not to think of attempting such a monster alone. After working all day, and screaming at the instructions, and asking them "What does this mean?!", we decided to call it a day just as we were about to strangle the dress form.

Oh, and Shayla got stung by a bee. Yeah.

Getting started.

Yesterday I went with Sam's mother to Fabric Depot, a huge fabric store that has a great selection of 1930s feedsack cotton prints. After considering many other options (kittens? cherries?) I found this perfect bow print. Soooooo cute. I cant wait to get started on it, but I am without an iron, plus I really should list some things in my shop.
We also stopped at a nearby Goodwill. I haven't been to an actual store in a long time, it really has gotten quite expensive, as Daddy Likey expresses in this oh so true "letter" to them. But I did find some things I really liked, like this giant floppy sunhat I think will go well with my 30s dress, a couple of jars for buttons, and spoon with an "M" on it. Or maybe a "W"...
I also found a fabulous shiny brite ornament still in the box, but missing the top. I've been ecstatic about vintage shiny brite ever since my aunt, who pretty much got me started on vintage, said she loved the cute little ornaments, and I think she has some lights too. Lucky Ducky. I also found some great items for my shop, but those pictures went to my mailing list, you'll have to wait until next week if your not on it :)

1930s pattern

Here is my 1930s dress pattern, of course un-marked. I was trying to do repairs on my machine tonight and couldn't get it working right, so me making something soon is unlikely. But I'll work on it, and eventually it will purr.

New sewing machine!

I got a new sewing machine! It's one that has been sitting at the thrift store I frequent, and just this week marked down from $40 to $20. What a steal. The machine is built into a table and can fold under for space saving. It also has a knee pedal instead of a foot pedal which will get some getting used to, but I really like the lack of twisting wire on the floor. After dusting it and setting up my own little space, it feels so nice and inviting, I even hung up some 1940s pictures and needlepoint I bought earlier in the week, I'll have to take pictures of those too.

I'd love to sit right down and tackle the basket of repairs I have, but its missing its little bobbin holder. I hope it wont need any sort of special one, I just plan on taking ones I see from the hopeless sewing machines at the bins, and if that doesn't work I'll need to search around for one. Meanwhile it just looks so pretty, and sounds ever so smooth.

If anyone has an idea when this is from (I'll do some research soon) I'd love to hear what you think. My guess is 1940s, but is in such good condition its hard to tell.

How to monogram

Monogramming is quite the lost art for lady's, along with other needlework skills once taught in school. Unless you have a grandmother skilled in monogramming, you'll have to go to an embroidery shop and have someone stick it under a machine to stitch your initials perfectly and unlovingly. Or. You could do it yourself. And at first it will be terribly uneven and you will have knots and loose stitches and tight stitches, and you may poke your finger. But when you are finished you will feel so accomplished. Because you have created something so uniquely you. Made by you, designed by you, and with your very own initials. And you will look at it and it will be your quirky, terrible, awesome monogram.
Weeks ago I did my first monogram on a pair of gloves. I did a cursive "S" one one, and and "R" on the other. This time I decided to try the art deco approach and do a three letter monogram in a circular shape. The sharp straight lettering was much easier to accomplish than the curves of the glove lettering, and can start out by simply tracing a jar lid, or box lid if you want it the also popular diamond shape. However I will provide lettering for cursive:

Click to enlarge.

Traditionally the order of lettering is set as follows: Your last initial is the largest and in the middle. First initial is smaller and on the left, and middle initial also smaller and on the right. I decided to get a little ahead of myself and use Sam's last name instead of my own, so that would be "Solanah Raquel Cornell" and makes the monogram "sCr". So there's the two letter approach I used on my gloves, three letters on my jacket lapel, or go the Lavern way and have a little mystery with one letter.

You will need: Something to monogram. I wouldn't recommend gloves if you are not familiar with a needle and thread, but a shirt, cotton scarf, or anything with an open back and no stretch will do fine. Small sewing needle. Embroidery floss. Pencil (not pen, no pens around clothes!). Paper. Tracing paper. A couple of pins.


1. Draw out your initials. Practice until you get the correct size you want and how you want it to look. 1-1.5" tall works well for the middle letter, and about 3/4 of that for the outer ones.

2. Place the tracing paper on the main letter and trace. Do the same with the two outer initials making sure you trace them where you want, slightly overlapping.

3. Place the paper on the object you intend to embroider and pin down.

4. Cut a length of embroidery floss about 15" (38 cm) long, and split two threads from the floss. You will use only two threads at a time.


5. Pin the tracing paper to the area you intend to monogram. Stitch through the fabric and the paper on the outline using a back stitch


6. Once you have stitched the entire outline, carefully tear away all of the paper.



7. Using a satin stitch, start to embroider the middle letter, stitching just outside of the outline.


7. Once you have finished the big letter, move on to the smaller ones if you have them.


8. You are done! Congratulations! Pretty please send me pictures :)

The back is cool too.

Sewing machine, a girls best friend.

My sewing machine is making that "clink-clink-clink" sound. Its very sad. I got it for Christmas I don't know how many years ago, and I'm actually surprised it's lasted as long as it has. I've considered taking it in for a tune up, which may have to suffice, but really I'd love to invest in a solid machine that would last me a lifetime. Etsy seller Surender Dorthy does a spectacular thing, and that is taking old sewing machines of yesterday and restoring them to work just like new. Not only do most of the machines come from the early-mid 20th century, but they are most often quality metal, and beautiful as can be.
I remember being very little and we had a manual machine built into a table. I used to turn the wheel around, and watch the needle shaft bounce up and down, not quite understanding how it worked, but it was so pretty it didn't really matter.
So when the time comes I get another machine, I want it to be one of the beautiful vintage ones from Surrender Dorthy's shop. Meanwhile I'll take it easy on my own machine, it still has a few projects left in it.

Elizabeth Bennet.

I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. I still haven't read all of her books (I'm a terribly slow reader) but my favorite book in the world is "Pride and Prejudice". I won the book in 9th grade from a school library contest, and while It was a challenging read, I enjoyed it and re read it again and again until I could fully appreciate it. Of course I've seen the BBC version, and watch it every now and then, as well as the most recent film with Keira Knightley. I also have the British Bollywood version "Bride and Prejudice" which is pretty funny, and oh so colorful. And seen a clip of the 1940s (?) version, but the wrong costume era bothered me, I'm just picky like that. But back to Keira Knightley. She wears dresses in the film that are very simple and sweet, made of wonderful cottons and linens. I really wanted a dress like that, something unfussy and earthy, something that would wear well and be flattering without cinching in my waist and bunching at my hips. Such a dress I would make myself. When I worked at a fabric store I came across a costume pattern, based off of the dresses in the most recent film, and decided that I could use this as a base and alter it to better flatter me and be a higher quality.

I also decided I would do every stitch my hand. Which is why it has taken me over a year to finish the bodice alone. For the skirt I'll be just doing something gathered, maybe with pockets, and make it shorter than an original dress from the era. But I am taking every stitch very carefully, and if I don't like it I take it out, and put it away for a time when I have more patience. Hopefully by spring I can finish it and have a pretty new dress I made myself :)
Which Goose has a poll going to see who likes what Mr. Darcy better, which is what reminded me of my project.