[ click for a larger view of these wonderful images & sources! ]
Whew! I’m glad it’s Friday; are you? This week has been careening along at full speed ahead, and I’m ready for a couple days to sit down and catch up on things (sewing among them). This week I managed to do things from a massive house clean/organizing (always good!) to having my friend D. over yesterday to help her make her kid’s Halloween costumes. The latter was really, really fun, although I started to loose my voice a bit last night after all the talking we did. haha! We’re making the girl’s costumes; she’s working on a Tinkerbell for her younger daughter and I’m making the Wendy costume for the oldest. They’re turning out so cute!
Of course, the sewing yesterday has kicked me back into “full speed ahead!” mode with my sewing (it got pushed aside last week). One of the few things I found while on Wednesday’s thrifting trip was a 40s shirtwaist pattern. I’ve been working on drafting my own, but this one was almost the right size and pretty much exactly what I wanted. So instead of spending more time drafting my own pattern, I’m just going with the vintage pattern. Today’s job (among everything else I need to do! lol) is to modify a few things and get the fabric cut!
- Now that Mad Men is on with a new season, I’ve been enjoying all the style posts popping up, including this one on 60s makeup looks!
- Bitten by the millinery bug yet? Be sure to take a gander at these instructions for making a 40s style sailor hat.
- “I spy with my little eye…” amazing 1940s hairstyles from the classic The Big Sleep.
- A bit of a specialized article, but helpful for those that reproduce garments from inspiration images: how to use a proportional scale tool.
[ click for a larger view. ]
I adore this pattern! I found it on Ebay recently, and not only did the design catch my eye, but the fact that there are little notes written on the envelope. I love the note “Irene’s wedding dress”, and wonder if the “pink” scribbling means that she had a pink wedding dress in this pattern? Wouldn’t that be divine?! Too, too fun!
Have a lovely weekend, dears!
Your inspiration collages are always so sweet! I love that shot of Lolita Haze…beautiful.
And thanks for the link to the tutorial on using a proportional scale tool. I need to find one, because I’m trying to take some cutting layouts and enlarge them to make pattern pieces. The info from Threads on using one will definitely come in handy.
Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend of sewing.
Ooh, I just love finding notes scribbled on vintage patterns! Irene’s wedding dress must have been spectacular indeed. Thanks for the link to that Threads article–I was just reading the new issue of Threads on the train this morning. There’s an article in it on making gloves that I think you would like!
That makes that pattern extra special! Good luck with your dress.
Sounds like you had tons of fun with D. I’m so glad.
I really enjoy your inspiration pics. They are always so pretty!
Mom
aww lovely inspiration as always! and that little possibly pink wedding dress is amaaaaazing!
yes I love your photo collages!
yes I love your photo collages!
i love that pattern too! i esp. like the short sleeve version. i also treasure hand-written notes or any handwriting at all on patterns, like they add to the history and life of the item.
this is kind of weird but hilarious, but i have a pattern that has a note, something to the effect of “don’t let so-and-so have this pattern when i die” – can you believe that? it’s such a mystery.
I love being able to reach out and touch, just briefly, mysterious people from another time who owned the stuff I’m holding. S’why I collect old records.
Ohhhhhh, wonderful as always!!! Hope you’re well
)
Hi, Casey! Just wanted to catch up on your blog after our chatting yesterday – I was a bit hoarse too
I had lots of fun, though, and I’m so excited to see the Wendy and Tinkerbell costumes completed! Addie was so cute trying on the skirt 
Brandon asked how the Wendy costume looked and I was like, “Let me put it this way… Casey and I were both squealing from the cuteness.”
I love that pattern! The idea of a pink 40′s wedding dress, that would truly be stunning! It’s such a nice idea to think that it might have existed!
xoxo
That pattern really is so lovely! And thanks for the millinery link, I have been thinking about having a go at making a hat!
I always get excited when you have a sewing project in the works!!
That pattern’s really the cutest, too . . . and the notes!! Don’t you wish people still had old 1940s-ish names? Irene . . that’s really wonderful!
Wow… what a divine blog and inspiration today!!! Thank you vintage gal!
Fabulous Finds Gal
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My daughter wants to be Wendy this year for Halloween. Are you able to share your pattern?
The pattern is so cute! I love the dress, and they would be so awesome as wedding dresses.