Hmm… I think I need to shake things up a bit with these weekly scans–it seems just about every inspiration post has been 40s-centric lately. Maybe next week I’ll scan some Edwardian images and share those instead! Variety is the spice of life, after all, right?
I hope I haven’t posted these scans before… that would be embarrassing, wouldn’t it? lol. I lately have gotten all fuzzy about what I have and haven’t posted (I blame my seasonal allergies for my spaciness), so hopefully no repeats today! These are scans of a 1940 Hollywood patterns booklet that I bought years and years ago; I think it was one of my first Ebay purchases as a teenager! Sadly it’s really starting to show it’s age and the paper is becoming really brittle. But at least I have scans to preserve these images and share with you too.
I love the skating costume and ski/snow ensemble! Wouldn’t it be so cute to wear a little circle skirt to go ice skating? The sporty jackets at the top are on my list of a project to tackle one day (though I sadly don’t have this exact pattern).
The ruffled pockets on the left-center dress are really unique, which makes me wonder just exactly how they are constructed! I also love the draping on the far left dress’s skirt. Very elegant.
I’ve been head-over-heels for the coat on the right ever since I got this booklet; it seems so flattering and it closes to the neck–great for keeping out the winter chill! The knife pleats on skirt of the left dress are a fantastic detail; something you don’t see a lot in modern fashion.
More coats and dresses… and girl’s dresses! I would love to get my hands on that pattern… just in case I need to sew for any little girls one day.
More day dresses for both the younger and older gals.
Blouses, pinafores and princess-line frocks. I’m not usually a huge fan of pinafore-style dresses (even though I made one earlier this year), but I really like the waist treatment on this; it seems like it would be quite flattering.
Elegant evening wear! I love the idea of the princess-line dress doubling as an over-coat of sorts to give another look to an evening gown; how fun!
Any details or particular dresses that are standing out to you? A couple of these have given me ideas for some possible winter sewing (I’ve got enough on my plate for the fall already!); especially the sporty/lumberjack style jacket… that has been on my to-sew list for years. Maybe 2010/2011 will be the one I finally get to it. I hope you enjoyed these scans! I shall be back tomorrow with an update about my Lady Grey project and some pointers on how to make those buttons…
click the image above to visit the sources for these lovely images!
When I asked for links to your blog to be added to the reader’s links page, I had no idea it would prove so popular! Honestly, I’m utterly delighted–spreading the word about other blogs is what I had hoped for, and it seems to be working. I’ve just finished adding all the links I’ve received thus far, so go check the links page out! I also added another new feature to the sidebar this week: Google Friend Connect. So feel free to join in if you’ve got a profile on Google.
I’ve spent most of my weekend sewing, working on my Lady Grey jacket (an update and tutorial on those buttons are coming this week!) and a secret project. The latter is one of those hair-brained last minute affairs, the kind that my friend and fellow sewing buddy Jenny Rose and I used to joke would surely get us committed to the Home for Mad Seamstresses. Whether this project will turn out as I envision is still up in the air, hence my caginess, but if it does go well I’ll post about it next week!
Now, without further blathering on by me, here are this week’s links–what you came here for!
Get inspired by some lovely pattern illustrations from 1947.
Solanah shared some imaginative (and cute!) Halloween costumes from the 1920s!
I had no idea there was such a thing as doughnut muffins, but they are utterly brilliant (and look yummy to boot)!
Eileen shared how to create a form and style your hair for a 1940s back roll.
Marjorie used some vintage scraps to add a bit of flair to a plain tee!
I got a few questions after posting the green 60s dress I designed as to how I drafted the back pleat. Lauriana posted a great tutorial on how to do just that.
A fun look at a hat designed by Valentina at the FIDM blog.
Is it Friday already?! Not that I’m complaining (I’ve been looking forward to spending the weekend sewing), but where did the week go? I feel like October just started and here we are halfway through!
Sailor Husband had been requesting chocolate chip cookies for quite some time, and I was being bad about getting around to making them. Mostly because I’m just so-so about chocolate chip cookies (I much prefer things like sugar cookies, gingerbread or gingersnaps–the latter is excellent with afternoon tea!). But he grabbed a bag of chopped macadamia nuts last time we were at the store “for the chocolate chip cookies you said you’d make“, and that finally got me out of my anti-cookie-baking funk, because I adore macadamia nuts!
The recipe I used if from Food Network: Alton Brown’s chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. (Fun tidbit: I got to meet Alton Brown years ago at a signing for one of his cookbooks. We waited into the very late hours of the evening to meet him, but ended up with a signed copy and a photo–he was a very good sport!) I have a family recipe that has been passed down from my paternal grandmother, but (no offense family members reading this!), I always found them a little too crunchy–I like my cookies super soft and chewy. The Alton Brown recipe definitely delivered, and I think I may have found a new favorite! They didn’t take that long to make either (aside from chilling the dough for a bit), which was nice as I ended up spending most of my day in the kitchen on Sunday doing other baking-things. I also managed to get the exact number of cookies the batch supposedly makes (despite not having a dough scoop yet–that’s on my list of things to eventually acquire!), which is highly unusual as I have a tendency to make my cookies large and end up with less most times.
The only thing that bothered me about the recipes was the amount of butter. I felt the cookies were a tad too buttery, but that might just be me (admittedly, I’m not in the “butter is food of the gods!” camp). I might try cutting back a smidgen next time and seeing what happens. I really liked that it used mostly brown sugar, rather than white, however–it gave the cookies a nice depth. The addition of the macadamia nuts was quite nice too, as were the super-large chocolate chunks (rather than chips; it’s what was in the pantry! From what I don’t remember though… hm…).
So now Sailor Husband is quite happy and a number of cookies have already disappeared between the two of us. I usually send a plate of whatever I’ve been baking into work with him, but I admit, I’ve kind of not been wanting to do that with these… (Greedy, greedy, greedy!)
Since we are on the topic of cookies, I’m starting to scheme my Christmas baking (already!), and would love to know what your favorite cookie recipe is? I usually bake a batch of sugar cookies, one of gingerbread, and then another “fun/novelty” batch for variety. (This year I’m also thinking I’ll switch out the usual homemade marshmallows for these caramels for the candy portion of the Christmas baskets…) So suggestions–or just your favorite type of cookie–would be appreciated! Now I just need to start thinking about what decorations and packaging I want to order from my favorite bake shop.
Welcome back, returning sponsors! I’m always so excited to have a chance each month to go hunting through each of their shops for some goodies to bring to your attention–I hope you’ll find something tempting today (I know I found several)!
Lauren has been adding some lovely vintage patterns, original sewing creations and drool-worth antique and vintage clothing lately! Be sure to stop by the Wearing History shop and check out the new items available. Don’t forget to take a look at her Wearing History original pattern line–there are more than a couple that would be perfect for some early autumn sewing!
Karen never ceases to find some beautiful vintage for her shop that makes me weak in the knees every time I visit! I spotted quite a few fallish pieces that would look suitable in just about any gal’s wardrobe this season, including the two beauties in luscious autumn hues above. Stop by Small Earth Vintage and prepare to covet!
The thing I love most about Paige’s pretty jewelry is how light and effortless all the pieces feel; like I could just wear them with just about any outfit and they’d add a touch of charm and prettiness! Although she caters towards the wedding/formal wear market, The Little White Chapel shop stocks handmade jewelry and vintage accessories for all occasions. Be sure to stop by for affordable and sweet baubles for your jewelry collection…
There are vintage patterns galore in Deb’s shop, She’ll Make You Flip!, right now–including some tempting 30s and 40s outfits. (I love the bolero suit pattern–how cute would that be in a snuggly wool flannel?) I also spotted some “Mad Men”-era patterns in the shop for all your MM fans on the hunt for the perfect patterns to reproduce some of the looks…
Halloween is right around the corner and Black Gardenia Design has some fun and retro-inspired hats that are sure to be the perfect compliment to your costume (or just to add a bit of whimsy on the holiday to your everyday outfit)! Kat’s fun creations are sure to tempt, and she also has some lovely vintage pieces stocked. Be sure to stop by soon to catch the Halloween goodies!
A big thank you to all the lovely shops that advertise here on Elegant Musings! If you’d like to inquire about advertising your small business, please see the sponsor information page.
I have been getting a lot of questions on my YouTube channel, here and via email about my brows recently–so I decided to make a video! This is actually part one of a two-part series; the second video on eye liner will be coming out next week (hopefully).
In the video I talk a little about how I shape my brows and the particular look I go for (a 40s “natural” brow). But I also wanted to share some other inspiration with you from various decades. The correct shape brow, if you’re going for a vintage look on a regular basis, is one of those elements that helps your look read “retro” even on days when you’re not really made up in head-to-toe vintage. I would highly suggest that if you’re still looking for the perfect brow to compliment your face shape, to focus on movie starlets and models from your favored decade that have similar face structure/eye shape to yours. Usually within whatever decade you most favor, you can find someone with a similar facial shape to yours and go from there! If you find a shape that compliments both your personal style and face shape, it is an ultimately flattering frame for your eyes–and people will notice! I personally tend most towards a brow that is similar to the ones in the 1940s collage below that are sported by Gene Tierney and Lauren Bacall.
1930s brows are generally long, thin and highly curved. Some are all one width (Jean Harlow, bottom right), others have a slightly wider inner edge and taper to a thin line towards the outer point (Olivia deHavilland, center right).
The 1940s brow tended towards a medium width and length, and varied from highly groomed (Diana Barrymore, top center) to somewhat more natural (Ingrid Bergman, bottom left).
The 1950s were the decade of the highly arched and thick brow (Audrey Hepburn, center left). Some brows were a bit more softly arched (Grace Kelly, top center), but almost all were well groomed and started out very thick at the inner corner and tapered to a medium width point at the outer edge.
If you have any questions or ideas/comments to add to this, please chime in! I am by no means an expert in this area, and everything I share is tips and tricks that I’ve discovered via trial and error…
