February 1st, 2010
[ weekend hunting finds. ]
Thank you all so, so much for the amazing comments about my latest sewing project! Per popular request, I am going to work on a couple sleeve support tutorials: first for puffed sleeves and then how to make 40s style shoulder pads. So hopefully those will be up soon!
[ two 50s patterns I found at the estate sale. I'm most excited about the robe/morning gown! ]
You may have noticed I skipped posting last Friday–I have a good excuse though! I was out hunting down an estate sale I had found out about and seeing if it held any goodies. This was the first estate sale I’ve ever been to (I know: really weird for a gal who has been thrifting/antiquing/yard-saling for years!), so I didn’t know what to expect. Although there were no amazing stashes of vintage clothing (boo!), I did come away with a couple vintage patterns, an old tablecloth, some notions, an old frame (slated to be made into a jewelry holder), and two matching feedsacks. Not bad!
[ vintage powder compacts! ]
Sunday the vintage-hunting fun continued when I met up with my new friend from swing dancing at a local vintage store. I got another pattern (a 40s jacket and skirt), and most excitingly: two powder compacts. I have been on the hunt for vintage compacts to add some flair to the contents of my purse for awhile, but I held out over Christmas and only just started looking with an eye to buy. Both of these, although not 100% perfect, fit the bill of functional and pretty. The black one is a bit scratched, but the lady at the store said it’s easy to fix with a bit of hobby model paint, so I’m going to raid Sailor Husband’s model building supplies and see what I can do to pretty it up. Now I just need to get some loose powder and follow Solanah’s tutorial for refilling a compact…
[ I am probably more excited about this find than is sane... ]
Otherwise, the weekend was fairly quiet: the weather was gloomy, so it was perfect for spending time reading and organizing ideas for my next sewing projects, and then Sunday evening was swing dancing. Last week I really wasn’t sure I was going to be able to learn how to dance–it just seemed too confusing! I feel a bit more confident and less clumsy after our second class. I am definitely not the most graceful or talented person on the dance floor–but at least it’s fun! What did you do over the weekend?
Have a great Monday, friends!
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Posted to: happy things, thrifting, vintage inspiration. | 27 lovely thoughts
January 28th, 2010
[ sorry for the lack of lipstick in these photos! I totally forgot to put some on before I started... haha! ]
Thank you all so much for sharing in the excitement of the sneak peek post yesterday! You’re just as excited as I am… lol! Anyway, on to the dress unveiling. This dress started when my my sweet blog-friend Jen generously sent me an amazing late 30s sewing pattern. I had actually been eying the pattern on Ebay a couple times (outbid every time! lol), so I was super excited to be able to make it!!! (Thank you again, Jen!)
[ click for a larger view. ]
Now, something I have to admit about this project: the fabric (a rayon faille print), while lovely, does get in the way of the design lines. I was a bit too eager to get going on this that I just grabbed the only length I had that was an appropriate weight. While the dress is still cute, I would love to make this in a “calmer” print or solid so the tiny tucks and yoke-lines stand out a bit more. So see: everyone makes mistakes from time to time! lol.
[ click for a larger view. ]
This is the first dress I have used my serger on for finishing seams! If it is possible to be in love with a sewing machine, than I am completely smitten. It took about 1/3 of the time it took to finish seams the old way (a complicated procedure of zig-zagging, straight stitching along the zig-zags, and trimming to prevent fraying; which only worked sometimes), and looks so much better. I shall do a more in-depth review of the machine once I have a few more projects under my belt. Although, any time I saved in using the serger, I sure made up with doing the buttonholes bound! On this particular fabric, despite interfacing and basting everything like crazy, it was still super temperamental (now if I could only find one of these handy tools…). lol.
This was also the first dress I used the vintage method of making sleeve stiffeners (also known as “sleeve heads”) to help keep the “pouf” of the puffed sleeve caps. It was pretty simple to do! I’ve actually been playing around with various methods of shoulder/sleeve support in my latest projects, including homemade shoulder pads (so I can control how much stiffness is in them!). Anyone interested in a post on vintage methods for achieving these? (Or am I too geeky?! haha!)
Why the “Ginger” dress? Well, perhaps I’ve been watching too many 1930s Ginger Rogers films, but the entire time I was making this I couldn’t help thinking of her! Something with how the dress drapes? Or maybe, as I said, I’ve become too engrossed in 30s films!
[ detail of the bodice yoke. ]
Even though I’m a little annoyed at myself about the fabric selection (but that may just be my perfectionist side being a bit too assertive? lol!), I really love this dress! The fabric is light-as-air and the design itself is so comfortable. It’s tempting to run out and buy more fabric to make another version (perhaps a snappy-colored linen?), but other projects are calling my name and have been woefully neglected. On to the next one! (More photos of this project here.)
[ close up of the vintage belt buckle. this was my last, white vintage buckle, and I'm very sad because I've had a hard time finding affordable lots or even single buckles lately! ]
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Posted to: sewing. | 67 lovely thoughts
January 27th, 2010
A question I receive a lot regarding 1940s hairstyles is what to do with short bangs. Understandably, if you’re a gal sporting a short fringe, it can seem like 1940s hairstyles with their pompadours and rolls means short bangs were just not done. Contrary to popular portrayal, there were plenty of styles in the 1940s that allowed for shorter bangs (both straight and curly). I thought I’d share a smattering of images I’ve collected of ladies with short bangs from the era (note: I realize not all these images are strictly from the 1940s; some are late 30s, but I feel they are great illustrations to my point! lol.).
[ l to r: 1942 ( via ), ella raines, 1947 (personal collection). ]
Straight, blunt-cut bangs seem to be most often worn with the smooth, minimalist styles of the decade. Think of the elegant chignons of the mid 40s, or the winsome pageboy style (first image) that was so popular throughout the entire decade.
[ l to r: unknown, paulette goddard, rosemary lane. ]
If you’d like some volume, try pincurling your short bangs! The key is to do probably 2-3 rows of pincurls to create enough depth (note the bangs aren’t “shallow”, they go back from the hairline a bit), and use a good setting lotion (such as the ever popular “Lottabody” brand) to keep the curls from falling. If you were feeling really glamorous, you could even tease the curls out into a poufy bang a la Betty Grable!
[ l to r: anna neagle, virginia vale. ]
This style is a nice mix between the severely blunt and curly bangs. Gently curling the hair under into a soft wave creates a nice line that allows for the rest of the hair to take center stage. This would be a great way to handle short bangs if you want to do side rolls.
The key really is just making the bangs look like a part of the entire ‘do, otherwise they will look decidedly modern with your vintage look. I hope this helps a tiny bit for gals who have short bangs, but still want to do 1940s styles with their hair!
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Posted to: beauty. | 13 lovely thoughts
January 26th, 2010
[ our little trip this weekend to a museum. I decided to do "knot" buns with my hair! ]
Apologies that no post went up yesterday. I was having one of those days where I was sure I was on the set of an I Love Lucy episode, rather than my normal life–weird and wacky things just kept happening! The icing on the cake was when I powered my computer up to start a post and I had a software glitch. So… after some tinkering by Sailor Husband, I’m up and running on the web again. Still, it was weird to not be able to just pop online whenever I wanted; I kept thinking of things I wanted to look up and couldn’t… lol! The upside was that the “halfway finished” dress I started this weekend is now nearly complete… yay!
[ a tried and true outfit, but one of my favorites. also sporting my new Remix Vintage wedges! ]
How was your weekend? We spent Saturday out on the east coast of Florida, and then Sunday evening we went swing dancing for the first time! We both fell quite in love with it, although I decidedly dance with two left feet and still haven’t gotten the basics down for either jitterbug or lindy. lol. I have a lot of work ahead of me… I also got to meet a lovely gal who reads my blog! It’s always great to finally meet people in person who share the same interests I do and don’t regard you as some sort of crazy person. hehe!
Remember this post where I asked you to submit any questions you’d like me to answer? As long ago as it was (I’m such a bad blogger! lol), here’s the first half of the answers! Thank you so much for all your sweet questions (feel free to throw in any others you might have here)!
Where do you find your vintage knitting patterns? Is it mostly via the internet? What kinds of yarn/substitutions do you suggest/use – I know acrylic wasn’t available until fairly recently.
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Most of the vintage patterns I knit with on a regular basis are from booklet reprints available from Iva Rose. I also search the internet for any websites that might have free patterns available (because I always love free!); a few of my favorites: FreeVintageKnitting.com and Vintage Purls. Try searching “free vintage knitting patterns” on Google; it’s amazing how many resources are out there!
Yarn substitution can be the tricky part, and something I haven’t fully mastered yet. I always start out by Googling the yarn name and brand; sometimes there is a forum post or webpage that has some basic information on the yarn that can help. A good website is Wise Needle, which sometimes has yarns recorded that are matches for those I’m seeking information on. If that fails, then determining the weight of the yarn by the gauge listed on the pattern is the next step. I’m slowly learning to familiarize myself with what weight yarn is knitted on certain needles, and results in a certain gauge (I spent a lot of time browsing around Knit Picks and figuring matches of their yarn to whatever pattern I’m working on, based on needle size and gauge). It’s still hit or miss for me–especially in the area of ordering enough yarn for a project! My best suggestion, especially if you’re new to vintage knitting, is to visit your local yarn shop–the people that work there are usually very experienced knitters and can offer some great pointers if you’re stuck!
As for fiber content, I tend to stick with mostly natural fibers, and some blends. Websites like KnitPicks help make my knitting addiction and love of natural fibers affordable!
I was just wondering, can you make a living of what you do? Sewing, blogging, graphic designing – or do you have a “regular” job as well? I do lots of different things myself and would love to hear what others do to make a living of it …
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At the moment, I don’t have a “regular” job in the traditional sense of the word. It’s a decision my husband and I made prior to getting married, plus we have some transportation issues that prevent me from commuting to a job. So for now, I do odd jobs as they come my way! But in the past I’ve done things from graphic and website design, selling vintage clothing, to making handcraft items for sale on Etsy. I’m planning on reopening my Etsy shop early in 2010 and striking out in that area again! I also like to think of my blogging as my part time job (I probably spend about the equivalent of working a part time job doing this each week. The difference is that I love this a lot more than any job I’ve held! lol!), and that has opened up several doors as well for me.
How long does it take you normally to do up your hair? Any chance of you sharing your styling tips in a video?
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It depends on the hairstyle! hehe! Some days, if I have some “playtime”, I will spend 30+ minutes on my hair for a more complicated ‘do. But on most days, my hair is either simply clipped back in the front (the back section left down), or I do one of my “lazy 40s” looks (such as this one, which take me no time. The ones that tend to take the longest are those that require Victory rolls. If I pincurl my hair the night before, that takes me another 45 minutes or so (I have really long hair, so it results in lots of pincurls). I have a few videos on my YouTube channel, which I have sadly let languish for several months! I have plans to start recording style tips and tutorials soon though!
My question is about your eyebrows–do you get them professionally waxed or do you do it yourself? Tips on recreating vintage eyebrows?
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I maintain and shape my brows the old fashioned way: with a pair of angle tip tweezers! (The idea of waxing/threading is kind of like pedicures for me… I know I’ll get addicted to having someone do my brows and can’t afford to! lol.) I aim for a fairly natural, “fat” curve that is able to go 40s (a gentle and long, but slightly angled shape) or 50s (a highly arched shape and somewhat thicker). My natural brows aren’t very long, so I use a little kit from E.L.F. to fill in and extend the length at the outer edge a bit. I also use a different brush for the powder application: an angled liner brush for a precise, thin extension line.
As for shaping the brows, I use inspiration from \movie stars of the period. Most often though, my daily look is closest to Lauren Bacall’s brows (circa mid 40s).
How do you manage to fit everything in your schedule and still be able to look like a breath of fresh air.
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Aw, thank you! Truth be told, I don’t always fit things in! Sometimes I have to drop things, put projects off, or step away from this blog for a period because I have too much on my plate. (A failing of mine is that I tend to underestimate the time it’ll take me to do something, and say yes to everything.) But I think a large part of it has to do with the Brown family genes. I’m not kidding! My dad almost never relaxes in the traditional sense of the word; even on the weekends and holidays he’s working on household projects, writing or studying books. I get the “need” to be constantly active from him (and my granddad… there is a trend here!). Even in the evenings when I’m watching television with my husband, I usually have some sort of handwork to keep me occupied. Plus, we don’t have children yet, so I have a lot of “me time” available for projects.
I still have a few more questions to answer, so hopefully that post won’t be too far in the future! Hope you’re having a lovely day, friends!
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Posted to: misc, vintage inspiration. | 19 lovely thoughts
