More Up on Etsy!

I know I've been kind of MIA lately!  Sorry about that!  I've been hard at work, but will try to be a better blogger.  I've just popped in for a moment to let you know I've put more things up on etsy!  Hope you like!

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Finally Getting Some New Things Up on Etsy!

Mama needs new 3D software!  A program I've been lusting over is going up in price by $100 in September,  so I'm wanting to get the funds together to buy it before that happens!  Thus, I was motivated to finally put more up on Etsy.

These are all pieces that I've had for years and absolutely love, but are just not terribly practical for life with a toddler... Hopefully, they'll go to a loving home.

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I Feel a new Collection Coming On...

I realized this morning that we have the beginnings of a new collection.  As if we need something else to collect!  Afraid it's my fault.  I seem to have developed an liking for 50's/60's low-brow homemade art.  Specifically, paint by numbers and gravel art.  It began with these paint by number pieces a few weeks ago.

Paint by Numbers by Freda Davis

Yesterday, I spotted this gravel art cornucopia that I just had to have for the breakfast room!  I think my stepson, who was out shopping with us, thinks my taste may be lacking.... *lol*

Am I crazy?  I think they're rather fabulous.  Once we got the cornucopia home, the hubby agreed that it's perfect in the breakfast room. Stepson still seems to have doubts... :D

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Finished Overalls!

Here they are... finally!  I used the yellow creme brulee buttons.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with them.  They are a tad big, but it's not too noticeable when I have a blouse on.  I'll probably make them again, but in a less drapey fabric next time.  Last time I made them, I used a cotton linen look fabric, and that was perfect.  The darts originally came out really pointy, so I went back and pulled them out and restitched them, being good and tieing the ends off instead of back stitching the second time!  I also extended them by about 3/8" and turned my needle about a 1/2" before the end of the dart to create more of a curve.  Hope that makes sense. :)  The only other fitting change I made was lengthening the rise by a 1/2".

The blouse I'm wearing is one I made years ago and has gotten a lot of wear.   It's DuBarry 2471B, and you can find a reproduction of at it at Past Patterns.  I may have to reorder one myself, as I seem to have lost the pattern, and I love this blouse!

Simplicity 3322

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Got My Spoonflower Swatch Today!

My Spoonflower swatch came in the mail today!  Whoo hoo!!  I'm very happy with how it turned out.  The red shifted to be a bit more orangey in printing, but I decided I actually liked it better this way.  Here's a snapshot of it.

 Yay for Spoonflower!

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Buttons, Buttons Everywhere

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm getting really tired of looking at buttons!  I found a woman with a good selection of vintage buttons on ebay last night though, and I think I've found them.  I actually ordered four different styles from her, but only got enough of two of them for the overalls.  One style is a cherry red, but the one I think it's more likely I'll use is a beautiful shade of yellow!  My mother has dubbed them the creme brulee buttons.  Don't they look yummy!?!

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Overalls Progress and Button Indecision...

So the overalls are coming along.  They're actually going pretty quickly -- when I get the chance to sew.  Thing is, I don't get that much sewing time.  Mostly during naps.  I got the buttons in the mail the other day, and as you can see in the picture, they don't match after all.  Darn monitor.  Anyway, I'm kinda rethinking red now even though I had originally nixed it as an option.  I need nine buttons, so the smaller ones in the picture, which are the correct size, won't work.  I have exactly nine of the larger dark red buttons, but they are bigger than the pattern calls for.  Think I'll see if they'll work anyway. 

I decided to underline the bodice with a lightweight cotton broadcloth I had in my stash, because the linen/rayon softened up quite a bit after laundering.

In progress overalls bodice.

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Yippeeeeee!! Bound Buttonholes Here I Come!

Let me start off by saying I hate making bound buttonholes.  Actually, the more accurate thing to say would be I don't make bound buttonholes.  If making a perfect bound buttonhole had been a requirement for graduation, I might not have the fashion design degree I have today.  That all being said, I love the way bound buttonholes look.  Awhile back I read a post about the Dritz Bound Buttonhole Maker.  Of course, they aren't being made anymore.  So, I've been watching them on ebay, but mostly they go for crazy prices.  Apparently, I'm having another lucky ebay day, because I just won one that was part of a lot of random sewing notions for only $12.51!!!  Hoping it'll prove to be as wonderful a gadget as everyone says!

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The Pattern Organization Has Begun!

Many thanks to those who shared their methods of organization!  I've given in and started The Great Pattern Scanning Project of 2010!  Actually, it's going much more quickly than expected.  All bow down to the new Kodak printer/scanner/copier!  We decided it was time to get a new printer as we were tired of spending ridiculous amounts of money on ink for the old one.  I had no idea that lots of the printers now come with scanners attached.  This thing is so much faster than the scanners I've used in the past.  I love it!

Anyway, I have about a hundred scanned so far.  I decided to create a Flickr account for them.  Then I created sets and have them filed in the sets by company and clothing type.  The nice thing is that one pattern can be in multiple sets, so they are all cross referenced, solving the problem of where to file outfit type patterns.  The actual patterns are filed away in comic book boxes and sleeves by company and number.

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Swirl-y Dresses

I'd love to have a real Swirl as much as the next gal, but I just can't make myself pay what they're going for right now.  Enter McCall 1596.  This certainly isn't the only Swirl-like wrap dress pattern out there.  I have a couple others myself actually, but I just fell in love with this one.  Once again, I couldn't believe I got it last night without so much as another bidder trying for it.  Yay!!  Hopefully, I'll soon have a few "Swirls" for the price of what one goes for on ebay!

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Fun with Fabric!

I need to give a big thank you to a blogger I just recently discovered, Tuppence Ha'Penny, for blogging Spoonflower yesterday!  I stayed up way too late yesterday night obsessing over creating my first fabric print in Photoshop!  It's based on a 1930's feedsack that I have but is in rough shape.  Here it is!  I'm rather proud of how it came out.  Let's hope the swatch comes out as I'm hoping.

I stylized the image here a bit.  The sample that was uploaded to Spoonflower doesn't have the "fabricy" texture applied to it and is higher resolution.

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Cigar Boxes & When It Rains, It Pours!

When I saw 1950's_atomic_ranch_house's post today asking what we store in our cigar boxes, I couldn't help but pull out my one cigar box and snap a picture.  This was my Great Grandfather's, and I used to have more than this, but this is the last one.  Sadly, when I went to open it, I discovered that one of the hinges has apparently rusted shut and the prongs that went into the box part have broken or popped out.  I use it to store Barbie clothes in.  Some is authentic Barbie, some made by my Gramma for my mom's Barbie-esque doll, and some by person's unknown for my dad's sister.  I have my aunt's Barbie too, but she isn't in the box.  I don't know if you can see in the picture, but my Great Gram apparently used it to store sequins! (for her burlesque costumes, I'm sure ;) )

The pair in the picture are my gramma and grandpa.

So, apparently it's true what they say about raining and pouring.  Today I got another copy of the Marian Martin jumper pattern on ebay!  Once again I just stumbled on it because the pattern number was nowhere in the listing!  This one was all of $4.99!  Now I'll have it in a size 14 and 18 which will make grading all the easier as I'm kind of a combination of the two sizes.

Just look at the adorable heart pockets this jumper is sporting!

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Overalls Buttons Found

I've only recently discovered what a great place etsy is when searching for sewing supplies.  I know, I know.  Under search there is that "supplies" category that you'd think would be a dead giveaway, but I just never really thought about it.

Anyhoo, I went looking around there last night and found some lovely buttons for the 1940's overalls.  I had originally been thinking white.  Well, actually my first thought had been red buttons, but that would pretty much limit the top they could be worn with to white or red, so had nixed that.  In the end I picked out matching light navy blue buttons.  They're a pretty basic button, but they have a nice rounded shape to them that I like.  One of my pet peeves is when you turn over a modern button and it's hollow in the back.  Give me a nice solid vintage button any day!

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Sewing & Cupcakes

I've started a sewing project!  Wheeee!!  My first in a few years other than mending.  Between lack of space, pregnancy and then baby, I haven't made anything in a few years.  It feels good to be working on something again.  I'm making the overalls from Simplicity 3322 in a navy linen/rayon blend found at Joann's.  I never find anything at Joann's!  Pretty sure you've all seen this pattern before, but I'll post a pic of it anyway.   This won't be my first time making this pattern, so even though it's a different size this time around, I'm not going to worry about making a muslin first.  (that makes it sound like I'm usually good and do make a muslin! ha!)  I'm pretty sure the fitting adjustments I made to the pattern should be good.  Plus, this pattern has a 3/4" side seam allowance for fitting already built in.  I'm still thinking about the buttons on this.  White is what I have in mind, and I picked up some basic ones at Joann's too, but I'm really not enthused about them.  Anyone know a good mail order button place?

Now onto the cupcakes!  I read about Jilly's Cupcakes here in Saint Louis the other day, and managed to persuade my husband to swing by there this morning after we did the grocery shopping.  I just had to take a picture of them!  They are soooo gorgeous, and pretty yummy too!!  The frosting is definitely what makes them!  We got the Creamcicle, the Death by Chocolate and the Jilly Burger.

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Patterns, Patterns Everywhere...

I kinda tore through my pattern collection the other day in search of a particular one.  Now my patterns are all higglety pigglety, and it's time to come up with a new method of organization!  In the past, I've done by decade and most recently, by clothing type - blouses, trousers, outfits, suits, etc...  The problem I'm finding with this method is a lot of patterns fit into more than one category, but I don't really want to go back to just by decade.  Ideally, I'd like to scan all my patterns and be able to have them cross referenced and searchable.  Then I could just file them by pattern company and number, but I don't see me having the time to take pictures of close to 300 patterns anytime soon.  I'd like to hear how you all have your patterns organized.  Bring on the excellent ideas please!

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300 Followers Giveaway at Va-Voom Vintage!

Brittany, over at Va-Voom Vintage, is having a fabulous giveaway to celebrate having 300 followers!  Pop over for your chance to win goodies from Vauje Vintage.

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Wheeeeeeee!

Yesterday was apparently my lucky day!  Always on my desk is a list of vintage patterns that I am on the search for.  Number one on that list was Marian Martin 9397 for a culotte jumper and blouse, and yesterday it become mine!  Not only did I find it, I found it for $6.99 buy it now!! (insert jump for joy here!)  Even though I had it as a saved search through ebay, I hadn't gotten a notice about it because the seller didn't put the pattern number anywhere in the description.  Something just made me sit down and search "Marian Martin" yesterday afternoon, and there it was!  Yay!!  Here's a pic!  I can't wait for it to come!!

 

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Newly Recovered Chairs by Me!

In the new apartment, we actually have a breakfast room and a dining room, so we've been on the hunt for a dining table.  The fomica dining set went into the breakfast room.  We found a table, four chairs, leaves, pads and hutch set for a great price on Memorial Day, but the chairs really needed to be recovered.  Today the fabric came in the mail from Full Swing Textiles, and amazingly I've already gotten them all covered!  They were really easy to do!  Here's the set.  Please excuse the toys in the background... he pulls them back out of the basket as fast as I put them away!

The centerpiece was my Mother's Day gift. :)  You can barely see the hutch in the background.  I should have taken a close-up.

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I Love My Perm!

I know I said I was going to get my perm on Saturday the 12th, but then I found Nikki!  A hair stylist and vintage gal all within 40 minutes of my new home!!  Yay!!  She has absolutely gorgeous hair too!  I love my new perm, and phooey on all the past stylists in my life who refused to do them and thus made my hair life needlessly difficult!  I took some before and after pics ... totally unflattering and the lighting looks yellowish for some reason, but you can get the idea.

 

Before (My bangs are shorter than I'd ideally like because I had to fix wonky cutting by a different stylist...)

After (No Styling except curled bangs)

Styled!

Here it is after setting in Hot Sticks.  In the future I'd brush the hair out more first, but since I just had the perm, I didn't want to brush too much.  I haven't gotten to really test how it will hold in the humidity, but just the styling benefits alone are totally worth it!  I did the rolls in about 30 seconds each.  No aching arms or cursing or wanting to throw things or anything!!  Each roll has two bobby pins in to hold them and they feel solid with hardly any hairspray at all.  Just enough to smooth out some wispy pieces.

If you've been on the fence about a perm, especially if you have fine hair like me, I would definitely recommend it!

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I've done it!

I've taken the plunge, and made an appointment for a perm!  I'm very excited, but unfortunately, have to wait until the 12th because my husband will be out of town for work this weekend.  While I've had perms before, that was in the 1980's, and I was going for a different look back then!  I really hope this succeeds in giving me the body I need and keeping some kind of decent curl in my hair in this humidity.  If anyone has any tips about what I should tell the stylist to do, I'd love to hear them.  Right now I'm just thinking I'll tell them to use the biggest rollers they've got.

We went out to Retro 101 on Memorial Day and found a dining set.  I think we finally found most everything we needed. Yay!  Here's a pic of me and Simon as we're about to head out the door.   Before my hair started to deflate!

Late 30's Green Plaid House Dress : Brimfield Antique Show

Green Greta Wedges : Remix Vintage Shoes

1930's Scottie Dog Pin : Antique Store (I've forgotten where...)

Magnolia Hair Flower : Made By Me

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Today's Outfit and Attack of the Killer Humidity!

I was going to post about my first etsy listing that I put up last night... but it already sold!  I've also been planning on that latest furniture finds post, but I haven't taken the pics yet.  So, I decided to write about today's outfit for our trip to the zoo.  Please forgive my sad looking hair in the picture.  I swear it was nice and curly when I left the house, but  now it just looks sad and droopy.  I think I'm going to get it cut a tad shorter next time I go in and plan to discuss a perm with the colorist at my appointment on Saturday.   Even when it's not horribly humid like it is here today, my hair isn't the best at holding a curl, and with the humidity here, it didn't stand a chance!

Anyhow, here I am by the Rhino enclosure.  I love nautical themes and red, white and blue.  I'm guessing this dress, bolero and belt set are from the late 50's/early 60's.  Definitely homemade, but by an excellent seamstress.  White 40's wedge sandals.  You'll probably notice the lack of accessories and a purse.  Most of the time my "purse" right now is a diaper bag, and most of my vintage accessories don't last long when toting around my 14 month old.  I get nervous that he's going to pull them off and drop them somewhere when I'm not looking.

Dress : The Future Antiques, St. Louis, MO

Shoes : La Rosa Vintage, San Francisco, Ca

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Latest Purchases

Just a few things I've purchased over the past couple of weeks....

I'm kind of embarassed to say I have two pairs of shoes winging their way to me right now.  I  have a weakness for shoes.  I have far too many, and really shouldn't be buying any that don't lend themselves to being worn while chasing around a 14 month old, but I just couldn't resist!  The first pair I've been wanting for years, and finally decided I would get them before my size was gone like many others.  They are the more practical of the two, but no less gorgeous!

Rocket Originals!  Mailed out May 20th, so maybe I'll have them on my tootsies in a day or two!

The second pair I got on ebay today.  I still can't believe I got them, and no one else bid!  The starting bid was perhaps a little high, but they are gorgeous, and I fully expected to get sniped as I only bid $1.00 over the starting price.

I'm in love with these!  I did just sell my Remix red Babydolls, which sadly hurt my feet, so I really did need a new pair of red heels!

I also bought this plaid feedsack on ebay.  It's about 1 1/8 yds., so now I'm debating about what to make with it.

That's it for now!  Furniture finds post coming soon!

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A Sewing Room All My Own!

I've always wanted a sewing room, but living in San Francisco, I didn't exactly have a lot of spare rooms. One of the things I'm enjoying about the mid-west is how much space we have! Finally, I have a sewing room. *insert jump for joy here!* It's still a /guest room, but I'm happy. It's not like I'll be sewing when we have guests. Last weekend we picked up a sewing desk and hutch for me to store my stuff in. I still have quite a bit to unpack and put away, but here's how it is looking so far.

A 1920's vanity which had lost it's mirror is now my sewing desk.


This 1950's hutch now provides perfect storage for my fashion & costume books. Plus, my many rulers fit perfectly in the drawer.

Last but not least, my beloved dress form, old Annie, and storage bins because I have too much stuff!

I still need to get pictures up on the walls too, but I'm having loads of fun getting my space all set up to start sewing again! Only thing left on my list to get for the room (not that I can fit in too much more furniture) is a folding cutting table. It's modern and quite ugly, but I figure I can cover it up with a table cloth when not in use.

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My Latest "Vintage" Purchase...

Yay! I have my first follower! Thanks Brittany! I actually met Brittany and her friend, Amanda, walking down the street only 2 weeks after moving to St. Louis. How serendipitous was that!?!

So onto my most recent "vintage" purchase. This is quite a bit more modern than most of my purchases, and I actually have a hard time calling it vintage due to it's being younger than I am, but just barely. So the other day I was in Target in the toy section looking for a toy laptop for my one year old. Trying to distract him from wanting my mouse! Anyway, I turn around and there it is ... one of my most favourite toys from when I was a kid ... a Sit N Spin!! I grabbed it up and was so excited to get home and put it together for him only to be disappointed. This is definitely not the Sit N Spin I remember. It kind of, sort of turns. It definitely doesn't spin! So back it went, and my search for a vintage Sit N Spin began! Yesterday I got one on ebay! I can't wait for it to get here! Here it is. :)

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My First Post

Howdy! Prolly no one is actually reading this, but have to start out somewhere, right? My husband, son and I just recently moved to St. Louis, and I decided this would be a good time to start a blog too. Most likely it will be full of vintage discoveries, sewing projects, etsy postings (if I ever get around to listing stuff!), and random thoughts. Not sure that I have anything to share in a tutorial that hasn't already been covered somewhere, but it would be fun to do a tutorial sometime.

I love vintage and have been collecting and wearing vintage forties and fifties for about 15 years. I tend to prefer early forties when it comes to dress and mid-century modern when it comes to decorating, although the apartment is a mix of eras as far as furniture goes because I just like too many different things and have a hard time sticking to one era! I suppose it looks like someone's house who got new things here and there over time and not a whole house full of furniture at one time in one style. I'm currently relearning how to decorate with a one year old in the house who's favourite thing in the world is the get into things he shouldn't!

Sewing is one of my favourite things and one that I haven't gotten to do for awhile due to above mentioned one year old and lack of space. Now that we've moved, I finally have a sewing room and hope to get back to making more again.

Anyhoo... that's it for now. Tootles! :)

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