Patriotic Plaid and New Vintage Patterns

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to actually use Joann's coupons? I stopped by to look for a couple of things yesterday, purse bursting full of coupons I'd accumulated recently, but the coupons were all for a discount off a full-priced item, and everything I looked at was on sale!

I did find this very cute red, white and blue gingham-ish plaid cotton shirting for only $4.99 a yard. I'm a sucker for red and navy color combinations. Unfortunately, they only had a smidge over a yard left. My plan is to use it for the collar of a blouse. Butterick 7731 is the closest I have in my pattern stash to what I have in mind. However, I'm thinking short kimono sleeves and a seamless collar. Perhaps Simplicity 4530? I've had it in my favorites on etsy for awhile.

I've also picked up some new(to me)vintage patterns recently. The Simplicity 2163 is one I'd been searching for, but under a different number! I just stumbled upon a listing for it on ebay a couple of weeks ago, and in my size! Those pattern companies really didn't make it easy with changing and reusing numbers. Simplicity 6832 is a bit more current than I usually buy, but who could resist heart shaped pockets on a playsuit!?

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The Exceedingly Bad Blogger

That's me! I've decided to give blogging another go and try to be better this time. My son is older, and I'm able to do more sewing nowadays without him getting into everything! Was really not feeling my blog name, so that's changed. I'm feeling really indecisive about names and have changed it several times in the last few days, but I think I'll probably stick with this. It's really hard to find a good name that hasn't been taken, and most of the taken ones were never even used, which is even more frustrating! Anyway, more interesting things soon... xoxo, jen

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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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