A Quiet Corner of a Busy World
For my most recent sewing project (ok, actually the one I was most recently able to photograph to share with you all), I wanted to find a fun use for a pretty minty blue fabric with little white bows on the print. Of course, I had to look for a sewing pattern that actually used [...]
I didn't know I wanted a reversible skirt until I saw the pattern, but then I really wanted it! I used McCalls 5481 (c.1960). It's a very clever design because most skirts in late 50s/early 60s style require a crinoline or petticoat underneath for fullness. However, the ruffled side of the skirt provides enough volume [...]
Vintage skirts are much easier to find than vintage blouses. Blouses have to be washed more frequently and are more prone to staining so fewer of them have lasted. I have several beautiful vintage skirts. I realized though that I don't wear them as often as I'd like because they need a certain style and [...]
Yard saling isn't something most people can do casually. You either love it or hate it. It isn't shopping. It's bargain hunting, the luck of the draw, a knack for being in the right place at the right time. It is just about the only setting in American culture where bartering is acceptable. A few [...]
I love vintage clothing...the styles...the materials...the functionality...the details. I have several 1950's skirts which I have had for a long time. I think they're gorgeous, but the only thing that I've found to wear with them is a plain white blouse. This year, I've been trying to get more wear out of my favorite pieces [...]
Vintage patterns are possibly my favorite type of ephemera (though that would be a hard decision). They capture so much in a small, delicate package. The artwork is beautiful and there is something so lovely about paper that has aged and requires care. Of course, old patterns provide snapshots of the fashions in bygone days, [...]
I've been dreaming of this project for over a year. I wanted to make a weskit. I get cold very easily and it can be so hard to find professional clothing that also keeps me warm. I have finally realized that the secret to dressing warmly is not fuzzier sweaters, it's strategic layers! In casual [...]
A friend recently listed for sale several pairs of vintage shoes she had found in the attic of her house. Though I love vintage clothes, I have never tried to get any vintage shoes because almost all of them are heels. I almost completely quit wearing heels after living in Mexico because of the risk [...]
A few weeks ago, I shared about altering 1950's and 1960's dresses. After these successful projects, I wanted to try making something new. As a birthday gift, my mom gave me a stack of vintage fabrics. The fun prints were just begging to be made into something that suited their time period. It had been [...]
I shared a post a while ago about vintage dresses I had been given. I wanted to give a photo update on the dresses that required alteration. The first dress was white with little blue dots. I loved the detail on the bodice; however, there was a long, noticeable yellow stain on the back of [...]
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