Beaded Cashmere · The Joy of Vintage

I've already shared this amazing Mexican painted skirt on the blog before, but I wanted to take the opportunity to finally feature my lovely vintage beaded cashmere cardigan!  I received this as a gift a couple years ago, and I was delighted that it was in pristine condition- never worn!  I soon found out why- one of the sleeve linings was sewn in upside down.  I know, right- how did that pass QC?? Needless to say, it's obvious why no one ever wore it since it was impossible to get on, but thankfully I happen to have plenty of needles and thread so it was a quick fix. :-)

It's so fun to see how my real-vintage wardrobe has blossomed since I started this blog!  I was shocked to remember that 3 years ago I only had one genuine vintage garment- since then I've amassed quite a few, now here I am posting an outfit with not a single piece that I've created.  I really do love the connection to the past that I feel whenever I wear something vintage, but I still love the creative process of making my own clothing. Not to mention the fact that vintage in my price range usually requires enough TLC that the time invested would take you halfway through making something from scratch! ;-)

While I haven't made any terribly startling changes, I've found that owning vintage clothing has also given me a boost towards more era-appropriate creations as well.  In a way, it is a reminder to get my me-made wardrobe up to "par" (but in the best sort of motivational way!) and it's been fascinating and fun to see how differently I will approach the design and construction processes now.  And it will be fun to see where I am and what inspires me 3 years from now- who knows! :-)

While I've made-do quite a bit with altering modern knitwear to suit my style, there's something special about the extra detailing involved in older pieces.  I know they're much more likely stand up to lots of wear since they've already survived decades!



Also, I love how cost-cutting didn't seem to be quite as paramount in the design process on most vintage pieces- why, the beading even continues around the back!  Wool sweaters are always lined!

And a wee detail for the sleeve!  I do so admire a little attention to detail. :-)

The beading on this is so thick and the stamens are even tiny little tassels! Also, I adore how it's such an appropriate sweater for me- the flowers are lilies! :-)

Kathryn was such a dear and let me borrow her darling Miss L Fire "Gabrielle"s for this photoshoot.

Perks of being the same shoe size as friends! ;-)

Eeeep!  Mustard shoes. With studs. And bows.  How much more perfect can you get???

(answer: not very.)

· Photos by Kathryn ·

How about you- do you own much vintage?  Has it made a difference in your creative process?

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· A Few of My Favorite Things.... ·

This is definitely a post that includes all of my current favorites!  Favorite vintage hat of the year (so versatile, so comfortably "me"), favorite fabric (that I finally found a use for!), favorite new shoes (love!!), and favorite new dress pattern (Butterick 8038- already have another dress made from it!).

We had a local friend and former neighbor gift us her mother's collection of sewing patterns last year.  Most of them fell in the 1960s/70s range, but the two 1950s patterns were absolute STUNNERS.  *And* in my size.

I love, love, love how unique and flattering this pattern is and after mulling it over for a while, I remembered that the hand-printed Indian muslin that I've had for ages would be a perfect combination!

The bodice is quite unique with the side fronts extending above the bust to cross over and pleat into the opposite shoulder while the center front piece invisibly extends up behind.

When the preview for these 'Sergi' shoes popped up on Royal Vintage's instagram, I quite literally squealed with delight!  I had quite a few Rewards points burning a hole in my pocket, so it was a no-brainer.  They are just as beautiful in real life, too!

My only caveat for these is the sizing.  This is my first pair of Chelsea Crew shoes, and they come in European sizes.  I'm a true sz 8 in American sizing but I flip-flop between needing a 38 and a 39 in European sizing, depending on both the brand and the style of shoe.  I went ahead with the 39s thinking that a touch too big was preferable to a touch too small.  They are on the big side, but certainly not warranting a whole size smaller and a simple heel grip is enough to make them just right. :-)

The soft gold color of these is just gorgeous and the heel height is right in my comfort zone, making these an effortless choice!  The soles are comfortable for walking, but also have enough slickness that I was able to wear them for an evening of dancing without having any difficulties.

They're the perfect style and shape for 1920s and 30s (and I have a few dresses just waiting to be showcased with them!), but I couldn't resist pairing them with this 1950s dress, either. :-)

* Disclaimer- I received these shoes at a discount in exchange for posting about them and this post contains affiliate links ('cause I'd like any excuse I can find to purchase more shoes! ;-))*

Pattern Matching Obsession.  Spot the seams! ;-)

Also, I really love the vintage idea to insert back zippers below the neckline.  Works well and also eliminates the headache of trying to achieve an flawless neckline finish- my nemesis!

I love the design element of extending the center front panel into the skirt!

4" deep hem- because I can!
Also, I should do a post about this new crinoline sometime- it's pretty much the best thing EVER.
· edited to add- I have a post about crinolines here now! ·

As always- a pocket!



I've always really liked this fabric and I got it a long time ago from Heritage Trading on eBay and it was originally intended for an 18th century gown.  As time passed, I realized how little I actually needed another 18th c. gown fabric (still having at least 3 fabrics earmarked for that purpose...) and I eventually became dissatisfied with its suitability for that era.  There are a great many flaws in the printing of the fabric, which, while it is entirely forgivable due to the nature of being hand block-printed (and inexpensive) made me wary of using it for an entire 18th c. dress.  Granted, not all printed cottons were well-executed and high quality (lots of evidence to the contrary!), but the research I've done made me hesitant to use it in such large quantities!  Also, in that period it was impossible to achieve a color-fast green dye, so any printed fabrics with green were made by printing in yellow and then hand-painting the desired areas with blue- the color combination achieving the desired green.  Consequently, it is a more expensive option and was saved for quality chintzes.  My fabric is obviously not high-end, so the more I read, the less I felt comfortable using it...

Thankfully the love of the exotic never goes out of style, so there are lots of examples of 20th century clothing utilizing ethnic fabrics! :-)  The fabric is a lovely choice for summer- lightweight and easy to care for while still being a nice quality and suitable for dressy occasions.  Currently, it is solely a church/wedding dress, but with the right accessories it would make a great sundress, too!

· Photos by Kathryn ·

Working Class Attire · 1770s Style

OK, I'll be honest.  This was one of my beginner 18th c. outfits, and I was this close to not even bothering with getting photos for the blog.  It's such a simple, boring outfit, and one that I doubted was even worth sharing.

I thought, "Hey, I'll just go ahead and do a post about it, and then sell it in my Etsy shop a month later."  I was tired of it and ready to pass it on.

But then..... Kathryn took pictures.

Seriously, I don't know how she does this!  Every time I'm on the fence about an outfit, she works her photography magic and suddenly I have a renewed zest for said garment!

So.....for those of you who would have purchased this jacket... sorry.  It's no longer for sale. ;-)  I've changed my mind- this is one of my favorite outfits!  I like to think that I'm rather modest and not vain, but I'll admit- I really do love the way these pictures turned out. To the extent that there may or may not have been squealing in public on the streets of Williamsburg when I saw them... ;-)

Part of that is because these pictures were taken in front of my favorite house/wreath combinations in Colonial Williamsburg this past December.  The Sign of the Rhinoceros is always a quaint, off-the-beaten-path house, but the Christmas decor made it more than usually charming, in my opinion. :-)

The jacket is super simple- linen lined with cotton (made back before I knew better....) and machine assembled, hence the lining peeking out at the front edges.  Hand-assembling has the benefit of keeping those pesky linings staying back where they're supposed to be, but I was ignorant of such things when I made this. ;-)

The jacket is made from JP Ryan's jacket pattern, and went together rather well.  This was my second one, so I didn't make any changes to the basic design.  Even though this was one of my first 18th c. endeavors, the fit of the back and sleeves turned out better than most of my more recent projects!  Not sure what that says about my fitting skills trajectory... ;-P

The jacket started out life as a bedgown.  Poor fabric- it's really not worthy of such appalling treatment.  I was so, so pleased with it though, because it was my very first historically-accurate outfit!

I soon found out that I utterly loathe and despise bedgowns, so that was a short-lived incarnation.  I used the pieces and some of the leftover fabric to make this jacket.  Fitted garments make me so much happier!

I was drawing a blank on accessorizing this outfit, mainly due to the fact that I completely forgot to pack our simpler apron for this trip!!  Argh!  I missed it on most days- hopefully now I won't forget it again!  I paired this with one of our block-printed neckerchiefs.  I went on a printed neckerchief spree a couple years ago, and made them out of all the appropriate fabric we had.  This one was barely eked out of the leftover scraps, but we happened to have enough of the border to trim the neck edge! :-)

· Thanks for reconciling me to this jacket, Kathryn! ·

· Regency Sari Overdress ·

I talked about the construction of my dress and overgown before, but the Regency Christmas Ball we recently attended provided the perfect opportunity for some nice photos. :-)

This overdress was made from the leftover scraps of an antique sari- I absolutely love all the detail that went into this embroidery!!  It has copper thread interspersed throughout, adding depth and just a hint of glimmer. :-)

I'm quite pleased with the result, and it's fun to have a Regency outfit that is very a-typical. :-)  It's also a great way to add variety and interest to my white dress!  I like the dress, but change is a nice thing too. ;-)

Wearing rag curlers all day while traveling might not have been the most glamorous option, but having curls that were impervious to dancing was well worth it! ;-)

I was so excited to finally embellish my turban with wheat!  Ever since seeing this fashion plate, I knew I needed to try this out sometime. :-)

And I'm realizing that I needed to do a little more primping to the wheat next time- I always forget that while I'm sitting in the van it is getting squashed by the roof. :-P  Ah well.  Just imagine it in its pre-travel state- it looked remarkably like the fashion plate. ;-)

A bit of a funny story that I didn't share the first time- I was basing the overdress off a fashion plate that I had a poster of, but no details.  I wanted to share the original source on the blog with the fashion plate company name, year, etc., but had no way to start looking!

I tried looking for "Regency Overdress Fashion Plate".  No luck.  "Asymmetrical"?  No better.  "Green"? "Overgown"? "Turban"?  Nothing was helping.  I couldn't think of any technical terms to describe it, but then again- there wasn't any guarantee that the person linking to the image had any more of a technical knowledge than I did!

In frustration, I told Mom, "I'd probably be better off just searching for something like "Regency Drapey Bits"!!

Well, guess what?  That's all it took.  There, waiting near the top of my search was the fashion plate.

I have now officially given up on technical search terms.

The culprit- La Belle Assemblee, April 1811
aka
Regency Drapey Bits

It's so easy to see the Grecian influences of the time period in this style!

The Warner Theater, although technically around 125 years too late for this outfit, was still a stunning location!  I'm looking forward to giving this outfit another outing this weekend!

· Photos by Kathryn ·

· 1950s Sari Dress ·

I found this lightweight jaquard-weave cotton at JoAnns on the clearance rack for $2/yd almost 10 years ago.  With the pretty gold metallic border and the fact that it was a natural-fiber fabric, I thought it would make the ideal Regency gown!  I picked out my dream design and mulled over the idea for a couple years before I reconciled myself to the fact that the fabric was far too narrow to use for the length of an empire-waisted skirt. :-(

After that realization, I was at a loss for how to use this fabric!  I eventually came across some 1950s dresses using saris and realized that vintage would be a great use of the fabric, too!

(Of course. Because vintage is always the answer. ;-))

It ended up being difficult to find a bodice design that would feature the border print without being sleeveless and without using much of the border, since I hadn't quite purchased enough for a 1950s dress!  I finally came to the decision to use Vogue 1044.  It required several alterations, since the original yoke line is curved and the border necessitates a straight line.

Both times I've used this pattern, I find that small darts coming down from the yoke are super helpful to get a better fit.  I keep hoping I don't need that extra, fiddly detail, but it just makes such a difference!

The comfortable style and the combination of dressy yet breathable and washable fabric has cemented this dress as the Ultimate Summer Semi-Formal.  It's served me well through countless weddings, dances, and is in constant rotation for church.  And has been for 6 years.

It's now to the point where a striking number of the facebook pictures I'm tagged in are of me in this dress.  I really do wear other dresses!  Sometimes.

OK, I think it might be time to stop wearing it quite so devotedly....

This dress is always referred to as "The Sari Dress" around here but it could quite aptly be named "Old Faithful" at this point, and I truly am happy it's served me so well and for so long!  I was afraid that it wouldn't wear well since the fabric is rather loosely-woven, but it's been a dream. :-)

And this was the perfect time to showcase one of my latest purchases- this charming beaded clutch!

I was in desperate need of something to fill the void in the "dressy purse" section of my wardrobe, and this fit the bill perfectly. :-)  All the beads were intact, there was only the slightest staining inside, and this "could-only-be-vintage" rhinestone-accented clasp.  All for just $4. :-)

Yep.  I think that was four dollars rather well spent. ;-)

· Photos by Kathryn! ·

· Regency Block-Printed Dress ·

Ahhh!  It feels nice to get back to historical clothing for a change- doesn't it?

I finally got a chance to get some more of my past historical projects photographed with Kathryn, so you'll be seeing a few more throughout the summer. :-)

I made this dress 5 years ago for a trip to England, and wore it when we visited Jane Austen's house.  It has had lots of love and wear since then, but its initial outing still evokes happy memories for me. :-)

The dress was based on an original (here), and I fell in love with the fetching idea of a triple row of cording on the top of the bib.  The cording is echoed by triple tucks on the sleeves and the hem.  The bib fastens with dorset buttons- lovingly handmade by my mom. :-)

The silk bonnet was made by my mom from Timely Tresses' Lucia pattern.  This hat was trimmed while we were at our height of Peacock Mania, and I'm now skeptical about the historical accuracy of using them.  However, I still have enough of a Peacock Mania Hangover not to care. ;-)

Recognize this fabric??  This was the original project for this hand-printed muslin from India, but I had enough leftover to make my Block-Printed 1770s Jacket last year.  I love how shockingly different the garments look!  I was cautious about using the same fabric to make a jacket because I was afraid that I would get tired of it and that it would feel too obvious.  Well, I couldn't be more mistaken because I usually end up forgetting that they're the same fabric! ;-)

My base pattern for this dress was Sense & Sensibility's Elegant Lady's Closet pattern.  I'm not a big fan of this pattern in general, but I have found that I'm pretty pleased with the way the back and sleeves work on me.  I used the back, sleeves (cut to a custom length), and front underbodice but made up the bib, skirts, and fastening based on period examples.  The skirt has a couple pleats at the side seams for shaping and gathers in the center back.

Taking these photos was rather bittersweet.  I loved putting it all on again, fell in love with Regency styles all over again, and started getting the urge to finally make that mint sheer stripe I've been saving for an 18-teens dress!  But then the realization hit- I don't really make historical clothing very much anymore.

I feel like I've unintentionally yet naturally moved on to a different phase now.  Gone are the days when I would wear my pre-20th century clothing to church and around the house.  Gone are the days when I'd make a huge effort to get into historical clothing (because let's face it- this requires so much more time to get ready than my normal!) just for a small dance.  And consequently, gone are my easy justification and ready excuses for making lots of historical attire.  We don't have many reenactment opportunities (of desirable periods...) in the area, and even if we did- I'm not sure that's my cup of tea.  And let's face it- there aren't even any great places to go for photoshoots!

I still love the varieties and intricacies of historical clothing, but I'm realizing how little of it I do anymore.  I really hope the costuming bug bites again soon!  I've missed it so....

For now, I guess I'll just enjoy my 20th century phase while it lasts and relive my "glory years" through past projects and the rare events that come up. :-)  Who knows what era-obsession will come next!

· Photography by Kathryn ·

Past Projects · Block-Printed Jacket

For our trip to Williamsburg this spring, Mom and Gretel wanted some new clothes, so we got out all the period-appropriate scraps we could find big enough to make into jackets.  While I was in the stash, I came across this hand-block-printed lawn that was left-over from a regency dress I made years ago.  It was a perfect size for a jacket, and once I found my inspiration, I set to work.  I constructed it entirely by hand (just 'cause I can! ;-) ), and used the JP Ryan pattern as a base, modifying the neckline and waistline.

The sleeve inspiration came from a V&A dress that I've been admiring for years.  It has a cuff edged with pleated trim, then looped up in front and fastened with a covered button.

This cotton voile apron was new as well- finished in Williamsburg just in time to wear. :-)  I was really happy with how it turned out, and can't wait to make some more "fashion" aprons!  The petticoat I'm wearing with it is made from "Marseilles" fabric, and it's become one of my favorites.  It has lots of body, enough so that I can even fit a loaf of bread in my pocket without it being discernible! ;-)

I wanted this jacket to stand out somehow from all my others, so I put 6 sets of ribbons down the front to tie it closed.  I love the over-exuberance of ribbony-ness that is the result. :-)  The front neckline and waistline is edged with pleated trim.

· Pictures by the inimitable Kathryn! ·