May 1939

I do my best to avoid ebay whenever possible.  The bidding brings out my competitive nature, which often leads to spending more for vintage patterns than I mean to.

But every once in a while, vintage lovers everywhere seem to be asleep, or avoiding their computers.  This was one of those lucky finds. 

My, oh my, how pattern catalogs have changed.  Vintage fashion illustrations are just the bee's knees!

I have a few of these adorable pamphlets to share.  But seeing as it is May, I thought it was fitting to start with May, 1939.

Not many contemporary designs have this much lovely detail!

Do you own one of these designs?  Or better yet, have you made yourself a fabulous outfit à la 1939?

I am completely in love with 8385 and the matching tilt hat!  The model is actually through the looking glass!   

Pastels and Watercolors

I often get stuck in a rut with my self-made clothing. 

While making a garment, I have plenty of time to think about how I am going to style the finished product.  That first outfit gets etched in my subconscious, and every time I go to pull it out of the closet, I envision it exactly as it was previously worn. 

Which is terribly boring!

So for a fun exercise, I thought I would pair two previously worn separates (Simplicity 4047 & Simplicity 1997) to create a brand new outfit.

Because what good are all those blouses I made last year if they do not get to take a turn about the room!

Blouse:  Made by me, Simplicity 4047

Skirt:  Made by me, Simplicity 1997

Shoes:  Colin Stuart

Earrings:  Liz Palacios

An Interesting Day

I was reminded today how grateful I am to be the creator of my own clothing destiny! 

Instead of sitting in the waiting room on an uncomfortable chair with a child screaming and running wild, I left my car for its checkup and walked to the mall [shudder] to kill time.

I had at least two hours to waste, so I started in Macys.  Nothing was quite right. 

Absolutely nothing tempted me in The Gap.  Even the sale prices seem ridiculously overpriced for the simple designs.

As for Forever 21 and H&M, well, I did not have the heart to even step through the door.  Any retailer that is known for its disposable, cheap clothing is just going to make me have a fit, right there in the store.  

I used to enjoy shopping for clothes – when did I become such a grump?!

Is it because I now know the incredible difference that an extra bit of attention and care can make to a finished garment?  Or has quality control disappeared into the sunset for off-the-rack clothing?

Sorry about the rant . . . my bad mood was likely exacerbated by an empty stomach as I shuffled between the racks.

But a quick review of the masters at work (and some dinner) has restored my faith in couture.  These pictures have me heading for the sewing room so I never have to go back to the mall ever again!

[Click on image for source]

I Have a Notion . . .

My Hug Snug collection is restocked!  It really is ridiculous how fast I go through this stuff.

I have heard about WAWAK from different sources over the years, but never took a good look at the website.  I decided it was time on Monday evening after another Anonymous comment mentioned the company.  And as luck would have it, my beloved Hug Snug was on sale, and such a great deal that I could not resist!  Unfortunately, the sale seems to be over, but the regular price is still the lowest I have come across.

Although the website is a bit clunky, I believe there are quite a few great deals to be found. 

Like zippers!  And they stock extra long lengths, which is always good!  As someone with a long torso, those 22” zippers really do not cut it.

I know that shipping entirely depends on where you live, but I ordered on Monday evening and a box was left at my doorstep on Wednesday!  I cannot remember an online order of any kind making its way to me in so little time.

Have you heard of WAWAK?  Do you have any online sewing supply secrets?

Busy Fingers

I have been having so much fun with my knitting needles that I  just had to start another project.

My new book was the logical choice, and my choice of pattern is Jayne. 

The instructions have some issues, which always makes me grumpy.  Part of the problem is that I assume that the pattern has to be correct, and I drive myself crazy trying to figure out where exactly I have gone wrong!  Because how could the pattern be wrong?!  But I believe I have resolved the issues.

Once I managed to get past the frustration (which included frogging and beginning the lace pattern not once, but twice), this is turning out to be a quick knit.

And I really do love knitting!

Sweater Time

The hot weather disappeared for a brief moment this past week, so my new sweater was able to make her debut.  It is actually a great idea to wear warm clothing to work at this time of year, because the air conditioning makes it feel about 55 degrees in my office.  In fact, the warmer it gets outside, the more frigid it feels indoors.  If I could somehow get directly from my apartment to the office and not have to walk outside, I would wear a thick sweater to protect myself from the evil air vent.

I have plenty of winter weight, dark colored skirts that will look great with this sweater, so it is going to get plenty of wear come Fall.  But I was determined to find something a bit more suitable for the season.

The skirt I came up with is very old Banana Republic.  Although I would never describe my style as “on trend,” it is rather amusing that if you keep an item of clothing long enough, it will come back in fashion.  

Case in point, this high-low skirt looks like it could be hanging on the rack today.  I rediscovered it in the back of my closet along with a couple of other skirts I forgot about.

So perhaps my habit of making separates with no thought of how to complete the outfit is an excellent way to find old favorites, currently out of sight and mind!

Sweater:  Made by me, Cutaway Neckline Sweater

Skirt:  Banana Republic

Earrings:  Shadows

Shoes:  Colin Stuart

And the winner is . . .

By random number generator, the winner is Emma!  Her ideas for the pattern are absolutely brilliant!  Now I just need to find some cream and black floral linen . . .

2. 
   EmmaMay 7, 2013 at 1:41 AM

   It's just begging to be made up in linen for a summer evening event, like a summer wedding, isn't it? The most obvious choice would be pastel colours, but I don't wear pastels, so I would go for jewel tones. Emerald green. That's for the pencil skirt version. The pleated skirt version would be perfect for a matching but mismatching set... say, big black flowers on a cream linen for the skirt, plain cream linen for the jacket, and matching trimmings on both, like, say, if there was a splatter of red in the flowers, then red buttons and black trim on the jacket, or finishing the sleeve openings with the floral fabric.

1. Thank you for all of your comments and so many fabulous ideas - I am feeling very inspired!