Spring Wardrobe Planning with Adele Bee Ann Patterns

Michigan still hasn't gotten the memo that it's suppose to be spring (we still have SNOW in our forecast!), but that doesn't mean I'm not thinking about warmer temps.

This month, Susan from Adele Bee Ann Patterns joined the Livin' Vintage sponsors and what a perfect time too!  With many of us starting to look into our spring closets and with Lucky Lucille's Sew for Victory sew along, there are so many reasons to be shopping for vintage patterns right now. 

Here's three I am really loving:  

1950s Simplicity 3384

1940s Vogue 5708

I love a good apron dress and this 50s Simplicity pattern is just adorable!  I really like how full the skirt is compared to my Swirl dresses -- sometimes a girl just needs a big puffy skirt.

Can we just stop for a moment to take in the sleeves and neckline on this 1940s Vogue pattern?  I could see this dress being made up for either day or night wear.

1949 Simplicity 8238

This late 40s Simplicity patterns pretty much sums up what I love about vintage fashion: cute details, ladylike, and matching jackets.  Plus the semi circle skirt and slight peplum on the jacket is a really flatter combination.  And those buttons on the shoulders!!

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What are you all planning on sewing for spring?












*Adele Bee Ann Patterns is a sponsor of Livin' Vintage*

Fall for Cotton Finished Dress

September just flew by!  I had grand intentions of sewing a new dress for myself from a vintage pattern with vintage fabric for the Fall for Cotton Sewalong, but with doing two shows this month, it just wasn't going to happen.

I did, however, whip up another swirl dress at the beginning of this month and never got around to sharing it.  It's made of 100% cotton, was made in September, and of a vintage/retro design so I think it fits the bill.   ;)

I was lusting after this fabric in the clearance section at Joanns and stopped in during their Labor Day sale and scored 4 yards for half off!  I feel like it looks a bit retro and with it being a new fabric I won't worry so much about washing and wearing the heck out of it!

The dress went together much better this time around.  I attribute that to having a better idea of how much room to leave while cutting out and just doing a better job cutting out the dress in general.  Next step is to trace the pattern pieces with the correct seam allowances.  And make more dresses!

Fabric: Clearance Quilting Cotton for Joann's, $12

Pattern: Original Swirl Design

Hours to Complete: 9

Total Cost: $15

This was such a fun sewalong to be apart of!  Thanks to Tasha and Lucille for coming up with and hosting this!

Fall for Cotton Sew-along

When Tasha announced the Fall for Cotton Sew-along, I was so excited to join in, go through my stash of vintage patterns and fabric, and make a new dress for fall.

At first, I though of making another Swirl dress with some quilter's cotton I recently picked up on clearance at Joanns.  And, while I might still whip one up during the sew-along, I wanted to challenge myself with a pattern I haven't used before and to use some of my vintage fabric, because my stash of both is really overflowing!

I picked this dress pattern from 1952 and haven't decided which view I'm going to make yet, although I am leaning towards view two (the white one).  Which do you like?  Even though I have done a fair amount of sewing, I haven't worked much with vintage patterns, so we'll see how "simple to make" this dress ends up being.

The fabric is probably from the '50s too; most of the other fabric I got out of that estate was from then as were the patterns.  I still need to get my notions, but so far, the cost of this dress is practically nothing!  Both the fabric and the pattern came from an estate sale a few years ago and I can't image that I paid more than a few dollars for it all.

Next step is is figure out what view I am going to make and then get my notions.

Want to join in?  See THIS POST for more information.

Making a Swirl Wrap Dress and a Brief History

As many long time readers will know, I love Swirl wrap dresses.  I started collecting them about three or four years ago and have amassed an embarrassing amount since.  I wear them year round -- even in the snow -- and they really are my favorite type of vintage dress.

The Swirl dress, originally called Neat 'n Tidy, was created in the early 40s by the L. Nachman and Sons Company.  First conceived and marked as an apron, by the 1950s, the Swirl was being sold as  a quick and easy dress for the busy homemaker to slip into.  Ethel on I Love Lucy was famous for wearing several different incarnations of the Swirl dress and undoubtedly inspired many other homemakers to do the same.  Into the 60s and 70s, the Swirl label added different styles to their line (like zip front dresses) and by the late 90s was on the decline, finally closing up some in 1999.

As with all popular trends, knock offs were made and even home sewing patterns were created for the skilled housewife to stitch up her own.  Last summer, I unearthed a severely tattered Swirl in the basement of a Detroit home and couldn't leave it behind.  At first, I was going to try and rework the hem to make it wearable, but it became clear that wasn't a viable fix.

Instead, I decided to take the dress apart, making my own pattern, and recreate it.  The dress fit perfect and would allow me to make several others.  It went together extremely easy -- the hardest part was figuring out the neckline since I didn't have a Swirl in my collection with a similar neckline to look at how they put it together.

I decided to sew in the label from the roached dress (since this is for me and I have no intentions of selling it or trying to pass it off as a factory produced Swirl).  I used a pocket pattern from a vintage apron and ric rac to jazz up the neckline and pockets.  I -LOVE- the final outcome and plan on making many more!

Fabric: Joann's Clearance, $3.50/yard

Pattern: Original Swirl Dress Design

Hours to Complete: 12-14 

Total Cost: $13

I've already bought some more fabric for another dress and am working on drafting a different style top!

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Like the Swirl, but can't sew?  Here's a few on etsy, including one from my personal collection!

 1  | 2  |  3

And here's some patterns for all you seamstresses!

 1  | 2  |  3

Book Review: Sew Retro by Judi Ketteler

A few weeks ago, while shopping at Jo Ann's, I came across this book and just had to have it. I finally got a chance to sit down and flip through it and thought I would give my two cents and review it for my blog. I want to start by saying I purchased this book and am in no way being paid to do this review. This is my own honest opinion. On to the review:

I really love the book, although I have a few qualms with it. The good stuff first: I love the images and the layout on the pages, which is fun and looks almost like a scrapbook. I also enjoyed reading about the history of home sewing and how it related to womanhood. There were also little spotlights on different important women in the sewing and crafting field. The only thing I really didn't care for was the projects. While most of them are beginner appropriate, I was kinda disappointed. I will admit, I DID NOT buy this book for the projects. I purchased this book for the great graphics and the information it provided about the history of home sewing. So, in those regards I am very satisfied with the book and my purchase.

The book itself is of great quality with thick pages and a comb binding, making it easy to open the book flat to view instructions for the projects. I also like that the book included the patterns for each of the projects. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves sewing and would like to learn a little bit about the history of home sewing from around the 1880s to now. The spotlight features are also really interesting and include popular figures such as Hattie Carnegie and Amy Butler.

So, my advice is to buy the book for the great graphics (which are REALLY well chosen and are great!!) and information and not for the projects, unless you are a novice when it comes to sewing, then these would be prefect for you!

I know I will be picking up this book to look at it often because the images are really cute and offer a lot of vintage eye candy. :)

Emily

A Teddy Bear Muff for the Kiddies

Yesterday I was flipping through my collection of vintage magazines to find some articles for something I am planning for the blog for 2011 and I came across this sweet little pattern for a children's muff. I thought it would be something great to share with my readers, especially since I know quite a few of you have little ones or have one on the way.

This comes from a December 1958 edition of "Woman and Home." (Click on the images to enlarge them).

They were originally letter sized, so if you would like to print them out, they will be actual size. If anyone makes one of these, please email me or comment and let me know. I'd love to see your results!!

Emily

1961 PJs

One of my really good girlfriends is moving to Arizona in a few weeks to teach second grade. While she is really excited to start her new job, she is definitely bummed out that she will be so far from all her closest friends. She decided that a good old fashioned slumber party would be a great way for us to all get together and have one last hurrah before she leaves.

Until today, I didn't really own any real pajamas. And, knowing me, I couldn't go to a slumber party without the proper attire, so I decided VERY last minute to whip up a pair from a vintage pattern that my mom and I just pick up at an estate sale for a mere 10 cents.

With the help of my mom I made a few changes to the pattern, opting for a simple elastic waist, snaps instead of buttons, and shorter pants and sleeves, but I love how it came out. I used a vintage bed sheet that I got on my trip to Canada two summers ago. If you haven't used a bed sheet before, I would certainly recommend it. My jammies are super comfy!!!

Emily

Vintage Pajamas: Made by Me from a 1961 pattern

Vintage Sewing

This weekend found me starting a lot of projects! Last Wednesday I was able to finish mending a vintage dress I got at an estate sale. This little project spurred me to start on all the other projects I had laying around. I have a few vintage dresses that need mending and I have been wanting to recover the inside of my vintage train case. This project was sparked by a purchase of a vintage suitcase at a recent estate sale I went to. I was able to get a suitcase that is almost a perfect match to my train case and it was only a dollar!!

After I got home, I cleaned both and went out to JoAnn's for some supplies. I had to get some material for the new linings and for another special project that I will be posting about soon.

The picture is of a recent pattern I acquired off eBay. The picture holder was one of the items I got at a bag sale that an estate sale was having. I have always wanted one of these to display vintage cards.

Happy Wednesday!

Emily

Finished!!! :)

I am finally finished with my dress for tomorrow's wedding. I am quite pleased with how it came out. It was a lot of work...trying to figure out how to got the correct fit. But, with some help from my mom, we got it to work. I am very proud of my first dressy dress. I was surprised that I enjoyed doing it as much as I did. I am usually the type of person that just wants to get the project done and then really enjoys the final product. However, working on the dress really made me appreciate the process in which it takes to get to the final product. I plan on wearing a beaded black Y necklace and some little dangling earrings that match. I have a black vintage clutch that is my "go to" evening bag that I plan on using for this event as well. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with my hair!!

Now that the dress is done and I don't have to stress so much about that, I have to get busy and get ready for my vacation. I leave Sunday and still have to pack, clean out my car, and do a little grocery shopping. This may be my last post till I return home.....which is a week from today!! Hope you all enjoy your weekend!!

Emily

Lots and Lots of Pictures!!

Today was a very busy - but- fun day!!! I had a lot on my agenda to get accomplished. This weekend is fast approaching and I still have much to do!! I guess I can blame that on my need to stop by the antique mall for their outside sidewalk sale. I am soo glad that I did; I found some GREAT deals. Here's a picture of everything I got today (some of it is from a garage sale).

This set was the first thing I spotted at the sale. It is marked Godinger. I did a little research online and found that the company has been around for 30 or so years.....so it's not as old as I thought, but I only paid $4.00 for both and they are sterling silver. I just love them and don't care if they are old or not. I have always wanted a set, so now I am on a search for a mirror that will coordinate well.



The milk glass vase I got for $1.25. I was super excited!! The candle stick holder I got at the garage sale that I stopped at. It was only 50 cents. I asked the lady running the sale if she had a matching one and said that she received only one from her husband's mother. This helped me to confirm that it is Depression glass. I believe the pattern to be Diana.



I have looked at this plate almost every time I visit the mall and never have wanted to spend the $15.00 dollars for it. Could you believe that the vendor had marked the plate down all the way to $1.00!!!!

This pattern I got at the garage sale. It was only 10 cents!! I just love the set in yellow! This might be one of my next sewing projects!!

My excitement continued at the sale when I spotted these glasses!! At 50 cents each they had to be mine. The print it is excellent condition and these are a trademark 1940's juice/milk glass. The pattern is morning star. My 40's 50's and 60's glass book has not come in the mail yet, so I couldn't look them up to be 100% sure how much of deal I got. However, my Depression glass book featured some that were made in the late 1930's that were very similar; they were valued at $15.00 each!!!

I got these earrings to try and use them for some craft projects. I figured if they didn't work out I only lost $2.00.

I also got about ten vintage magazines, however, I forgot to take pictures. I got them all for about 40 cents each!!! Many of them are full color and have amazing vintage ads and graphics!! I'll post pictures in a later post!! :)

In my last post I mentioned that I was making a few dresses, one for the wedding and I was going to try and make one for the vacation. Well, I am a procrastinator and I have a feeling that I will only get around to making the one for the wedding. I started on it last night by shrinking the fabric and cutting it out. Today I got to the bodice, and finished most of that. I just need to sew up the seams under the arms. The rest should go pretty smoothly, since I feel that the hardest part is over. The bodice had some VERY curvy panels to it that were difficult to match!!

Here is the front of the dress before I sewed in the lining. I got the material on double clearance for $2.00 a yard and it was 60 inches so I only needed two yards. With all my supplies, I will have spent about $10 to $12 to make the whole thing. Definitely much cheaper than buying one!!

Here's the pattern I used. I am making the version that the girl is wearing on the top with the flowers and the scoop neck.

I am planning on wearing black shoes and Adam is going to wear an off white shirt and a black tie. Let me know what you think!!!

Emily

Swaps and Sunday Flea Market

Yesterday was a productive day! I wanted to get my apron swap for Swap-Bot together and off in the mail before I left for my vacation. I also went, as always, to the Royal Oak flea market. Things must be slowing down there because summer is coming to an end because it was kinda empty this week. I was hoping to find an apron there, but all I ended up with was a clear candy dish that has the same pattern as some dessert plates I got from my grandma. I was bummed out when I got home because while washing it, I noticed a small chip. Oh Well..... I only paid $1.25. When I went inside I found a great deal on some vintage patterns and picked out one I liked along with the set of 10 vintage unused cards, and got them all for $5.00!! After the market, I went to my favorite antique mall to hunt down an apron. I ended up walking out with one for the swap and one for me, along with a vintage Fire King casserole dish in the prim-rose pattern. I picked that up for only $2.00!!

Here's what I sent for the Vintage Apron Swap. No peeking Mallory!! ;)

I loved the green dress at the bottom. Hopeful I will get to making it before Thanksgiving!

Here's the two dishes I picked up yesterday. I am going to look on eBay for a lid to fit the Fire King.

This is Lucy my "Walking Doll." She was my mom's and is from the '60s!! I thought I would try and model my new apron on her since I don't have a dressform yet.

Close up of the fabric. I am not really into half aprons, but I couldn't pass this one up. I just loved the design!! And you can't beat $3.00!!

I was so thrilled that they were unused!! I am going to scan in the images and use them as clip art!

Isn't the cowgirl and cowboy sooo cute??

Now I am off to shrink some material so I can get started on a few dresses. On Saturday, I skipped out on Detroit's Annual Dream Cruise (it's on Woodward Avenue and a whole bunch of classic cars cruise up and down and there are cook out and such!!) and went to Joann's to search for a pattern and material for my dress for the wedding. More about this in my post!!

Emily