It's a grey cold and wet day out, why not put on something nautical? Blouse is vintage, Skirt made by me using the skirt portion of an old 1930's dress design I have, and the shoes are thrifted.
Ahoy, matey!
It's a grey cold and wet day out, why not put on something nautical? Blouse is vintage, Skirt made by me using the skirt portion of an old 1930's dress design I have, and the shoes are thrifted.
1940's "Girl Next Door" hair style
Quick and easy set for your hair and it goes great with a hair net, head scarf or snood.
This wet set works best using the Rag method. I prefer to use the Conair Slip-Free rollers, but cloth strips or those great Wrap Snap and Go rollers (tie them instead of snapping them)work just as well.
To start, part your hair in the middle and apply your setting lotion/wrapping foam to the sections of hair (seen in diagram) onto the rollers and tie/bend them to hold. Sit under a hood dryer or sleep overnight. When sleeping in rollers, don't forget to use a scarf or other soft fabric to protect the hair.
In the morning, remove the rollers. Get some pomade on your fingers and begin to separate the curls before combing them out. Once your hair is nice and fluffy begin brushing it out, brush the hair against your palm to prevent frizzing at the ends.
When every thing is to your liking section out the "fringe" and part in the middle. Brush these sections and when you ease the tension on the hair you should see the wave created by the rollers. Pin this section back with a bobby pin. then take the section of hair above the ears and comb it out. twist this section (as you would a french twist) up and pin behind the first bobby pin. You can add a flower pin at this point or collect the hair in a net which is my preferred method. I have a small collection of decorative hair nets, these are nets with the addition of small coloured beads. Gather your hair in the net/snood and pin in place. Voila! Instant adorable vintage.
To start, part your hair in the middle and apply your setting lotion/wrapping foam to the sections of hair (seen in diagram) onto the rollers and tie/bend them to hold. Sit under a hood dryer or sleep overnight. When sleeping in rollers, don't forget to use a scarf or other soft fabric to protect the hair.
When every thing is to your liking section out the "fringe" and part in the middle. Brush these sections and when you ease the tension on the hair you should see the wave created by the rollers. Pin this section back with a bobby pin. then take the section of hair above the ears and comb it out. twist this section (as you would a french twist) up and pin behind the first bobby pin. You can add a flower pin at this point or collect the hair in a net which is my preferred method. I have a small collection of decorative hair nets, these are nets with the addition of small coloured beads. Gather your hair in the net/snood and pin in place. Voila! Instant adorable vintage.
Favorite Reds
Red lipstick is pretty much a staple in my cosmetic arsenal. I can't go without it and I can't be seen without it. I leave little red lips on all glasses and on my dog's head throughout the day. I even got in trouble for my red lips in middle school. An English teacher of mine tried to convince my parents that I was having trouble concentrating because my lipstick was too bright. Yeah, I thought she was full of it too.
Anyway, I have compiled five of my favorites. These are my "I must buy two, one for the home, one for the purse and then one more in case it get's discontinued" lipsticks.
No. 1: Sephora Lip Stain #01
My absolute favorite lipstick at the moment is the Sephora brand cream lipstain. It has staying power and most important, is a matte shade. Top off with a dab of gloss if you are uncomfortable with the dry nature of matte lipstick and still look glamorous.
Hepburn Slacks
The fabulous Katherine Hepburn was a fashion icon of her time. Her best fashion accessory, a long pair of slacks that went all the way up. No "whale tails" here girls.
Blouse is vintage and slacks were made by me about two years ago.
Pattern number 1002 from Wearing History
Blouse is vintage and slacks were made by me about two years ago.
Pattern number 1002 from Wearing History
Deconstruction: Day 1
Have you ever found the perfect vintage piece but the quality is absolute rubbish? If not, count yourself lucky, I was totally hoodwinked with this silk 1940s number. When I saw it in the shop the only issue I saw was a missing belt (typical of vintage dresses) and missing side snaps. No worries I've got a needle and thread and can put these back on, but honestly for the $90 price tag this should have been done already. I get the dress home and the snaps replaced and find that this has NEVER been dry cleaned as the arms smelled like a sweaty gorilla. $90, I'm just sayin'.
Anyway, I get it cleaned up and the silk just starts ripping and falling apart and there was no way to keep it together without additional damage occurring. What to do? Take that bad boy apart and create a new pattern, that's what.
So with my trusty seam ripper and some coffee I sit down to the delicate task of slowing taking the dress apart. I didn't get very far, I was able to separate the bodice from the skirt and have taken apart one of the two pockets. Tonight, I hope to take the entire skirt apart.
As each piece is removed, they will be labeled and marked with placement and general construction.
Anyway, I get it cleaned up and the silk just starts ripping and falling apart and there was no way to keep it together without additional damage occurring. What to do? Take that bad boy apart and create a new pattern, that's what.
So with my trusty seam ripper and some coffee I sit down to the delicate task of slowing taking the dress apart. I didn't get very far, I was able to separate the bodice from the skirt and have taken apart one of the two pockets. Tonight, I hope to take the entire skirt apart.
As each piece is removed, they will be labeled and marked with placement and general construction.
Pleats
The last day of our Boston March summer experience before the more seasonable weather arrives so I needed to take the tissue thin polka dot blouse out of the closet. Blouse from Red Dress Shoppe and pleated skirt, made by me!
My first time with pleats and I was frustrated and addicted, I had to make another in Navy.
I really doubled down on the polka dots today.
The pattern used for the skirt was Du Barry #5910. I need to make the matching blouse soon.
My first time with pleats and I was frustrated and addicted, I had to make another in Navy.
I really doubled down on the polka dots today.
The pattern used for the skirt was Du Barry #5910. I need to make the matching blouse soon.
The Sweetheart Dress
The weekend before the 1950's summer dress was the weekend of the 1940's "sweetheart dress. I placed a bid on this pattern through ebay for $7 and promptly forgot about it. I loath the bidding wars on ebay and generally stick with the "buy now" option. Imagine my surprise when I received an email of my win, I didn't even remember what I bid on.
The dress took me about 2 weeks to make. I must have been dragging my heals a bit because I am too impatient to allow myself to take that much time on a project. I really must create more sewing zen.
Figuring that Boston is experiencing a focused global warming event, I needed to get this little number off the hanger. Topped off with a fun and gigantic red pin-up flower purchased from Now Voyager on Etsy
I did alter the pattern slightly, I couldn't really stand the heart shaped pockets and created spade pockets with cuffs.
A simple tie in the back.
The original dress design as seen on the pattern envelope.
The dress took me about 2 weeks to make. I must have been dragging my heals a bit because I am too impatient to allow myself to take that much time on a project. I really must create more sewing zen.
Figuring that Boston is experiencing a focused global warming event, I needed to get this little number off the hanger. Topped off with a fun and gigantic red pin-up flower purchased from Now Voyager on Etsy
I did alter the pattern slightly, I couldn't really stand the heart shaped pockets and created spade pockets with cuffs.
A simple tie in the back.
The original dress design as seen on the pattern envelope.
Today's Vintage Hair style (with style diagram)
Today's hair style is reminiscent of the 1930s, with the soft wave down one side of the face a la Veronica Lake. Shockingly enough, this is my hair after a ten mile ride on my scooter under a large Lady bug printed helmet.
The directions are simple and I have set up a diagram of how I set the rollers. I prefer to set my hair the night before and sleep with a scarf over the setting to protect the hair. This style is also achievable with pin curls but I find that using the large roller (my rollers are the drug store Conair brand) I get a better effect and more body.
When doing a wet set, I generally use a setting lotion as well as a foam wrap lotion which is found in the ethnic isle of a Sally's Beauty salon or drug store. Using dry hair, I spray a section with a mixture of setting lotion and water to moisten it, do not make the section of hair too damp or it will not hold the curl. I then pump a small dab of foam wrap onto my fingers and work that into the hair. I know this is over kill but my hair is thick and the climate is somewhat humid causing my hair to flatten in the time it takes me to walk my dog.
Once the section is moist, roll the hair around the roller making sure not to twist the ends too much when doing this as it will make them frizz. Continue in the pattern until the whole head is covered and then tie on a scarf or any hair wrap (also found at Sally's Beauty.) fix your favorite night cap and slip into la-la land.
In the morning, once your makeup is on, take out the rollers and separate gently. Take your brush and start combing those curls out until they start forming waves. You may need to help it along by using your brush to form the waves along your face, clip them down if necessary and mist with a hair spray. when everything is to your liking, sit back and admire your work, everyone else will.
Day 3: 1950's Summer Dress
Woke up hours before the BF and set to work trying to get my dress close to finished. I left off with a completed bodice and a lining to install. I chose a forest green, not because any is actually in the Madras plaid of my fabric but because I liked the subtle contrast. I got the liner bodice completed and sewn on to the top of the dress and then turned it into the inside of the dress.
The skirt portion was easy-peasy. 4 pieces, 4 darts and voila. This is where things get fun but tedious, installing the closure. The pattern called for either a placket closure or a slide. I hate to hand sew buttons and snaps to slide closure it was. The fun part is the type of slide closure. There was the ghetto way that I first used when starting out, this is the one where you they to install a zipper without a zipper foot or any education but done right, it's a Slash zipper. There is also the "invisible" zipper which I love as it is clean and simple to do. My chosen, was a side seam zipper, where the zipper is hidden beneath a small flap of fabric.
Start by ironing the fabric pieces open and flat. Taking the piece from the back of the dress, fold the fabric in half, pin and iron.
Take the zipper and pin it to the folded material and with your zipper foot attached, carefully run the needle as close as possible to the zipper teeth.
Open up the dress so that the zipper is layer across both halves of the dress. Now for the fun part. Run a needle and contrast thread along the side of the zipper not yet stitched to the dress, as close to the teeth as you can. This is to create a guide to run the zipper foot down. Turn the dress over and place into the machine and sew down the guide line. Remove the contrast thread, open the stitching to expose the zipper and admire your work.
I turned in the hem and ran out of the house to enjoy the weather before being able to complete the matching belt. This didn't deter me, I pulled out a black belt to use until I complete the belt and buckle and hit the town.
The skirt portion was easy-peasy. 4 pieces, 4 darts and voila. This is where things get fun but tedious, installing the closure. The pattern called for either a placket closure or a slide. I hate to hand sew buttons and snaps to slide closure it was. The fun part is the type of slide closure. There was the ghetto way that I first used when starting out, this is the one where you they to install a zipper without a zipper foot or any education but done right, it's a Slash zipper. There is also the "invisible" zipper which I love as it is clean and simple to do. My chosen, was a side seam zipper, where the zipper is hidden beneath a small flap of fabric.
Start by ironing the fabric pieces open and flat. Taking the piece from the back of the dress, fold the fabric in half, pin and iron.
Take the zipper and pin it to the folded material and with your zipper foot attached, carefully run the needle as close as possible to the zipper teeth.
Open up the dress so that the zipper is layer across both halves of the dress. Now for the fun part. Run a needle and contrast thread along the side of the zipper not yet stitched to the dress, as close to the teeth as you can. This is to create a guide to run the zipper foot down. Turn the dress over and place into the machine and sew down the guide line. Remove the contrast thread, open the stitching to expose the zipper and admire your work.
I turned in the hem and ran out of the house to enjoy the weather before being able to complete the matching belt. This didn't deter me, I pulled out a black belt to use until I complete the belt and buckle and hit the town.
Day 2: 1950s Summer Dress
So Saturday was productive but was also stopped by the obligatory trip to the bar for St. Patty's day.
I am not a muslin girl, I have yet to require a vintage pattern be created on muslin before being created on the chosen fabric. A modern pattern I do, my measurements are luckily spot on for the 20s-50s, it's the 21st century that I don't measure up to. So once I got the pattern pinned and cut, I used a transfer paper to mark any darts or required folds from the pattern to the fabric.
Then the fun started. I easily whipped up the bodice and then set to work cutting out the lining which I will have fold into the the upper portion of the dress only. This will be to protect my possibly summer sweaty body from creating unwanted folds in the folds in the dress.
I tried on the bodice before sewing the pieces of the lining together so that I could duplicate any adjustments needed on the fabric portion to the lining. I was able to finish this by the time we needed to head out.
Next, Lining and skirt.
I am not a muslin girl, I have yet to require a vintage pattern be created on muslin before being created on the chosen fabric. A modern pattern I do, my measurements are luckily spot on for the 20s-50s, it's the 21st century that I don't measure up to. So once I got the pattern pinned and cut, I used a transfer paper to mark any darts or required folds from the pattern to the fabric.
Then the fun started. I easily whipped up the bodice and then set to work cutting out the lining which I will have fold into the the upper portion of the dress only. This will be to protect my possibly summer sweaty body from creating unwanted folds in the folds in the dress.
I tried on the bodice before sewing the pieces of the lining together so that I could duplicate any adjustments needed on the fabric portion to the lining. I was able to finish this by the time we needed to head out.
Next, Lining and skirt.
1950s Summer Dress
Next project (after not posting anything for a year.) With the unseasonable warm up in Boston I really need to get a start on building up my weather appropriate wardrobe. After a couple winter pieces in January and February I need to change gears so here is the first installment of my 1950's summer dress.
It's a beautiful dress and bolero from Advance pattern no. 4904. When picking a pattern nothing is more important than the fabric and as luck would have it, I have a whole bolt of plaid cotton from the 50's!
So I don't destroy my delicate patterns I start by tracing them and making measurement adjustments from there. I am tall and not many women in the 49's and 50's were 5'9" and this is evident by every waistline being a good inch and a half above my belly button so copying the pattern and adding an inch to the new pattern is perfect for me.
It's a beautiful dress and bolero from Advance pattern no. 4904. When picking a pattern nothing is more important than the fabric and as luck would have it, I have a whole bolt of plaid cotton from the 50's!
So I don't destroy my delicate patterns I start by tracing them and making measurement adjustments from there. I am tall and not many women in the 49's and 50's were 5'9" and this is evident by every waistline being a good inch and a half above my belly button so copying the pattern and adding an inch to the new pattern is perfect for me.
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