Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on my pinafore skirt! I actually can't quite believe I'm here 3 days later to post another finished sewing project. But friends, I did it. I finished a project for Debi's Sew Grateful week! Keep reading and you'll find out why these are for Sew Grateful, as there's a whole slew of reasons and people to thank! Now, I managed to space out that Sew Grateful week was coming up ... Read more »
Finished: Hollywood Patterns tweed pinafore skirt
My most recent sewing project that I'm sharing today actually preempts the previous project I finished just before this one. You see, I planned to take photos of both the same day, except there was 2 inches of snow on the ground and I could only stand being outside without a coat for so long. So you'll have to wait on the other one. dog butt in the background Look what I did for the love of this blog, my friends! I ... Read more »
1952 inspiration: Finnish knitting patterns
I'm excited to share something I've been meaning to for oh, months now! I've been extra busy at work in the last week so I'm frightfully behind in all online realms, but I'm pleased that's finally letting up and I can share this with you tonight. I've been extremely fortunate that a few blog readers have kindly shared vintage knitting patterns with me. Many months ago I was contacted by one such reader in Helsinki, ... Read more »
Finished: inspired by Debi 1942 McCall blouse
I really owe Debi from My happy sewing place a big thank you for the inspiration for this blouse! If you follow Debi's blog you'll already know she's embarked on a huge long-term project called the 1940 McCall project where she intends to make all the McCall patterns from 1940. What an exciting commitment! I've been very inspired by her posts about the early stages of the project so far and it led led me to think about ... Read more »
My guest post on Lucky Lucille (with those pockets!)
Hi everyone! I'm happy so many of you enjoyed my latest sewing projects. And as I promised, I have a little something special up my sleeves for you. Well, in my pockets, I guess! If you'd like to learn more about how I did the pockets on my vintage skirt, then pop on over to Lucky Lucille for my guest post today. I adore Rochelle and was thrilled to contribute to her fabulous blog while she's doing a WWII reenactment. ... Read more »
Finished: 1940s Simplicity diamonds skirt & Alma blouse
Last week I completed my first outfit of 2013! And yes, I planned and sewed an outfit! Let's talk about the blouse first. I used the Sewaholic Alma pattern and sewed the size down from my full bust size with only slight changes: I make the neckline a little higher, graded the hips down (since I don't have a pear shape like Tasia's line is designed for), and cut 1.75" off the length. The blouse went together like a ... Read more »
Window treatment follow-up: I found pinch pleat panels!
Lots of you chimed in with some good suggestions on my mid-century window treatment dilemma post. Thank you! By the weekend, we had pretty much decided on stationary pinch pleat panels off to the sides of the windows, with 2" blinds set into each window. (A big thanks to Ginny and Barbara for their comments about the weight implications of one big long set of blinds, which isn't something I would have considered.) Then ... Read more »
Help picking mid-century living room window treatments
Oh dear, can I tell you what visions have been floating around in my head lately as I try and drift off to sleep? Window treatments. I hope you have a cup of tea as this is a long one. If you care not about mid-century window treatments then I won't be offended in the slightest if you click away now. Get out while you still can. I realized recently with a nudge from Pam at Retro Renovation that I never followed up on ... Read more »
Vintage knitting patterns: 1947 sport socks
On Monday I shared my new socks to secretly tuck inside my ankle boots. And I promised I'd share a free vintage sock pattern with you. Actually, I'm sharing two! A plain and a cabled pair. Both patterns are from the same knitting booklet from 1947. The plain socks are knit to 8.5 stitches per inch, casting on 52 stitches for the ribbed cuff, with the rest of the sock knit on 60 stitches. The cabled socks don't ... Read more »
Why it’s warm inside my boots
I love living in a four-season climate, but I don't love being cold. This winter I've been working on making myself warm in ways that don't make me look like a marshmallow. Don't get me wrong, I know there will still be some days I can't avoid looking like this. But I'm determined to look like the Michelin man as few days as possible this winter. As it gets colder I hope to do a post on how I'm layering to keep ... Read more »
Trying things that don’t always work out
Hello my friends! And a very happy 2013 to you. I'm marching right into this year, full steam ahead. I have two new knitting projects on the needles, and a stack of sewing projects I'd like to start. In fact, I've already learned something about sewing this year: ideas that sounds brilliant in your head don't always translate to a project the way you expect them to. And I'm having to remind myself that's okay. I'll ... Read more »
Reflections on my 2012 sewing and knitting
I'm actually feeling a bit more chipper and less cranky than I thought I would when I sat down to write this post, and I'll tell you why in a minute. 'Tis the season when everyone starts counting down their top whatevers of the year, and sewing projects, skills, goals and the like is no different. We've been getting ready to head to suburban Washington, D.C. for Christmas so I've had less time than usual for catching up ... Read more »
Christmas crafting is in the air
Even though it barely feels like winter yet here, I've definitely been feeling the crafty Christmas spirit. Every year I have the best of intentions for a large variety of crafts I'd like to accomplish before the holidays. And most years, almost none of them get completed. That's certainly true this year, so I'm already plotting things I'd like to do for next year... maybe I'll actually get them done that ... Read more »
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas pullover time
December marks the month I whip out all of my winter-themed pullovers. What can I say, I just have a thing for them. They naturally make a great casual outfit with trousers or jeans, but it can be hard to dress them up, which I like to do from time to time. I went for a bit of sparkle and gold in my accessories to do the job. (Sorry for the dead yard photos. That's one caveat of a tiny city yard, there aren't a lot of ... Read more »
Completed: cake and vinegar dress
Hello everyone! Well let me just say a big humble thank you to everyone who enjoyed my back roll with a scarf tutorial. I'm so glad it's proved to be easy for others, and it's been fun seeing it crop up on so many heads. I forgot to mention another time it's a useful hairstyle: hiding when you try out a new setting pattern and you don't love the result. (I don't think you need to ask me to know how I found that one ... Read more »
How I do a vintage back roll using a scarf
Hello my dear readers! I hope those of you in the U.S. had a lovely Thanksgiving. I know I did! Today I'm excited to share a quick hair tutorial with you. I love the look of a 1940s-style back roll. It can be an elegant evening style or wartime factory worker casual. There are several great tutorials for this type of hairstyle, including at Va-Voom Vintage and Eileen's Basement. My version is a little different, as it ... Read more »