We're in the home stretch of the Fall for Cotton sew-along (can you believe it?), and you might be thinking about little final touches. So let's talk about making buttonholes by hand, shall we? When you use older vintage sewing patterns, you may find that you just skip over the part about how to make buttonholes, since nowadays we're all so used to doing them on our sewing machines most of the time. Many of the ... Read more »
A week with my first permanent wave
Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram may know that last Friday, I got my first perm! Many of you who regularly set your hair for vintage hairstyles have read about getting a permanent wave, or have even gotten one yourself. I think the first time I read about someone getting a perm in order to help vintage sets hold was Fleur de Guerre, a few years ago. Those of you who aren't familiar with vintage ... Read more »
Fall for Cotton: thoughts on setting in sleeves
Hello, Fall for Cotton sew-alongers! How is everyone's project coming along? I just got going on mine. Unfortunately my thoughts of doing a smart outfit consisting of trousers and blouse flew out the window when I started facing the reality of the amount of work I need to put in for a special project I'm working on right now. I've had to scale back my goal, so now I'm only going to sew the blouse. It was a difficult ... Read more »
A week in the Northwoods
Hello everyone, we're back from our adventures in northern Wisconsin! For the week, we rented a little vacation cottage in the woods far north in the state, about a 6 - 7 hour drive away. It was the perfect time, just after Labor Day when the masses were leaving and we were just arriving. I mean literally, they were driving home as we were getting there. This was a look at the road as we approached the Northwoods on Labor ... Read more »
Gingham, lace & denim: one foot in summer, one in fall
One thing that I don't think I do enough around these parts is outfit posts. Would you agree? Would you like to see more? A few weeks ago we had a nice cool spell, which actually made it feel like fall was on its way. And so I started ditching my skirts and dresses for jeans again. Of course then after that we sweltered in the heat for awhile, naturally. But even still, I've been finding myself wearing jeans a lot in ... Read more »
Fall for Cotton: My project plans
Thanks for all the wonderful comments about the new blog design! I'm just bursting with excitement about it. :) Well sew-alongers, it's taken me awhile to decide what I want to sew for Fall for Cotton! There are so many inspiring patterns being posted in the Flickr group. And today is September 1st so you know what that means—it's our official sewing start date. Yay! Well, it turns out Rochelle and I are going ... Read more »
By Gum, By Golly relaunch: now with Moxie!
I'm so excited to officially announce the new By Gum, By Golly redesign today! Thanks to Joelle of Moxie Design Studios, this blog now has an amazing new look and great functionality. I seriously couldn't be more pleased. Tickled, flabbergasted... doesn't even begin to cover it! Some astute readers noticed the new site technically went live yesterday, but we've been working behind the scenes to get things ready. I ... Read more »
Fall for Cotton: 50s pattern and fabric inspiration
Do you need a little bit of inspiration for Fall for Cotton? I know many of our sew-alongers have 1950s styles on their mind, so I wanted to share a few combinations of patterns and fabric to give you a fun 50s look for your project! I adore McCall 4987 from 1959 (38" bust), with the contrast inset panel and cut-on sleeves. This would be great in a mid-weight cotton with some structure. You could easily sew it up all ... Read more »
Fall for Cotton: vintage fabric shopping, part 2
When last we met, I talked about hunting down vintage cotton fabric for Fall for Cotton, and discussed fiber content, condition and my thoughts on getting a good deal. Today, let's talk about the actual shopping part! That's the fun part! Well, sometimes it's the fun part... sometimes it's just annoying. Ha! Where can I find vintage fabric shopping in person? Flea markets, antique malls and thrift stores come to mind! ... Read more »
Fall for Cotton: vintage fabric shopping, part 1
Are you thinking about your fabric choices for Fall for Cotton yet? I admit, I'm not quite yet, as I still have to figure out what I'm going to sew! I know that at least a few of you in the sew-along are hoping or planning to use original vintage fabric. Since you know I sometimes use vintage fabric when I sew, I figured this would be a great topic to talk about. I have shopped for vintage fabric a lot, and while I'm ... Read more »
By Gum, By Golly now on Facebook
Hello everyone! It's been so much fun seeing all the excitement being generated for the Fall for Cotton sew-along. Remember to keep following along on Lucky Lucille, the Flickr group, and right here! Just a quick post today to let you know that By Gum, By Golly is finally on Facebook. You can now follow me here: http://www.facebook.com/bygumbygolly I'm not at all wise in the ways of Facebook, so I'll be getting my ... Read more »
Fall for Cotton: a vintage sew-along
Today is an exciting day! Rochelle and I have been putting our heads together for awhile now, and you may have seen a hint or two here and there, but we're ready to let you all know about our newest sewing collaboration. Lucky Lucille and By Gum, By Golly present... Fall For Cotton: a vintage sewing challenge for the cotton lover! This is a sew-along for those of you who, like us, love sewing vintage styles and ... Read more »
A fast roller set for everyday vintage hair
Two years ago I did a long tutorial on a sponge/foam roller set, and it continues to be one of my most popular posts. It's time for an update, I think! So today I'm going to show you my fast and basic daily roller set for everyday vintage hair, and how I brush it out. While I try other techniques, setting patterns, methods and products now and again, this is my tried and true. I go for casual curls, an everyday look ... Read more »
And the winner is…
Thanks for all the entries on the Mrs. Depew digital pattern giveaway! Of course there can only be one winner, and random.org has declared it... Long-time reader Brandy of A Series of (Unfortunate) Vintage Sewing Events is the winner. Congrats, Brandy!! Please contact me as I don't see an email address on your site. Thanks again to everyone who entered, and to Mrs. Depew Vintage Patterns for a wonderful giveaway! ... Read more »
Giveaway! Mrs. Depew digital vintage patterns
I've got something fun for you today—a giveway! Yay! Yesterday, you got to see my accidental playsuit, the top of which was made using the Mrs. Depew 1950s beach bustier pattern. Thank you for all the compliments! Because I had several comments about one particular aspect and forgot to mention in the post, I should clarify that I was not wearing a bra with my beach top. The top itself was doing all the work...which is ... Read more »
The accidental vintage playsuit
We haven't visited sewing in awhile, have we? Truthfully, I haven't had much time for sewing lately! I have one or two things up my sleeves, and that's been taking up a lot of time. I finished this top over two weeks ago and haven't been able to touch my sewing machine since. I've barely had time to check my favorite blogs and I'm woefully behind on email. Ugh! But enough about things I can't talk about, how about ... Read more »