Pattern shopping

As I spent most of my weekend shopping (and assembling Ikea furniture), I've managed to have another sewing-free weekend. I did find time to redecorate in here though. Hope you like it, I'm going for a fresh and clean look!

I did do something else this weekend. I was bad.

I saw that Jaycotts had 10% off a number of their patterns.

I've been looking at these first two for a while, so I thought I'd use the sale as an excuse to finally get them!

 Vintage Vogue V1171

This is a pattern issued in 1950 originally, but I think the big collar gives it a vaguely 30s feel.

 Vogue V8604

I was inspired to buy this pattern by Suzy who's just sewn a pair of the trousers for the Cupcake Goddess sewalong. I'll definitely be giving the trousers a go but I like the skirt and the jacket too.

New Look 6007

I've been toying with the idea of wearing a cape for some time, then yesterday I saw a woman wearing a beautiful grey wool one in town and decided I need one. I like view D - short and with a collar. Could be good for spring!

And now the news...

It's been another busy week and the time I've not been at work (boo) or crafting (yay), I've been putting up sparkly things around the house and  sleeping. I'm actually pleased for these busy times. Although I'm  feeling dead on my feet, have a whole host of ulcers in my mouth and a permanent sore throat, I've got a lot done and even been out again which  is very satisfying, it's nice to feel well enough to keep busy.
Type A? Me? Never.
Despite my moaning, I am really enjoying making my presents and decorations. The cross stitch I did for my colleague was very gratefully  received and has spurred me on to get the other bits and pieces done.  Fortunately, I've now finished the quilt for my Nan. Parts of it are wonky, some of the stitching is a different length to other bits, and I've managed to put several pintucks in by accident but it's finished and looks fine from a distance!

 I'm actually very happy with this quilt. It's my first try at patchwork and quilting and I quite literally made it up as I went along. I've learnt some lessons about how not to make quilts (don't try to put the

whole quilt through the small gap under the arm of the sewing machine - it won't fit. Also, don't use silk for half the squares because they'll slip around like nobody's business) and I will definitely return to

quilt making in the future.

Next I need to make a bag, some little dice bags (I'll be posting about these soon as 'gifts for nerds'!), another framed cross stitch (this time a motto for my history tutor) and my crackers! How long till
Christmas again?

Still, in my travels to get bits and pieces to make all of these with, I saw Vintage Vogue patterns at 40% off and snapped 2 up. They're usually so pricey that I don't bother, but I couldn't resist these ones! Expect to see these before spring (maybe).

On Saturday I put down my sewing to go to the Garrison AGM and Christmas Party. The Garrison is a WW2 reenactment group for a Royal Artillery unit (they play with massive 22lb guns) and have an ATS regiment (the 93rd Searchlight operators) attached to them. I've joined them now and ordered my ATS uniform and will be going to several events next  year. I might even be able to make a week long trip to Normandy for a big international event in the summer!
I was pleased to find that everyone I met at the weekend was very welcoming and friendly and after a couple of hours I felt like one of the family. I've met reenactors in the past who were so obsessive that they were quite unfriendly to people who were making enquiries, but fortunately everyone at the Garrison seems very relaxed and more than happy to give pointers and, more importantly, tell me not to worry about getting it all perfect at the start. As soon as I get my outfit together I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures! I'd thoroughly recommend that if anyone is thinking about getting into ATS reenactment, the Garrison is a good  group to get in with. They also have the only fully working searchlight in the UK at the moment!

Weirdly, I met the lady that sold me my checked skirt on etsy at the party! Small world...

For Surrey girls (I know there are a few of you out there) I'd recommend you have a look at the Watercress Christmas Leave event. I was going to go, but due to family commitments I won't be able to make it *sad face*. There's going to be 40s music and food and steam trains, with a lot of people in WW2 uniforms and civilian dress, all for a very reasonable £15 a head. What more could you want?!

Finally I need to direct you over to this slightly odd but rather wonderful giveaway by In the Heyday. It's UK only and I'm down for 2 entries. Fingers crossed - this would look lovely on my hall wall!

Things I've done this week

In no particular order.

1. Received my Wearing History Panties pattern. I've been wearing my Kiss Me Deadly girdle and because it comes so high, my underware just doesn't work with it. I figure the best solution is to get some genuine 1940s shorts to wear instead! I love the pair with plain legs and am planning several pairs in satin and flannel as recommended. I might make some of the bloomers to keep my thighs warm in the cold!

2. Oggled lots of other people's sewing spaces over at Blue Gardenia. I love being nosey and this satisfies that and my love of craft rooms! I'm really interested in these sewing boxes that Gabriella has her patterns in. I've never seen them before but I want some!

3. Had my eyebrows threaded and my nails painted. Essential maintainance stuff and good prep for the wedding I'm attending tomorrow! I feel so much better when I've got all my primping up to date!

4. Bought a red beret from Accessorize. The assistant in the shop was trying one on next to me and was really nice about my outfit and how the hat looked. She made my day, even if she was just trying to make the sale!

5. Visited Ikea and planned my new tv/dvd/cd unit. As well as a stand and dvd racks, we're going to build (!) some shelves ourselves to fill a large alcove to put all of our books on. Not being DIY savvy, this is a big project for us, but it'll give us more space and make tidy our books up.

6. Made some progress on my current cross stitch project. I'm making one of the samplers from Moira Blackburn. It's taking an age to work through. I'm working on a space that's about 1/4 of the total area to be stitched and it's taken me months! I'm really pleased with how well it's turning out though, and the colours of the silks are so beautiful it's a pleasure to work on. It's perfect in front of the TV work!

7. Had my 4th tutorial for my History A-Level. I'm really enjoying it, and I've gone from 1906 through to 1922 so far. It's amazing to see where the political world today came from, and the changes in society during that period. Sadly Votes for Women is something that we're only touching on and I'd like to cover it in a lot more detail, but I don't really have the time to read into the details too much. Hopefully when I've done the exams I can take the time and do my reading then.

8. Watched First Light on Tuesday. First Light is the dramatisation of a book by one of the youngest pilots in the Battle of Britain. It follows his short and brutal experiences in 1940 and 41 and the effect the horrors he saw had on him. It's a great drama and all the more poignant for the fact that it's true. The snippets of the Geoffrey Wellum talking today made a difference. His last line in particular made me think.

"Nobody wants a medal. Nobody wants a thank you. But it would be nice to be remembered. Because then you must remember us all, and not just those who survived”.

9. Wore winter tights with a skirt to deal with the cold-but-sunny days we've had this week. My favourites are these grey cotton tights with lacy diamond patterns through them. Warm but not too heavy. Perfect for autumn!



10. Had a wonderfully girly night in with Millions Like Us. It's a film made during the war and, although it has an unmistakable edge of moral boosting propoganda, is an absolute delight. It's the story of one very ordinary girl who goes to 'do her duty' for the war and ends up in a very unglamourous factory. It's very funny in places (there's a fantastic tongue in cheek description of oranges at the start which I thought was genius), and sad, and interesting. From a fashion point of view it's great because of how ordinary all the girls are - for once this is high street and not couture fashion we see!

I laughed so hard at the lead character's day dreams about her as a beautiful nurse, a hard working WREN or a dashing ATS driver, each time with some handsome officer alongside. It's so true to (my) life! There's a fantastic review at Cargo Cult Craft, which is also where I stole the picture from. Go read what Susannah has to say. I really couldn't have put it better myself.

Current Projects

I've finally got around to photographing what I'm working on at the moment, and boy do I have a lot of sewing on the go!

Project number 1 is this wrap top, made with a pattern from Decades of Style. It's recommended in a light fabric but #I've used a medium weight suiting so that I can wrap up in it for the winter. The pin tucks on the front have turned into small pleats but other than that it's worked fine. I've made bias binding to go around the whole top, which has been a right pain, but that's my last task to finish this top. I actually pinned it on last night so hopefully I can finish this tonight. Seeing as I started making it a year ago, I'm happy to be at the end!

Project number 2 is this suit. I bought it a little while ago because it's beautifully made and I love the fabric. Sadly, the lining was completely ripped and the zip on the skirt was faulty. I'm setting out to fix both of those issues and while I'm at it, I'm shifting the skirt about 1" up into the waistband to complete the work of the last owner. She'd moved the button on the skirt out by about 1/2" but hadn't done anything else, meaning that the zip wouldn't do all the way up and there was a gap between the top of the zip and the waistband. I'm moving the waist up enough to close the gap and replacing the zip while I'm at it. Hoping to get this done soon so I can wear it in the cooler weather.

 

Project 3 is actually done. Last night I replaced the ripped square in this quilt. It was made by a friend of my parents in the last 70s and has been mine since I was a child. It feels good to be using it in my own house! I used a scrap of fabric from project 4 to patch it. The close up is of one of my favourite squares - a fairy riding a bike!

Project 4 is a diversion from what I bought this pattern for. I'm planning to make the blouse and trousers for the Hepburn Hepburn sew along, but I decided I need a wool skirt urgently so I'm using some old wool fabric I had laying around to make the skirt first. I've cut the pieces out but that's all so far.

Project 5 is in a similar stage of completeness (i.e. cut out). It's gone on the back burner for now, being a summer dress, but I'm still going to press ahead with it for next spring. I'm going to have a go at making my first belt for this too.

I'm also going to make a house dress using the same pattern as my blue and white spot (photos of the finished article later) with this aeroplane fabric. I'm calling it my RAF dress and it's project 6.

Project 7 is a dirndl skirt made from a light wool black fabric. Quick but bottom of the list for now!

Also on my to-do list is sewing tape onto the curtains my Nan gave me for the bedroom and living room and a winter dress. I'll see if I can get around to posting my future projects later! I realise, of course, that while I'm blogging I could be finishing these projects, but I never was one for resisting distractions!

Progress at last

I was sewing till about 12.30 last night, but I did make some progress with my dress. I've finished the bodice, so I now only have the skirt to stitch together, gather into the waist (urk!) and then put in the concealed zip. Maybe 'only' doesn't cover it. Still, I reckon that's about 1 day of sewing and I'll be done.

See the understitching next to the seam?

I learnt all about understitching last night. Understitching is where you take your seams and sew them on to the lining, to stop edges of lining or facing rolling forwards. It gives a much neater and more professional edge and is pretty easy to do. There's an excellent guide here on YouTube that helped me.

Before (left) and after (right)

However, I did make one mistake, which was trying to irom my seams down before stitching. As you can see form the photo below, the pins left massive holes! I'm hoping they'll fade or be repaired by ironing later. So annoyed with myself!

Today will be mostly spent on some much needed housework and garden tidying and then it's back behind the machine tomorrow.

I also just wanted to share Debi's version of the simplicity pattern I'm planning to sew for the Hepburn and Hepburn project - what amazing colours. Thanks to Sarah for tellinbg me about it. I'm very excited now!

Hepburn and Hepbut project

I've decided to join in Sarah's project sewing - somehthing related to one of the Hepburns. Since no part of me could be described as petite, I'm not going to go for Audrey.

Katharine Hepburn, on the other hand, has been one of my favourite actresses for a long time and inspired my middle name (Lauren Bacall having inspired my first!), so I'm going to give an outfit in her style a go. Eva Dress have a 1930s dress which is apparently something she wore in her first film. It's nice, but I'm not sure it's my thing.

Instead, I think I'm going to go for Simplicity 3688. I like the trousers and the top, so I'm going to give the 2 a go. As soon as I get back from Goodwood I'll be buying some suitable fabric and will probably start on the trousers.

Sarah is giving away some lovely patterns in conjunction with this sew along project - check out http://www.rhinestonesandtelephones.com/ for full details!

Busy busy busy

Last night was cutting out, and it took me forever!

I had to cut 4 of each piece, and since I'm rubbish at cutting straight, I took my time and did each piece twice. Then I had to do my tailor tacks and notches.

I now have all the pieces cut out and am going to stitch about half the bodice before bed tonight. I figure if I get half done tonight, half Wednesday, the skirt on Thursday and sew it all together on Friday, I can hem and finish etc at the weekend and will still have 3 days spare before Goodwood for any last minute bits and bobs. I know I have a repair to do on a pair of gloves I want to wear and I'm sure I'll find more to do once I start packing.

I'm really hoping to get it done before the weekend, as I'm probably going to be heading off to the Brecon Jazz festival with hubby. He grew up in the Welsh wilds not far from Brecon, so it'll double up as a visit to his parents and a chance to get some toe tapping done. Despite being in Brecon about six times a year for the last 5 years, we've never made the festival! I'll be pleased to finally see what all the fuss is about.

We might take a trip into Hay on Wye on the way home too (most shops are open on Sundays and closed Mondays instead) - some of my favourite antiques and vintage shops are in Hay, not to mention the bookshops. For those of you who don't know, Hay is basically a retirement home for second hand books. There are probably 20 or more second hand bookshops there, some of them are massive. Those books which don't get sold in any of the regular shops get chucked into the Castle bookshop - a courtyard in the ruined castle - on shelves, open to the elements. There's an honesty box and a standard charge of 50p a book - it's well worth a rummage! It's a wonderful place, very olde worldy, and between the shops and cafes you can waste a happy day there, just pottering. If you're ever in the vicinity it really is well worth a visit.

 

I've had a look through some patterns I've inherited from my Nan today. Most aren't to my taste but they're wonderful all the same. The children's dress is one my mum would have worn.

There is also a box of zip, saved over the years. There's a sign of a different generation, and of a poor upbringing. My mum says she remembers my great-grandad picking up bits of string in the street to keep.

Finally, and the best item, is the pattern my Nan used to make my Mum's wedding dress. It's in bad condition, but it's definately one to keep!

Toil and trouble

So, having spent a happy, if frustrating, day yesterday trying to get my mockup of my dress (butterick b5209) bodice to fit, I'm ready to start the dress proper tonight. I'll try to get some snaps of each part of the process to review the pattern and show off my ability to complicate even the most simple of processes!

As expected, I had trouble getting the gathers to fit under the bust yesterday. My underbust measurement is 28", and on bust is 38", meaning that anything shaped around the bust usually ends up sitting several inches too high. Not for me the empire line! Yesterday, I made up the bodice in muslin with the measurements for a 38" bust and tried it on.

Since it was too big in the waist I took about 2" out of the back and re stitched it. Then, because the gathers were, predictably, far too high, I drew where my underbust line came onto the muslin. I then used those lines recut the two front sections, about an inch longer in the centre as it turned out. Finally I resewed it and took a little bit of fullness out of the centre front, so it's more fitted around the bust. Since I unpicked by toile before bed last night, I don't have any pictures, but it wasn't exciting and hopefully the real thing will be worth looking at!

All of this was done while watching Gone with the Wind (I think I'm developing an unhealthy crush on Clark Gable) and Andrew Marr's Making of Modern Britain. The latter is something I'm watching not just for enjoyment, but as part of my newest project - an A-Level in History! I'm taking the 4 modules over the next 2 years and the 2 I'm doing this year are Britain: 1906-1951 and Life in Nazi Germany. I'll be taking the Britain module in January, so I've started studying for it already. Fortunately, it's a time period I know a fair bit about already, so there shouldn't be too many surprises! Andrew Marr's series, while short and high level is a very good starting point and I'd definitely recommend it. I've used it to get an overview of the first half of the 20th Century and I think it's been a good introduction. I'm really looking forwards to looking deeper into such a fascinating time!

Sew much to get done

Well, John Lewis had a dissapointingly small selection of fabrics. I managed to find something for each of my projects I have in mind, but the quality and quantity wasn't what it used to be.
I thought sewing was supposed to be coming back into fashion!?
Like all things, I think the answer is 'go to London'. Think I'm going to have to plan a trip to the big city :)

The green crepe back satin is for the butterick dress, hopefully for Goodwood.

The centre fabric is a medium weight cotton, which I'm going to use for the shirtwaist dress above. The pattern is a copy of an original.

The black on the end is for my next attempt at a dirndl skirt. It's a wolly feeling cotton with a very nice drape.

Plenty for me to be getting on with! I'm finishing my blue spotty dress and hemming my black dress tonight and I'll crack on with the rest tomorrow. I usually don't bother with toiles, I'm too impatient to get onto the real sewing! I am going to mock up the top of the butterick dress though - it's very fitted round and under the bust and being larger than the average lady in that department, I think it needs a trial!

I've spent the last few days preparing for Vintage a Goodwood - a fabulous event with music, art, fashion and shops (see how I left the shopping bit till last? That probably won't happen when I'm there) celebrating 5 decades of British culture. It covers the 1940s through to the 1980s and there are dedicated areas for each decade. I'm going to be mainly sticking to the 40s area, though I might be tempted away by Sandie Shaw, and possibly the roller disco! I'm wondering, actually, how a tea dress and victory rolls will go down in a 70s disco - it could be a surreal experience!

Seeing as this event will be filled with the cream of Britain's vintage fans, what I wear is going to be terribly important. The day times require casual and comfortable elegance and the nights stunning stylishness. I have most of my outfits planned, except for one evening dress.

Thursday - Horse racing in the evening - repro 50s dress and my cute 30s hat (yup, it's a massive mix of eras but it works)

Friday

Cream Vivien of Holloway trousers and green check tie blouse

Night - no idea

Saturday

My new 'Fleur' dress by Heyday

Night - Black vintage dress with lots of jewels

Sunday

40s M&S dress

Vivien of Holloway sarong dress

Dressing my husband has been harder. He has a great de-mob suit, a double breasted pinstripe which he can wear with a homburg and look the business in the evenings, and we've bough some grey hollywood pants for the day time, which he's planning to wear with just a shirt and braces, plus straw fedora for the daytime. Finding vintage mens clothes is really hard, I hadn't appreciated just how much more difficult it is than finding clothes for women. There are no repro companies out there to speak of, and those selling vintage have so few 40s and 50s items that you're very lucky if you can find anything to fit. Is it because women have always owned more clothes than men? That when men buy new clothes it's because their old ones are worn out and so they get thrown away or recycled into something else? I know my grandfather has shirts in his wardrobe that he bought in the 60s and is only just getting around to wearing, because he's had enough shirts to keep him going until now. You wouldn't catch many women doing that!

I'm off to John Lewis' haberdashery later to see if I can find some suitable fabric to turn this pattern into an evening dress. I'm thinking of using satin or another nicely draping fabric to give it a glamorous look. I'd like to use a jewel tone, maybe an emerald green, but sadly nice quality fabrics are in short supply, so I may have to take what I'm given!

My dress is nearly finished!



Despite cutting the wrong size out on the front pieces, I managed to
get the pieces to fit together and I think it's turned out fine

I just
need to do the button holes and sew on the buttons now! I'll post a
picture of me in it (if it fits!).



I'm also going to make a dirndl skirt
from cute strawberry pattern fabric I have. Hoping it'll turn out ok
because I'm not using a pattern!





My white 40s trousers from Vivien of Holloway arrived the other day,
they're snug but hopefully on my salad and exercise regime that should
be resolved pretty soon. I wore them to a car boot on Sunday with a
straw hat I picked up at a flea market a few months ago and they were fab. Will get a pic up asap.

I'm increasingly finding hats and headscarves are superb for dealing with
bad hair days, and are saving me hours in front of the mirror! My friend
Jamie (proprietor of the fabulous Gimme Shelter vintage shop in Bristol)
is picking me up some hair rats from the beauty wholesaler soon.
Looking forwards to my hair being long enough to do something with, I'm
just trying as hard as I can to grow it right now. Lots of long hair
thoughts! Resolved to use a Hollywood roll to solve my hair issues.
Curling it every morning is out of the question, so think that putting
it up in a roll, or plaits, is my best option. Just wish it would grow more quickly!


I've also found out why nothing's growing in one part of my garden... 8kg of cat!

A blog is born

I received the greatest compliment I've ever had last week, when a friend suggested I should start a style diary.
While I can't promise to be hugely inspiring, I'm hoping that this mild ego trip / exercise in self indulgence might at least give me justification for my obsessive clothes shopping! So here I am, with a blog of my very own!

It's all about me...
I'm 26, live in Bristol in the South West of England, and I love vintage clothes. I'm also a spendaholic and don't earn nearly enough money to support my vintage habit.
I love the 1940 - music, fashion, cinema - it's all a wonder to me. I hope to share some of my favourite outfits with you, and to shout about the great purchases of vintage-style pieces from modern shops (one of my greatest pleasures). My wardrobe is quite eclectic and, although my main focus is the 40s (the shape suits me best), I have clothes from and inspired by the 1920s through to the 1950s.
I also do quite a bit of sewing and am working my way through my extensive vintage pattern collection at the moment, starting with a house dress from 'Past Patterns'. I really enjoy crafty projects and I have an antique style cross stitch sampler on the go at the moment too. I'll post pictures as I progress!
Gardening is my final passion of the moment and I have my first vegetable patch dug and planted. I'm just watching out for my first ever veggies now!

Here is my cat Deryn helping me cut my pattern out.