50s Retro Wedding Gown

I came across this ebay seller, ladyamma,  that makes reproductions of a 1950s wedding dress from an original pattern for $198. The seller has 100% positive feedback. Right now there is a size 16 already made, but they take commissions.

They also have a sleeveless flared dress (size 10) that screams 50s Barbie to me. Same price range.

It also looks like they include a free veil with each dress.

Double check the measurements for the ready made dresses because they look a tad bit smaller than off-the-rack sizes you normally buy in the store.

What's On Sale- Sailor Suit Romper

I found this adorable Stop Staring Sailor Suit Romper on Modcloth. I would buy it in a heartbeat, but the largest size they go up to is a 43" bust. If you are that size or smaller, snatch this up quick because these tend to sell out and then they are gone. It is a chunk o' change at $134.99 and normally I don't post about things that expensive, but I don't see a lot of this style so I will let you decide if it is worth the extra money.

Pink Bathrooms

Close friends of mine recently bought a 50s bungalow from a relative and they asked me if I knew how to clean the pink swirl tile in the bathroom without stripping the swirl. Well, of course, I start researching 50s bathrooms (which is something I hope to own some day soon) and I come across the awesome blog Retro Renovation. On this blog people post about various aspects of restoring and upkeep of vintage homes, with a whole lot of 50s goodness. Need to know how to find vintage or repro supplies? Chances are you'll find it on this site.

Not only is the blog wonderful, but they started the web site Save the Pink Bathrooms, which is all about...well... pink bathrooms! I drool everytime I look around on the site and I am hoping to get my friends to showcase their bathroom which has this cool wavy glass half-partition between the tub and toilet area.


(picture above from Save the Pink Bathrooms flickr pool)

Whats On Sale- Vintage Sewing Supplies

I don't know about y'all, but I end up having to sew a lot of my own reproduction vintage clothes because it can be difficult to find in my size. SO, I am always keeping my eye out for suppliers of vintage and retro sewing supplies. One of my favs is a cute little shop on etsy called 5dollarfrenchmarket. Everything listing in their shop is (you guessed it) $5.

The thing that they have that makes me go ga-ga is vintage seam binding in various amazing colors. Seam binding is a great way to hem in a vintage style and I use it quite a bit to strengthen seams in the vintage clothes I am able to find that fit me. You'll also see it pop up on the hair flowers in my shop, Tart Deco.

5dollarfrenchmarket also has handmade trinkets and crafts. The shop is adorable, so be sure and visit!

What's On Sale? Vintage New Years Party

Presents are great during the holidays, but let's face it- it's all about the New Years parties! Now is the time to find that special thing that helps make this year kick every other years' ass. Any of the etsy goodies below will ensure festive admiration from your fellow party-goers.

(Picture from squareamerica.com)

 Tinseland Trinkets

Vintage Cardboard Horns

$4.00

5andDimeMemories

1950s Tap Dancing Lady Noisemaker

$8.95

PrimitiveWhiteHouse

1940s Litho Noisemakers

$12.99

Luckydumpster5

Vintage Party Hats

$15

Holiday Party Food

Now is the time to stuff your face with food to celebrate the Holidays. If you are going to put on 10 pounds in a month, it might as well be with vintage recipes! Here are a couple of sites that have vintage appetizer and party foods recipes. Bon Appetit!

Paperpast.com- 50s Party foods
Retro Housewife- Vintage Appetizers
Retrovintage Collectibles- Cocktails and Canapes

Of course, there are always the faithful stand-bys- food on a toothpick and sandwiches without the crusts cut into mini squares. YUM!

Anyone got anymore vintage recipes to add?

(picture from antiquetrader.com)

Proper Undergarments

There's an interesting discussion going on at Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing about what undergarments to wear under vintage and repro clothing. Check it out here. Be sure to follow the link to Couture Allure's article about foundation garments in the discussion, which includes pictures of four vintage looks and the undergarments (like the one on the left) needed to create the correct silhouettes to pull them off.

UPDATE: One of the comments on the discussion from Brabarella includes a link to a 4 part article she wrote for women who want to start wearing foundation garments but don't know where to start. Keen!

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY (closed)

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

For my readers who sew, here is a nifty giveaway.

Rock n' Roll Holiday Revue!

If anyone is going to be in the Milwaukee, WI area this Friday please come see my rockabilly band Sidecar Steph & the 7-10 Split at Vnuk's Lounge! The show starts at 9pm, door is $6 and we are splitting the night with the ever lovely Jodi Jean and the Revenuers from Chicago.

Wanna hear our sound? Go to our myspace page for full song samples.

50s Bombshell Face

Want to learn how to apply make-up like Marilyn Monroe? Daniela Turudich gives some tips in her Vintage Face book (which is unfortunately out-of-print).  I was lucky enough to find a copy and have included the scan for Marilyn below, plus how to apply 50s eye makeup. Click on the thumbnails for larger views.

If you run across a copy of this book and it isn't too expensive, pick it up. It is amazing! Another option is to borrow it from your local library.

What's On Sale- Vintage Sweaters

It is seriously COLD outside in Milwaukee. So I thought it best to find some cute vintage sweaters on Etsy. The best part? They are all under $30.

GreenGingham
Bust 44-46"
$12

27ogle

Bust 46"

$17.50

Thrush

Bust 40"

$24

DIY Glitter Ornaments

I saw this post on Pink Avenue Bride and think these DIY ornaments look adorable and would make a great addition to a vintage tree. Of course, if you are getting married in the winter, what an easy way to add some snap to your ceremony or reception.

I don't know what it is about glitter that appeals to me, but thank goodness it is cheap to buy! BTW, the key to working with glitter is to use an old show box or gift box with some paper in the bottom to make it easier to put excess glitter back into the container to reuse.

What's On Sale- Vintage Wiggle Dresses

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, but it is finals so I've been preoccupied :) I'm hoping this post makes up for it! Here are some sexy wiggle dresses on ebay that are at decent prices right now in decent sizes. Enjoy!

 

Bust ~ 46 inches

Waist~36 inches

Hip~46 inches 

Length~44 inches

Current bid- $31

Time left- 4 days

 

Bust~ 48 inches

Waist~38 inches

 Hip~50 inches 

Length~47 inches

Opening bid- $24.99 

Buy it now- $265

 Time left- 4 days

Bust~ 46 inches

Waist~ 36 inches

Hips~ Full

Length~ 49 inches

Current bid- $24.99

Time left- 5 days

Okay, this last one isn't vintage, but still super cute!

Bust~ 44 inches

Waist~ 35 inches

Hips~ 44 inches

Buy it now- $37.99

Time left- 5 days