New Vogue Pattern Down With Love

I just got the email that Vogue has come out with its new Fall/Winter patterns and there is one Vintage Vogue pattern that I am SO going to get when there is a sale- Vogue 8687.

This pattern looks like it was used verbatim for the Down With Love movie. You know that scene where Renee Zellweger's character walks into the bar with her book publicist, played by the delightful Sarah Paulson,  and they have dresses that match each others' coats? Yep, that one!

pic from http://www.smh.com.au

Quilted Skirts for Fall

McCall's 8997

I absolutely love a quilted skirt in fall. It is such a great practical vintage look. I like to wear mine paired with a turtleneck sweater and matching chiffon scarf at my neck, but there are so many possibilities. It is also super simple to make them because of all of the prequilted fabrics available. Just pick up a circle skirt pattern and sew away.

 If you don't sew, here is a treasury of some nifty skirts that are available on etsy right now.

Click here to visit this treasury

September 25th is Museum Day

What better way to go vintage than with a visit through history? The Smithsonian is hosting Museum Day this Saturday and you can download a ticket for free admission for you and a guest for a participating museum. Go to the Museum Day website to locate a museum near you and download the ticket!

Personal Style Alphabet

Piet Paris Fashion Alphabet via iloveillustration

VaVoom Vintage just posted her personal style alphabet and I was so inspired I decided to try my own. Anyone else want to try? Make sure and comment with a link so I can see it!

A is for Art Deco, one of my fav styles
B is for Bootless Betties, my 1920s-40s vocal trio where I wear repro dresses that I sew
C is for circle skirt, the bigger the better
D is for dropped waist, something I wish I could wear
E is for Emma, the Kate Beckinsale movie that I watch when I sew
F is for fragile, which is how lingerie should look (but not actually be)
G is for Gabardine, one of the best fabrics to make repro clothing
H is for hair flowers, which I make and wear everyday
I is for inspire, which is what most things do to me
J is for jabot, loved it on 18th c. fops and 80s Adam Ant and wish it would come back
K is for Keds, a comfy shoe for casual vintage looks
L is for Louise Brooks, the epitome of flapper fabulousness
M is for Marie Antoinette, one of my fashion muses
N is for New Look, the amazing style that bridged WWII and the 50s
O is for opulence, for a gal can never have too many frills and bling
P is for parure, I have quite a few vintage jewelry sets
Q is for quirky, something that my taste tends to be
R is for rockabilly, the fashion and the music
S is for striped socks, I have about 15 pairs
T is for tulle, I am a total petticoat whore :)
U is for undergarments, the most important part of good fashion
V is for vinyl records that I listen to when I sew
W is for wing tip, one of my favorite vintage shoe styles for men and women
X is for XL (sorry had to steal this one from VaVoom Vintage cause it's too perfect)
Y is for yellow, specifically lemon yellow, specifically pale lemon yellow- swoon!
Z is for zigzag, the best sewing stitch ever

My Newest Swaps

I just finished up the Hot Mama Alice in Wonderland Apron swap. It was a ton of fun and a great theme. It is also most likely my last apron swap in a while as my graduate thesis is coming up soon and I won't have the extra time. My original plan was to restore a 1930s apron I found in my attic when I moved in, but that didn't quite happen. I was able to make a last minute alternate though, using a vintage pattern and wedding apron.

I'm still pretty addicted to supply swaps though and they are much more realistic for me since they don't take much time and it is a pretty good way to refresh my stash. I am currently in a fun Black & White Halloween Petite Box swap hosted by the Speckled Egg blog. I just got my partners and I am too excited to sit because they both have great taste.

I also just joined a swap with an interesting theme through the Our Life:Narrated by Lacey blog. It is called Help Me with My Collection mail swap and basically you are paired up with others who will send you items to add to a collection of items you have based on a one word suggestion from you. It was insanely difficult to choose which collection to add to and then even harder to pick one word that really describes it. I ended up choosing "millinery." I was worried that it may be too obscure for anyone who doesn't deal with it, but if I put "hats" then it would have been way off and "flowers" probably would have gotten me a few bunches from Joann's, which I have way too much of. Was there any other word I could have used? I was almost going to try and cheat and use a hyphen (vintage-flowers) but I decided to play fair ;) I'll let you know what I end up with in a few weeks.

Vintage Paper Doll Extravaganza

For those of you like me who are always looking for vintage fashion inspiration, paper dolls are a great resource and, let's face it, super fun to play with. Well, I have discovered an amazing treasure trove of vintage paper dolls in Bobe's Picasa Gallery! The best part? You can download these gems for free.

My favorites so far are Girl Pilots of the Ferry Command, Army Nurse and Doctor and Claudette Colbert.

Re-imagining Your Wardrobe Part II

I found my dreamscape images for the Super Kawaii Mama wardrobe challenge! I also picked out my clothes and, wouldn't you know it, just got an email about a last minute rockabilly show tonight. That's Karma!

Here are my final images-

pic from colourlovers.com

pic from theriverread.blogspot.com

pic from paulashouseoftoast.blogspot.com

Here is my inspired outfit. I paired a lilac and lace dress with a red crinoline and yellow sweater, plus red orchid hair flowers and a purple feather. I topped it off with vintage red rhinestone earrings & necklace, purple striped socks and my favorite pair of purple converse.

I wore it to see the Hillbilly Casino at a local rockabilly bar called Frank's Power Plant. The music rocked and I had a great time!

Re-imagining Your Wardrobe

pic from paulashouseoftoast.blogspot

Super Kawaii Mama has issued a very unique wardrobe challenge. In her own words, she challenges us to "take four images that come from the dreamscapes of your mind and use these as an inspiration point to create a new Daily Outfit." The best part of the challenge is to use items you already own, which I think is a brilliant way to breathe life into your wardrobe. Want to join the challenge? Visit her blog post, read the rules and see her image picks. The 5 best submissions will win a gift pack!

So which pictures will inspire you? I have chosen the one above already and I am picking out 3 more. Decisions, decisions...

Vintage Wedding by Daniela Turudich for $16

There is a copy of Vintage Wedding by Daniela Turudich for $16 and it is listed like new! Snatch it up quick.

UPDATE: The copy sold, but I will keep the widget up so you can see what the current price is.

40s Pinup Face

pic from www.thepinupfiles.com

I have gotten such a good response to the post I did on recreating a 50s Bombshell Face that I thought I would do a follow-up on a 40s Pinup Face. The information comes again from the Vintage Face book by Daniela Turudich, which is still out-of-print unfortunately, but every once in a while you can find a copy on Amazon. Right now there is a copy available for $68, which is one of the lower prices I have seen.

Below is the page on the 1940s Pinup look, as modeled by Rita Hayworth. I also included the pages on 40s lips and nails. As always, click on the thumbnails for a larger view.

Fora nifty tutorial on 1940s make-up and hair, visit the always helpful blog Glamour Daze.

50s Circle Skirt Tutorial

I am so excited about this post about 50s circle skirts on Casey's Elegant Musings! She actually scanned pages from a vintage Smart Sewing booklet with directions and ideas to make your own skirts. Thank you Casey!!!