Rosie's "Milly-Molly-Mandy" dress

I recently checked out The Big Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook from the library and it was a huge hit at our house. Edmund and Lavinia were both enthralled with the stories of Milly-Molly-Mandy's life in an English village, and I loved their gentleness and sweetness, too. They both begged me to read the stories over and over, until the book had to be returned. I plan to add some more Milly-Molly-Mandy books to our home library!


In the wake of all this, one day at Walmart, I took a stroll down the fabric aisle as I sometimes do, and the kids immediately latched onto this pink and white striped cotton as "just like Milly-Molly-Mandy's dress!" The result was fairly inevitable -- I took home three yards and promised Lavinia a Milly-Molly-Mandy dress of her own. This is an "inspired-by" version rather than an exact copy of Milly-Molly-Mandy's signature dress, as the stripes are not as wide, and there are some differences in construction.


So why, you ask, if the dress was promised to Lavinia, is Rosie wearing it? Well, I made up the pattern myself, and somehow my first bodice attempt was way too small on Lavinia, but thankfully it fit Rosie just right! And so she received the first dress and Lavinia will soon have a matching one. It is a very simple 1920s style, much like this wisteria and sunshine dress. I think it's sweet and an easy style to make!

Simplicity 2081, revisited

I recently finished up another version of vintage sewing pattern Simplicity 2081 for Douglas. Never mind that this was a promised garment for his birthday in 2014. Yes, it was a year late. You can see the first version (also a birthday present) here, if you like. What can I say, I like him in light blue!

I used a striped shirting from Colorado Fabrics (formerly Denver Fabrics), but I laid the pattern pieces crosswise so that the stripe would be horizontal instead of vertical. This time, I also followed the pattern's button layout and made the buttonholes horizontal, as instructed. Sometimes I feel like pattern-makers must know better, but usually when I'm uncertain about an instruction and I go with what the pattern says instead of my own gut instinct, I end up regretting it. The buttons don't go down far enough and it's just kind of weird to have horizontal buttonholes on a shirt! Oh well, we'll say it's authentic to the time period.

I actually painted and re-organized our spare room back in late January, and set up the most functional sewing area I've had in quite a while! So I've been getting a lot more sewing done(!!!). This is, of course, relative to how much sewing I was doing at this time last year, when Rosie was a newborn. Meaning, it's happening, as opposed to not. :) I'm good with that.

Mason & Hamlin

Our piano-less home now has a piano again... Douglas has a beautiful black Kawai grand piano that he bought in his single days, but it resides at his studio. I've missed hearing him play when he's at home. We found this FREE 1922 Mason & Hamlin upright piano on Craigslist in a town nearby, just the brand and year that Douglas wanted (he was looking for pre-1929, when the company merged with Aeolian and subsequently went down in quality). Isn't God good? We're getting it tuned later this week. I can't wait to start up the home concerts again!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

(Thanks to my mom for this delightful estate sale find!)

A hat for "Sunday Best"

The other day, I had a little time so I made up a fancy cloche hat for Lavinia, once again using the toddler cloche pattern from the Etsy shop eVINTAGE Patterns. This time, I used view C with the scalloped brim (you can see my first version from last Easter here). I cut the hat from cream-colored wool from my stash and lined it with some leftover duchess satin from my wedding gown. The ribbon flowers and leaves are also leftover from my wedding gown -- ones I made but didn't use in the final design -- and I thought they added a pretty touch. These hats are so easy to make (cut out two pieces, sew seven short seams and do a little hand-stitching, and you're done!).

A very special Easter dress

Is there anyone still out there who's been following my blog for a very, very long time? Do you, perhaps, remember, a certain birthday antiquing excursion? Maybe an embroidered collar? And the finished baby dress that followed?

Nearly six years after I first bought the fabric for this tiny dress, I have a sweet little girl to wear it. God is good!







I also made her cloche hat this past week. The pattern comes from the Etsy shop eVINTAGEpatterns. It's made for felt but I was easily able to use fabric -- periwinkle blue linen-look from my mom's scrap box, and plain white cotton (lightly interfaced) for the lining and the bow. I'll have fun with this pattern this summer, I think!


Such fun to have a daughter!

Vintage children's clothes

My mom has been helping a friend sort through and clean out her parents' house. This week she brought home a bag full of vintage children's clothes that she knew I'd enjoy seeing. I quickly snapped a photo of all the wonderful fabrics and prints:

There was a golden brown and pink girl's dress, made of real silk, from the 1920s. Lots of cute baby rompers. Most incredible of all was a girl's petticoat from the 1950s which had an inflatable inner tube sewn into a casing for extra flare! I'd never heard of such a thing. My favorite dress was a simple little '50s sundress, printed with rosebuds (on the left in the picture).

My mom's friend has yet to go through the clothes and decide what she wants to keep, so we'll be returning the bag to her. But it was lots of fun to take a small peek at what girls wore in the past!

Automobiles

On Saturday, our little family went to a large car show and auction where we had the opportunity to admire lots of vintage cars, some quite rare. This is our third year attending so I guess it's becoming a family tradition! Now, my husband loves cars and knows a lot about them. According to his mom, at age two he could identify the make of every car by sight. I can't even do that at age 28. He's passing this love on to Edmund, who has entertained friends and family by correctly identifying cars, trucks, Jeeps, SUVs, etc. Now Douglas is working on teaching him the different makes. He has Pontiac and Chevy down pat, but still needs a little help with Ford and others. :)

The afternoon featured exchanges like this one:

She: (looking at a 1940 Packard) Doesn't this remind you of our wedding getaway car [a '39 Packard]?
He: Yes, they're practically identical, the only difference is that there's an extra portion of grill right here. (pointing)
She: How could you even notice that?
He: How could you not?

So my car knowledge is sadly lacking, but I can still appreciate the beauty and elegance of well-made cars from days gone by.


[Love the vintage font!]

Edwardian-style heels, pt. deux!

So maybe I should start a side business sourcing and selling early 1990s vintage shoes? I found these this weekend at a garage sale -- SAME SIZE as the other pair I'm selling (i.e. just too small for me to keep!). Sorry to keep tantalizing those of you who are not 7.5, but the eBay listing is here.

Edwardian-style heels

I thrifted these champagne gold shoes a few weeks ago -- they date from the early 1990s, I think, but look oh-so-very early 20th century! Unfortunately, they are just a shade too small for me. (Wearing them for a modeling session, yes; standing and walking in them for hours on end, no.) If you have a love for historical clothing and are fortunate enough to be a size 7.5, check them out on eBay.

Archie vest

I recently won a giveaway at The Baby Gardner and was delighted to receive this sweet little Archie vest in the mail! It's perfect for a well-dressed gentleman of diminutive size. Too small for Edmund at this point, but I'm hoping for more boys in the future... ;-)

Suzy Homemaker

This vintage toy washer/dryer resides with Douglas' grandmother, where it has delighted children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren. The top lid is missing, but a child can still spin the interior and push buttons to his or her heart's content. (My husband remembers doing so as a boy!)


I've looked for small toy versions of certain domestic tasks so that Edmund and any future children can learn to be helpful around the house. My discovery has been that "homemaking" toys are hard to find these days. My mom found a wooden toy iron at a specialty store in Ohio, and I recently bought a tot-sized push-broom (at Jo-Ann Fabrics, of all places!).

I was intrigued by the brand name "Suzy Homemaker" -- a small glimpse into a time when little girls aspired to be like their mommies and keep house!

Do you recollect any favorite homemaking toys you played with as a child?

"The real way to travel..."

[Toad, disguised as a washerwoman and hitching a ride after his prison-break, feels his old cravings for reckless driving rising once again...]

"Please, Sir," he said, "I wish you would kindly let me try and drive the car for a little. I've been watching you carefully, and it looks so easy and so interesting, and I should like to be able to tell my friends that once I had driven a motor-car!"

The driver laughed at the proposal, so heartily that the gentleman inquired what the matter was. When he heard, he said, to Toad's delight, "Bravo, ma'am! I like your spirit. Let her have a try, and look after her. She won't do any harm."

Toad eagerly scrambled into the seat vacated by the driver, took the steering-wheel in his hands, listened with affected humility to the instructions given him, and set the car in motion, but very slowly and carefully at first, for he was determined to be prudent.

The gentlemen behind clapped their hands and applauded, and Toad heard them saying, "How well she does it! Fancy a washerwoman driving a car as well as that, the first time!"

Toad went a little faster; then faster still, and faster.

He heard the gentlemen call out warningly, "Be careful, washerwoman!" And this annoyed him, and he began to lose his head.

The driver tried to interfere, but he pinned him down in his seat with one elbow, and put on full speed. The rush of air in his face, the hum of the engines, and the light jump of the car beneath him intoxicated his weak brain. "Washerwoman, indeed!" he shouted recklessly. "Ho! ho! I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who always escapes! Sit still, and you shall know what driving really is, for you are in the hands of the famous, the skilful, the entirely fearless Toad!"

--The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, first published 1908


Thankfully, Edmund's new toy pedal-car at Grandma and Grandpa's house will never reach break-neck speeds. In fact, at just under 18 months, he'd rather push the car than "drive" it.


My dad can pull Edmund down the sidewalk with the help of a bungee cord attached to the hood ornament. (I told Dad he really looked the part of a Grandpa with his slippers and argyle socks.) ;-)


I'm not sure who's more thrilled with Edmund's new toy, him or his vintage-loving mommy and car-loving daddy!

Edmund's reading nook

[Edmund catches a rare shaft of sunlight in his reading nook this morning --
we have been having the most dreadfully dreary spring!]
Edmund has developed a real love of books already, for which I am thankful. Almost anytime he sees Douglas or me sitting down, he'll bring us a book from his shelf to read to him. Some of our favorites right now are the "Little Golden Book Classics" vintage reprints, especially the titles that are illustrated by Tibor Gergely. His artwork has that late '40s/early '50s charm and there is always a lot to discover within each picture. Edmund's personal collection includes The Little Red Caboose, The Fire Engine Book, The Happy Man and His Dump Truck, and Scuffy the Tugboat.

Vintage hangers

While I was in Arizona, my sneaky but sweet husband got on my Etsy favorites list and ordered a few surprises to welcome me home. I didn't even know he knew I had an Etsy favorites list, tee hee.


I completely love these whimsical vintage baby hangers! Thanks, darling!


(From Etsy seller theenchantedfigtree.)

"Swingtime" dress

I recently put the finishing touches on my Sense & Sensibility swing dress! It's nice to have this dress done. I actually made two mock-ups of the bodice to try to get the best fit, but the extra work was worth it. The first time, I just cut straight from the pattern, no changes. The second time, I shortened the bodice by about an inch and moved the bust gathers 5/8" inward. I also adjusted the sleeve caps as per Casey's instructions, and shortened the length of the 3/4 sleeves by about 3 inches (they're still longer than the short sleeved version, though). I did make some shoulder pads but I'm not wearing them in these photos -- I need to make them a tad smaller. And don't forget, this dress is nursing-friendly!


[I have yet to find the right vintage brooch to place at the neckline.
I'm thinking something with pearls would be perfect!]
I tried to curl my hair in a vintage '40s style, but my wimpy curlers and mostly-straight hair betrayed me. (I say mostly straight because pregnancy has given me some curl for the first time in my life, but my hair is long enough that the ends are still pre-pregnancy growth and therefore stick-straight. It's like growing out a perm, in reverse. Crazy!) I loosely followed a "Marlene Dietrich" look for my '40s makeup, even trying out the "smear" lip shape (think Joan Crawford). If you ever want to try it for yourself, I highly recommend using a lip brush with your lipstick for greatest accuracy. Oh, and CHECK YOUR TEETH FOR LIPSTICK before you smile for the camera. :)


[Douglas took some shots in black and white... thanks for being the photographer, dear!]
I also have to tell you about my hat. My husband has encouraged me to find some cute vintage hats to wear to church, and who can say no to that? ;) I'm not an expert on hat styles, but I would place this hat in the 1940s (chime in if you have a learned opinion). I found it for a great price at a local vintage store. It's not in pristine condition but it's very wearable. I have to admit, I prefer '20s and '30s hat styles, but I don't like to mix up decades if I can help it. At least this is a more muted style; some of the '40s hats I've seen in books are a little too attention-grabbing for my taste (so says the woman wearing clothing styles 70+ years out of date).


So thanks, Casey, for hosting the sew-along -- I learned some new things to help improve the fit of my garments, and having a deadline helped me stay on track. And I'm thrilled to have a new springtime dress!

Thrifted treasures

I've had a little success in the thrifting/vintage shopping department lately. Most of the thrift stores around where I live are Goodwills, and their prices are generally ridiculous. (Really? $4.50 for a used top, when I could find a new one on clearance for a cheaper price?) I'm not willing to pay above what I would consider a good "garage sale" price.


I did find this wooden hat stand and vintage floral hatbox at Goodwill, and the prices were actually reasonable. I may repaint the hat stand ivory or a more muted color, but for now I like how it matches the pink roses on the hatbox. I will use the hatbox for storage for now, but in the future I can foresee it decorating a daughter's bedroom. I am a complete sucker for vintage floral patterns, especially when they're pink. I hope my daughters like them, too.


This sweater clip actually comes from an antique store, but it was such a great price it may as well have been thrifted. ;-) Sweater clips, if you have never heard of them, are meant to hold a cardigan in place when wearing it over the shoulders, like a cape. Very librarian-ish, right? If you have never seen these for sale anywhere, Jen has a great tutorial on how to make your own here.

I'm working on an earring storage project, mostly from thrifted materials, so I'll share that soon, too!

'Wisteria and Sunshine' dress

It was this time of year, in 2007, when I first read Elizabeth Von Arnim's book, "The Enchanted April." January is a good time of year to read books set in idyllic climes.


My grandmother's friend purchased this vintage 1920s dress to use as a prop in a flower arranging vignette. Knowing my love of vintage fashions, she generously passed it on to me when she no longer needed it.


The dress reminds me of the beautiful costumes in the film version of Enchanted April, thus putting me even more in the mood for "wisteria and sunshine."


This dress is the simplest thing, but so pretty and dainty. Even a beginner seamstress could copy this without a pattern. The beauty and femininity of vintage dresses like this one is what got me addicted to sewing in the first place.


Now excuse me while I go find something warm and beautiful to read... (it's snowing outside my window as I type this.)

Patterns on eBay

As part of the Great Purge I mentioned earlier I am trying to get some stuff listed on eBay. First off I managed to go through some of my sewing patterns and choose some to get rid of that I'm not likely to use. They are all priced at a starting bid of $0.99 so now's the time to buy yourself a cute vintage pattern. :) Here's a link to my listings.

My latest frock

The 1940s have never been my favorite decade for vintage fashion, but my husband likes me in '40s styles. So I took a look around at online pattern sites and found a cute one from Lanetz Living that was in my size, nursing friendly, and from the 1940s (or at least it was advertised as such -- now that I look at it closer, I think it may be early '50s, but it's close enough!).


I was dismayed to find that one of the pattern pieces was torn and thus incomplete. Of course, it was one of the more complex pieces -- the front yoke. I redrew it based on the illustrations in the instructions, but I ended up taking in the shoulders and sleeves a little. I also took in the bodice by a good four inches as it was initially very blouse-y.


I made self-fabric ruffles for the yoke and pockets as suggested in one of the dress illustrations. The very large and practical pockets are lined in muslin.


The instructions on this pattern are pretty sparse and there is no pattern piece for the neckline facing. You're already supposed to know how to make a facing on your own. I guess 1940s seamstresses probably did.

I really pushed myself to finish all the details on this dress -- no skimping or getting lazy. I even learned how to make thread chains for belt loops, which turned out to be SUPER easy. I couldn't find good instructions on the Internet so I consulted my copy of Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, and all was made clear.


The buttons down the front give me a chance to tie on this little-worn vintage apron of mine. It may be hard to see in the photo, but there is a buttonhole just under the peak at the top of the apron, which you're supposed to attach onto a button on your frock. The sides are a little apt to flap down but I think a good ironing with starch might help.

I am very happy with this dress. It's super-comfy and the waist is not too tight to make household chores difficult. The cotton floral is kind of a "working muslin" as I had in mind a more autumnal color scheme, but I couldn't find any vintage-like fabric in dark, warm colors. Happily the blue floral cotton was on sale so the whole dress was pretty cheap.

And my husband's reaction? Well, he made a rather hilarious comment that I can't share here. ;) But I think he likes it.