Verity Vintage Studio

Hairstyle of the Week

This isn't a proper tutorial, just a few photos for your own inspiration...

Since my back hair is too long for a truly 1940s look, I always have to be creative about what I do with it. I found a quick roll to get it out of my way while working well for hats, and if my front hair is done right, can look very Period.

Do the front hair first and when it suits you, starting on the right side of your head, lift and roll the whole way around, picking up fresh sections as you go. Keep it nice and loose, as long as it feels secure.

Wrap the leftover tail across the top of your head and secure it on the other side with a barrette. Use bobby pins to keep ends in and add security. It stays well and frames the face. Plus, it's quick, especially for an updo! I also use a short comb on this roll. You want to tuck it well down so it's not visible, if possible.

  

So there's my version of a Retro Roll! Normally in movies when I see them wearing a roll like this it is done with short hair curled at the bottom and probably secured with bobby pins - like an upside down pageboy. But with longer hair you have to get the tail out of the way.

Now I'm ready for some Glenn Miller Christmas music! :-)

The Weekly Word - Psalms

Righteous art thou, O Lord,

and upright are thy judgments.

Thy testimonies that thou has commanded

are righteous and very faithful...

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,

and thy law is the truth.

-Psalm 119:137-138, 142

Preparing for Thanksgiving...

...with apple pies!

No, we don't eat them a week old. I know Thanksgiving Day isn't until next Thursday. This one is for our church's Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. 

If you think it looks delicious, you should taste it! The recipe - legendary in the church - from some friends is the best I've ever tasted, and will be published in my cookbook (with their permission, of course). Firm yet tender, thin-sliced apples tossed with citrus and spices and sugar...scrumptious!

If I had to make too many of these, though, I would want an apple corer-peeler-slicer gadget!

 

O Give Thanks unto the Lord,

For He is Good!

 

 

Item of the Week in my Etsy Shop - Blue Rose Garden Neckwarmer

This stunning buttoned neckwarmer with blue roses is half price in my Etsy shop for one week only - slashed from $19.

 

The Weekly Word - Mark

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken

the kingdom of God? 

or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed,

which, when it is sown in the earth,

is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

but when it is sown, it groweth up,

and becometh greater than all herbs, 

and shooteth out great branches;

so that the fowls of the air may lodge

under the shadow of it.

-Mark 4:30-32

On Sizing Vintage Gloves

When I started buying gloves on the internet because I couldn't stand not bidding on the beautiful gauntlets I kept seeing, I ran into a problem. Of course that was that I didn't know what size I was, and many vintage gloves didn't have a tag, and the seller often had no clue how to even estimate the size.

Finding out my own size was easy. I went up to my glove box - at that time a much smaller box! - and tried on gloves that fit me until I found one with a size tag in it. I had thought I was a 7 1/2, but found out that I was actually a 7, since I like tighter fitting gloves.

 

Finding Your Size

Glove measurements are determined by the circumference around the palm of the hand where the knuckles are. So dividing that in half, a size 7 glove should be about 3 1/2 in. across the palm - or 7 in. around.

So measure your own hand, or a pair of vintage gloves that fits you, to determine your size, and when you see some gloves with no size you like on Ebay or some other site, contact the seller and ask them to give you a measurement across the palm of the glove. Photos can be decieving, so don't assume that the gloves are your size without asking. They can be much smaller in real life - as I learned to my own disappointment!

The difficulty comes when you see a lovely pair a size smaller and want to buy it without being able to try it on. I've found that I can also wear a size 6 1/2 as long as it is cotton, or some fabric with a bit of stretch; but leather is too tight for me to comfortably wear in that size. Kid gloves in particular have not an atom of stretch in them. Fabric makes a big difference. I've seen some nylon or knit-fabric gloves that were so stretchy they fit "all sizes" as the tag said, and really did.

Keep in mind that the smaller the palm measurement, the shorter the fingers as well. My sister-in-law has narrow hands, but long fingers, so she can't wear size 6 1/2. If you have long fingers, it's best not to risk paying a lot for a pair of gloves smaller than your common size, unless they are nylon or something similar. 

Another factor for fitting gloves is the seams. Personally, I prefer my gloves to have their seams inside because I think outside seams make my hands look big. But the inside seams definitely make a tighter fit for my fingers. To apply - if you see a pair a size smaller than you normally wear and it has seams outside, there will be a greater chance of it fitting you. And the outside seam pairs are easier to mend if needed.

Also, the older the gloves the smaller they are. Apparently everone had tiny hands and feet back then, and they got smaller and smaller from the 30s to the 20s to the Turn of the Century! If gloves are very old, they are almost always too small for the average woman now. But then, older gloves often are not wearable since they are too fragile to clean and if the fabric is intact, the stitches often are rotten and will start breaking if any stress is put on them by someone inserting their hand or bending their fingers.

But there are so many, many gorgeous pairs of gloves from the 1940s and '50s that are well worth collecting and wearing as often as you like to church or shopping! I have a particular weakness for gauntlets or gloves with fancy stitching or embellishments. I like to have multiple pairs of gloves in every shade of color, long and short, for every occasion. (Although glove ettiquette is a whole different subject!) It's possible to look through a whole stack of white ones and not find just the right pair or just the right color for your outfit, which is why they are so easy to buy - and often, thanks to Ebay, cheap to buy.

As Hannah said in Little Women, "You can tell a lady by her gloves!" Back in the day, a well-dressed woman always had matching gloves and handbag, or glove and shoe color. It gave an outfit a put-together look still useful today, besides protecting the hands. (Now I just need a good burgundy pair, and some gray ones!)

Item of the Week - Set of 2 Needlefelted Charms

These cute pastel needlefelted charms or pendants for crafts or wearing are half price for one week only in my Etsy shop - slashed from $6.

The Weekly Word - 1 Peter

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:

and be ready always to give an answer

to every man that asketh you

a  reason of the hope that is in you

with meekness and fear. 

-1 Peter 3:15

November Tutorial - Vintage Yo-Yo Shoe Clips in 20 Minutes or Less

I love having little things to spice up my wardrobe occasionally, and how much better can it get than when it costs next to nothing and only takes a few minutes?

This month's tutorial shows you how to make the cutest shoe clips ever, from vintage fabric. Since it only takes scraps, it's great for using up leftovers!

 

You will need:

scraps of fabric (I used vintage)

needle and thread

2 vintage buttons per pair of shoe clips

2 shoe clip findings (get them at your local craft store or online)

circle form (I used a large sour cream container lid)

scissors

pen

 

1. The first step is to fold your fabric with the right sides together and lay your circle form on top.

Remember that yo-yos will always be half the size your original circle is. So if you want a 2 in. yo-yo, cut a 4 in. circle.

 

2. Trace around the form:

 

3. Cut out your circles, holding both pieces of fabric together so you can cut both at once. Don't worry if the edges aren't perfect - they'll be tucked out of sight.

 

4. Now with the wrong side facing, fold the top edge in just a little bit.

Your thread should have a knot in it for security. Stick the needle in through the layer you're holding down.

 

Make the needle go in and out at about 1/4 in. gaps, holding down the edge. When the needle is full of fabric, pull it through and continue. This is gathering the edge into a circle and neatly hemming it at the same time.

 

Here's mine half done:

 

When the edge is all gathered around, pull on the thread to tighten it. Now it looks like a saggy pouch.

 

Next, tug it around the edge to flatten it, making sure the gathered hole is in the center. Sew it down with a stitch or two to keep it in place. There's your yo-yo!

 

5. To finish it, sew the button on the top (it's a great way to showcase a fancy special button)...

...and sew the clip on the bottom (flat side).

 

Repeat steps 1-5 for the 2nd shoe clip.

 

Styling

But you can't make just one! The possibilities are endless. These are addicting. I can see why there were yo-yo crazes in the 1930s that even went so far as making bedspreads out of 2 in. yo-yos! I made 2 more pairs of shoe clips, and all 3 of them together took just an hour.

 

Here's how they look on some of my shoes.

 

 

 

 

The next time I make myself a skirt or dress, I'll make a pair of these out of leftover fabric so I have a matching touch for my shoes!

 

Handy Tip

If you find they hurt your feet clipped just inside the top, use them on buckles of mary janes, or on any sort of strap detail your shoes might have on the toes, like the red flats above. They stay on securely and won't hurt you.

Of course the possibilities for these are much more than shoe clips. Glue them to headbands, sew them to bags, hats, or lapels - sew pin backs to them and pin them anywhere and everywhere! I've seen lovely jewelry made with fancy fabric and smaller yo-yos sewn together into a bib necklace. Just a brief search on the internet is enough to overwhelm you with people's creativity and these little circles of fabric. But hopefully this will get you interested in the fabulous yo-yo!

 

Till next month!

~Kristen - Verity Vintage Studio

 

Look for my new tutorials posted sometime during the first full week of every month. Hairstyles, crafts, repurposing, etc.

 

Lady Grantham 2-in-1 Earrings Pattern

Inspired by the jewelry worn on Season One of Downton Abbey by Lady Grantham during the Titanic era, these earrings you can wear 2 ways are the perfect way to make your own elegant jewelry for your Victorian, Edwardian, or Titanic costume - or just for fun.

Read more about the pattern and where you can buy it on my other blog.