Verity Vintage Studio

Color Recipes for Spring Contest - 1940s Navy & Wheat Outfit

Several weeks ago Emily of Emily's Vintage Visions posted a really neat 1939 article describing popular and fashionable color combinations of that era for spring. Meanwhile describing the most delectable outfits and accessories! Inspired by the article, she is hosting a photo contest of ensembles her readers put together inspired by the different suggested combinations.

I thought it was a great idea! Just reading over it made my mind teem with ideas. So here are photos of my entry, and also the first blog outing of the suit I made last winter. (If you're interested, there are still a few more days to enter since the deadline for sending her photos is May 3rd.)

 

There were so many wonderful descriptions of how to pair things for different styles of outfits. I especially loved the color pairings (some of it quite interesting!) since most 1940s movies and photos are in black and white, which shows details well but not what colors they wore!

I loved some of the other suggested combos but this was the only one actually in my closet and I had no time to sew another, though now some of those outfit descriptions are on my list to make! 

 

I went with the Navy & Wheat combo, suggested in the 3rd option. I already had the “natural color straw hat with spring flowers and a navy veil..."

 

...and the “two-piece navy suit, navy shoes and bag", but had no blouse the color of wheat so as a substitute I wore my white-and-blue blouse with wing collar and dramatic sleeves. I paired it first with  wheat gloves and navy bag as suggested.

 

This suit was made with each part from a different pattern - the skirt from a vintage Simplicity pattern, the vest adapted from a late '30s blouse pattern, and the button-back blouse from a pattern from the late '40s (I think).

 

 

I then switched it up a bit with navy gloves sporting a woven straw cuff, and a wheat clutch.

This also is my first photo shoot in our new home state of Idaho. Notice my new background! I'm sure you'll see a lot more of it. :-)

 

We also have these cute little steps, right now crowded with plants and flowerbed ornaments. I thought it would make a good backdrop for a spring-themed outfit photo shoot.

 

I'm not sure which of my accessories I liked better with this suit, but I was very pleased with the pairing of wheat - golden tan - with navy blue, and will keep it in mind for future outings. Very tailored yet springish! Thank you, Emily, for the impetus for this photo shoot and the lovely article to refer to!

Verity Vintage Studio has Moved...

...2300 miles to Idaho! 

So if you notice the my outdoor backgrounds are different, that's because they are!

 

And the common sight of old cars like this lovely vintage step-side truck is the icing on the icing. 

Item of the Week - Crochet Pattern for Victorian Baby Girl Cardigan

This adorable rose and bow festooned baby's cardigan pattern is half price for one week only in my Etsy shop - slashed from $3. Since it's a download, it can be purchased all week at that low price!

 

My Easter Dress

I always try to have or make a new dress for Easter Sunday each year - and always pair it with a big hat! Starting then officially I add white and ivory shoes and hats, and light colored lace and floral prints, to my wardrobe for the spring and summer.

This year's Easter dress was made from a 1950s Butterick pattern.

It has a little story behind it, because it was this same pattern in a smaller size that first caught my interest almost exactly a year ago and launched me into an interest in sewing (formerly hated) from vintage patterns that has become a passion.

 

The first dress was very problematic and sized up a lot by an amateur (me!) so it didn't fit well and was a mess in several ways. It was one of my earliest attempts, and was a big learning curve. So when I got the pattern in my size, I quickly paired it for my second version with this vintage flowered sheet, bought contrasting fabric and buttons, and then it sat in my stash for a while. When I pulled it out to make an Easter dress I realized it was a perfect bookend to my first year of sewing.

 

Needless to say it turned out much better than the earlier attempt!

 

I love the double breasted look, asymmetrical shawl collar, and self belt. The buckle in my stash was almost the same shade of plum as the buttons - I called it close enough!

 

Notice the first debut of my refurbished ivory heels! This was also the first outing of my slightly-stained but still lovely crocheted vintage gauntlets; but the hat is a few years old and I wore it last Easter as well.

 

It's amazing how much easier it came together than my first poor attempt. It is true that practice makes perfect! Well...maybe not perfect. :-)

 

What did you wear for Easter?

April Tutorial - Revamped Original 1940s Crochet Hat Pattern

Springtime and Easter means time for new, shady hats! You can often find lovely ones in antique stores and online, and sometimes in thrift stores if you're lucky. But how handy it is to make your own!

 

Some time ago I found this rare, beautiful 1940s crochet hat pattern online and knew I had to make it. At once! The original pattern had only one photo and was somewhat difficult to follow - vintage crochet terms are different and much looser than modern crochet - and I ended up changing it some as well, so I thought I would share my version of the pattern with you. 

(Want the original instead, vague instructions and out-of-production materials notwithstanding? Check it out in this issue of Hey Doll Vintage Magazine.)

 

My first trial was mostly a success. Since I didn't have the millinery wire called for I was typically too impatient to wait until I found some, so I used a long, thin metal dress hanger instead and re-bent it into a circle. It didn't quite work. Too small, so the hat ended up a little ruffled and somewhat lumpy. But still quite wearable. 

 

I trimmed it with these gorgeous vintage millinery strawberries from Mary Not Martha.

 

For my next trial, I found this 12 gauge, easily posable floral wire - floral wire is much easier to find than millinery wire! - to use for the brim. It turned out it really was too posable and bends too easily to be the best choice, so I guess I'll keep looking!

 

My yarn choice was different as well, and the final version turned out much smoother and quite sturdy.

 

 

Not having any photos of the back, I was surprised to find as I worked through the pattern that it had an open crown, which I ended up liking very much. But, at least for my head, the crown the pattern called for was too high and unflattering, so I revamped it a little.  

 

The flexibility of the brim wire may be a disadvantage, but it does allow for easy changes in style!

 

So now for my version of this pattern.

 

Wide-Brim Lacy 1940s Hat

Materials:

Lily's Sugar'n Cream 100% cotton worsted weight yarn - 2 balls Ecru, CA; 2 balls Light Blue, CB

Size H/8/5mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge

yarn needle

stitch markers (optional)

12 gauge floral or millinery wire

vintage flowers and/or ribbon for trimming (optional)

 

Skill Level:

low intermediate

 

Gauge:

 With 2 strands, 3 rows of sc=1 in. high. (Stitches will be tight and dense.)

 

Finished Size:

16 in. in diameter; somewhat adjustable head size at the crown.

 

Abbreviations:

CA=color A

CB=color B

ch(s)=chain(s)

lp(s)=loop(s)

rep=repeat

rnd(s)=round(s)

sc=single crochet

sk=skip

sl st=slip stitch

st(s)=stitch(es)

 

Pattern Notes:

Solid section rnds are not joined; use stitch markers to keep track of beginning of rnds if necessary.

 

Hat - Crown

Solid Part:

Holding 2 strands of CA together, ch 40 (ch should measure approx. 13 in. long). Join with sl st in first ch to form a ring. Be careful not to twist.

Rnd 1: ch 1, sc in each ch around; do not join. 40 sc

Rnd 2: sc in first sc, 2 sc in next sc, (sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) around; do not join. 60 sc

Rnds 3-4: sc in each sc around. At end of last rnd, join with sl st in first sc and fasten off. 

Lace Part:

Rnd 5: holding 2 strands of CB together (or you may use 1 strand in order to match the brim better), join in any st, ch 1, (ch 5, sk 2 sc, sl st in next sc) around; join with sl st in first ch. 20 ch lps

Rnd 6: work 5 sc in each ch lp around; join with sl st in first sc. 100 sc

 

 

Lower Crown and Brim

Solid Part:

Rnd 7: holding 2 strands of CA together, join in the center sc of any 5 sc group, ch 1, (sc in center sc of 5 sc group, ch 3) around; join with sl st in first sc. 20 ch lps

Rnd 8: ch 1, (sc in sc, work 3 sc in ch lp) around; do not join. 80 sc 

Rnds 9-10: sc in each sc around; do not join.

Rnd 11: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) around, add 2 more sc in same st as last sc; do not join. 109 sc

Rnds 12-13: sc in each sc around. Join last rnd with sl st in first sc. Fasten off. 

It's starting to look like a hat now!

You could actually stop here and wear it as a small 1950s hat on the back of the head.

 

Lace Part:

Rnd 14: with 1 strand of CB, join in any sc; (ch 1, sc) in same st, ch 5, sk next 2 sc, (sc in next sc, ch 5, sk next 2 sc) around; join with sl st in first sc. 36 ch lps

Rnd 15: sl st into next ch lp, ch 1, work 5 sc in each lp around; join with sl st in first sc. 180 sc

Rnd 16: sl st into next 2 chs, (ch 1, sc) in same st, ch 5, (sc in center sc of 5 sc group, ch 5) around; join with sl st in first sc.

Rnd 17: rep Rnd 15.

Rnd 18: rep Rnd 16. 

Rnds 19-20: rep Rnds 17-18. Fasten off at end of last rnd. 

Rnd 21: join 1 strand of CA in center sc of any 5 sc group, (ch 1, sc) in same st, (ch 3, sc in center of next 5 sc group, ch 4, sc in center of next 5 sc group) around; instead of last sc, join with sl st in first sc.

Rnd 22: rep Rnd 15.

Bend wire into a loop, wrapping the 2 ends securely together for a few inches to make a circle. Hold wire against Rnd 22.

Rnd 23: Working over wire, sc in each sc around; join with sl st in first sc.

Rnds 24-25: sc over Rnd 23 and wire again (the 3 rnds of sc will effectively conceal the wire). Join last rnd with sl st in first sc and fasten off. 

 

Finishing:

Cut a length of CA, weave through sc of Rnd 9, tighten slightly and tie ends on the wrong side of hat to define brim. This may be adjusted to help fit head size. Weave in all ends on the underside, mist with water and shape hat; let it dry on a hat form or inverted bowl.

Trim as desired with vintage flowers and ribbon. (The original photo seems to show it with a ribbon around the crown and tied in the back with the ends dangling down to the shoulder blades.)

(I happened to have a yard of 4 in. taffeta ribbon that matched the blue yarn exactly!)

 

That's it! All finished. Now you can style it any way you like. 

With the bow in the back, bend the front down for a more dramatic picture hat style...

 

...or leave it with a plain round brim for the cartwheel look on the back of the head especially worn by teens and young women during the summer months in the 1940s and '50s, as shown in the original pattern photo...

 

 

...or tug it a bit to make it more of an oval shape, bending it slightly and wearing it tilted with the bow on the side front, for more of a late 1930s look. Lots of possibilities!

 

The last round is tedious, awkwardly working over the wire, but I think it's worth it. Fun to make and wear for spring! And the best part is you can make as many as you want in any color needed in your summer hat wardrobe. 

Till next month!

Kristen - Verity Vintage Studio

 

 

Look for a new tutorial posted during the first full week of every month...How-tos for hairstyles, crafts, vintage, repurposing, etc.

Moving Sale in the Etsy Shop

You have a few more weeks to get 15% off your order of $5 or more in my Etsy shop! Crochet pattern downloads are excluded from the sale, but I have lots of other great items, including vintage goodies, so scamper on over and see what you can pick up! Use the coupon code listed in the shop description to get your discount during checkout.

Lot of 3 vintage patterns.

Spring lightweight bamboo/cotton cowl.

 

 

Vintage leather heels.

 

Pincushion pendant.

 

Vintage novel.

 

Child's appliqué tee.

 

And so much more!

Floral Cotton Mood

As I mentioned in my brown wool coat post, I am in the mood for sewing with cottons - floral cottons - retro prints - spring colors! I have a lovely stash - somewhat teetering - of such fabric that somehow grew in my room during the past few weeks, waiting for the perfect pairing with patterns and the day I decide to bring them to life. 

 

 

I have a few patterns already mentally paired with some of these fabric lengths; some I have slated for the "one idea, but not firm" category; and some with just a general idea like "2 piece so I can wear them separately or together" or "housedress style" or "something 1950s".

Unfortunately, my sewing time is limited and will soon be temporarily nil thanks to the escalating hard work of packing for a move. But I'm going to try to squeeze time enough to make the one below (view A) for the Spring for Cotton challenge. 

Item of the Week - '40s Style Crochet Necklace with Vintage Button

This cute vintage inspired crochet necklace is Item of the Week in my Etsy shop, half price for one week only - slashed from $7.