Verity Vintage Studio

Late 1930s Transitional Dress...and a Secret

I've finally gotten interested in sewing again after a few rather unproductive months at the sewing machine. Before warm weather fully arrives, I made a transitional late 1930s dress that is in fall and winter colors, but with short sleeves and lightweight fabric so it can be worn all year.

 

I used some rayon suiting with a fine plaid pattern, and was very pleased with the fabric and how it behaved during the construction process.

 

The dress is unique - it has no waist seam, but rather front and back panels are gathered into a round yoke. A belt at your natural waistline makes the waist. That is very handy for a good fit, but you do have to keep checking to make sure the gathers remain even. Another plus is that with both bust and waist free, if you can fit it to your shoulders you don't have to worry about sizing. A few inches more or less wouldn't be a problem.

 

The yoke construction was easy to do - though I didn't help myself by sewing the sides together as if they were the center front first and needing to undo an entire serged seam!...

I double stitched the yoke for trim and to keep it lying flat. The embossed antique buttons are a thrift store find and likely older even than the original pattern. I had four tiny ones, so they were a perfect choice.

 

Sewing the wrong seam was my fault...but the other headache was working with the velvet for collar and cuffs! After ripping the lining seam several times I had to hand baste the layers together before stitching them on the machine. Then I finally gave up trying to put on the collar the way they told me, hand basted the collar in place, then did a bias neck facing over it all. The cuffs I didn't even try to face after the collar fiasco - I just serged the edge, turned it up, and hand stitched it underneath to make a band instead of a flip up cuff. So much easier, and though it's narrower, it has the same basic look.

With velvet, a serger is your friend!

 

Because it's a late '30s pattern, the skirt is longer and a lot wider than styles both before and after. I imagine in cotton it would be too poofy, but the limpness of rayon makes it hang nicely, with graceful movement when I walk.

 

I need more black and/or elastic belts, so I don't keep wearing ones that look a little too...1980s. But I do love my 1930s original gauntlets! The brown leather inserts into the thin black rayon gabardine make them a perfect match for the dress. The fingers are a little worn and mended, but I still like these gloves - a find at an antique store years ago.

 

And - I'm so excited - I finally have a pair of Miss L Fire shoes! I've been watching Ebay for years to find one of their lovely reproductions in my size and a low price range, and my patience paid off when I finally scored these beauties. I was a little concerned that the tan would be too orange in person and I wouldn't end up with much to wear them with, but after seeing all the outfits Lily accessorizes with her pair like these, I decided to risk it and am glad I did! 

 

They have the classic 1940s shape (with a tad bit of adjustability thanks to the strap and buckle), but with the diamond motif on the toe I think they also have a 1930s flair - certainly suitable for late '30s like this dress. They are comfortable too. I absolutely love my collection of vintage heels, but it is nice to have a reproduction pair with modern comfort for wearing in rough weather or all day. And they fit perfectly too! Now I look forward to discovering what I can wear them with and hopefully find some new and adventurous wardrobe combinations.

 

Now for the confession...I've had a secret, and won't be able to keep it much longer, because it's a secret that becomes self evident, if you know what I mean. I've had this pattern for a while and probably would not have bumped it up to the top of my sewing queue, except that my sewing queue for the next year or so suddenly needed certain adjustments. It's time to sew maternity friendly vintage, as we prepare to welcome a new little member of the family in September!

(And this one, while not intended to be maternity, works perfectly. I can use a narrower belt, or leave it off altogether as the months progress and because of the shaping it shouldn't look like a tent.)

 

I'm just starting to get a little bit of a baby bump now! Over the next month or two it should grow a lot more noticeable.

 

So suddenly, all those dresses I made just a few months ago don't fit, and might not again for a long time. (So much for trying my Christmas dress with summer accessories! :-) And all the maternity or could-be maternity patterns in my stash got a top place in my sewing priority; also for a while after the birth, I'll be limited to patterns that open down the front.

However, I've already found a lot of fun in being creative about it. Quite a few patterns that don't open down the front can be altered to do so. This dress is one of them - under the yoke I added a short invisible zipper. So I should be able to wear this dress both now as non-maternity, throughout the entire summer as I grow, and after the birth. Definitely making the most of my sewing time!

 

I know...these pictures look like drab winter. Spring really is almost here, but the grass hasn't greened up quite yet here at the ranch. So the colors of the dress are still appropriate. All my next projects, though, are floral and light colored cottons and rayons! Because it's almost April! And it's time to plan an Easter dress!

 

Aside from the few hiccups that slowed the process, I enjoyed sewing this dress (finished in two days) and am glad to get back to the machine. Already I can tell the next few weeks will be a lot more productive!

Item of the Week - Chenille Baby Bolero

Item of the Week in my Etsy shop is this cute and cuddly baby bolero - slashed from $12.

Don't forget for a few more days yet you can get 10% off your order of $5 or more in my Etsy shop with code VERITYREADER10, before the coupon expires!

Spring Hairstyle Inspiration: Paper Daisies

I've mentioned before how I like to use vintage millinery flowers with wire stems in my hairstyles. The only difficulty is they can be hard to find, come in odd colors and sizes, and often are crushed, stained, or have other flaws from being poorly stored, or simply from age.

A cheaper and more readily available option is paper flowers.

There is a huge variety of these available, ranging from large roses to tiny baby's breath. My favorite size for hairstyling are blooms about 1 1/2 inch in diameter, like these dainty daises.

 

 

Because they have wire stems, they are easy to arrange in your hair and generally the stems are invisible because they are so thin. I usually don't need to pin them in at all in a structured hairstyle like this one, but a bobby pin underneath that crosses the stem is sure to secure it if your hair is loose.

 

Hair flowers are popular today with ladies styling the vintage look, and with good reason. They are very period correct in almost any placement, size, and combination. They add a dash of color to your hair, often coordinating with the outfit, and are (my favorite reason) incredibly helpful in hiding a not quite smooth roll or wave, or filling an unbecoming space in your curls. If your hairstyle didn't turn out as symmetrical as you were hoping, hair flowers on one side can make it look intentionally asymmetrical. They can add height to a lower hairstyle, or width to a built-up one. If you need to soften the edges of a wave or roll, tuck in some small flowers behind it to fill it in. Their uses are endless!

 

In the 1940s, hair flowers reached their peak of popularity. You can find pictures of them worn in every way, from a few dainty blossoms...

...to the slightly more outrageous.

 

A rose clipped over the ear on one side or both sides was popular, or nestled in an up-do. But pretty much any placement anywhere in any hairstyle was acceptable. See the variety in these vintage images.

   

    

   

  

   

 

By the 1950s, hair flowers had largely gone out of fashion, though flower covered hats and headbands were very popular (as well as flower wreaths or headbands for brides). But after some searching I did find a few images of 1950s hairstyles sporting flowers.

   

 

One benefit of paper flowers is they are so pose-able and lightweight, as well as cost-efficient and realistic. But on the other hand, you don't want to get them wet, and though usually pretty sturdy, they can be crushed. So far the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, in my experience, and I love how cheap and easy to find they are, and how many colors and sizes are available - something that is not the case with vintage millinery flowers.

 Daisies in particular add a breath of spring to your outfit.

 

Incidentally, this is another case when a hairnet is an instant fix for a disaster hairstyle. Instead of working for a long time trying to tame too-wild curls with pokey ends, a hairnet smooths it all down and tucks it all up - like magic!

 

Hair flowers are quintessentially feminine, perfect for everyday or dress-up occasions, stay put for worry free hairstyles if you initially secure them well, and add a lift to your mood and special touch to your outfit, while staying relatively out of the way of small fingers, if you have children - unlike a corsage, brooch, or necklace. I just need to add more colors to my collection!

Item of the Week - Vintage Red Suede Heels

These dark red leather and suede vintage heels are Item of the Week in my Etsy shop, half price for one week only - slashed from $15.

 

Also, don't forget your coupon is still good for the rest of the month! Use VERITYREADER10 to get 10% off any order of $5 or more!

A Plethora of New Listings...and a Special Coupon!

I finally got around to working on the pile of new listings waiting for my Etsy shop. As a result, there are lots of new things in the shop, both vintage and handmade! I've showcased a few here, but there are lots more to come.

And just for my blog readers, use the coupon VERITYREADER10 for 10% off your total purchase of $5 or more! If you aren't ready to purchase now, no worries - the coupon is good for the rest of the month.

reproduction Titanic era tam

 

1950s blouse pattern

 

sparkly wedding cape

 

late 1950s faux fur hat

 

1930s style scarf

 

reproduction vintage turban suitable for 1920s-1940s

 

1940s linen tilt hat

 

1950s style vest with removable corsage

+ more!

Repurposing: Vintage Handkerchief Curtain

I've always loved vintage linens, especially handkerchiefs. But I never want to use them for their original purpose, so I like to come up with new ways to enjoy them. Hankies with a decorative edge can be used as removable jabots, for instance, when pinned under a collar - or used to fill a V neck when pinned underneath. 

 

Home decor ideas are also a great way to showcase some elegant, delicate hankies, like these four coordinating ones I got from Lily at Mode de Lis when she was having a sale. They are exquisite with their white-on-white embroidery and cutwork, and the cotton is so fine it's like gauze. Too pretty to use, but not to display!

 

I sewed them together by hand, to make a larger square. Because they were so thin and see-through, I backed them with a square of muslin I cut out slightly smaller than the hankie square, and serged.

 

These two squares were held together to make a pull-across curtain for a small window in my new house, and because I used curtain clips, I can at any time unclip the squares and cut the threads that sew the hankies together, so they can remain in their original state.

 

There are lots of ways to use hankies as curtains or valances, and hopefully I can use more of them in future, but for now I love how easy it is to get a simple elegant curtain and enjoy the beauty of these lovely vintage pieces every day.

 

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure my vintage hankie collection will continue to grow! :-)

Item of the Week - Crochet Lace Collar

This multicolored lace collar is Item of the Week in my Etsy shop, half price for one week only - slashed from $9.

The Maxim

It is a truth universally acknowledged...

...that no matter how many buttons one collects, one rarely has the right buttons for the current sewing project!

 

This truth leads to the buying of vintage button lots, in the hopes that you can fill some of the gaps for next time! And buying large button lots lead to a few hours' spree doing button sorting while watching Poirot. 

 

There were a lot of buttons that should be easy to use, in various quantities for blouses or button-down dresses, but some will need just the right project to accessorize, like these lovely old ones.

How fun to see them in person and discover all the neat ones you didn't notice in the photos! It's like a treasure hunt.

 

I have to admit, the red buttons were a big reason for buying this lot! I just have a thing for red buttons...they will probably mostly end up on blue dresses, too! :-)

 

Aha. Blue ones! I already mentioned my need for blue buttons!

A lot of these had threads from previous use. It's fun to think that they outlived some beautiful vintage garment and now get a new lease on life.

 

I know I filled some button needs in my stash with this lot (and - ahem - added considerably to my collection), and will enjoy seeing what I end up using from these in the near future. I may still have to plan some outfits around the buttons, instead of the other way around...but a girl can't have too many buttons, right?

Right??