Verity Vintage Studio

Sewing Inspiration for Fall 2017

I can't express how much I am looking forward to getting back to sewing from non-maternity patterns again. I've collected some lovely fabric over the summer but have had to wait to use it, even though I may be itching to get started and have it paired with a pattern already, just because I didn't want to make it into a maternity pattern and will want it to fit me after the baby comes and will have to make my size adjustments then.

However, this enforced slow-down of production has been helpful since it has made me do some thinking about what I need/want to add to my wardrobe. Thoughtfulness in planning outfits can become obsessive, but it can also be a good thing, especially if you want to look put together even on normal, busy days. Think about it ahead of time, and you don't have to think about it afterwards.

I've broken down my current sewing needs into three different categories: Simple, Useful for Prints, and Versatile.

Simple

I love accessories. But I am also drawn to buy and make up sewing patterns that use a lot of detail. Often it is hard to pair favorite accessories with an elaborate dress. You either have to plan the outfit around the dress, which calls for toned down accessories, or around the accessory which usually calls for a simple outfit. 

Of course, it's possible to throw two busy things together and look ok. (Some people are better at that than others.) But usually I've discovered that the most tasteful ensemble usually has only one. For instance, you want to wear that 1940s suit with the gorgeous detailing. First you try it on with the shoes you are hankering to wear - peep toes with flowers or bows on the toe. It looks ok. But switch out those shoes for plain leather pumps with just a bit of stitching and it will suddenly take away an element of "fussiness" you didn't even realize was there...it simply looks more tasteful. But that's bad news if you really wanted to wear those shoes!

To add some simple dresses or outfits to a wardrobe really makes it easy to pair accessories of different kinds without having just one dress that will go with a particular pair of shoes or a particular hat. Here are some of the photos that have inspired me. Not much detail (buttons or contrasting collar and cuffs are about it) but very classy. All of them would make accessorizing easy, and really set off an elaborate hat, gloves, purse, or shoes.

Note to self - simple only works if it's accessorized so it doesn't look plain, uses a nice fabric...and has to be made and fit well!

See how elegant just a simple lace collar can look!

 

I'm dying to do a replica of this one, in white linen with the same trim. I would have to alter it to button down the front, though. I don't usually work from pictures but I bet I could find a pattern close enough in my stash since it's such a basic shape.

 

Wow, this 1950s dress could be accessorized with so many colors. Brown, white, black, straw, dark red...

 

 

Useful for Prints

As I already mentioned, I have a penchant for patterns that have some fabric and construction interest. I love inserted panels and slanted gathers and unique pleating, yokes and tabs and radiating darts. But on the other hand, I also have a penchant for buying printed cottons (especially 1930s repro prints) - which do not work for such patterns! The cotton is usually too stiff to work well with details that need something limp and flowing like rayon, and the print hides the details anyway. I really need to get out some of the basic patterns that I have been passing up for the more fun ones, just to allow my favorite prints to shine!

However, prints don't have to be plain and rely only on the print for interest. Most of these inspiration photos show prints broken up with solid fabric or trim, and contrasting collar/cuffs/buttons/decorations/inserts work really well also.

Note to self - this means self control! Don't assume a basic pattern will be boring and pass it up for a more interesting one...let the fabric have center stage.

Some of these are a fairly dressy way to wear prints; others are perfect for house dresses!

 

Versatile

I am really toying with the notion of how useful it would be to make a matching blouse and skirt out of the same fabric, so I could wear them together like a dress or separately, for the most versatility. I could change it up even more by doing a blouse with a peplum so I could wear it tucked in or out. 

How much will I wear two pieces once I have a baby, though? Would I prefer something I can just button up and go? I won't find out until I try it!

I like the dress with a jacket idea. Get two totally different looks, and it's more season-transitional, especially for autumn where it's warm in the days and cool in the evenings. That jacket could be worn with another skirt too.

 

Oooh, now here's an idea! I'm not sure from the photo if this is what the actual outfit is, but it would be a neat idea to make a lightweight dress, with an overskirt and bolero from another fabric! Wear just the dress, the dress with the bolero, or add the overskirt too for a really different appearance.

 

Coordinating two pieces can look like a dress as well if it's matched well enough.

 

Another idea that might work well for fall fashion...make a matching skirt and dickey and wear it with a purchased sweater.

 

Speaking of purchased sweaters, especially if you don't have enough fabric for a whole outfit, let the thrift store supply a coordinating sweater. Use matching embroidery floss and embroider something on it so it looks like a set (very period correct as well) - or replace the buttons with covered ones from your skirt fabric! I'm definitely going to try that idea!

 

So there are a few of the images that have been catching my imagination lately. I do have my sewing queue ready and lined up to go once I can get back to sewing this fall, and I can match up my list against these three needs and ask - is it simple? is it useful to use up a print? is it versatile? Maybe that way I won't go off on rabbit trails, sewing something elaborate that I will rarely wear or have nothing to pair with. 

Styled Again: 1930s Transitional Dress

Months ago I posted about this dress as the first maternity friendly sewing project I made, with an eye to wearing it afterward too since it is not a "maternity" dress. It is time to share an update since in the first photos my baby bump was practically invisible - time to see how well my theory works months later!

 

Of course it looks more empire waisted now out of necessity, but the plus side is that it can be empire waisted if it needs to. It is comfortable and roomy and cool for summer, despite the autumn-ish color scheme.

 

I styled it differently this time, with a belt from this dress, tied in the back, and one of my few actual 1930s hats. 

 

This hat matched the dress colors perfectly. I like the stitched horizontal tucks, pompoms, and the funny little bow in the back.

 

On a more frustrating note, the morning of these pictures I was really pleased with how my hair brushed out into a nice late '30s style with short, tight curls. Then it rained briefly - one of the two showers we have received since the rains stopped in June - and it was just damp and humid enough for a short time that some of my curl fell out. Disappointing. 

 

I already talked about the details and construction in my original post when I was looking forward to it being a potential maternity dress. Now it is, temporarily, and works very well! (Ok, so the hem isn't even when my belly is bigger. But we can't have everything.)

So far it is my favorite non-maternity-dress-pattern-that-works-for-maternity-too that I tried; in fact, another one is in the works. Most of the others I doubt I will wear much when I don't need to anymore. But this one truly works for maternity and yet as the first photo session shows, truly works for normal size waist as well - not a bit of "intended for one and can be forced to work for the other".

It's definitely a keeper. I only wish the pattern had more variations for collar and sleeve. Oh, well - that sort of thing would be fairly easy to change up for future makes.

 

Photobombed!

 

This brooch is one of my favorites, bought at an antique store years ago for more than I usually pay for jewelry. It's one of my finer rhinestone pieces, and came with matching clip on earrings which I changed to pierced. I like how the red in it highlights the red in the plaid fabric.

 

If the dress had been suitable for either maternity or non-maternity it would have been a success. As it is, it's a double success in my book.

Item of the Week - Lot of 2 Lovely 1960s Sewing Patterns

These two vintage sewing patterns are Item of the Week in my Etsy shop, half price for one week only - slashed from $12.

1930s Blue Print Maternity Dress

This is probably my last maternity sewing project for this time around...I have my next project planned but it's not a maternity dress, it just works for one while needed. I had a few more patterns I wanted to make, but with only 5 weeks left I probably won't put the effort into it. 

(Notice how well my new shoes go with it! :-)

 

Many clothes that have fit me for a while I am starting to outgrow now that I'm almost 8 months along, so I did want one more dress that should see me through in case I really get huge during the last few weeks. And skirt bands are getting more and more uncomfortable.

 

I liked the details of this dress, but not the wrap back. I decided that would be easy to change, and used instead the back piece from my 4th of July maternity dress.

 

That worked but created an issue with the neckline being too tight to fit over my head. Initially I had been going to do view C with the collar, but using a different back meant I had to rethink things. I ended up facing a small slash at the bottom of the V to make the neckline larger, and instead of a collar, I used contrasting bias trim to bind the neckline, tapering it to a point at the bottom similar to what I did with this dress. (Oooh, how I look forward to having a waist again!)

 

I rarely mix prints but this time the cute yellow polka dot fabric seemed to work, bringing out the yellow in the blue print a bit more. The bow I made into a brooch instead of just tacking it down.

 

The fabric is some of the first I got years ago when I took an interest in vintage sewing and JoAnn was having a sale. I bought 5 yards of this, not knowing that 3 or 4 is usually sufficient for most vintage patterns. As a result, I have plenty left over - maybe a summer 1930s blouse down the road. It wrinkles when washed, which is a pain, but still fun to finally see it come to life after years in a drawer.

 

Instead of doing a long belt and wrapping it around my waist, I did short ties. And didn't get them placed quite high enough. Not sure if I'll take the time to move them up, but it wouldn't take long so I should...

 

The only other changes I made were to the sleeves. Because of using a different back piece the arm holes were likely to be a different size, so instead of fussing with altering the pleats, I just gathered the top - quite period correct as well as easier. I also gathered the lower edge instead of doing the tucks, into cuff bands of the contrast. I actually really like the look and will keep it in mind for future projects!

 

This was a quick project, so I probably cut a few corners I shouldn't have and may regret it later...but as I've said before, I'm not as particular with my everyday, wardrobe-needed dresses. It may depend on my mood. Sometimes I enjoy taking more time and doing hand work or spending time on special details.

 

I was surprised when I tried it on how snug it already was, even with the loose back panels. I think the front must have less width than the 4th of July dress. Or maybe I'm just bigger than I thought!

 

Even still, there is room to let out the ties in the back some more so it should fit for the rest of the time (or maybe most of the rest of the time) and is one more maternity pattern I managed to knock out during these past months!

 

Item of the Week - Vintage Jeweltone Beaded Necklace

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

Green and Black: 1940s Ensemble

I made and posted about this 2 piece dress last spring, so that's not new. What is surprising is that it fit me through 7 months of pregnancy. I had made it a little too big to begin with, then lost weight. I intended to alter it and never got around to it - as a result, I only just outgrew it, though it was not a maternity outfit. I could still zip up the skirt and button all the jacket buttons all the way up till now!

 

Though the darts are slightly distorted by my shape, at the moment and the wrinkles are telling me this is the last time to wear it until after the baby comes...

 

The sage green rayon has held up well and presses nicely without shiny spots. With online rayon purchases, I never know what the fabric will be suitable for when it arrives - this one was perfect for dresses with that nice limpness needed for a lot of 1940s dresses. I actually could have used a fabric with more structure for this outfit and kept the rayon for something with gathers and shirring detail...oh, well. 

 

It was very windy when taking these pictures, which posed a challenge for trying to get decent photos!

 

Other than my trusty black 1940s purse, the other accessories are new to the blog.

The classic 1940s black and white spectator pumps are from Royal Vintage (which, by the way, is hosting a giveaway - you still have one more day to enter!). They look like they stepped out of a vintage ad, and are comfortable to boot, once the high vamp is broken in a bit. I used some leather stretch on mine because it cut into the top of my foot on first wearing.

 

I'd always wanted 1940s spectators (still want some navy and white ones!) but after years of looking have never found any that were in nice shape, my size, and price range. To me they are the quintessential shoe of that era and I've loved them for a long time. I finally realized I could spend a bit more and get brand new ones that would fit and not have fragile leather soles, so that's what I did. They are gorgeous, the detailing is superb, and they go with a surprising amount of outfits. Plus they would work for late 1930s as well.

 

My hat I got years ago at a favorite antique mall, then never wore it until more recently when I realized I would like it better if I tucked the upstanding decoration on the front down a bit, so I tacked it down a little to make it slightly less obtrusive than sticking-straight-up and have worn it several times since then. 

 

I've had a hard time dating it, but I think I've settled on the late 1940s and the New Look era, though I'd appreciate anyone's opinion on it. The shape and decoration styles could well have been 1930s, but the shiny straw feels later than that. When I put it on with this outfit I thought it was 1940s enough, but in these pictures it looks closer to 1950s...whoops.

 

The veiling is in poor shape - maybe it was always just a wisp, but it's more a string now. I keep it tucked behind the brim. The hat does have a cute coordinating hatpin with the end of the hatpin the same straw as the hat.

 

Any ideas out there on the appropriate decade or era for this hat?

Item of the Week - Set of 2 Button Earrings

Item of the Week in my Etsy shop is this listing for two teardrop and button earring sets, half price for one week only - slashed from $8.

 

Searching for the Perfect Vintage Casual Shoes

Time to do a little rambling about shoes!

(Partly because I like to talk about them, and partly in case my adventures can help anyone else in the same boat.)

Shoes make or break a vintage costume, in my opinion. In a period movie, I always watch the shoes to see how well the costumers actually knew their stuff, and it always bothers me to see an otherwise period perfect outfit at reenactments or on a blog spoiled by a pair of wrong decade or just "vintage inspired" shoes.

After years of collecting vintage and vintage style shoes (a few of which I consider close enough for costume wear), this year I finally branched out into actual reproductions by modern shoe companies, starting with the Miss L Fire heels I scored on eBay earlier this year for a lovely low price. Since then I have tried 3 of the more well known brands - Royal Vintage, Miss L Fire, and Remix.

Some of my reproductions.

 

I had not paid much attention to Remix initially, but that changed when I took a good look at my wardrobe and decided that I really needed some cute but casual vintage shoes that will go with my house dresses (since I wear vintage a lot for everyday), comfortable enough to wear when chasing a toddler. When I have a toddler, of course. I mean, I always gravitate toward buying heels, and while I love them the most, it's very unlikely if I were dressed up and at an all-day event that my feet wouldn't eventually be killing me. Sometimes that's not a big deal, but when you're about to be a mother of a young child, you don't have the option to be immobile because of your fashion choices. Practicality may need to take more of a front seat.

Now, casual 1940s style shoes are much easier to find modern that are really close to costume accurate, but espadrilles (one common variety - Ralph Lauren's Caprecia and Cala models are 1940s accurate, for instance) are strictly summer wear and almost always hurt my feet, I'm not really a saddle shoe sort of person, and I have yet to find loafers that don't make my feet feel like boats. And I certainly do not want to start wearing modern flats with my vintage costumes. I needed something comfortable but period correct, as versatile as possible, and fashionable enough that I will enjoy wearing them.

 

Also, true vintage wedges and walking/play style shoes are generally harder to find, more expensive, and often in worse shape than vintage heels. I have some 1940s heels that are actually comfortable, but so far the vintage wedges I have owned are stiff and unwieldy and stained - photo props only. 

 

I looked over past blog photos and my floral cotton fabric stash, deciding what color of shoes I would be most likely to pair with each item if I had a choice. I tend to be attracted toward color combos but then there are too many things they don't coordinate with. Colorful shoes have to be paired with mainly solid color outfits, and most of my house dresses are colorful to start with.

With my wardrobe refreshed in my mind, I started hunting for reproduction shoes that would be comfortable and more casual. Miss L Fire's wedges are usually as high as their heels - more casual looking but not the comfort level I was looking for. Royal Vintage doesn't have any yet, though they do have oxfords with a low heel that are quite suitable for walking and more casual wear, especially for fall and winter. I thought about getting their white oxfords, but two things held me back - I didn't like the contrasting heel, and white is a summer color, yet oxfords are laced up and warmer to wear with their full foot coverage.

Now, Remix seems to specialize in wedges, so I did some browsing there. (Like Miss L Fire, they also have some rockabilly and vintage inspired footwear so you have to be discerning.) I liked some of their canvas wedges (also the least expensive of their line) but when I thought about it, how practical would that really be? If it got dirty, could I wipe it off? What about in wet weather? Would I really want to pay that much for a fabric shoe - how would it hold up? And the main thing is that while canvas shoes are great for sportswear and house wear, most really aren't dressy enough for anything more. When you are going to spend the money on a reproduction, it needs to be something as versatile as possible! White sandals I knew would go with most of my house dresses and be dressy enough for town and church, but by the time I saved up for them, it would be fall and not really white-sandal-weather.

 

I found the perfect answer when I happened on Remix's eBay store, where they sell their factory seconds at a discount. There I saw this pair of casual shoes and realized they would be a great blend of what I needed. Brown and white would go with almost as many outfits as just white, yet still be suitable for wearing into autumn. They are equally accurate for 1930s and 1940s costume wear. The brown heel and sole is more practical than all white since that is where shoes get the most marks and bumps, and often a white footbed can start looking dingy after a while. Besides, the discount made them more affordable than the white ones. They were half a size smaller than I usually wear, but it's a lot easier with open-back shoes to fudge a bit on the size. They are much dressier than canvas shoes, yet totally casual enough for wearing with everyday dresses. I could dress them up or down, and the heel height is the perfect balance between comfortable and fashionable.

The description said the ivory/white leather was wrinkled and that is why they were marked down, but after looking closely at the photos I couldn't see anything wrong enough to worry about and decided to risk it.

 

They arrived in the cutest 1930s printed box, and I loved them instantly. The leather is butter soft, and if they are factory seconds they look great to me. All the straps are adjustable, which is nice since my right foot is a tad thicker than the left. I put them on right out of the box and wore them all day around the house, doing my vacuuming and cleaning, etc, and they were totally comfortable. No breaking in pains at all! No discomfort from the heel height or anything. I was tickled pink.

 

The leather was described as ivory, but it's such a light ivory that it passes for white, and actually may be more versatile as a result. I'm pretty sure I can wear them with dresses that need either white or ivory accessories. So many times ivory leather turns out fairly yellow and won't match ivory on fabric.

I may still eventually get a pair of white ones during one of their sales for dressier summer wear (and of course, there's always a wishlist of styles I don't really need at all!), but until then these will answer very well and in some cases better, for less money. I'm sure they will show up a lot on the blog from now on with most of my house dresses!

 

I will say that one definite plus to these as opposed to the Miss L Fire repros is that just like true vintage there is no hidden elastic under any of the buckles. The main problem with hidden elastic is not that I'm a purist - rather it's always in a place of high strain and tends to wear out first. Time will only tell if the construction and quality of these is good enough to last through a lot of wear and make them worth the money; initially I expect it will be. They feels high quality. If they prove their worth, I would say the investment will turn out to be a good one and my search had a happy ending.