Verity Vintage Studio

Tinsel Tree Christmas Ornament: Free Cross Stitch Pattern

Happy 10th Day of Christmas! We are still enjoying the last of the Christmas season over here this week.

As usual, I got the cross stitching bug during the holidays. One of the things I made, inspired by my own little silver tinsel tree that I keep full of vintage ornaments, was this little retro hoop picture. 

 

I decided to share the pattern with everyone for free. After all, it is Christmas! (Scroll to the bottom of this post for the download link.)

The silver metallic thread is exactly the same color as my tinsel tree.

 

The pattern didn't have the same brand I used, since it's a new kind, so what is listed will work, but is not what I used for the sample. I used Cosmo Nishikiito Metallic Embroidery Floss in 33 silver, and found it quite soft and easy to stitch with (especially for metallic thread, which is notoriously difficult). If you use this kind, do not separate the threads but use the entire strand. I highly recommend!

 

The pattern also requires 18-20 small buttons. When stitching is complete, sew the buttons randomly with your silver floss, following cover photo for placement.

 

Don't like French knots? Skip them and use white or pearl seed beads instead. It's a simple pattern; if you omit the knots it's easily beginner friendly.

 

I used Touch of Pink Aida cloth for the sample. In 14 count fabric it finishes a bit too large for an ornament, but works very well on a shelf or a wall. If you want it sized down a little for an actual hanging ornament, choose 16 count Aida instead.

 

To finish it, I pressed lightweight fusible interfacing on the back to keep all the thread ends tidy, and then centered the design in the hoop. Trim the fabric to about 3/4" all the way around, and wrap the raw edge around the back of the hoop, gluing it down with a hot glue gun to the inside hoop. All done!

It's a super quick make, and also a fun way to use up some random tiny buttons! I love how retro it looks - just like my real tree.

Find the pattern at the link below. Merry Christmas, and happy stitching!

Download Tinsel Tree Ornament Chart

Simple Squares: Romantic Pastel Patchwork Runner

This is a simple project that brought me a disproportionate amount of happiness. :-) 

 

Last summer I picked up a baby quilt at an antique shop. It was just a lot of squares pieced together randomly, and hand quilted. I hung it over my baby's crib and enjoyed picking out my favorite 1930s prints while I rocked the baby.

 

I realized there are a lot of possible patterns that could be made just by color placement in a simple patchwork design like this, so when I saw Riley Blake Design's new Rose & Violet's Garden fabric in its dreamy pastels and romantic florals, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. 

 

I cut out a bunch of easy 2 1/2" squares. I had quarter yard cuts to use, but of course a precut 2 1/2" strip bundle would work for this perfectly. (For those interested in the details, I ended up using 35 pink squares, and 95 other colors to make a runner 14" x 36".)

 

Then I laid out just the pinkest squares in an Irish Chain design, filling in the rest with the other colors. It was very relaxing and simple! No complicated blocks or pressing headaches...I would lay out 3 rows at a time, not even stressing out about directional prints or thinking too much about print placement, then chain piece them and join them in short rows.

 

It grew quickly, even with working on it only ten minutes or so at a time.

Once it was large enough (and the design was finished out), I gave it a good press and quilted it just like my inspiration quilt - in crosshatch diagonal lines across the squares. 

 

I just eyeballed it, and didn't even bother switching to my walking foot. Perfection was not the goal - rather just fun sewing. I had recently finished a more complicated quilt top and was feeling a little burnt out, so this more mindless pleasure quilting was exactly what I needed.

 

And I was so pleased with the result! The pink design is subtle, and all the fabric prints are so lovely. I usually gravitate toward brighter fabric, but when I first saw this collection coming out, I was captivated entirely by it and wanted so badly to make something with it, especially since it is the exact right color palette for my baby girl's room. Thanks to Riley Blake that dream came true!

 

All those gorgeous toiles, polka dots, handwriting, roses, colors...just perfection! Reminds me of Victorian gardens.

 

It goes so perfectly on her vintage 1950s pink ripple-front dresser!

 

The original inspiration and my version. I used larger squares as you can see.

 

More projects for the nursery out of this fabric line will be upcoming, I'm sure...but for now this runner makes me smile every time I walk past. And it's a great reminder that you don't always have to make something elaborate. Sometimes simple is best (and more enjoyable) after all. 

 

Quick & Easy Pullover to Cardigan Makeover for Christmas

Due to a crazy fall – deadlines, house renovation and moving, and a family loss – I have not sewn anything since the first week of October. This means I haven't even started on my Fall/Winter sewing list, and the winter is half over. But on the other hand, it also means I have enjoyed getting more wear out of previous makes. And also did more small projects, like turning this pullover into a cardigan.

 

This sweater is a duplicate in ladies' size of one my brother got last Christmas. I liked it so much I tracked down one for me, but when it arrived I wasn't sure if I wanted to try to shorten it to a more flattering length, or turn it into a cardigan.

 

It stayed on my mending/alteration rack for a whole year.

Just before Christmas when I was thinking about what to wear Christmas Day, I remembered this sweater. After some debate, I decided that I would get a lot more wear out of it as a cardigan, so here's how I altered it.

1. I matched the side seams (you can also measure & mark the center) and cut it down the center.

Next, I fused a 1” strip of fusible interfacing to the underside of each cut. I've tried making pullovers into cardigans before, but this is the first time I used fusible interfacing – and it makes a huge difference! It keeps the edges from fraying while you work, and keeps them from stretching out of shape.

 

At this point you could just fold over the front edge and hem it, but this sweater was already a bit small for me and I didn't want to take any extra fabric. So I sewed single fold bias tape to each raw edge, unfolding it all the way out and stitching along the fold line.

 

Next all I had to do was fold it in, tuck down the top and bottom edges, and hand stitch it. Catching just the underside of the knit makes an invisible seam.

 

All done! I could have added buttons and buttonholes at this point, but as I said the sweater was already tight for me, so an open front cardigan was best. I definitely would try the buttonholes for another project though to make it a true button-down cardigan.

 

There are lots of other ways to make pullovers into cardigans, including totally unpicking the seams and cutting it down if it's too large, or adding decorative stitches or trims to the front to hide your seams. This is just the way I did it for this one.

 

And as I anticipated, it gets a lot more wear as a cardigan. Already it's my go-to winter sweater.

 

I just love the vintage styling of the decorative yoke, while at the same time it looks festive for Christmas but not so Christmassy that I can't wear it for the rest of the winter.

 

So there's a quick and easy sweater refashion for the colder months! Next time when thrifting if you see a pretty pullover but you're a cardigan girl, you can go ahead and get it, having the confidence that you can turn it into a winter closet staple.

 

I may have a few other sweaters that need this treatment now that I know how fast and effective it is!

 

Why I Love Thrift Stores - Dramatic Sweater Coat

The countryside where I live is greening up and filled with birdsong. But just an hour or so up in the mountains, there is still several feet of snow on the ground. It made a good backdrop for an outerwear photo shoot, so I have one last wintery post for the year.

 

Last fall I was on a thrift store run to the city a few hours away, and was just about to check out with a few things for the children when I spotted this sweater. It was dramatic and unusual - but it also reminded me very much of fashion ads from the 1930s. 

 

If it were worn with jeans, boots, and a modern shirt, you probably wouldn't notice the vintage style possibilities. But with a different outfit and accessories, it has a totally different feel. I paired it here with a late 1930s rayon dress I made.

 

The disappearing geometric lines and two-color play were both very popular in the 1930s. Just a quick look at black and white ads for 1930s coats and swagger coats show similar styles.

(It may have been called my "piano key" sweater by one person... :-) 

 

The sun on the snow made for less than perfect pictures, but hopefully you can see there are possibilities of keeping your eye out for vintage elements in modern garments. Sometimes it's something so classic that it hasn't changed much in style in all those years, like my brown wool jacket. Other times, you might be able to do a bit of alterations or add some details to take a piece from modern to vintage appropriate, like my swagger coat redo. 

Dramatic vintage gauntlets are just the thing to pair with a dramatic sweater like this.

 

Or it might be something more flamboyant and unusual, like this one. If you familiarize yourself with style lines and fashion ads from the eras you like, you'll find your eye trained to spot similar things when you are shopping. It's a great way to add to your vintage style closet without the expense and extra care of true vintage clothes.

 

 

Why I Love Thrift Stores - Bubblegum Coat

This past month I haven't had much to share, since my projects were all quilt tops (still in progress) or mending/alterations (like repairing this wool coat). I am now back to sewing garments, and next week I plan to show you my Valentine's dress! But today I wanted to show you another example of how you can buy something modern that still fits with a vintage style.

 

This hot pink coat that I thrifted years ago for $1 or $2 is not a color I normally wear, but it's stayed in my closet for several reasons. One is all those cute details!

 

The other is, it's a perfect in-between weight for weather that's too warm for a heavy wool coat, and too cold for just a sweater. Early spring here in Idaho is exactly that, just now.

 

This is not a vintage coat, but it has a classic style that fits many decades. Its color and the fun lining give it a bit of a mod 1960s feel, which went well with this dress I made last winter (1950s pattern but 1960s fabric - now with properly fitting darts!)

 

There was a hole on one pocket, so I kept with the lighthearted theme and covered it with a little crocheted bow. 

 

I love the giant pockets, decorative belt, unusual seaming, back yoke, and the waffle weave of the cotton fabric. It's very springish and transitional, just like the weather.

 

Anyway, this just goes to show you I am not always period correct. Some days it's fun to just aim at a general theme (one reason why it's nice to have a fairly consistent style overall) and not worry if you're mixing 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s with a dash of modern thrown in.

 

DIY Vintage Fashion - Thrifted Sweater Made 1950s

I beaded this sweater more than a year ago, and only now finally got around to taking photos of it! But I was more than happy with the way it turned out. 

 

What do you do when true vintage is too expensive, too hard to find in your size, or too fragile? Why, buy a modern piece and make it vintage appropriate! A few months ago I showed you how I took a modern sweater coat with some interesting elements and gave it more of a 1930s swagger coat makeover. This one is much less involved and even more period accurate, since sweaters in classic shapes really never go out of style and are still easy to find.

When I found this cardigan at a thrift store, I loved the color, and the lightweight 3/4 sleeve style is one I wear a lot in the winter. But it was very plain. So I decided it would be a perfect canvas to try a bit of beading and embroidery on. It languished for a while before I got the impetus to go ahead, but once I did, it went quite rapidly.

 

I looked up ideas on Pinterest first, of vintage 1950s sweaters or sweater ads. Once I found one I liked, I based my sweater beading on it, though I did end up doing some things differently - but it gave me a starting place. Honestly, with something like this, it's hard to go wrong - so many options would look great on it, and you can settle for a little bit of trim, or a lot. 

 

I chose to just decorate the neckline, but lots of cardigans were also decorated down each side of the front opening as well, or an all-over front embroidery, or a fancy deep hem embroidery. Like I said, the possibilities are endless.

 

I used some beads from my stash...3mm glass pearls because they are so classic and add a touch of contrast, and some deep purple iridescent seed beads, as well as using embroidery floss for the flowers on the front. I used a beading needle that would easily go through the hole in those tiny beads. I did not draw out the pattern, but you easily could if you want a more perfect pattern than just estimating by eye gives.

It's a bit different to embroider on a stretchy knit, but you just have to handle it carefully and try not to either pull threads too tightly or stretch it out as you bead. 

 

I was in a bit of a hurry to finish it, so I only made the deeper decoration on the front instead of extending it all around the neckline, but it still looks fine, though of course it would make more of a statement if the yoke decoration were wider. I can easily see how another repeat of the pattern as well would be quite stunning.

 

Sweaters were worn both for casual and dress in the 1950s, just like today. They could be worn belted or not - belts are quite handy to make a slightly too big sweater fit you at the waist, as well as a fashion statement. Often they were sold as matching sweater sets, but not always. They were also often worn with a turtleneck underneath, which is how I styled it here for a more casual look. 

 

I left the sweater buttons in place, but I could replace them with something else (pearl ones for instance) if I wanted to dress it up even more with a minimum of effort.

 

If you want to give this a try, find a simple, unadorned, classic cardigan with a thinner yarn rather than a chunky knit, preferably hip length and fitted at the waist (or you can wear a belt). Look up ideas, and go for it! Paired with a pencil skirt or a circle skirt and the right accessories, it can look completely suitable and accurate.

 

It makes a plain cardigan instantly classy, personalized, and feminine, and takes it from boring to special. It takes very little money (if you thrift, or use one you already have), and only a little time. All the charm of the vintage, with the easy care and fit of the modern.

And there are so many ideas of decorative combinations to try! I think more of these are in my future... 

A New Type of Finished Sewing Project

I used to hate sewing. Once I finally learned to like it, I hated being precise. Then, I gradually found enjoyment in being (at least mostly) precise, but said for sure I would never take up quilting! shudder

Ahem. Well, you can see how that turned out...

 

I have jumped headlong into quilting and quilt designing during the past few months. There is so much to learn - it's quite different than garment sewing - and even with my practicing and class watching I have barely scratched the surface.

But I did want to share my first finished bed quilt! 

 

It all started with picking up an interest in English paper piecing and using it for appliqué on smaller projects, but who am I kidding? I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be doing full sized quilts. So I decided I wanted to make a quilt from start to finish to learn some of the basics, so I found an ePattern I liked, downloaded it, and got started. It was made with 5" squares, so I saved some time by getting some precuts, but also cut some of my own, and all the white squares. It has pieced blocks around the edge, so I would get some practice doing smaller piecing without committing to a lot of it.

 

I'd already found that choosing coordinating fabrics is harder than it looks, so I compromised by getting a few packs of a 1930s collection where all that work was already done, then filling in with other 1930s repro prints and one vintage piece. 

There are quite a few dresses represented in this quilt, so you may recognize some of the prints!

 

I took out most of the red prints, however, to go with a mainly green and pink theme. One super fun thing about quilting is that now I can play with some colors I can't wear. I had some vintage hot pink polka dot cotton that I loved, but never would make into a dress because it's not my color. It was perfect for the border and binding for this project.

 

The assembly was interesting, since you went from one corner to the opposite one. Your rows get longer and longer, than get shorter and shorter. That also made it unique to figure out layout, since the rows you laid out would not be the visual rows once the quilt was completed. But I think I got it fairly balanced.

 

I made the queen size layout, but it's easily king sized. It's enormous. It's big enough that if I want to, I can turn it the other way - it will still fit top to bottom, and hit the ground on both sides of my queen sized bed. It was quite a lot of fabric to wrangle, I can tell you. I even set up my machine on the floor at one point, so I didn't have to lift it to sew.

 

It's far from perfect. I learned a lot while making it, which was the point. One was it's worth taking time to recut a piece if you got your measurement off. Another was that it's not actually that hard to match points precisely if you have an accurate seam allowance, which is nice. Also, it's very necessary (and takes more thinking-through than you might think) to stay organized. I used the seam ripper more than once because I didn't double-check before I sewed a seam. Another lesson was...cheap sewing machines need constant checking to make sure the needle position doesn't change, or your 1/4" seams will be off - creating major issues down the road. 

(Hopefully that one will be obsolete once I can use my Rocketeer again.)

 

One corner doesn't lay quite flat, it's not quite square, and especially along the edge, a lot of points don't hit the right spot. But that's ok. It's still bright and cheery, and good enough for now. The point was not to get it perfect, but to just get some experience, ending up with something I can still use and enjoy.

 

I found some pretty ticking fabric on clearance, so that made the perfect backing. I did have to piece it on each side to make it wide enough. Again, you can tell how the quilt is not completely straight and square if you look at the back, thanks to the stripes - but it's good enough for me, and who's going to see the back anyway?

 

 

I did not want to quilt this one, but tie it instead for a quick finish. Since I was tying it, I used an extra thick batting so it would end up more like a comforter. It took quite a bit of floor space to lay it all out and start tying. I used some size 10 crochet thread and tied at each corner of each block. With my sister's help, we did enough tying in one afternoon that it would stay together, then I took it home and finished over the next few days. At least it was the right time of year to be snuggled under a pile of quilt (and baby, as the photo shows...:-)

I actually quite enjoyed putting the binding on. Hand stitching down the binding on the back went faster than expected and it makes such a neat finish, I don't think I'll bother trying to find other ways to do it. 

 

I discovered I don't have any suitable matching pillowcases or shams to go with my new quilt, so I used some mismatched vintage ones with embroidery for now. I think coordinating pillowcases or shams will need to be a future project, to finish the look.

 

Now with some lessons learned, and some experience under my belt, I can move on to growing my piecing skills, and learning free-motion quilting once my Rocketeer comes back from a sojourn at the sewing machine shop. 

I guess all of this is to say...never say never! Who would have thought I'd take up another time-consuming hobby/business on top of everything else; much less quilting, which I always hated?? But the bug has certainly bit me...I'm a hopeless case now. Also a sponge, alert to soaking up anything quilting, and slightly envious of those quilters with so much knowledge and experience. Thankfully I live in a community with lots of friendly quilters, and even have access to a long-arm machine, which I am so excited to learn how to use. 

 

We will wait and see what the future holds - meanwhile, I'm enjoying seeing this pretty spread on my bed every time I walk past the bedroom door. So much yet to learn and practice...but it's a good start. 

 

Now back to working on my Thanksgiving Day dress, which hopefully I will be able to share next week. An early Happy Thanksgiving to all my USA readers!

O give thanks unto the Lord;

for He is good:

for His mercy endures forever.

-Ps 107:1

Project Journal: Thrifted Sweater Coat Made 1930s

Something a little different this week! As the weather has turned chilly again, I've rediscovered how much I like sweater coats. They are less formal than jackets, longer and more versatile than regular sweaters, and especially nice for long car rides since they provide warmth for going in and out of the car, without the excessive heat and bulk of a long wool coat during the ride. 

I already own one and was happy to pick up two new ones recently. One was this lovely cream colored one, with quite a bit of cute detail. I especially liked the thin cotton yarn used (not a fan of acrylic if I can get cotton!) and the nubby texture, while the neutral color will go with anything!

 

I definitely saw possibilities in it, but it had some modern elements I didn't like so much - especially those huge, decorative shiny plastic buttons, and a random modern buckle on the neck.

 

I did some research, looking at 1930s swagger coats for inspiration of ways I could make this more me - more suitable for a vintage style wardrobe. After deciding on the route I wanted to take, I got started.

 

First off, those shiny plastic buttons and the buckle were removed.

 

Under each one was a small hole, probably put there by the factory to mark the button placement. I could have covered it by replacing with a vintage button, but I had a different idea. So each hole got a quick darn to close it. Thanks to the nubby texture of the knit, it camouflaged the darn pretty well.

 

Next, I tightened the back belt by folding a pinch of it and inserting through a vintage belt buckle. A common 1930s fashion element was a buckle in the back - and besides, it was a great way to tighten the belt without having to take out the side seams and cut the belt shorter. Instead of sewing it in place, I did use a safety pin to allow for versatility. This way I can swap out buckles when I want to. 

 

The sleeves got a quick hem since they had been too long when I tried it on. Just an inch turn-up made the fit much better.

 

I just love the slanted lines on the front - another perfect fit for the 1930s look I'm going for.

 

I had put some thought into the neck. Because the 1930s were big on collars and sleeves, often swagger coats had some sort of fancy element there. Since I was working with an existing sweater, I tried to think of a way to dress up the neck/shoulder area. I got inspiration from a photo, and purchased a Pashmina scarf for a few dollars online.

It was supposed to be ivory, but it is still much whiter than the sweater. Oh well, that way it will just coordinate with more colors. It's still all neutral.

 

I cut the scarf in half across the center of the width, and pleated it closely together, fastening the cut end of each half on the shoulder where it would be covered with the decorative tab already there.

 

The last step was to replace a button back on each tab - only a pretty vintage one this time!

 

While the finished sweater coat may not look completely 1930s, it's much closer than the more modern one it was originally. Therefore much more my style, and goes with my wardrobe better.

 

The scarf coming from each shoulder creates some versatility with ways to wear it, too. 

 

 

I paired it with a 1930s dress I made a long time ago that has issues, but is still a favorite, especially of my early projects. Also true vintage accessories in chocolate brown and burgundy.

 

(I hope these lovely autumn leaves last long enough for me to get a few more outfit photo shoots done! I love this time of year, yet I think we will get an early winter this year...so fall is not lasting very long, sadly.)

 

It only took a half hour to make this into a version I like - so much faster than making a new one! Just another reason to keep your eye open when thrifting for those classic styles (or vintage style elements) that give you something to work with. Think creatively, and it opens a lot of possibilities.

 

After all...you can't beat a 99 cent, half-hour swagger coat added to your fall wardrobe!

1950s Reproduction Sweater Set

I usually steer clear of reproduction clothing brands, simply because I have so many clothes already (as well as a constant, growing sewing list) and prefer just to avoid going down that rabbit hole of spending more money. (Reproduction shoes are another matter! :-)

Also, not too many reproduction pieces actually look authentic to me, for some reason. But when I saw Rocket Originals' upcoming knitwear release scheduled for October, I knew I had to make an exception. This was no simple, classic style that I could possibly thrift, nor was it a "vintage inspired" garment. Sweater twinsets faithfully copied from an original 1950s ad!

 

 

Vintage knitwear in good condition is often pricey and not as skin and laundry friendly, because while older fabric was better quality, older yarn is often not better quality than what we are accustomed to today.

 

Now, vintage appropriate sweaters are often fairly easy to find at thrift stores - but not matching twinsets with perfect 1950s shape, details, and styling! 

 

I wear a lot of sweater and sweater tops during the winter, especially preferring short sleeve sweaters, so a knitwear purchase was practical in that I would actually get a lot of wear out of it for the money. I may have checked frequently to find out when they would be for sale...and as soon as they were up on the website, I purchased 2 twinsets in color ways that I would get the most use out of.

 

I have to say, working with Rocket Originals was lovely. They promptly answered my questions and even refunded the extra postage (which to the US from the UK added quite a bit to the purchase price). The shipping didn't take too long, either, considering the distance.

I love that these are so carefully reproduced in every detail, and that I'm supporting a small, family-owned company with a reputation for authenticity by my purchase!

 

When I was looking at the info, I did wish that the sweaters were made of a natural fiber rather than acrylic. I prefer cotton or rayon blend sweaters. But I was pleasantly surprised when the sweaters arrived and they felt more like cotton, without the fuzzy-plastic-ish feeling acrylic sweaters often have. Of course they are machine washable, which is perfect.

 

I love how each sweater can be worn separately, yet when worn together the arrow details are perfectly placed for tasteful decoration and balance. The cardigan, which I can also wear with my cotton dresses, is warm and cozy. They are quite comfortable to wear and work in.

 

On the website they reiterated that these are short in length, meant to hit just at the hip. And they do. Make sure you wear a high waisted skirt with these if you don't want your midriff to show. 

 

Time will tell if they stand up to regular wearing and washing, but I have no reason to believe they won't. 

 

The gray/black combo goes very well with a lot of my more colorful skirts. Here I paired it with the rayon skirt I made over to look 1950s, worn over a crinoline, black classic 1950s pumps from Two Old Beans, and the cutest little vintage scottie brooch which came from my adopted grandmother.

 

So many times I have leafed through my vintage women's magazines and sighed at the selection displayed in the ads, wishing they were still available and I could get one in every color. Now I actually got the chance!

 

I'm very happy with this addition to my fall/winter wardrobe. One of these days I will show you the other set, which is even prettier!

A Conglomeration Outfit and a New Hat

Recently when I went through my hats, I found some I'd forgotten about. One of those was this lovely smoky blue 1950s flowered hat, which I found at an antique store years ago, brought home, and never wore as far as I can remember.

 

I promptly remedied that oversight! It's such a pretty color and in great shape.

 

The outfit I wore it with is a rare conglomeration - I usually like to keep things pretty decade specific. The blouse is modern, the skirt is a long ago make from a 1950s pattern, and the shoes are 1940s reproductions (Peggy from Royal Vintage Shoes), which I mostly wore with this outfit because I wanted an excuse to wear them. 

 

The blouse is exactly the same color as the blue netting on the hat, so even though they are separated by sixty years or so, I had to pair them. 

 

I guess the moral of such an outfit is that even when I wear one of the inexorably modern garments in my wardrobe, it's apt to come out looking as vintage as possible. Must be an Irresistible Urge or something built into my genes. :-)