Verity Vintage Studio

4th of July Vintage Toddler Dress Makeover

Some time ago, I got this vintage toddler dress from a seller on Instagram. It was priced low because the skirt was badly rust-stained, but I knew I could do something with it so I kept it until my oldest daughter grew into this size.

 

The thin cotton had leaked the rust stains through, so it was stained both front and back, and the buttons had disintegrated. But all the stains were on the lower 2/3rds of the skirt, so the bodice (which is where all the cute detail was) was untouched.

 

It was a simple matter to trim off the skirt a few inches down, and using that to measure, cut a length of contrast fabric to replace it with.

 

Of course the shoulder button replacement was super easy - so here it is with a fresh life, just in time for the 4th of July festivities!

 

She calls it her "parade dress", and loves it - though I couldn't get her to smile for these pictures. :-) 

 

I like it also as an example of how versatile a basic pattern is, as a background canvas for creative trimming. 

 

Here's an actual smile!

 

We are having a low-key 4th today, but the children got to jump in a bouncy house and gathered up their long-awaited buckets of candy from the parade, so they are happy. 

Happy Independence Day!

 

"They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

...There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

-Patrick Henry, 1775

Turquoise 1950s Vintage Dress Find

I may have a closet full of vintage style clothes, but I hardly own any true vintage clothes. A few suits and jackets, coats, and one or two dresses is about the extent of it. It's just hard to find something that fits me and is in my price range, and is also sturdy enough that I feel comfortable wearing and washing it. As a busy mom, I can't have a lot of high maintenance clothes, which is why I usually prefer to make my own.

 

But when you're visiting a new local shop that has some antiques, and spot this beauty, realize it probably would fit, and check the price tag - and it's only $35 - what else can you do??

 

I believe it was hand made, and can appreciate the skill of the seamstress for sure. Often I don't want to spend money on something I can make myself, but this was inexpensive enough and not necessarily something I would have wanted to tackle making. 

 

I think it's linen, or a linen blend. So it wrinkles after I've been sitting on it, but has a lovely drape and weave. 

 

The neck detail and those adorable pockets are the special factor. Actually, I think the neck could be fairly easy to do if you cut and faced a square neck with a scallop and then underlaid it with a band of contrasting fabric - but scallops are not my strong point, so I'm delighted someone else did them. And who would have thought of using machine stitched buttonholes as decoration??

 

Aside from my usual trouble with the back being a trifle long waisted, it fit me very well. It has a careful darn under one arm - clearly has been well loved.

 

After wearing it for a day I need to reinforce a few seams, but otherwise it stood normal wear very well. I washed it in cold water on a delicate cycle, and dried it flat, which seemed to work just fine. 

Of course I had to pair it with ivory accessories, including a new to me 1950s hat and my favorite vintage summer heels.

 

 

So my small vintage clothing collection has expanded a little, and I'm very pleased. Oh, and I have to include a quick photo with the children since we all happened to coordinate for church.

 

I hope everyone is having a happy summer!

 

Photos by Elsie's Adventuring

Transition to Spring: 1940s Chunky Knit Sweater

This blog post is a little different. It's not about anything I made, or even anything thrifted. Instead, I had to style a new sweater handmade by my sister, using a 1940s pattern.

 

Ever since seeing some of the lovely knits on Instagram, handmade from stunning vintage patterns, I've toyed with the idea of learning to knit so I can make some for myself. 

Well, quilting arrived and took over my new-hobby-learning-spare-time, so knitting will definitely have to wait, at least for now! But I happen to have a talented sister who knits (among other things) and actually likes to interpret old patterns (my personal dread), so I suggested she try some of the lovely vintage sweater patterns out there.

This was her first sweater, and it turned out lovely! 

 

She wanted to wet her feet with a quick and easy knit, and this pattern fit the bill - as well as having some interest in the shoulder detail to stretch her skills a bit.

 

I chose a bulky wool yarn in a lovely cornflower blue color, but I only had 3 skeins of it, so she made the sweater short sleeved instead of long sleeved. I like wearing short sleeves in the winter because I like something heavier, yet get too hot while working in long sleeves most of the time.

 

It has a crocheted finish and button band, and I found the perfect vintage buttons from my stash to finish it out.

 

The bulky weight made it a very quick knit - she made the whole thing in just a few days - and also is very size accommodating. The original pattern was quite a bit smaller size than I am, but since it has so much stretch, after adding a half inch or so onto the button band, it fits well enough. 

 

She enjoyed making it so much that she's intending to make more, in vintage-appropriate yarns and colors, to sell. You can currently find her on Instagram as @patternsofexcellence, if you want to see what she's up to. 

The shoulder detail is my favorite part!

 

I paired it for these photos with the skirt of my 2 piece summer suit from a few years ago - mix and match outfits for the win! Also my navy and white Peggy spectator pumps from Royal Vintage, which were a favorite purchase this past fall. It looks a bit more nautical-summery, but the sweater keeps it suitable for cooler weather like the early spring we are now enjoying.

 

I love how knits add texture to a vintage wardrobe - really ideal for dressing up in colder weather. It's completely accurate and period correct, yet we can enjoy the wider range of colors, fibers, and washability (not so fragile!) than actual vintage pieces.

 

There are so many lovely patterns out there, with amazing details and design elements, especially from the 1930s and 1940s when make-it-yourself creativity was at its height. I might have to take advantage of my sister's skills and order a few more in different styles, one of these days!

True Vintage: Rescued Gray 1950s Suit

I have one final sewing project from 2018 to show you before I do my year's recap, but since I haven't gotten photos of it yet, this week I want to share another lovely vintage suit from the 1950s.

 

I went from having only one vintage suit to owning 3 or 4 in just a few weeks, thanks to an antique shopping trip - and winning this suit on eBay. I got it for a very good price since it needed some TLC. One button was coming apart, and the skirt zipper was broken, with part of the side seam also separated.

 

The button I more or less fixed with some glue, but the zipper was easily something I could do with all my sewing experience. I just used my seam ripper to take out the broken one, and used a short vintage gray metal zipper in my stash to replace it. It took a few tries since it's a lapped zipper and I'm not used to sewing lapped zippers, but I figured it out! And of course I forgot to take before and after photos...

 

My other adventure with this suit was washing it by hand. I read up on washing vintage suits first, and there is so much varied opinion on if it's wise to do or not...but I finally decided that I hadn't paid much for it and wasn't going to spend the money to dry clean it, so it if it wouldn't wash then there was no big loss. I tried the skirt first, and the fabric behaved well, so next was the jacket - more nerve wracking because of those beautiful details!

 

Actually, the wool gabardine was just fine in the water. It was the jacket lining that didn't come out the same. It went from a silky lining to having a crepe texture, but it was good enough to wear, so I called it a success. The jacket smelled much fresher, some of the slight sweat stains at the neck came out, and the water was quite dirty when I was finished, so I'm glad to get all that gunk out of it.

 

It's the most beautiful woven gray and white fabric with such lovely drape and smoothness. The suit has simple lines - there is a tiny slit at the bottom of the skirt on each side, and the jacket has princess panels in the back. It's a tiny bit too tight for me, so I probably should move the buttons over an inch.

 

The jacket has has the pretty details, and I just love them! The double covered buttons are unique. I'm especially delighted to find a suit that fits me and has some special detailing for such a low price.

 

It's a perfect neutral color suitable for several seasons and many accessory colors. I tend to pair blue and gray together, so my accessories were navy this time, but I added a touch of color with this colorful patchwork embroidered purse that was gifted to me. It's so pretty!

 

Everything I am wearing is vintage, from approximately the same era, so I felt very 1950s appropriate!

I've said before that though I enjoy sewing my own clothes, there's something special about wearing actual vintage pieces. All the better when I can use my sewing skills to rescue an outfit that well deserves rescuing. :-)

Farewell to Autumn - Vintage Brown Jacket

My last autumn themed post for this year features a gorgeous vintage jacket that was recently given to me by a sweet lady who knew I would appreciate some of her mother's clothes and accessories. This is the first of those gifts to make it to the blog.

 

This jacket is so beautiful - simple and classic, yet with a few detail touches that make it special. It's a lovely chocolate brown wool gabardine, smooth and tailored. 

 

Such fun pockets!

 

It is actually the jacket of a skirt suit, but the skirt doesn't fit me, so I am pairing it here with the skirt from my plaid vintage suit which I blogged about last week. The brown plaid lines on the skirt are exactly the same color as the jacket, so while it doesn't match, it coordinates very well and is the right style to pair together.

 

I'm not quite sure of this jacket's era. Judging from the skirt, it is probably 1950s, but taking the jacket alone, it could actually work very well for 1940s or New Look as well.

 

My favorite feature is that it is convertible! Wear it with the collar folded back and it looks like a traditional jacket, but you can also button it the whole way up for an adorable asymmetrical double-breasted jacket style.

 

I love the lines of slanted buttons when it is worn this way!

 

I think this color could be very versatile paired with other colors and patterns of skirts. It will be fun to discover combinations!

 

Here I am using all vintage accessories. I have to give a special shout-out to this fabulous hat, which is not mine. Technically, I saw it first, but my sister snagged it before I did, so I had to borrow it from her for this outfit. :-)

 

Except for my reproduction brooch, which is one of several I recently purchased from VivaLalux, and this sweet leaf and acorn combo makes it one of my favorites!

 

Soon after taking these photos, we got our first snowfall and I started preparing for Christmas, so while the autumn posts have been all too brief, winter is already upon us and so is my winter sewing projects. 

 

Thankfully, classic wool jackets like this can continue to be worn through the winter as well as autumn. And this one is truly a beauty. I'm so happy to give it a good home!

True Vintage: Late 1940s Gingham Suit

There is some snow on the ground right now, my decorations are up, and I'm playing Christmas music as I write this. But I have a few more weeks' worth of fall posts to catch up on before I get to winter projects, so it is still autumn on the blog!

A few weeks ago I wrote about my one and only true vintage suit, a gem among the very few true vintage pieces I own. Well, shortly after penning that post, my vintage suit collection more than tripled! One of the new additions is this lovely rayon suit I snagged during a Thanksgiving sale that a local antique boutique was having. 

 

It was funny...we had only a half hour to skim through the shop and it wasn't nearly enough time. I spotted this suit, quickly tried on the jacket, and saw it would fit me. I wanted to get one nice piece there, so since I didn't find anything else in the brief time I was frantically digging through the racks, I went ahead and purchased this suit without trying it on or looking at it farther.

 

When I got home,  I was pleased to find that the skirt fits me too - a pleasant surprise since a lot of suit skirts are too tight or short for me even if the jacket fits. The jacket was missing one button, but thankfully it also had matching buttons on the pockets, so I was able to use one of them to fill in the gap, and replaced the pocket buttons with coordinating ones from my stash. I think they ended up coordinating quite well!

 

Other than the missing button and one small spot on the lapel, it seems to be in flawless condition.

 

It's a lightweight, unlined, rayon suit - so I believe it's for warm weather wear. Also, the label says it is "sports wear". The fabric drapes beautifully, and the jacket has fabulous large, top stitched pockets, crisp notched collar, triple front darts, and huge shoulder pads.

 

Judging from the length and width of the skirt, I believe it is from the late 1940s - perhaps as late as 1950. I was super pleased with the fit and versatility. That simple brown/tan gingham could coordinate with multiple colors, though here I went with easy and basic, using the same color scheme.

I paired it with all vintage accessories (except for the undershirt), and got out one of my vintage umbrellas for fun since it was a good color scheme for the photo session. Also because they rarely get an outing otherwise - rain is rare in Idaho.

 

I had to try a 1940s model pose...

 

We made sure to get these photos before the first snowfall so it still looks season appropriate! :-)

 

I love the slender, classy silhouette! I wore it to church that weekend, but added sweat guards first since I will have to dry clean this beauty and want to do that as little as possible.

 

I've mentioned before that, unless it is very inexpensive, I don't buy vintage things that I can make. But suits - especially with special features  - I am happy to purchase when I can. This one makes me very happy! And considering that it was such a hurried purchase (not usually recommended!), I consider myself pretty lucky.

My One and Only True Vintage Suit

This stunning 1950s suit has a long story behind it.

 

A few months after I was married, I went shopping with my friend Gina from Beauty from Ashes and she took me to a very nice vintage clothing consignment store where I spotted this beautiful suit on the rack. Just for fun, I tried on the jacket and it fit perfectly. I looked like I stepped out of the 1950s.

I sighed over it. The price was pretty decent for a suit with this many lovely details and in such good condition and it was on sale!

 

But I didn't have that much money to spend, so I regretfully left it behind after we were done admiring it. I gushed about it to my husband about it on the way home, and then forgot about it. Unbeknownst to me, my husband asked Gina to go back and pick it up, which she did, and kept it at her house for him.

 

Fast forward several months to my birthday, when my husband presented me with the suit, which I recognized instantly. I was flabbergasted and beyond thrilled and so excited. It was the most thoughtful and special gift ever!!!

 

BUT I was 5 months pregnant by this time and there was no way I could get the jacket shut. :-)

I had to put it away for a while... Late last fall I was able to fit into the jacket, and tried to get photos of it with a different me-made skirt, but the photos were taken hastily in full sunlight with a blinding white snow background, so they did not turn out well. This was too special of a piece to do a careless photo shoot, so I never shared those photos. 

But finally I rounded up all my accessories and coordinated schedules with my sister to do a proper photo shoot. The suit doesn't fit quite as well as when I originally tried it on, but by this time I'm able to fit into the skirt, though it's very tight. It's a good thing the jacket lapels are so long! :-)

 

Just look at that perfect trim 1950s silhouette! *sigh*

 

I don't think I'll ever actually wear it out and about as a 2 piece, because the skirt is just too snug and short for active real life even if I lose some more weight - but wearing it long enough to pose for pictures worked fine. 

 

I've never seen a decorated slit like this before. Usually they are kick pleats, not slits, and this one has a random tiny seed bead cluster at one corner. So interesting!

 

The jacket fits me better and I can pair with other skirts when I want to give it an outing. It's the most beautiful smooth gabardine fabric, and the details are incredible. Look at how the front piece is cut to come down and form the decoration, which also features the shaping darts, all in one piece. I sure would love to get my hands on the pattern for this!

 

Then the shaped collar mirrors the scalloped details. I added a vintage lace jabot underneath to fill in the neck, but a crossed scarf or round-necked undershirt would work too.

 

The buttons too are so pretty! I just love how simple and classy this is, and yet how much detail was packed in. People certainly knew how to make beautiful and flattering clothing back then!

 

It's a great reminder of the high standard when sewing vintage clothes to get them to look era-perfect. But there's just something special about wearing an actual piece and stepping back in time that I rarely feel when I wear one of my own creations.

 

The color is an interesting lavender-leaning shade of brown. I'm sure it would go well with other colors, but for some reason navy blue seemed to be the right color for accessories. I wonder what the original owner wore it with?

 

The back has simple princess lines.

 

I have a very small collection of true vintage clothes. Maybe someday I can afford to expand that collection, but for now I'm just tickled that I own this gorgeous piece of history, thanks to the collaboration of my sweet husband and friend.

If I only own one vintage suit, at least it's a humdinger! :-)

Yellow Dot 1970s does 1940s Dress

This dress was a favorite of my mother-in-law's when she was young, and a while ago she gifted it to me. It is so cute! Of course, I always am a sucker for polka dots. Despite the fact that I rarely wear yellow, I had to try it once spring came.

 

Many times a throwback dress still has a giveaway element that just doesn't look quite right. This one, other than the slippery polyester fabric, really does look period accurate for the 1940s. The button front, polka dot fabric, sweetheart neckline, and peplum are all lovely 1940s elements.

 

It had a few marks on it which faded with treatment, and a small burn near the hem, which I covered by adding trim to the hem area. Otherwise I didn't do a thing.

 

I wore it with a jewel neck undershirt (also a common style for dickeys back then), white gloves, replaced the string tie belt of fabric with a purchased belt, and paired it with a black 1940s tilt hat, purse, and my new Nitas.

 

Reproduction brands are spoiling me for real vintage footwear. These are so comfortable and sturdy, and I don't have to be so careful of them when wearing out doors. I love the soft suede, toe detail, and how classy they look. I have a few quibbles with the way the ankle strap fits, and probably should have sized down a half size to avoid the shoe bed showing in the back, but overall I'm so pleased! I had made up my mind to get these, but right before I went to purchase, Royal Vintage had a sale - so I'm delighted I waited!

 

I think they will go with everything, as well as be perfect formal wear, so I expect to wear them a lot. And they added the perfect 1940s touch to this outfit, with their quintessential silhouette.

 

Oh, and I have to mention dress clips! I collected a few pairs after seeing what a common accessory they were in their day, only to find that I hardly had anything I could wear them with. Since this neckline would accommodate them, I had to wear some. These dainty beauties add a touch of color to the yoke edge, and of course can be omitted for a different look.

 

I have to admit that I like yellow (this shade, at least) better on me than I expected. And it feels so springish!

 

So while the 1970s and 1980s are not my favorite fashion eras, this dress is one of later vintage that actually is my style and I really expect to enjoy.

Interview with Timeless Trinkets

Way back in 2012, not long after I joined the Etsy community, I stumbled on an Etsy shop that sold the most beautiful jewelry featuring vintage and antique buttons. Since my first purchase, I've been back again and again for more until now I have quite the collection of pieces from that shop! Today I have the opportunity to share with you an interview with the owner, designer, and seller of the shop Timeless Trinkets – Marcella Blankenship.

While she makes and sells other types of beaded jewelry in her shop, my special interest in the interview today is to discuss her button designs, since I'm a fellow vintage/antique button enthusiast and love the way she so tastefully gives them a brand new life. The buttons she uses range from quirky or colorfully hand painted, to exquisite gilded or iridescent glass, to intricate antique embossed buttons. I always have an endless and growing wishlist from her shop! I'm excited to show you her beautiful work, and to have to meet her.

 

VVS: Welcome to the blog, Marcella! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

M: I’m married with 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. I like to sew, garden - flowers are lovely - and make jewelry!

VVS: How did you get started designing jewelry?

M: It’s kind of a long story. While I was in college I was very much into retro fashion and clothing. I would visit the Senior Citizens thrift store and buy my dresses and hats. I would also take old broken brooches and convert them into necklaces. I had a few pieces I had made from watch parts. My mother worked as a wholesaler in the fashion jewelry business and it was my job to fix and repair broken jewelry that had been returned; I have always been exposed to fashion and jewelry in some form. After college I got married and started a family and that was my full time job for quite a while. When my youngest child was born I had very long hair and used hair sticks to keep it pinned up in a twist. While shopping online for them one day, I thought, “I can make those!” At that time Etsy was just starting up and I had friend who makes tatted lace and wanted to open a shop. So, we decided to open one together. All of this was very new to us and for about a year I sold just hair sticks. This friend also knew I liked making jewelry with vintage items, buttons, and watch parts and she introduced me to the Steampunk trend. She was the one who suggested that I try making jewelry with my buttons and watch parts and sell it on Etsy. It was kind of on a whim, but that’s how Timeless Trinkets was started. I eventually closed the hair stick shop and focused only on making jewelry.

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VVS: Mounting them into jewelry is such a great way to showcase beautiful and fragile buttons and give them a new lease on life. Where did you get the idea to turn buttons into jewelry?

M: I’m really not sure, other than I had used them in brooch designs when I was younger, making collages with buttons and watch parts using a hot glue gun. I knew I wanted to make more professional looking pieces that would last longer and be more versatile. It was a very long process of finding the right settings and glue. International orders were very tricky in that the glue would contract at such low temperatures in flight and the jewelry would come apart sometimes. Even now I take time to look for new suppliers when it comes to settings that will accommodate the shank of the glass buttons and those of collectable antique ones.

 

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VVS: Where do you find the buttons you use for your lovely creations, and how do you decide how you are going to style them?

M: When I first started 10 years ago, I bought a bunch of buttons off of e-Bay. A lot of these were part of estate sales and would come by the box full. I still have too many of those buttons, I don’t know if I will ever use them all. I also shopped antique malls for items to use. The glass buttons I will buy from Etsy sellers. For many years I bought from a lady in Germany whose family owned a glass factory and she was selling stock that had been in the warehouse since the war. Glass buttons were very popular at one time and many countries like Germany and the Czech Republic made them. Along came the war and fashion wasn’t too important. Many factories closed and the button blanks were boxed up and stored. Later, plastic was easy to make and more durable in the washing machine, so the glass buttons became useless.

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VVS: What is your favorite part of what you do?

M: Hmmm, that’s a hard question. I like all of it. My favorite designs are the more elaborate ones that have a beaded chain. I like the challenge of combining colors that complement the buttons.

 

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VVS: Do you have a favorite piece you've made?

M: I have a couple. There’s a piece pictured on my store banner that is a favorite of mine. I’m not sure why I don’t keep them, but I really like making things that give other people joy and so when they buy something that’s a favorite of mine, it makes me smile. I hope they find as much joy wearing it and I did making it.

 

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VVS: How do you date the buttons you use, determining which are “vintage” and which are “antique”?

M: With the metal buttons, it’s easy to know the general time of production. They have very defined manufacturing techniques and there are of lots of button collector books you use as a reference. The glass buttons are harder. Lately, I have seen a lot of Czech art glass buttons for sale. These buttons are sold as vintage, but the quality of them is perfect and they seem new. Some of these buttons could be vintage and are the ones that have been put in storage for 50 plus years, but I don’t think so. When in doubt, I usually label the button as art glass made from vintage molds. One nice thing about these buttons is that they still use the metal molds that are over 75 years old and they are handmade. So, even if the button is new, its design is old.

My very first pair of Timeless Trinkets earrings - still a favorite!

 

VVS: Do you wear your jewelry yourself?

M: Yes, I do!

 

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Well, I just can't see how she can sell many of them, they're all so pretty! Lockets and bracelets, sets, various styles of necklaces and earrings...I often visit her shop when I have a bit of spending money and want to treat myself. But she keeps putting up new ones so my wishlist grows much faster than my purchases!

My growing collection of earrings...

 

This necklace I had put on an Etsy list of things I hoped to buy, then one day it was marked “sold”. I was bummed, but didn't think more about it until I opened a Christmas gift that year from my mother and found the necklace inside! She had secretly looked at my Etsy list and made her gift purchases from it. Needless to say, I was very happy!

 

I was wearing my latest pair of Timeless Trinkets earrings for the photos for this post, and have a nautical necklace waiting in the wings for the perfect 1950s pairing one of these days. So pretty!

 

I hope you've enjoyed discovering Marcella and her work, and love her jewelry as much as I do. I have to admit I had no idea it was such a process to find and pair the right elements! Now I'm off to browse her shop and wish I could get a dozen more of my favorites...

Since she's having a 20% off sale until December 1, now might be the time to snap up some of the more tempting pieces!

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.