At home repro

[BettyValentine]

Eee!! Your tiny hat makes me go, "squee!" It's so cute.

Lolita, I tend to keep about 10 yds each of black and white polyester crepe around the house. It's super cheap, not too bad of a look as long as it is good-quality matte crepe, and you couldn't hurt it if you drove over it with your car. I use that for mock-ups since it is really easy to work with and it doesn't matter what happens to it when you're done. (It is also the most versatile thing in the world for cosplay). That stuff is great for if you're sitting around and suddenly decide you feel like sewing something without having to plan around it.

I'm trying to get out of the habit of keeping "treasure" fabrics. They don't do anyone any good at the bottom of that box. But it is *really* hard to make that first cut. ^_^

BV

 

[decodoll]

hehe...thanks, Betty.

 

[Tin Pan Sally]

In a book I have written by a milliner in the 1940's she talks about how she was always her most creative when she didn't have enough of any one fabric to make an entire dress. Now onto my latest project.... I hope you like it.

That tiny hat is just darling! Did you make it from scratch? I come from a long line of milliners, but unfortunately there is no one around to pass on the trade to me. It's a lost art. I'd love to learn. I've seen reprints of vintage hat patterns, but haven't been brave enough to dig in.

 

[Lauren]

OHH!! IT's SOO Cute!!! I'm in love with your little hat

 

[decodoll]

Many thanks!!

Sally, it is made from scratch. I'd love to be able to say I was from a long line of milliners! How cool is that!?! Did you inherit any vintage hat blocks?

 

[Tin Pan Sally]

Sally, it is made from scratch. I'd love to be able to say I was from a long line of milliners! How cool is that!?! Did you inherit any vintage hat blocks?

Oh how I wish. No, I have nothing but hat pins. My Mother and I don't know the first thing about millinery. She can sew, tat, embroider, knit (hats, mittens, sweaters, skirts), and even darn socks, so what more can we ask?

I’m impressed that you can do that. Very cool.

 

[SwingCat123]

Oooh! that is so cute:eusa_clap

 

[swankysister]

Fabric Shopping - in case you need encouragement

I haven't viewed these books or thoroughly searched through the following weblinks, but they refer to vintage sewing and where you can find vintage fabric:
Sew Vintage Book
Online Fabric Shopping Resources

 

[TheSwingingBee]

All the stuff in this thread is beautiful. Congrats on your wonderful sewing. I was wondering if anyone had used the Folkwear Patterns? I inhereted a couple from my Mom, and I was thinking about using them. I also have quite a few from my Gran, but I need to lose a little more weight to be able to use them.

 

[Lauren]

Folkwear patterns are great! Although not always period correct, they're a breeze to sew and the pattern paper is nice and thick so you can reuse them multiple times. Here's a site that the Greater Bay Area Costuming Guild puts out on reviewing patterns, and this page has sewers' reviews of Folkwear.

 

[Lauren]

Here's a really bad picture of the latest dress I made. It's from a 1940's playsuit pattern. I bought the fabric and buttons at an estate sale, the trim at a thrift store, and the pattern on Ebay. It's my new favorite spring dress

 

[fortworthgal]

I cannot sew to save my life! Really. My husband does all the sewing in our home - whether it is repairing a blown seam or even just sewing a button or a patch. I'm awful at it, and I despise it.

But I am tremendously impressed with all the clothing in this thread! Wow! You girls are really talented. Makes me wish I could sew!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Here's my latest effort, finished last night, and worn this afternoon to a Mother's Day lunch with my ma at a local diner --

My two-bit digital camera blurs out most of the detail (sorry) but the fabric is a light cotton with very fine woven-in blue, burgundy, and white stripes -- which blends into a nice medium blue from a distance. You can see the pattern it's made from in the Show Us Your Vintage Patterns thread!

"Very becomin'," says Ma. "You look like yer grandmother."

Which, of course, I take as a very high compliment!

 

[Lauren]

Sooo cute! I love it! And your house is adorable!

Thanks for the compliments, fortworthgal! Sewing's not that hard once you get the hang of it. Pretty cool your hubby sews, though!

 

[decodoll]

I love them both!! So cute!

 

[mysterygal]

Lauren, that summer dress is so adorable! love it!!

 

[fortworthgal]

Here's my latest effort, finished last night, and worn this afternoon to a Mother's Day lunch with my ma at a local diner --

Very nice dress, but I LOVE your house! So cute!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Thanx -- it's a sweet little house, actually, with the emphasis on the little -- just five small rooms, and a little backyard with a clothesline and a board fence. Built around 1911, so there's a lot of nifty features.

I've done the kitchen up in a very thirties-forties style, and if I can get around to it in the next day or so, I'll post some more pics to show it off a bit!

 

[jonniangel]

Thanks for sharing the pictures of the dresses! I have 2 sewing machines at home and no idea how to use them, so I'm a wee bit envious of your lovely creations.

Lizzie, please do share more pictures of your house, it looks fabulous!

 

[Lauren]

Please forgive the absolutely wretched unkept hair. I made this a while ago and forgot to get pics taken. Silly me cut this out in the dark so there's a HUGE stain on the front, but you can't tell from far away And this is the first hat I ever made. I made it from an early 30's pattern I have.