The Schwinn Romper Grosgrain Giveaway

Kathleen, the amazing seamstress and creator of Grosgrain blog, is currently having a giveaway for the cute-cute-cute retro nautical-style summer romper above! Read more by clicking through the link below!

The Schwinn Romper Grosgrain Giveaway

Vintage Sewing Ephemera on Etsy!

Here are a few pieces of vintage sewing ephemera that I found on Etsy tonight! If I could, I would buy them all but, since I can't, I want to share them with the world!

At one time, home sewing was so prevalent that Simplicity published a magazine for "domestic science" students. I imagine this was given away free of charge to a ton of home ec students in 1961! Found at GlassOfFashion.

Eeeee - a plaid jacket with contrasting yokes, hood and cuffs! I can barely contain my excitement about this!!! I'm completely serious. For a mere $15.00, this 1974 issue of Burda magazine will supply you with 64 patterns! Found at PatternPyg.

A neat-o collection of McCall's and Simplicity fashion news magazines (another freebie given away at fabric stores). Found at GoodAndOld.

"Leisure, Fashion and Sewing." That is just so perfect! This particular issue of Swedish sewing magazine Elna has full-size patterns for a pinafore dress and wide-leg trousers among several others! Found at VintageVice.

Saving the best for last. Yes, I am in awe of the strawberry border print fabric that was used to make this smock top/dress. And the good news is that, if you buy this issue of Golden Hands Monthly, you will be able to make your own version of this smock top/dress since a multi-size pattern is included! Found at LuckyGirlTrading.

"New" Vintage Pattern Arrival + New Project In The Works!

This pattern arrived in the mail today - YAY!

You know how you tend to see the same patterns over and over again on different pattern sites (especially patterns from the 1960s and 1970s)?Well, I'd never seen this one before, so I had to grab it right away! I found it at Vintage Core Patterns on Etsy. I can't wait to make it - I'll probably start with the dress after I finish my current project, which involves this hilarious fabric:

I'm actually using a 1980s sewing pattern for this one. I don't usually work with 1980s patterns, but something about this fabric was just begging to be made into a 1980s dress! I'll probably finish the dress tonight, but will be away from my computer during the weekend so I'll post photos early next week. By the way, I love how the "nerds" on this fabric are wearing the "obvious" nerd accessory - eyeglasses! I've had this fabric in my stash for 3 years. I am really and truly trying not to buy any more fabric unless I find some at an estate auction or thrift store for so cheap that I just can't pass it up!

Simplicity 6471: 1974 Puff Sleeve Tent Dress

While I'm working on some new projects, here's an older one that I made three years ago from this amazing 1974 pattern - Simplicity 6471! It's a maternity pattern and I actually made the dress way before I was pregnant. At the time, I was attracted to the flared/tent silhouette and the puff sleeves, and the finished dress actually doesn't look much like a maternity dress, in my opinion.

The fabric that I used was a very strange vintage 1970s primary colored animal print bed sheet. Dig those creepy eyes! In fact, I was so fascinated by those eyes, that I used them to make the fabric covered buttons for the front. I was really happy with the outcome, but the neck band and front button closure proved quite a challenge at the time!

This pattern, by the way, is now available for purchase in my Etsy vintage sewing pattern shop! I know there are a bazillon different patterns shops out there right now, but I think my shop has a really great (and growing) selection of patterns for extremely reasonable prices (most are around $4.00-$5.00 each).

Simplicity 7381: 1976 Short Kimono Sleeve Top

Here are a few photos of my most recent sewing project - a short kimono sleeve blouse with shaped neckband yokes. I just love the illustration on the pattern envelope for Simplicity 7381, especially the lady in the beret with her matching turtleneck top and wide leg pants and long pendant necklace. She just oozes bohemian cool circa 1976!

The fabric is a colorful vintage 1970s faux patchwork print cotton that was given to me by Stephanie of Mid West Vintage. The contrasting sleeve and neckbands are made from cotton chambray and are topstitched with white thread. There is a zipper in the back, but I almost never use it since it's easy to just pull on over my head. I would probably omit the zipper if I ever decide to make this again. I highly recommend this pattern if you're looking for a quick and relatively easy 1970s style top - it took me roughly 3 hours to finish. It's one of those designs that's perfect for spring summer, but would also work in the fall and winter as a layering piece since it's pretty roomy.

Back to Blogging

Wow! These past 8 months have gone by so quickly!!! My little guy is officially 8 months old next week. Now that he's taking good naps and sleeping completely through the night, I'm ready to jump back into blogging and sewing again! Here's a photo of Brydon and I (and a moose!) taken at Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend:

I've also joined the BurdaStyle community, which I'm super-excited about, and I have 7 handmade dresses making their way to Pack Rats, Etsy member Softspoken's new brick 'n' mortar shop opening soon in Columbia, SC!

Oh! Any my latest obsessions are Patti Smith:

And Desmond Dekker:

I finished reading Patti's amazing book Just Kids last week. I've always been in awe of Patti Smith, and this memoir about her days as a young, struggling artist in NYC with partner Robert Mapplethorpe is amazing! I've been on a reggae kick lately, so the music of Desmond Dekker has been in heavy rotation around here.

New Arrival

My darling baby boy Brydon was born on Tuesday, October 6th at 9:06 p.m. He was a whopping 9 lbs 5 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long. It was truly love at first sight. I can't wait to sew a vintage toddler wardrobe for him as he grows up...but I hope he doesn't grow up too fast!