Vintage Betty Boop Pattern

This is a vintage Betty Boop sewing pattern I'm planning on tackling soon.

I believe it's from the 50s but couldn't find a date for it. 

(Does anyone have a date for this pattern? Please let me know.)

When finished it makes a 19 inch Betty Boop doll. 

Should be fun!

Linked to:

Annemarie's Haakblog, Homework, The Dedicated House, The Silly Pearl

Vintage 1940s Vogart Appliques

Beautiful, vibrant, vintage floral applique by Vogart from the 1940s or 1950s with 3 different flowers: blue and pink hydrangeas, colourful tulips and a very big, very pink water lilly.

I got these a couple of years ago from The Last Pixie on etsy and it's taken me this long to get up the nerve to actually contemplate cutting them up and using them.

I get like that with rare vintage items that have a special hold on my heart.

 It's not like you can go out and buy another set to replace them if it turns out that you're not happy with the outcome of your project......

Now I know that I want to make a bag with one or more of these. A big, tote-style bag, something like the bag Marilyn Monroe is holding at the beach in this picture.

This is the back of the Vogart packaging with instructions on how to use the appliques and all sorts of suggestions on what to use them on: towels, wash cloths, dresses, table linens, scarves, doilies, aprons, bedspareds, draperies, blouses.

Personaly, if I didn't have the bag in mind, I'd put them on cushions and give my sofa a spring makeover.

Don't you just love the 1940s bedroom and fashion sketches?

It's great to see how they would probably have been used by women at the time these were being manufactured.

I want to incorporate them in a Vintage Pattern Pledge make, so I'll be searching for an authentic bag pattern to add them to.

The Last Pixie

Linked to:
The Silly Pearl, The Dedicated House, Homework

Vintage Turban Patterns

Simplicity 5572 - 1973 set of turbans pattern

Turbans have long been a fascination of mine. 
I find they have a certain air of glamour and mystery no matter how they are worn.
Maybe because I associate them with the elegant movie stars of old that used to wear them with that glorious siren quality.

Simplicity 5227 - 1963 accessory pack icluding turban

These are the vintage turban patterns currently in my collection. 

They're all 1960s and 1970s patterns, so they're more Elizabeth Taylor than Louise Brooks or Greta Garbo.

Vogue 6121 - 1964 'easy to make' turban styled hats

Simplicity 5572 is the first one on my list but I'd really like to try them all.

McCall's 2379 - 1960s three hats pattern

Linked to:

I Heart Naptime, The Dedicated House, The Silly Pearl, Homework

Sewing Made Easy by Mary Lynch and Dorothy Sara

A while back I promised to share posts of vintage sewing books for anyone who might be interested in the books themselves or just curious to get a glimpse of some vintage-style sewing and fashion.

The New Revised Edition Sewing Made Easy by Mary Lynch and Dorothy Sara, published in 1960 is the very first vintage sewing book that I read and I can't praise it enough!

I'm including all the contents of the book in photos so you can peruse all it offers.

The material it covers is extensive and if you're a novice sewer it's perfect for guiding you along dressmaking, step by step.

It takes you through all the steps needed to make a garment from the getting ready to sew stage which includes buying a pattern, choosing fabric, etc, to all the sewing techniques you will need to put together -a whole range of- garments.

There are styling tips and tricks of the late 1950s - early 1960s included and advice on building a wardrobe according to the particular requirements of the time depending on 

 wether you were a housewife, business woman, teacher, receptionist, salesclerk or hostess.

There's a chapter on taking care of your clothes to make them last longer and look their best, a chapter for remodeling clothes, one for sewing for your family and mending and yet another for making alterations to ready-to-wear clothes.

The chapter on sewing for the home includes how to make curtains, tea-towels, closet accessories, laundry bags and a whole number of fascinating projects for the home.

One of my favourite chapters is the Accessories And Gifts You Can Make one. There's a variety of bags, hats (you can see the turban further down in the photos), dickeys, cuffs, belts, a peplum, slippers and some toys!

Overall, I love this book and cannot recommend it highly enough.

It's just full of wonderful things to make and it gives you all the necessary knowledge of how to make them, all very clearly explained. 

It should be a great book for beginners but also for the more experienced sewer as well as any vintage fashion and/or sewing enthusiast, as it offers all sorts of vintage patterns and instructions for making wonderful vintage items. 

If you're a sewer -of any level- and you've read through the book review, what do you think?

Does it look like a book that has merit at your particular level?

Please share your thoughts.

I'll be posting more vintage sewing book reviews regularly on the blog. 

Please come back for a glimpse of vintage sewing goodness ranging from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Linked to:

I Heart Naptime, Annemarie's Haakblog, The Silly Pearl, The Dedicated House

Top 10 Vintage Summertime Picks

 Ten of my favourite vintage summer fashion picks from my Summertime pinterest board.

Beautiful women in amazing fashion from the 1930s through to the 1970s -in random order.

Click on any photo to go to the pinterest link.

Vintage Christmas

I couldn't resist sharing some wonderful  vintage images from Christmases long gone by...

All found on pinterest.

Jantzen Sweaters 1958

1940s illustrated soda ad

McLellan's Christmas Carols and Giftguide 1958

Mica Snowflakes

Salesman Sample Christmas Advertising Postcard from late 60's or early 70's

1960s Hallmark Christmas Greetings card

Hallmark vintage Christmas card

Vintage Christmas Greetings

Detail from the book "It's a Wonderful Christmas" by Susan Waggoner

Christmas angel

Top 10 Women's Vintage Scarf Inspiration

Fabulous scarf inspiration from the past. 
Here are some wonderful scarves from the 1930s,1940s, 1950s and 1960s -in random order.
Click on any picture to go to the link.


                  

1965

1950s

1950s

1967

1976

1965

1960s

1945

1950s

1930s

For lots more scarf inspiration, vintage or otherwise, as well as lots of diys, click on: Ring Your Neck Inspiration Motherboard.

The Ring Your Neck scarf challenge can be found at Ricochet and Away blog.

For scarf inspiration that is not vintage, you might like to see my Top 10 Women's Scarf Inspiration.