My First Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED! THANKS TO ALL THE ENTRANTS!

Oh hai! Didn’t I say I’d put this post up yesterday? Well yesterday sort of got away from me there! Sorry!

So, in honor of my one hundredth post I thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway. I’ve got some great treats for you all. First up for grabs is The Better Homes and Gardens Sewing Book.

This book is the same layout as the classic red and white checkered cookbook, only for sewing. It is spiral bound and tabbed for ease of use. It’s a charming sewing book that offers some of the best tips I’ve come across. Here are some scanned pages (I apologize for the wonkiness but the scanner is upstairs and I can’t be bothered to redo them!)

For many of us vintage sewists, cutting stripes just so is very important. This book offers some of the best visuals I’ve yet seen on how to do this properly to get the effect that you want. In this same section is also found great tips on working with plaids.

Also offered is a whole section on evening wear. I especially like this section as it gives all manner of visuals on lining lace and sheer tops and dresses all with a vintage spin.

The book also features a great section on accessorizing various standard costumes in both “country” and “town” variations. It provides the vintage dresser with a great view into how an outfit would be accessorized for the time period.

And that’s not all. I thought I’d include this very basic pattern that would lend itself well to all manner of embellishment with the aid of this book.

I find that lately I’m drawn more and more to basic patterns as they really play up all the fun prints that I tend to buy. This one is especially cute with its fitted bodice and gathered skirt. Even a beginning sewer could sew this up without much of a problem.

And because I like you all so much, I decided that it would be fun to have not one, but two giveaways! This one is a great sewing book from the Forties called The Complete Book of Sewing by Constance Talbot, and let me tell you, she ain’t kidding!

Now, I must warn you, this book does have a bit of mildew damage to the front pages. However, this isn’t something that detracts in any way from the book and it’s nothing that a nice airing in the sun won’t cure. If the sun would just cooperate here, I could do this before I send it out.

Like the Better Homes Sewing Book, this book is a neat snapshot in time for the vintage sewer.

There are a few great sections that are just FULL of projects that one could very easily make without using a pattern; for example the two hats you see above. Don’t you just love the turban?! This has been on my “to make” list for WAY too long!

The first few chapters of this book focus solely on choosing clothes that will work for you; for your height, weight, body shape and clothing preference. The scan above is examples of some of the “types” be it sophisticated or feminine.

Aside from providing the basics of sewing, this book is choc-a-bloc full of tips for trimming and “make do and mend” projects. The lucky winner will adore this book.

Like the other giveaway, I thought it would be fun to include a pattern from the era of this sewing book so up for grabs is this pretty little thing.

Again, this is s simple pattern that even a novice sewer could easily make up and would look great in anything from solids to prints. The scooped neckline is flattering to most folks and just look- it has pockets! What could be better?

So, how do you win one of these prizes? Simply comment below and let me know if you’d like the first giveaway or the second. You have until Sunday, 13 May to enter.  Winners will be chosen using a random number generator and will be announced on Monday the 14th of May. Please be sure to leave me your email so that I may contact you if you win! ETA: You can enter for both, but can only win one and, I will ship anywhere in the world! Good luck to you all and thanks for reading!

Eileen

Pretty Pattern Sunday #24

Good Morning everyone!

As many of you know, yesterday was Cinco de Mayo! We celebrated by having back-to-back cookouts on Friday and yesterday, the second being held mostly to clear out much of the extra food left over from the first one! Us and our neighbors enjoyed Coronas with lime and had a great time.

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo is today’s pretty pattern.

Muy Caliente!

I flippin’ love this pattern. It’s one that I absolutely intend to make some day, but just haven’t got around to. I’m sure you can relate. I have several patterns like this; many of you may have noticed the profusion of Mexican and South American inspired designs from this period. What you may not know was that it was an intentional ploy to inspire goodwill between our country and countries to the South of us during World War II. It was known as “The Good Neighbor Program.”

I have another pattern in my collection that fits today’s theme that I’ve actually made up. Here’s the pattern:

And here is my version of the pattern made up:

It was so much fun doing the embroidery on this pattern. I actually did the vast majority of it when I was on a week long trip for work, so this blouse always reminds me of my time in North Carolina. Do the things you make evoke memories of where you were, what you were watching/listening to while you were making them? Mine do, which I think makes it very hard to part with them when I do closet clean outs, whether I wear them often or not!

BAM! Double dose of pretty pattern goodness for you today!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend as I know I will. On the agenda is fitting the corset with bones and then cutting out and hopefully sewing the final version up using the coutil that arrived in the mail on Friday. I’m very glad I ordered it because it is leaps and bounds stiffer than the twill I’d originally purchased.

Until next we meet,

Eileen

ETA: As soon as I published this, WordPress let me know that this is my 100th post! I’ll be hosting a giveaway tomorrow to celebrate the occasion. Stay tuned because I have some great goodies for you!

They Grow So Fast

Peeps, not too long ago, I showed you a picture of my future garden. Well take a gander at these babies today!

What you’re seeing there is a couple of tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries, jalapenos and some very tiny budding lavender! Huzzah!

This one is yet more peppers, and some delicious basil thrown in for good measure. I can’t wait until everything is big enough to eat! This weekend we’re going to start building a raised bed on the very small plot of earth that we do have next to our patio. I need to buy containers for the plants that will not be placed in the raised bed.

Other than that, I think I’ll be finishing the fitting on my corset as my coutil has just arrived in the mail. I still need to do first fitting sans bones and then second fitting with bones.

Anyone else out there doing some gardening this weekend? How about corset building?

Eileen

Pinafore Completed!

Hi Peeps! Are ya’ll enjoying your “hump” day? Mine’s going well thus far; however I have to get off the ‘ol tuchas and make something for dinner but I’m not sure what yet so I thought instead of doing that I’d post pictures of the finished pinafore!

So, the pinafore. It’s definitely a frivolous, silly thing, but I do love it.

I made the pinafore using a green and white striped cotton seersucker fabric. As you can see, it is liberally trimmed with frills and rick-rack. The back is pretty glorious; take a gander:

Ha ha, ignore the “bustle” look there, that’s the built in “skirt marker” on my dress form! As you can see, this dress is put on by buttoning up the back. I do so love a back button blouse, so why not a back button dress?

This was a pretty easy project to make up, that is, once I sourced a ruffle pattern piece off another pinafore pattern in my collection (see why it’s good to buy patterns of similar dresses?) I actually made no modifications to this pattern at all. I’ve discovered that if I cut a 1940s size 36″ bust for some reason it always fits like a dream. Whodda thunk?

I put this baby on shortly after completing her sans belt and it looked, well, oddly frumpy. However, once I threw the belt on and it cinched in the waist a bit, the whole effect was much better. I see wearing this to an outdoor festival or on a picnic of some kind. I’m bound and determined to wear PLENTY of vintage this summer as the locals seem to be a bit hostile about people who dress . . . differently.

Okay, guess I better go rustle up some grub!

Tchuss!

Eileen