That's a wrap

Once of the interesting things I've discovered in the relatively short time I've been blogging here is that I find myself thinking about my own vintage style more than ever before, including my knitting and sewing. I never really used to contemplate how items would work together in my wardrobe... if I did, it was usually more along the lines of, "Uh oh, why am I knitting a chartreuse pullover when I have nothing to wear it with?"

Back in February I attempted to challenge myself by focusing on a color palette and a plan for sewing and knitting.

While a good idea in theory, I lost focus pretty quickly. How easy to get distracted by pretty fabrics, yarns and patterns! I forgot I'm not always the most monogamous knitter, either.

Now the things I've completed do fit into the color palette I laid out for myself, for the most part, and I have one sewing project and two knitting projects in progress that will also fit in whenever they're completed. I did sew one skirt (on my "Thing I would really like" list), one dress, one sleeveless blouse and knit one short-sleeved sweater (all on my "Things I absolutely need" list). Part of the problem was that I wasn't nearly as productive as I would have hoped.

But I guess I didn't do half bad, did I? A cardigan, a sleeveless sweater, a skirt, a sleeveless blouse, a short-sleeved sweater, restyled shorts, and a dress. I'd hardly call it a 'wardrobe', but it's not too shabby.

I think I shall draw this project to a close, since I never really felt I jumped in with both feet. And that's fine, because it was a good learning experience for me on how I do (or don't!) focus on project planning, and through it I think I learned what I'd change in future challenges to myself.

And the future is nigh! I'm already starting to think about my fall wardrobe. More ramblings from me soon on that. Have a great weekend!

A busy bee

I have been so, so busy lately. I have not even had time to think about writing a proper post other than for the knit-along, and I am so behind in my feed reader! So in no particular order, I'm going to do a short list of things that have been on my mind lately.

1. Okay, I admit this one is in the correct order. First and foremost on my mind has been wedding preparations. June 17th fast approaches, and even though we're planning this to be as low-key as possible, there have been all sorts of things that have come up along the way, including craft projects. I'm going to dedicate a post to it all soon, but I thought it would be worth mentioning that today is the very first day couples can apply for a civil union license in the state of Illinois. A historic day for our state! (We'll be getting our license next Friday.)

{source: Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune}

2. I have decided I might be ready to try shorts again. Maybe. I think the last time I wore shorts was when I still thought it was okay to wear opaque tights with cut offs. Suffice it to say that was (fortunately) many, many years ago. This time I'm thinking 40s style, with more modest coverage than you typically see in modern shorts. Now I haven't sewn pants yet, but shorts are just short pants anyway, right? Why not start there, seeing as it's almost summer? I have been wanting to buy Wearing History's Smooth Sailing pattern for ages for the trousers, but think they'd also be splendid as shorts. I also like the shorts from Lauren's Sailor Girl Playsuit pattern (Casey made a lovely pair that look very versatile). I did buy the vintage pattern below, which has three styles of shorts. I like view 3 the best. I think I may like the pleats in view 1, too, but I would definitely start with view 3. I don't have the pattern in hand yet to know how "Simple to Make" they actually are, and I'm wondering how they would look without a cuff.

{source}

What do you think? And what would be a good fabric selection for shorts? I'm thinking solid colors, and something machine washable. Cotton twill? A linen blend (I'm thinking a blend so they wouldn't wrinkle when I sneeze)? I am still pretty much a dunderhead when it comes to selecting fabric, I admit!

3. I have two sweaters going at the same time on my needles. After finishing up Briar Rose (pictures later today!) and the black sleeveless shell I wore at VLV, I was desperately in need of some knitting that involved a) color and b) something other than stockinette. One is red and a vintage-inspired modern pattern, Henrietta Maria. I'll be reversing the original color scheme and am making a couple of minor alterations to better fit my vintage aesthetic, which mainly involves adding a bit of length to the body and the ribbing and knitting slightly longer sleeves.

{source: Cotton Gin & Tonic}

The other is robin's egg blue, the vintage pattern It Cannot Fail to Please from A Stitch in Time Vol. 1 that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, modified to work in DK weight yarn.

© Arbour House Publishing

Both are distracting me from working on any sewing projects whatsoever. (When I'm busy it's so much easier for me to contemplate sitting down with a knitting project than a sewing project.) I'm knitting both in Cascade Ultra Pima, a DK weight cotton that I have fallen in love with. It's lovely to knit and comes in a great variety of colors, both major pluses in my book. The sweaters will be short-sleeved and should be weather-appropriate for all but the hottest and muggiest days, I'm hoping.

4. While I haven't talked about it, I have not forgotten about my Handmade Vintage Wardrobe Challenge. I just haven't had the time to blog about it or give it much thought! But both of my current sweaters fit into my challenge color palette, as did Briar Rose and the two sewing projects I finished for VLV.

I desperately wanted to participate in Sunni's Ginger Sew-Along and turn Ginger into a pinafore with some navy gabardine in my stash, but I couldn't get it together in time. I hope to tackle that after the wedding, even if my wool-blend gab is less than weather appropriate at that point. By then I should be able to focus more on sewing, too. I have so many ideas in my head that I haven't been able to explore due to lack of time!

5. We went camping in Wisconsin over the long Memorial Day weekend and while we met with some rain on one of the days, we did not wash away in the major storms that hit Illinois and Wisconsin. I'll post pictures of our trip in the next few days, but here's a preview!

Vintage show finds

I've been meaning to post this all week! Last Saturday, we went out to the 'burbs for a huge annual vintage clothing, jewelry and textiles show. We missed last year (though I can't recall why), so I was particularly excited about it this year. I was literally talking about it for days leading up to it. I took some photos of my finds, but mind you nothing has been ironed and I just threw them on, so forgive the lackluster appearance.

I got two dresses, one of which is a housedress with a hidden front zipper, so I will probably dare to actually wear it out into the world. It was so wrinkled that even the photo looked terrible, so I'll give you a taste of the fabric. It's a neat light beige checkerboard print with antique scrollwork type of designs all over. The buttons are really cute, too, and I love the attention to the lap over the zipper.

Next was a blue dress in an amazing almost deco print. I'm not sure what the fabric is, but it's slightly stiff and sheer but very smooth, and rather unlike anything I've ever felt. Anyone hazard a guess?

I love the rhinestone buttons. The self-face belt is tied off with sky blue organza (or something similar), which is also used around the buttonholes. That is some serious attention to detail!

I also found a great skirt, sold by the guys who run Knee Deep Vintage, a vintage clothing store across town that we've never been to. They were really friendly and are having an anniversary sale at their shop next Friday that we're seriously considering going to. Randomly in conversation last night with a friend, we found out they're apparently good friends with another friend of ours. Small world. They had a lot of killer dresses that were right up my alley but way too big, sadly. The skirt I got from them is pleated all the way around, giving it a nice full skirt feel without the need for a crinoline (because if you're starting to get to know me, you might have guessed I'm not all that fussy of a gal...). It's really, really making me want a pair of green shoes to go with it. Or espadrilles. I'm not sure how my wardrobe doesn't have a pair of espadrilles.

I then found a great cowboy shirt, which I am always on the lookout for and they are rather rare! I didn't model it because, well, it's a shirt. You get the idea. I love the texture of the fabric in this.

The buttons are really interesting. At first they look like pearl snaps, but are actually buttons with a front and back part, inserted through a second set of buttonholes. I'm not sure I've ever seen a closure quite like it. At first I thought perhaps it was a way for the band to be reversible, making it a unisex shirt, but the shirt is clearly for a woman, so I'm really not sure.

I also got a carved butterscotch Bakelite bangle to add to my collection...

And then there's the pièce de résistance. Towards the end of our tour through the event, we headed into a great booth, where I spied a Mexican circle skirt. Now, I love these as much as the next girl, but as you probably know, they can be ridiculously expensive. I have one that I was lucky enough to get from my mom, from probably a couple of decades ago when she thrifted several vintage pieces that are now highly collectible. It's one of my most cherished pieces.

Anyway, I saw several Mexican skirts at the vintage show, all with the price tags I'm accustomed to seeing on eBay and Etsy. I seem to recall $95 was on the low end of the scale and $325 (I kid you not) on the high end. Then I spotted this one in the booth, and looked at the price tag. And it was cheap. And marked "as is". I noted a few light stains, but nothing I couldn't live with, especially at that price.  I am certainly not above wearing gently "whoops"-ed garments, especially if I can get a good deal. It adds a bit of history and intrigue for me, allowing me to play a bit of Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett version, only) with my garments. What fun did the owner have in this skirt? What cocktail or kitschy appetizer did she spill on it? On the other hand, it makes me crazy when I see people selling items on eBay for high collector prices and then they proceed to show you a series of photos of rips, tears, holes and/or stains.

So behold, my new skirt. (Don't mind the poorly tucked-in shirt, I was rushing.)

I talked to the woman who ran the booth for several minutes about it. She was super sweet and friendly (and obviously a very honest seller!), and runs an Etsy shop with several yummy items, Bombshell Shocked. My only regret was that I was too tired at that point to give the rest of her booth the attention it deserved, because I could tell she had some goodies in there!

When I was interested in the skirt, she said I looked like a woman who could wear a sombrero, referring of course to the skirt. Well, I was dressed in this jacket, so no wonder.

Photo from purevintagechicago.com

Pretty funny! (A woman asked to take my photo, so this is from her blog. The big white spot on the jacket is just a lens flare.) Even funnier, I saw two almost exactly just like it for sale there. I got sooo many compliments on this jacket at the event, I kept telling people there were other versions of it there if they wanted one too . :)

This weekend our plans aren't nearly as glamorous. House cleaning, a few errands and I'm hoping to get in some sewing and knitting time. I have a skirt 99% complete and it's just awaiting a closure. I'm thinking I may use a large vintage button, instead of hook and eyes on the inside. What do you think?

I'm really pleased with how the skirt came out, and will post about it soon (still have to photograph my Swing Dress anyway, lighting has been the pits in our home lately). My topstitching still needs some work, but overall I'm really happy with it, and the pleats make a spectacular shape with the somewhat heavier cotton I used. At first when I started it, I thought great, I've barely started my handmade vintage wardrobe challenge and I'm already violating my color palette. This is a cute cotton from my stash and it has a lovely novelty print, and I was itching to turn it into something. That's all I was focused on. But then I realized hey...many of those castles and turrets are butterscotch yellow!

 Have a great weekend, everyone!

My handmade vintage wardrobe challenge 2011

It's really time I sat down and thought about my wardrobe.

I'm not participating in the Colette Spring Palette Challenge, but it's really had me thinking a great deal about my clothing and accessories and the colors I pick. While I wasn't able to commit to the challenge in the time frame as set (plus I would want to include knitting, naturally), it's really inspired me to think about what I'd like out of my own self-made additions to my wardrobe over the next several months. With little baby steps, I'm already feeling more confident in February about my sewing than I did in January, and I'd like to hope this upward trend will continue through the spring and summer. The fact that I am even contemplating posting sewing-related goals simultaneously fills me with terror and excites me.

I'm giving myself a challenge. I plan to...

1) Focus on a color palette.

Like the Spring Palette Challenge, I'd like to narrow down my color palette. In part because it seems like a fun challenge, in part because if I approach this willy nilly, I'm going to end up with a bunch of things that don't go with anything else, and they will just hang in the closet. I'm really good at getting carried away, so this will reign me in.

I've been giving colors a ton of thought. I'm not picking only springlike or summery colors because I'd like my wardrobe to function year-round. A light blouse gets winter wear with a cardigan. A beret gets Spring wear during cool nights camping.

My palette choices for my challenge will focus on: navy, coral, ivory, ruby red, butterscotch, and sky blue.

I've always loved how vintage patterns and magazines talk about thoughtfully pairing colors and items together in smart combinations, so I will use this as my foundation. I spent a long time focusing down these colors. I feel many are represented frequently in vintage fashions, and they play well with each other. Plus all are colors I've been loving lately and most are far under-represented in my current wardrobe.

Some inspirations around Etsy in my palette...

Clockwise from upper left: polka dot dress, Bakelite bangles, coral blouse, daisy necklace, red pumps, ivory beaded purse


2) Think about what I need/would like to sew and knit as it relates to my wardrobe.

Things I absolutely need: dresses; sleeveless or short-sleeved blouses; at least 2 heavier weight cardigans; at least 2 lightweight cardigans (which will not be ivory, see my ivory sweaters post), at least 1 short-sleeved sweater

Things I would really like: at least 2 skirts; at least 2 simple blouses that would be extra comfy for outdoor activities like hiking and camping (no darts, not too fitted, etc); gray fingerless gloves and beret to match one of my Pendleton jacket

If I get to them, these things would be nice too: pajamas (but this wouldn't be limited to my palette colors... I mean it's PJs after all); one sewn item to be embellished with embroidery; a modified knit turban as an ear cover only (not full-on hat)


3) Make sure each item made works with at least two other items in my wardrobe.

Anything I sew or knit must work with a minimum of two items that I either already own, am planning to buy or are planning to create during the challenge. If I knit a cardigan, it must work opened with a skirt and blouse or dress, or buttoned up with trousers or a skirt. If I sew a skirt, it must work with a blouse or sweater. This will keep me on track and hopefully will prevent any odd interlopers from entering my closet, never to be come back out.


4) Purchased clothing and accessories won't be limited to my palette colors.

I won't be limiting my purchased wardrobe items (i.e. things I am not making) to my palette colors. Because if I find a great vintage dress that fits and is the right price, no way am I turning it down because it's green. But I will attempt to make at least some of my purchases fit into the palette to round out my wardrobe, especially when accessories are concerned.


So, those are my goals for my handmade wardrobe challenge. Wow. That's a tall order for a veteran knitter/newbie sewist. I may get more specific about the numbers a bit more as I go along, to have something to aim for, but I'm content with this for now. I'm not even setting a date for myself, since I really have no idea how long it will take me to accomplish all of that. Probably through the end of summer, I'm thinking, or more likely fall. Hell, I could very well still be at it in winter. Fortunately, one of these items will be wrapped up soon (my navy worsted cardigan that's currently blocking...under my cat's butt), one will be my Briar Rose sweater for the knit-along, and I'm switching my fabric choice for my somewhat languishing project for the Swing Dress Sew-Along to a navy floral, so that will then count, too. It makes me feel like I'm off to a good start before I even knew I was starting anything, so surely that's a good sign, right?

I hereby dub this My Handmade Vintage Wardrobe Challenge 2011. If I don't name it and don't commit it to "paper", I might not do it.

Wish me luck and stay tuned throughout the year... Can this gal do it, and learn a few things along the way? And not lose her marbles? Only time will tell!


Other fashion challenges that have been inspiring me:

• Ali started up a new Fashion on the Ration challenge
• Colette Spring Pattern Challenge
• Me Made March