Finished project: So neat and sweet jersey

Finally, I have a finished project to share with you all! It's about time.

This is my latest sweater, with the delicate name of So Neat and Sweet in her Simple V-Necked Jersey (pattern link on Ravelry, my project page on Ravelry). It's from A Stitch in Time Volume 2. Now I know all of you other vintage knitters out there know about this fabulous book by Susan Crawford, of course.  But I can't reiterate enough how lovely her books and patterns are, if you're not familiar with her!

This was knit in Quince and Co. Finch, a 100% American wool (sourced and spun here). I just loved knitting with it. It's not superwash (so hand wash only), but is very soft and springy with a tight twist and is very lightweight to wear. I see lots and lots of projects in this yarn in my future. (In fact, my languishing Vintage Knitting College colorwork pullover is in the same yarn.)

I started this pullover the last day of February, but was so caught up in packing and moving, I didn't finish it until Friday. The body pieces flew by, but knitting both sleeves at the same time seemed to drag on. (Of course it didn't help that I didn't actually knit at all for over a month, being too busy and brain dead to do so.)

This was a pullover I really enjoyed knitting. You're in for the long haul when you knit a long-sleeved sweater in fingering weight (4 ply) yarn with an allover stitch pattern, so you better enjoy the journey. And I did! The stitch pattern was over 6 rows and was actually quite easy to memorize, which made it a good project to knit on the go.

As I'm sure you know by now I love to tinker with patterns, however I knit this exactly as written. I only made two changes: (1) I knit the smallest size, for size 30-32" bust, which actually measures 35 1/2". That gave me 1/2" negative ease across the bust instead of positive ease. (2) I knit a couple of extra repeats of the pattern in the sleeve caps because my rows are always short.

I wouldn't call this an easy pattern for a beginner. While the stitch pattern and shaping is quite simple, actually decreasing in pattern can be a bit tough, even if you're used to it. I knit the back first and then decided I'd prefer my armhole decrease stitches to be in purl, so that's what I did for the front. (No one will ever see the back and front of my armpit at the same time so I wasn't going to rip back to re-knit the back. So there.)



It really came out just like the original!

{Source: A Stitch In Time Volume 2, © Susan Crawford}

I'm a sucker for little details, and love how a line in the rib pattern flows down from the center of the sleeve cap at the shoulder seam, as well as in the center of the v-neck. Wonderful symmetry.

Usually, I would use mattress stitch to attach a neckband, however I followed Susan's instructions to use a flat slip stitch (described in the book), and I like the result. It was a good way to match up the decreasing neckline edge with the edge of the garter stitch band (which I think is more fiddly to deal with than a stockinette edge).

Needless to say, I'm over the moon about this pullover! And since I've decided yellow is my new neutral (not that I ever had a neutral before), I know I'm going to get a ton of wear out of this.

Now, what shall my next vintage knit be?? Something from a vintage booklet? Or something from volume 1? I just can't decide!

Coral on my mind {and my lips}

Hello everyone! I've been obsessed with the color coral for quite some time. I think since last spring! I got a gift certificate to Sephora for my birthday, and I decided to splurge on a lipstick I'd been wanting to try for awhile. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté in Rose Paris (27). As I'm sure you've noticed, I usually stick with red, however I thought this bright pinky coral would be a fun change. I paired it with an even brighter pinky coral nail polish, Essie in E-nuf is E-nuf.



I know one of the reasons I like this lipstick is the gorgeous vintage-inspired tube, and the light yummy scent. It just screams old Hollywood starlet.

I'm enjoying the color when I'd like something a bit less vibrant than red, or just want something a tad more casual. This color can really only be applied if your lips aren't too dry as it accentuates every little dry bit of skin, but I think that's an issue with lighter lipsticks in general (or at least lighter lipsticks on me).

Today was ridiculously hot for May, so it was a good day for one of my favorite dresses. Well, truth be told I haven't rotated my closet yet, so I've been wearing the same 3 or 4 summer dresses over and over again lately as they're the only ones I have out. So while I say it was a good day for this dress, I've probably worn it 3 times in the last week. (Shh, don't tell.)

I even infused my outfit with bits of pink and coral.

Outfit details: 50s house dress from Bamboo Bettie, earrings made by me, vintage brooch a gift, vintage sweetheart bracelet and plastic barrette from somewhere or other, tooled wedges from Remix

As if I needed any more inspiration for my coral love lately, I just need to look outside. Pinks, especially those with a hint of coral tickle me every time I see them in the yard.

Do you have a coral lipstick or nail polish you love? Especially one that's a bit less hot pink? I'd love to hear about it. I definitely don't see my coral lust waning anytime soon!

(Stay tuned for a small giveaway later in the week!)

Vintage knitting pattern: 1954 Mother & Daughter Shrug

I don't know about you, but I have had shrugs and boleros on my mind lately!

As the weather finally seems to be staying nicer and I creep closer to rotating my closet (yay for seeing pretty spring and summer fashions that have been hidden away for months!), I've been thinking about what cover ups I like to pair with my not-too-cold weather clothes. I have a multitude of boxy cardigans, but lately I've been really wearing a couple of my favorite boleros the most. I love that they're just a bit less bulky and nip in at the waist, which is perfect with dresses. I really need more of them in my life!

So I thought what better time to share a vintage shrug knitting pattern? (Though I think of this as more of a bolero, but that may just be me.)

This one comes from my somewhat tattered copy of a Fleischer's knitting book called Cardigans... Cardigans... Cardigans. Half the cover is missing but I was able to date it from another eBay listing as being published in 1954.

There are a few things I like about this pattern. It's knit in fingering weight (or sock or 4-ply, depending on where you're from) at 8 stitches an inch, so it wouldn't be too bulky for spring or cool summer days to throw on over a blouse or sun dress. It has dolman sleeves which I adore in boleros, and it's knit flat in one piece. Because it's in stockinette, it would be a relatively quick knit. Although due to the shaping, I definitely don't think it would be a mindless knit.

Plus there's a child-sized version, too! Of course if I'd really been thinking ahead, I would have posted this on Mother's Day. ;)

The other thing I think is really fun is the recommendation to finish it with braid or bead trimming. What a great way to use up some vintage trim in your stash! I think it would be lovely with a design done in cording, too. I'm not sure the technical name for this, but I have some sewn on one of my shrugs and it's very smart looking. I'm always inspired to try it myself.

I hope you enjoy this pattern, too!

Download: 1954 Mother and Daughter Shrug (pdf)

Getting my sewing mojo back

I'm tired of not sewing!

Last autumn, I had so much going on with knitting projects that I sewed very little. And then came the house buying, and the moving, and, well, my sewing machine has been pretty lonely. I kept saying I'd start sewing again once I got my basement craft area going, but that hasn't really happened yet. It's been bothering me that I haven't sewn in months, especially since I had hoped last year I'd really step up my sewing pace. Well, there's always next year... err, of course we're 4 months into that. ;) I finally decided I'll just set myself up to sew wherever I can until I have my dedicated space.

The first step was to find my last vintage sewing project in process. I started this back in September. It's view 3 from Simplicity 4608, though short-sleeved.

Let me tell you, if you've never picked up a sewing project that you started months ago, it is hard. I haven't even started back in on it, but it's pretty intimidating. I have no notes on this, only where I left off. The tucks are complete, as are the French seams for the shoulder front and back.

And sorry, it may be awhile before I get lighting figured out for basement photos! Our house is proving to not have very good natural light for photos and I need to do some research to work around that. Otherwise outfit photos in winter will be outside standing in the snow, ha ha.

Here's the back view. This fits very poorly around the neck of my dress form, but rest assured when draped on my own body it's fine. (I probably need to adjust the dials a bit.) The back horizontal shoulder seam was gathered, too. I recall I tested out the French seams with gathers and this fabric before doing it on my pattern pieces as I didn't think it would work out, but it did and I'm quite pleased.

(Of course, it looks a lot better ironed, but this was fresh out of the bag I had it stored in.)

Along with the sleeve and collar pieces cut out and pinned to their respective pattern pieces, that's it. I have no notes. I have no idea what I was planning to use as interfacing for the collar pieces. I don't have any white silk organza (why do I keep forgetting to order this!), so I suspect I was planning to use another layer of the fashion fabric since it's quite lightweight, or perhaps sew-in interfacing. I remember now that I still hadn't decided how to finish the inside of the sleeve cap and I was nervous about finishing the collar with such a sheer fabric. I guess I need to just dive back in! Although that's a bit easier said than done when you're already a rather timid sewist.

To try and get my sewing mojo going again, I also opened up my packed sewing patterns box. This is how my vintage patterns have lived since we started packing at the end of December. Lots fit in here, but it did really show me that my pattern stash is woefully small. No wonder I always look through and have a hard time deciding what I'd like to sew!

Isn't it fun when you get to unpack something of yours that you really, really like? It was kind of like Christmas. There were patterns I'd only recently bought before packing, so I didn't even remember I had them. What fun!

I had a helper, too. I swear you can't open a box in our house without Dinah diving in.

So here's a little sewing inspiration for you, from a few vintage patterns.

I really like this blouse pattern, it's very simple. (Did you catch the great shaped waistband on the skirt on the right, too?) I could see making view 2 in any number of solids, or using the collar-less view 1 to show off great prints. While the pattern didn't say, I'm thinking this needs something very lightweight and drapey, like a cotton lawn, or perhaps rayon? I think the only closure is one button at the back of the neck.

How about the dress below? I wouldn't wear the collar up, but isn't it smashing? I love the sleeves, too, and the piping accent on the solid version. If only I could find more light cottons in prints like that floral... oh, how I wish I could browse in a vintage sewing shop!

And last but not least, a blouse pattern that was new to my collection when it got packed. I just love all the views of this Hollywood pattern! Which is your favorite?

If you've gone through periods where you haven't done any sewing or your projects aren't working out for you, how have you been able to get your sewing mojo back?? I really need to step up my sewing!

In blues & plaids outfits {and post-haircut}

Thursday evening, I got a haircut, as you know. I went for a shorter version of pretty much my usual, so basically a short middy. I had a long talk with my stylist about how I'd style a curl fluff on top, and she cut my hair so that I could do that, albeit with that layer a little longer as she was worried I wouldn't be able to do much with it if that didn't work out for me. Which is good, because wow, was I all thumbs at it when I tried. I'll give it a go again but I'm not holding out any hopes. I think it was a combo of "I'm not doing this successfully" and "this just doesn't look very good on me". Ha!

In the meantime, here's two outfits and post-haircut photos in one. First, I'll show you a hairstyle you will likely not see me in very often. This was styled with sponge rollers the day after my cut.

This turned out to be a don't move, don't go outside, don't go near humidity, don't breath hairstyle. It would be lovely if I lived in the middle of the desert. I don't.

Instead, I live in humid Chicago, and it rained the day I styled this, and within an hour my hair was a complete wreck. Frizz, falling down bits, you name it. Appallingly bad! As soon as I got home from brunch and fun but fruitless second-hand shopping, I had to pile it all up on my head and adorn with a scarf. So much for a chic vintage 'do. On the bright side, the after-style was pretty cute and will be fun and casual for summer. (Sorry, I forgot to photograph it! But you'll see it again, I'm sure.)

Outfit details: Freddie's of Pinewoods jeans, red Bakelite bangles, Bass saddle shoes, 50s wicker basket purse, 50s starburst earrings from Atomixrox, reversible squirrel belt by Cassie Stephens, pullover knit by a friend for a swap on Ravelry (the pattern is Mary Jane)

So here's my hair the next (again rainy) day and much closer to what my hair really looks like, droopy curl included. I'd already had to pin one up to the nape of my neck by this point in the day. This was styled with perm rods, which my hair really is a bit too short for unless I'm just going for a bit of wave at the bottom. But sometimes I like to play with different tools.

Having gone short again I'm still not sure if I like my hair better when the length sits above or below my shoulders. I forgot that when it's this short, any rogue curls and droopy bits are way more obvious, and I do get those. A lot. But I can also leave it mostly un-styled with a little front roll for quick on-the-go days, like when I commute to work and just can't bring myself to set my hair.

The great thing is it's just hair, and by the time I make up my mind, my hair will be different...and I'll have probably changed my mind, anyway. ;)

Outfit details: Freddie's of Pinewoods jeans, mixed Bakelite bangles and earrings, the other side of my reversible squirrel belt by Cassie Stephens, 50s plaid cowboy shirt, 50s embroidered bolero from FuturaVintage

And last but not least, we're starting to see things bloom in our new yard!

Hope you had a lovely weekend! And hello to all my new followers on Twitter! I'm still getting the hang of it but I think it'll be a fun way to connect with other vintage fans.

Haircuts and Twitter

Hello all! Today is haircut day. Why am I nervous?

I think it's because we're (perhaps?) entering warm weather season here. That will mean lots of heat and humidity, where I live. And in most ways, I am most certainly not a wimp, but I will admit: I am a heat wimp. At the first sign of hot, humid weather I run for hair elastics and scarves and bandanas and anything that will get my hair off my neck faster than you can shake a leg. But I'd still like to look decent if I need to do that. I hope to try out some styles with my new Grip-Tuth hair combs (I love these!) that might make me slightly less twitchy in hot weather. So I think I'll go for a few inches chopped with suitable vintage-friendly layers, probably slightly shorter than my November haircut. I'm undecided about my bangs and need to consult with my stylist. Fortunately she specializes in vintage hairstyles, so we'll be having a heart-to-heart this evening.

I'm still a little obsessed with the idea of doing a curl fluff, but I'll have to discuss with my stylist what options that would give me for days I don't want to do that (How would I even do that, anyway? Would I look like an idiot? Could I still do a front roll?). Along with some of the photos from my whine about my hair funk, I'll also be showing her this lovely lady, who I found on Pinterest. Isn't she grand? (I love her dress and matching bracelet and dress clip, too!) Her hair is much thicker than mine, however, but at least it's a starting point.

{Source: My Pinterest, original source unknown / no results on TinEye.com}

In other news, I've decided I'm going to give Twitter a try again. I've had an account for years but have only used it sporadically (most recently was last summer, to keep up with the wildfire in New Mexico that was near my family's town, for which it was brilliant). But lately I've been feeling the need to share just a little bit or two that wouldn't warrant an entire blog post. And since I just can't bring myself to use Facebook, I thought I'd give tweeting a try again.

So please, do follow me on Twitter! I'll have to make the rounds and see who else is on there to follow, too. :)

Follow @bygumbygolly

{Source: Laughing Squid, Retro Future Advertisement for Twitter}

I can't promise I'll ever have anything interesting or important to say, but I'll try and pop in now and again with thoughts that don't make it to the blog. Quick little updates on sewing and knitting projects, blog posts and links I'm enjoying, outfit photos, mini updates, little things like that, I'm thinking. If you use Twitter, what's your favorite thing about it?

Hope to see some of you out there, too!