Feeling Behind and a Preview of My Sewing Space

Having a rather blah kind of day today. I feel like I'm so behind on getting things accomplished, particularly in my blogging. It must be the cold and snow. Yep, that's what I going to blame it on. It was -6 this morning and that's without the wind chill! We have several feet of lovely soft snow but it's just too darn cold to be outside to enjoy it. Brrr! I did manage to finish a new blouse in time to wear for a Valentine's Day party. But do I have pictures to share? No.... I'm hoping to finish my Simplicity 2823/Dorr Mill jacket this weekend so I can cross that off my personal Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge list.

Wishing for warmer days....

I have such a backlog of photos I want to share but just can't seem to get things done. It's partly due to a lack of time but mostly because the computer I have is crap. It takes FOREVER to download photos from my camera and FOREVER to do any kind of edits. It's time for a new computer but I'm not sure it's in the budget at the moment. (I have several items for sale is anyone is interested.)

My wedding flowers next to a card from a very dear friend. The money is from Afghanistan and is something he carried with him during his deployment.

I do have a few photos of my sewing room that I can share. One of the first things I did when we moved into the new house was to work on a sewing space. This room will eventually become a guestroom but for now it's serving as a space for my sewing and vintage stuff. It's been rearranged a bit since these photos were taken but I wanted to give you an idea of the space. It feels so good to have all my sewing and costume books in one spot!

One can never have too many books about sewing, historic clothing, etc.

The lower shelves are where I store my vintage magazines and patterns. I'm currently using some plastic totes from the dollar store to keep my vintage patterns in. All the patterns have their own acid free storage sleeves. I'm waiting for larger sized storage sleeves to arrive for the magazines.

Until I get a real cutting table the large table in our dinning room is where I cut most of my fabric.

A little preview of my Valentine's Day blouse

Crunch time and some resources

Hello all,
It's crunch time for this little seamstress. I have to admit, I don't know if this dress is going to get finished in time. I have a sneaky suspicion I'll be doing some sewing in the car. Still need to cut out my sleeves, cuffs, and collar. Also need to hem the skirt. I finally found my corset, which by the way was in the last place I looked go figure, so I was able to finish fitting the bodice last night.

I thought today I would share a couple resources for those of you interested in women's fashions of the 1860s. In particular American women during the Civil War, 1861 to 1865. I have an album on Pinterest with lots of photos and links to original garments.

First up, Who Wore What?: Women's Wear, 1861-1865 by Juanita Leisch. Since its publication in 1995, the book has become very popular with re-enactors and is a great resource who those just started out in the hobby or for those who want to gain a general knowledge of the time period. It also includes descriptions of accessories and construction tips for those interested in making there own clothing. No patterns, just wonderful photos.

 Juanita Leisch's book is the result of her study of 1860s fashions depicted in cartes de visite, or CDVs. Her book is organized into sections by clothing types - coats, day dresses, ball gowns, underpinnings, etc., and emphasizes the difference in fashion between young women, middle-aged women, and older women. The photographs, there are over 300 of them, show what real women actually wore to the photographer - not the fantasy dresses of Godey's Lady's Book. What I like is that the author tries to dispel some of the miss truths about women's clothing and shows what styles were most common for women in different age groups. There are exceptions to every rule, but as a re-eanctor myself, I like to represent someone from the main stream population. :)

Who Wore What? is available on Amazon but I was rather surprised at the price. Over $50 for a used copy and over $100 for a new one! Ouch! I received my copy as a graduation present about 10 years ago, pretty sure it was under $50 then. I'm not sure I would pay that much for it now. Inter-library loan would be a good option for this book. Don't pay too much attention to the not so nice reviews of this book - some people claim the book is too general, others say the author say no idea what she's talking about. I really can't say anything negative about this book, aside from the current sale price of course. Do keep in mind though, that this book is meant as a general overview of women's fashion and is not an in depth study. It's a good starting point but if you really want to get in depth combine it with other resources. Such as ...

The Way They Were Dressed in 1860-1865 by Donna Abraham. Available on Amazon and at Abraham's Lady. Don't let its small size fool you. This is an outstanding collection of CDVs, nearly 600 of them and all American. Like Who Wore What? its broken into sections. Unlike the previous book, it includes fashions of infants, young boys and girls, and men. It's nice to see the guys getting some attention. All too often the men are left out of clothing books and that's a shame. There are also some interesting group photos in this book.

Last but not least ...
The Way They Were Dressed in 1860-1865 Volume 2 by Donna Abraham. This is a new release. If it's as good as volume one then I will be adding a copy to my library. I plan on stopping at Abraham's Lady this weekend to take a look!

That's all for now. I'm leaving for Gettysburg tomorrow so I wont be posting anything for a few days. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Book Reviews and a Thank You

The new books I ordered finally arrived and I'm having a great time reading them. Lots of really great information! It will take some time to master some of the techniques described in these books but it will certainly be worth while.

For any one interested in making 1930s clothing, particularly early 1930s, Dress Cutting -- Instructions and Illustrations for Sewing 26 Vintage 1930s Fashions by Margaret Ralston is a must have. This book offers a very informative look at cutting and creating your own custom sewing patterns shown in well illustrated step-by-step sections. Starting with an exercise in taking your measurements, you learn how to create a basic skirt, blouse, and dress. Once you have a basic well fit pattern, you can adapt it to make a variety of items. I particularly like the sections on pleated and flared skirts. I was a bit disappointed when the book first arrived because it was so small, roughly 5" x 7" and only 71 pages. However, if you order this book don't let the small size discourage you! At first glance some of the sections look a bit challenging so take the time to read the book thoroughly. I'm looking forward to really using this book once I clear my sewing schedule a bit.

Westmore Beauty Book -- A Complete 1950s Guide to Vintage Makeup, Hairstyling and Beauty Techniques is a really interesting and insightful read. However, I found I needed to keep reminding myself that it is a reprint of a 1950s book. I took the "Beauty Questionnaire" at the very beginning of the book. There are 100 questions to test your knowledge and skills about makeup, health, and beauty. You add up your "Yes" answers to find your beauty score. I'm not ashamed to admit that I failed, miserably. Mainly because I almost never wear makeup so I had to answer "No" to a lot of the questions. Oh well :)

I found the section on determining your face shape pretty interesting. Once you learn what shape your face is - oval, square, triangle, etc. - you can figure out what 1950s hair styles, makeup techniques, etc. work for you. Although some of the information is a bit "dated" for today much of it is still very useful, especially for those who want to recreate the look of the 1950s.

The last book to arrive was Couture Sewing Techniques. This book has been on my wish list for awhile but I decided to finally order it after reading Lauren's review. It's a great review of a really fabulous book, check it out! This book gives a brief history of Haute Couture and the illustrations of sewing techniques included are very clear. The colored photographs are great examples of the techniques described. The sewing tips in this book can be applied to sewing projects of any time period.

I would like to say thank you to Lauren of American Duchess for including my blog in her recent post on costume blogs. It was a nice surprise to see traffic to my blog had doubled over the weekend. :)
To those of you who have just joined by blog, welcome!

New Patterns and Books

As I mentioned in my previous post I'm really into the 1950s right now. I want to know more about the fashions, beauty care, life styles, etc. from that decade beyond the simple poodle skirt and saddle shoes look. (Which is a look I do like but I know there is so much more out there!)

I'm also really interested in learning more about drafting my own sewing patterns. I have a couple "new" sewing patterns that I want to try out but they are not in my size so I will need to do a little work before I can use them. For the most part, when it comes to grading a pattern up or down a single size or making minor alterations, I've been able to figure things out. For simple garments like skirts I've been able to draft my own pattern from an existing garment. But for tailored or more detailed garments I know I need to improve my sewing skills.

1950s shirtwaist dress, McCalls 4011

1950s shirtwaist dress, Simplicity 2043

Late 1950s Vogue pattern and fabric I'm thinking of using to make a dress for a wedding later this summer.

Yesterday I ordered some new books as an early birthday present to myself. I'm so excited, I can't wait for them to arrive! Both books had great reviews and I think will help answer many of my fashion related questions. This first, "Westmore Beauty Book -- A Complete 1950s Guide to Vintage Makeup, Hairstyling and Beauty Techniques" is well, exactly that, a 1950s guide to hair and makeup techniques.  I don't really have a beauty routine and unless it's a special occasion, I almost never wear makeup. I don't think this book is really going to change that either. However, I've done a few vintage fashion shows and photo shoots in the past and would like to do more so I think the Westmore book will be very helpful in that regard.

The second book, Dress Cutting -- Instructions and Illustrations for Sewing 26 Vintage 1930s Fashions by Margaret Ralston is a guide for cutting and sewing 1930s fashions. Yet another time period I quite adore :)

Westmore Beauty Book

"Originally published in 1956, this rare makeup, beauty and hairstyling book contains all of the information needed to create the glamorous movie-star look of the 1950s. ... The authors of this book were the Westmore brothers who all worked in the motion picture industry as Directors of Makeup and Hairstyling at various movie studios. Their combined experience and knowledge of beauty, makeup and hairdressing culminates in this book which offers guidance and advice just as the Westmore's gave to some of the world's loveliest movie stars. The Westmore's explain with simple, easy-to-follow text and illustrations every aspect of beauty care and answer every beauty problem that may be yours -- all from a genuine 1950s viewpoint by those who created the makeup and beauty trends that defined the decade. With over 400 illustrations and step-by-step instruction, you'll have access to the Westmore's magic secrets, makeup tips and charts..."

Dress Cutting

 "Originally published in 1932, this rare sewing book teaches the block method of pattern making. The book begins by explaining how to easily make a foundation draft pattern of a simple jumper. Using your own body measurements, you're taken through the pattern making process and then you learn how to use your customized foundation pattern...
Over 60 diagrams explain the pattern making process, ... This book is complete with all of the details for creating early 1930s fashions including this era's distinctive fashion characteristics ... Genuinely classy styles that can still be worn with grace and elegance today.  ..."

Research and Inspiration Page Updates

Greetings,
I just wanted to let you all know that I have updated my Research and Inspiration Page. I have added a whole new list of books, a few additional links to museums, and new sources for fabric. I've added a little bit here and there since I started my blog but this is the first big update.

Most links for books will take you to Amazon.com but there are other places you can purchase them. Burnley and Trowbridge, for example, carry many of the 18th century costume/fabric books. Also consider inter-library loan!

Have suggestions for additional resources? Just let me know and I'll add them!

Who Wore What?: Women's Wear, 1861-1865, by Juanita Leisch (Author), Thomas Publications (PA); 1 Ed edition (April 1995)