An Old Project - 1770s Stays

Today I'd like to share another project, long over due. This post has been sitting in my draft fold since I started blogging. Oh my! I do hope you pardon the crummy photos, I took them with my cell phone. They are not great but at least they serve as some kind of documentation of the construction of my stays.

Stays are a crucial foundation garment to any 18th century wardrobe. They give you support and that great period correct shape. In my first few years of reenacting I didn't wear stays. I didn't think I needed them nor did I have the money or knowledge to purchase or make a pair of my own. I soon learned otherwise. 

My first pair of stays were made using the JP Ryan pattern. I have used a couple different JP Ryan patterns and for the most part found them easy to use. You get a fairly accurate looking historical garment even though you are using modern sewing techniques. I felt this was a fairly good pattern with easy to follow instructions. The pattern pieces fit together well and I found I didn't need to make many adjustments.

JP Ryan stays pattern

I used a cotton canvas for the lining and a linen cotton blend for the outer fabric. A good friend of mine makes baskets so getting basket caning to use for boning was easy. The basket caning was a little wider than I wanted so I had to trim each piece to the right width. For the binding I used thin off-white leather. It was a little on the heavy side but not too bad to work with. I set out to make my first pair of stays all by hand ... but after I finished stitching the boning channels on the front two panels I gave up and used the sewing machine. 

They turned out well, are fairly accurate in appearance, and have held up well after several years of use. But after some more research, I was determined my next pair of stays would be as accurate as possible! This meant using more authentic materials and completely hand sewing them! A daunting task for sure but I felt I was up to the challenge.

Stays, 1770-1780 V&A

I mentioned this was an older project, yes? Well, these stay were started at a Hive workshop in 2011! The workshop began with some background information – who wore stays, what were made of, and how they changed throughout the 18^th century.  Hallie Larkin, who not only makes stays as part of her sewing business, also collects originals and had a few examples at the workshop. This is part of the reason I love collecting vintage and antique clothing of my own. As enjoyable as it is to examine original items in museums, online, or in books, nothing beats seeing these things up close and personal! After a brief discussion of what kind of stays each of us wanted to make, it was time for our fittings. For my new pair of stays I choose to make a more “fashionable” set from the 1770s.  

I should mention that one of the original pairs of stays on hand were from the 1770s; a lovely, but faded, pink pair with blue binding and stiffened with baleen. Not only that but one of the reproduction pairs available to try on were an exact copy of these. I’m not sure which was more exciting, trying on the reproduction pair of stays with the originals right there beside me or knowing that I’m the same size as a woman who lived 200 years ago. :)

Materials Used

Linen interface

Checked linen lining

Blue worsted wool

Basket reeds for boning and metal stay for bust support

Cardstock stiffener

Leather binding

Linen thread

1/4" linen tape

All of the materials were provided as part of the workshop with the exception of the blue worsted wool which I purchased from Burnley and Trowbridge. For anyone interested in making their own set of 18th century stays, Smith and Larkin at The Sign of the Golden Scissors offers a variety stays kits and supplies.

Please pardon the crummy quality of these next photos. Unlike the JP Ryan pattern, each section of the stays was assembled individually. The wool fashion fabric is placed on top of the heavy linen interfacing, the boning channels are marked and then stitched. I used Tiger Tape to help me keep the channels nice and straight. After all the pieces - 2 fronts, 2 sides, 2 side backs, and 2 backs - were completed it was time to start attaching them together. It's difficult to see in these pictures but each section is whipped together leaving a generous seam allowance should they ever need to be altered later on. Something the JP Ryan pattern does not do.

These really hold their shape!! You can see the seam allowance is just tacked in place.

Here you can see the almost completed stays. At this point, before adding the binding and lining, I was able to try them on for fit. You may notice that the eyelets are off set, (something seen on originals) this so they line up straight when you spiral lace your stays. This particular style of stays are cut a little lower in the front and back compared to my first pair. The "points" of the front sections sit just above the bust line. Most high fashion gowns of the 1770s and 1780s were cut lower in front so these stays accommodates that fashion.

And the inside without the lining.

This photo, from an older post, shows the white linen tape covering the seams and the white leather binding. At some point I will take some better photos of these stays. I also want to do some comparison photos wearing these and my JP Ryan stays. These fit SOOOO much better and are super comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

From the Victory Garden - Tomato Sauce

Making your own tomato sauce is super simple. We had so many tomatoes in our little victory garden this year that I thought I would give it a try. If you don't have a garden of your own, check out your local farmer's market!

What you will need:
- Tomatoes
- Sharp knife
- Pot with cover
- Measuring cup and/or a large bowl
- Metal sieve/strainer (the kind with crank handle and mesh bottom)
- Freezer bags
- FoodSaver (optional)

Take your fresh tomatoes and rinse them well to remove any dirt. Next cut away any bad spots. Dice your tomatoes into small chunks and add them to your pot. You can add a little bit of water but if your tomatoes are nice and fresh you should have enough liquid from them.

Simmer covered for 20 to 30 minutes stirring occasional. You may choose to add a dash of salt and pepper at this point. I also added some fresh basil from my garden. Because this sauce was going to be frozen for future use I didn't add very much in the way of seasoning. You can always add more spices etc. later on.

Once the tomatoes are cooked you are ready to put them through your strainer. I placed my sieve over a glass measuring cup to make things a little easier. I added about a cup of stewed tomatoes at a time. Turn the handle in one direction several times and then back the other way to scrap the bottom. Then turn again. Discard any seeds and skins.

I then poured 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the tomato sauce into my freezer bags. Dividing your sauce into smaller portions makes it easy to defrost only what you need at a time. We make a lot of home-made pizza so one bag with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of sauce is the perfect amount!

The FoodSaver is great because it vacuum seals these bags. Regular freezer bags works great too and can be purchased just about anywhere. Be sure to label your bags. And that's it!

The Results Are In! Winner of the Fall Photo Contest Is ...

Alright ladies and gents! The moment you have been waiting for! The winner of my vintage 2015 Fall Photo Contest is ........

But first! Let me says this was sooooo HARD! For my spring photo contest, I had 10 people enter (see the results here and view all the spring entries here) and this time around 30 people entered!! Oh my goodness, I never expected this contest to become so popular! You can view all the contestant's gorgeous photos and their outfit descriptions in the 2015 Fall Photo Contest Album. I am so glad to have had Jessica of Chronically Vintage and Lauren of Wearing History help me judge this contest, and donate some truly awesome prizes, because wow! WOW ladies! Each and every entry truly stands out! As Jessica said, "So many people brought their vintage styling A game to the table with this contest" and we were all consistently impressed as well as inspired by you wore! The colors, the attention to detail, stunning backgrounds, everything! Some of you even incorporated props which was really a nice touch! Many of you mentioned not having specific colors or articles of clothing as described in the articles, and yet each out you put together great outfits! You should all be proud of your beautiful creations. I definitely want to hold another photo contest next year. Yes, oh yes!!

~ Maybe make it an annual event? ~

~ Should I keep it seasonal, summer and winter contests? (since we did spring and fall this year) ~

~ Or just do one contest next year with categories for day wear and/or evening wear? I can't decide! ~

~ What do you think? ~

Putting these photo contests together has most definitely been a blogging highlight for me this year. I hope you have all enjoyed them too. For me, reading these historical newspaper articles forced me to think outside the "vintage box" when planning an outfit and to look at my vintage wardrobe in a new and different light! I would never have thought to combine certain colors or items of clothing together. Lime green with navy blue for spring, why not?! Pink and orange for fall? That works too! It's been a fun challenge and one I have greatly enjoyed. These photo contests have also been a great way for me to meet and interact with new people who enjoy this crazy vintage loving hobby as much as I do. :) Thank you one and all!

And now, without any further ado ......

Because there were so many great entries, Jessica, Lauren and I decided to name a few Honorable Mentions in addition to our winner and runner up. I will start with those, in no particular order ...

Honorable Mentions
Debbie Wagner! (Debbie often appears on her daughter Esther's blog, Dolly Creates.)

“… plaid topcoat in tones of rust and brown. Its soft luxurious collar…”

Using the newspaper article as inspiration, I chose to wear a wool dress “in tones of rust and brown.” Accenting my outfit are a mink collar and hat, along with powder blue pumps, which bring out the subtle blue tones in the plaid. A hand beaded purse and gold necklace add the finishing touches to this refined casual fall ensemble.

Sabrina W. of Vibrant Vintage! (You can see more of Sabrina's outfit here.)

I was immediately inspired by a vintage 1940s tweed suit I had recently found, and knew it would be the perfect thing to build an Autumn ensemble around.  I paired the suit with a black fur collar, a brown fedora, and t-strap heels.  I particular liked this passage in one of the articles: Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat…  This was worn, too, with dark brown accessories, and the brown felt hat had a sweeping profile brim.  I felt something sporty, such as the fedora, paired with ladylike fur would be a wonderful combo.  Black and brown can be a striking combo, I believe, and I also paired it with a jewel-toned red blouse and pearls.

 Frances of Polka Polish!

Change Basic Black Effect

The possibility of changing the looks of a basic black dress with a variety of accessories began with an all-black ensemble as to shoes, off-the-face hat, bag and gloves, but with a heavy necklace of Balenciaga's honey pearls. I had a 1940s black dress to start with, and simply chose my largest black hat to compliment.  Dress, hat, and gloves are all vintage, paired with a pair of modern shoes with a bit of '40s flair.  For the "honey pearls" I chose a strand of large carved Bakelite beads, with similarly carved earrings to match.  As a final touch, a large plastic maple leaf (80s Avon, but does a good Bakelite impression) helps keep everything a little more autumn.

Maranda Borgerding!

"Suit: was made by myself, using a few late 1930's patterns as well as a copy of Make and Mend (1942) I wanted to keep it as close to the ration era as I could.  It is made from a mid weight stone gray wool with very faint blue stripes running through it.
Hat: was gifted to my by the daughter of the lady that originally purchased it in the late 40's (she said)
Shoes: basic black oxfords with a stacked wooden heel
Purse: gifted to me with the hat.
Corsage: I purchased it at a antique shop a bit ago, and it is what would have been sold at bond rallies.
Earrings & collar pin: They were passed down to me from my husbands aunt, who was gifted them from her husbands grandmother. 
Star pin: The owner of the antique shop gifted it to me since I am a military wife and I love old jewelry, she thought it may be something I would like.

I'm not sure what more I could say, but think you for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful group! I am extremely new to this era but I am loving every single second of learning more and more." 

The Runner Up
The prize for the runner up goes to Jennelle Gilreath!! Congratulations!

 "I chose my outfit to reflect my personality and love of colors I like to mix and match together. I felt wearing trousers would be a nice spin on the look and I had them in a lovely chocolate shade that is very fitting for Fall. I noticed the article quoting shades of brown appearing "again and again" as staple pieces or in accessories, so I felt it would add to my ensemble to go with this shade.

I love green, and any chance I get to wear green, I take advantage of it, especially it being next to my hair. My blouse is original vintage from a skirt and shirt set, and my snood was created from an early 1940s pattern. I wanted to do a spin on something different with my hair instead of a hat, but keep true to the era so my inspiration for the quote "green took a brighter curtain call" drew me to use one of my favorites colors, especially when it was compared to being paired with shades of brown. I wanted to finish off my ensemble with my favorite vintage wool blazer. Photos of the models in houndstooth and plaid suits and jackets, were the cause for my pairing of my jacket."

The Winner
And the grand prize goes to Kristen Stoltzfus of Verity Vintage Studio!! Congratulations! (You can see more of Kristen's outfit here.)

"…Red kid gloves provided a startling accent for a soldier blue jacket suit, otherwise ensembled with brown accessories was the line from the article that inspired me to use my deliciously detailed vintage 1940s “soldier blue” jacket and the plaid suit skirt I made to coordinate. Red cotton gloves replaced the kid ones, tying in the lipstick, patriotic brooch, and red lines on the skirt, and I accessorized with a simple-but-stylish 1940s chocolate brown purse, hat, and heels for a colorful and tailored wartime ensemble."

Congratulations Kristen and Jennelle! (I will be in contact with you both shortly about your prizes!)

THANK YOU to everyone who submitted photos, you all looked amazing! I wish I could send a prize to everyone! Also another huge THANK YOU to Jessica and Lauren for their help and donation of prizes!! It was a pleasure (as well as great fun!) collaborating with the two of you and hope to do so again in the future!

I would love to hear your feedback on my spring and fall photo contests and suggestions for any future contests! Are you interested in guest blogging, sponsored posts, giveaways, link swapping, pattern swapping or other collaboration ideas? Feel free to contact me about that too!

Fall Photo Contest - Our Inspirational Outfits

Hello everyone! I am so excited about today's post!! If you have been following along you will know all about my vintage fall photo contest. If you are just joining us, you can view this post will all the details on how to enter. There is still plenty of time! The contest, which is open to everyone worldwide, is open until October 18th.

Lauren of Wearing History and Jessica of Chronically Vintage have graciously agreed to help me judge the photos for this contest. Not only that, the three of us will be offering the winner and runner up each a fantastic prize package. Here is a look at what you could win!

THE PRIZES!!

Winner Will Receive the Following Prize Package
Vintage Related Goodies Bag Plus $30 in Store Credit from Emily's Vintage Visions
Beautiful Collection of Autumn Themed Accessories from Chronically Vintage
Vintage Sewing Goodies Bag Plus $30 in Store Credit from Wearing History

Runner Up Will Receive the Following Prize Package
Vintage Related Goodies Bag Plus $25 in Store Credit from Emily's Vintage Visions
$20 in Store Credit from Wearing History
$30 in Store Credit from Chronically Vintage

To help inspire you Lauren, Jessica, and I have put together our own vintage outfits inspired by the contest newspaper articles. (Read the articles here.)

Emily of Emily's Vintage Visions, Jessica of Chronically Vintage and Lauren of Wearing History

My Outfit
While I did not intend to recreate an exact outfit from the newspaper articles, I found that I was able to get really close. Brown was one of the colors mentioned over and over in the articles - brown suits and accessories such as hats, alligator bags and shoes. Brown can often be a blah color but happens to be a color I really like. It can be worn so many different ways and paired with an endless variety of other colors.

Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat. - From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940

I wore my brown 1940s wool suit, first blogged about here, and paired it with a variety of orange and pink accessories. The turban I made using a vintage sewing pattern and fabric from my stash. (I plan to post a turban tutorial soon!) I chose orange as it fits the fall theme so well. My pink leaf pin may seem a bit out place but I thought the color made an interesting contrast to the brown and orange. You can read more about my outfit here.

Jessica's Outfit
I really like the selection of colors and accessories that Jessica picked! Her blue jacket brings to mind the blue Schiaparelli jacket mentioned in one of the articles. You can read more about Jessica's outfit here, as well as view the prizes she will be providing here.

Here is what Jessica said about her outfit.
"I really didn't have a lot of pieces in the specific colours mentioned, so instead I focused more on the colours themselves and went with a look that struck me as someone that could have been worn to cheer on a football game or the like back in the day. The articles talked about brown, red, green, and blue, so I included all those along with a coat, which was another frequently discussed piece."

That all important question of what to wear while cheering on the favored eleven ...
all designed to take the attention away from the football field and put it on milady in the stands. Come football weather, the quarterbacks will have to look to their laurels to get the crowd looking their way. From the Dallas Morning News, September 18, 1940

Photography by Tony Cangiano

Photography by Tony Cangiano

Lauren's Outfit
Plaids and tweeds are mentioned several times in the newspaper articles. The color green was mentioned many times as well. I really enjoy plaids but somehow my vintage wardrobe is lacking, something I think I will need to remedy. Lauren's lovely plaid jacket and green knit dress - knitted items were very popular in the 30s and 40s! - fit the bill for this contest perfectly don't you think? The yellow hat and shoes are a nice complement to the green dress and plaid jacket! Lauren's hat, purse, jacket and pretty brooches are all vintage. Her earrings are from the lovely shop Dames a la Mode. Lauren's shoes are from Remix Vintage. You can read more about Lauren's outfit, the prizes she is providing here.

Green took a curtain call in a brighter shade ... Black and pale blue, black with benedictine brown and black with vivid greens were outstanding in the daytime ensembles both in suits and dresses. - From the Dallas Morning News, September 18, 1940

A striking coat for casual wear was made of imported tweed in huge plaids with fuchsia and red on a gray background ... A two-piece suit of hound's-tooth check in silver and gray ... green and electric blue check woolen cape. ... a three-peice affair, with swagger length coat over a trim two-piece suit, ... A striking coat for casual wear was made of imported tweed in huge plaids with fuchsia and red on a gray background. This was worn, too, with dark brown accessories, and the brown felt hat had a sweeping profile brim. From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940  

Photos by Wearing History

Photos by Wearing History

I hope this post gives you some ideas of how to put together your own outfit inspired by the newspaper articles. As you can see we all used a mix of original vintage as well as reproduction and vintage style items. We certainly had fun with our outfits, I hope you do too!

Photos for the contest must be submitted by October 18th. Don't miss out!! Contest rules and how to enter here.

Celebrating the First Day of Fall

This outfit was inspired by the articles in my fall photo contest. (See this post for all the details on how to enter.) This is a photo heavy post!

Brown was one of the colors mentioned over and over in the articles - brown suits and accessories such as hats, alligator bags and shoes. Brown can often be a blah color but happens to be a color I really like. It can be worn so many different ways and paired with an endless variety of other colors.

The line from the newspaper article that really started the planning for this outfit was as follows;

Brown appeared again and again in both accessories, suits and coats. One noteworthy ensemble included an imported tweed suit in a soft cinnamon brown shade worn with dark brown accessories and a nutria fur coat. - From the Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1940

As you may have guessed, it was a little too warm for a fur coat. I only wore it for the first few shots then had to take it off! It's the same late 1930s mink coat that I sported in this post. Did anyone one else have to look up the definition of "nutria?" Don't feel bad because I certainly did! Nutria, or coypu, is a semi-aquatic mammal native to South America. This large rodent is a cousin of the beaver and it's fur was a popular choice in the fashion industry for a number of years. It was also less expensive then mink and other more exotic furs.

I thought of pairing my my 1940s wool suit with green accessories, as I did here, because green was mentioned several times as a accent color in the articles. But I wanted to style the suit in a way that I had not done before. Orange was the next most obvious color for me to pick as it fits the fall theme so well. I've had these peachy/orange gloves for sometime now but have never worn them. My orange turban, which I made from a vintage pattern, has been crying out for a photo shoot since I finished it back in the spring. My pink leaf pin may seem a bit out place but I thought the color made an interesting contrast to the brown and orange. (I had intended to wear a pair of pink earring as well but forgot to put them on before leaving the house. Oops!) Plus it's almost the same shade as my new to me make up compact! Fall seemed the perfect time to pair these items all together. What do you think?

This 1940s makeup compact came in its original box plus this lovely little card! The front of the card is inscribed "To Ida, 1944." I would love to find out who Ida was and what she did during the war!

And these shoes!! Oh what more can I say other than I LOVE THEM! I picked these up from a vintage vendor at the Reading Airshow back in June. I've been searching for a pair of spectators for a long time but whenever I found a pair they were always the wrong size or out of my price range. These are a perfect fit and were very affordable for me. I guess some things are just meant to be!

The location for these photos is classic New England pure and simple. Quiet dirt road in the country, a covered bridge, the start of fall foliage, and railroad tracks near by. To top it all off it was a beautiful fall day! Warm, sunny, and bright blue sky. What more could you ask for?

Cori and I picked up this vintage Kodak camera at a local antique mall. As far as well know it's all in working order but we have not been able to find any film for it. Still, it makes a fun photo prop.

I'm planning a whole post on how to make your own turban. Plus I will be making one as part of my prize package for my fall photo contest!

Outfit Details

1940s Suit - Morning Glorious Vintage

Blouse and gloves - thrifted

Shoes - Vendor at the MAAM airshow

Handkerchief - Vintage Vermont

Bakelite bracelets, compact and leaf pin - Stone House Antiques

Purse - Brimfield Antique Market
Stockings - What Katie Did

Turban - Made by me

Lip color - Chocolate Kiss by Besame (I don't think they offer this color any more which makes me sad. I ordered it as a sample and was hoping to order a tube.)

You still have plenty of time to enter my fall photo contest! There are lots of great prizes too! Contest closes October 18th. The winner and runner up will be announced on October 25th.

Also, between now and October 1st I'm having a special Etsy sale!  Use the code SPECIAL20 to save 20%. If you have had your eye on something now is the chance to save!