The White Lightning Dress

On March 28th I attended the Greater Boston Vintage Society's White Lightning Ball. Like last year, the event was held at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. What a fun time! I had a few people tell me how much I looked like Lady Edith from Downton Abbey. That was fun to hear because she's my favorite character. Cori looked rather dapper in his vintage suit and boater. And later in the evening he and a small group staged a police raid! The bootleggers bribed the policemen and everyone returned to having a good time.

One big highlight of the event for me was being asked if I would participate as a vendor. This was certainly a learning experience for me. Although I have a few things on Etsy, which for me is essentially an online yard sale at this point, I really do want to expand in the future and offer more. (Including more ready-made items!) Over all I'd say it was successful as I did sell a few things. One of my favorite (thought sadly too small for me) pair of shoes went to a knew home and most exciting this dress was purchased by the singer from Baby Soda! 

My embarrassingly large collection of stuff to sell

I made a new dress using a 1920s pattern I purchased over the winter. I used a lovely ivory silk that I purchased from Deletable Mountain Cloth during their winter sale. Visiting that shop is such a treat! Soooooo many pretties! Fabrics and buttons oh my! You can order from them online but it's best to call if you are looking for something specific, or even better to visit the shop in person. Trust me, you wont be disappointed! I had every intention of picking out a colored fabric for my dress but I kept going back to this particular silk. I really liked the design and feel, it struck me as very Art Deco. I have enough left over for another small project, possible a blouse, so I might try dying it. I'll play around with the scraps first. :)

I really wanted to order these gold 1920s style shoes from Amazon to go with the dress. The reviews are mixed but I really liked they way they looked with Katherine of The Fashionable Past's 1922 Harper's Bazar gala dress. However, shipping for these shoes was going to take up to a month. I didn't want to wait that long and take the chance of them not showing up in time. :( While far from perfect these pink and brown heels have become my go to shoes for any 1920s and 1930s outfits but sadly are not the most comfortable to wear. I really need to invest in a good pair of black reproduction1920s style shoes. The Cicero style Exclusives recently offered by American Duchess would have been perfect but were out of my price range. I do love that Lauren is offering these one of kind shoes.

So on to the construction details! I used a cotton muslin to test the pattern. It looks rather odd because I didn't have enough fabric to cut the full length of the right front panel. Not really an issue though as this was just a mock up. The dress is made from a back panel cut on the fold with little darts at the neck, a left front, a right front, girdle, as well as bodice and skirt cascades. I left the sleeves off . The right front crosses over the left and attaches with a series of snaps on the bodice and hips. The girdle is sewn into one side seam then wraps around the back and attaches at the opposite hip. I added a few extra snaps for good measure. Because my silk was rather delicate I made little cotton patches to go behind the snaps for extra support. 

The dress made up in cotton muslin to test the pattern.

Here is a good look at the bodice and skirt cascades. The pattern gives you the option of either hemming the edges or trimming off the seam allowance and adding a binding. I knew I wanted to add a little color to this dress some how so I opted for the binding. My original plan was to only use a yellow/gold trim because I wanted to pair the dress with gold shoes. But as my search for the perfect shoes hit a road block I decided to use a combination of yellow and pink to better match the shoes I already had. (That I didn't end up wearing after all.)

The dress before the colored binding was added

The binding was sewn first to the right side of the silk then folded over and pressed and hand sewn in place. 

And a few more shots of the finished dress. The lighting was not very good for pictures which is why all of mine look dark or washed out.

Outfit Details

1920s Silk Dress - Made by me using Vogue 9010

Shoes - umm Payless?

Girdle and silk slip - Etsy

Seamed stocking - What Katie Did

Jewelry - Antique store finds

Summary of the Pattern
Fabric: Silk from Delectable Mountain Cloth
Pattern: Vogue 9010
Year: 1920s
Notions: Snaps, thread, pink and yellow China silk ribbon for binding
How historically accurate is it? Very.
Any tricky parts to the pattern? Not really
Did you change anything? Left off the sleeves for more of an evening look. Shortened the hem about 1 1/2". I also added some additional snaps to the waist/hip area and some extra shirring to the girdle. The dress was a little high under the arms so I cut the arm holes a little deeper.
Time to complete: ummm, hard to say. I worked on it off and one for about 2 weeks.
First worn: March 28th, 2015 for the GBVS 2nd White Lightening Ball at the Larz Anderson Car Museum
Wear Again? Yes.
Notes: Due to the cascades and overall feel of this particular style, this pattern does need to be made with fabric that drapes nicely. One should also avoid fabrics with an obvious right and wrong side. My mock up was made using a cotton muslin which didn't really hang right. It worked well for determining the overall fit of the pattern however and allowed me to mark up the fabric as needed. If I make this pattern again, which I would like to for day wear, I might try it with crepe and a contrasting cascade.

Cori's Outfit Details

Vintage 3 piece suit - Purchased from a vendor at the Reading Air Show last summer

Shirt, Tie, Cufflinks - Thrifted

Straw Boater - Etsy

Suspenders - Who Is Sylvia?

Shoes - 1930s reproduction shoes from the DanceStore.com

1940s LADP Uniform
This uniform was pieced together from a number of vendors. Some pieces like the buttons and badge were special ordered. Most everything else came from Ebay or Etsy.

Before the Last of the Snow Melts

Before the snow completely melts away I thought I should share some photos from a winter shoot. These photos were taken in the middle of February when we still had tons of snow on the ground! Like 3 plus feet!! It was a great opportunity to get some pictures of my new fur coat and winter boots. Most of the snow is gone now and the forecast for the next week looks pretty good. A mix of sun and clouds with highs in the 60s! Whoot! Bring on spring! Oh and don't forget about my photo contest, "Color Recipes for Spring." There is still plenty of time to enter. :)

I found this coat, which I believe is mink, as well as my fur trimmed over shoes on Ebay. The shoes fit perfectly over a pair of my 1940s heels. The bottoms are rubber and the uppers are fabric. The fur is rabbit. The overshoes looked brown in the sale pictures but when I opened the box I happily discovered the brown fabric was woven with a shiny copper thread! Hard to tell in these pictures. I've wanted a pair of these for a while now and I'm quite pleased to have found such a unique pair.

I love the shape of the sleeves on this coat! Very late 1930s! The shoulder pads inside are very thick. :)

Under the coat I wore my Be My Valentine Blouse made from Mail Order pattern 2588 and a 1940s WAVE uniform skirt. I purchased the skirt somewhere in my travels, thrift store maybe? Sadly it didn't come with any uniform parts. As a lone skirt I don't mind wearing it on occasion as it makes a great separate to mix and match with. (You can see it here with my yellow sweater.)

After taking these photos I changed and went for a snowshoe with Cori. I wore modern ski pants with a great Norwegian wool sweater I found at a local antique mall. The red and white head band I'm wearing was made for me my Cori's mom. I believe it's made from a 1950s knitting pattern.

Cori tried out some of his military gear. :) The snowshoes are modern but everything else is original or reproduction WWII gear. I think he was going for a Battle of the Bulge look. Many of our soldiers went into battle with very little in the way of winter gear.

Good to the Last Scrap - A 1940s Blouse

So this is a long over due post, please forgive me as I play catch up on sharing my projects. I finished this blouse back in February and wore it for Valentine's Day. I used a mail order pattern 2588 (first used here) and a piece of cotton fabric from the stash. This project gets ALL the CHECKS! :)

New Year's goal of Stash Busting - Check!

Spring for Cotton - Check!

Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge - Check!

I call this the Be My Valentine Blouse because I finished it right before Valentine's Day. The blouse it suppose to have square pockets but I didn't have enough material left. I was literately piecing scraps together so I have enough to make this. Blaah, that's the down side to using fabric in your stash, you are often limited but what's there. The pattern called for around 1 1/2 yards and I had a little less then that.You can see in the layout below the amount of fabric I had to play with.

I had to get a little creative with my scraps but it seemed to work out! I used a bit of cardboard to make a heart template for my pockets. I trimmed the pockets and collar of the blouse with some tiny white rik rack. I even made a little heart with it on the back of the collar. :)

I don't have any pictures from the Valentine's Day party but I did manage to get some a few days later. These photos were taken in the middle of February when we still had tons of snow on the ground! Like 3 plus feet!! It was also a great opportunity to get some pictures of my new fur coat and winter boots.

Outfit Details
Fur Coat and Fur Trimmed Overshoes - Ebay
Blouse - Made by me
WAVE Uniform Skirt and Gloves - Thrifted

Summary of the Pattern
Fabric - Quilting weight cotton print
Pattern - Mail order pattern 2588, 2nd time used.
Year - 1940s
Notions - Buttons, thread, vintage rik rack trim
How historically accurate is it? - I'd give it an 8 or 9. My idea for the trim and heart shaped pockets are not based on any original garment but were inspired by the "Make Do and Mend" trend of the 1930s and 1940s.
Any tricky parts to the pattern? - The button holes. I dislike them but I'm getting better the more I do.
Changes - I made heart shaped pockets using small leftover bits. Had to piece center front facings and add a small piece to cover manufacture's mark on salvage edge. Collar lined with white cotton.
Time to Complete - 5 or 6 hours including the time it took to figure out how to sew buttons holes with my new machine and hand sewing the rik rack trim.
Total cost - All the materials were from the stash! Yeah! I think I don't think I paid any more then $10 for the pattern.
First worn - Valentine's Day party at my parents' house.
Notes - I really like the look and feel of this pattern. It's a touch longer then Hollywood 1530 so it stays tucked in much better. It also looks great un-tucked due to the darts. I'll be making more blouses using this pattern! I also need to make the jumper that goes with it.

Color Recipes for Spring and a Vintage Photo Contest

Hello All! Today I bring you some fashion incite from 1939. As usual, while looking for something completely different, I stumbled across this interesting article from the Dallas Morning News. The author describes some new color trends for the coming spring. I think she must have had a regular fashion column because I've seen a few other articles by her. Here in New England we are still lacking color of any kind except of course the muddy white of slowly melting snow and brown grass. I found this article to be rather stimulating for the mind and now I can't stop thinking about all these wonderful color combinations! Navy and citron, moss green and apple blossom pink .... the list goes on.

So what's the contest you ask? Well, I thought it would be fun for those of us with a vintage wardrobe to go through our closets and put together an outfit with this article in mind! Then have a little photo contest! Use any of the color combination below or create your own for spring! Let's keep the date range 1930s and 1940s. Want to enter the challenge? Great! Leave me a comment below, then send me a photo of your outfit with a brief description. I will post them to an album on my Facebook page so everyone can see them as well as create a blog post. I will choose a winner and send them a special prize! This little contest is open to all readers, you don't need to have a blog but if you do let me know so I can link back to you. The deadline for the contest will be Sunday May 3rd. That gives you a whole month to mix and match! I'll announce the winner in early May.

-Please Note! I'm moving the deadline back to May 3rd to give everyone a few more days. That also give me more time to put together the prize. :) -  

Please Note! The deadline for entering the contest is May 3rd

The following text is from an article in the Dallas Morning News dated February 3, 1939.

Color Recipes Compiled from Fashion Shows. Dominating Note of Style Can Be Used in Many Combinations. By Alma Cunningham.
    Color is everywhere. It's the dominating note of fashion. And it's used in new ways, new combinations. If you've never a doubt about what color to wear with what for that much desired chic, turn the page. Our color recipes, taken from outstanding ensembles of recent style shows, are for the likes of us who sometimes like to dabble in unusual color, who sometimes astound natives with our color consciousness, who always want to wear a color accent that is effective.

    Assuming that your first purchases for spring will be a pair of shoes, a bag and hat to snatch your winter wardrobe from boredom, our color recipes start with at least one of these items already on hand. So.

Day Dress, 1939 FIDM Museum S2009.997.1
Source

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Public Wardrobe No. 1 - Frosted.
    Navy is a long-time favorite every spring. Combined with white touches, you've got something. Our frosted ensemble required the following: With navy shoes and navy bag, a two-piece navy suit, white frilly blouse, white hat, white veil.

Navy and Wheat
(1) In the case of a navy coat, and navy shoes, gloves, hat veil, and a wheat print silk dress, wheat ascot and wheat bag.
(2) With a navy dress, shoes, bag and gloves, wear a wheat belt, hat, and topcoat.
(3) With a two-piece navy suit, navy shoes and bag, add a blouse in wheat, wheat gloves, and a natural color straw hat with spring flowers and a navy veil.

Navy and Red.
(1) If you prefer the lipstick red, choose a narrow leather belt, a shoulder bouquet, and a ribbon band for your hat in the red. Wear it with a navy skirt, a navy jacket with a white chalk stripe, navy sailor, navy shoes, bag and white gloves.

(2) If you prefer the bright red, wear a navy blue suit with polka-dot taffeta collar, navy straw hat with a white and bright red ribbon crown, navy shoes and  bag, white gloves.

Navy With Cyclamen.
In navy - new low waistline dress, with a tiny high white collar, a silver buttons down the front of the waist; small hat and veil; shoes and bag. In Cyclamen - a large soft suede pouch type bag.

Navy with Citron.
Citron is that cool, line shade, in the palest of greenish yellows. A citron jacket or topper accents any all navy ensemble, smarty.

Image Source

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1930s Two-tone Heels on Etsy

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Black Magic
The basis of many a spring wardrobe is a pair of black patent leather shoes and a bag. Fill in accordingly, and you've noteworthy costumes;

(1) Gold and black print dress, gold wool fitting coat, black straw hat, and green gloves.
(2) Bronze green dressmaker full-length coat, a print silk dress with green and yellow predominating, a black straw hat with a gold veil, beige gloves.
(3) Black full-length coat, a white silk ascot, two gold lapel clips, a wide patent belt, black hat, white gloves.
(4) Moss green full-length coat, print dress, apple blossom pink hat, pink gloves to match hat.

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Noble Idea.
Because of the popularity of some colors, there will be some who will wear a less popular color in order to be individual. Thus brown is literally and figuratively a dark horse for spring.

(1) In the case of your new dark brown bag and shoes, wear beige coat or dress, a beige fishnet turban, and a bright green bag.
(2) Or beige two-piece suit, a red hat with a gold veil, and Chinese red gloves.
(3) Or a gold crepe dress, a natural straw hat with a bright blue ribbon trim, and bright blue gloves.
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The Copper Touch.
Japonica, new clay, British tan, copper, rust, yum, or what have you is combined in new collections as follows:

(1) A matching greenish-blue coat and dress, a brilliant yellow jonquil shoulder bouquet, matching jonquil gloves, copper shoes and bag, copper felt hat with greenish-blue band.
(2) Dark-brown dress in dark a leaf green coat, suede pouch bag in copper, copper shoes, copper hat, coral necklace and gloves.
(4) Navy dress, natural beige coat, navy gloves, navy hat, heavy gold necklace, chopper shoes, copper bag.

Image Source

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Madcap.
And finally we come to dark-red shoes and bags, preferably in alligator, please, and sometimes referred to as mulberry, claret, wine Burgundy. If you must ... the budget rears its head .... you can have your alligator simulated. Or, if and alligator scared your mother, you can still have accessories in one of these deep rich reds in pigskin, suede, or a fabric.

    Shoes and bag worn with the following, and you'll look good enough to eat:

(1) A hyacinth blue dress, a fishnet turban in blue and dark red, white or pale pink gloves.
(2) A chartreuse dress, dark red coat, soft blue hat, light beige gloves.
(3) A two-piece mauve pink dress, lilac gloves, fuchsia hat of veiling.
(4) A leaf green wool jacket, a vivid green wool skirt, brown hat, citron gloves."

Source

Image Source

Don't forget to leave me a comment if you want to enter the contest! The deadline for sending me a photo will be April 30th. I'll announce the winner on May 3rd. Ready, set, go!

Update- Photo Contest Inspiration Part 1 and Photo Contest Inspiration Part 2