Flour Power

When I went out for dinner last week the menu said cauliflour instead of cauliflower (New Zealanders tend to pronounce flower like flour anyway). This led to a discussion about the correct spelling of cauliflower and of course everyone pulled out their phones to check. I love old clothes, but new technology is pretty great too. Speaking of old clothes, this 1950's dress is new (to me, at least).  

It was hot and windy, and I was really tired so the pictures aren't that great.  

Thanks for all your comments about my new job. I bought the dress with my first paycheck. It was there when I got home from work today so I had to try it on. 

So hot I'm not even wearing tights

Dress: Trademe

Shoes: Golden Ponies 

Beware of the Leopard

I started a full time job this week and the dress code requires 'corporate' wear. I've been at uni for the last five years where I could wear whatever weird and wonderful things I liked. Somehow I don't think full skirted 50's dresses in novelty and floral prints would be considered appropriately corporate at my new job. This pretty much cuts out my whole wardrobe. I thought I better make some work clothes, still vintage style, of course. 

For my first piece of corporate attire, I used Simplicity 4987 from the early 60s. I made a full skirted version of this pattern pretty recently in a lemon print. I wanted to use a black stretch cotton that's been in my stash for ages but it seemed a bit boring by itself.  

Leopard print makes everything more exciting (in my opinion, at least) so I used it for the neckline trim. The leopard print fabric is the tiny scraps left over from this jacket. There wasn't much there but I'd always planned to make some cuffs or something out of it so I kept it.

I added a couple of patch pockets with leopard print trim to the front of the skirt too. 

I've seen vintage dresses with angled pocket welt pocket flaps and wanted to create a similar effect with the patch pockets by placing them on at an angle. 

I'm pleased with the way it turned out. It's appropriate for work but still fits in with my usual vintage style.

Dress: Simplicity 4987
Belt: Op shopped
Shoes (which you can't see): Mischief Shoes

Back in black, button back blouse

It's not really a blouse, but it sounded better than top. 

I've had this pattern for quite a while but had procrastinated about making it because it was a couple of inches too big for me. I don't mind grading patterns up, but grading them down is always painful.  In the end I cheated and didn't really use the pattern. I wanted to make the button back top on the right at the back. Rather than bothering to grade the pattern, I just redrafted one that already fitted me. I added the square neckline by laying the pattern pieces from this pattern over my other pattern and redrawing it. This is definitely not the mathematically correct way of doing things, but whatever, I'm lazy. Adding the button closure at the back was simple. I just added a few of inches to the pattern pieces for the placket and a self-facing.   

I'm not a massive fan of the heart print, but it was the only black 100% cotton broderie anglaise I could find. Weirdly, cut on the straight grain the hearts are sideways which is better for me I guess because they look less heart-like. 

 I used some vintage buttons I bought from a market for the back. They are really pretty and faceted, but it was hard to get a good picture. I got them on the original piece of card. Half the fun of buying old notions is the funny packaging.  Apparently, the buttons were plant-tested and approved by the Research Institute of Launderers, Dry Cleaners and Dyers of NZ. I wonder how they tested them. Put them through the wash loads of times, maybe? Hopefully this means they will withstand the spin cycle.  

I could probably do with making a couple more of these tops in different colours. I'm a bit lacking in plain(ish) tops to go with my patterned skirts. 

Yeah, the colours are weird in this one. I tried to edit it but probably just made it worse.

Skirt: Op shopped
Belt: Op shopped
Scarf: Op shopped by my mum
Top: Simplicity 3937
Shoes: The Warehouse
Sunglasses: The Yellow Brick Road

Grey Days

When I bought this fabric from Arthur Toye over a year ago I imagined making a shirtdress (I was obsessed with them at the time). I don't know what I was thinking. It's a thin, sheer cotton. Luckily, I came to my senses.    

Instead of a shirtdress, I decided to make Eva Dress D 40 5087. I've made it before so it was pretty easy to construct. 

I really like all the gathers this pattern has. They are perfect for the weight of the fabric.

Sorry it's blurry. It was dark. 

I didn't have a grey zip in my stash (I always buy zips from op shops but never seem to have the right colour/length when I need it), so I did a combination of hooks and eyes and snaps. I regret it. They require me to perform acrobatic contortions to get them done up. I don't think I can be bothered taking them out and putting a zip in though.  

Apart from the closure problem, I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Scarf: Op shopped
Belt: Op shopped
Tights: A shop in the mall, I think
Shoes: Golden Ponies
Dress: Eva Dress D 40 5087

I started a facebook page for the blog. I'll probably post stuff that doesn't warrant a blog post like what I'm going to be sewing next.  

Leftovers

When I've sewn something I usually have scraps of fabric left. I tend to throw all the little scraps out but chucking away bigger pieces seems like a waste. These pieces just sit in my fabric stash because I have no idea what to do with them. I don't want to make little purses or rag rugs or any of the other cutesy things all the lists I've seen online suggest. When one of the pairs of pajama shorts my mum had made me for Christmas (not to wear for Christmas, but as a Christmas present) years ago started to fall apart I realised what I could use all those fabric leftovers for. I used an old pair of pajamas as a pattern and then whipped up three pairs in a couple of hours. They were really easy and quick to sew.  

 I managed to get two pleated skirts (I sold one) and a pair of pjs out of this vege print fabric. I used french seams because, as previously discussed, I am lazy and they look good. The elastic was all stuff I had in my stash. I'm not quite sure why I have a stash of elastic given I hardly ever make anything with that type of elastic. Forethought, maybe?

I used this sheer cotton to make a dress (which I will do a post on shortly), and made these with the leftovers. This is a view of the back. As you can see, it's very similar to the shape of the front.

My mum used this fabric to make a dress and I stole the leftovers to make these. I wish I had a dress made out of it because the print is awesome, but pajamas will have to do. I didn't make any tops to go with these because I usually just sleep in singlets.

Is she pretty on the inside?

I bought this pattern with a bunch of other early 60's ones. I liked the bow-type thing on the neckline, but didn't find either of the skirt styles very appealing. I decided to do a box pleated skirt instead of the a-line or straight skirts from the pattern.   

Most of the seams are french ones because I'm lazy. You see, the overlocker is in a different room to my sewing machine. This means I have to go all the way to the other room if I want to overlock anything. It just seems easier to stay at my machine and sew an extra seam. As an added bonus, the finish you get with french seams makes the inside pretty.

This is the detail on the neckline.The background colour is weird. It looks white next to cream things and cream next to white things. I topstitched it in white which looks alright, but doesn't match perfectly.

There was a picture of me smiling in this pose, but the dress didn't look good so bored face it is

I love this dress. Yellow and cream/white are not normally colours I would go for, but I love lemons, both real ones and prints.

Sunglasses: Vintage shop in England
Dress: Simplicity 4987
Belt: Op shopped
Shoes: The Warehouse

Op Shopping Finds

I haven't posted in ages because sometimes life just gets in the way. Anyway, here are some things I've bought at the op shop in the last couple of months.

This dress (which my mum actually bought me), was handed to me by someone in an op shop because they thought I looked like someone who was into 'retro stuff'. I certainly am, kind stranger.

I think it's from the 1940's or early 1950's, but the hem has probably been shortened at some point. It doesn't look much here but it fits perfectly.

As an added bonus, the wool that it's made of was from Salt's Mill which I visited when I was in England. It's cool to think that this dress that I found in an op shop in Christchurch was made 60-70 years ago with wool from a mill on the other side of the world that I visited this year.

My mum also found this. She actually showed it to me because she thought I would laugh at how ridiculous it is, but um...I thought it was cute. I got the last laugh, though. When I got home I looked it up online. It originally sold for $285. I paid $6.  

I bought this (probably) '70s makeup case because I use them to store things like gloves, scarves and hats in. I don't love the colour but the shape is nice.

This wool coat was from an op shop in Petone. I have a similar red one, but the green one fits much better. Since I took this photo I've taken off the fur collar and put another one on because the original collar did not feel nice at all.