Before and After: Adorable Toddler Dress & Bolero for Valentine's Day

Not too long ago I included a charming toddler dress & bolero pattern in a "Scraps from the Past" post, and now it returns as a "Before and After". Some patterns are just that good! I sold the pattern to an amazing customer who quickly whipped up an adorable ensemble for her toddler daughter. Here are the results.

Before

The pattern: Simplicity 1149 (1950s)

After

The results: It's divine, it's sublime! It's a little dress and bolero, befrilled, beribboned, and perfect for Valentine's Day! The sewist, Beth, made the dress for her daughter, who is the model in all these pictures. Note the lace trim and the addition of the heart shaped pockets on both the dress and bolero. Her accessories (hair bow, marvelous red shoes, and lace-trimmed socks) complete the ensemble perfectly. 

Have you fallen in love with the outfit? Have you fallen in love with this darling toddler? (Move over, Shirley Temple!) Do you love mid-century fashion and style? If you said yes to any of these, you definitely want to check out the marvelous Rosie scarves, Rosie bow barrettes, and fabric bags and purses that Beth sews and sells online. Be sure to visit:

• Her Etsy shop DollyValentine 
• Her website www.dungareedolly.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DungareeDolly
• Instagram: @dungareedolly (where she occasionally sells baby outfits and accessories)
• Instagram: @lovedbylibby (where you can occasionally purchase the handmedowns)

You are in for a treat! And thanks to Beth for sharing her pictures!

Sharing Vintage Fashion the Thrifty Way: Valentine Apron Give-Away

It's my first give-away! This give-away is all about thrift, and sharing vintage fashion the hand-made way. 

I often come across a hand-reproduced pattern, often labeled "mom's apron" or "June's skirt pattern" and such, sometimes on newsprint, sometimes on brown butcher paper. Because the 1930s depression years and the shortages of the 1940s war years meant making do with less, women shared favorite and admired patterns by hand-tracing them and giving them to family and friends.

In keeping with the spirit in which these patterns were made, this will be the first of many regular contests to share these patterns free with you, my wonderful customers, followers, and readers of my blog.

My first give-away contest is a Valentine apron. I estimate it to be from the 40s or 50s. The pieces of this hand-reproduced pattern consist of three pieces: heart-shaped bib, heart-shaped skirt, and heart-shaped pocket. Construction details are hand-written on the pieces. I photographed the pieces against a yardstick (36 inches US) to give you an idea of size.

The pocket is trimmed with bias binding.

Skirt is trimmed with ruffles, width is marked on the skirt.

Notches are drawn to indicate where bib is attached to skirt.

Pocket placement is clearly marked.

Tie string placement is also marked on skirt. No tie string pattern piece is included, the assumption being the seamstress can make to desired length and width.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment!
It could be about why you find vintage fashion inspiring, why you love aprons, or what you'd like to see more of on this blog. There are no limitations in terms of where you live - this will be mailed from the US to anywhere. 

I will use the random number method and will announce the winner on February 1st! And here are some apron styles that are not identical, but similar, to inspire you. :)