Before and After "Hit Parade" - Wedding Bliss

I just love it when my customers share with me the results of a pattern they have sewn up. Sometimes they post about it in their blog, others simply convo me with a photo or two, and some post me "appreciation photos". So here is the most recent, a perfect ending to June, the favorite month for weddings.

The Seamstress: Cristine, with an Etsy shop of her own (please check it out!): cheariefearie
Cristine sewed this beautiful wedding gown for her niece.
The Pattern: Classic 1996 McCall's 8563 Sewing Pattern

The Result: Note the exquisite floral details on the skirt. She changed the bodice slightly to add petal sleeves. Gorgeous!

 

Cristine used a pearl seed bead trim for the vine, and hand-sewed all the vines on by hand with fishing line. This was to make sure that you couldn't see how it was attached because it was sewn on a sheer overlay. She also used silk flowers and glued rhinestones in the center of each and then hand-stitched those on as well. She and the bride then decided it would look awesome to have some floating rhinestones as well randomly on the dress. Stunning results!

Perfection, Cristine. Thank you! And be watching for future postings of "Before and After" Hit Parade. :)

Farewell, Sailor!

Opening day of boating season has come and gone! Here's a review of a few of the patterns featuring sailor collars and nautical style that I listed in Midvale Cottage in the past week. The sailor collar and nautical style in general will long endure in popularity, and rightly so. :) So what is next? My next post will reveal a new theme... so stay tuned!

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

 

A Salute to the Sailor

Ahoy, there, and keep a lookout for patterns featuring a sailor collar that I will be posting soon at Midvale Cottage!

In my home town of Seattle the first Saturday of May is Opening Day of boating season, a wonderful traditional rite of spring here. It is a festive event and the only one of its kind in the world. So, with a nod to all sailors, fashion with nautical style is my inspiration for the next week or two. Here is a preview of what will be appearing in my ship-shape shop in the days ahead:

1940s

1950s

  

 1960s

 

1970s

 

 

The Blitzie!

Not long ago I listed an item from the 1940s and Vogue, which was labeled on the pattern as "Blouse-Shorts":

This rare (to me) pattern is what I have since found out is a "blitzie", a one-in-piece blouse with shorts (as in underwear, not outerwear). I found one definition from 1940: "Blitzies-is the name of a garment which combines blouse and pantie." I have found sales in vintage newspapers of the 1940s that list blitzies for sale along with shortalls, playsuits, and other women's garments.

Alas, none of these vintage newspaper ads includes an image of a blitzie. It is clearly an item distinct from a playsuit, however. Thoughts, anyone?

Hand Embroidery Artist Jillian Tamaki

If you love hand embroidery, you will want to check out the work of Jillian Tamaki and her fabulous book covers commissioned by Penguin Classics. Amazing and gorgeous!

http://blog.jilliantamaki.com/2011/03/penguin-threads-deluxe-classics/

Housecoats!

House Coat. Evening Wrap. House Dress. Coat Dress. Robe. Duster. Brunch Coat. Breakfast Coat. "Tee Vee Coat"!

All these terms refer to one of my favorite vintage fashion items, the housecoat. A versatile garment, typically a wrap dress intended to be worn at home for leisure, housework, or even entertaining, the housecoat evolved from the hostess gown of the 30s and 40s (a rather luxurious full-length garment of velvet or other rich fabrics). The house coat (or housecoat) retained that luxurious length but also became shorter for housework and was made of crisp, fresh gingham, cotton, or calico.

The same pattern was versatile and could be a hostess gown, a cotton house coat, or robe. Whether a stay-at-home mom or a modern business girl, the housecoat was perfect for comfortable wear at home and perfectly fine for receiving drop-in visitors as well as for cleaning the kitchen or lounging on the couch. My mother regularly wore housecoats - a basic wardrobe must from the 30s to the 60s!

For more information on housecoats in the 1940s, check out Hostess Gowns.

And now, here is a sneak preview of some of the housecoat patterns I will be listing in the next few weeks at Midvale Cottage. Such gorgeous and fun fashion!

Resort Fashions III

It's my final week of resort fashions, and it has been fun! Coming up this week are some gorgeous halter and bra tops, swim suits, sundresses, summer ensembles, and more. I think the most interesting part of swimwear fashion is the evolution of the beach coat. In the 40s and 50s the beach coat was a must. In the 60s this gradually became the beach shirt. Eventually it simply became a beach wrap or no wrap at all but a towel. Here is a sneak peek for this week. Next week's theme: housecoats!