1920s Vintage Apron Pattern

To confess, I comb through the ebay and etsy vintage patterns continually throughout the week. Not so much for something just to add to my pattern box, but for patterns that really stand out as unique and for something that I'd actually wear. Once a friend asked me about my sewing projects and I said yes, that way if no one else is interested, then I get to keep them all. :)

In the last couple of years I've been quite bored with what I'm seeing available for vintage apron patterns, but earlier this spring my heart fluttered at two that I had never seen before. Sadly, one got away before I could pay for it, but I was more than happy to purchase this one!

It's from a no-name company and one that I should do some more research on. Wonder what other treasures they produced nearly 100 years ago. But this pattern? Ladies, it has sleeves!  I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I could make and sell aprons with sleeves. Thinking of my other apron patterns and modern patterns from the Big Four companies, no one puts sleeves on their aprons. But, why not?

It kind of makes sense if you think about it. The other practical thing about this apron? The back of the apron catches all the splatters when your back is turned from the stove.

 

On this particular apron I was happy to find two huge buttons from my stash for the back. I'm kind of lazy when it comes to knowledge about what my buttons are made of, but I'm guessing some kind of really high quality plastic like material. They are not light and flimsy, but then they aren't heavy like glass, or mother of pearl. 

The backs of these button are metal, however, which told me right away that they are vintage. The buttons are not functional to this particular apron, but if I make more aprons from this pattern in heavy fabrics, they'll most likely be working buttons. The pattern says you can do either or. Those are my kind of patterns; do what you feel like doing. :)

But here she is. All finished with one more confession: I had to slip it on before taking pictures, and it's a keeper of a pattern.

Morning Light on Monday

Graham Thomas

Morning in my sewing room is always a lovely time. The window picks up some of the eastern rays, and with the walls already a buttery yellow you can't help but notice it's welcoming warmth.

Looking forward to a few vacation days this week to spend some time with these fun patterns! But first, there is an apron to make in a cute pink rosebud fabric. I just haven't decided yet which pattern to make it in.

A Dress for the Symphony

The 1950s? Really?

I cannot believe that the era in which I've always been the least fond of, is actually starting to grow on me. And when I realized I needed something festive for an upcoming concert, I actually drew my inspiration from the 1950s and from a dress that has been pretty much the only dress I've ever liked from the era.

While I don't foresee it being an era that I will revisit in the future (other than aprons, of course!), it is rather fun to be presently working on this project.

Pictures? Absolutely! I may post a sneak peak in a few days as a way of tempting you to come back and see the finished product, which must be completed by New Years.

Vintage sewing

The sewing bug has bit me. And in the unusual place of the 1940s and 50s. ;) It's rather odd, too, as those years are ones that I'm naturally fond of. Perhaps it was this dress I saw on etsy not to long ago:

What's also strange is that I'm not a polka dot person at all. 75% of my wardrobe is stripes and the rest is solid or woven to go with said striped items. ;) The dress is quite simple from what I can tell, with just a full aline skirt attached to the empire waist. Perhaps this will be included with my other tucked-away ideas for future reference.

In the mean time I really want to sew up that 1930s frock I posted about months ago. This 1930s dress I pinned on pinterest is sort of an inspiration for it.

Hmm. Polka dots again. Maybe they're starting to grow on me. Or maybe I'm just recovering from being bitten from the sewing bug. ;)

Historical Items now in the Shop!

Well, after teaching violin this afternoon I set to work in my sewing room ironing some historical clothing I've had packed away. In between ironing I would list another item. If you like Edwardian styles or those of the 1940s, you'll love the four listings I have up in the historical section. Including this shirtwaist & skirt ensemble that I made 7 years ago.

Wasn't that only a couple summers ago??

Waiting for the Forget-Me-Nots

Just the other day I noticed that the tips of my tulip and hyacinth bulbs are starting to poke through the seemingly barren stretch of garden. They give me hope that spring is on its way, and following will be the spring flora of late-blooming bulbs and the tender blue forget-me-nots.

Not long ago I discovered some vintage 35" wide yardage of a pretty calico that reminded me of the clusters of blooms that grow in one of my gardens. This week I made a couple aprons and might be able to squeeze one more out of what's left, but for now there is a Tasha Tudor style and a 1950s style with scallops.

Fun in the Snow, 1930s style

If you "like" A Joyful Handmaiden's Facebook page you would have seen that earlier this week I found a vintage coat at one of my least-likely-to-visit thrift stores (that changed!). While I normally try not to buy an item that is full priced from the thrift store, one can't even buy a modern coat for $11 in pristine condition.

We have some snow, so this morning I convinced one of my brothers to follow me outside and grab a few pictures.

As you can see, it has enough fur on the collar and sleeves to keep anyone toasty warm!

My sister's dog loves to run in the snow or bury her head in it. Silly girl!

The coat has a tiny label on it, but it doesn't give very many clues as to its age. I think it looks 1930s after finding some images on pinterest. But then again, if you look for 1970s coats, they look interestingly familiar to that of the 30s.

Looking at the notched collars on this picture found here, the belted waist, the double breasted buttons and such, I still want to believe that it's from the 30s. Does anyone else have a clue?

Now I just need to find a suitable 30s style hat (that fits my large head!) to sport around. ;)

The Return of the Christmas Quartet

Several weeks ago I was asked to play in a Christmas Quartet like I did several years ago with some friends of mine. The husband and wife were going to dress up in Dicken's fashion as before, but my costume has been long gone since then, (well, except for the petticoat) so I figured I'd wear standard concert attire or either be a mad woman and whip up something fast.

 

 

Unfortunately it had to be canceled since the other violinist they had in mind had other commitments each weekend this month. At any rate, it was fun to look back and see this picture that was taken after we performed an oratorio together several years ago at our local library.



Photos from the 1930s

I've decided to take my time on my 1930s dress. There may or may not be some patience needed in making said dress. ::ahem:: If I can just make a little progress on it each day, I'll be pleased.

After stopping at Grandma's in Michigan, my mom and sister brought home with them some cookbooks made by a somewhat distant relative of mine. In the cookbooks there is some family history written and it includes several pictures. I took screen shots from the PDF files, and below are two from the 1930s. I'm assuming these are the girls graduation pictures, as elsewhere in the cookbook they gave a graduation date for the girl in the first picture, and her sister was born a little over a year later.

 



Class of 1933

Class of 1934

My brother says I resemble the 2nd one, but I'm not so certain as he often says endearing comments to us girls (he'll be a charmer someday!). But aren't they lovely girls?

On a different note, A Joyful Handmaiden is now "Facebook official"! Perhaps you do more on FB than on blog readers, and would find it helpful to be kept up to date with new posts or new items added to the shop. You'll have to pardon its depleated look, but hopefully in no time it will look as though its used. Look it up! :)

Pattern Collection: Vintage

Dating from 1969 and earlier, these are the vintage patterns I've collected. The thrift stores, antique stores, etsy, and ebay are my favorite places to find these well-loved patterns.

First off is my children's collection. This too has shrunk. I've either sold some or given some away for the same reasons I gave in my previous post. :)

 

The top left one is my "newest" find at an "uppity up" antique store in town and it was marked for 50 cents.  It has no date, but I'm thinking late 20s or early 30s. And look at those bathrobes! It's definitely from the 30s, and looks simple to put together. The style reminds me of wrappers worn by the Walton children on the TV series, "The Waltons."

 

The bottom two are from the 60s. The Holly Hobbie pattern interested me with it's sweet sunbonnet and apron. Staples in a young girls dress-up box! And lastly, I picked up this wild and crazy pattern not for the toys (though I'm sure making toys could be/would be safer than some they make now days) but for the apron shown in the lower left corner. A few made in this pattern have made their way into the shop a couple years ago.

 

 

This next set is a fun one. The top row consists of a 40s skirt pattern I picked up last year at a sewing boutique shop, and have since wanted to make a skirt out of it. I almost used my wool fabric in this pattern. The 2nd in the top row was my very first vintage pattern purchase. I remember when my Dad bid on ebay for me when I was still working on my adult sewing skills (I learned sewing on doll clothes). I made the short sleeve version in a red plaid, and we have pictures of me wearing it somewhere, but can't seem to find it. The 50s nightgown pattern was one I picked up for my sister who loves to sew nightgowns as much as I love to sew aprons, but it didn't interest her. I may end up selling this one.

 

And then of course there are two 40s apron patterns. I've used both and they've made their appearance in my etsy shop as well, though it's been awhile. And then a 70s apron pattern, which I suppose could be put in with my modern collection, but oh well. This pattern is also a fun one, and one that I've used for aprons in the shop before, as well as for myself. If you've been a reader for a good 6 years or more, you may remember this post?

 

 

And finally we have my oldest patterns, both in the early 1900s. The bloomers I'm guessing would be around 1900 (possibly 1899? I should check the pattern) and the shirtwaist I'm guessing around 1912 by judging her hair style.



I know I've made the bloomers before (maybe sold a pair on ebay?) and I'm pretty certain I've made the shirtwaist, too, to sell. Following is a close up picture that I attempted to take for details since the above one features a nasty glare.

 

With sorting through all my patterns, I'm starting to get the bug to get back to sewing again, but alas, my sewing machine was starting to give up the ghost and is now enroute to the shop for repair and won't see it for a good two weeks. As my dad says, I've done more sewing on that machine in the last 15 years than what many people do in their lifetime. ;)





Modern McCalls meets 1930s Inspired

Finding cute skirt patterns can sometimes be a challenge. When I saw an unused pattern of McCalls 4924 (now out of print) for sale and in my size, there was no hesitation to purchase it.

 

 

My favorite views were A and B, and knew that my vintage woolen yardage would be perfect for this pattern. For days I was trying to decide if I wanted lace insets. Part of me liked the idea but then I wondered how modest it would be. I thought about doing solid fabric like this cute dress features, but my sister suggested that it might make the skirt look more "homemade." I came across a picture of this 1930s suit on pinterest, and thought that it wouldn't look so bad using the same fabric, so that's what I ended up using.

Since I avoid alterations if they can be helped, I made view B as is and love it. So onto the pictures... :) These pictures were taken this morning after church.

 

Maybe it's my imagination, but the buttons above the pleated insets really add that vintage touch to the skirt, don't you think? Excuse the wrinkles. After all, I was sitting in church. ;)

Etienne Aigner herringbone oxford-styled heels match wonderfully!

And like I said I would, I used the lace seam binding on the inside waistband. Sorry, no picture of that. ;)

 

There is about 1 yard left of this herringbone wool, and when my Dad saw it he said it would make great speaker covers (ie. sound speakers for a living room). :P Unless he really wants it, I think it will be tucked away in my stash bin for something else. Perhaps made up in a men's vintage style vest?

Cutouts, ribbons, T-straps, heels, and a GIVEAWAY!

If you know me or have been a blog reader or pinterest-follower for some time now, you probably know that I have quite the weakness for shoes. Particularly vintage-inspired ones.

 

I used to make fun of one of my sisters for having more shoes than two people in our house put together. And, I hate to confess to you, already have a collection going:

 

Soft stripe in a grey color with fun cutouts and satin black ribbons

The faux buttoned straps sold me...

Brown oxford-styled heels

Satin white Titanic-reproductions which I'm saving for either a reenactment or my wedding someday (which ever comes first!)

Imagine my delight when I was notified this morning that American Duchess just began a week-long giveaway for a free pair of their Gibson Edwardian Shoes. The overall style, vintage appeal and colors available make these just beautiful! You may be a pessimist like I am in the chances of winning a giveaway, but it certainly doesn't hurt or cost you anything but a little time to enter! 



Click here to ENTER!

Me? Win?

This summer I happened upon a blog called "Dressed Her Days Vintage."

 

It was a charming read of vintage dressing and styling, (a recent post was on cranberry red lipstick - imagine the fun!) and the owner of this lovely blog had a giveaway in the works of four patterns she was willing to part with. All one had to do was pick a favorite and tell her so (and probably subscribe to her blog, but who wouldn't want to?!).

 

I spotted a gorgeous evening wear dress pattern from 1936. The 30s fashions intrigue me with their cuts, their pleats, their collars, and the overall distinguished feminine appearance.

 

So I entered. Just like the scores of giveaways I've entered in before with knowing that I was probably wasting my time. In fact, in the last year or two I've completely given up on entering giveaways all together!

I actually forgot about it, until a couple days before leaving for college. I visited her blog to see who the winners were, trying to not be envious of the winner who wanted the 1936 dress pattern as much as I did. Scrolling down to see the usual unfamiliar names listed, my eyes got big. Really big.

Cheri, of ajoyfulhandmaiden.blogspot.com, 1936 dress pattern

Surely there was a mistake. Someone else has a similar blog name to mine. But if there was a similar blog to mine, they surely couldn't own my name and my not-so-widely-used spelling of it! It had to be!

Within minutes I received a personal e-mail saying that I had indeed won the pattern. I was and still am completely delighted since I've never won any giveaway in my life before. :) With being in college now, the making of a dress will have to wait until December. But that should give me enough time to decide what fabric to use. Any ideas?

Touch of Glam

Today I picked up a pretty vintage piece of fabric that measured a good 4 yards, and I thought it would look perfect in a Gracie apron. But then realized the fabric was only 35" (a sure sign it's vintage!) so a 1930s Depression style would have to do.

Now that I've finished it, I'm certain it wouldn't have looked as good in the other style. Of course, showing off a touch of rhinestone sparkle helps too, not to mention being bound in a striking black bias.

See for yourself, and I'm certain, you'll be inclined to agree.

Dress It Up - Go Vintage!

Today's post has no pictures of inspiration just because there are SO many I could post. Not only is vintage "in" right now, but it is also very dressy, classy, and fun as I've mentioned in some previous posts of this series.

It could be anything vintage you could wear (your grandmother's scarf, your mother's maxi skirt from the 70s, oxford style heels, a string of pearls), but today I'm sharing pictures of a vintage dress I found several weeks ago at one of our local thrift stores.  It looked quite wearable, too, so I snatched it up.

The seamstress left the extra seam allowance on the side seams of the bodice, which I was thankful for since I'm rather a curvy hourglass. The sides now feel big, but in bunches still around the bust area, so to achieve a better fit my guess would be that I would need to let out the shoulder seams if there are any.

It has a zipper that extends into the skirt and comes up mid-back and then fabric ties (that are connected to the back bodice, ie, apart of it instead of sewn onto it) close the neckline in the back. The whole entire bodice is unlined (no darts) and bound in white bias tape.

It has a very full skirt which makes this dress perfect for twirling in. :)

One can't go wrong with mint and mustard colors either (apparently both are popular this spring!) ...

I almost wore it for Easter Sunday but my "more-up-to-date" sister talked me out of it. ;) I certainly wouldn't be ashamed to wear it out in public or for a picnic outing. What IS odd about this dress is the DATE of this dress. Several ladies who I asked on my favorite sewing forum presumed this to be a late 50s/early 60s and for years I have deplored that fashion era with a passion.

Perhaps I'm mellowing in my old age? ;)

Pictorial View of a Tea Party

Originally my plans were to have a tea party out on the lawn near the gardens, but with temperatures rising in the 90s, I knew we ladies and the chocolate would melt. The a large majority of the guest list were unable to come or never responded, so that meant we could have it in our dining room, much to every one's delight! It made for a more intimate setting with dear people.

Pansy's and a few books greeted guests at the door:

The decorated room...

...with lots of teas to choose from!

Treats of chocolate sticks, chocolate marshmellow cakes, cucumber sandwiches, and scones were served.

Of course there had to be fresh mock Clotted Cream!

with homemade cherry jam,

and fresh organic blackberries to perch on top!

We also had clotted cream & butter biscuits,

and peach iced tea if we wanted something cold to drink.

Alas, there are no pictures of the tea party in action. We were to busy stuffing ourselves with these delightful treats and teas! :)

Evening Thoughts

Many thanks to you ladies who have been generous in delightful welcome over the last few days, as well as to the dear ladies who left comments here on the blog the other day.

The sewing table has been cleaned up and everything put into a semi-organized fashion that would allow me to start working on projects. The fabric bin however needs to be replenished, since I believe it was nearly emptied before I left. Is anyone wanting to get rid of any stashes? :)

My container of tatting thread and patterns have been left out, and while relaxing over Sense and Sensibility this afternoon, two bookmarks were completed. Hopefully by the end of the week, several more will make their appearance in the Threads of Color shop. Design ideas or color suggestions are always welcomed.

Before I left, a major pruning was seen in my closet and among other possessions, and now that I'm back, it seems as though a second wave of deep-cleaning has hit me that I've already made several errands to the local thrift stores to drop things off and hopefully the consignment shop can be visited twice to sell a few things to them. With living off of very little in the south, and then coming home to all my things, I'm certain that I've become rather materialistic! A rather sad confession, isn't it? But in a way, it's good to realize anew how the things of this world are nothing in comparison to the things we have in Christ.


Dusk has settled in and I'm thinking an evening cup of tea and a thoughtful book will finish this day off quiet nicely. I have several books who seem to be calling my name to open their covers. Are there any books that have been added to your list of favorites this year?