Vintage Crochet: Pinwheel

No pictures of the vintage pattern, just of the finished project. I am so thrilled that I was able to complete this one is such a short timeframe! Probably one week from start to finish and then I almost completed a much larger one and got halfway through yet another before I ran into problems with it. :)

Since I couldn't decide which flowers I liked better, I've just posted both! :D

I prefer fabric on laundry lines over laundry on laundry lines,...

...don't you?! :D

Because, once dry, it is ready to be used in a marvelous creation, while clothes are just ready to be worn again. So, you see, the former is just so much more exciting!

Home Sweet Home

I'm home!!!

After three and a half weeks away, it feels good. Very good.

I'm looking forward to sewing again! I've missed it a lot, but have been quite productive while I was away. Still, nothing beats sewing with a machine and the rapid projects that can be turned out. Yep, between catching up on all the reading done around here, all the fabric purchased and projects planned, I shall be quite busy. Quite busy.

Simplicity 3750 - Pink plaid summer blouse

Ever since my younger sister purchased this pattern, I knew I'd have to make it.

First in blue to make sure it would fit correctly.

I wasn't going to make it before my trip, but I came across a cute pink plaid blouse online and decided to go for it. So I made all the changes I wanted and started it. I finished it up the next morning! :)



Simplicity 3750

Vintage Advance 2249 - Forties Afternoon Dress

I have completely fallen in love with this dress. It's so elegant!

There was no instructions with the unprinted pattern, but it wasn't too difficult to figure it out. I used a sweet pink floral cotton print that I found on clearance at Joanns and lined it with muslin. There is a left side zipper opening that has an invisible zipper and the back ties define a shape so that it doesn't look like a twenties dress. Six pink buttons and pale pink rick rack finished the look.

First the bow, then the front collar and darts detail. Lastly, the back keyhole opening.

WIFD Day Six - Saturday

I had six+ hours of driving and some classroom time, so I wanted cute but sturdy enough for the environment I anticipated. To accomplish that, I chose to wear my tall boots with jeans, purple hooded sweater and brown/tan tee.

WIFD Day Five - Friday

For Friday I wore my new khaki skirt and vintage style blouse. I borrowed my sisters sandals for the pictures and *had to have* my denim jacket 'cause it was cold. I changed to jeans later in the day because I didn't want to get my skirt dirty and I had some cleaning to do.

WIFD Day Five - Thursday

I wore my cotton tiered skirt today with a brown sleeveless shirt and a pintucked blouse over it. It was quite chilly this morning, so I wore my denim jacket for awhile. I switched back and forth between my brown flats and brown leather flip flops as I went outside to hang laundry several times. Sewing for both my sister and I and catching up on emails took up the greater part of the rest of my day.

WIFD Day Four - Wednesday

No pictures of my outfit today. I wore the denim skirt from Sunday, the brown shoes from yesterday and my staple denim jacket with a brown pintucked Christopher and Banks blouse. I was running errands with my mother, so I needed an outfit that was practical for hurrying around.

When I put my blouse on it was too big. I've lost a lot of weight since last summer, so I have few clothes that actually fit me correctly. Since my sewing machine was already out, I decided to deal with it immediately. I french-seamed the sides lickety-split, ran the iron over them and put it back on. Now it fits exactly how I want it to. *happy*

WIFD Day Three - Tuesday

Skirt: Ecru flowers on tan skirt that I made. I could rarely wear it because the office was so cold!
Shirt: Pintucked magenta blouse that I found for a super deal! I folded the sleeves up so that they wouldn't constrict me.
Accessories: Brown Naturalizer flats that are super comfortable, straw hat that was a gift from my sister and my favorite simple earrings (though you can't see them!).

I sewed most the day away on a new blouse design of mine! Perfect day, no?!

~Kyna

When one can't decide which project to sew next, one should just start a crochet project instead!

*smile*



At least, that's what this one did.



I altered a basic flower pattern and then crocheted them together before adding a border. My mom thinks it almost looks like a grandmother's flower garden pattern. I still haven't decided what to call it though. Perhaps Roses on the Rock Wall? This will take pondering.

~Kyna

WIFD - Day Two - Monday

Today I wore a brown floral skirt that I made a few years ago (I don't wear it very often) and an almost salmon pink twinset from Eddie Bauer. My pink sandals were a spur-of-the-moment purchase from Talbots.com because I wanted some more flat sandals for this summer.

WIFD - Day One - Sunday

After much thinking about it, I decided to join the Week in Feminine Dress that the Sense and Sensiblity ladies do for each season of the year. I don't wear skirts/dresses daily, nor do I think that you *have to* wear them to be feminine, but I've wanted to start wearing them more often again. I figured this would help kick-off unpacking my spring wardrobe for the season, too!

Without any more ado, here is my first outfit for the week:

My ever favorite *almost* gray-blue denim skirt with a white on white floral blouse; both made by yours truly. White "eggshell" heeled sandals for fancy events. I'm wearing earrings that match the pearl necklace and in my hand I'm holding my denim jacket that I needed during the chill of the morning.

P.S. You won't see my face in any of the pictures per my parents wishes.
P.S.#2 I really like unusual camera angles and my sister obliged me. ;)

The bridesmaids purses and hats

These little purses afforded me much needed breaks from sewing the dresses and were quickly satisfying! :D I made up my own patterns for them, but exhaustion and running out of time worked havoc with the last one, so I looked to Craftster for it's replacement.

Please take a moment to let them introduce themselves.

"Hi! I'm the most tailored!"

"Hello! I'm chic with pleats and a little color!"

"ciao, sono una figura di divertimento" (In english, that's "Hello, I'm a fun shape!")

*giggle* "I'm the favorite!" *blush*

"I'm last. That's just life, I guess." (This is also the only one that wasn't completed. The embellishment was only pinned on during the whole thing!)

I used tulle, ribbon roses, satin bows and my imagination to embellish them. We finally put the last few stitches on the hats the morning of the wedding. It was so worth it!

Some had little pockets. Only one had a zipper closure.

Every girl had at least one jewelry pouch. I made these because there was one in each of the vintage purses that my grandmother lent us for parties. The snaps were a breeze once the hammer finally made it's way back to the house after some very efficient hands whisked it off! :)

The hats were TW's idea, but I created a pattern that would work and set Annie on making them.

They really added to the vintage look that the bride wanted!


Many, many thanks to my younger sister for so patiently helping me fashion the ribbon roses! Yep, all 38 of them; there was painstaking small stitches to wrap the ends up, too! Also thanks to Mother for finding us the instructions and the rest of my sisters for moral support and advice. We giggled a lot late one night working on them!

We did not carry our purses during the ceremony, but it was nice knowing that these cute little things were waiting with family for us and they looked very good with our bouquets on the bridal table!

Note: I do intend to eventually post pictures of the bridesmaids dresses, but I don't have the professional pictures yet and I want to wait for them! There are a few shots that I'm hoping the photographer caught!

Vintage Style Blouse

I altered this cute dress pattern to make a blouse. I'd already made a muslin for a now almost finished dress, so I knew it would fit (perfectly, too, in my opinion!). I couldn't pass up this perfectly darling fabric when I saw it. With only 1 1/4 yds, I knew I'd have to be careful with the pattern choice. This was the perfect one!


Results: The ghost of a vintage pattern updated for the empire waist fashions of today!

The right side of the fabric was too bright for me, so I have the wrong side out; it's so much more pretty that way! It's lined with white muslin, but is still lightweight and perfect for the unbearable heat I'm anticipating this summer.