The Girl with the Star-Spangled Heart

Valentine's Dinner

2012-02-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

The hubby and I went out for our Valentine's dinner last night to The Melting Pot. It's a fondue restaurant and always delicious!

We decided on a four course option (which is really two courses more than I needed to eat but so worth it!). I didn't get any pictures of #1 (spinach and artichoke cheese dip) or #2 (salad) but this is the main course. We had lobster, steak, chicken, pork, shrimp and mushroom ravioli. Nom nom nom.

And there were veggies but we didn't exactly save room for them.

Desert was by far the best. Bananas Foster fondue which the waiter pour flaming Bacardi 151 on top of.

The dessert spread! Now, by the time you get to dessert, there is really no room left but you just eat it anyways because it is soooooo good.

I went modern in a pink jersey dress (Macy's), gold cami (NY&Co.) and teal cardigan (Limited). I even managed to snag a pair of teal fondue forks for the dinner course, because I'm cool like that.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dressing Downton: Costumes I hope make it into season 3!

2012-02-13T15:08:00.000-05:00

Boy, last night's episode of Downton Abbey was easy on the eyes. I feel like we've been seeing the same costumes over and over again, but then they just slammed us with gobs of lovelies all jam packed into the end here. I know there was a war going on (and I read somewhere that some of the costumes were destroyed in a fire) but still some of these pieces deserve more screen time. So here are a few of the pieces I just adored and really want to see again in season 3.

Daisy finally gets a new dress. I much prefer this one to the last one. It's a lovely shade of orange.

I just adore this shade of blue with pale skin.

Edith has another yummy and wearable blouse. And Mrs. Hughes even gets a fancier dress.

Cora's orange blouse was so yummy! The fabric had some kind of lovely print/embroidery on it too.

My all time favorite was Cora's floral wrap dress. *Swoon* I so want one of these. I do feel it could read a bit robe by today's standards (but it's not like people ever wear pjs out of the house.....)

What were your favorites from last night?

It's a Party Dress

2012-02-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

And here's my party dress!

Outfit:
Hat: The Vintage Hat Shop
Shoes: Macy's
Bling: vintage
Belt: vintage
Dress: me made

The Facts
Fabric: taffeta with velvet print, $5/yd
Pattern: Butterick B5559 view a
Year: 1955 reprint
Notions: zipper ($3), lining ($3/yd), interfacing (stash)
Time to Complete: about 10 hours
First worn: Feburary 2012 Dinner and a Movie
Wear Again: Yes! Love this dress! I'll also be wearing it to see Tenderly (the Rosemary Clooney musical) later this month. I still have to make the self fabric belt. I wasn't going to but the waist came out a bit big (despite a muslin) so it needs a belt.
Total Price: ~$30 + $10 for belt (when I get that far)

So that's pretty awesome for a party dress! Everybody loved it last night. I felt so fabulous.

This pattern was very easy to make up. I was a bit nervous about fitting the kimono sleeves but they worked out ok. I can't do cartwheels or anything but I can move. The collar worked out great just make sure you use stiff interfacing. Best part: pockets! I adore dresses with pockets. I think this would look great as a top and I'd also love to make a more day version using view b.

Vintage Valentine's Day Dresses!

2012-02-10T15:05:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and what's more appropriate than a red dress! My (nonred) party dress will be making it's debut tonight but here are some red dresses for you to peruse in the mean time.

I adore the tabs on the right dress!

I love the zig zags on this bodice.

I love the classy red and black combo but the buttons on the brown version are darling too!

A great swing skirt for a night full of dancing.

Poofy sleeves!

This halter neck dress with cute matching bolero is perfect for those of you lucky enough to be experiencing warm weather this time of year.

I adore both of these dresses. I can't tell what the print is on the red one but wouldn't it be darling with heart shaped polka dots? And the white dress could be Valentine-ified with heats in place of the bows.

Not every one is up for poofy skirts. This look would be easily incorporated into your everyday wardrobe.

So cute! I love the neckline on view b.

And I just had to throw this one in. What a neat concept for layering! Wear just the red layer in the summer. The plaid layer for transitional weather and do both for the winter.

Do you have any special Valentine's Day plans? My church always does dinner accompanied by a great old movie. Can't wait to see which one they picked for tonight!

Must Read Links

2012-02-09T16:52:00.002-05:00

I don't usually do these type of link posts but there were some really awesome posts today that I just had to share.

Brittany of Va-Voom Vintage answers FAQs about plus sized vintage and how she manages to look so fabulous without being teeny tiny.

Fleur of Diary of a Vintage Girl discusses the how the media labels some women as "real" and others as somehow not and also about loving the body you have.

Lauren of American Duchess has just started a series on Edwardian hair mysteries and also shared a link to a free 1905 hair care book.

Have you seen a great blog post that you just have to share?

Fabric Destash Goodies!

2012-02-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I went to my friend's fabric destash and came home with some goodies.

Top to bottom: Dark blue special occasion fabric (>5 yds) for next Ren Fest dress?, red velvet/velveteen (1.5 yd), Yummy green linen/linen look (3.3 yds) to make a hot weather/peasant-y Ren Fest outfit, grey suiting (1 yd), wine special occasion fabric (1 2/3 yd), pleather remnants to play with/make stuff for my husband's Ren Fest costume, white eyelet (1.3 yds)

This blue square polka dot fabric was partially made up into a dress. I'm hoping to finish it later this year for a fun summer dress.

I think my favorite fabric find of the day is this lovely rusty red herringbone wool partially finished cape. From what I can tell, it's mostly just two lengths of fabric stitched together with a neck tie. I'm not sure who my friend was making this for because she's tinier than me and this is HUGE! I'm planning on taking it apart and making this Eva Dress pattern.

Unfortunately, many of my friend's vintage patterns had been damaged by water but I did snag this Simplicity pattern. I'm not a huge fan of view 1 or 2 but 3 is just darling!

I loved the fun pockets and 40s feel of this 80s skirt pattern.

I choose this wedding/bridesmaid dress pattern to use as a base for Edwardian evening gowns. The neckline and back neckline need some adjusting and the waistline can easily be lowered but I think it's a good place to start from.

Yummy Elizabethan and Renaissance undergarment pattern by Period Patterns.

Look at all of the historical info included!

I also grabbed tons of bias binding and some lace.

She had probably 8 tables covered in fabric, one for patterns, one for notions and trims, one for linens and some other odds and ends. She wasn't able to bring all of her fabric (and there was lots still left over) so there is likely to be another destash day soon.

Victory Rolls for Fine Hair Tutorial

2012-02-06T17:39:00.002-05:00

I finally got this video up! Oy, sometimes technology just does not cooperate. It's up now so enjoy.

200 Follower Giveaway!

2012-02-06T17:34:00.000-05:00

Yay! I've reached 200 (now 201!) followers here and I'm terribly excited to host a giveaway in celebration! And there are two prize packages up for grabs.

The Vintage Package

First up is a vintage themed package. There's a notebook with a 50s romance novel cover. The darling fur hat has a pink band with bow. The circumference for the brim is 23". Also included is a Kat Von D lightening lipgloss in an orange-y pink color called Marg.

The Sewing Package

The second giveaway package is a fabric package. 1. A wool blend plaid with a width of 58" and is 3/4 yd. 2. A synthetic floral with a width of 59" and is 1 2/3 yd. 3. A wool plaid with green and blue accents with a width of 60" and is 1.2 yds. 4. Edith's floral blouse fabric (synthetic) with a width of 58" and is 1 1/3 yd long. (My version used 1 2/3 yd so there may be enough for you to make your own if you are smaller than me/make a shorter version.)

Rules:

1) Be a follower of my blog. Leave a comment with your email and let me know which package you'd prefer.

2) The giveaway ends Monday February 13th.

3) Live outside the US? The vintage package is open to international entrants! (Sorry if you're in love with the sewing package. It's a weight issue.)

Thanks to all of you for following along with my little blog!

Cora's Closet: Purple Day Dress

2012-02-04T19:42:00.000-05:00

Cora has some delightful dresses including this purple number with white blouse.

The lovely trims really make this dress. Buttons with faux button holes, wavy trim and a stylish brooch. Create the wider section of trim on the skirt by running two rows of trim down the front. While this is likely a dress, you could easily make it into separates for a more versatile costume. The look could also be switched up by using a different undershirt. I've noticed that Cora and Violet do this a lot.

Being Edith

2012-02-01T22:20:00.000-05:00

So I slipped on my Edith blouse and squeezed into a black pencil skirt on the day I did the Edith hair to get some cute pictures.

And I even found a heart locket among my necklaces like Edith is wearing in this shot.

I so need a long black Edwardian skirt!

Attention Local Sewers

2012-02-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

A sewing and costuming friend of mine is doing a huge destash this weekend. She has two rooms full of sewing things that must go. The destash will be taking place this Saturday Feb. 4th at our church in West Alexandria, Ohio (west of Dayton). If you are near enough to come out to pick up some fabric, email me at girlwiththestarspangledheart[at]gmail[dot]com for more information.

Purple Cords and Pretty Hair

2012-01-31T14:15:00.000-05:00

Today I did my first attempt at an Edith hair style. Looks pretty good I think!

Looking at her hair, it's neater but also looks longer in the front and shorter in the back. Mine's just the opposite but that's just due to the length my hair is now. I think it'll be a bit closer when my hair's longer.

And here's my purple corduroy 40s jacket! (Simplicity 3688)

I'm very happy with it, though I think I'd make the sleeves a smidge longer next time.

Buttons on pockets with button hole.

Buttons on sleeve with out button holes.

Inside of bound button holes.

Outside of bound button holes.

Lining-plaid quilting cotton on the body and green garment lining for the sleeves.

I can't recall if I've ever shared this blouse on the blog before. It's another version of Colette Pattern's Sorbetto with a self-drafted collar and sleeves from Wearing History's Smooth Sailing blouse. I also added self fabric ties at the side seams to give a better shape. The fabric is white with tiny yellow polka dots!

And in case you are wondering, I did snap some pictures in my Edith's black floral blouse too! Check out the facebook page for a sneak peak! (And you might as well like my page while you're there.)

Ch-ch-changes

2012-01-30T17:26:00.000-05:00

Guess what? I've lost 14 lbs since November! Woohoo!

May 2009 Wedding weight

(so hard to find a wedding picture where the bouquet is not covering my midsection lol)

I lost a lot of weight in Spring '09 before my wedding. I actually had to stop working out so my wedding dress wouldn't have to be taken in. That summer I lived at school to do my thesis research (my husband was in Iraq) and I lost even more weight because I was feeding myself with just a microwave to cook with (and not getting paid that much!).

October 2009-Right before hubby arrived home

Then my husband came home (yay!) not only did we eat out all the time but when we did eat at home, my husband would make up my plate and give me as much food as he gave himself. And then we rolled right into the holiday season and before I knew it I'd gained 25 lbs. After that I slowed way down but still gained about 10 lbs over the next year.

October 2010-Near my highest weight (oy hips)

Enter my husband's weight loss competition at work last spring. I wasn't officially entered but I was hoping my husband's gungho attitude would keep me motivated. I lost 5 lbs during the eight week period but was still way heavier than I'd been in my entire life.

Spring 2011-post weight loss challenge

Summer 2011- I promise I lost weight since the last photo! Just goes to show you much clothes matter.

My weight continued to creep down until I started a low carb diet (~75 per day) in November. When I lost 3 lbs in the first week, I knew this diet was for me. I made it through Christmas without gaining any weight and am down a total of 14 lbs.

Winter 2012

I've still got about 15 lbs to go before I reach my goal weight but I'm hoping to be in great shape by summer. So far I'm down 3" on my hips, 1" at the bust and 1/2" at the waist. And I'm thinking that if I bought a new pair of pants, I'd be down a pant size.

All of this self-improvement has really got me in the mood to spruce up my hair. I am growing it out (and my bangs) and I just feel like I need to do something to it.

And I'm thinking about a perm! I have a friend who is a hair dresser who has permed her own hair and it looks a lot like this picture (except she's blonde). I'm not sure how this would go with vintage styles but I've always wanted curly hair and knowing someone I can trust with my hair makes me feel confident enough to maybe try it. (Plus my hair is so fine, I'd welcome a bit of damage!) I'm also self-conscious about my high forehead. Having a thinner face just makes the long shape even more prominent so I think curls would add some volume to the sides of my face.

So bring on the weight loss and perm stories!

Lady Mary's Closet: The 1920s Sweater

2012-01-29T18:09:00.002-05:00

There is not a lot of knitwear in Downton Abbey but I did spot one in epsiode 7 of season 1 (and I've seen one in season 2 too!).

Mary wears this lovely grey blue sweater when she arrives home after remaining in London with Aunt Rosamund. It's got a cream button placket and grey blue buttons. She pairs it with a cream skirt and a simple white blouse and pearls. I always find it interesting when the Downton costumers put together a look with unusual (to a modern viewer at any rate) color combos. Generally, white and cream together is a no go. Not sure what color blouse I think would look better but I adore the grey blue color of the sweater!

Here's a back shot of the sweater. It's a nice slouchy sweater that reminds me so much of 1920s sweaters. Perhaps Mary has brought back some of the latest fashions from London!

This one has such a similar color palette!

Don't they look so warm and comfy!

Looking to make your own 1920s sweater? This 1918 pattern on Ravelry would be a nice pick or start with any slouchy ribbed cardigan pattern. Knit the button placket and collar in cream to get the two tone look. Not a knitter? Modify a thrifted sweater by sewing on a fabric button placket and collar in contrasting color.

Pink and Pizza

2012-01-28T13:06:00.002-05:00

Ah, Saturday! After a lovely morning lazing around the hubby and I went to Dewey's Pizza for lunch.

It was actually ridiculously warm for January so I took the opportunity to get some outfit pictures.

Outfit:

Top: gift from a friend

Skirt: me made

Shoes: Payless

Knee socks: I've had them for forever

Oh, and best of all it was blue out today! Ohio can be so grey out in the winter.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't as warm as I thought! It was windy and that made it a bit chilly.

Hope you all are having a lovely Saturday!

Knitting help!

2012-01-27T10:09:00.001-05:00

I've been knitting away and finished a sweater. It's a 1930s sweater pattern from A Stitch in Time Volume 2.

It fits pretty well in the front. It's supposed to be a bit blousey and there's not shaping between the arm hole and the ribbing on the bottom.

But just like my last sweater, the back (and neckline) mysteriously grew when I blocked it. So I reblocked it and the back was smaller for about 5 secs then it stretched out again. This sweater is knit in three pieces and then sewn together so I'm seriously tempted to unsew it and unravel the back and knit it up in a smaller size. I really can't see myself wearing it as is. The neckline is huge and my bra straps keep peaking out. Plus if you look closely at my right shoulder, it's a slightly different color. I ran out of yarn had to go get more, but they were out of my dye lot and this was the closest match I could find. So if I reknit the back, I'd probably have enough leftover yarn to reknit that part of the sleeve too. And I could knit the neckline in a smaller needle to make it tighter.

*sigh* But that'd be a lot of work. Advice would be appreciated.

In other news, I have a Dressing Downton piece almost done and I'm itching to size up a pattern from The Edwardian Modiste (probably a chemise or slip to start with). And tomorrow is set aside for party dress sewing!

Have a lovely weekend!

I need a party dress

2012-01-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and I'm going out to see another show at the end of February so I've decided to make a 1950s party dress.

Lovely aren't they? I've opted to go with Butterick B5556 a '55 reprint.

And I picked up 5 yds of black taffeta with a lovely velvet print on it for 50% off. I'm doing the version with the collar.

So, of course, I have to research some black 50s party dresses.

Black velvet dress available here.

Looks like my dress will be in good company! Now off to go work on the muslin.

Lady Sybil's Closet: The New Frock

2012-01-24T14:33:00.000-05:00

I finally got to go fabric shopping for notions and fabric for more Dressing Downton projects! One is almost ready to go but I'm making a dress for Valentine's day so that will be up in the sewing cue first. So here's Sybil's new frock to tide you over.

I adore this aqua color!

And *gasp* it's almost pants! And check out the shoes! Alas my full length picture was not cooperationg.

The bodice has this lovely insert. Complete the look with white gloves, a head band and pearls!

This costume was on display in various places. (Not by me though. :( )

I just love all of the details on the bodice!

Dressing Downton: Suits

2012-01-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

There are some really fabulous suits in Downton Abbey. These three lovey suits are from season 1 episode 2. The girls wear them to the ceremony where Isobel is made director of the hospital board but these suits pop up in other episodes too.

Sybil wears this darling powder blue suit with tassels.

Edith's suit is a lovely coral pink.

And Mary's suit is grey with adorable black frog closures and tassels again!

Mary also wears this suit when visiting her aunt (who also has a killer suit!).

I just love the unusual shape of the back of the collar!

This candid shot is just too cute!

Out on the Town

2012-01-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

Last night, my husband went out for a night out on the town. We started out with dinner at a nice restaurant. We'd never been there before but the food was great and the decor was lovely. The food had kind of a Mediterranean flair but the walls in the part of the restaurant we were in were covered in beautiful embroidered and beaded fabrics with and Indian feel. I wish I'd thought to take a picture of them. So pretty!

This is what I wore. I decided on Tuesday that I really wanted to make something to wear from my stash. So I pulled out this pretty blue floral quilting fabric that I had originally bought with Colette Pattern's Ceylon in mind but I didn't get enough. So circle skirt it was. I used Casey's tutorial again but instead of a zipper I used four blue buttons as a closure. And on Friday, I made the genius decision to hand sew the hem......It took forever but I got it done.

I also wore my vintage fur coat, new snood and newest Belle Blossom. I wasn't sure what shoes to pair with this ensemble but I went with huge heals since I decided to make a longer skirt. High heals can take a long skirt from dowdy to sexy.

My some miracle I got my hair to do victory rolls. They always give me such trouble and I'm not sure why I decided to try them last night but it worked. Alas, the only picture I got where you could kind of see them was the one that come out really crappy. Sorry. We forgot the nice camera and I only had the old point and shoot to work with.

The show we went to see was Jersey Boys. I'd heard some good stuff about it and while I'm not a Four Seasons fanatic, I do enjoy their music. The singers were great! And the female actresses were amazing! Three girls played all of the female rolls in the show. I was super impressed. It's hard enough to be one character without having to switch in and out of different people all night.

Unfortunately, when there wasn't singing, there was cussing. And more cussing. And more cussing. I know cussing doesn't bother some people but it bothers me. I don't go see films rated R for language and I don't even usually see movies rated PG-13 for language. It even took a lot of pushing to get me to see The King's Speech. So I wasn't exactly a happy camper. During intermission, my husband told me that there had been a profanity warning but that the show had been rated appropriate for ages 12+ due to "authentic language".

I'm sorry but over 100 cuss words with f bombs dropping everywhere is not appropriate for ages 12+. Had I known that there was that much cussing, I would not have gone refunded tickets or no refunded tickets.

So, sewing-win. hair-win. dinner-win. Jersey Boys-fail. Just get the sound track.

Knitting vs. Sewing

2012-01-19T20:35:00.000-05:00

I've been sewing for about a year and a half but recently picked up knitting. As I'm looking ahead to planning my winter/spring sewing, the question is to knit or to sew. Realistically, both will occur but it has really gotten me thinking about what I like/dislike about sewing and knitting.

I'm much better and more experienced at sewing. I have a good feel for what fabrics and patterns go together and what kinds of adjustments to make. I'm experienced enough that I know things will usually come out correctly and if it's not working I know how to fix it. Sewing is also fast. I can get going and moving especially on some of my tried and true patterns if I need a quick FO fix.

Knitting is a new and new things are fun. I also have this really fab book full of vintage knitting patterns that have been multisized and translated into modern knitting lingo. It's also winter and in my brain knit = warm. But knitting is sloooooooow and I knit really sloooooooow. That's partly because I like to knit and watch tv so I'm not exactly paying 100% attention like I do when I sew. Knitting also tends to be quieter, which my husband appreciates! (Although my new machine is much quieter than my old one.)

Lately, I've been noticing that I feel more motivated to sew during the day and knit at night. I think this has two causes. During the day, I'm in my get up and go mode. I'm up and down a lot during sewing, especially since my sewing space is kind of spread through all three rooms of my apartment. (Really, the only place there's not sewing stuff is the bathroom.) Knitting is much quieter and more relaxed which I like when I'm winding down in the evening. Also, the lighting in my apartment is really crappy so I like to sew during the day and take advantage of natural light. At night, I can sit under my lap and have plenty of light to knit by.

Do you have hobbies that you have to split your time between? How do you handle your divided loyalties?

Fashion and Film: The Mummy

2012-01-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

Growing up, I was fascinated by ancient Egypt. (Seriously, even more than I love Downton Abbey right now.) And, not surprisingly I loved the movie The Mummy. It's set in 1926 and has some of yummy fashions and old school archaeology lovelies. Oh, and the plot-someone accidentally awakens a 3000 year old mummy bent on bringing his girlfriend back to life and taking over the world. Ok, on to some fashion.

The heroine Evelyn is not only a brunette, but a librarian so I love her. And I cannot get enough of her glasses! Seriously! I want a pair.

Adventuring we go!

Yummy Egyptian style jewelry.

Again with the glasses!

A yummy suit set.

And look at the shoes! Eeep!

Escaping the mummy.

Wide brimmed hats are a must in the Egyptian sun.

There was a huge Egyptian revival in the 1920s (and also one later when Cleopatra came out). The Vintage Baroness has a lovely post on the 1920s Egyptomania, so I won't go there but here are some period archaeologists to further inspire you.

Every once in a while, a lovely vintage Egyptian piece will pop up on etsy, but they are always snatched up! One day, I be the one doing the snatching.

Some 1930s Sewing

2012-01-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

On thing I really wanted to sew this year was more blouses to go with my Freddies of Pinewood jeans and ones that would be work appropriate. Modern blouses just look too odd with the 1940s style jeans for my tastes. So I whipped up Wearing History's Smooth Sailing blouse in this cute green leaf print that I bought and was supposed to make up about a year ago. (Please excuse my crazy hair! Not only was I having an uncooperative hair day today but it was super windy.)

My first attempt at this blouse did not go to well fitting wise. Not only do vintage patterns have small sleeves, apparently, I have chunky arms. So this time I was prepared and redrafted the sleeves.Voila! They fit. (And, hey, I just realized that I also wore last year's version for last year's first day of school too!)

About the same time that I picked up the blouse fabric, I got this green corduroy for Wearing History's Sporty Toppers view 1.

I started on this hat back in June but then I froze when I got to the bow detail in the back. I'm not the kind of person who can whip up a cute looking bow. Mine always look at bit kindergarten-y. Add in an unexpected trip to Maine and you have a great recipe for a UFO. So I decided to finish this up when I made the blouse.

I'm still not solid on the styling for the hat. One of the pictures on the hat pattern cover looks like the edges are turned up so I've been playing around with that. I do feel like I should be a great lady golfer in it though! (But that may be because it's called a sporty topper.)

The pattern was very easy to follow just like the last time I used it. I'm still a beginner milliner but this hat went very well once I actually sat down to finish it. This hat is a smidge tight just like the other one I made from this pattern, but that's what I get for not making a muslin.

Dressing Downton: Shoes!

2012-01-16T09:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday all! School and work start back up tomorrow so postings should be back to their pre-holiday, pre-exam week rhythm soon. And now on to more important things, like shoes.

American Duchess has done it again! Her latest historical shoe creation is Astoria, an Edwardian reproduction shoe based on 1900-1915 styles. Here's what she has to say about them:

"The toes are pointed. The straps are strappy. They fit perfectly, the way dress shoes should fit, and they look stunning on, from all angles.

Ebony looks just as great as ivory, too. You Titanic Centennial seamstresses, and Downton Abbey addicts, here you go.

The particulars:

Name: "Astoria"
Available in ebony or dyeable ivory
1.75" heel (4.4 cm)
100% leather uppers, leather soles, leather-covered buttons
Pre-Order - January 16 - February 3
$110 pre-order price (20% off retail) / $135 retail
Delivery by early April - International orders, we recommend you use Priority shipping if you need yours in time for April 14th.
Pre-Order Goals: 120 pairs sold. Please share on your blogs, facebooks, and twitters!
Order on Monday: www.American-Duchess.com"

They are so yummy! And seeing as I am going to Costume College and I am making all of these lovely Downton Abbey pieces, I've ordered myself a black pair!

They are also available in a dye-able ivory in case you want a non-black color.

So, if you like me, can't live without these lovely shoes, go order a pair. She needs 120 preorders to go into production so you'd be helping a good cause by buying a pair! ;)

All photos copyright of American Duchess and www.american-duchess.com. You can also find her lovely costuming blog here.

Lady Sybil's Closet: Purple Embroidered Dress

2012-01-15T18:20:00.000-05:00

This is another outfit from the Duke's visit in season 1. Sybil wears this darling purple dress with embroidery on the collar. I just love this dress! I want to make at least one more dress in addition to Mary's garden party dress and this is high on the list.

If you look closely, you can see an embroidered patch pocket. I adore pockets!

The gown in action. This is also a pretty good shoe shot.

In addition to the five buttons on the white insert on the top of the blouse, there are groups of six buttons down the front of the skirt. (And we can see a second patch pocket on the other side.)

Here's a close up of the embroidery. How yummy!

What's in a name?

2012-01-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

Originally, I had thought my sewing machine should be a boy since it's a Brother sewing machine, but my husband told me he'd feel jealous of me spending so much time with another man so she's a girl now. I thought long and hard about a name and rejected gobs of possibilities. Then while lying in bed one night, one just came to me and it was perfect. Jane-more specifically, Jane Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. She's pretty but not flashy, reserved, and (hopefully) drama free. Hopefully, naming her after the most reasonable and calm of the Bennet sisters will keep her out of trouble.

Can you imagine the spirit of a machine named after Lizzie or Kitty or Lydia?

I think that a lot of times, people end up growing into their names. My name (Stephanie), for example, means crown as in royalty. And I'm a very princess-y kind of a gal. I do have three tiaras after all. My husband's name is William, which means will (as in will power) + helmet and he's an opinionated guy who loves playing the role of protector (hence the army bit). Jane means God is gracious (which is pretty cool since I picked the name before I looked this up). I really hope that my machine grows into her name!

Lady Sybil's (and Edith's) Closet: The "How did that get there?" Blouse

2012-01-12T12:47:00.000-05:00

I just adored this cuffed blouse Sybil wore in season 1 when she was trying to sneak a visit to see the vote.

I'm not terribly excited about the blue skirt she paired with it but look at the print on the blouse!

So yummy! And this blouse also shows up in season 2...

...on Edith while Sybil was away learning how to be a nurse. So in the spirit of having a sister who borrows your clothes, I named this the "How did that get there?" blouse. I have a sister two years younger than me but thankfully we have very different body shapes and she never stole my clothes. (But I may have adopted some things from my mom's closet.....)

I much prefer Edith's styling with this high waisted brown skirt. And I like it tucked in too! And check out the shoes. I've been worried about whether I need more than one pair of shoes to match my Dressing Downton outfits, but the Downton Abbey stylists seem to think it's ok to pair black shoes with brown and even white (Watch the garden party. Like half of the people are wearing black shoes with white and light colored outfits.)

Sybil also has a purple version of this blouse with a large surprisingly modern floral print.

She wears it to go hear the vote counted wit a fab grey suit with purple pin stripes. And I adore this hat!

I have one Dressing Downton project in progress, but this piece is up next. Look at this fabric I've picked out! I just have to find a good coordinating fabric for the collar and cuffs.

Beach Daydreaming

2012-01-12T09:28:00.001-05:00

You guys know that I love all things nautical. And seeing as I'm going to both Florida and California this summer (though not to the beach) I've been pondering some beachy ensembles to take with me. In particular, I've been oggling 1930s beach fashions partially because of my 1930s beach pjs but also because my new knitting book has this lovely 1930s beachy pattern that I've been dying to knit up.

From A Stitch In Time: Vol 2

Is it sad that I don't own a swim suit that actually fits? I think I may need to fix that this spring.

Inspiration: Disney Princesses

2012-01-11T11:58:00.000-05:00

I'm going to Disney World in May and I've been pondering a couple of Disney princess inspired outfits to wear at the park. Initially, I was inspired by this lovely Skinit that I got for my iPhone and Nook.

There are a couple of other princesses done up in this theme. The best I can tell the art is from the book The Art of the Disney Princesses.

I love these lovely retro inspired looks!

I also have been a long time fan of these realistic Disney princess photography art pieces by Jirka Vaatainen.

And I adore these historically accurate Disney Princesses by Claire Hummel.

These princess peasants by Sweet-Amy-Leah are too cute.

The princesses I'm thinking about doing are

Ariel: This dress a la Colette Pattern's Macaron.

Cinderella: Pink dress self-drafted. This version I found on etsy is just darling.

Find it here.

Giselle: I adore this dress! This will be a self-draft too. Another etsy find here.

Sleeping Beauty: I want to do a knit top for this one with a separate skirt.

Little girls have all the fun....(source)

Belle: Wearing History Late 1930s dress, jumper, blouse

Snow White: Colette Patterns' Ceylon

I won't be doing all of these especially since there are 6 princesses and we're only going to have 5 days in the parks! Snow White and Ariel are on the top of my list since I already have patterns for them. Belle is probably next since I just love Belle.

Reminder: Christening Party

2012-01-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

There is still time to be a part of the christening party for my sewing machine. All you have to do is share about your sewing machine or serger or dress form or whatever that you have named on your blog and include a photo of yourself with your machine. Email me a link to your post by Wednesday, January 11th at

girlwiththestarspangledheart[at]gmail[dot]com

And I'll include you in the party post. If you emailed me and I haven't written a conformation email to you, please try sending it to me again!

Lace and Linens

2012-01-10T12:29:00.001-05:00

My great-grandmother past away last summer and my grandmother came across a stash of old lace and linens in my great-grandmother's home and thought I'd like to have them. Thankfully another great-granddaughter claimed her sewing stash because I don't need it! I'm not really sure how hold any of these pieces are but since my great-grandmother was 98 when she passed, some of the could be quite old!

I love this little embroidered rooster!

A handkerchief.

A lovely embroidered piece.

I just adore this little bag! The embroidery is fabulous.

Some lace that was salvaged from a dress at some point.

I'm thinking these may be sleeve cuffs.

This set is sewn in a tube. Could they have been sleeve decoration?

A nice length of scalloped lace.

I love the eyelet on this one.

There was a whole stack of partially made butterfly quilt squares. My great-grandma even left some matching embroidery thread. Wonder why she never finished.

Polka dots!

Flowers!

One lovely piece of black lace.

This lovely piece of gold net is so yummy! I'm not sure if this was a work in progress or a scavenge from old dress piece but it's lovely.

I think this would be just lovely as part of an Edwardian dinner dress.

This was another lovely find. (Minus the stain. :( )

Aside from the large piece with two lace insets, there were two matching smaller pieces with one lace inset each.

There was also a lovely set of lace sleeves in the same lace. Alas, they were made for someone with much smaller arms than me.

Another small piece.

More flowers.

A lovely lace trimmed towel.

A pair of triangular pieces.

I think this set may be my favorite. I love all of the three dimensional effects on it! And the shape is so fun. I'd been scouring etsy for some lace for Mary's garden party dress but I may just have to use these.

Hope you've enjoyed these lovely pieces. I don't really have any experience with old textiles so if you have any tips on dating, handling or storing, it would be greatly appreciated. I'd hate to see these lovelies deteriorate in my care!

Costume College

2012-01-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

I really want to go to Costume College this year. Not only have I started becoming more interested in Renaissance and Edwardian fashions, but also the bonus track of extra classes this year is The Golden Age of Hollywood: 1930-1955. How perfect is that for all of us vintage lovers! Now, I'm usually a learn it on my own kind of a gal but that's mostly because most of the sewing that goes on in my corner of the country is quilting and the occasional Halloween costume. It would be so awesome to be able to learn some new things and learn them the right way, not to mention getting to meet loads of people including the lovely Lauren.

Now, the downside of Costume College is that it's in California. So I'd have to fly cross country by myself which is a bit terrifying. I've only flown by myself once and it was from the tiny airport in my home town to the tiny airport by my grandparents. Yay for LAX (not). And, well, it's going to be expensive. Not unreasonably so but definitely a dent. Plus I'd want to make some lovelies to wear so I don't feel too shabby next to all of the people who have been going for years. (On the upside, it shouldn't be hard to get off work.)

While I'm still deciding to go or not to go, I'll share the fun part of trip planning with you-wardrobe.

American Duchess is getting ready to start presale of these lovelies this month. I really want a pair and Costume College would actually give myself somewhere to wear them. She's hoping to get enough presales to be able to offer both black and ivory and I'd love to snag a black pair.

Photo of prototype from American Duchess' Facebook page.

So, with these lovelies in mind as well as wanting a not too expensive yet versatile wardrobe to take with me here are some pieces I'd like to make.

Mary's garden party and flower show dress. I already have material for it so it will be getting sewn California or no California.

I love this purple dress Cora wears in season 1. I'd like this to be my kind of fancy outfit. Doesn't look too difficult minus all of the lovely beading.

I'm totally in love with these pjs Cora wore in last night's episode. Wouldn't be at the top of my to sew list but would definitely be fun to have.

I've also got fabric for this blouse from season 1 that also made an appearance last night. I did pick a purple print to stick with the same color scheme.

Edith's black floral blouse (duh) plus a black skirt.

This lovely mauve blouse Mary wears plus a grey skirt for mixing and matching. I already have a lace cami to go with it.

I don't plan on going to the gala, because I really don't have anything to wear nor do I think I can really afford anything fabulous enough to stand up with some of the photos I've seen online, but if I do get a chance to make something, I'd love to have this pink dress from season 1.

Or this red and black layered one from season 2.

And here are vintage outfits I already have that I'd like to take.

1930s style scalloped collar blouse

1940s sailor playsuit + matching skirt

Embroidered circle skirt and teal sweater.

1930s beach pjs

I don't think I'd take my Renaissance dress as it's huge (how does one transport hoops on a plane!), I can't get into it by myself, and, well, it's my first effort and I'm not really that confident in how it looks. It still needs a lot of trim etc to make it look really good.

So that's my kind of vintage and Edwardian Costume College dream wardrobe.

Violet's Closet: Ivory Lace

2012-01-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been inspired by antique lace and this lovely ensemble worn by Maggie Smith as Violet in Downton Abbey season 1 caught my eye.

She stylishly pulls off an ivory skirt and jacket with white blouse and gloves and a straw hat. I love when people make color combos that most of us avoid look good. Look at all of the lovely lace on her jacket and blouse!

This outfit can be seen at the flower show. Oh, yummy hats!

As well as at the garden part at the end of season one. I love the look of a long jacket and long skirt.

And here is a great shot of the lace insert on her blouse. So lovely! I want to learn how to do lace inserts! Also, check out the long, layered necklaces. What a "modern" trend hiding out in Edwardian times! (And don't miss this glimpse of the back of Cora's coat and hat.)

Stephanie's Black Floral Blouse

2012-01-06T15:33:00.000-05:00

Here it is! The blouse you've all been waiting to see! Edith's black floral blouse made by yours truly.

I had so much fun making this blouse. I drafted this pattern from Colette Pattern's Sorbetto. It's a great pattern to play with.

I used a lovely floral fabric from Jo-Ann's, velvet ribbon to trim the collar and sleeves and buttons from Yummy Treasures.

This is probably one of the pieces I'm most proud of. It's so fun and sophisticated. I did a ton of drafting for this project and it doesn't look homemade. I adore the contrast between the texture of the blouse and the buttons/trim. It's a little bit different, but with jeans, it doesn't look costumey. And my husband loves it so that helps. ;)

Yay for a new sewing machine with a zipper foot! I used the black ribbon just like bias binding and it was so much easier to do neatly with the new feet.

Now I just need a great black skirt and I can be Edith!

Workin' On It

2012-01-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

Sarah is trying to show more works in progress this year and I thought that sounded like a great idea, especially since I plan on sewing slower over the next few months. (Also I have four projects I'm working on and another dozen or so that are in the active planning phase.) So here they go.

1. The not so much to look at yet jacket

Oh, I finally decided what to do with my blackberry cord. The Simplicity 3688 1940s retro jacket won out. Jackets are great wardrobe staples. I do already have a corduroy Beignet (which I actually wore today) and I think if I do want to make the cape, I'll go the whole nine yards and make the entire matching set.

I lined it with this lovely plaid quilting cotton from my stash. I was going really good on this project until I realized that I didn't have any good lining for the sleeves. Actual garment lining instead of the quilting cotton will make it much easier to take on and off. So I had to go to Jo-Ann's and get some lining. (I choose green to match the little green stripe and because I like green.) Hopefully, I can make another dent in this project tomorrow.

I did bound button holes. It's been a while since I've done them but they came out pretty good. I'm using some pretty silver buttons to go in the holes.

#2 The Ceylon Shirt Muslin

I have a particular version of Colette Pattern's Ceylon that I want to make but I was worried about the fit of the bodice as it's kind of complicated and it's an empire waist. (Empire waist + having a large chest = underbust seam not under the bust!) So I decided to whip up a blouse wearable (hopefully) muslin in some more quilting cotton from the sash. I picked up some nice red buttons to go with it. This will not be getting bound button holes if my new machine decides to play nice.

#3 A Stitch in Time 30s mustard sweater

I decided not to do the 3 hour sweater and to switch over to this lovely 30s sweater from A Stitch in Time Vol. 2. I did a lot of knitting during the holidays as you can see. I just hope I have enough yarn! I have exactly the number of balls as the pattern calls for so I should be ok, but I am a bit nervous as I would have picked up one more if I had purchased this yarn for this project from the get go.

I also picked up this book from a used book store after realizing that I'd spent two hours knitting part of this sweater (and my entire Cadence) wrong. Apparently, I've been knitting Ktbl instead of K. Whoops! I did rip out the part of this sweater, though I think my Cadence looks fine. So, I thought I could use a an actual knitting book. I'm not too thrilled about the B word on the cover but I have heard good things about this book and it was cheap.

#4 Gettin' Snoody

Almost all of the knitting projects in A Stitch in Time Vol 2 use tiny needle and tiny thread so I thought I could use a practice project (or two) to get used to them before I commit to a big project. The first of these practice projects is a lovely snood I'm making up in a red wool blend.

What have you been working on this new year?

P.S. Edith's black floral blouse should be coming your way tomorrow. Yay for nice weather for outside pictures!

The Big Stash Organization

2012-01-04T15:53:00.000-05:00

In an effort to actively reduce my stash, I thought an organization and cataloging process was a good idea and that's what I did today. I used Mena's cute fabric swatch pages to cataloge all of my fabrics. I also rolled all of them instead of folding as suggested by the Coletterie. It was a pretty long process but I'm so happy it's done! I know all of the fabrics (minus muslin, lining and interfacing) that I have as well as how much of each I own. Woohoo!

I also made a snazy Excel spreadsheet to do all of stat calculations for me and here's what I've found.

Garment: 43.3 yds (54%)
Quilting: 29.3 yds (37%)
Home Dec: 6.9 yds (9%)
Total: 79.5 yds

******edit******
(Thought you all might like to know that 53 yds of my stash are pieces I've never used and 26.5 yds are remnants from previous projects.)

Oh, why did I buy so much quilting cotton?!?! *sigh*

I was able to let go of a lot of small pieces. I got rid of a huge garbage bag full of mid sized scraps that were <1/3 yd or just oddly shaped. I also used enough of my small scraps making ties for my fabric bundles to go from 2 shoe boxes full to 1. I still have gobs of pieces that are less than one yard.

Garment: 9.4 yds under 1 yd pieces
Quilting: 4.4 yds under 1 yd pieces
Total: ~15 yds under 1 yd pieces

How small is too small to keep? I'm not a quilter and can't really see myself using many pieces that are less than one yard. Some of the pieces have millinery or purse potential but a lot don't. Are these keepers or is it time to let go? I'm sure many of you are more thrifty and crafty and would have loads of ideas of how to use these bits. I'm not that crafty nor do I have extra time to do said crafty things.

There are also a lot of leftovers from other projects that I don't see myself using again. There are a few pieces that are 1-2 yds that someone else would be able to use to make something, especially if they are smaller than me. Would any of you be interested in a giveaway for these? I'm still digesting a lot of this though so I'm not sure I'm ready to part with all of them.

Now to relax with a bit of knitting.

You're invited....

2012-01-04T09:11:00.002-05:00

I have finally decided on a name for my new machine and have decided to throw a christening party for her. She's already been sewn with, but that's just a minor detail. If you'd like to be part of the party that will be hosted next Friday, January 13th, all you have to do is share about your sewing machine or serger or dress form or whatever that you have named on your blog and include a photo of yourself with your machine. Email me a link to your post by Wednesday, January 11th at

girlwiththestarspangledheart[at]gmail[dot]com

And I'll include you in the party post. Until then, happy sewing!

Newbie and the Knitter Knit Along: Finished!

2012-01-03T10:50:00.000-05:00

Here is my finished Cadence sweater!

Tada!

And the back.

The lace came out really nice too.

I learned a lot knitting this sweater and it came out really nice! I love the color too. It's pretty baggy on me but still wearable. I know the pattern is meant to be loose but there's a bit much ease for me. Reblocking helped but it streatched out again after just a few wears. If I knitted this pattern again, I'd probably knit the ribbing on the collar on smaller needles to make it tighter. I'd also knit the back a size smaller. I've read that that's kind of how you do a knitting FBA and the back is pretty baggy.

Ok, so now on to the good bits of the sweater. I learned how to knit with circular needles, read a lace chart, use double pointed needles, modify a knitting pattern, blocking, starting a new skein of yarn mid-project, and finishing techniques. The body of the sweater is very even and pretty. I didn't have to rip out hardly any of the sweater and it didn't become a UFO. Yay!

Hopefully there will be more lovely knits in my future!

2011: A Year of Sewing

2012-01-02T17:17:00.001-05:00

I know I already did a bit of a year end review, but I also decided that I wanted to do a recap of all of my sewing projects from last year. And boy have I done a lot! My other expensive hobby is scrapbooking so I thought I'd share some of the pages I've made in my sewing scrapbook as a way to look back on last year's projects. And I just stuck all the projects I haven't gotten around to scrapbooking yet in a collage at the end. These are in approximate chronological order.

So that's 33 (if I counted correctly) plus two I haven't blogged about yet. Wow! I'm not quite up there with some of the sewers over at Sew Weekly, but it's a lot more than I had remembered!

Think Pink!

2012-01-01T18:00:00.001-05:00

I wished 2011 goodbye in a fabulous stripped pink dress! (I also welcomed 2012 in with pink but a ridiculous amount of wind prevented any outfit photos today so you'll just have to take my word for it.) We had a few friends over (because that's all that fit in our tiny place!) last night for a bit of end of year festivities so I had an excuse to wear my new dress from Fab Gabs! (I also got a new pink hat!)

I've also been thinking about resolutions for this year. So here they are:

1) More (and better) outfit posts.

I love looking great and I love sharing with you. I had some seasonal depression last winter because I lived in jeans and hoodies. I refuse to do that this year and hopefully there will be many outfit posts for you to see. I also want to have better pictures and more interesting locations for you guys to see.

2) Knit stuff

I've loved learning how to knit and my goal is to knit 4 big projects this year (ie sweaters) as well as some small bits like hats and scarves. I also want to not start a yarn stash!

3) De-stash my stash!

I've accumulated a growing fabric stash and I really want to cut down on it this year. This means more sewing and less shopping. I also want to focus on quality fabrics for my stash because I have a lot of pieces that are pretty but not really useful for what I need them to do.

4) Create a quick everyday hair and makeup routine.

It is sad for me to admit that there are a lot of days where I go out of the house with no makeup on and boring hair. Bad style blogger. I'm not a morning person so I need a plan to help me get up and going in the morning. I want a 5 minute make-up routine and a 5-10 minute hair do (or two) that I can whip up in the morning and still look great.

5) Sew more blouses and other work appropriate clothing.

I'm starting my thesis research next semester which means I'll be in the lab (and pants) five days a week for the next year and a half or so. I need to have more me made stuff that I can wear in the lab and for work (which is also in a lab). I also want more blouses that I can wear with my Freddies of Pinewood jeans. I think if I can get myself to wear them more than 50% of the time I'm in pants I'll reward myself with another pair. They have some great 50s styles too!

6) Get off the caffeine!

This last one isn't terribly blog related, but that's ok. I got hooked on having chai tea every morning last winter and then switched to soda over the summer and I'm now up to 2 cans a day from drinking almost none. My goal is to get back to having soda only for special occasions. My dad introduced me to some really great apple cinnamon tea over Christmas and hopefully that will help! I'm so picky-no tea, no coffee-and I don't want to go back to chai because I like it with milk and I'm on a low carb diet (yay for losing 10 lbs so far!) and I would rather spend my carbs on something other than milk. So if any of you have a good morning beverage to suggest, I'd love to hear it. I don't like tea that tastes like tea and I'm not really into floral flavors but I know there has to be more kinds out there I'd like.

Hope you all have had a great start to 2012!

Dressing Downton: Making Muslins

2011-12-30T11:44:00.000-05:00

A lot of the pieces I want to make for Dressing Downton are just not going to have a pattern out there, so I got drafting! Here is my first muslin for Edith's floral blouse.

Starting with Colette Pattern's free Sorbetto top and a spare sleeve pattern, I drafted in raglan sleeves, adjusted the neck line, and changed the darts to gathers along the seam where the sleeves attached.

The back was a bit big by the neck so I added gathers. The collar would hide them.

There was also extra fabric in the upper chest. I removed it from the sleeve piece and added the excess on the blouse front to the gathers. This worked out great since the gathers were a bit pathetic.

Muslin #2 was much better and I also added the collar. No more awkward excess fabric on the front.

The gathers worked out nicely on the back. Now it fits much better on the back of the neck.

I knot the design lines are a bit hard to see on the patterned fabric I used for my muslin but they are all there. And this is the fabric I'm making this blouse from.

Youtube: Fingerwave Tutorials

2011-12-29T19:22:00.000-05:00

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to Me

2011-12-29T15:11:00.000-05:00

I've been down visiting my folks for a few days so I'm a bit behind on the gift sharing post but here it is. I already spilled the beans about going to see Wicked and the hubby also got me tickets to see Tenderly (a Rosemary Clooney musical) and Jersey Boys.

My dad picked out this lovely book of Jane Austen's novels for me. I adore Jane Austen and pretty books!

This one wasn't technically a Christmas gift but I won it from Liz of Zilredloh in a giveaway and it arrived right before Christmas so it felt like a present.

And I've already started knitting up this 1930s sweater in some lovely mustard wool. I think mustard is my new favorite color.

Shoes! I love wedges. They've got all the comfort and practicality of flats but all the benefits of heels.

My mother-in-law gifted me with this Fossil wallet and key fob to go with my Fossil purse. And look, more mustard! My mother-in-law has excellent taste. :)

I've been looking for some good rain shoes for a while to wear to school when it rains. These red and navy loafers from shoebuy.com were just the ticket. And they have a super comfy insert.

The other big gift (after Wicked) was this lovely Brother sewing machine from my dad. (Model number: PC-420PRW in case anyone is wondering.) It's a lot more high tech than my old Kenmore. It also came with gobs of feet! I think I've got it mostly figured out, but we'll see. I know a lot of people name their sewing machines and I think this one deserves a name. Any ideas?

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I also was lucky enough to receive quite a bit of shopping money and gift cards so I'm off to decide just what other goodies are in my future. Decisions, decisions.

Violet's Closet: Grapes and Lace

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Lady Violet has a fabulous selection of clothes. Her wardrobe is a bit older fashioned but she still looks stunning in fabulous frocks in jewel tones.

This outfit consists of a matching skirt and jacket in a lovely printed purple fabric and an ivory bow tie blouse. She completes the look with a fabulous purple hat with little "grapes", ivory gloves and a walking stick.

The sleeves and opening of the jacket are edged with black lace. In this shot, she wears a different ivory blouse and adds a brooch and necklace for a bit of a different look.

Check out the little collar on the jacket! Maggie Smith is always fabulous.

Lady Mary's Closet: The Bad News Blouse

2011-12-26T15:36:00.000-05:00

One of the first costumes you'll encounter in Downton Abbey is this lovely blue blouse worn by Lady Mary to breakfast when the family learns of the Titanic tragedy. It was an early favorite of mine that I'd love to make.

It features a waistband that ties in the back and has seven small buttons. I'm not sure if these are decorative or functional but it is definitely possible to make this a pull over blouse. It has a V-neck and a cute accordion collar. The bottom of the blouse is shorter in front and longer in the back.

I adore the sleeves! They are not separate pieces but rather cut in one piece with the blouse. The cuff of the sleeve is made of the same kind of accordion fabric as the collar and is longer in the front than in the back.

Collar close up!

Looking to make this blouse? Look for blue fabric with darker blue spots like this one available at Fabric.com for $9.98/yd.

Have a costume you'd like to see? Send me a request!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of you! (I'm a day late, I know. You'll get over it.) I had planned on actually posting yesterday, but that didn't happen. I finished my Cadence sweater last week and I also sewed up a new blouse, so expect some FO posts in the future, but today is all about the awesome present my husband bought me.

I'M GOING TO SEE WICKED!!!!!!!!

I've been going on and on about this musical for a long time. My husband was not a musical fan (Les Miserables converted him though! :D ) and he was definitely not up for the $400 price tag. Guess he changed his mind though because he bought us tickets to go see it! Yay! It's not until June, which means I have gobs of time to make a fabulous dress to wear. So I've been perusing the net for pictures of costumes trying to decide if there's something I could try and replicate.

I adore Glinda's bubble gown but it's probably a bit much.

I really like the little white suit Galinda wears to school.

This version feels a bit 30s/40s to me. Not sure if it is special enough though.

Glinda also has the fabulous pink Popular dress. Super girly.

And I adore the handkerchief skirt on the visiting the Emerald City dress.

Ah! This is going to be so awesome!

Fashion and Film: Holiday Inn

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

White Christmas is my all time favorite old Christmas movie, but I also adore Holiday Inn. Holiday Inn (1942) stars Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Marjorie Reynolds. Jim (Crosby) is an entertainer who is fed up with always having to work on the holidays so he decides to become a farmer so he can take all of the holidays off. Needless to say, that idea doesn't last long. Instead, he opens the Holiday Inn which is only open on the holidays (The Holiday Inn hotel chain is named after this movie). Astaire stars as Ted, Jim's dancing friend and Reynolds is Linda, the blonde beauty they both fall for. Filled with holiday festivities, music and, of course, dancing, Holiday Inn is a fun film for any holiday. This is also the first film to feature the song "White Christmas", which was the #1 best selling music single until 1997.

Look at these lovely evening gowns!

What a cute Valentine's outfit.

Easter!

What a dazzling gold gown!

Fred's fancy feet.

There is a black face number, so if that bothers you, catch this film on tv as they cut it out. This movie is definitely not as P.C. with respect to race as a modern audience would expect.

Holiday Baking: Edna's Bundles

2011-12-23T13:35:00.003-05:00

Today was going to be the big knit along reveal but alas, I wasn't careful enough when I blocked it and it got really huge..... So I have to re-block it. :(

I've been doing my holiday baking today and, while I don't usually do cooking posts, this one is a family favorite so I thought I'd share.

Edna's Bundles

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
2 tablespoons of molasses
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup of chocolate chips

Cream together sugar and Crisco. Add molasses and egg. Alternate dry ingredients with milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake in cupcake pan at 350 F for 15-20 mins.

These are a particular favorite of my dad's so I like to bring some every time we go visit. I'm not sure who Edna was in relation to me other than she's from my dad's side of the family and also has an amazing roll recipe that my stepmother has absolutely mastered. Nom nom nom carbs!

Do you have a favorite holiday/winter treat? Growing up, we'd always make red and green sugar cookies in a really cool press with all of these different shapes you could do. As kids, we'd pour on the sprinkles too. Alas, I don't have that recipe or a press.

New Year's Glamour

2011-12-22T14:02:00.004-05:00

Christmas is this weekend which means New Year's Eve is right around the corner! It's probably a bit late to start sewing a frock for your year end bash, but it never hurts to oggle some lovely vintage patterns just right for the occasion.

1920s

1930s
(And this looks like a Vintage Vogue reprint so it may still be available)

1940s

1950s

Are you planning any fabulous outfits for New Year's Eve or are you having a more casual affair?

1930s Holiday Look

2011-12-20T19:53:00.003-05:00

Holiday makeup look #2 is a 1930s Nutcracker inspired look. Cupid's bows always remind me of china dolls and I love the dolls from The Nutcracker! There's one more holiday look coming and it's 1950s.

2011 in Review

2011-12-20T11:09:00.004-05:00

With 2012 fast approaching, now seems like a good time to evaluate all of the things that went on this past year and ponder what is in the picture for next year. So let's start out with this year's resolutions.

#1. Do more vintage hair styles.

I think I did ok on this front. Chopping off all my hair at the beginning of the summer kind of put a dent this one....

#2. Sew more! Vintage and otherwise!

I sewed gobs over the summer! Yay! I've gotten so much better this year. I'm still working on getting the sewing while in grad school bit worked out but it's been a good year for sewing.

#3. Do more with my Youtube of the Week

This one definitely was a fail. Not only did I not do more, I completely got rid of youtube of the week entirely.

#4. Break out onto Youtube

My Youtube channel is up and running! It's really been fun doing youtube videos. I'm still working on having a more regular schedule for videos though.

#5. Be better about responding to comments

I'm still working on this one too.

#6. When in doubt, be BOLD!

I love this motto. It's really helped me jump in and try lots of new things including my newest passion, knitting.

Things I've conquered this year:

Vintage patterns

Hats

Millinery

Costuming and Corset making

Knitting

Red Lipstick

Pants

Drafting

It's been a pretty awesome year. What have been your biggest triumphs this year?

Cora's Closet: Lavender and Lace

2011-12-19T11:10:00.004-05:00

Today's Dressing Downton outfit is this lovely lavender and mauve dress Cora wears in S1.E1 when the duke arrives. (Seriously, I want every outfit worn in this scene.)

The undershirt is a lovely cream color with a lace collar and cuffs. She's also wearing a darling little necklace.

The dress has a collar and lace insert. There's a matching sash and overskirt trimmed with more lace.

See that pop of blue in this shot? A lining perhaps?

I love the elbow details on the shirt.

Looking to make this dress? This pattern would be a good start. Use only one layer of the skirt and add a cute collar and cuffs on the sleeves. Wear with or without the undershirt.

A Blackberry Fix

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

I picked up some lovely purple corduroy on sale for $4/yd. The color is appropriately called blackberry. I snagged 3 1/3 yds but now I'm kind of at a loss of what to do with it. I really want to sew with it right away because I can't wait to wear it and it even fits in my winter color palette.

A 1940s style fitted jacket.

Another Beignet.

Another rendition of this 1940s dress.

I've also been pondering trying to use it for this 1930s pattern. I don't have enough for both the skirt and the cape unless I shorten the cape quite a bit. I do have enough for the top and the cape lining but I'm not sure how that would look.

Which idea do you like? If this was in your stash, what would you make?

Green and Plaid Perfection

2011-12-14T13:06:00.005-05:00

One of my all time favorite old movies is On the Town. I just adored the green and plaid combo of the Prehistoric Man dress so when I spied it on Heart My Closet, I had to snatch it up.

I got this last January, but when Mrs. Amber Apple posted about hers a while ago, I realized that I'd never blogged about it! What a shame!

It really is just ridiculously fun to wear. The skirt is full and swishy and it's fully lined in the plaid fabric- warm and fun!

While I do already have a Christmas dress, I couldn't help but snap some cute Christmas shots with my little tree!

I also did a little tutorial for the make up look I'm wearing. The eyeshadow didn't show up to great on camera but it looks lovely in person.

Dressing Downton: Corsets

2011-12-14T09:19:00.002-05:00

Interested in sewing a corset for your Dressing Downton projects? Check out Bridges on the Body's 1911 Corset Sew Along. I wasn't planning on sewing a corset but I may just have to now!

Lady Edith's Closet: Black Floral Blouse

2011-12-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

My first project is the lovely back floral blouse Edith wears when the Duke visits.

It is a lovely blouse-y shirt with raglan sleeves, a cute collar trimmed in black and two rows of buttons down the center. Instead of darts, the blouse is shaped with gathers at the seam across the chest. I choose this screen shot because of the mirror. There's just a peak of the back of the blouse in the reflection. Unfortunately, the picture quality of this screen shot didn't come out that great but you can see the rounded shape of the collar in the back.

Here it is in action. The sleeves are bracelet length and also appear to be trimmed with the same black trim as the collar. I think the trim is velvet. The buttons also look velvet to me. Regardless, something matte will be set off nicely against the shiney fabric.

Edith pairs it with a long black skirt, a belt and black shoes.

This is my fabric choice for this blouse. I got it at Jo-Anns.

Dressing Downton: The Plan

2011-12-12T09:14:00.003-05:00

If you missed the first post about Dressing Downton, check it out here and get caught up! Hopefully, you have all had time to digest the big picture and now we can get on to all of the details.

Now, I have a lot of free time coming up over the next few weeks (yay Christmas break!) but most of you don't have that luxury. So, I think a start date of January 1, 2o12 is much more reasonable for most people. Between now and then go ahead and start planning what you'd like to work on. (Feel free to upload some inspiration to the flickr group.) I know I'll be saving my Christmas money for some pricier bits I'll need for my projects! (And I'm getting a new sewing machine! :D ) Feel free to get started sewing earlier if you want to.

I'll also be working on the outfit libraries (and watching gobs of Downton Abbey) so stay tuned for those. Let me know if there is a particular piece you'd like to see profiled here and I'll bump it towards the top of the list.

And to get your inspiration flowing, here's my plan:

(I uploaded this one really big so you can click on it to see better!)

1. Edith's flower show dress- Love it! I've already picked up this pattern for it and have been perusing lace options for the neckline and sleeve cuffs.

2. Cora's flower show coat-I've been drooling over this coat for about a year now. I picked up a Simplicity costume pattern for it (needs some drafting though...). I've not made a coat before so this is sort of my "ambitious" project.

3. Mary's lace blouse from Season 2- I tried to keep season 2 out of my plan since I hadn't seen any of the pieces in action yet, but this lovely lace blouse is just to perfect! I've been eyeing this pattern for this piece.

4. Sybil's pink blouse- Not sure what pattern I'll start with for this but I love it.

5. Mary's mourning blouse- I've already drafted a pattern for the lovely black and white top Mary wears in S1.Ep1. Just waiting for the new machine to arrive so I can use the proper feet.

6. Mary's ruffle collar blouse- This blouse was also an early favorite. I love separates! And the collar is so dreamy!

7. Mary's garden party dress- Lace + stripes = fabulousness! And the lilac color is just dreamy. I've also been looking for lace for this dress too. Getting all of the stripes to lay right is going to be the key to recreating this look.

8. The girls' Duke visit outfits- I have to have all of these pieces in my wardrobe! I've already got fabric and have been drafting Edith's top. Mary's top I'm planning on doing from the same Folkwear pattern as her lace blouse. And Sybil's dress is just too cute with all of the embroidery and button details.

Currently all of my projects are Straight from the Show with some possible wearable muslins as Raid their Closet pieces but I'm sure there'll be some fluidity in my plans (especially as season 2 airs!). I'm also taking a trip to Disney World in early May so I'll probably start working on some of the summerier pieces earlier than I had originally planned.

A night out on the town

2011-12-09T22:14:00.002-05:00

My husband and I went out tonight to see Traces and it was AMAZING! The things these people can do with their bodies will blow your mind! Anyways, on to the important stuff, like what I wore.

Outfit:
Cardigan: The Limited
Skirt: vintage dead stock
Shoes: Modcloth
Hair flower: Belle Blossoms
Necklace: Banana Republic

I love this skirt. So much fun! :) I don't wear it out much because I'm afraid all of the fuzz that outlines the flowers will rub off on my butt. :(

I wore the fabulous kitty shoes from Modcloth. They are super comfy. I think they are sold out right now but, seriously, a must for any cat lover.

And this is the ridiculously amazingly real rose from Belle Blossoms. Do you see those veins on the petals? This thing even feels like a real flower. Pretty much the only thing it doesn't do is smell like a rose. And this is one of the regular flowers available on the site so you can get one even if you're not in the BOM club. (Although I think she's out of red at the moment....)

Thanks for hanging on during exams with me! I have one more next Thursday and then I'm home free for four weeks. Woot! I'll be back next week with more vintage goodness and some more Dressing Downton posts! Have a lovely weekend all!

A Signature Look

2011-12-06T20:23:00.002-05:00

Today I've been pondering the idea of a signature look. I don't have one and I don't know if I need/want one. There are many bloggers who have signature looks-something about them that is instantly noticeable and recognizable. Lisa Freemont Street has her red hair. Super Kawaii Mamma has the iconic white stripe in her hair. Vixen Vintage has a cute curly hair do that she wears very often. Q's Daydream and Rhinestones and Telephones have their adorable bobs.

I problem is that I have style ADD, hair ADD, sewing ADD. I like too many things! While I don't think I'll ever stabilize my fashion enough to settle on a decade, I have lately been thinking about finding a signature look for my hair. I want something I can do with my hair on a day to day basis that looks nice and is super easy to do. And I really hate when my hair just hangs there on my head. I have a naturally high forehead and I feel that my flat, straight hair makes it look even bigger and more rectangular shaped. I do like bangs but not enough to commit long term to them (I think.... actually, the bang issue really set off this whole thought process. *sigh* to fringe or not to fringe?)

So, what I want to know is do you have a signature look (hair, wardrobe or makeup related)? Have you in the past? Do you want one? Do you enjoy more freedom (or get bored like me)?

Saturdays

2011-12-03T13:11:00.005-05:00

Today was one of those days that starts off terrible. We had to go the the BMV today since I don't have a driver's license (or permit for that matter) and my military id expires next week. We scouted out a branch that was open on Saturdays and woke up early to be there right when it opened at 8 am so we could be in and out. Well, it was in and out, but that's because every BMV in the county decided to randomly be closed this Saturday for no apparent reason....

While driving home, we drove by our local market and decided to stop in. And that's pretty much where the terrible part stopped. :) I didn't have my camera but I snapped some shots with my iPhone.

I picked up a poinsettia plant and one of these cute pine bouquets.

Simple effective advertising.

I so wish I hadn't had breakfast before we came because this place makes crepes! Nom nom nom.

We made a repeat purchase at this cheese stand. One flavor we picked up was pumpkin. Nom nom nom again.

And they were all festive too!

I adored the tags on these aprons!

We also wandered around downtown and I couldn't resist taking a picture of this sign! Sounds like my kind of place!

I was all cute for getting my id picture taken. Yay for new teal tights!

The poinsettias and pine bouquet got me all in a decorating mood so decorating ensued when we got home.

And we got a tree today. Now the entire apartment smells like pine!

We also stopped by a Goodwill where I found this jacket.

I'm not sure if it's an old jacket or just has an old style tag. It does have care instructions so that places it at the earliest from the 60s. There were 5 or 6 jackets from this same company but the hubby reminded me that I didn't need 5 or 6 trenches.....

The faux fur lining zips off so it can be a trench too!

The lining under the trench is a great plaid!

I also picked up a roomy grey wool jacket. It's times like this that I love that my mother-in-law works at a dry cleaner so I can get stuff dry cleaned without worrying that it will be ruined.

I also found a great pencil skirt and it's old.

The tag says union made garment so I'm thinking 40s. It's a tad tight but loosing 5 lbs (or buying some spanxs) should fix that problem.

This is kind of a long post but hopefully it will tide you over during my finals madness! Hope all of your Saturdays were just as lovely as mine!

Dressing Downton Sew-Along

2011-12-02T19:51:00.008-05:00

Hello blog! It feels like I have been gone so long! School has gotten to that part of the semester where it's craziness. I was going to keep this project under wraps until after finals were over, but I think I need some more excitement to get me through it. So, without further ado, I present Dressing Downton.

***********************************************

Dressing Downton

If you've been following my blog for even a little bit, you probably have some inkling of my Downton Abbey obsession. (If not, do see here, here, and here.) With gorgeous costumes, a fabulous plot and a fabulous old English house that serves as a backdrop, what's not to love? I don't think I'd even heard of of Edwardian anything before this show but now I'm head over heals.

I've been wanting start sewing Edwardian garments for a while now and have been spending entirely too much time trolling the net for pictures of the costumes from Downton Abbey. Surprisingly, there are some beauties that I've not been able to find at all! Out of these two desires, the idea for Dressing Downton was born.

Dressing Downton has two goals. The first is to sew up all of those beautiful costumes! Secondly, I want to create a library of all of the outfits from the show so there's a resource for all of us who want to replicate them. And I'm inviting all of you to join in!

Here's how you can participate.

1) Grab one of these snazy buttons to put on your blog.

<a border="0" href="http://star-spangledheart.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6335619593_16ed7d0c35_m.jpg" /></a>

2) Sew your own Downton Abbey inspired projects. Feel free to be as historically accurate or not as you'd like. I'm going to focus on replicating pieces from the show but adapting them to work in everyday life. I've come up with three basic categories for sewing projects.

Straight from the Show- Your best attempt at replicating pieces from the show.
Raid their Closet- Create a piece that you think could easily be found in the closet of a character from Downton Abbey but just didn't make it on camera.
Get Inspired- Have a more modern style? Feel free to get inspired by a character, a textile or anything else from the show and make a more modern piece.

3) Provide pictures to help build the costume library. I have a whole stash of pictures on my computer already but I'll definitely be needing your help finding some and taking screen shots.

4) Join the flickr group even if you just want to be a spectator.

Here's a sneak peak of my upcoming projects.

These are some of the pieces that are on the top of my to sew list! Also check out my two Downton Abbey inspired color palettes here and here.

I plan on using Colette Pattern's Sorbetto as a basic blouse base but I also picked up these two Sense and Sensibility patterns which arrived in the mail today!

Feel free to email me with any questions! If you'd like to participate, let me know and I can add you to the blog list!

Winter is here!

2011-11-30T11:29:00.004-05:00

Cooler weather has finally arrived here in Ohio after a long (and fabulous) Indian summer. I am so not ready for 30s and 40s weather! (And it snowed yesterday too!) I've been day dreaming of sharp fall suits, sweater dresses and fabulous coats. Last year, I survived winter on one long sleeved shirt and a pile of hoodies. I so need a better plan this year.

I just love the 30s for fall and not just for the longer skirt length.

A suit, gloves and a smart hat will brighten any dreary weather.

These coats are so luxurious! I love the idea of a fur collar. It'd be crazy warm.

I love this dress! So simple and elegant and a total day to evening piece.

I love all of the bow blouses! A nice feminine touch and another little layer on your neck.

Scarfs are a great way to switch up a great winter basic so you don't feel stuck in the same outfit all the time.

Great his and hers jackets!

On a side note, exams are quickly approaching so posts may be a bit sketchy around here for a while. I've already limited myself to no sewing and no youtube video making until after finals and my 10 page term paper are done. :(

Pattern Love

2011-11-28T20:45:00.003-05:00

Remember the great mail order patterns I got a while back? Here are some more patterns from that stash.

Sailor top! Score!

The sleeveless dress reminds me so much of 30s beach pjs.

As does this maxi dress!

Speaking of maxi dresses, I love this one too!

I adore the pleated skirt on this dress.

This dress looks chic and comfy.

These skirts are right up my alley!

Boxy jackets are not really me but there's still some potential here.

I think this is my favorite jacket pattern out of the lot. I love the collar and the pockets!

Sewing Machines!

2011-11-26T12:17:00.001-05:00

My dad and stepmom want to buy me a new sewing machine for Christmas and want to know what kind I want. I've never shopped for one before. Are there any brands or features out there to look for or avoid?

Black Friday Haul

2011-11-25T14:56:00.004-05:00

Here's my very first haul video! I tried to keep it short for you all. Enjoy!

Sephora:
pink travel makeup brush kit $10
bare minerals makeup kit $10
Kat Von d lightening lip gloss in Marg $5
Kat Von D true romance eyeshadow palette $15

Charming Charlie:
grey belt $10*
pink and white scarf $15*

Kohl's:
Apt 9 tights lace pattern and argyle $6 each

Target:
Merona teal tights $8*
Merona green suede gloves $20*
Conair wave clips $5*

Jo-Ann Fabric:
Stitch Nation full o' sheep yarn in honeycomb (x4) $3.74 each
circular knitting needles size 11 and 15 $7* each
Singer shears $16*
plus 25% off total bill (yay coupons!)

*indicates no black friday promotion or sale (i.e. I was out and I wanted it.)

Guest blogging again

2011-11-25T09:43:00.001-05:00

I'm guest blogging over at Rhinestones and Telephones today!

Traditons

2011-11-24T21:31:00.004-05:00

One reason we love the holidays is those little traditions that connect the memories over the years. Last year, I made a lovely plaid dress for Thanksgiving. It turned out excellent considering that I'd only been sewing for a couple months but it had some fitting issues. Plus I had this lovely plaid fabric hanging out in my stash so I decided to start my own little tradition of plaid Thanksgiving dresses.

This dress is from Simplicity 3673 which I made before but this is one of the other views. For some reason, the back of this dress is really huge! The first version I made gaped a little but this one is really ridiculous. Guess I'll be ripping out that lovely lapped zipper and putting it back in again. *sigh* I did have great success with the plaid matching on the seams! Woot!

I'm batting two for two here with sewing projects and my husband. He LOVED the black double agent dress and he thought I looked sexy in this one. Could have just been my crazy awesome approaching hooker height black stiletto oxfords scored for only $30 but I'm betting on the rad plaid matching sewing skills. ;)

Sew Grateful and the Magic of Jersey

2011-11-24T10:28:00.005-05:00

The lovely Debi challenged people to use gifted patterns or fabric, nothing really came to mind that I could do (or have time to do), but when Oona posted this tutorial (and I remembered that Debi said you could be thankful for tutorials too!) that hit the spot!

And let me tell you, I am grateful for this awesome tutorial.

Who doesn't need a simple black cowl dress?

Or a slinky black dress?

Or an off the shoulder dress?

Or a one shoulder dress?

Or a back bearing dress?

And people, this is all the same dress! Through the magic of jersey and Oona's style genius, you too can have one of these lovely dresses! And it's ridiculously comfortable!

And because Oona asked, here's the beverage that helped me figure out this whole knit sewing thing.

HPNOTIQ and HPNOTIQ Harmonic!

I was really excited to learn that my machine had just as many stretch stitches as nonstretch stitiches! Woot! And I happened to have a double pointed needle to make the hem look all fancy.

Now, those of you who know Oona are probably thinking "How can you possibly do an Oona (aka the Queen of Prints) tutorial with *black* jersey?"

Don't worry. I also picked up this lovely print jersey and have whipped up Double Agent Dress #2 already! I even wore it out last night to see Les Miserables. I didn't get any pictures of me in the dress because yesterday was crazy busy. It's not a good idea to have two dresses to finish in one day (this rose dress for Les Mis and a Thanksgiving day dress) plus all that other getting ready for a holiday thing.

Happy Thanksgiving all! Eat some turkey for me since I can't stand the stuff!

Make a Statement

2011-11-21T19:55:00.005-05:00

Lately, I've been day dreaming of statement pieces. Perhaps it's because I just made a little black dress and now I need something to wear with it! Here are some things that tickled my fancy on etsy.

Turquoise and Cinnabar!

I've been really drawn to the cinnabar beads made from a carved resin. I'm thinking of buying some and getting into some jewelry making.

Greenish-blue beads!

Red beads!

Green beads!

Do you have a favorite statement piece? Or are you more of a quiet jewelry type girl? What would you pair with a little black dress?

A new frock

2011-11-20T17:52:00.003-05:00

There is nothing quite as thrilling as a new frock! And I just got two!

This darling 1940s dress is from Fab Gabs. (Psst! She just put quite a few things on 50% off clearance.)

It is just too darn much fun to wear. :)

These aren't exactly my first choice of shoes to wear with this dress, but I wore it to church (sand=no heals!) and I didn't really have many options. I think it'd be darling with my red pumps though.

My hair was cuter before church but it was a bit drizzly out today and it definitely fell out a bit.

Winter sewing palette

2011-11-19T15:39:00.005-05:00

I am finally getting started on my last fall sewing project! I have two finished projects to show you and the Cadence sweater to finish knitting but I'm almost there! I did decided to bump the jacket I was planning on making till Christmas break when I'll actually have the time and energy to work on it properly.

I've already been dreaming about (and shopping for) winter sewing projects. I didn't set out with a particular color palette but one just sort of fell on me. (There is probably a reason for this and it has to do with a project I'm going to be starting over Christmas break as well.) But anyways, here is my winter sewing palette!

Perhaps I should have titled this post "Yes, I am still obsessed with Downton Abbey"....

Are you still in fall mode or have you already moved on-mentally or physically-to winter projects?

Youtube: Versatile Vintage Brows

2011-11-16T12:26:00.001-05:00

Enjoy my latest video! Happy Wednesday all.

Outfit Post: Freddies of Pinewood

2011-11-16T11:02:00.003-05:00

Yay for Freddies of Pinewood! I've worn these around a couple of times and I'm in love! Today I'm not doing a full review, just a quick outfit post. I really want to give these pants a good go before I do a review.

Today I paired them with a 40s style peasant blouse and my saddle shoes. I haven't gotten around to hemming these pants so I've just rolled up the hem. They are crazy long.

I just love the big pockets on the back! Perfect for de-emphasizing any junk in the trunk.

The zipper is hiding in the pocket and they close with a cute side button.

Orange you glad to see me

2011-11-15T11:42:00.003-05:00

Not only is orange a great fall color, it's a fab color for the up coming Thanksgiving holiday! So here's some lovely orange fashion inspiration from the 30s to the 50s.

Yummy 30s fashion. I love the plaid dress!

Orange accessories!

No orange in your closet? Try an great apron.

Orange and polka dots is classy.

Told you so!

Not a fan of orange on yourself? Try it in a print with contrast at the neckline.

It's a great coat color.

Looks great in a sweater!

White details really pop!

Check out the scalloped neckline.

I love dresses with matching boleros.

I love the whimsy of the polka dot dress. Looks like it has rick rack trim.

What's your take on the color orange? Hate it or love it?

My Grown Up Christmas List

2011-11-11T09:34:00.006-05:00

Thanks for all of your lovely comments on my last post! There were many different opinions but it was nice to hear what all of you thought!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and Christmas will be here before we know it! My husband's grandparents host a family gift swap every year so I had to come up with a list of gift suggestions for my secret Santa (and anyone else who might be shopping for me). Lots of the things on my wish list were things I thought you might be interested in so I thought I'd share.

Colette Patterns:

Jasmine

Sencha

Wearing History patterns:

1930s Ahwahnee Coat

1930s Moderne Dress

DVDs

State Fair

White Christmas

Books

Burday Style Sewing Handbook

Practical Home Millinery

Everyday Fashions of the Fifties

20th Century Fashion

Dress Cutting- Instructions and Illustrations for sewing 26 vintage 1930s Fashions

Wow! That's a long list! But I like to give people a lot of options.

Vintage or Me-Made or Repro?

2011-11-10T11:34:00.006-05:00

Vintage or me-made or repro? It's a question that's been bouncing around in my head lately. Deciding between these three categories (or at least two) is an issue that plagues all vintage loving gals (and guys)! In an effort to organize my thoughts, I thought I'd share them with you and see what you think. First up, vintage.

Vintage

An obvious first choice for any vintage lover is actual vintage. The pieces are historically accurate, the fabrics are period and many of them are just darling. If you are good at thrifting and digging through estate sales, you can find things for cheap. If you are not, sites like etsy and ebay are full of treasures someone else has already done the dirty work to find. And, if you are lucky, there may even be a vintage store or two in your area. (There seem to be gobs of them on the west coast.)

But vintage pieces may come damaged or be in delicate condition. They also come in one size so even if you fall in love with a piece, you may have to pass it up. Things can be altered a bit, especially since vintage garments tend to have longer hems than modern garments, but again, they are often in delicate condition so you don't want to have to take them apart and put them together a lot. Plus, professional alterations add to the cost. And, speaking of cost, really fabulous pieces can grow into the hundreds of dollars in cost. They also tend to be rather tiny!

When I opt to add a vintage piece to my collection I consider a couple of things before purchase.

1) It absolutely must fit or be able to be altered to fit. I have made that mistake in the past and it's so sad to have something arrive in the mail and realize that it doesn't fit! Make sure you get measurements of the garment before purchase and don't forget your measurements need to be smaller than the garment! Modern garments tend to have more stretch in them than vintage ones so take that into account.

2) It needs to be in good condition. Look closely at the garment and inspect it for holes, tears and damaged seams. I never buy things I can't fix myself. Missing a button? That's pretty easy to replace with new ones. Giant 4" tear some place prominent? I'll probably pass, even if it's priced appropriately.

3) It has to look cute! This may seem silly, but don't buy something just because it's vintage. It needs to appeal to you aesthetically and look good on you. This is why brick and mortar shops are nice since you can try things on. If it looks bad on you, you won't wear it and if you do, you'll look silly, not fabulous.

I love this vintage dress from Bad Girl Vintage.

Somethings I like to buy vintage: things with unique prints, things that would be difficult to recreate myself (for technical or fabric difficulties), hats, scarves, bags and things that are just really special.

Me-Made

I sew, as you all know, so this category opens up a new world of vintage style for me. Vintage patterns can be found while thrifting and abound on etsy. Plus, there are a growing number of small pattern companies offering multisized reprints of vintage patterns and there are even some offered by the Big 4 pattern companies (though I've heard tales of mixed success with these). Circle skirts are a great beginner project. You can do some really fun stuff with them for much cheaper (and in larger sizes!!) than you'd pay for authentic vintage circle skirts with unique designs. You can make something that isn't nearly as delicate as a vintage piece.

You do have to be able to sew. Some things are just to difficult for me to make. Vintage patterns do have some of the same difficulties as vintage clothing does. Namely, small sizes, can be pricey and may be in delicate condition. They are also one size rather than multisize. Directions can be brief and some patterns are unprinted. It can also be difficult to find appropriate fabrics (especially prints).

Perhaps my favorite Wearing History Pattern!

Some things I like to make are: things that I have difficulty finding premade that fit me well (pants, button front blouses and anything "wiggle" shaped), circle skirts. I find myself mainly limited by finding a good pattern in my size (I hate grading!) and by my skills. I'm not up for winter jackets, jeans and knits.

Reproduction

Many non-sewing vintage enthusiasts flock to reproduction pieces. They offer many of the advantages of me-made garments including durability and are generally available in several sizes and some companies will even make them to your measure. You can find pieces that range from rockabilly and pinup to the more conservative and classic styles.

My biggest problem with reproduction is the sizing. While repro sizing tends to run curvier than modern sizing, it's still often not curvy enough for me. And it can be pricey! There are several really nice repro companies out of the UK but with the difference in currencies and shipping to the US, I don't end up purchasing from them as much as I'd like. Repro items also have a tendency to look more modern than actual vintage. Some companies do better than others on this front.

I have a lovely reproduction of this dress (available here) and so does Mrs. Amber Apple.

Things I like to buy repro: pieces I can't make myself or a particular design I just have to have. As a sewer, I kind of feel guilty about buying repro, but considering how much I wear my one repro dress and how much I already love my Freddies of Pinewood jeans, I'd say the purchases I've made are smart ones.

So which of these categories make up the most of your wardrobe? Is there one you prefer over the others? Is there a particular type of clothing you tend to buy from each category?

Youtube: Red Lip Tips for Beginners

2011-11-09T13:20:00.003-05:00

Red lips are a classic finish to any vintage look, but they can be pretty intimidating! So here I share my tips and favorite products that can help work you up to a bold red lip or work for days when you aren't feeling up for something so loud.

Casual Vintage: Jeans

2011-11-08T22:23:00.003-05:00

Jeans are a staple of any modern wardrobe (mine included) but they work great for a mid century vintage wardrobe too! And in honor of my new Freddies of Pinewood jeans, here are some vintage jean inspiration!

Jeans have long be linked with all things western. I'm not much of a Western type person, but if that's up your alley, rock on.

Jeans were also worn by many women working in factories during World War II.

The "working woman" look goes great with a hair scarf.

And look at the lovely plaid shirts! Definitely a menswear inspired look.

Eeep! How cute!

The fifties saw the advent of the cuffed jeans. You can cheat this look with looser fitting modern jeans cuffed at the bottom.

I think I need a pair of loafers now!

More tid bits

2011-11-07T13:15:00.004-05:00

There have been loads of things going on chez Star-Spangled Heart and most of them really aren't exciting enough to warrant their own post so I've just collected them together to share with you.

The hubby and I have finally gotten around to framing the gobs of art we have lying around. There two are mine and I'm terribly excited about the girly-ness of them. Instead of mats, I just used pretty scrapbooking paper as a background. So cute! And I also have another print being framed but it was a weird size so I had to get it custom framed.

I've also gotten this lovely Audrey poster right above wear I like to sit on the couch.

I've been working on a better way to store my hats and requisitioned this shelf from the living room to help organize them. I've also got some on hat stands on the top.

My sewing stuff was moved from the living room to the bedroom (much to my husbands glee) and I also added this white set of drawers to hold my expanding stash! The pink drawers are full of fabric plus I've got a single drawer full of "to sew soon" fabric and a whole shelf in the closet! Egads!

I've been knitting loads on the Cadence sweater and have made some progress. I think I'm a pretty slow knitter though. It takes me about 12 minutes to get through one knit round.

Wearing History Beach pjs! I need to get some nice shots of these but they are so cozy.