How to Sew a 1940's Hair Scarf

Hello everyone! This is Brittany from Va-Voom Vintage here, to show you how to sew a 1940's hair scarf.  I am so excited to be a part of the guest blogging series while Stephanie is on vacation!

Many months ago, I found a little pink 40's hair scarf at an antique mall. It's so sweet that I was determined to make a few more in different colors.  I wear my head scarves to keep my hair out of the way while I clean, to protect my pin curls while I sleep and to wear as a fashion accessory.

This is a great project to use some of that scrap fabric in your stash. You can use pieces of vintage sheets, feed sack, table cloths and other household  linens. Today's tutorial uses shirring. Shirring is very easy to do and looks fantastic!

For my scarf, I'm using a scrap of vintage cotton but you can use all sorts of fabric as long as it's light enough to shirr. I tried to use a very thin clear vinyl to make a rain bonnet but sadly, the plastic didn't want to cooperate.

Supplies

22 inch  by 13 inch rectangle of fabric
elastic thread (I'm using Gutterman elastic thread in black)
matching or contrast thread (which will appear on the right side of your fabric)
40 inches of ribbon of your choice (I used a strip of pink satin bias tape from my stash)
a sewing machine
scissors
an iron
sewing pins

Begin with your fabric 22 inches long and 13 inches wide. You can use a thinner piece of fabric to make a basic headband but this wider piece will create a little pouch to hold your hair when you're finished.


 Make a hem on each long side of the fabric. Turn the hem under 1/4 inch and press. Turn 1/4 inch once more, pin into place and sew.

 Wind elastic thread by hand around your bobbin. It sounds like tedious work but since the elastic is thicker than regular thread the hand-winding goes pretty quickly. Be sure to keep a slight tension on the thread as you wind but be careful to not pull it tightly.


Insert the bobbin and thread the machine as you would with any other thread.

Using a fabric marking pen or pencil, mark the right side of fabric. Draw dotted lines 1 1/2 inches apart from each other along the long edge of the fabric.  If you want your scarf to be more tightly shirred, space the lines closer together.


Using the markings as a stitching guide and with the right side up, sew a straight line through the first dotted line.

 Sew the remaining lines of shirring, pulling the fabric so it lays flat as you sew. This way,  the shirring will be tidy and the amount of gathers will be even. As you sew more lines of shirring, the fabric will gather more.

 The elastic thread should be on the wrong side of the fabric. Trim all loose threads

 Turn in the hem of the short sides, again 1/4 inch. Pin and sew, trim loose threads.

Next, set your machine to the long stitch setting to make gathers

 Sew a straight line along the short edge of the fabric at about 1/4 inch from the edge, leaving excess threads long. Repeat on the other side.

Pull the bobbin thread to make a gather. Gather each side of the fabric as tightly as you can and tie the loose threads to secure the gathers in place.

Snip your ribbon in half.  On wrong side of fabric pin one piece of your ribbon like so:


stitch into place, trim loose threads.
 Flip the ribbon to the other side, pin in place and sew. Trim loose threads.

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Attach ribbon on the other side in the same manner. Trim all loose threads and enjoy your new head scarf! If you have any questions, just ask!

Thank you to Stephanie for having me. I can't wait to see pics and hear all about your vacation when you come home!! 

Tips on How to Shop at Flea Markets

Hello there readers, this is Liz from Zilredloh.  I couldn't be happier to step in for Stephanie while shes off having a fab vacation, since she's providing me my first foray into guest blogging.  :)  Thanks for asking me Stephanie! 

I'm here today to talk about a topic that is dear to me, one that I've never fully shared before in such detail: Flea Markets.  After going to flea markets over the past 2+ years, I have lots of good tips to share with you that should help you get the most out of your flea market trip and score some good deals.  Sound fun?!  Okay here we go... 

Nearly every Sunday morning, my hubby and I wake up at the crack of dawn to head out to our local flea market.  While he takes photos of all the crazy stuff, I'm always on the hunt for that perfect vintage item whether it be vintage sewing supplies, bakelite bangles, aqua kitchen accessories, or 50's hats.

The best part about the flea, besides the low-prices, is the variety of items for sale.  You never know what you're going to find that you need, and every week brings a new assortment of vendors and merchandise.

From my experience, flea markets are one of the cheapest places to shop for quality vintage goods aside from going directly to estate sales.

Vendors:

There are several different types of flea market vendors.  There are guys selling items directly from estate sales, as well as one-time vendors who bring the items that didn't sell in their garage sales.  There are collectors looking for a quick buck by selling parts of their collections off, along with people selling new items that look almost new.  Each market will be different depending on your area but they're all about selling things cheap & prices are almost always negotiable.  Be prepared to encounter many fun, colorful characters.  :)

 Random Bits of Wisdom

• Arrive within 30 minutes of opening or not at all

The saying is true that the early bird gets the worm for flea markets.  People who get there earlier do nab up all of the good stuff.  It's not to say you won't find great things at noon at your flea, but you'll be missing out on the even cooler stuff that was there at 7am or 8am.

• Dress kinda grubby

I never go the flea wearing nice clothing.  I go pre-showered, makeup-less with my hair in a pony-tail, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a hoddie (since it's generally chilly in the morning).  I don't wear any of my cute skirts or even my engagement ring for that matter. 

If you look like a million bucks, you are probably going to be quoted higher prices by the vendors than if you look, well, drab.  Not all vendors will price things that way, but I tend to play it extra safe on this front.  I've had people look me up and down and the female vendors have even glanced at my ring finger to look at my ring.  As a bonus, this makes waking up earlier much easier since I just roll out of bed and run out the door with little to no prep.

Ladies, this includes purses!  On the drive to the flea I transfer my wallet, keys, etc to a long-strapped purse that goes across my body and leave my real purse in the trunk of my car.  The long strap on my 'crappy bag' affords two hands for snatching things up easily.

• Guys are more willing to negotiate prices, especially guys in their 50's (or more)

I don't know why this holds true, but this is what I've come to find since I've been a flea-regular for 2-ish years.  I've tried negotiating with women in their 40's and they don't seem to haggle as willingly as the guys.

• If you see something you want, don't walk away from it

Chances are it won't be there when you go back.  That and you also won't be able to remember which booth it was that you even saw the item.  It sounds silly, but I've gone searching up and down rows of booths trying to re-find an item, only to be unable to locate it (and leave the flea in mild frustration).  It happens. 

• Don't be afraid to walk away if the price isn't low enough

Haggle as much as needed and then be honest as to the price you would pay.  If that still doesn't work, just walk away.  Yes, it does suck.... but will ensure that you won't regret the price/item later on.

• Carry only the amount of cash you are willing to spend

The flea is kinda like Vegas in that respect...  I only carry the amount I'm willing to spend.  If I have a lot of money on hand, I'll most likely spend it.  But if you find the perfect high-ticket item and you need more cash, vendors will usually hold the item until you get the cash you need.

• If you buy a large item, the vendor can hold it in the back until you're done shopping for the day.

I wouldn't wait 3+ hours to claim your item, but it's reasonable for the vendor to hold your item for an hour or two, until you've finished shopping for the day.  People do it all the time and flea vendors respect the honor code.

• Be prepared --> with a flashlight & shopping bags & singles

I actually learned this tip from the TV series American Pickers.  They always have flashlights and they come in handy.  I have a mini one that fits in my small purse and it's been perfect for the early mornings when the sun isn't high in the sky.

Also try and bring your own canvas totes.  It makes carrying you items easier and prevents any accidental breakage that could happen with a plastic grocery bag (if the vendor even has any bags to give you).

If you're buying low cost items, vendors may grumble at breaking your 20 dollar bill.  I try and have singles when possible to avoid this... but it's not a requirement.

*Phew*  That was a ton of information for you guys in one post.  I really hope you find this post useful if you've been on the fence about attending a flea market.  Even if you go to solely look around, which is what my husband does, it's a ton of fun. 

I'd love to hear any of your additional flea market tips or fun flea market related stories. 

Thanks for reading everyone and thanks for inviting me over, Stephanie.  :)

Make Many Dickeys...a Vintage Pattern

Hello Star Spangled Readers!  My name is Angie and I blog over at Quality Time. I was so excited when the very sweet Stephanie asked me to guest post for her here on her blog.  I love her videos so much!  And if it wasn't for her Downton Abby sewalong, I might have never caught the show!

I've been poring over my recent purchases of vintage sewing and pattern magazines looking for the perfect thing to scan and share with you all here. My own blog is more miscellaneous sewing adventures than vintage clothing adventures, but I do like to combine the two when I can.

This pattern I'm sharing is from a dressmaking booklet from the 1940s.  Some of the pages were missing, but luckily not this cute article about wearing a "dickey", or a "faux" shirt.  (Basically, a dickey is a partial bodice but usually a full collar, to wear under sweaters, cardigans or other garments).

I hope you enjoy the article! (note, it's a full-size scan so you should be able to save and print it!)

And here are full-size scans of the pattern!  Note how cute and wearable that little peter pan collar is too. It doesn't *have* to go on a dickey!  Use it on another favorite top or dress pattern if you wish.  Depending on how Stephanie has images configured on her blog, you can either right click and "view image" here, or click the image itself to see the full size to save to your computer.  Happy Sewing!

Thank you again Stephanie for inviting me to contribute this week.  I hope you're having a wonderful vacation!

Happy Birthday to me!

Because 23 is not to old to get excited about the happiest place on earth!

Me-Made May: 2

All this month I'm wearing me-made garments in celebration of Me-Made May '12. Here's what I've worn lately.

Day 4:

 

Me-Made Sewaholic Pendrell blouse

Me-Made Colette Pattern's Beignet skirt

Vintage belt

Worn to give presentation at school

Day 5:

Me-Made circle skirt

blouse: New York and Company

Worn around the house for laundry and cleaning but also out for Mexican.

Day 6:

Me-Made Secret Agent Dress

Belt: New York and Company

Worn to church. Love this dress! It's crazy comfy but looks great!

Vacation is nearly here!

Many of you already know that I'm leaving for Florida and Disney World next week. I won't have internet access while I'm away, but I've got a lovely lineup of guest bloggers for you. Also, I wanted to invite all of you over to my facebook page. I can still access facebook on my iPhone so I'll still be posting there including some new outfit snapshots!

Me-Made May: 1

Woohoo! Me-Made May '12 is underway. I'm not planning on posting outfit photos everyday but rather just 2 or 3 times a week.

Day 1:

Me-made Sewaholic's Pendrell blouse with Casey's 30s Scalloped collar tutorial
Worn with cuffed jeans but it rained all day so no cute picture

Day 2:

So, I tried on lots of things this day that I thought would fit but were too big. Yay for weight loss, but boo for trying to find something to wear. So I spent most of the day in my Wearing History 1930s Beach Pj's. When I had to go to church in the evening, I cheated and pulled a piece from the vacation wardrobe but you guys will just have to wait to see it.

Day 3:

Me-made Colette Pattern's Crepe dress.

And whoohoo for a good hair day!  It turned out very 40s today. :)