Vanity Tour

Today I'm showing off my vintage vanity!

Red and Yellow

I adore wearing bold colors! Some ladies look great in pastels or dark neutrals but not me. Regular old grade school colors are my friends-red, yellow, orange, blue and green.

Yellow and red are a particularly festive combination and both feature heavily in my wardrobe.

I actually started out the day in the full patio set that I made a few years ago. Patio dresses are so fun to wear and while it was a bit of a pain to make, I'm so glad that I did.

But the weather turned out so glorious we decided that we simply had to go to the beach. For those of you who don't live near a beach, it's always windier on the coast than further inland. Poofy skirt + windy beach = Marilyn moment.

 So I threw on this much less voluminous skirt instead. It was perfect for sitting on the beach. I'm not much of a swimmer. It has to be quite hot for me to want to swim but I love sitting and sun bathing.

And sunny yellow is a great color for sunny outdoor activities. And I find it quite difficult to be sad when I'm wearing such a bright color.

And I've been loving red accessories as well. I went off of red lipstick for a while but I recently started wearing it again. It is a bit more up keep during the day but it's very fun to wear. And, of course, a hair flower to spice up a not quite perfect hair do.

I'm still getting used to my hair in the Florida weather. Every day is no bit deal but I haven't quite got the hang of those fancy vintage styles I used to wear all the time.

 But I will not let circumstances get me down. It took a long time to get my Ohio vintage wardrobe and hair down and that's what it will take to get my Florida wardrobe and hair picture perfect again.

 What kinds of colors do you enjoy wearing?

Summer Sewing Plans

I'm already thinking of summer sewing! While I've been on a 40s kick pretty much all of 2015 so far, the warmer weather has brought out my 50s side! Or maybe it's just the bob hair cut. Either way, I'm planning some cute midcentury additions to my wardrobe this summer.

I'm in desperate need of some new shorts! I have one pair of rtw shorts but the two pair of me made shorts need to be replaced. One pair is too big and the other is getting kind of sad looking. So I'll be making a new pair of high waisted sorts from this Wearing History pattern.

My wardrobe is in desperate need of a basic black blouse so I'm going to make one from this pattern. I also need to replace my basic white blouse. The one I have wrinkles if you even look at it so I hardly ever wear it.

I also want to make at least one dress. I've got my eye on this pattern from the stash. I just adore the pockets and it looks easy and comfortable for summer. Also, love their hair!

I've also had to retire one of my circle skirts so I think I may replace it as well. I adore a great basic.

What are you planning on sewing for your summer wardrobe?

Sewing here and there

I've been doing some small sewing things lately. Nothing exciting enough for it's own post, but here they are.

 I made a garment bag. I have realized that I need to take better care of my costumes since I'm starting to have some really nice ones. So I had some muslin and cotton fabric and I whipped one up.

I also traced out a pattern for a new style of coif from the Tudor Tailor. I still need to make a muslin of it to make sure it fits and then I'll be ready for HSM May.

 I've also been tackling a few things from the mending pile. I've lost some weight since moving to Florida so a lot of the waist bands on my skirts need to be taken in. I hate wearing clothes that are too big!

And I've been thinking about summer sewing. I got these two lovely linen and cotton blend fabrics. The green is destined to be a pair of high waisted sorts and the black is for a blouse.

How to Store Vintage Hats

Today we are talking about one of my favorite topics- vintage hats! Here are some great tips for storing your vintage hat collection.

Roses are pink. My dress is blue.

Roses are pink. My dress is blue. Spring is here and I say whoohoo! Spring always makes me want to wear pretty floral prints! I adore getting to see all of the pretty blossoms that burst forth during this time of year. And it's great busting out the spring/summer wardrobe and packing up the coats and sweaters.

I love this dress! It's a great mix of vintage and modern. I sewed it up using a 1950s pattern (Simplicity 8398) but in a great modern print.

 The mix of two vintage classics-polka dots and florals- in a great modern way! I'm not usually one for novelty prints but this one is just fabulous.

 I also adore wearing vintage hats. It's been such a long time since I've gotten to wear a hat anywhere. I've really missed it.

It's also been a while since I've pin curled my hair. The first go at pin curling is always a bit rough but that's what hats are for! Also hair flowers.

 My hair is definitely not cut in a way that works well with pin curls. Not enough layers! But that's ok because you can make pin curls work with pretty much any cut that is long enough to curl. And practice makes perfect.

I still have some of this fabric left over to make a self fabric belt but I've never gotten around to it. Whoops!

 And I finally gave myself a pedicure last week! I was in desperate need of one especially since open toe season is here. This shade is one of my favorites because it is color changing! UV light causes it to turn from pink to purple.

 I always have a hard time deciding what color to paint my toes. What color goes with everything? Usually, I'd say black or white for something like this but those are not colors I want on my feet. Thankfully, this pink color matches with the pink on the flowers on my dress so score one for me.

 Of course, when it comes to jewelry, I know what goes with everything-pearls! If you have no other jewelry in your vintage wardrobe except a string of pearls and a pair of pearl earrings, you'll be set! Definitely in my top 5 vintage must haves.

 I have been in a major 40s mood lately but I think this dress may push me back to the 50s for a while! Crinolines and circle skirts and hats, oh my!

Do you enjoy wearing florals in spring?

Historical Sew Monthly Planning

I really want to do all of the Historical Sew Monthly Challenges (even though I missed February's challenge of blue so I'll have to do that one for the re-do challenge) and life has finally calmed down enough that I can start planning out what I want to do for future challenges. I've already finished my April challenge so let's start with May.

May-Practicality

This challenge is all about making an everyday wear around the house type piece. I did a lot of work on my lower class Elizabethan wardrobe last year so I won't be doing anything big this time, just working on accessories. I really want to do some headwear for this challenge. I only have one proper coif/caul and it's made from an old sheet. I have some leftover linen from my Italian chemise that would be perfect for this.

Practical outfit with the sheet coif and sheet shift.

June- Out of your comfort zone

This is the time to try a period or technique that's brand new! I've decided to do an embroidery project for this one. I have done a bit of embroidery before but not really for a historical project. I have been practicing a bit of blackwork. If I get ambitious, I might try a coif but I haven't found a pattern I like yet. An apron or partlet is more likely.

July- Accessorize

After seeing Morgan Donner's Italian Renaissance dress with a veil, I've decided that I must have a veil! I'd love to do one in silk like her's but I have to do some research and see if the budget will stretch. Either way, this will be a simple, though fiddley project.

August- Heirlooms and Heritage

This project is to be inspired by something an ancestor wore or might have worn. I don't know a lot about my family history all though there has been some research done on my hubby's side of the family. This one will take some thought.

Photo of my great-grandma (the one not facing the camera) and her aunts. 

September-Color Challenge Brown

I have some yummy brown wool just waiting for an Elizabethan jacket. I may not feel like looking at wool in September in Florida but that's the plan so far.

October-Sewing Secrets

Make something with secret in it-a pocket, false front, mend, secret message or allegiance. I'm a member of an Elizabethan costuming group on Facebook whose members are called EC Bees so I want to make something bee related to show that I'm part of the group. I'm not sure what I want to do for this project but there will be bees on it!

November- Silver Screen

Oh, yes! A movie project! If my Borgia dress isn't done before this, that's what will be here. It's going in slow spurts so it might be November before it is done but if not, I'll probably do something vintage.

December- Re-Do

I need to re-do at least the blue challenge. Thankfully, blue is a good color on me! I'm thinking a kirtle or petticoat would be a good idea.

I'm sure some of these will change before then (especially those at the end of the year) but I've got some great projects to focus on!