Like many others out there, I’ve been kind of obsessed with #cottagecore of late. And admittedly, I’m a little late to the game. That being said, pastoral life has always held my interest, at least in the last couple of decades. While I dream of my country home and peruse the Son de Flor & French General websites, I found a very practical way to show my love for this aesthetic and lifestyle.
Read moreDinner at Avalon - A Black and White Art Deco Delight!
My lucky life brings me so many wonderful experiences & last night I was privy to something very very special. My dear friend Laurie Gordon, whom I know through the Art Deco Society of California, invited me to a special dinner at Avalon. Avalon isn’t something known to the public, it is the residence of two very talented individuals - Barrett and AC. I was told the attire was to be “Deco Deluxe in a Black and B & W movie palette that includes Grays and Metallics”. Thankfully I had just the right thing to wear.
Read moreTransforming a 1980's Pink Lace Gown into a late 1920's style Garden Party Dress
This 1980’s pink lace dress has been hanging in my closet for a couple of years. It was donated by the lovely Art Deco Society Member Cheryl Stanton, who thought I might be interested in turning it into something more Art Deco. I’ve been quite busy, but had a vision of how it might turn out, just this weekend. Sometimes a dress just needs time to simmer for a while.
Read moreSewing Overall's for a Victory Garden Picnic
Hello readers! Thanks for hanging in there with me. It’s our busiest time of year at The Sewing Room and I have very little time to write and post blogs. I DO want to share with you, this wonderful picnic I had with friends over Memorial Day weekend. Our theme was Victory Garden with a Farm-to-Table menu. We all tried to bring something that came from either our own garden or freshly made using natural ingredients that were locally sourced. We are wonderfully blessed to live in an area with local organic produce and many of us have back yard gardens.
Read moreBeads & Velvet Reimagined from a Funky Vintage Upcycle
Hello There! It’s been a while. My mother had been very ill and then passed away in March. That is the reason for my absence here. It’s been a time for both grieving as well as endless amounts of sorting and figuring out of #allthethings in relation to my mom’s transition. Thank you for your patience!
These are the last photos my mom took of me, and of my projects. It was in early January. I had intended for this to be a Christmas Tea outfit, and then a New Years outfit. But alas, neither ended up working out. So goes life! Some times are less sparkly than others….
Read morePerfect for a Picnic - Sewing 1950's Style for Everyday
A couple of weeks ago, I had a weekend picnic event that I had been invited to attend. The theme was “Posh/Glam 1950’s New York City”. Discussions with friends Led to talk of Mrs. Maisel and big full skirts. Not really my era, but I remembered that pedal pushers were quite popular and so were dolman sleeved blouses. I also realized that I could make these things for my every day wardrobe instead of making something over the top for just one event.
Read moreThe Frannie Adventure Doll - Designing a Rag Doll
Over the last few months I’ve been hard at work developing a pattern for a Rag Doll. “Why a Rag Doll?” you might ask. Well the truth is that I’ve always loved dolls. I loved my barbies, I loved my china dolls, and I loved hand made rag dolls as well. When I was 8 years old, My Grandma Fran gave me her Bisque Baby Doll that she got when she was 8. I still have that doll. It’s a little worse for wear and needs some attention but I still have it.
I also loved making dolls and made quite a few as a child. It always gave me pleasure and I was infinitely fascinated by the process.
Read more1950's Dress Mending and Remodel
This is a quick little post to share with you my most recent garment renovation. Last year, my friend Joy gave me this darling vintage 1950’s turquoise dress. It was stained (on the front bust and neckline) but in decent shape otherwise. It’s been hanging on my rack waiting for a makeover. I knew right away, that it needed a neckline overhaul, so that it what happened after I finally decided to tackle it.
Read moreCreating a Mini (Early) 1930's Capsule Wardrobe - Part 2
This is the second installment of Creating a Mini (Early) 1930’s Capsule Wardrobe. What is a “Capsule” wardrobe? It’s a group of pieces that easily coordinate with each other. This dress along with the dress from my previous post use coordinating fabrics as well as accessories. Next in the series should be some interchangeable separates. I have a few other items in the queue so those pieces will have to wait a while.
Read moreCreating a Mini (Early) 1930's Capsule Wardrobe - Part 1
It all started last fall when a student asked me if I was interested in 40 boxes of donated fabric. It may sound like heaven but, think about all the space that takes up. What am I going on about? It was heaven. I sorted through everything, prepared it for sale (I love finding homes for unused fabric) and then picked a few things just for myself. Inside this treasure trove was a collection of lovely coordinating silks, wools and rayons that had just the 1930’s look, I’m gaga for.
Read moreSewing a 1940's Ensemble from head to toe - Brown & Yellow, who would have known?
Well, here we are in week six of our Shelter in Pace assignment. I’ve been very busy over the last few weeks, even though my teaching business has been minimized dramatically and I’ve taken on a whole new way of working. In the midst of this corona-crisis, my way of staying sane, is to sew. It’s really amazing how just focusing on a project, lifts my mood and makes me feel better.
Read moreVintage Adventuring - Updating my Tweed Sport Coat, Sewing a Jodhpurs and Finishing a Knit Vest
long for country living. Imagine a pastoral English countryside with sprawling hills surrounding a historic village. There are Corgi’s running around and gobs of standing stones…..well maybe that’s a bit much, but you get the idea, right? A good walk, and maybe some riding (I am wearing Jodhpurs after all) and then back to the lodge for tea or cocktails.
Read moreRecent Vintage Events - One Busy Weekend in Alameda
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of the Downton Abbey Movie as I’m sure some of you have been as well. It just so happens that our local renovated and Historic Alameda Theater was having a special event to celebrate the opening of the Film on Thursday September 19th. And as it happens, there were two other Vintage-y events happening the same weekend.
Setting my hair more than once in a week is unheard of. I usually only do it once a month or so. Ha Ha! I’m a vintage muggle most of the time. In any case, each event was worth it so read on to see and hear how the weekend went. I’ll give you a hint, I had a lot of fun!
Read moreTales of Gatsby Past with Plans for Gatsby Present - Sewing Costumes for Art Deco Events
With the Art Deco Society of California’s Gatsby Summer Afternoon right around the corner, I’ve been planning the outfit I’ll wear this time around. I’ve also been taking a little tour of Gatsby Afternoons I’ve attended in the past. They were filled with friends, fashion and a maybe bit of Champagne. I’ll warn you in advance, some of the photos are a little fuzzy. One can still see how much fun we had, however, so I hope you can enjoy.
Read morePattern Review - Sewing the 1930's Sportwear Set by Jem Vintage Patterns
A few months ago, my neighbor’s daughter brought me this gorgeous fabric (and tons more) when she was cleaning out her dad’s closet. The green corduroy and coordinating floral really caught my eye and I knew I wanted to make a matching set.
Read moreSewing my 4th of July Outfit + a Finished Sweater
During the week of Independence Day, I had the week off from teaching. What better way to celebrate than to get to sewing. I had just found a beautiful 1930’s style floral quilting cotton that coordinated with a blue and white fabric I’de been saving for a blouse. My plan was to re-make the Wearing History Smooth Sailing Blouse with a coordinating from the floral fabric.
Read moreInterview with Liz Gross, Owner of Xtabay Vintage
No trip to Portland is complete, to me, without a trip to Xtabay Vintage. This place is the Bomb! it’s so lovely and special inside and one can’t help but absorb that glamor that oozes from every corner. I was lucky to run into the owner Liz Gross, who was kind enough to grant me an interview. She’s owned & operated Xtabay for quite some time now and the shop (both in person and online) have become a fixture in the vintage clothing community. Read on to meet Liz and find out about this extraordinary business and woman behind it:
Read moreVintage Shopping In Portland Oregon
Every year my daughter & I go to Portland, Oregon, to visit my best friend, Angie and her family. It’s always one of the highlights of my year. Do you have a friend who just “gets” you? Well, Angie is that friend to me and she & her family always welcome us with open arms.
We both LOVE shopping and so does Emma, so it was fun day to be had by all, when Angie mentioned she needed to go buy some mirrors for the winery & tasting room, she and her husband, Matt are building. Their wine is really lovely by the way. Love & Squalor does a fabulous Riesling and they also make very special Pinot Noir for which they are gaining some critical acclaim. Go Love & Squalor!!!
Our first stop was Monticello Antique Marketplace. The building is very large and houses many little booths operated by an eclectic array of vendors with lovely pieces in every one.
Read more2019 Sacramento Tweed Ride - Sport Coat Revamp - Part 1
Tweed Rides have become popular around California and other parts of the US. What is a Tweed Ride you ask? That’s what a lot of people asked me when I told them my plans for that Sunday afternoon. Well, Tweed Rides seem to have a few things in common - Bicycles (mostly vintage), Downtown Streets and a bunch of people wearing Tweed. I’m not sure why all these people do this, but, as you may have realized, I really love an excuse to get dressed up and/or make an outfit for occasions like these.
Read moreJulie Ann Silverman - On Developing Your Own Style - Interview with a Fashion Designer - Part One
I recently had the opportunity to interview our new Fashion Illustration and Design Instructor, for the Fashion Studies Course, Julie Ann Silverman. She comes to us from Southern California where she has been a swimwear designer for the last 20 years. She is amazingly talented, and a wonderful Instructor. I’ll be breaking her interview into several parts as she has revealed so many little diamonds in this one interview, that it is too hard to absorb all at once. I love her take on developing your own style so read on below to find out more.
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