Fairyvintage

Victory Ball and Goodwood tickets

2012-05-01T00:13:00.001-07:00

The Victory ball was brilliant,full of glamour and beautiful vintage costumes. There is nothing like a full swing band to get people dancing! Photo below of my friends in their vintage inspired outfits at my house prior to the ball.

I'm also back from completing the Manchester marathon and in 1980s vintage :) as I did it dressed as Wonderwoman! I've also qualified for London next year ( my time was under 3hours, 50mins) so I need a new outfit idea for that....vintage obviously.

My tickets for Goodwood revival arrived too and the document holder is all in style so I've posted pictures below. My thoughts will now be turning to my husband's outfit .....

Reproduction vintage and buttons

2012-04-25T13:04:00.001-07:00

As I've started my collection of vintage clothing I've found myself realising that my figure and height etc is more suited to the older styles from the 40s than modern day clothes! For example, I bought some reproduction 1940s jeans recently from 20th century http://www.20thcenturyfoxy.com
And I'm loving have jeans with a waist! No more hip hugging jeans which are very unflattering. I also bought a Bettie Page inspired jumper with three quarter sleeves and a shorter body which sits perfectly on my waist - no more big and baggy jumpers that swamp me. Brilliant website with beautiful reproduction clothes and I'm addicted already :)

And now for some delicate work as I try to mend the buttons on my 40s wedding dress for tomorrow. Wish me luck as I feel very nervous sewing on something so beautiful and old.

My photographer....

2012-04-21T06:18:00.001-07:00

Nearly forgot to thank my photographer who is my 7year old aspiring vintage collector too , thanks Kimmy xx

Vintage ball outfit and hair

2012-04-21T06:16:00.001-07:00

So my outfit is also sorted now and I took some pictures today after the hairdresser played with my hair. Trying to channel Rita With my hair style :) I think Donnie from Rainbow Rooms in Stirling did a fab job!

Then my jeans also arrived from 20th century Foxy and they fit perfect so I posted some pictures too.

Shoes again and jeans

2012-04-19T23:59:00.001-07:00

My ballroom 1940 style shoes arrived and look perfect with my 1940 cocktail dress! Do pleased and now already for the Victory ball next week...I'll be taking loads of photos of all the vintage outfits next week and can't wait.

I have also ordered some 1940 replica jeans for my work and as soon as they arrive ill post a photo and more info!

Shoes

2012-04-10T12:03:00.001-07:00

With only 2 weeks to go till the 1940s victory ball I'm starting to panic about shoes! I did find some lovely 1940s inspired shoes which work well with everyday outfits (picture below) but nothing to match my cocktail dress!

So tomorrow I'm off to an antique shop in Stirlingshire to source ratings and shoes...I'll post lots of photos. In the meantime I welcome any comments on ideas for 1940s shoes ( I'm mainly thinking ballroom style sandals would work best?)

Knitted 1920s style knew lace finished!

2012-04-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

Hurrah I've finished the knitted knecklace. Really was rather fiddly and I skipped crocheting a chain as it didn't thread through the knitted beads! Sometimes you just have to improvise with these patterns and I used a single strand of wool instead.

Pictures below and I hope my friend likes her wee vintage inspired gift :)
X

Vintage life magazine

2012-04-03T08:26:00.002-07:00

Been unable to blog for a while as I started a new job full time on a children's farm as an admissions supervisor. Lovely place but my uniform is a hoodie and jeans - not very vintage! So I may have to look at getting some 1940s jeans... lots of new things have happened since my last post :

Very excited to find my picture in Vintage Life magazine this month both my own creation for Goodwood and the 1940s wedding dress for the victory ball in 2 weeks. Crazy seeing my picture in print!

My 1920s necklace gift is still in production and I've banned myself from starting my next project till then, but I'm off to a fabric shop in Glasgow tomorrow and I'm sure I'll come back with my next project!

Xx

A 1920s inspired necklace with a twist!

2012-03-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Been getting ready for a certain performance which is indeed vintage fashion related - but will blog on that at the end of the week...till then sssshhh i can't say a word ;)

In the meantime i've been working on a gift for a friend. It's a 1920s inspired knecklace with a twist, it's knitted! Yet again from a vintage inspired pattern book and very easy to make if not a tad time consuming.

All you need are 3 1/4mm needles and 4 different coloured wools. I've used the 4ply left over from the Pucci purse but you could mix and match and use any left over yarns. The pattern? cast on 10, knit 8 rows, cast off, sew together, fill with stuffing and voila you have a knitted bead :) I'm making 50, 10 of each colour which ill then attached to a croched chain.

Final picture should be ready by Wed as this is my deadline but in the meantime below is the picture that inspired it and a few of my beads.

Pucci style 1960s bag

2012-03-06T00:05:00.000-08:00

Late night last night finishing off the Pucci bag ( once i'm near the end of a project i can't stop till it's finished). 2 episodes of the BBC Sherlock later - brilliant series now on DVD and it's finished :) Ready for my mum in law for mother's day.

After knitting both pieces i decided on a purple satin liner as purple is one of my m.i.l's favourite colours. I had a train to catch to Glasgow first thing yesterday so i spent the journey attaching the lining to one piece. I then completed this last night on the other piece then simply joined the 2 together. The hard part was attaching it to the purse frame which involved gluing it in place and crimping the frame down tight. I really hope she loves it!

ps i used 4ply yarn in colours : ice, Rivera red, lime and amethyst using about half a 50g ball of each to complete the whole bag. Trying to capture the Mediterranean colours that Pucci was known for.

working on the go - attaching the lining on the train

Pucci style bag finished!

Lining

My first vintage fair and a 1940s dress

2012-03-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

What a day! Heard on the grapevine that is facebook, that a vintage fair called "Granny would be proud" would be taking place in Glasgow at a place called "Hillhead book club" ...sounded intriguing.
So myself and my daughter headed off for the day to find out more. We were not disappointed. Hillhead book club was a huge building ( found out it was an old cinema) off Byres st in Glasgow in the middle of all the city's vintage shops. Its actually a bar and restaurant with such brilliant quirky style and a fab friendly atmosphere. Upstairs the fair was taking place with vintage sellers from Club Noir ( selling old costumes) to stalls selling period shoes and bags. After a couple of cupcakes ( Oreo cookie flavour!) and lots of tea out of beautiful china cups, we decided to do a quick tour of the vintage shops in the area.

We popped across the road to "Starry Starry night" to see if any 1940s dresses had come in since our last visit.......and there it was, a beautiful grey silk 1940s dress - 1948 to be exact and actually a wedding dress. I tried it on and it fitted like a glove. Few stains , which is to be expected for a dress this old and some damage to the buttons on the back but this can be restored easily. I have tickets to a vintage "Victory ball" in April and this dress was perfect for such an occasion. £45 was the asking price and a steal if you ask me, photos below showing the detail as well.
x

HillHead Book club

my 1948 dress

"Ruby in the Dust"

2012-03-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

Found a fabulous vintage dress shop in my home town of Stirling today :

http://www.facebook.com/rubyinthedustvintage

Situated in the Stirling Arcade it had lots of beautiful vintage dresses, tops and accesories! One of the dresses that jumped out at me was a vintage reproduction 1950s wiggle dress with a strawberry patterned fabric and boned bodice....had to be tried on and i fell in love with it for my vintage dance class tonight :)

I also need to add that the customer service was also fabulous which makes all the difference, really recommend this treasure of a find in Stirling!

I've attached two photos , one a bit closer so you can see the cute strawberry patterened fabric.

Can't wait to go dancing now ......

Chanel

2012-03-01T03:20:00.000-08:00

Just finished reading a beautiful book about Chanel , full of the most fabulous photos.

I adore Chanel and she is without a doubt my fashion icon, I even adore Karl Largafield and how he has evolved the label. For my 30th birthday a while back i was very lucky to given my own set of Chanel pearls ( see the photo below next to the book) and i wear them whenever i want to feel empowered or just up the glamour, I would wear them every day if i could!

I feel the next project already developing in my head - a Chanel inspired outfit and i've found the very one i'd like! Now this would be advanced sewing and i'd have to make my own pattern! scary stuff! But these Pucci purses need to be finished first so it will have to wait a couple more weeks.

Aprons

2012-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Still knitting away at the Pucci purses but in the meantime i had an hour free today so i made a very basic apron for my little girl...and then went on to make one for myself :)

It was very easy and used some old fabric i found ...basically i cut out a simple apron shape, hemmed it and sewed on a pocket ( every cook needs a pocket!) I then hemmed some pink fabric which i had cut into a long strip, this i then attached to the top of the apron. I personally made the ribbon very long so it could be double wrapped around the waist and made into a bow at the side. I went on to customise my little girl's apron with an extra bow.

Very simple, very fast and i hope you agree it looks cute!

New project

2012-02-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Well Mothers day is soon so my vintage inspired brain has turned to presents for mother's day....Having searched through some old vintage knitting books i found a lovely pattern for a Pucci/Missoni style patterned purse - so that's it decided.

Glass of wine in hand, Brits on TV i started on this new project and below is a picture of the first test square for my design. I've used 4ply pure wool yarns and chose the colours i thought would clash in that Pucci /Missoni style! let me know what you think and i'll post pictures as i go along....just don't tell my mum or my mum in law!

Chris Evans!!!!!

2012-02-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

How crazy this morning at 7am to hear my name mentioned on Radio 2 by Chris Evans! Always been a big fan and had a guilty crush on him so to hear him announce that i had finished my dress for Goodwood was crazy! Someone who shall remain nameless ( hem hem!) had emailed a picture and info on my project to the radio show....v funny to hear it on his "breaking news" but i was chuffed and found myself giggling all day ...

link still on hear for a few days and its 30mins into the start of the programme after the 7am news!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p2d9w the "flipping pancake day" programme 21/2/12

He was right though i've completed my outfit way ahead of schedule...so my mind has known turned to the next project......

My dress

2012-02-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well after my vinatge shopping i really got down to business and worked all Sun night to finish my own dress made to a 1950s pattern....and its done! its finished! woohoo can't believe it. The petticoat i picked up in Glasgow worked perfectly underneath and i teamed it with a hat i also picked up ( which i adore!)

Posted a quick picture here and please excuse the amatuer style to the photography but i couldn't wait to post a picture of it completed. I've posted a picture from the early stages of the lining sewn together and then one of it all finished :) so happy

I'm now hooked - im a vintage girl and i will slowly rebuild my wardrobe around these designs, this is just the start!

Vintage shopping in Glasgow

2012-02-20T05:58:00.000-08:00

Had a superb weekend vintage shopping in Glasgow.

Love my children but i left them at home this time and off i set via Starbucks to live in the 1940s/50s for one day :)

First stop was Great Western rd - a 40minute walk from Glasgow Queen st station ( using my gps and ignoring the locals advice to "just get a bus"- wheres the fun in that?) and staright away i found a beautiful shop called : "The Glasgow Vintage shop" already i was in wonderland! handbags, scarfs, shoes and staff that leave you alone to rumage. Straight away i saw a dress i loved and tried it on....white, full skirt with pearls, 1950s BEAUTIFUL! however, too "wedding" for Goodwood and i'm already married so no need for another white dress for that occasion. However, as this was the first vintage id tried on i realsied how they had tiny waists and bigger chests in that generation. Luckily im a serious runner ( marathons are my thing) so even after 2 kids and being in my 30s i was still able to fit the smaller dresses, however, i do lack in one department and all i can say is thank you to wonderbras!

Next stop was a street i'd heard about called "Bryes rd" and wow trun off down the lanes and you are transported..."Starry Starry nights" being my fav shop here. No photos were allowed in this shop but i found one 1940s silk cocktail dress, dove grey, small tapestry style sequens and wow tiny buttons down the back...it fitted perfectly! i was in love...but for Goodwood? unsure and at £45 i had to think as this would be half my budget ( still needed hats, petticoats etc for the outfit im making) i walked away from it but still two days later i'm thinking about this dress and i may go back for it.......

Next stop and on a manaquin in the middle of the shop was a beautiful blue dress, again 1950s....i walked around it to look at everything else first but i kept going back to it...when i saw another customer also look at it i felt protective - so it had to be tried on. Again meant to be fitted so well it was scary, completes the outfit with some white gloves and voila i felt Goodwood ready! please let me know what you think but i bought it there and then. I also picked up a petticoat for my project dress, some silk scarfs and a handbag...i was on a roll i wanted to wrap myself up in the romance of it all.

Thank you Santa!

2011-12-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Been on an internet ban for Christmas - but wow what a time and how lucky was i...thanks to Santa!? i have a brand new sewing machine! Very excited to crack on now with the project...even have the fabric , a beautiful purple taffeta and lining to match.

Tomorrow i will start with cutting out the pattern pieces and post up pics ...ooh at last im starting to create!

Muff

2011-12-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

Inspired by listening to Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" i decided to make a muff to keep my hands warm now the snow has landed in Scotland. I also came across a beautiful photo of Marilyn with a white muff ( real mink though :o)

I wore a beautiful velvet cape with a fake fur lining for my wedding 10 years ago and had cut it down for my daughters christening. It started to look sad sat in my wardrobe and was now unwearable...so how could i reserect it? well making it into a hand muff seemed a perfect plan.

I started by sewing the fur trim into a muff shape then lining it with the velvet from my hood so every time i used it i remember the feeling of wearing it on my wedding day x I then added the detailing from my cape which looked beautiful i hope you agree. My hands were also lovely and warm and i did get some admiring glances when out and about this afternoon....especially from my daughter who has now requested i make one for her! this i will do and we can wear them with pride when we go ice skating next week in Edinburgh gardens.

Vintage inspired bunting

2011-12-10T00:28:00.000-08:00

Spent an afternoon in a fab fabric shop in Glasgow today ( next week ill hit the vintage shops in Glasgow - can't wait) i came back with fake fur and vintage style Christmas fabric.

The fake fur is for muffs which i've started on for both myself and my little girl and i'll post about them tomorrow - the fabric is for bunting for the hallway and i started late last night cutting out with crimping scissors lots of triangles which i'm now gluing into ribbon. Pictures below but very easy to do.

knitted hearts

2011-12-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting like a crazy person these last few weeks so sourcing fabric has had to go on the back burner!

Since i posted a picture up on my facebook people have been ordering hearts to be knitted - happy to do so via this blog also and post out - can be candy cane stripes or just red and all cinnamon scented ..picture in previous blog post ( £4 each plus p and p) so please feel free to comment on the blog below if you would like any knitted in time for Christmas!

I have bought myself rollers though and have taken to rolling my hair and putting up in 1940s styles which i'm loving ....i think my family have got use to seeing me even cooking now in rollers - very vintage housewife i must say :)

Pattern arrived!

2011-12-01T06:07:00.000-08:00

Hurrah my pattern arrived today for my 50s inspired dress! So i now need to source the fabric and get sewing. I'm also on the look out for Christmas fabrics to make some vintage inspired bunting. In the meantime i've been knitting like a mad woman - people have been asking to buy my knitted scented Christmas hearts :) i have another 10 to make by next Friday!

Vintage magazine

2011-11-29T03:29:00.000-08:00

So excited when the postman arrived this morning...a beautiful new Vintage magazine arrived :) and i haven't stopped reading it/looking at the pictures since and im so inspired again. The model on the front is stunning and inside she can be seen wearing the most fab velvet clock which i know want to make for the winter!

I've been very busy with work recently so haven't had time to really source the materials i need , however, I have been knitting vintage scented hearts for the Christmas tree when it arrives....looks like it will be a vintage inspired Christmas this year in my house ( thanks to Michael Buble's fab cd also!)

Vintage crafts and "My week with Marilyn"

2011-11-27T00:58:00.000-08:00

Started my evening last night at my friends house with Martini cocktails before going to watch "My week with Marilyn" at the cinema and i's an amazing film! Michelle Williams as superb as Marilyn and i now need to get out all my dvds and fall in love again with Marilyn's films. Lovely pencil skirts worn throughout and beautiful high heels!

Prior to the cinema my friend also impressed me with her latest craft - vintage cake stands! She has been collecting vintage plates and then sticking them together using sherry glasses to make mini cake stands and they look beautiful - i've posted a picture of a couple and notice my martini at the side :)