While I was working on my custom clothing certificate, . . . → Read More: Color Palette Resource]]>

One of the things I’ve noticed in myself and others is the haphazard way we go about buying or making clothes.  We buy something because we like it or we make something that looks interesting.  And then we wonder why nothing in our closets work together!

While I was working on my custom clothing certificate, I learned about creating color palettes for a “collection” (design speak for a mini wardrobe).  The main idea is that these palettes help set a mood for the collection and ensure that the garments work with instead of against each other.

As I look through my fabric stash, I have a lot of blues in various hues, blacks in various densities, and lots of whites from cream to pure white.  It is just a mishmash of fabrics that I bought (usually on impulse) because I liked them.

During our last Only Own Beautiful Clothes in 2012 virtual retreat (click here for February’s retreat and here for March’s retreat–the links will take you to my other blog), Brandi found a great color palette resource online.

Design Seeds posts several palettes every day.  Each palette is inspired by a photo or something in nature.  There are literally hundreds of palettes from which to choose.

Since I love blues (and they love me), I toyed with several palettes for my “Ladies Who Lunch” wardrobe collection.

Peacock:

Glittered Blues:

After discussing the options with The Mister, I decided to go with the Thistled Blues palette for spring/summer:

One of my favorite looks is a chiffon or organza dress or blouse that is demurely lined.  Do you think I could find any examples . . . → Read More: Vintage Inspiration of the Day: An Age Appropriate Sheer Dress]]>

One of the things I love about watching movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood is the costuming.  Even the poorest of shop girls always managed to wear fabulous clothes!

One of my favorite looks is a chiffon or organza dress or blouse that is demurely lined.  Do you think I could find any examples for this post?  Of course not!  But here is Barbara Stanwyck wearing a black chiffon or organza evening gown that gives a hint of what I’m talking about:

I’ve been wanting to make a sheer dress for when I go on daytime “dates” with The Mister but I’ve been a bit concerned because most of my movie inspirations were either too dressy or too youthful.  The chiffons I’ve seen in the fabric store were of the “flower girl” types or a bit too twee for someone my age to get away with wearing.

Retronaut to the rescue! On January 22, Retronaut posted a series of photos of Middle Aged Women from the 1960s.  And, lo and behold!  One of the women is wearing a sheer dress that has offered me a solution to my age appropriate dilemma:

Source: retronaut.co via Julie-Ann on Pinterest

I can use a graphic print!  This is an example of a modern graphic print from Vogue Fabrics:

Silk Chiffon Print from Vogue Fabrics

Since I’m more of a solids kind of gal, it didn’t even dawn on me to go with a graphic print.  To make it more interesting, the lining could be made from any of the colors that make up the print.

The next time I’m in the Fashion District, I will be on the lookout for a nice chiffon with a graphic print to go with my Only Wear Beautiful Clothes “Thistled Blues” color palette.

Anyway, I’m in that crazy state where I just want to nap but I can’t seem to fall asleep.  If . . . → Read More: Vintage Inspiration of the Day: Pretties to Help Me Feel Better]]>

I’ve got a sinus infection.  Again.  Mucking around in the dust and the constant air pressure changes due to the weather are the culprits.  And maybe a wee bit too much sugar on Sunday, too.

Anyway, I’m in that crazy state where I just want to nap but I can’t seem to fall asleep.  If the television were hooked up to the outside world, I’d probably be flipping channels from one bad afternoon show to another.  But we made the choice a couple of years ago to remove that influence/time waster from our lives and so I’m now wasting time on the Internet until I have the energy to do something productive.  Like the dishes.

So, I’ll just peruse some of my favorite sites and “pin” some vintage outfits that catch my eye…

Simplicity 3129; Personal collection

I’ve worn basic sheaths for what seems like eons, so I wasn’t concerned about whether that look would look good on . . . → Read More: Vintage Inspiration of the Day: Adapting a Basic Sheath]]>

In a podcast last summer about planning your wardrobe like a fashion designer, I mentioned that this Simplicity pattern would be used to create core pieces of my capsule.

Simplicity 3129; Personal collection

I’ve worn basic sheaths for what seems like eons, so I wasn’t concerned about whether that look would look good on me or not.  But I made up muslins for the bodice and the jacket to test the fit of the patterns.  Boy am I glad I did!  They looked awful on me because of the sleeve being part of the bodice (also known as a kimono bodice).

As I’ve been learning from the Clothes Make Magic series on Modern Retro Woman, my figure type needs strong shoulders to balance out my ample bustline and hourglass figure.  Strong shoulders means set-in sleeves.

My heart wasn’t set on the jacket, so I’m abandoning it and using the sheath dress as inspiration for a more flattering cut.  View C  (the grey one on the right) from McCall’s 2401 fits the bill!

McCall's Sewing Pattern #2401

The silhouette is basically the same but the cut is more flattering for someone like me.  This dress will give a more slender and taller illusion because there won’t be a waistline seam to break up the vertical movement of the eye.  In fact, the fisheye/close-ended darts will create vertical lines for the eyes to follow.  The set-in sleeve will make it easier to make narrow, sloping shoulder adjustments.  I will include 1/4″ shoulder pads to reduce the impact of my sloping shoulders.

One of the great “a-HAH!” moments I had when I was taking my first pattern making class is to look at the silhouette first and then work on the details within it.  We can take inspiration from vintage patterns but we don’t necessarily have to replicate them exactly to achieve our wardrobe goals.

Subscription feed for other players: . . . → Read More: Podcast: Only Own Beautiful Clothes Challenge]]>

In this podcast, I we continue our lessons from the Singer Sewing Book, published in 1949.  Today’s topic is the second lesson in making sure you are using the right fabric for your project.

Click here to listen to the podcast via direct download.

Click here to subscribe in iTunes

Subscription feed for other players: http://grandmassewingcabinet.libsyn.com/rss

Only Own Beautiful Clothes Challenge Virtual Retreat

This virtual retreat and year-long challenge are inspired by Solano of the Vixen Vintage blog.  On December 5, she wrote:

Sometimes I get asked this question: “How do you manage to wear beautiful clothes everyday?”  Short answer: I only have beautiful clothes.  

The Only Own Beautiful Clothing Challenge Kick-off Event

"The Plus in Your Wardrobe" Hollywood Patterns advertisement; "Ladies' Home Journal" January 1945; Image courtesy of Salty Cotton on Flickr.com

Whether you spend your days primarily at home, at school or in an office, you deserve always feel confident in everything you wear.  I am challenging my readers and myself to only own beautiful or confidence-inducing clothes in 2012.

The Only Own Beautiful Clothing Challenge kick-off event is a virtual retreat. When you attend a virtual retreat, you get to stay in the safety and comfort of your own home while benefiting from the personal development of a retreat.  Participants “meet” via telephone conference call before going off to complete their task.  Then everyone comes back together for a conversation before going on to their next reflective task.  It sounds absolutely crazy but previous participants of my virtual retreats swear by the process!

During this retreat you will learn how to:

• Identify your style icon
• Create your own style that showcases your personality
• Outline a wardrobe plan the same way designers create their collections
• Assess your current wardrobe
• Develop a year-long game plan for only owning beautiful clothing that is in alignment with your budget

Cost: $25

Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012

Location: The Comfort of Your Own Home

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Pacific Standard Time

Please adjust the time for your own time zone

Click here to register at my secure shopping cart

Lo and behold!  . . . → Read More: Vintage Inspiration of the Day: Early 1950s Simplicity Stoles]]>

I’ve been on a massive organization kick for the past week.  While digging around in our basement (burying the skeletons I found in the closet), I discovered that I have a lot more patterns than I thought I owned.  I won’t need to be buying any for a long, long, long time.

Lo and behold!  Look what I found!  A pattern from the early 1950s for various stoles!  I think adding it to my Only Own Beautiful Clothes collection was meant to be, don’t you?

The original owner traced the pattern pieces onto newspaper from the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Trenton Something in 1956.  Since I haven’t lived in New Jersey since the summer of 2000, I’m guessing that this pattern was part of my early vintage pattern collecting endeavors.

Simplicity 4477 Stoles pattern; personal collection

All of the views look like capes from the back, it is the front that is different.  I’m leaning towards View 2 because of the shawl collar, using hidden hook and eyes to keep it closed and to give it some shaping.  Views 2 and 3 have inner armbands to help keep it on the shoulders.

It is only partially lined.  I will probably line the entire thing and make several stoles to match the skirts and dresses I make in the collection because making it looks pretty straight forward.

Only Own Beautiful Clothes in 2012

By the way, there is still time to register for the Only Own Beautiful Clothes in 2012 virtual retreat (this link will take you to my other blog).

During this retreat you will learn how to:

• Identify your style icon
• Create your own style that showcases your personality
• Outline a wardrobe plan the same way designers create their collections
• Assess your current wardrobe
• Develop a year-long game plan for only owning beautiful clothing that is in alignment with your budget

We’re going to have a great time and hope you’ll join us!

This Vogue pattern from 1948 is for a blouse with tucked extensions in two styles.  The view . . . → Read More: Vintage Inspiration of the Day: 1948 Vogue Tuxedo Blouse]]>

I did a little “snoop shopping” while I was at the mall last Saturday taking advantage of a couple of gift cards and sales.  I noticed a couple of the better department stores had tuxedo blouses for sale.

This Vogue pattern from 1948 is for a blouse with tucked extensions in two styles.  The view with the lace gives more of an illusion of a tuxedo blouse than the other one.  I think it would look gorgeous in a georgette or chiffon.

Candidate #3: 1948 Vogue Blouse

Vogue 6296; Image from personal collection

Pros:

• On trend
• Vertical front seam and side dart will enable easier full bust adjustment
• Vertical optical illusion
• Back waist darts for shaping

Cons:

• Do I really want to draw attention to that area of my body???  Even without the lace, the tucks are a design feature that will draw attention to my overly abundant chest
• Buttons

What do you think?  Do you think it would draw too much attention to my chest?

Another goal for 2012 is to only own beautiful and/or confidence-building clothes by the end of the year.  This year-long challenge is inspired by Solano of the Vixen Vintage blog. On December 5, she wrote: