Jennifer Lauren Vintage

Me Made May - Week 3

2013-05-20T12:47:00.003+12:00

Another Me Made week down!

I don't know about any of you, but it's starting to get harder to get dressed in the morning. I find myself checking my instagram far too often to figure out if I've already worn a combination before or to make sure that there have been sufficient days in between before I can wear the same piece again.

It's been great for forcing me to think a little more creatively about what I wear each day, to pull out those Me Mades that don't get any wear and to not just throw on the same old thing each day. But it's definitely becoming a challenge.

All I can say is, thank goodness for cardigans and their ability to transform the same outfit into something new.

Day 14 -
It's started to get much cooler in the evenings here now. Today I invented a new fashion - pj's under dresses. Comfy and warm!

Wearing - Polka Dot Billie Jean

Day 15 -
I can't even remember what I did that day... but I really like those shoes.

Wearing - Self-drafted Grey Circle Skirt

Day 16 -
Today you got a bonus glasses shot. No, they are not 'for show'. I wear them all day every day so I can see you :)

Wearing - Stripes and Stripes Dress

Day 17 -
I did baking today. I made a gluten free version of these. Yum.

If you plan to make them, put chocolate chips into the muffin batter as well. You won't regret it. Promise.

Wearing - Self-drafted Black Circle Skirt

Day 18 -
It's Saturday! We went to look at art and made an impromptu stop at the Australian Museum. They have snakes and lizards there. Awesome.

Wearing - 60's McCalls Wool Skirt

Day 19 -
Mostly couldn't be bothered getting dressed today. But I did get a lot done. Watch out for a bunting tutorial coming up on the blog this Friday (with a free downloadable pattern I drafted!).

Wearing - Vogue Violet Wrap Dress

Day 20 -
Ahhhh Monday, we meet again.

Wearing - Self-drafted Blue Circle Skirt

Jen

Tailors Ham 101

2013-05-17T17:29:00.001+12:00

You guys - I made ham!

Okay, I made a tailors ham. But it was still delicious to make. Simple and I used up some fabric scraps to boot.

I used this free pattern from Chance of Rain (bonus, it also has a kidney shaped ham and a sleeve roll, all in one) and also mostly followed her tutorial.

Since I didn't have any sawdust to hand, I did some research on whether I could just use poly-fill, and found that while you can, if you want to be fancy and do it like the pro's, sawdust is the stuffing of choice. Fabric scraps are widely regarded to be just as good, but your ham may need re-stuffing in a few years since they squash down over time (have any of you had any experience with this?).

I also ended up using 5 layers of fabric in total. The inner layer is calico/muslin, the bottom layer is a scrap of vintage rosey pink wool left over from this skirt and the top is a scrap of floral fabric left over from this dress, as well as the underlining from it. The scrap I used still had the under lining attached so I just went with it and thought that it would give some extra smoothness to the finished ham.

I managed to find my sawdust from a pet shop, but the smallest bag they had was 1 kilo. I still have enough to make a sleeve roll and a several more hams from it I think.

Also, just a quick note when stuffing your ham with sawdust, it's best to do it outside. I ended up with it all over the courtyard, myself and Monty, who was innocently snoozing in the sun. To be fair though, it was windy...

xx
Jen

Patterns and Spots

2013-05-15T12:59:00.000+12:00

So, something quite exciting happened a few weeks ago. I was asked to be a pattern tester for a new indie pattern company that Abby was starting called Blue Ginger Doll. I was quite chuffed to be asked really. I've never done any pattern testing before (except for my own adventures in pattern drafting) and so I jumped at the opportunity to be involved.

I received a lovely big package in the post a few weeks later that turned out to be the pattern for Abby's first dress, the Billie Jean.

It's a truly lovely pattern to work with. I didn't really need to make any alterations besides the ones I normally have to make to most patterns.

I did end up pinching a bit of excess out of the neckline though, probably about 3cm all up. The dress straps are designed to sit off the shoulder but I wanted to be able to wear the dress as an 'every day' dress and so needed to be able to wear a bra without the straps showing.

This is really very easy to do - simply cut out the front pattern piece in a muslin, place it on yourself or your dress form and pin the shoulder straps where you would like them to sit. Pinch out the excess on the neckline evenly on both sides, iron the excess down so that you have a flat pattern piece and redraw. Do the same for the back pattern piece so that the shoulder straps line up. You will need to slightly true up your pattern piece around the neckline after that, but it's really very minimal.

I made version 2 of the dress but made the skirt less full. My version is made from a light cotton black and white polka dot fabric and is lined in the same fabric.

The Billie Jean dress is Abby's first pattern and is available for pre-sale at the moment in both downloadable pdf and paper variations. Check out her website for other variations of the dress, you'll see that it's really a great pattern for mixing and matching different fabrics and styles.

xx
Jen

Me Made May - Week 2

2013-05-13T12:35:00.000+12:00

Time for my weekly Me Made May round up! Follow along daily on Flickr or Instagram.

Day 7 -
Simple and comfy for a day of running errands. I actually wear this combination a lot in real life (not just Me Made May life).

Wearing my self drafted blue circle skirt.

Day 8 -
Blending in nicely with my background.

Wearing my 7 Bloggers 1 Dress Burdastyle dress.

Day 9 -
I'm still mad at the plaid, but I really like this dress so can't stay mad at it for long.

Wearing my Mad at the Plaid dress.

Day 10 -
Felt very uninspired today.

Wearing my 60's McCall's Rose Wool skirt with self drafted belt tabs.

Day 11 -
Ahh, nothing like freshly washed hair and a sunny, warm Sydney autumn day to get out of a rut. Also, my first repeats of the month.

Wearing my S leeveless Jasmin Blouse and Self-drafted Red Circle Skirt.

Day 12 -
Sundays are for sewing (and making gluten free lemon meringue pie!!! Major sugar overload...).

Wearing my first Afternoon Blouse and Self-drafted Black Circle Skirt.

Day 13 -
Feeling uninspired again today and my face looks weird in all the photos that were taken. Below is the best one. Maybe this is what it always looks like on a Monday?

Wearing a Self-drafted Floral Circle Skirt. (I'm thinking about cutting my hair that short again too. I am in major need of a hair cut!)

How are you doing so far in Me Made May? We're nearly half way through, can you believe it?

xx
Jen

Tutorial: Replacing Facings with Bias Binding

2013-05-11T17:20:00.002+12:00

I've mentioned before that I love bias binding. I especially love using it in place of facings on arm holes and where appropriate, neck lines. It moulds nicely around curved edges and leaves you with a lovely clean finish on the inside (and outside!) of your garment while reducing the bulk that facings can sometimes leave.

I have a tutorial on how to make your very own bias binding here.

Supplies:

Bias Binding (the required length depends on the facing you are replacing)
Pins

Optional - Needle and thread (if you are not going to machine topstitch your binding down)

*Note - in the pictures below I am replacing the neck line facing but I did also replace the arm facings on this dress.

Steps:

1. Right sides together, pin your binding along the closest ironed line to the facing area you are replacing. Pin all the way around and leave about 1 inch loose at each end (ignore the fact that I didn't leave said inch in the photo below!).

2. Once your binding is pinned all the way around, pinch the loose ends of bias binding together (right sides together) and pin.

*Note - I forgot to take photos of steps 2 & 3 on the dress and so recreated them later. I just realised the binding is pinned to the wrong side of the fabric on these though! Sorry!!

3. Sew ends together along the pin. Trim seam allowance and iron flat.

4. Machine stitch your bias binding in place following the folded line you have pinned down.

5. If you don't want any binding showing (as in the headline image), fold the binding all the way over your raw edge, iron and pin in place. You can then either invisible hand stitch the binding in place or top stitch using your machine.

*Note - As I used an underlining on this dress, I hand stitched my binding to my underlining using a whip stitch instead.

If you want to make a feature of your binding, fold it down around the raw edge of your garment so half of your binding is exposed. Hand stitch or machine stitch as desired. An example of where I have done this is here.

And, that's it!!

Jen

That's a {Violet} Wrap {Dress}

2013-05-08T14:36:00.003+12:00

Please don't ask me how I come up with those post title gems...

This pattern has been sitting in my pattern stash for at least a year (probably longer). I fell in love with the violet dress on the front as soon as I saw it, but the only problem was that I just couldn't seem to find the right coloured fabric! It needed to be a violet wrap dress. No other colour would do.

Needless to say, I found the right fabric a few weeks ago, but guess what? It's actually cotton quilt backing! I know, I'm such a rebel.

I firmly believe that you can go ahead and use quilting cottons (and backings!) if they fit with the style of garment you are making. If the garment calls for a stiffer fabric, then go ahead and walk straight over to those quilting cottons and gush as much you like!

Also, the best thing about buying quilt backing for a project? You get twice the amount of fabric for the same price because it's folded over double on the bolt. You really can't lose folks.

While the dress itself was relatively simple to make up, I spent so much time on hand sewing I could cry. I really really didn't want to lose the clean lines down the front of the dress by top stitching my facings in place by machine, and so I did it all by hand. If I didn't know how to do an invisible hand stitch before, I sure do now. But just look at that hand stitching! Oh wait, you can't...

I also added some purple hem lace to the front line of the skirt. This was actually lace left over from our wedding and I still have a bunch of it in all sorts of happy colours. I really love the result and think my next few garments will probably all have lace detailing of some kind on them. Need a tutorial on how to do this? Let me know in the comments.

Last but not least, I swapped out the arm facings for bias binding. I have a tutorial on how to make your own bias binding here and will have a tutorial on replacing arm facings with bias binding on the blog on Friday!

So, tell me, have you ever used quilt backing or quilting cottons for a garment? Did it turn out well?

xx
Jen

Me Made May - Week 1

2013-05-06T13:32:00.000+12:00

Okay guys, here is the first round up of outfits for Me Made May. You can follow daily on Flickr or my Instagram!

Day 1 -
Off to a good start. A polka dot wrap blouse and self-drafted black circle skirt.

Day 2 -
Hmmm - realise that taking photos everyday is going to be hard when your photographer needs to leave in the mornings. Hence, a lesser number of photos was taken than necessary resulting in a uni-foot in all head to toe shots.

I thereby declare all Thursdays to be renamed 'Uni-Foot Thursday'. Now there's a theme for #MMMay13!

Wearing my sleeveless Jasmin blouse.

Day 3 -

A bit chilly this morning - vintage cardi's were at the ready. Then a beautiful afternoon, thanks Sydney!

Wearing this floral 50's dress made back in October for spring, but it's actually the perfect autumnal dress. Still love the colours in this floral cotton lawn.

Day 4 -

O Hai Unifoot. Fancy seeing you here again, it's not even Thursday...

Wearing my self-drafted red circle skirt.

Obligatory sunnies shot - where you can't even really see the sunnies...

Day 5 -

Finally finished my 60's Vogue violet wrap dress last week and wore it on Sunday (will be blogged this week!). I love this colour, must add more violet to the wardrobe!

Day 6 -

Sleepy Monday eyes this morning, but I've made it through my first week of Me Mades! This dress is the first version of the Simplicity floral dress I wore on Day 3, but with added pleats!

How was your first Me Made week?

Jen

Tutorial - How to Make Bias Binding

2013-05-03T01:25:00.005+12:00

I love bias binding. I use a lot of the stuff in my garments so therefore, I make a lot of it.

Making your own bias binding is easy as pie and it's extremely useful for all sorts of things. I tend to use it in place of arm facings on sleeveless garments a lot. I think that using bias binding reduces bulk around the sleeve and leaves you with a lovely clean finished edge (and check back next week for another handy tutorial on how to do just that!).

As I am just finishing up making a 60's violet wrap dress, with which I am predictably replacing the arm facings with binding, I thought I'd photograph the steps I used so that you can make your very own.

So first up - what is the bias?

The bias is the diagonal line that rus through the cross and length wise grains in your fabric. The bias is nice and stretchy, making it perfect to mould around circular edges like an arm hole, without bunching or pulling at your fabric.

Supplies:

Large square of fabric cut on the grain (mine is about 30cmx30cm however, it doesn't matter if you can't make yours that big as we end up sewing our bias strips together to make one long one)
Fabric Scissors
Ruler or seam gauge
Marking utensils
Iron

Optional - An awesome bias binding thingy (this is what I'm talking about! You can get them in a bunch of different sizes). But you can make bias binding perfectly fine without one and I show you how to do this below as well.

Steps:

1. Fold your square in half on the diagonal and lightly press.

2. Your lightly pressed centre line will be the line that we will base all other bias strips off and it will become the centre of your first (and biggest) strip of bias binding.

At this stage, you need to decide how big you want your finished binding to be. I personally like a binding that ends up being about 1cm when it's all folded, but you can make it any size you need. The rule is, if you want 1cm showing at the end, times that length by 4 and that is the width you want to mark out.

Measure out your widths using a ruler or seam gauge using your centre line to base off all measurements.

Note: for this binding, I wanted it to be slightly smaller and measured out 3.2cm so my finished binding ended up as 8mm.

3. Draw in those lines that you've marked. You can then mark the rest of your bias strips right next to each other, there is no need to leave a gap. Now you are ready to cut your strips!

4. Once you've cut your strips, square up the ends of your binding to make it easier to sew them together.

5. Place your strips, right sides together, at a 90 degree angle. Sew across the 'square' they make along the diagonal.

6. Trim your seam allowance and press open. You have now joined your strips together.

7. Continue joining them together until you have your desired binding length. Now you can use your handy dandy bias binding thingy to pull your bias strip through and iron as you go.

OR

If you are using the iron, fold your binding in half (wrong sides together) and press lightly. Then fold your outside edges in, lining them up with the centre crease you made earlier. Iron them down.

8. Once your outside edges have been folded in towards the centre (either by using your bias binding thingy or just your iron), fold your binding in half again and iron flat. Ta da! You have just made your very own bias binding. How clever you are!

Now you can wrap your binding around a piece of card or on to an old wooden bobbin (that would look cute!) ready to use when you need it.

Making your own binding is a really great skill to have. You can mix and match colours to make neat details on your garments, use it in place of facings, make bunting, use it to make pretty twirly patterns on dresses...the options are endless!

You can, of course, buy your bias binding, but why would you when it's so easy to make?

xx
Jen

Note:
Don't be afraid to mark your fabric on the underside in a more permanent way when marking out your binding (I used a ball point pen in this tutorial so that the lines showed up in the photographs).

I used to be petrified to mark my fabric with anything more permanent, but the truth is, if you do it correctly, nobody will ever see it. I find that chalk rubs off too quickly and easily for my liking and I would rather have accurate markings that stay where I need them to than have them rub off half way through ending in me 'winging it'. Just remember, if you are using a light/sheer fabric, choose your marker accordingly.

May Day...

2013-05-01T13:20:00.000+12:00

It's the first of May which means two things - it's the start of Me Made May and it's my birthday in 28 days.

I made this little wrap blouse about 2 years ago and for some reason, I always forget that it's in my wardrobe. I don't know why because it's a very sweet little top, but it does wrinkle like crazy! I got the fabric in a random bundle of fabrics from a thrift store back in NZ a few years ago, so I'm not exactly sure what it is, but possibly a cotton/rayon mix due to the drape and softness of the fabric.

I'm wearing it today with my self-drafted black circle skirt that I finished a few weeks back.

In other news, I finally finished my violet wrap dress last night. If I didn't already know how to do invisible hand stitching, I certainly do now! It will be making an appearance on the blog next week.

The pattern

Mid-construction

Finished lace hem detail

Check back on the blog for Me Made outfit post round ups on Mondays, but during the weeks I will be posting them on flickr each day and probably on Instagram as well.

How is the first day of your Me Made challenge going?

xx
Jen

Sewing Your Cake (and wearing it too)…

2013-04-29T11:42:00.000+12:00

A snippet of my sewing space. That strawberry tart was delicious by the way...

The term ‘cake’ has been flying around sewing blogs for a little while now, and I wanted to weigh in on the subject too (because, you know, why not!).

Cake mostly refers to those garments that form staples in your wardrobe. From simple everyday skirts and blouses to dresses for work and other everyday activities. These ‘cakey’ pieces are sometimes talked about as being ‘boring’ pieces to sew up because they are plain and are meant to mix in with the other various pieces in your wardrobe. They don’t necessarily stand out by themselves.

Icing (or frosting, if you live in America) are those pieces you make that you might, realistically, wear either once or never in some cases. They are those fun pieces that you make out of expensive silks, they have huge pouffy skirts, or long flowing tails. They have plunging necklines or strapless bodices. They have sparkles and bows and are fun fun FUN to sew up! And let’s be honest, they are what make us want to sew in the first place.

I really do love the icing, but spending so much time making a garment that you may only wear once or twice just doesn't appeal to me so much anymore. I want functional pieces that work well day to day and that I can wear hundreds of times in lots different ways.

I’m pleased to say that I think I’ve been sewing up some major cake recently. I’ve made a number of different skirts that have become staples in my wardrobe almost as soon as I finished hemming them. And while they aren’t necessarily all that interesting to post about, they do make getting dressed in the morning a lot easier to do.

I have more yummy cake pieces coming for the winter months as well - I’m attempting to make my first pair of pants - eek! Any helpful suggestions most welcome.

And while we are on the subject of cake, I am taking part in Me Made May for the first time this year! Here is my pledge:

'I, Jen from Jennifer Lauren Vintage, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavour to wear one me made garment each day for the duration of May 2013 with a round up of outfits each week'

There are nearly 300 of us participating in some way or another which is totally amazing! I love knowing that there are so many people walking around wearing their own garments.

So, tell me, do you enjoy sewing cake or would you rather just get on with the icing?

xx
Jen

PS) In other annoying news, you are all probably aware that Google Reader is shutting up shop soon (Bah Humbug!!!). I have switched all my feeds over to Feedly (widely regarded to be the 'next best thing' compared to Reader. It's fine, but it's not Reader...). But I know that many people are switching to Bloglovin as well.

Even more annoyingly, Bloglovin wants me to 'claim my blog' by posting some code onto a post. I don't know why that's how you have 'claim' it, it's already mine after all and has been for some time. But begrudgingly, here it is...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Tutorial: Pretty Bow Belt

2013-04-26T12:49:00.000+12:00

Bow belts are so easy to make and can add that pretty little detail to any outfit to finish it off. They are also great for using those scraps of left over fabric you have that you aren't quite sure what to do with.

There are endless options for customising your belt as well. You don't have to make the belt from one single fabric - mix it up and have a different coloured bow and belt, or a different textured knot on the bow.

You can also just make the bow part of this tutorial and use it as a decorative feature on any number of projects from head bands, pillows and cushions, hair pieces, shoe clips...the list is never ending.

So let's get started...

1)

You will need three rectangles of fabric. I used a smaller seam allowance of half an inch but you can add a standard seam allowance of 1.5cm (or 5/8") to all of your pieces (or more or less) as you see fit.

Belt -
Length = measure your waist and add 2 inches (or more if you fluctuate in this area quite a bit) plus your chosen seam allowance. (FYI - the belt in the image above is cut off, it runs much longer on each side!).
Width = 4inches plus your chosen seam allowance

Bow -
Length = 13.5inches + seam allowance. Width = same as the belt

Knot - 2inches x 2.5inches + seam allowance.

2) Fold all pieces in half length wise, right sides together. Lightly iron.

3) Sew the knot along the raw edges lengthwise only, leaving both ends open. Back tack both ends and trim seam allowance down. Turn rightside out.

4) Sew the bow together along the raw edges leaving a hole in the middle. Back tack and trim corners.

5) Turn the bow right sides out one side at a time. Use something sharp to poke the corners out (I used my scissors, but be careful if you use these as sometimes they can poke a hole in your corner!)

6) Iron the bow and the knot flat. At this stage you can choose to hand sew the middle opening of the bow shut, but you don't need to as you will be hiding it in the next few steps.

7) Fold the bow in half. Measure 2.5inches from the loose ends and sew a straight line down, remembering to back tack at each end.

8) Open your loose ends out and push the fold down as per below. Iron flat.

9) Pinch the bow together in the centre. I like to fold my bow right sides together and then fold the edges out to get a nice even crease.

10) Wrap the knot around your crease and secure at the back with a few hand stitches. Voila! You have now made your bow!

11) If you are using interfacing on your belt, apply this now. Then sew raw edges together, from one end of the belt to the other leaving a small gap (this needs to be big enough to turn your belt in the right way!). Clip corners.

12) Turn your belt in the right way and iron. Close the gap you left with a few invisible hand stitches. Tack the bow onto the belt at one end.

13) You can choose any number of different closures for your belt. I used a bar and hook because that is what I had on hand, but you can use buttons, hooks and eyes or snap fasteners. Use what ever you are comfortable with.

14) Ta da! You just made your very own bow belt.

If you make one, I'd love to see it! Let me know in the comments or send me an email - jenniferlauren.is@gmail.com

xx
Jen

Edited to add - you can use interfacing on all pieces, not just the belt, for a stiffer/crisper finish :)

Stripes and Stripes

2013-04-23T13:50:00.001+12:00

Yay, I've finally finished another of my WIP's! I started making this dress back in January and finished it a week or so ago. It's a pattern that David gave me for Christmas 2011 and it's number 1 on my Sewing List (which I think needs updating now...).

I decided to cut the bodice on the bias so that the stripes angled down diagonally like the cover image. To stop the bodice from stretching out because of my cutting it on the bias, I underlined it with a plain white cotton which gives it some much needed stability. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have had enough fabric to also cut the skirt on the bias as well, but I quite like the contrast of the different angled stripes on the top and the bottom.

The pattern called for a bow on one of the shoulders of this dress. But since it's getting cooler here now, and cardigans will soon need to be worn with this dress, and I didn't want to look like I had a lump on my shoulder, I decided to make my own version of a bow belt instead to finish off the look.

I'll have a tutorial on how to make your very own version of this bow belt at the end of the week! They are so simple to make and are great for using up those little scraps of fabric that are left over after finishing a project (I made this one from some of the left over fabric from my black circle skirt).

I ignored the facings for the arm holes, as I usually do, and this time around also ignored the neck facing. Instead, I used black bias binding on both for a neater finish on the inside. I took photos as I did this and will have a tutorial coming up for how to do this in the next few weeks (it's so very very easy by the way!).

Speaking of tutorials, I've been busy working on lots of new content for this little old blog these past two weeks. I've really enjoyed being able to focus on all of the different crafty things I do and also have the time to photograph, write up and share some of the sewing knowledge I've built up over the years. I really hope they will be helpful for some of you either new to sewing or who are wanting ideas on new ways of getting your sewing projects finished.

xx
Jen

Lately...

2013-04-20T15:15:00.000+12:00

I started making my first ever pair of pants ~ insert trembles of fear here ~. Unfortunately, I need to make muslin round two. How predictable...

Monty helps me sew. I have it on very good authority that he is handy with a needle and thread. I am yet to see this in action. Will report back.

Yum!

Taking a break from The Pants and making a violet wrap dress for the autumn instead.

Instagram - jenniferlauren3

XX
Jen

Going Green...

2013-04-15T17:17:00.000+12:00

I've been sick for over a week now. I'm not normally a sick person and so I'm very very much over the incessant coughing and general stuffy-ness of this particular sickness. But I have to admit, it's been great for my sewing!

I made another Afternoon Blouse in a vibrant apple green cotton voile and finally finished a black circle skirt I had cut out in February.

I've also finished a striped black and white number I started back in January (number 1 on my sewing list - photos to come soon) and started a 40's blouse made out of a mint green polka dot cotton. It's really rather lovely and I can't wait to show you!

Yesterday I left the house for the first time in three days to explore and take some 'finished sewing project' photos. After about three hours of being out, it was nice to go home, curl up and feel sorry for myself on the couch again.

Does being sick help your sewing along at all?

XX
Jen

Monday Monday...

2013-04-08T12:19:00.000+12:00

So, I did a really scary thing recently (well, for me anyway!). I quit my job. I don't have another one lined up. And, I'm quite happy about that...

These past few weeks I've been head down, bum up getting through the remaining time at my job, and today is my first Monday of not answering to anyone else but myself in years.

Some of you clever people have already noticed the Etsy mini that has been sitting in my side bar since the beginning of February. Yes! I've finally reopened my shop!

Bunny Pillowcase

Little Girl Pillowcase

Wind Up Mouse Pillowcase

Puppy Pillowcase

I'm not doing clothing at the moment, though that may change (I have ideas...). I am instead focusing on home wares with a 40s/50s childrens illustration focus. My current 4 designs are all hand embroidered, but I am working on the same designs (and so many more!!) using the faster method of hand painting which in turn makes them more wallet friendly. And while I only have cushion covers up at the moment, I will also have tea towels and tote bags available soon.

I was also very very honored to be contacted by the Etsy Australia team who invited me to take part in a product photography day. My shop had literally only been open for only a few weeks so it was exciting that someone had taken notice without me doing all that much to publicise it. It was an awesome day and I got to meet some amazing people who are currently running their own shops in Sydney as well.

I was also recently contacted through Etsy and invited to take part in my first ever market! It's in June and I am looking forward to spending some time crafting and getting things ready.

The reason why I hadn't done a 'proper' blog post about it was because I am in the process of making more items. But time waits for no woman and so while they aren't up yet, I decided it was high time to share what I had been up to. I'll let you know when new products go up over the course of the next few weeks.

And now that I am on my own time (how glorious!), I am crafting and sewing to my hearts content. This makes me so happy. I've been saving and saving and saving and waiting for this moment for so long and now that it's finally here it seems a little unbelieveable.

This first Monday is going to be very sweet. I think I'll now actually start to look forward to them :)

XX
Jen

An Old Hat Box...

2013-03-09T16:36:00.002+13:00

Well, I certainly didn't mean to let the whole month of February pass by without a post. And who can believe we are a quarter of the way through March already?

These past few weeks have seen almost zilch in the sewing department completed. I've half heartedly tried to finish a few of my WIPs (I totally ironed a half finished skirt last weekend!) but I haven't really been all that enthused about any of them. It also doesn't help that I've started lusting after a few newly invented projects that I really really need to start otherwise-the-world-will-probably-end!!!

So, moving on to other projects that do not involve any sewing, but are no less satisfying and that I've actually finished! I bought this poor little old hat box at a market at the beginning of my Christmas holidays last year. The outside was a little battered, the bottom was kind of falling off, the leather binding was almost non-existant and what was there was cracking and broken. But the inside was in quite incredible condition for its age, no staining or rips. And it matched my other brown suitcase. And I was sure they would look the perfect pair sitting together in my bedroom.

After

The inside wasn't absolutely perfect, it needed a small amount of work, but not much. I glued the falling down fabric back to the side, trimmed the frayed edges and then lined the inside edge with new chocolate brown grosgrain ribbon. I also lined the back of the snapped leather straps with the ribbon so that they joined together again and the top would stay up when opened.

Before

On the outside, I carefully glued the bottom back to the sides and left it for a few days to dry with a brick on top to weigh it down. I then glued what was left of the leather binding back down on both the bottom and the lid. I was thinking about trying to find some more leather to redo the binding, but I think it looks perfectly pretty in it's own tumble down way so I think I'll leave it.

This pretty little case now has enough strength to stay together and house a few of my cardigans until autumn comes calling (which won't be long now, considering it officially began on the 1st of March!).

XX
Jen

The Afternoon Blouse

2013-01-27T17:56:00.003+13:00

Thanks so much for all of your comments on my plaid dress - it's quite reassuring to know that we all seem to be in the same boat when it comes to sewing with plaid. We love the outcome, but it's a long hard slog to get there!

Let's talk about this blouse that I've named 'The Afternoon Blouse'.

I have to honest, I've always been a bit envious of those that seem to be able to whip up garments in a day (or a matter of hours!). I've never been able to do that. I could probably whip up a circle skirt relatively quickly in a day if I wanted to (or desperately needed to), but because I like to take regular breaks and my time is limited, my garments are usually made up over a few sewing sessions.

Having said that, I was really quite proud of myself when I made this blouse from start to finish on Boxing day afternoon last year. This is number 2 on my sewing list now complete.

The blouse was really very simple and quick to make up. I made one change in the pattern which involved pinching out quite a lot of fullness from the bust area (about 2 inches) before tracing my pattern ready to use.

You can't really tell because of the fabric, but the little front button detail is very sweet and makes the blouse look a tad more difficult that it actually is. In fact, my button isn't actually even a working button. The small v-neck is just big enough to make this a 'pull over' blouse with no zips or closures.

I plan to make a few more of these in plain fabrics so that the front button detailing is more of a feature. The circle skirt is one I made last year.

I'm really interested to know how all of you like to sew - is it short sharp bursts like myself or do you prefer to complete your projects in one go?

Jen

Mad at the Plaid...

2013-01-13T16:44:00.000+13:00

I made it through my first week back at work barely, but I made it! It's also been incredibly hot this week, we've been faced with 41 degree heat in Sydney (that's 105.8 farenheit) and there have been major fires across Australia, especially inland where it's been even hotter. It's much cooler today which is a relief (the cats are also much happier) and David comes back from the USA tomorrow (he has been at conferences and academic-y things for the past 10 days) so hopefully the coming week will be a little more bearable.

Enough complaining, let's talk about the dress!

I worked on this dress in stops and starts for a few weeks towards the end of last year. We were quite busy during those weekends celebrating things like 30th Birthdays and 2nd Wedding Anniversaries.

I love plaid/tartan but completely understand why I don't often sew with it - it makes me mad. Getting everthing to match and line up is time consuming and, let's be honest, a real pain in the bum! It also doesn't help when the plaid I'm using is rectangular as opposed to square, but that's what you get when using fabric from your stash that you thrifted years ago for about $4. You can't have it all.

Wow! I got the back to line up!!

I have to admit though, that despite the time consuming nature of the fabric, I am quite chuffed with how it turned out. Especially where the shoulder straps line up with the bodice. I think it's also a lovely detail the way the plaid in the straps is angled before coming into a nice matching line down the bodice front.

I'm not as pleased with the bias waist band though and really should have tried harder to make sure I started with the point of a rectangle in the centre top as opposed to the middle of one. I didn't really have enough fabric to recut the waist band but the print itself, luckily, is busy enough to compensate for that. You live and learn.

Overall I really liked the pattern. I was worried about the bodice fabric bulging out the side of my arm pit because there are no side bust darts in this dress, but it sits really nicely. The bodice is fully lined with the same plaid fabric and the waist band is underlined with a plain white cotton (which I highly recommend if you are cutting this on the bias - it gives the fabric more stability.)

Overall I really love this dress. I wish I could have made the skirt a bit fuller but there just wasn't enough fabric, I added as many pleats in the skirt as I could!

I think it's going to be a great transitional piece as we head into autumn this year, and it works well as a summer dress that's more work appropriate. I can now tick n umber 3 off my sewing list!

Do you use plaids in your sewing often? I'd love to hear any tips you have for making it less 'a pain in the bum' if you have them!

XX
Jen

The Sewing Year in Review...

2013-01-06T13:20:00.001+13:00

Thanks so much for all of your comments on the new blog look!

I've spent the past few days working on Etsy shop items and watching (and finishing in 2 days...) season three of Downton Abbey. I'm pretty sure the shop will be up and running at the end of January and I can't wait to get back to it again. It will feature embroidery and 40s inspired design and that's all I'll say :)

I'm dreading heading back to work tomorrow, I've made so much progress on three new sewing projects (including 2 from my list) during the past 2 weeks. It will be sad to break my sewing routine and struggle to find the time to do it again (as always). So in light of the sewing projects ahead in 2013, I thought it would be fun to do a 2012 Sewing in Review. I sewed much more towards the end of the year after coming back from Europe feeling refreshed and ready to tackle my sewing machine again (and perhaps use some of the pile of fabric I bought back from Paris).

The last two items I haven't yet managed to get up on the blog yet, but I'll be posting them soon!

January:

Black floral circle skirt made from vintage cotton.

February:

Floral v neck dress with added pleats.

May:

Colette Patterns Jasmine Blouse and blue circle skirt.

June:

Grey circle skirt.

September:

Blush pink wool 60s a line skirt with added belt tabs and buttons.

October:

Floral v neck dress with added waist band - number 5 on my sewing list.

November:

Red circle skirt.

December:

Plaid 50's dress with added pleat detail - number 3 on my sewing list. Blog post coming.

50s floral blouse - number 2 on my sewing list. Blog post coming.

So that was my sewing year in review, not too bad in my opinion (though not as good as some of you!!). It was certainly the year of the circle skirt for me and I've just begun making a black one (I can't believe I've gone this long without a black circle skirt...).

The one really great thing I can take away from my sewing last year is that almost all of these items have become things I wear regularly. It's always nice to know that I wear the things I make!

xx
Jen

A New Look for a New Year...

2013-01-01T16:05:00.000+13:00

Happy happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great time saying good bye to 2012 and hello to 2013. We had a lovely relaxing evening with friends at our place before wandering down the road to watch the fireworks off the Sydney Harbour Bridge at midnight. A glass of champagne, a bit of cleaning up and then to bed.

I also hope everyone was spoilt on Christmas day. We spent it eating and watching movies while I got started on making items for my Etsy shop which I plan to reopen at the end of the month (!!).

I'll be posting a little 2012 Sewing Review in the next few days but first wanted to announce my blog make over and name change (as some of you have noticed already!). It's something I've really been meaning to do for a very long time now but just hadn't gotten around to it.

I've updated my name from Pretty Little Pictures to Jennifer Lauren Vintage and updated my web address to www.jenniferlaurenvintage.com. You will still be redirected through to my new address from my old one though (www.the-paperdoll.blogspot.com).

I'm still working on some of the stand alone pages but in the next few weeks I'll hopefully put a Tutorials page and a Sewing List page up as well (having my to do list posted has been great in helping me to stay focussed on current projects rather than get swept up in the anticipation of new projects).

And speaking of Pages, I'm planning a whole new Links page too. Some of the links I currently have are really out of date, so if you have any suggestions of blogs to read (or think your own might fit nicely in my links section) just let me know in the comments.

I have to say a huge thanks to Tasha for the design, she was amazing with my endless questions and really made the whole thing go so smoothly. If you need anything done design wise for your blog (Blogger or Wordpress) give her a shout!

Again, Happy New Year lovely people! I hope the year holds everything you are wishing for and more...

xx
Jen

The Countdown to Christmas...

2012-12-02T21:12:00.000+13:00

Christmas is just a few weeks away and I'm sooooo excited! I love Christmas. I was a bit 'meh' about it for a few years there but it got me again with all of it's happy festiveness and paid days off from work. We've already seen a few Christmas cartoons and watched A Christmas Carol. Below are a few Christmassy snaps from my instagram this weekend...

The mini tree is up and the presents wrapped, now we just need Christmas morning...bah humbug!

I've been sewing in stops and starts over the last few weeks on this dress. But as I type, I only have a few small hand sewing bits and pieces to finish and then it's done! It looks a little Christmassy non? Proper photos to come next weekend.

We had a major heat wave on Friday and Saturday and little Mocha-bee and Monty-moo didn't quite know what to do with themselves except lounge around the house only getting up every few minutes to change positions below the fan.

And I may have let The Bee have a small taste of this Christmas pudding ice cream to cool down. Monty wasn't interested.

Mini Chrismas pudding truffles!!

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

XX
Jen

Two Years...

2012-11-21T20:51:00.001+13:00

Two years ago, I married the love of my life...

Happy Anniversary, I love you.

XX
Jen

Lady in {a} Red {skirt}

2012-11-16T22:22:00.000+13:00

Yup, that's right, I'm totally a Lady (in a red skirt...).

I actually finished this self-drafted circle skirt a few weeks back and it's quickly made itself a staple in my wardrobe. I've worn it at least once a week since I made it - pretty and functional, perfect!

And on a totally different (but red related) note, did you know Christmas is only 5 weeks away? Yay! Not that I'm counting or anything though...

XX
Jen

ps) It was David's 30th birthday 2 weeks ago and I surprised him with a weekend away in the Hunter Valley and I made him an awesome 1Up Mushroom cake.

Note to self - don't use a crumbly cake when you need to make the cake look pretty.

Second note to self - probably not a good idea not to embark on a cake decorating career.

Vintage Pretties - London

2012-11-11T18:03:00.001+13:00

1950s polkadot ball gown - I love this dress!

I took these photos at the V & A in London. They had a ball gown exhibition happening when I went (and I see they have a costume exhibition coming! I wish I lived a little closer to London...) and while I wasn’t allowed to take any photos in that area, they had a great little pre-exhibition set up where photos were allowed.

The inside of the bust of a couture Christian Dior gown...

Suits by Balenciaga - including a miniature day dress, cute!

Christian Dior miniature day dress

Don't you love the miniature dresses? Couture houses made these as mock ups before they would actually make dress in full size.

I hope your weekend is going well - I have baking, cooking dinner and sewing on the agenda!

xx
Jen

Vintage Pretties - Paris

2012-11-07T20:05:00.002+13:00

While I didn’t actually buy any vintage pretties in Europe (I was sad to leave behind a beautiful blue 50’s dress in Paris due to its teeny tiny waist!) I did take lots of photos for sewing inspiration.

The photos below are from the Puces de Saint-Ouen (Paris’s largest and oldest flea market). It was amazing to wander the tiny passages and walkways filled with knickknacks and treasures. I walked away with some lovely French Marie Claire magazines from the 30’s and 40’s. They even had a small vintage wedding gown exhibition happening. Swoon...

A gorgeous 1940s wedding dress

Stunning delicate lace shawl from the 1920s

My FAVOURITE dress of all - I have several photos of this dress, it is just beautiful...

Wedding dresses in the window...

Later in the week, vintage pretties from the V & A Gallery in London.

It's so nice to see beautiful creations up close! It's especially useful to inspect how they were constructed for help with my own sewing - though I wish I could have kept them all...

xx
Jen