Va-Voom Vintage

How to make a Hocus Pocus-Inspired Black Flame Candle Ornament

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:40:00 +0000

Today’s ornament is inspired by the classic Halloween movie favorite, Hocus Pocus. This candle is made of a real wax candle but I’ll show you how to make an easy black flame with a metal base that you can clip onto a branch of your Halloween tree or wreath. In the movie, the black flame candle was made from the skin of a hanged man so this dollar tree candle gets cut down and painted to look old, grimy and maybe…a little gross.

You will do some carving into the wax too. The original movie prop has a lot of intricate designs carved into it but this ornament is pretty small and I don’t know about you, but my carving skills are somewhat limited. So I had fun coming up with my own simple carvings for my miniature version.

I carved some parallel lines into the top and bottom to form a border and then decorated the rest of the space with a crescent moon, stars, lines, arrows and X shapes. You can use a craft knife and/or a sewing pin to carve small enough lines into the wax. Bring out your carving details with acrylic paint, which is painted on and quickly wiped off the surface, leaving paint in the carved grooves.

You will need:

A cheap taper candle

A craft knife

A sewing pin

Yellow, brown and black paint

Hot glue

An alligator clip

A Christmas ornament ball hanger for the base, just remove the hook

Follow along with my full YouTube video for this project and if you enjoyed this post, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

DIY Nightmare Before Christmas-Inspired Oogie Boogie Man

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:26:00 +0000

On a good year, there’s not ton of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood but 2020 was a particularly unexciting year for candy hunters. My kids were still pretty young and I wanted to think of a fun way to make Halloween special and exciting that year. I rummaged in the basement and found an old white Christmas tree that was pre-lit with blue lights, half which didn’t work anymore. My husband and I clipped all of the lights off and my Halloween tree was born. We picked up some orange lights for a gorgeous cozy glow at night. Instead of door-to-door candy, I put together a Halloween bucket full of candy, halloween trinkets from the Target dollar spot and a spooky kids movie on dvd.

I found a few Halloween ornaments at Dollar Tree but I wanted some unique things so I tried making some of my own. This guy was one of my first home made ornaments. I want to make a tiny burlap plushie version but this flat felt oogie boogie was quick and easy with some pretty basic craft supplies.

For the woven fabric, I used creepy cloth from Dollar Tree, which you can often find this time of year for use as spider web decorations. It’s very lightly and messily woven and a few layers of it gives the right effect.

You’ll also need some black and cream colored craft felt, thread or yarn for his stitches and hot glue.

Download my free printable pattern from Dropbox here and follow along with my full video tutorial on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this project, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

How to make glitter shaker Ouija planchette ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 22:52:00 +0000

At age 7 or 8, my sister and I gathered some neighborhood friends in our basement on old sofas draped with grandmas colorful crocheted blankets. My grandpa had built a really cool projector television using instructions from an old magazine in the 70s so it was like having a big screen television in the days when they were still quite unaffordable. We watched a tv-recorded video tape of Beetlejuice followed by an early 90s performance of Cirque du Soleil on repeat, munching popcorn like it’s was our own personal movie theater.

It was my grandparents house originally and the basement still had stacks of bird cages from when grandma raised canaries, big shelves full of pantry staples and a massive Pegasus and rainbow mural on the wall that my artist mom painted in high school. I imagined her hanging out with friends down there as a teen.

We found a remnant probably from those days in the form of a dusty Ouija board and proceeded to scare the hell out of ourselves by dusting it off and holding seances. Where did we come up with these ideas? I don’t know but Beetlejuice probably didn’t help. These things either terrify people with the fear of perpetual bad happenings after use or you figure it’s harmless mass produced board game. I don’t know how you feel about it but fortunately for us kids, no harm was done after our horsing around.

Such a simple thing, made of wood or plastic is often the start of the scariest ghost stories so today, I wanted to share to make your own Ouija planchette ornaments but with a little of the sparkle that my childhood self loved. I designed the print myself and you can print them out at home on tee shirt transfer paper. I’ve never tried transfer paper on craft felt before but it worked so well with nice sharp lines in the design. If you make black planchettes, make sure to use transfer paper for dark fabrics and vice versa for the light fabrics. Check your instructions that come with the transfer paper for individual considerations while you’re making these. I designed regular and mirror image versions so you’re all set for whatever transfer paper you choose.

Download your free planchette transfer from Dropbox

Transfer for dark fabrics

Transfer for light fabrics

For this tutorial, you will need:

Craft felt of your color choice and tee shirt transfer paper for either light or dark fabrics

Glitter

Hot glue

Ribbon

Large google eyes

Again, my clever husband, Pj pulled through for me with the great googly eyes idea. I told him I needed some kind of clear bubble situation for the center. We scoured craft stores and dollar tree looking for the perfect thing and he found a bag of multi-sized google eyes and I said that’s the thing we need. The backing pulls off of these so easily and you just remove the black pupil and you have a perfect little bubble. I’m excited to thing of more uses for these for other miniature projects.

Gather your supplies and join me in my full YouTube video tutorial for Ouija planchette ornaments.

If you enjoyed this project, check out my series 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

DIY Nightmare Before Christmas Mayor Ornament

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:44:00 +0000

My birthday is September 30th and since it’s so close to spooky season, I had the chance for some great birthday party themes as a kid. My mom is extremely creative and artistic so for my 10th birthday, it was a Nightmare Before Christmas theme. She made an amazing cake that looked like the curly hill and we had lots of home made decorations. We watched the movie and told ghost stories and my dad banged on the window during a particularly scary one and sent us all screaming down the hallway. My sister and I were Sally and Jack for Halloween that year and mom made the best costumes.

As a kid, Sally was the best. She sang pretty songs, had beautiful long red hair and I loved her spirit. But as an adult, the mayor is my guy. He’s a high anxiety planner, he’s always checking his face and reverting back to that smile when he actually wants to grimace. He’s relatable. Yeah, he’s literally two-faced but he shows his support and rallies the people for Jack even though he’s not sure how this whole Christmas thing is going to pan out. Gotta love the mayor!

Today I’ll show you how to make your own two-faced mayor with his tall black hat. Download your free pattern from Dropbox. I recommend printing this on cardstock or tracing the face pattern onto a cereal box or something so you can paint it.

This tutorial has us hand painting the faces but it’s all very simple shapes. You’ll need a very small brush for the details, along with black felt and hot glue for the hat.

Follow along in my full YouTube video tutorial and if you enjoyed this project, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

How to Make Spooky Egg Shell Diorama Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 00:08:00 +0000

It’s day 4 of 13 days of Halloween ornaments. Today’s ornament comes from my backyard chickens and my childhood!

When I was little, my mom had some of these egg shell ornaments that she made in the 70’s. I always loved the tiny things inside the fragile shell. She was always an amazing artist and she’d paint beautiful scenes inside with a tiny bush. I thought they were absolutely magical.

One year, she taught my little sister and I how to blow out the inside of an egg shell and made our own. I loved setting up my own little scene and being trusted to paint the fragile shells myself. We stored our ornaments in foam egg cartons to protect them and I still do that with mine today.

For this tutorial, you will need:

Eggs

Acrylic paint and tiny brush

A pin or needle, craft knife and a bamboo skewer

Small pointy scissors such as nail scissors or embroidery scissors

String for the hanger

Small trim for around the outside edge of the shell

Some little figurines or other miniatures to go inside or you can paint a scene of your own

Using the pin, poke a hole into the top of the egg shell. Keep the egg in a bowl while you work, in case it breaks. Use the pin to try to flake off a little bit of the shell to make a hole big enough to fit the skewer. You can also use the blade of a craft knife to do this. I twisted my knife while applying gentle pressure to try to drill out the shell a bit. Repeat on the other side of the egg

Insert your bamboo skewer into the hole and break the yolk inside. Try to swirl the skewer around a bit to lightly scramble the egg. Wipe off the outside of the shell and while holding the egg over the bowl, put your lips up to the shell, sealing around the hole with your mouth and blow the insides into the bowl.

Run water from the faucet into the egg, give it a shake and rinse out the inside. I do this a few times, blowing the water out just as I blew the egg out to make sure it’s clean.

Using the pin again to gently poke a hole into the side of the egg. I definitely broke one when I did mine so have a few extras, just in case. And don’t feel bad if you break some, you can still cook up those eggs into a quiche or bake with them! Use a pair of craft scissors or nail scissors to carefully cut an oval window into the side of the egg. Trim this out as large as you like. And if the edges are a little ragged, it’s okay. You’ll cover them with the trim later.

Now wipe your egg dry inside and out and paint it however you like. When dry, you can pad the inside bottom with a little foam or craft felt or even cardboard to give a flat surface for your miniatures to sit.

When it comes to decorating, the sky is the limit. Actually…the size of the shell is the limit but you get the idea! I used craft moss inside of mine and a miniature headstone and raven but you can use Halloween florals, 3d print or sculpt your own minis or even use paper cut-outs to build your scenes. I kept some tweezers handy to help me get the fiddly bits into the shell and hold them while the hot glue cooled.

When the scene is finished, glue some trim around the outer edge of the opening to finish the edge nicely and glue a loop of string on top to hang it. You can thread your string through a bead so the bead can be glued in place and hide the knot.

Follow along with my full video tutorial on YouTube and if you enjoyed this project, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

13 Days of Halloween Ornaments | Miniature Witch Cottages

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 00:01:00 +0000

It’s day 3 of 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments and today we’re making miniature witch cottages. When I was little, I loved making tiny paper houses for our Christmas tree. My sister and I always tried to replicate houses in the neighborhood or add funny things to the scene. We used colorful cellophane for the windows and they looked like stained glass.

But it’s spooky season so we’re making witch cottages with black paper, textured shingles and swampy yards with eerie trees and graves,

For this tutorial, you will need:

Black cardstock

Glue

Moss

Bits of twigs or dollar tree branches

A small piece of chipboard or cereal box

Brown paint

A tiny bit of parchment paper or tracing paper

Download your free printable pattern for these cottages from Dropbox

Follow along with my full video tutorial on YouTube and if you enjoyed this project, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

13 Days of Halloween Ornaments | Retro Felt Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 23:42:00 +0000

It’s day 2 of 13 days of Halloween Ornaments and today I have a trio of vintage inspired felt ornaments for you. I actually designed the pattern for these a few years ago. My daughter’s history teacher set up a Halloween tree in her classroom and I made a set of these for her tree. Download your free printable pattern for the pumpkin, cat and owl from Dropbox.

This set is made by hand sewing the pieces in layers. There’s some fussy cutting and lots of hand stitching but I always like to sew or have some other hand work while I relax and watch tv. I rewatched The Midnight Club while working on this tutorial and it got me thinking about how much I loved Christopher Pikes books as a teen. Since my kids are teens now, they don’t like to do a lot of trick-or-treating but we have a few small, wrapped gifts under the Halloween tree instead. They each have a Christopher Pike book under there this year, with the cool 90s cover art, of course. I secretly hope they become fans so we can collect all of them! Were you into spooky books as a kid?

For this tutorial, you’ll need:

the free pattern download

Black, Orange and white craft felt

Black orange and white thread

White and dark orange embroidery thread

Some string for the hangers

Follow along with my full video tutorial on YouTube and if you enjoyed this project, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

Check tomorrow for Day 3 of 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

13 days of Halloween Ornaments Day 1 | Miniature Trick-or-Treat Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 01:24:00 +0000

This week, I’ll be sharing a tutorials on how to make 13 Halloween ornaments for your tree. Some of these ornaments may be turned into brooches or used in miniature Halloween scene.

Today, we’re going to make a miniature trick or treat bag filled with bon-bons, candy bars, lifesavers and licorice. If you come up with ideas for your own mini candies, please tag me on socials, I’d love to see! I designed a free printable download for you for the Jack-o-lantern bag and the tiny chocolate bar labels. Download the printable trick-or-treat bag from drop box here.

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrXXUGvsNOSVgybyzBk5qArqkI6XAm-LzIWxS6_LwjBphoCPz8LyDn4A9WYnQYpWndJSbQYMiosPDcJQ3n-j_vD38AExFePaNpERFR4rXN7Yb6nFugYg7yQEp6Q9EidwmZFme3XvmG-yDXj0J-qPIYWSBjzkCI1RbyCcMiAdP79j9H2tviNZcxJNMEdnh/s1837/IMG_4457.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

Cute out your pattern and use a bone folder or other flat tool to crease sharp fold lines. Use white glue to glue the tabs and clip the seam closed while the glue dries

To make the chocolate bars, fold the labels into thirds and fold a strip of aluminum foil to fit inside the labels. Glue the strip of foil in place, leaving a bit of excess hanging out the ends of the labels like a real chocolate bar. Glue the labels closed.

To make the bon-bons, roll foil into very small balls. Roll the foil balls into small pieces of mylar and roll them up in a tube. Twist the ends tightly to seal them. Trim the excess mylar.

To make the lifesavers candies, line tiny colorful seed beads up in a row on a piece of clear packing tape. I’m using clear gorilla tape, which is a bit thicker and easier to manage than typical packing tape. Use a tool to push the bead row to the edge of the tape. Roll into a tube shape and tightly twist the ends to seal. Trim the excess tape off the ends.

To make the red licorice candy, cut small pieces of thin red yarn and pull the plies apart. Line small pieces of it along a strip of the same clear tape. Fold the tape over and seal it in the package. Trim the extra tape.

Cut a small length of cord and glue it into the sides of the bag to make a handle. Fold up a piece of the mylar and glue it into the bag to make a bag filler

Ext, arrange your miniature candies in the bag and glue them into place.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I’ll be sharing a new tutorial tomorrow for 13 days of Halloween Ornaments.

You can follow along with my full video tutorial on YouTube and if you enjoyed this project, check out my series, 13 Days of Halloween Ornaments

Outfit: My Tilly and the Buttons Coco Tunic

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 00:16:00 +0000

For about a year now, I've been trying to build a more wash and wear wardrobe. I love my delicate vintage dresses but I find myself wanting easy things I can slip on and get some housework done. I spent last summer sewing several things that are retro style but comfy and one of my favorite makes so far is this tunic from the Coco pattern by Tilly and the Buttons

. This pattern was a great buy for someone on a budget like me because it has the option for a dress/tunic or a blouse, funnel collar or no collar, pockets or none. I love patterns that you can mix and match to get different looks from the same pieces. This turned out so cute, I'm planning to make several more. I think it would be adorable with tights and 60s style boots but in February in St. Louis, pants work just fine! After sewing this and thrifting several other black and white stripe tops, I've but a stripe ban on my closet for a while but I also sewed this one as a top in polka dots and it turned out pretty cute!

My brooch is also a me-made thing. I found this funny will return sign at Hobby Lobby in the jewelry department. The hands move so I can change the time. It cracked me up and I thought it would be the perfect brooch.

5 Red Lipstick Alternatives on a Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 14:02:00 +0000

It's a new year and great time to try new things. Last week I cleaned out my vanity drawers and took stock of my makeup. I realized I had a lot of red lipsticks but I really wanted to try something different. I popped into Ulta and picked up a few non-red shades to sample. I like to wear peachy and pink colors with my 60s looks. I usually wear NYX Stockholm, which will forever be a favorite.

Here are 5 alternatives to red lipstick to try. Since they're all $6 and under, you can sample a few hues from these brands and see what you like.

Wet n' Wild Megalast in "Don't Blink Pink"
Wet n' Wild Megalast Matte lipsticks (in addition to NYX matte) are my tried and true go-to lipsticks. They have some gorgeous reds in the same colors as high priced brands with great staying power. Some people don't care for the dryness than comes with matte lipsticks but I slick on a little lip balm and it does the trick. I don't typically go for pink lips but I thought it would be fun to try something totally different so I went with Don't Blink Pink. This is a bold pink with high pigment and solid smooth application. I still don't know if I like this color on me but I think it would be amazing on darker or olive skin tones.

Wet n' Wild Silk Finish in "Sunset Peach"
If you don't like the dry matte formula, try the silk finish formula for a creamier texture, wash of color and a light shimmer. This is a great sheer peachy coral for daily wear.

Elf Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in "Pink Umbrellas"
As a teen, I wore so much lip gloss, you could see yourself in the reflection of my lips. These days, I tend to stick to matte lips but I thought I'd give this a try. I absolutely love this beautiful lightweight color! It adds a little natural looking blush to a colorless lip and its light, creamy and sheer, not sticky like a traditional gloss.

NYX matte lipstick in Indie Flick
I can go on and on for days about NYX cosmetics. I've never tried anything from them that I don't love. With the quality of MAC and the price of ELF, you gotta love NYX. Indie Flick is my favorite lipstick of all time. This bright orange/coral appears exactly as it is in the tube with a deep, heavy pigment and light feeling formula. These lipsticks have great staying power and aren't as drying as Wet N' Wild. With a great price, you can try the whole range of colors.

NYC Expert Last in "Coralista"
NYC is the brand I always turn to when I've misplaced something or I'm out of town and forgot to pack my liquid liner. Although NYC is a really cheap drugstore brand, these lipsticks are highly pigmented with a nice creamy texture. They have pretty good staying power as well.

Outfit: Baking in Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Winter is my favorite time of year to bake! The oven heats this tiny house up so much in the warmer months so I like to pull out my Pyrex and bake as much as possible while it is still cold out. Every month I stock the freezer with homemade waffles, breakfast sandwiches and burritos for Pj's work week and snacks for the kids like mini pizzas, zucchini muffins, and banana bread.

I really do wear aprons while I bake. I'm very messy and I often wipe my hands on my lap so the apron catches all of that flour and wet hands. I found this cute blue gingham apron at an antique shop in my neighborhood. They always have such cute vintage linens. Although I don't display my vintage tablecloths very often, my aprons are all lined up on a rack in the kitchen. I usually wear a durable (not so cute) canvas apron for daily housework but this one matched my outfit too perfectly to not take it for a spin today.

These vintage metal canisters are one of my favorite things in my kitchen. They belonged to my Great Grandma Alma and she had them on her countertop for years. I remember her dipping her hand in the flour to make her famous buckwheat pancakes or rum cake for Christmas. Now they sit on my counter with her little grey metal box full of her handwritten recipe cards.

After baking, I had some leftovers for lunch while I got caught up on The Crown. Last night I made Romanian Stuffed Peppers and Savory Cheese Pie, both recipes from Jo Cooks. Her blog is one of my favorites for recipes! These stuffed peppers are so good. They've been on my regular rotation for quite a while! I even found the right kind of peppers at a local-global foods grocery store but I've also used regular bell peppers and they're fantastic. Perfect for a cold winter night.

Can you really download 83,500 vintage sewing pattern on wiki?

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 17:49:00 +0000

For some, its the excitement of those beautiful dress that you could make at home. For others, it's the chain e-mail of Facebook. Your friends send it, its in every sewing group. I won't link to it because it doesn't need to be shared anywhere else, you've already seen it 20 times this month. It's the article about wiki releasing all of those vintage sewing patterns ripe for downloading!

Let's talk about what the Vintage Sewing Patterns Wikia is and isn't. Even though you can't download 83,500 patterns from it (bummer, right?!), how you can use it and even get patterns from it...because it really is a cool thing!

The Vintage Sewing Patterns Wikia is a collaborative effort from sewing pattern collectors over the globe to categorize and document patterns that are 25 years and older. They upload images of the covers and descriptions. Each entry has spots for blog posts reviewing the patterns so you can see what they look like when sewn and if the person who made it has any tips for you as you navigate sewing the garment. Some entries also have links to purchase the original paper patterns from various sellers online. The people who have contributed their time, knowledge and effort to this project are amazing!

What the Vintage Sewing Patterns Wikia isnt:

It is not a source to download a massive collection of vintage sewing patterns.
Someone wrote an article with a very misleading headline and it has spread like wildfire all over social media. Many patterns are still under copyright (I'm looking at you, Vogue) and scanning/remastering these delicate paper patterns for the general public would be an unbelievably big undertaking. Sorry, you can't download the patterns. There's just photos of the pattern covers.

There are loads of downloadable and even free vintage sewing patterns online, just check out my free patterns page but you won't find them on Wikia.

What the Vintage Sewing Patterns Wikia is:

An amazing resource to date your sewing patterns. Search by the pattern maker and number and you can easily find the date of your sewing pattern. If you need something for a very specific event such as reenacting, this is a wonderful tool to make sure your dress is accurate to a specific time period.

A massive database of style inspiration. I love to look at vintage magazines and patterns to help me put together outfits. Use the database to find outfit ideas for vintage events, your vacation ensembles or just daily wear. Sewing a swimsuit this summer? Just type the decade and swimsuit into the search bar!

Build your pattern collection. If your're looking for rare sewing patterns or something out of print, you can often find a link to buy the paper pattern through the wikia. You can even add patterns to your wishlist so users can contact you if they have a copy that they're ready to sell. These are original vintage paper copies of the patterns although you may occasionally find a vendor who has some downloads but most of them are not.

If you're looking primarily for PDF download patterns, check out Mrs. Depew Vintage, Wearing History, Charm Patterns by Gertie

Connect with others. Check out the comments and forums to connect with other vintage sewing enthusiasts and get help with navigating the site or searching for a particular pattern and size. You can also find new sewing blogs to follow through the blog post reviews of each pattern.

So while that original headline wasn't true, the Vintage Sewing Patterns Wikia is a fantastic tool. Many people have been working for years to build the database. Please do share the site with long term and newbie sewists. And if you see that silly article circulating again, that's a great opportunity to showcase how awesome our sewing community is and how willing they are to share their knowledge and time with us.

Free Pattern 1950s Sequin Crochet Holiday Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 13:52:00 +0000

Most of my free patterns are knitted but here's a spectacular one for crochet from 1952. This pattern includes sequin covered lounge slippers, evening handkerchief, earrings, necklace, hair combs, comb case and and compact case. The slippers are knitted with lastex yarn. If you've never crocheted with sequins before, the pattern includes instructions for that as well.

You can find similar modern yarns made with nylon and polyamide for socks from sites like loveknitting.com. You can still find slipper soles for crochet also or if you're handy with a leather punch, you can make your own with real or faux leather.

Check out my free patterns page for my past patterns and follow along on Instagram for updates on new freebies.

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Free Pattern: 1950s Gloves with striped gauntlet

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 14:13:00 +0000

Get ready for winter weather with these spectacular gloves with a puffy striped gauntlet from 1952. Imagine the color combination possibilities: classic black and white, black a chartreuse (a favorite of mine!) or alternate the colors of the stripes!

Check the bottom of this post for vintage pattern resources and if you would like more free vintage knitting and crochet patterns, follow along on Instagram and check my free Patterns page.

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Teen hair scarves and fashions from 1947

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 13:38:00 +0000

Here's a winter issue of the 1940s teen magazine, Calling All Girls. This issue advertises the Calling All Girls branded head scarf with different ways to wear it but I really love the rodeo scarf in the smaller ad below. This magazine, like many beauty magazines includes an article about best beauty buys for young ladies and a funny article about the "It" girl on campus.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other vintage beauty and fashion magazines

Vintage Market Days of St. Louis

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 21:11:00 +0000

This morning, my new friend Erin picked me up and we went to Vintage Market Days of St Louis at Chesterfield Mall. I've never been to Vintage Market Days even though it's been popping up in St Louis for years so I was really excited to be able to go this year.

Vintage Market days is happening all weekend, til 6pm on Friday, 10am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. Admission for Saturday and Sunday is $5. Most of the market is indoors so even if your autumn plans get rained out this weekend, there's still fun to be had in Chesterfield!

If you're not in the area, check out the Vintage Market Days website for upcoming events across the country.

Before the doors opened they had several vendors set up outside along with live music and food/ trucks. There was a huge turn out of people this year so the various lines for the door and trucks snaked all throughout the outdoor market area. We only waited a few minutes before the doors opened and the line moved very quickly. Once inside, Erin and I realized how many people were shopping at the booths around the entrance so we headed straight for the back of the market, which was much less crowded and there was a lot of space to look around at everything. I love these beautiful textured glasses. They look like jewels, don't they?

The vendors at Vintage Market Days were a good mix of handmades and vintage. There was a beautiful plant booth, which caught our eye right away because we're both plant ladies. The far back booth had clothes, jewelry and vintage oddities like antique doll parts and small vintage medical items. I love these strange pieces of the past.

Since Christmas is just around the corner, there was a good sprinkling of vintage shiny brite ornaments and Christmas tree including a very well priced aluminum tree that I wanted but I already have one and I don't know how I would fit a 3rd tree in my tiny house! I'm surprised at my self control in not buying any of the adorable 1950s elf figures and ceramic trees for sale.

We didn't find much in the way of vintage clothes but one of my finds was this beautiful dance compact purse. It has damaged fabric and a broken mirror but you know me, I love a fixer upper project so I can't wait to take this compact apart and replace the broken pieces so I can use it! It has a place for powder, blush, a tiny lipstick touch-up, change slots, a spot for cash and even a business card/calling card holder behind the mirror. A lady would have been able to carry everything she needed for a night out in this little compact. I saw a post about these on Facebook a few weeks ago so I was really excited to find one in person. The vendor was equally excited that I opened it and knew exactly what it was!

Outfit:
thrifted head to toe today, except for my beret, which is from Five Below

Free Pattern: Leopard Cardigan and Matching Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 13:22:00 +0000

This 50s leopard print cardigan comes with a darling matching hat. This pattern is in bust sizes 32-42 inches and if you need help with resizing, check the vintage knitting resources at the bottom of this post.

If you enjoyed this post, check my Free Patterns page and follow along on Instagram for updates on new free patterns.

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Free Pattern: 1950s Belted Over Blouse

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 13:06:00 +0000

Perfect for winter through late spring, this loose fitting blouse has pockets, a funnel collar and ties at the waist. I love the casual look of the rolled cuffs. The model wears it over a turtle neck for skiing, making this a wonderfully versatile knit.

This vintage blouse is in a blocked size 40-46 inch bust for a very loose fit. If you need help resizing this pattern, check the vintage knitting resources at the bottom of this post.

For more free patterns, check my Free Patterns page and follow along on Instagram for updates on new patterns.

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

1940s Teen Swimsuits

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 13:02:00 +0000

I found this issue of Calling All Girls in an out of town antique shop a few summers ago and I was so excited because I've never seen this magazine before. Its a teen fashion magazine and also includes articles on cooking, decorating your room, going to prom and all things about life as a teen back then.

This issue is from 1947 and had this beautiful spread on swimsuits that I thought you might enjoy. I also love the Zom-bees shoes, aren't those cute?

Pin Curls and Wave Setting from 1953

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 13:52:00 +0000

I see a lot of ladies with very short hair wondering how they can achieve vintage hairstyles. Here's a 1953 pin curl set with a playful and casual look in the front and beautifully shaped waves in the back. Also for shorter hair or just a quick updo without a lot of fuss, check out the ad for styled hair pieces at the bottom!

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other vintage magazine scans for more beauty and fashion magazine inspiration.

Free Pattern: 1957 Harlequin Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 12:36:00 +0000

I have another free vintage knitting pattern from my stack of vintage magazines. This one is for a fabulous 1957 harlequin sweater. I hope to make this one for myself but I really can't settle on a color combination!

This sweater was on the cover of McCalls Needlework for fall-winter 1957-58. It really is a show stopper. This pattern involves knitting with a color chart and doing a little embroidery for the hearts.

I've never used a chart before but this looks like a good pattern to start with since the design is very simple and only uses one color. This pattern fits a blocked size of 34-38 inch bust but if you need help resizing this pattern, check the vintage knitting resources at the bottom of this post.

I hope you enjoy this month's pattern. Check my free patterns page for my past patterns and follow along on Instagram for updates on new monthly freebies.

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

30+ Free 1950s Style Sewing Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 19:25:00 +0000

If you enjoyed my post on 20 free 1950s style dress patterns, here are over 30 more 1950s inspired sewing patterns for your mid century wardrobe. Here you will find links to free sewing patterns and tutorials for dresses, separates, lingerie and more!

If you're looking for more free sewing patterns check out 20 Free 1950s Dress Sewing Patterns and my Free Patterns Page.

Floral Dress from Gertie via Love Sewing Magazine
This classic and simple dress from Gretchen Hirsch has classic button detail at the shoulders and a simple a-line skirt.

Ava Sundress from Love Sewing Magazine
This flirty polka dot halter dress is inspired by Ava Gardner. It has a gathered skirt and sleek midriff.

DIY Vintage dress from My Curly Projects
This clever diy dress from My Curly Projects has instructions on how to make your own easy pattern for this versatile 50s style dress.

Easy Vintage inspired knit top by Gertie via JoAnne Fabrics
This simple retro top is so easy to whip up, you don't even need a pattern. Make a whole collection in a single afternoon with instructions from Gretchen Hirsch.

Scuba Fabric Circle Skirt Dress from Sewing Bee Fabrics
This circle skirt dress is perfect for beginners. Just a few measurements, no pattern and no hemming or seam finishes are needed because this dress is made in scuba fabric!

50s Marilyn Inspired Halter Dress (website in Russian)
This retro halter dress with a full skirt comes in sizes 12 and 18. The website is in Russian but can be translated with Goggle Translate.

Shirley Dress Shirtwaist Pattern from Mood Fabrics
Mood designed this classic shirtwaist with contrast collar and cuffs from sizes 2-30

Va-Voom Bullet Bra from Va-Voom Vintage
This pattern is one of my own, the Va-Voom Bullet Bra pattern and sew along. This bra is based on a few of my original vintage bullet bras.

1950s Tie-On terrycloth dress
Here's a really clever idea, use towels to make a beach or pool dress that you can slip on over your suit. I've made this one for myself a few years ago.

Portrait Blouse from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing via Makezine
Make zine shared an excerpt from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing way back in 2012. The free pattern and instructions are still available to make this wardrobe staple blouse.

1950s halter dress and cape shrug from Mrs. Depew
This 50s French dress pattern is part of a draft at home system so you can make the dress in any size you like from doll size to 60 inch bust. Download the drafting rulers and pattern from Mrs. Depew.

50s style button front culottes pattern from Ralph Pink
These high waist button-front shorts are made in a single size but are able to be resized to fit your measurements with some drafting knowledge. Download the free pattern from Ralph Pink

1950s Life Magazine Wrap Blouse from Harts Fabric
This 50s blouse tutorial was originally posted in Life Magazine. It's so simple, you don't even need a pattern, just the easy instructions updated for the modern sewist from Harts Fabric.

1950s dress from Neu4Bauer
This beautiful 1950s dress is in German and English in bust size 40 and waist size 32. You can resize with a little drafting know-how. The pattern pieces are overlapped so the pieces will need to be traced, much like modern sewing books with pattern sheets.

50s Boat Neck Blouse from trashingdays on Flickr
You'll make this blouse based on your own measurements and only 1 1/4 yards of fabric for the average size. This short sleeve staple would be perfect in a long sleeve version too, just extend the sleeve measurement to your desired length.

Faviola the summer dress from So Sew Easy
Here's an easy dress that translates easily to a year-round wardrobe. Sew with or without the sleeve cuff ruffle. Available in sizes 2-22.

Fifties Prom Dress from Peppermint Magazine by The Vintage Pattern Selector

The fifties prom dress is a sleeveless dress with full box pleated skirt and darling collar. This dress reminds me of Netflix's Sabrina Spellman. Available in bust sizes 33-39 but easily resized

DIY Vintage 50s jacket from My Curly Projects
Here's another very clever project tutorial from My Curly Projects for a 50s jacket but you don't need a pattern for this one. Just use a sweater or shirt from your own closet and the instructions in the link to make your own pattern

Floral Liberty Print Blouse from Sewmag.co.uk
This classic button-up can be paired with cigarette pants or any of your favorite 50s skirts. Available in sizes 8-14

1950s Halter top from The Pretty and the Kitsch
Sew a whole batch of these quick and easy 50s summer tops in any size. Get the PDF instructions from the link above.

50s Petticoat from Sugardale Blog via The Wayback Machine
Give your 50s dresses a full fluffy skirt with a home made petticoat in any color you like! Sign up for Burda Style to get this free pattern download

Lucy pencil dress from Kama Sewtra
Kama Sewtra's Lucy dress is a curve-hugging basic that I would sew again and again. Make it in fun and flirty gingham or polka dots for summer or cozy flannel print with a cardigan for fall or your holiday party little black dress. The sleek lines make this dress open for any range of accessory options or embellishments. Imagine it with a lace overlay or covered in tiers of fringe trim! Available in sizes small to 3XL. This dress also has a box pleat full skirt option

Vintage Dainty Suspender Belt from Pattern Pandemonium
These vintage garter belt instructions detail how to make this lingerie accessory based on your own measurements

Loretta Wiggle Dress from Love Sewing Magazine
Loretta is a curvy pin-up style wiggle dress with a sultry jewel neckline and below-the-knee skirt. This free dress pattern from Love Sewing Magazine

Vintage Capelet Tutorial from Sew Mama Sew
This vintage capelet pattern from Sew Mama Sew has a darling little collar that ties at the neck. Sew it in fabric to match a dress, make it in wool or faux fur to keep cozy in winter or a beautiful plaid flannel for autumn. Embroider your monogram or add piping or ric rac for a special touch.

Vintage Slip Pattern from House of Jo from The Vintage Pattern Selector
From the boo, The Vintage Pattern Selector comes this 1940s style vintage slip. Add a lace overlay to the cups or sew in cozy flannel for warmth under your dresses in winter.
* instructions to sew this slip are in the comments of the post linked here*

1940s and 50s Bras and Garter Belt from Sew Historically
Sew Historically provides two vintage bras here, a peachy satin 40s/50s bra with semi-circular stitching and a white cotton 40s/50s bra in addition to a beautiful vintage garter. The pattern is easy to follow, without sewing instructions but, like my own bullet bra pattern, will require you to make a muslin and re-size accordingly. Enjoy the gorgeous photos of the original lingerie elements up close in the link posted. I'm excited to make these for myself!

Wool Pencil Skirt from Peppermint Magazine by Pattern Runway
Peppermint provides a vintage wardrobe staple item in this perfectly sleek wool pencil skirt. This pattern comes in sizes 8-16.

Sewing School Reversible Wrap Dress from Peppermint Magazine by The Stitchery
This summery wrap dress with diagonal buttons is fully lined and reversible! I love to sew versatile garments that will be worn often since sewing takes so much time and attention but this smart dress pulls double duty. Sizes 8-12 but easily re-sized.

High Waisted Shorts and Halter Top Pattern from Sew Daily
These high waisted shorts and halter top are perfect for a vintage swim suit or playsuit, available in sizes 10-18

1950s French purse sewing patterns from A Few Threads Loose

This vintage French pattern includes 3 different purse styles, made by scaling the magazine diagram to size.

Ramie Dress from With My Hands Dream
The Ramie Dress buttons down the front with fabric covered buttons and a sweet peter pan collar. This dress has 3/4 length sleeves and a gathered skirt in a size 36.

Danmark 00 Blouse from How to Do Fashion

How To Do Fashion presents this beautiful simple blouse in 5 different versions (versions 1 and 3 pictured), which can be adapted for many vintage eras and outfits. In US Sizes 2-16, subscribe to their newsletter for the free pattern.

Free Pattern: 1940s Yoked Slip-On Sweater

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:26:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July to everyone! Today I have a fabulous late 1940s sweater that I think looks a little like a spider web, don't you? I think it would be perfect in black with white or chartreuse yoke for Halloween.

This 1949 sweater comes in 12, 14 and 16 but if you need help resizing, check the vintage knitting resources at the bottom of this post.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my Free Patterns page and follow along on Instagram for updates on my latest free patterns

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty

Swim Suits and Sun Dresses from 1955 American Girl Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 14:46:00 +0000

In May I shared a look inside this American Girl Magazine from 1955. There were so many other adorable vintage swim suits and sun dresses, I wanted to share the rest! I love the ruffled and ruching on these swim suits. What do you think? The cute outdoor fashions at the bottom have me wanting to try shorts again soon.

If you enjoyed this post, check out my other vintage magazine scans for more beauty and fashion magazines.

Free Pattern: 1955 tweed pencil dress and bulky jacket

noreply@blogger.com (Brittany_Va-VoomVintage) — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 13:33:00 +0000

With the heat of summer in full swing, knitting may sound a little crazy but this curve-hugging sleeveless dress is perfect for the office or a movie date in the dark, cold air conditioning with this sweet little bulky cardigan to keep the chill off your shoulders.

The jacket has a large collar, ribbed sleeve cuffs and 6 over-sized buttons.

This 1955 ensemble is in blocked bust size of 34-38 inches and the blocked jacket is 35-39 inches. If you need help resizing this pattern, check the vintage knitting resources at the bottom of this post.

I don't know if I'll ever get around to knitting an entire dress but that jacket in mint green would be perfect don't you think?

If you enjoyed this pattern check out my free patterns page and follow along on Instagram for updates on my newest free patterns

vintage knitting resources:

resizing knitting patterns from By Gum By Golly
vintage knitting needle conversion chart from Vintage Stitch-o-Rama
discontinued yarn chart from Purple Kitty