My sewing space

I like the table lamps, maybe it would be more practical to have under the shelf lighting.

Both machines work pretty well. I like my viking. The little post cards have cute sayings that make me smile

These pink boxes have zippers, buttons etc. in them. I find it's easy to locate my sewing notions if they are sorted by like items.

The flower sewing box has my sloper patterns, the black box is full of seam binding. 

Ironing board ready to go always! I love to iron as I sew!

Thread please! Fray Check ready for all the serging going on!

The top drawer has all my scissors and measuring tapes.

Both of these pieces of furniture hold my fabric and patterns, the yellow boxes have patterns in them that I want to sew within this year. 

 I thought you may like to see my little sewing room. I was thinking of doing this post a while back and didn't. Then I saw Eva Girl's post and thought about sewing rooms again. She found a great area in her home to have a permanent sewing area. Like hers, my room is multi-functional, not only is it a sewing room but also serves as a dressing room. Everyday I sit at the antique vanity to dry my hair, and put on make up for the day. This could have been a guest bedroom but it's pretty small and rarely do we have overnight guest, so I claimed it! Whatever your space looks like, finding an area to sew can be difficult. For us, we had to think about redesigning our home to include our EVERYDAY activities. I am so glad we jumped over the hump of having to fit our lives into our house, now our house fits us and what we need. My husband and I even made our formal dining room into a master bedroom, complete with a crystal chandelier. We did this to give our two growing boys more room, also we have a big eat in kitchen that we use everyday and found we rarely used our formal dining area. I want to encourage you, if you don't have a space to sew, to think about finding a closet or room, some place in your home to be creative. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money.  My husband made the counter top and shelf. The chair and furniture were thrifted on a budget!  The big ticket item besides the sewing machines was the music system, which was brought many years ago and well worth it the price. I  love listening to old jazz as I sew. For more information on organizing your sewing area check out this link.  Check out even more here.


Have a happy vintage day!

Gina

skirt and matching wallet!

There were some sketchy instruction on the internet way back when on how to make your own wallet. So, I tried it, as I look at this wallet now, I just marvel at the fact that I made it years ago with no pattern. It was "drafted" to this size and shape. I added three slots for dividing my money into budgets of groceries, clothes and entertainment. The zippered slot was inserted for my loose change and card holders for my various cards. Over the years, I have enjoyed carrying this homemade wallet. The idea for it was based off of the Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Institution. Well, today as I was going through my stash, I found  two yards of the vintage fabric that was long forgotten from this wallet project. I knew it was time to make something with it. There wasn't enough for a dress but I could see a matching skirt in my future.

 I really like how this skirt came together. It was made from mixing three different patterns. I am discovering pockets, can you tell? Now that I understand that pockets can be a friend to the fuller hipped gal, I have put them on a few of my garments. The fabric of this skirt is heavy, almost like a denim, I love it. I couldn't resist adding some cute piping again. I am also really happy with the fit of this little number, often times when buying RTW skirts they pull at my lower hip and are tight. With vintage skirt patterns most times I have enough lower hip room and don't need to adjust them much.  I do not have a proper blouse for this skirt yet, any ideas for a style? I would like a button down, I think. Anyway, I have been sewing and have a lot to share with you this week!

Have a wonderful vintage day!

Gina

re-purpose your antiques

We have been living vintage for years. When people step into our farmhouse they always say it's like stepping back in time. We enjoy our antiques. I do buy new things too, but most of my household items are from an era gone by. When it comes to my home, I am a bit of an organizing nut. I love to have everything in its place. Part of the fun of owning antiques are re-purposing them for the items we need today. Most bathrooms built in the early 1900's were constructed without a lot storage, a simple medicine cabinet was about all the space they afforded, our home had very little storage too.  We have had to be creative with our storage needs. Since we shop and buy in bulk, even dealing with extra toilet paper can present a problem, our  solution for extra paper is an old suitcase.

Yes, that's a purse holding facial tissues.

We also have hung many shelves throughout our home. In the kitchen, we have a small chicken coop for our pots and pans to hang upon. It works well for us. It's from the 1920's, it was found on our farm and we were able to put it to good use with a few screws. It fits well in our farm kitchen.

 Sometimes you need to add more storage to a room. My sewing/dressing room is without a closet. This white shaker cabinet has been wonderful to house my hair dryer and curlers along with some sewing supplies. Something as small as an old jar can hold pencils for school time. If you look around your home or visit an antique store, you may find new ways to store your items. Until later,

Have a wonderful vintage day!

Gina

My Summer everyday Dress!

For many summers I have lived in skirts and blouses.  My legs are on the thick side and finding short or pants have always been difficult. This year I am thankful for the opportunity to sew clothes that FIT! I know you must understand what I am talking about with finding good fitting clothing. Before sewing, the scenario I was in looked like this; get to the store, find a garment, go to the fitting room with high hopes and leave four hours later feeling there is something wrong with my body. Since turning to sewing,  I feel like a woman with the power to do something about my wardrobe. It's truly freeing! Do you feel this too? No more am I at the mercy of the styles of the season or the industry's slopers that they use in their garments. This summer is going to be fun, now I can sew shorts, a bathing suit or whatever I need, starting with this summer dress!

I am going to try the sweetheart neck line too.

 I am going to tweak it a bit but my plan is to make a couple of these dresses up for summer. This pattern is from the 1940's. It was pretty easy to construct even though it was unprinted. The sleeves were the hardest part, I am still not sure if I got them 100% right but they work. I had a little fun with the pockets and added some piping! Also, this was my first time using buttons and making button holes! I can't believe how much I have been sewing lately. What do you have planned for your summer wardrobe?

I added lace to the hemline

I am having a bad hair day!

I was surprised that the pockets seem to slim the hips some.

Have a wonderful vintage day!

Gina

Second Swing dress

First, I want to say I am glad I participated in this swing dress sew-along, so here's a big shout out to Casey for hosting this great project. It was worth it to me to make two of these dresses, I was learning so much from making the first dress that I didn't want to stop diving deeper into my own fit issues. Although, I made two, they are not fitted alike. I wanted this yellow rayon dress to look a bit more old fashioned. Old fashion, for me, translates a lower waistline, a bit of a puffy sleeve, and a little wiggle room. So, I redrafted the sleeves and added a bit more ease to them. I also raised the armholes, thanks that feels better, now I can raise my arms over my head. These pictures were taken at our local ice cream parlor. It's a great place for a grilled cheese sandwich. Overall, I am happy with this dress. I think I will be smiling and wearing it often! Now to find some comfortable shoes and a hot pink, bead necklace.  Spring is coming!! Hooray!

Have a Fabulous vintage day!
Gina

Back behind me is the Golden Lamb. Many presidents have spent the night, including George Washington.

This Ice Cream Parlor may look familiar to you, it was in the film Milk Money. 

50's fun dress and side kick!

This was just a fun project for me. I am happy with this dress. It is so comfortable and easy to wear. As I was sewing her up I kept singing "Earth Angle" a song that reminds me of the 50's. I did go over the top with the matching handbag, what's a girl to do with all the extra fabric? My plan has been to line my handbags with the extra fabric from my dresses so when I am out I have a matched set. It's kinda fun opening a purse trimmed out in your dress fabric. The detail stitching on this dress is one of my favorite parts. I also loved that I lined the skirt so no extra slip is needed.

Have a wonderful Vintage Day!

Gina