Annual Shop Small Guide - 2023

Hey howdy friends,

I’ve been deep into expanding my sewing knowledge through vintage machine repairs. It’s a sickness really and I have yet to gain control over it. So, I haven’t made any kanzashi or spent time here to connect. I hope you all are connecting with me on other platforms though. (IG & YouTube).

However, you must know that I am passionate about my long time maker community and showing support for them during the holidays seasons.

First, I too would love to have a discount on groceries, utilities and gas rather than a brand new tv or the like from a big box store. Things are TOUGH. A thing that you can do for free is send out links of recommendations to your own social circles to spread the word. It really is appreciated and does truly help.

So let’s get down to it.

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Personal Care Goods:

Render Skincare - PNW Made Tallow Skincare Goods. Your skin will love you for this.

Seattle Sundries - Seattle brick and mortar store location open by appointment. Online shop too.

Handmade LaConner - For my Whidbey Island friends be sure to stop in to the shop! Online shopping is available as well.

Estrella Soap - A long standing family favorite of ours. I cannot recommend them enough.

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Home Decor & Entertainment Goods:

Vinyl Devotion - For my vinyl collecting fans, if you want superb customer service and high quality vinyls - shop here. They have some band tees too.

Candy Relics - I use their “paper cups” everyday. I love them and highly recommend.

Monster - A bit of everything for some who might be hard to shop for. DIY kits, local classes and wearables.

The Handmade Showroom - Another beautifully curated store in Downtown Seattle with wide selection of gifts. Including gift bundles that can be mailed directly to your recipient.

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Wearables -

Slow Loris - Guemes Island based brand and my all time favorite illustration designer (Jessica Lynch). I get compliments every time I wear their pieces.

Backstitch Bruja - Year round spooky wearables plus bags and more. I love her stuff.

elSage - A Mount Vernon, WA based shop. The owners are wonderful people and they make some beautiful high quality designs in shop.

Sun Rae Dolls Vintage - Plus sized cottage core themed attire and goods handmade by a fellow sewist I’ve befriended through my sewing journey.

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Craft Supply and Kids:

Smile Mercantile - Adorable craft supplies and miniatures with a retro vibe.

Poison Grrls - Vintage style knitting sweater / top patterns.

Woven Wilde - Small California based company that makes the cutest rattan kid’s toys.

Mymy & Me - Felted toys. So adorable. (Canadian based company)

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And of course I have shops too:

6 by 6 Arts - Pretty plant stands, PNW themed goods, wall and shelf decor pieces with a splash of profanity.

Darkness Drive - For the year round ghouls and goblins. Spooky home decor.

My Etsy shop - a place where I’ve typically listed my vintage fabric destash and some kanzashi as well.

Finally my shop here. (Use code SAVE25) at checkout here.

All of the above have 25% off orders of $25. *US only.

This is definitely geared towards my local area but I welcome recommendations from your local area in the comments below.

Please shop small this holiday season.

xo-Thea

PFAFF 262 - Stuck to sewing within a week!

Hello, hello, hello!

Hopefully you all are following me over on Instagram, YouTube or even Flickr. Obviously I am still terrible at blogging. But I am pretty hyped about this little project I did.

Recently while out thrifting with John, he spotted this Pfaff 262. (I have him on the lookout for me for older Singers & Pfaffs.) When I put my hands on it at the store, I couldn’t get anything to move. It was seized up and pretty dirty. It looked like it lived in a garage previously. Pfaff machines are my favorite. I have been sewing on one for the last 20+ years. With a price tag of $25 and hope in my pocket, I decided to take a chance on her.

Since I am in the deep rabbit hole of vintage sewing and vintage sewing machines, I decided to document what I did to just get her in a functioning state. Many videos and tutorials are geared to those with a bit more experience. I am a newbie. I need to take hands on baby steps and want to encourage others too.

*I do have small machine repair experience from when my dad was still alive. He ran an auto body shop and a small engine repair shop. Guess who got to tear apart a bazillion chainsaws and lawnmowers before the age of 13 and into high school.

This was a bit beyond a simple cleaning. That glue like varnish from the gasoline and Vaseline mixture was no joke. I did have to use a bit of physical force too. John only assisted me with reinstalling the pressure spring that I popped off when I took out the cam assembly.

I had to take this out to access points to oil to get rotation inside the machine.

Above, aside from the mandarin orange is everything I used to work on this. I stick with using only sewing machine oil to get things clean. I did use some 91% isopropyl alcohol to take off the stuck residue from the maintenance service company sticker on the front. Two soft head toothbrushes, lots of Q-tips, a couple napkins, a couple toothpicks and a rag for cleaning. Long bent nose tweezers, a flat head screwdriver that came with my “modern” Pfaff machine and John’s iFixit kit were the tools I used. The wire cutters and pliers were used for another machine I am working on too.

In the future I want to attempt retrobrighting (John will handle this process) some of the dials and hand wheel that have yellowed with age.

I am taking a brief break from fixing things to sew. But I am going to dive into getting the embroidery stitches working and I will post and update video when I do.

My hands are dirty but my stitches are good.

If you’re feeling handy and run into a situation similar to what I did. Give it a try! I’m feeling really good about bringing this gal back to life. I named her Diane after my sister (now known as The Living Miracle) who recently survived a very serious accident. (She was hit by a car at full speed while on a walk.) I feel naming this machine after her is appropriate.

That’s all for now friends. Be sure to connect with me on the outlets I mentioned above for more consistent updates.

xo-Thea

It's comical how bad I am at blogging here (Spooky Season 2022 Review)

If you’re at all interested in my work in general, please follow me on Instagram for frequent posts. I’m a picture poster and love the idea of Instagram and my all time favorite Flickr.

All I’m about to share was posted on those platforms.

With my preference for more time spent on creating things, I tend to forget to complete this step (blogging). My brain thinks “Post it on social and then throw your phone at the couch a leave it there until bedtime.” Which is what I do 99% of the time.

But here’s what i’ve been up to this month: (Just the hits here.) Links included in the captions

Pouring John a glass of poison. Link

Said poison. Link

My favorite make this month. Link

I love how out of context this is.

Spooky Dollhouse Decor (YouTube Link)

Here’s a full view of the dollhouse along with my final 2022 Spooky Season make. 1940’s style pajamas.

Link

I will definitely do a dedicated post on the dollhouse renovation. I know there were a few questions about it outside of what I shared on YouTube.

I know there are a few of you who subscribe to this blog and I super appreciate you!

Happy Halloween (Blessed Samhain)

Cobbler Dress by Charm Patterns (Patreon)

Even though my kids are grown, after years of habitual weekend bulk baking/cooking I still do it. Just on a smaller scale.

This past weekend I did a bunch of bulk baking and cooking for the week/month. I wanted to get it done before the heat came in this week. I become a lethargic slug in really hot weather and will live on seltzer water, tortilla chips and vegan ice cream unless there is easy healthy alternative available. I was an early adapter to clean eating (at least mostly and my kids are now thanking me 20 years later) and I just hate how I feel when I eat like crap. It’s also expensive to eat convenience foods, so I like to plan ahead.

For kitchen days, I like to be comfortable and okay with getting stuff on what I am wearing. This dress is perfect for that. It’s a pullover dress. No buttons or zippers. Deep pockets and ties at the sides. I’ve also make the top and pants version of this too. But pants are my enemy in hot weather.

I get ask about my vintage chrome and formica dinette set. It was purchased for under $500 in Helena Montana about 20 years ago. It is true vintage and has survived my children and all of their friends for many meals.

Fabric: Vintage floral cotton bedsheet that I thrifted.

Pattern: Cobbler Dress by Charm Patterns (Patreon)

Alterations: No alterations. But I will size down next time. I think this pattern ran on the bigger size. I will also opt out of the ruffles. It gave me flash back to my church dresses from the 80s.

Bowls: My two favorite vintage Pyrex bowls. A primary yellow 404 (I think. Pyrex collectors know what I mean.) Also, my hefty true opal 404.

Stay cool friends. xo-Thea

Kitschy Halloween Print Dress

I am a sucker for novelty Halloween fabric. Novelty fabrics in general or themed things.

This kitschy vintage vibe Halloween themed fabric called my name and jumped into my cart.

I know it’s July but I wear Halloween-esque items all year round. Also, I have time now to sew as opposed to the busy holiday season. So, I’m sewing up my new Halloween themed pieces this month.

Shoes are by Dansko - These are the Thea’s in Black. (no longer available)

I wish I would’ve bought more of it than I did to do a full Charm Scout dress (I need 5-6 yards of fabric for that). But summer slow down is real for this maker’s wallet.

Up close view of the pattern when it was a work in progress.

Details
Fabric: Bodice -Johnny Yanok Trick or Treat Fabric from JoAnn. There are more kitschy designs in this collection. Skirt -Poly sateen I thrifted.
Pattern: Bodice - Charm Scout Dress. Skirt - Night and Day Flared Skirt. Both by my fave Charm Patterns.
Alterations: I misplaced the collar for the bodice and decided I will add that later. I added a zipper instead of buttons. I prefer installing zippers over buttons on this style of dress. I also, skipped the button closure and keyhole detail on the sleeve. I like this style to not be fussy. Easy on, easy off as I tend to work in them.

*Nothing is sponsored, I bought everything myself because I liked them. I am also a patron of Gertie’s Patreon.

Feels a bit weird posting this Halloween dress on a day with 84 degree weather but here I am.

xo-Thea

Making multiples and a garden break.

I fell in love with the last pattern I shared and had to make more.

This set is great for the warmer weather. Nice elastic waistband for backyard cookout eating on the skirt. Nice breathable midriff, perfect for cooling off.

I made a few things last week. Even a muslin/toile/tester dress that I was super glad that I did that. I usually go right into using the good fabric - AKA being lazy about it. But I have some vintage fabric that I really love and I wanted to be sure. Turns out, I hate the fit of the pattern I had in mind.

I also made a little self drafted pattern for my dog (my boss) Yuki.

She’s a drooler and I needed some help with constant messy-self. Particularly with the hotter weather, she drinks a lot more. When I say drinks, I mean spray shower everywhere.

I drafted a little bandana attached to an elastic collar for easy off and on for her. Really it’s for me, otherwise i’m wiping her off. The fabric is from JoAnn Fabric.

Aside from work and sewing, it is garden season. I’ve been a home gardener for 20+ years now, which is wild to say. This year I did achieve a small goal and grew my own garlic scapes. I’ve grown garlic before, but soft neck varieties. I intentionally grew hard neck this year just to have scapes.

Here in Western Washington, we’ve had a longer winter season this year so things seemed to be in slow motion in the garden. But things are actively speeding up now.

I pickled those scapes for salad/pizza/bratwurst toppings.

My sewing, my dogs, my garden and my family are keeping me busy and hopeful during this wild time in the universe. I hope the same for you all too.

xo-Thea

Simplicity 8351 (1993) Warm weather attire.

My Scandinavian and Swiss German genes really show themselves in the hot weather. I’m sure growing up on an island in the Puget Sound also contributes to my intolerance of weather above 75 degrees too. We recently hit a smidgen above 90 degrees here in the Seattle suburbs and I planned my attire accordingly.

A large hat, sandals and breathable cottons. I made this “peasant” top with ties in the front. The skirt has an one inch elastic waistband, that is easy to pull on and off. Nothing like a hot ass zipper next to your sticky skin in the hot weather. (No thanks.) I move around a lot at home, in the kitchen, garden, sewing room and our dedicated laser workspace daily, so I need comfortable non-annoying things to wear for those activities.

Fabric: The top is a vintage Peter Pan Fabrics calico. Evergreen with a microleaf print. I used vintage buttons too.

The skirt is made from a vintage French floral cotton from 1986.

Pattern: Simplicity 8351 (1993)

Alterations: No alterations to the top. The skirt I added pockets of course. I also halved the length of the bottom tier to suit my height.

I often get comments on my pockets. Personally, if it doesn’t have pockets - I don’t want it. It’s bad enough that I am the person that leaves their phone everywhere and has to back track my steps to find it. Life is much more pleasant for me if I have a pocket to shove my phone in to. But did you know pockets in women’s clothing is a feminist issue? Going back a couple of centuries if not more. The basic gist is that a woman was property, her man would carry anything of importance. I’ll dig up some resources on that topic for a future post.

Lastly, another comment I frequently get is that I never show the backs of my sewing projects. You right. I often just forget to snap up a photo of the back. I take all of these photos with my ancient iPhone set on a timer and try to get it done as swiftly as possible.

While I am trying to be better with blogging again, it is hard to remember to revert back to the early 2000s scheduled post thinking these days. I feel this is the best way to share more details about my projects here. But for quickie posts, I am on Instagram and Flickr. I don’t post much on my business Facebook pages these days though. The less I’m on Facebook, the better.

xo-Thea

Butterick Making History Sewing Pattern B4669 - Corset Vest

As forest dwellers, one must succumb to looking like it every once in a while.
Fabric: Vintage white floral fabric for corset 1.

Vintage evergreen wool paired with the same white floral fabric for corset 2.

Pattern: Butterick Making History B4669
Alterations: Loops instead of eyelets. I always have trouble with putting eyelets in.
I feel that loops are less stressful on the fabric too.

I have a small stack of these Making History patterns and was excited to try one out. I chose pattern A and it was only three pattern pieces. Very easy to put together and its a versatile piece.

I had multiple requests for this piece. (As in to buy.) While I am flattered and understand as a maker my creations could be mistaken as items for sale - because being a maker means you are constantly self promoting your creations for sale. I am currently only making pieces for myself and family.

I try my best to provide as much information as I can about the patterns and materials I use to encourage you to try making your own.

I am on my sewing adventure for my own personal enrichment.

xo-Thea

My Daughter's Birthday Gift - A Handmade Dress

I have a bit of catching up to do here.

First, I did complete The Vintage Fashion Challenge over on Instagram. I can’t believe I kept up with it. As you can tell here, I’m really not someone who is on the internet every day. It was fun and it does feel like a small kind of accomplishment.

Through the challenge, I learned what I “lacked” in my wardrobe and created to make lists and even some to repair lists. I have some great vintage pieces that I would’ve love to show during the challenge, but they needed some repairs or some fitting.

My eldest daughter in her birthday dress that I made.

I shared this on my daughter’s birthday for The Vintage Fashion Challenge on IG

Day 30 Love & appreciation.
How fitting that this prompt falls on my eldest daughter’s birthday.
We’re the less rich version of the Gilmore Girls (minus that weird last season and with three younger siblings.)
Teenage mom, raises a smart, witty, well read, beautiful person to adulthood. Weird hair, music, crafts and clothing phases included too.
I appreciate her for being a great sport along the way.

Her dress -
Fabric: Made from vintage 1960s Italian silk (it’s amazing).
Pattern: Butterick 6582 Retro 1960.
Alterations: You know I added pockets. I also made a stand alone slip rather than lining the skirt. I didn’t have enough fabric for a full lining, so I made an A-line slip skirt to go with it.

My dress-
Fabric: Vintage unbranded polyblend. Texture/weave is like kimono Ro fabric.
Pattern: Gertie‘s Night & Day bodice top with a simple gathered skirt. Snack pockets too of course.

Me and two of my kids,

And no picture is complete without a photobomb from a younger sibling.😂

I was honestly surprised how well the dress fit her without doing any fittings, I trusted the measurements I took a bit ago and hoped for the best. That vintage Italian silk is magnificent. Its absolutely luxurious and it seemed perfect for this project.

She loved it and was surprised.

xo-Thea

The Vintage Fashion Challenge

Since I’ve been an instagram user, I’ve half assed participated in “challenges”. You typically do a themed/subject oriented post daily for a month. I’ve never saw one through. I’d add a post here and there sort of thing, then forget or just lose interest.

Day 5. Blue - 80s does 40s embroidered cardigan sweater.

Last year I noticed a few people I follow on IG participate in The Vintage Fashion Challenge. I liked the idea for two particular reasons. One, so I can see other’s vintage posts. I love looking at vintage pieces from the 1940s in particular. Two, so I can sort out what I am missing from my vintage styled wardrobe. That alone has been helpful for me to focus in on my “what to make next” list. For example, I didn’t have a solid navy blue skirt until yesterday and for about a year I wished I had one.

Day 9 One of my oldest pieces a 1930s Liquid satin bias cut slip dress with a lace overlay dress.

I also showcased a few of my true vintage pieces that I love.

Above my 1930s liquid satin bias cut dress with a lace overlay dress. I got it for a ridiculous bargain bin price. When I grabbed it, I thought it was a 1980s robe. (It was wadded up and stapled together.) The fabric felt nice so I bought it without really knowing what it was.

Day 2 Red - My 1950s Solid Red Silk Alfred Shaheen Dress

Above, my 1950s solid red 100% silk Alfred Shaheen dress.

I bought it at a local thrift store for $5.49 plus tax. This dress is simple but the perfect shade of red for my yellow skin tone. The fabric detail on the bodice where the buttons are is my favorite thing about it. I’ve had a handful of collectors make generous offers for it. However, I don’t plan on selling it at this time and I already have a Shaheen collector in mind for when I do.

As you can see, I’m pretty into this but never fear - I am still making items too. I had to test drive Gertie’s newest Patreon exclusive pattern The Artist Apron Dress. I’ll share that result in separate post.

If you want to follow or join in The Vintage Fashion Challenge, my public IG is: www.instagram.com/thea_starr/

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Simplicity 8445 (reproduction)

This is my first make completely sewn on a vintage machine! (Singer 201-k)

I’ve had this beautiful pale celadon green vintage eyelet fabric for a while. It had that lovely musty, “Ive been in storage for decades” aroma. Thankfully it wasn't mothballs and a good soak with a splash of vinegar did the trick.

I thought it would be a great cover up piece. An alternative to a bolero jacket for warmer weather. Boleros are not my favorite, I suppose I’ve just never found one that fits the way I want it. But i love a cover up and I thought this would be great.

Pattern: Simplicity 8445

Fabric: Vintage cotton eyelet. It was a shorter 35”-36” width and I had to do some creative pattern cutting for this.

Adjustments: No gathered back. I’m just not a fan of that look. This has a flat back. Hook and eye closures instead of buttons. (That I apparently forgot to do up before I snapped these pictures.) I like myself enough to not try to add button holes to eyelet fabric.

I’ve actually struggled a little with projects to sew for warmer weather. I’m a “put as much fabric on my body as possible” type of person. So, I’m out of my comfort zone with this one, but I do think I will appreciate later in the season when we’re hanging outside in the evenings.

xo-Thea

No new make, but a new to me machine.

No new make this week. I spent most of my time cleaning up my new to me 1951 Singer 201-2. She is well loved and her appearance shows it. But she was also well taken care of by the way she runs. I’ll share a bit more about her in a separate post.

I did make the dress I’m wearing and here’s the details on that.

Pattern: Gertie’s (Charm Patterns) Mariner dress.

Fabric: Bodice - stylized floral cotton print. Skirt - lightweight wool. The dress is fully lined.

Shoes - House slippers, because we don’t wear shoes in the house.

Adjustments: Elbow length sleeves with piping trim. Basic half circle skirt instead of a full skirt.

Bonus: You might notice the top on my mannequin. It’s an Oktoberfest style UFO (unfinished object) of mine. Made with vintage Lanz of Salzburg fabric. I hope to finish it this week. I’m not a pink girl, but I absolutely love the Bavarian style prints.

A Comfortable Jumpsuit Exists.

I was dedicated to showing this off styled differently, I even pushed in earrings so I could wear “bamboo earrings, at least two pair.” Hopefully someone appreciates that reference. Normally, I wouldn’t be excited to make a jumpsuit. Honestly, they are not my favorite to wear. Insert all the memes for having to get nude just to pee when wearing one. But I loved the collaboration of Gertie and Jasmin from Vintage Vandalizm I had to give it a spin. Plus it’s actually really versatile.

Which style do you like best? 40’s, 70’s, 90’s.

70s vibes. I’m wearing my Thea Dansko clogs.

Pattern: Gertie’s Patreon Exclusive Artist Collective - Jasmin Jumpsuit.

Fabric: Black crushed velvet. Lined.

Adjustments: Added pockets. Shortened the bodice. Skipped the elastic at the ankle. Added elastic around waistline for gathering.

“Bamboo earrings, at least two pair.” Plus my older Timberland boots that fit like a glove for a 90’s styling.

This jumpsuit is so comfortable. It doesn’t ride up your bum. It stays put thanks to the elastic around the bust and on the back. I plan on getting myself some sparkly Lurex fabric for the next one.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing - Gertie's Scout Dress

I failed to post last week. I did post about my make last week on IG. I was elbows deep in tax junk that my mind was elsewhere. I’ll post about that make later this week.

However, for Easter of course I made a dress. I wore it for the majority of the day to cook in. We had discussed as a family prior to Easter what we planned on wearing and I knew what I planned to wear wouldn’t be nice to cook in, So I whipped up a nice housedress for the day.

Pattern: Gertie’s (Charm Patterns) Scout dress.

Fabric: Vintage Japanese black spring floral print. With tulips of course, I am married to Dutch man.

Adjustments: French seams throughout. Front zipper closure. The original pattern calls for buttons. I’m an odd bird because if I can swap out buttons for a zipper - I’ll do it. Zipper front house dresses are my absolute favorites. I also currently don’t have a machine set up for button holes. I know attachments are easy to swap in and out but I like to have machines dedicated for tasks. I’m extra I know.

I skipped the tab closure on the sleeves too. I knew I’d be moving around and lifting things a lot, so I kept the sleeves open but added some colorful binding.

Bonus pictures of me in my vintage 80‘s dress (with my daughters Nieves & Jina and my son Trevor‘s girlfriend Sophia) that I wore for our family pictures.

Gang gang.

Our normal family pose.

I hope you had a good weekend!

xo-Thea

Wearing what I make.

I knew it was inevitable that I would be asked do I actually wear what I make. Or why do I make so much? I post weekly sewing project summaries on my Instagram and personal Facebook pages. I do it in a similar format as I do here, but here I offer more details. Yesterday, I was asked why do I sew so much? The devilish side of me always takes the offensive and wants to childishly say “ Why not.” or “Because I can.”. Which are both true sentiments honestly. But I do have a method to my madness.

I want to sharpen my sewing skills and become more proficient in sewing techniques. I love sewing and it has always been a dream of mine to be a costumer. I love quality fabric and notions that were designed to last. Since I had to dust off my machine to make masks during 2020, I naturally picked up sewing again. My mom and eldest sister are talented seamstresses. I was the recipient of many home sewn dresses. It was a natural path for me to walk down.

I picked up this vintage Singer 338 sewing machine at a thrift store for $7.00

I understand sewing machines. I thankfully grew up with a father who taught me how to fix small motors. I have acquired and fixed a couple of machines since the pandemic. I appreciate their durability and design that was made to endure time too. When you love and know how to use your tools, it’s a special kind of power.

Me on April 5th, 2022 wearing my home sewn flannel mushroom dress.

I’m shorter, I have wide hips, full bust and short legs. Ready to wear clothes don’t always fit right. I’ve altered dresses that I’ve paid $200 for. Why not just make them myself and sell the readymade items? I have purged many pieces of readymade clothing. Lots of dresses and tops with what I call “the sad button”. You know the one that closes but struggled to close at the bust. I wanted to eliminate that from my life and fill my closet with clothes that fit me well, which in turn makes me feel good. Who doesn’t need that after the past couple of years we’ve had.

I know not everyone can do this and I really appreciate the encouragement from friends and strangers about my journey. I especially love it when someone tells me that I inspired them to dust off their sewing machines. Why wear the sad button shirt that makes you feel self conscious? We only have this one life, why not have all happy buttons? You know what I mean. :)

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Butterick B6285 Patterns By Gertie

Spring = separates. I like mixing and matching pieces to be flexible for the ever unpredictable weather here. I pulled a tried and true skirt pattern from my pattern library for this. This color palette is out of my norm but I am trying to expand a bit. I actually only owned one pink item until this.

Pattern: Butterick B6285 (Skirt) Patterns by Gertie - 2015. Mariner Top (Gertie Patreon) These patterns are not vintage but are in a reproduction style.

Fabric: Vintage Navy floral rayon (skirt & kanzashi/brooches). Two sided pink cotton grid print (top) Both thrifted for $3 each.

Adjustments: I like this skirt with a flat front so I only pleat the back. I do this to aid my (ABD -Asian Butt Deficiency) 😂. I always hope bustles will make a comeback. The top is loose on purpose. I didn’t prewash that fabric. I’m a baddie like that - I’ll make adjustments after a wash if needed.

Brooches: I made with scrap fabric and vintage buttons.

Brooches made from scrap fabric.

Using the scrap fabric from my skirt is the perfect example of why I got into kanzashi making. Finding uses for everything. I made these in under 30 minutes.

While I am still working “my day job”, I have made it a priority to decompress most days by sewing something. Things are still heavy in the world, Etsy is jacking up their fees and tree pollen and I battle it our Mortal Kombat style daily. So it’s been nice to escape a bit into fabrics.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Secret Pants (1930s/1940's Culottes)

Did I make another skirt again?

Nope, they’re secret pants! (Thanks to Rachel Masky coining that phrase.)

As a child of the 80’s I’ve long been a fan of culottes. They just hit different than a palazzo or the like. Palazzos look like I’m wearing blocky curtains and further shrink my already short legs. While I could have adjusted the length on these to have a higher hem, my initial fitting looked decent so I left the length. I’m actually not a fan of crop or capri pants. Or pants in general really due to fit issues. But I do like these and I will definitely be making more.

Vogue Pattern 7339

Adjustments: The pattern piece for the placket was missing. I had to recreate that.

Pattern: Vogue Patterns 7339 (Late 30’s early 40’s) No date is provided oddly.

Fabric: Black lightweight corduroy. I had a limited amount so I do have the grain going two different ways. But I made it work.

Top: A knit mock neck. I also made that last week. It’s a Charm Patterns by Gertie Patreon exclusive Barbie Top. I highly recommend this pattern for learning to sew knits. I get many compliments on the several Barbie tops I’ve made.

I love a good power “Captain Morgan” stance.

My sewing journey continues to enlighten me on garments that best fit my frame. It really is a shame as a society the idea of having clothes made for you on a regular basis fell out of the norm. Not only to have clothes that were made for your frame, but to have a quality long lived item. Fast fashion is the devil.

Now, I really am going to make some more skirts for spring.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: A very bright 1946 reproduction dress.

I said something last week about making colorful things. Prepare your eyeballs for this color flash. Lemon lime/absinthe/chartreuse, neon yellow/Pantone 396, whatever you’d like to call it. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be hit by a car crossing the street when I’m wearing this.

This is a rare occasion of me loving the idea of the pattern and then not loving the fit/style. But this is a joy of making your own. I’m still learning what feels best on me. I like to just try things out too. 1940s styles are my favorite, so I had to give this one a spin. I’m sure I could fine tune this a bit more to get the fit I’m comfortable in but I think its perfectly fine to make something and not love it.

I made four hair flowers with some fabric scraps from this project.

I do however, love the color combo. From the beginning of making this dress, I set aside this fabric along with black piping for contrast. The angled cuts of this dress basically begged for them. Along with black accessories and red lipstick, I had envisioned a look. I know the color isn’t era appropriate but, I do what I want.

Adjustments: Shorten shoulders, added contrasting piping, omitted side ruching, added bust darts, added one side pocket and omitted button opening.

Pattern: Butterick B5281 Retro ‘46 (vintage reissue)

Fabric: Thrifted from Goodwill

Hair flowers: An Original By Thea Starr

Purse: 1940s Corde handbag.

Earrings: Vintage moon glow screw-backs. (My fave)

I’ve actually already sewn up two more things that I will share. Sewing has been a great distraction to things that are out of my control at the moment. I have so much to learn and each week I try to build and exercise my skills. Also, I’ve “met” quite a few people along this journey, which has been the best surprise.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: 1940's Style Rayon Dress

Last week’s make was an attempt to make me like spring with some colorful fabric. I’m a horrible sneezefest right now. I pulled this modern pattern that has 1940’s vibes from the stash in hopes to achieve that.

I’m also working on my tailoring skills. Tailoring is such a learning process. My initial goal with sewing wasn’t just an excuse to accumulate all the fabric, but ultimately have a wardrobe that fits me well.

This dress is fully lined. Ruching details on the bodice and sleeves. Sadly a little wrinkly. I should’ve taken photos before working.

Adjustments: Shorten shoulders and added pockets.

Pattern: Butterick B5952

Fabric: Art Gallery Fabrics Maureen Cracknell Summer Dress Dreams/ 100% Rayon

Hair flowers: by yours truly.

Yellow Kanzashi made from vintage kimono lining.

Every sewing project, I try to learn something new or better a known skill. It’s truly an adventure.

Also, with the terrible things going on globally, particularly in the Ukraine which is home to a few makers/creators I follow, it’s nice to keep my hands busy and my eyes not glued to the news.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Casual Blouse Butterick 6270 (1950)

Last week’s make was something more for my everyday wardrobe. I need lightweight shirts for spring and this fit the bill.

The details are a bit lost in the print but in person you can see them well. Next time I make this pattern I’ll use a less busy print or just a solid.

If you look closely, you can see the stitching detail.

Adjustments; I had to size down and shorten the bodice and sleeves. I plan to tailor it a bit more but I wanted to test a sweater vest with it first. This pattern was a bit too big for me and I do have a bit of trouble sizing down a pattern rather than my normal of sizing up a vintage pattern.

Pattern: Butterick 6270 (1952)

I’ve had the lucky of finding higher sized vintage patterns. This one I did need to size down for me, but I keep the original pattern in tact in case I lend this one out.

Fabric: Thrifted. Looks like a Liberty if London print. Feels like viscose. I love the micro floral print. I tend to lean into those because the bees and hummingbirds aren’t more inclined to chase me in the garden. Things you learn over the years.

Buttons: Vintage (pictured)

Vintage Hollywood brand buttons from my vintage button stash.

Hair flower: Yours truly.

Gray hair for everyday sparkle.

I hvaen’t dyed my hair since February 2020.

It was a bit dark in my office this morning so the full length photos are a bit dark. But I just paired this with some wide leg jeans. Which I hated and changed into a skirt a couple hours after this was taken.

I already have my next project on the cutting table. We’ve been keeping busy during this uneasy time. Its hard to detach from the news.

Keep your hopes up friends, xo-Thea