2nd Liebster Award

 

Hi!!!

We have been nominated the the Liebster blog award by the vintage home sewist! She is a lovely blogger from Georgia who blogs about her sewing adventures.

(http://thevintagehomesewist.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/my-first-award/)

 

Here are the 11 questions!

 

1. What inspired you to start your blog?

I enjoyed reading other girls blogs about sewing and vintage fashion. We have a mini library of many vintage books on sewing, decor and lifestyle and thought it would be nice to contribute to the blogging world.

 

2. How long have you been blogging?

I think its been about two years maybe three.

 

3. What motivates you to get things done?

I love to accomplish things- so the satisfaction of completing something Ive stared is a big motivator.

 

4. Do you have a favorite old movie?

Its hard to pick just one- lately my favorite movie has been 12 Angry Men. That movie is superb!

 

5. If you could be any fruit, which fruit would you be and why?

A pineapple- its might seem hard on the outside but its all goodness on the inside.

 

6. What is an oddball fact about yourself?

I sweep the kitchen everyday- sometimes multiple times a day.

 

7. Why did you choose the name of your blog?

The girls and I made it up while watching a Burt Lancaster movie and like the sound of it.

 

8. What is your favorite book?

I actually don't have a favorite book, but I do love a good vintage mystery.

 

9. What is your main goal for 2014?

Sew up a new wardrobe!

 

10. What color eyes do you have?

Light brown

 

11. What is something that makes you really happy?

Spending time with my sisters 

 

Los Angeles skyline view from the Hollywood Hills

 

Okay now for 11 facts!

 

1. I'm the youngest sister.

2. I've never died my hair.

3. Ive only lived in California

 4. My favorite decade is the 1930's and 1960's

5. I learned to sew at 15yrs old .

6 I enjoy having an Etsy shop

7. I'm addicted to thrifting

8. I enjoy listing to 60's rock and big band music

9. I know a little bit of American Sign Language

10. I have two cats

11. I enjoy creative writing.  

 

Thank you Bessie!

 

Sincerly, Vera

Tell Me...Do You Know Andre?

Many apologies for being terrible about blogging--as you well know, life can get in the way!

But today I am excited to spotlight the Andre Studio Collections, which are available to view online.

Some of you may recognize the site from our links page, whrereas others may already know of this wonderful collection of sketches from 1930-1941. This was part of a project, as the New York Public Library and Special Collections of the FIT Archives put it, to "virtually unite a collection of spectacular quality and historical significance".

When I originally stumbled upon this site, I was thrilled at the orginization of the collection, and quality of the sketches. The collection consists of original, hand-colored and reproduced fashion drawings from Andre Studios, a small desgin company that competed to sell their designs to manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. It's safe to say I was mildly obsessed with it, dreaming of sewing up my own versions of almost everything I clicked on...

To search for something specific is very simple, you can choose to browse their labels/categories or type in the search box. And its easy to share or print 'em out for personal use. You may just click on every one!

 Happy browsing!


--Viola

'What's On the Menu?' A Look at Vintage Menus

Earlier this month, we stopped by an estate sale and discovered a small collection of vintage menus and mementos. The prices were a little steep and bargaining didn't help as much as we had hoped, but we snapped up as many as we could. I did a little research to see if some of the places are still around and tried to find a photo of what the restaurant looked like inside. A tall order (no pun intended), but I had to try!

 

Welch's of Long Beach

Who can resist a vintage kid's menu?! I was surprised to see this among the other menus. This certainly brought back memories of ordering from the "fun" kids menu. But there was never prime rib or sole fillets on my menu!

 

 

Maynard L. Parker, Courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.

 I tried to find out more about this restaurant, but kept getting photos. Click this link to see more pics of the inside!

 

The Hotel Statler

The Hotel Statler company was one of the earliest hotel chains in the U.S.. Catered to travelling businessmen and tourists, it was founded by Ellsworth Milton Statler in Buffalo, New York in around 1907. Looking at the design, graphics, I'm assuming this menu is from the 1950s. Some of their locations have since been demolished, but others still exist and are being used as offices, apartments, or as another hotel. Apparently, the Los Angeles location where this menu is from was demolished in 2011 and is the site where the Wilshire Grand Tower will be built.  Click here to see which ones are still operating hotels!

 

I can just imagine myself sipping a "Sunnybrook" highball next to this lovely pool under a bright yellow umbrella-after all, it's only 75cents!
 

Hotel Pere Marquette

 The 14-story Pere Marquette was built in 1926 in downtown Peoria, Illinois. It is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel was recently closed for an entire year in 2012 for extensive renovation and expansion into a full-service, upscale Mariott hotel.  The year I found for this menu is 1942. I love this blue-on-blue color for a menu!

I didn't realize how terrible this pic was--sorry!

Here's a close-up of the "Plate Luncheons" section

 

I really like looking at them for authentic design/color ideas. I was suprised that the owner managed to keep them in a safe place. Paper usually somehow gets damaged.

There are a few more coming, so keep an eye out!

-Viola



Pick a Pretty Petticoat....or Crinoline??

 

 

This post was fueled by curiosity--I had to do some research on the difference between a petticoat and a crinoline. On the Internet I have seen these two terms used interchanged with each other and became a little confused. After a brief look-up, I quickly realized that historically a crinoline is cage-like and the petticoat is more like an underskirt-- both are worn for fullness.

...Or Crinoline


Crinoline Courtesy of fashion-era.com

The definitions I found explained a petticoat as "a skirt-like undergarment[s] worn for warmth or to give the skirt or dress the desired or fashionable shape" and crinoline as a "stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman's dress into the required shape."

*I also found this interesting post about bustle periods.

The most memorable decades for crinoline-and-petticoat-wearing that stuck out in my mind were:

 

The 1850s-1870s



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The 1950s

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The Early 1960s

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For some reason, I associate petticoats and full dresses with summer. Depending how hot your summers get, petticoat-wearing can get a little warm-- to say the least. Knowing me, I will probably wear them in the heat anyway! Since this was an interesting topic, and I am sure I'll do more in-depth probing later.  Until next time,

--Viola

Our 1-year Blogiversary!!--Inspirations & Thank You

I can't believe we totally forgot we started this blog last year on March 11th! We would like to thank all of our followers and those who have inspired us :)

Here are a few things that have inspired us this last blog-year:


Cute Outfit Posts By Andi B. Goode



Solanah's Awesome Vintage Luggage


Harlow's Fab Photos


Ivy's Hobnail Collection

 

 Casey's Adoreable Sewing Projects

 

Evie's Vintage Repro Sewing

Bessie M.'s Great Selection of  Vintage Patterns

 

Those were just a handfull of inspirations from last year. Hopefully you stay on the ride with us as we blog away about all things vintage.

 

--Viola :)

 

*Don't forget that Google is getting rid of their RSS feed reader July 1st*



Outfit Post--(Almost) Springtime Navy & Gold

Hello! With the purchase of our new camera, taking photos isn't such a hassle anymore. I wore this outfit a few days ago. Every time I want to wear navy, I hit a roadblock when trying to pair it with other colors. As much as I love the color's versatility, I can't seem to create outfits based on it. However, I'm determined to give it a try, so here it goes...

 

I played around with some coloring affects to make it look more vintage-y

 

 

P.S. I'm on the lookout for some navy shoes--I can't wear Viv's every time I need navy shoes!
 



Blouse--vintage from a friend

Skirt--?? had it for years

Sweater-- JCPenny's

Belt--vintage, thrift store find
Shoes-- Overstock (Viv's)

Earrings--from a friend
Sunglasses--Giant Vintage

 

 

 

Skirt twirl attempt....

What are some of your favorite navy combinations?

 

--Viola

Tutorial: Easy 1940s Waves

This is our FIRST tutorial ever so we are very excited and a little nervous. So without further ado, here it is! *We are in need of a new camera so please bear with us as the photos may be a little blurry* 





Here is an easy way to get the look of glamorous waves inspired by the 1940s. This method has been used a lot in adverts--magazines especially. Though the method is not authentic, it is very accessible for the modern girl who desires a simple vintage look. With practice, you can do this fairly quickly. Depending on your hair texture and the amount of hairspray you use, this style should last all day (and in her case two).

 

HELPFUL TIPS:
*When winding strands, don't hold too tight to avoid dents
*Apply serum before hairspraying finished comb-out
*If sides aren't symmetrical, clip all hair to one side with Bobby Pins
*Don't use a fine-tooth comb to comb out curls--this will take out the definition and it won't stay as long.

 *You can also deepen the creases of the wave by lightly pressing the barrel of your iron into each wave

 

 

Vera's hair is naturally straight with bangs...

 

 

1. DIVIDE FIRST SECTION OF HAIR

Start from the nape area and section with the rattail comb (or your fingers) about a 1" thick straight part from ear-to-ear. Clip the rest of hair up out of the way.

 

2. SECTION A 1" STRAND

Spray this piece of hair evenly. This will be your first curl.

*Our sections are a little larger--use smaller sections for more control*

 

 

3. SMOOTH SECTION
Using a comb or your fingers to distribute hair spray
 (See Below)

 

 

4. WRAP

Wind the strand of hair you sprayed around your curling iron. Make sure to wrap each section of hair the same direction each time. This is important-you want all the curls to wave in the same direction.

 

5. HOLD

Once the hair strand is completely wrapped around the iron, hold it at least for 5 seconds so the spray can harden. Depending on the heat and your hair texture, you can decide if you wish to keep it wrapped longer.

 

 COMPLETED CURL

 

7. COMPLETED ROW

Continue curling untill you have a row. Don't worry if you need to make more curls to finish your row.

 

8. SECTION NEXT ROW

Bring down a new section of hair for your next row of curls.

 

9. CURL NEXT ROW
Curl the next row like the first. Cleaner partings will make it easier. If the partings aren't perfect-don't worry! Just make sure they are as even as possible.

 

10. CROWN PART
Vera has a center part and bangs, so we kept it the same. Most girls like to part their hair to the side. If you choose to do this, just continue curling. Your heavier side will have some hair left even though the other side ran out.

 

11. CURL CROWN

Continuing in the same direction wrap your strands. When sectioning, keep the partings the same direction. Going sideways will mess up the finished outcome!

Don't tire out--this top layer should be set well.

 

12. FINISHED CURLS!

 

 

13. COMBOUT

Use a wide tooth comb to brush throght and get the crispiness of the spray out. Don't use the fine teeth--this will weaken your set. *If

you used little to no spray, skip this step*

 

14. BLEND CURLS
Use a brush with bristles to smooth and blend the curls together.  Natural or natural-blend bristles work best but work with what you have. Brush untill the curls relax into a wave. Take care to not flick the brush out when brushing through. This will frizz the wave and make it harder to blend.

15. SMOOTH WAVE
Work the wave with your fingers and smooth with your brush.

16. TURN ENDS UNDER
If the ends of the wave flip out, use the curling iron to turn the ends under.

17. FINISHING TOUCHES
If needed, use a pea-drop of serum to smooth flyaways and lightly mist with hairspray.
*You can also deepen the creases of the wave by lightly pressing the barrel of your iron into each wave.*

 

I hope this tutorial made sense and inspired you. If anyone tries it, feel free to share the results!

 

 

 --Viola