Out of the clear blue sky

I'd forgotten how much I love Vera Farmiga until I attempted to google screen shots of that scene I was thinking of with Leonardo DiCaprio.

She's absolutely gorgeous.

I want that blouse

A lovely Grecian inspired bodice

I really should hate on women who look this cute while pregnant.
Alas, it's Vera and I find I cannot hate her.

And to bring it all together and justify this post's presence on a vintage housewife's blog, please watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. But only if you're prepared to fawn over WWII fashion and bawl your little eyes out.

May I also recommend Charlotte Gray with the lovely Cate Blanchett and Good with Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs?

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Remember when Titanic was released? I was sixteen and I'd been waiting with baited breath for its release. Not because I thought Leo DiCaprio was some kind of dream boat because honestly, he's never done a thing for me (except for those five minutes in The Departed when he macked on Vera Farmiga anyway.) No, I've always known about the Titanic and its sad voyage to the bottom of the sea. One of my first memories was of the news reports on the day they found the wreck in 1985.

What I didn't know was how amazing and wonderful the fashions of the day were. It's enough to take your breath away, at least it was when I was all of sixteen and managed to get my mother to take me to see it three times in the theater. At the time, I wasn't really much of a sewist. I couldn't tell if I'd sewn anything just yet. If I had, it was only a handful of horrid dresses. Certainly I could never fathom recreating anything resembling Rose Dewitt Bukater's remarkable wardrobe. Upon subsequent viewings and as I progressed in my sewing knowledge, lingerie dresses and sequinned evening gowns became quite obtainable. However, I then had the problem of how exactly one would wear an afternoon tea dress with layers of floaty chiffon falling about one's ankles. After all, I don't have a boiler room to run through.

It doesn't help that all of the line drawings and magazine articles from the day don't give one much clue how they would look on a modern figure. Actually, it's a bit difficult to picture them on any figure. We aren't the first generation to give ourself an unattainable figure to copy. The S-curve corset could only do so much to thrust the female form into such an odd configuration.

Because this is realistic, right?

All of that awe and inspiration, however, came together in a way I could finally translate into my own wardrobe thanks to a working weekend for my husband and 48 hours with netflix in his absence.



Squee, right?

Cotton gauze, striped silk, sparse floral prints, oh the day gowns are enough to make you wish you could pay a visit. No, you probably can't wear such a gown any where but a costumed event but can you imagine those bodices tucked into a pencil skirt? That's exactly what I'm picturing and thanks to Past Patterns, I plan to make that happen next year sometime. 

But for something nearer, I was inspired by the ladies' evening gowns, just as I was by Rose's red and blue gowns back in 1997.

What could be prettier than lace and chiffon? And here I was, knitting away, contemplating what a dreadfully dull dress I'd be forced to wear for Christmas that would accomodate my pregnant belly when these beautiful gowns sauntered across the screen. With bodices like this, it wouldn't matter much what happened below, would it? I think I like Lady Sybill's gown on the right the best. The elbow length sheer sleeves, the bit of lace edging falling off center down the front of the skirt.

I've decided on navy for the under layers with a black lace trimmed chiffon for the overlay. And since we're dealing with a maternity dress I'll only wear again should I go through the effort to recut the skirt, I'm going to save up my Joann's coupons and shop from their Casa Collection. Past Patterns again will come to my rescue though I think I'll have to do up a few muslins to come up with the right look and fit.



Yes, without that batwing drapey part, I promise.



As it happens, my extensive stash will provide exactly the prefect fabric and pattern for pinky's dress. I picked up a few yards of a navy polyester taffeta for less than $5 a yard when I first discovered FabricMart fabrics about 18 months ago. I sewed up a quickie dress for pinkers that turned out so well that I bought five more yards when I saw it in their clearance bin a few months later. $1.99 a yard actually. I can't seem to find a picture right now so you'll have to wait until closer to Christmas.

I was thinking of a Simplicity pattern I've been holding onto for years. It's sized 3-6 so now is the perfect time to use it. It's not nearly a similar look or era but it will be cute nonetheless, especially for a little girl who is fond of big skirted dressed, puffed sleeves, and the slightest touch of lace. Go here for a better look. I'm thinking the white one but without the bottom scallops.

Fall Palette Challenge Update

I'm still here, lest you worried I would ditch you so soon. I've been combing through patterns and fabrics, looking for the best way to accomodate a baby belly in a way that my sewing skills can handle. After all, if you can't figure out what to sew, how are you going to get anything under a presser foot?

Honestly, I'm a little iffy on these colors. I know I'll use them. I'm just not sure they make for a cohesive color palette. But I'm trying my best to use up some of this massive stash that's threatening to overtake my house like a rolling tide.

Tomorrow I'll take pictures of the fabric and post pattern ideas. But just to give you a bit of a preview, start thinking about what would happen if Joan Holloway sashayed into Sterling Cooper in some turquoise and black houndstooth.

It will be my first time working with knits and truth be told, I'm a little intimitated. But you have to start somewhere, yes?



Summer Sun, Somethin's Begun

When it comes to sewing, I have an incredibly short attention span. Even while working on one project, mentally cutting out the next, and hammering down the details for the third, I'm thinking about what I'm doing next season.

As you know, I'm currently working on this bag, McCalls 5822. Here's a sneak preview.

Then, I'll start on the Easter dresses in conjuction with my EvaDress Contest entry.



And I just realized I only have 15 days. ACK! For some reason, I thought it ended the 28th of March. Oops! Guess I'm skipping the muslin after all. So feel free to ignore the cherry print fabric and focus only on the the pretty paisley charmeuse. I might manage the little jacket but I wouldn't hedge any bets if I were you.

After that, we are moving on to some wonderful lingerie by Colette Patterns, Nutmeg and Cinnamon. I'll give up more details in a few weeks but I'm planning three sets, everyday wear in ivory and pale pink cotton batiste, a luxurious set in ivory crepe back satin with black lace trim, and a proper pretty set of dusty coral crepe.

Even with all that planned, I can't get my mind off summer sewing. The sun has been bright down south for the last two weeks, warm enough to roll the windows all the way down in my old car and fill the roads with Mick Jagger, much to the chagrin of other drivers, I'm sure.

No matter.

My love for Start Me Up cannot be contained. But I digress.

Summer sewing, yes, that's what we were discussing. For bonus points, aside from the necessary notions, we'll be doing some MAJOR stash busting.

Let's start at the bottom. I've not made either shorts nor pants before, aside from a handful of pajama bottoms. Cross your fingers that I don't screw up six yards of cotton twill when I attempt these capris and shorts, will you? Although, I picked up some in khaki, bluebell, and pale pink last summer for less than four dollars a yard at Hancock Fabrics, so if I completely jack them up, at least I'm only out my time and hopefully, I've learned something from the experience.

I own enough floral print, gingham trims, and solid knits to make up enough tops to get me through the longest Southern summers. May I resist the urge to buy more patterns since I own the following and they'll do just fine with all the various ways I could adapt them. With ruffles, pockets, lace insertion, dyeing techniques, etc, the possibilities are endless.



And then there are all the summer dresses. Add the cherry print above to a list that includes this, this, this, and this, and it's a cruel, cruel summer, leaving me here all alone with a sewing machine. My closet will love me and my husband should be satisfied so see my stash dimishing, though admittedly, he won't be pleased with all the works in progress draped over the couch and coffee table.

We Could Be Heroes!

Last night was movie night, and since pete was at a sleepover, pinky and I decided a girl movie was in order. Perfect time to introduce miss ma'am to the awesomeness that is Moulin Rouge. At first, the little woman and her short attention span remained unimpressed.

"Is this it, mommy?" she asked me as the curtain opened on Bohemian Paris.

Once the green fairy made her appearance however, I heard nary a peep from the child until Satine started coughing up blood and I had to explain tuberculosis.

For my part, watching this movie again only solidifies my sewing bucket list desire to make a corset one day.

MOVIE TIME!

I watched Charlotte Gray with the always gorgeous Cate Blanchett last night while sewing. I have to admit that I'm a sucker for WWII stories but I thought it was very good. Or maybe I'm biased by how lovely everyone looked in their 1940's style clothing.

It's my favorite vintage era. I cannot get over how pretty and feminine women looked in fairly unfeminine fabrics and cuts. While searching high and low for the playsuit pattern of my dreams, I've come across a ton of these smart little suits and rejected them out of hand.

From Woodland Farms Antiques

A rather staid jacket, a skirt that's neither full nor slim, and what appears to be a blah, high necked blouse. To make matters worse, they were sewn up out of good, seemingly bland wool. No thank you, right?

Wrong.

Watch at the :30 mark and tell me she doesn't look faboo.


Who would have thought wool, knits, and tweed could look so delicate and pretty? Lucky for me, I have some wool/silk blend suiting and a yard of purple silk poplin in my stash that will make a lovely 40's style suit and shirt some day. Maybe come fall.

I want a girl with a short skirt

I went into an Urban Outfitters for the first time ever on Saturday. I found a couple cute things I'll be waiting to go on clearance or for a good coupon code.

Pinky was even more inspired.

She wants this:

I apologize for the tiny pic. You can view it here at their website. It's a cute little summer skirt, isn't it? Don't worry, mom. I'll be adding a couple inches to the bottom to preserve pinky's tiny little girl modesty. Or at least the appearance of it. God bless little girls and their penchant for flashing their mundies at the most inopportune moments.

And yes, I just called the mundies. According to mr man, little girls don't wear panties because panties are sexy and little girls are anything but. However, underwear just isn't a very cute word either, so utilitarian for a scrap of fabric usually emblazoned with the days of the week, Hello Kitty, or Disney characters. So mundies is it.

Maybe sewing a pair of shorts to the waistband would be a good idea.