winter coats and linen trousers

Coats are on the mind lately. I still want to make that 1880's jacket, but I'm now also thinking of a new winter coat {not that I NEED a new one} made from this pattern:


{C30-4709 Ladies' Coat Pattern, circa 1933. Eva Dress.}

I haven't figured out the fabric yet. But something tells me this would be great in a dark brown mohair/wool fabric. But we'll see on that. I probably won't even have time to make it, but a girl can dream! Besides, I've got fall clothes to make before I think about winter coats.

I also finally started making a pair of trousers with my linen stripe fabric I got in Chicago several months ago. They were going to be for the summer, but I never got around to them so I'm making them longer and adding cuffs and hoping to wear them during the fall. I think I'm also going to make a matching belt. We'll see if I have enough fabric left over for that. They are, of course, long waisted. The '30s and '40s style trousers are definitely in my book of fashion right now. The picture below is similar to how mine will look, with the pleats in the front. Though I won't have a waistband and plan to add belt loops and a tiny pocket with horizontal stripes {and a real pocket in the right side seam, that you won't see}.


{I dig those white heels.}


And speaking of trousers, I really love this picture and the trousers the girl on the far left is wearing. They just look so comfy.


{I found this image on flickr, but now I can't remember where!}


A few more great vintage trousers {and just all around great vintage pictures}, here, here and here. {Did I mention I'm getting into the look: "1940s factory working girl?" Well, slightly anyway. I kind of like that look. :) }

Oh what the heck, here are a few more fun vintage images: girls' baseball, camper, great blouse pattern and awesome sailor shorts and halter top!! {Also check out the other pictures uploaded from my friend Ashe.}

I have to also add this one, just because it looks like Asta from The Thin Man series. :)

Annnd last but not least, check out Casey's post on her 1940s slacks with lots of great vintage images for inspiration!

Well hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm off to Chicago this evening for a short weekend visit. I doubt I'll get a chance to fabric shop because the people I'll be with aren't really into that thing. But will probably be checking out the art museums, which shall be fantastic! In any case, I'm sure I'll be back out that way again.

i love this dress

{vintage hollywood pattern #1352. found here.}

I'm not sure if I'll have time between now and next weekend, but I was looking around for a dress I could make to wear to a wedding. I initially thought I'd make a black dress and then got to thinking that is a little too dressy for this particular wedding. Plus I keep going back and forth about which pattern to use for that "little black dress." The one I was going to use I don't think will work so great. Anyway, so this is finally what I found that I think will work. I have a pattern that I changed slightly that should work. Here's my quick sketch that I made of my ideas:


{i kind of like that green buckle best, but i also think the round burgundy one would be nice. hmmm.}

Now, we shall see if this actually gets made. Though even if I don't get to it now, I hope to get to it eventually! My life is freaking busy and sewing is piling up. Mostly work, which is great! Just gives me hardly any time to sew for myself, because I tend to get burned out by the end of the day.

Well tomorrow sometime {not sure when yet} I'm taking a break and heading to the lake! More sewing tonight and possibly a movie at the same time. I'm in another old movie mood {but then, when am I not??} so I'm trying to decide between Ginger Rogers or Myrna Loy. :) They both make me extremely giddy. {Whoa, I'm a dork!} Have an awesome weekend! And if you have a peach tree filled with lovely peaches like I do, make this amazing peach/blueberry cobbler. I made it last night and oh man, it's like, the best.

linen shorts, '30s sailor style

{Three Smart Girls 1936}

Finally got around to taking a few pictures of the shorts I made. I seriously feel weird posing for pictures, 'cause I know some of you out there are going to think I'm completely into myself. Okay, every girl is sorta into themselves. Even if just a smidge. Because it's just kinda fun to get dressed up and I get obsessed about clothing, especially when it has anything to do with historical or vintage clothing. Since I rarely buy clothing anymore, I've been making my own clothes and it has encouraged me to dive into the 1930s, which is a style I love so much and believe is easily adaptable to modern wear. I haven't gone full fledge 1930s, as cool as that would be, I still like other styles of clothing I like whether they are modern or have a vintage flair to them. All that said, here are the pictures of the shorts I made. (Yeah, ME in shorts. I know it's hard to believe.) I used a 1940s overall pattern I got for $1 a couple years ago. I changed them a bit (which required one failed attempt a year ago plus three or four extra mock ups) and this is what I got:


{linen sailor shorts}

I'll take more detailed shots of the actual shorts themselves when I'm not wearing them. :)

I also took a picture with the 1930s blouse I made last year. I'm liking the shorts a lot, even if it shows a lot of white pastey leg. Oh man, I couldn't tan even if I wanted to. And believe me, I don't want to! I've learned to embrace the curse of the redhead. We don't tan, we freckle. And I'd rather have freckles than a gross cancer shade of brown. Yuck.


{sailor shorts and the '30s blouse i made last year}

i'm such a horrible bad person

{1930s sunglasses from a German eBay store.}

Okay, this could be debated. But I just had to share this recent eBay purchase. ehem... I could NOT resist. These were just too good to pass up. And I convinced myself that if for some odd reason I didn't like them on me, I could just re-sell them on eBay.


{Myrna Loy in Libeled Lady - check out those visors! cute.}

Honestly, is it really that bad of me to want to look like this? Will I look like a complete and total dork? Then again, I don't seem to care if I look like a total dork, 'cause I like what I like and I wear what I want. :) And why should I care if I am "accepted" by my appearance? These simply make me happy and besides, they would go with the whole 1930s theme I seem to be obsessed with lately.


{Three Smart Girls 1936.}

On the subject of my '30s obsession, Saturday morning I made a bunch of sketches of some of the clothing I want to make myself for the summer. Mostly relating to the early to mid '30s. I got a lot of inspiration from French fashion magazines from the '30s while listening to music of Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire. Yes, I actually listen to this music and I love it. Oh oh and I must share an image of the sailor shorts I'm gonna make. Haven't decided the material yet, but I'm leaning towards a tan linen or possibly a twill. Any thoughts?


{another scene from Three Smart Girls.}

let yourself go

I've been on an extreme '30s/Ginger Rogers/Myrna Loy/old movies kick lately {wow I'm such a sap}. Oh and guess what came in the mail yesterday {only I didn't realize it until today}? Major and the Minor, which recently {finally} came out on DVD. Love that movie. A total sappy feel-good movie all the way and I've seen it sooo so many times, but somehow never get tired of it. I watched that today while sewing. Yesterday I put in several Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire movies as well. I love this scene from Follow the Fleet. I guess I'm a total sucker for the 1930s. And oh boy would I love to learn how to dance like that!



The rest of my weekend went splendidly. Nothing too exciting happened. In fact, I don't think I left the house once! Which was a good thing for me. I think I needed a break to clear the mind. Had a few bottles of some good Dutch beer I'd never tried before and lots and lots and lots of good old black and white films playing in the background while I sewed. {There's nothing quite like glorious black and white.}

Yesterday I mostly spent my time making a pattern off of one of my favorite vintage dresses. Then today I made a mock-up of it and only had to make a few minor adjustments. Making patterns off of garments is a lot harder than it looks! At least it took me longer this time than I thought it would. I thought this one would be easy because it's a pretty basic dress. But the dart gave me a few issues. Silly darts. At least everything worked out great and I've already started cutting out the fabric. I'm looking forward to having another summer dress to wear. Unfortunately, didn't get to the black dress yet. I'll have to work on that next weekend. Tomorrow {well technically today} I'm back to work. So much to catch up to, but I really needed that break to sew something a little different for a change. Well I hope everyone else had a satisfactory weekend!

thank you

{some buttons and a few broaches i picked up last week}

Just wanted to drop back on here to let you know that I appreciate all of your comments on my '30s trousers {here and on my flickr pages}. You guys are very encouraging! My idea to start making my own clothing began when I decided I'd really love to make a line of clothing that I'd actually wear. But since most of my time is spent making historical clothing for others, I didn't think I'd have enough time to put together a line. So I figured if I just start making things for myself whenever I get a little time here and there, maybe I can take what I've made and turn it into a small line. A few people asked if I had the trousers available for sale, but right now I'm not sure I'm ready to take on orders. I'm also planning to make another pair in a similar style, but alter it slightly (shorten the waist, drawstring, zip fly instead of buttons on either side, hem the legs shorter so they are more like mid-calf, made in linen). I also have several tops in mind that I want to make. This whole "line" will largely be influenced by the 1930s or thereabouts. I love the '30s so much {even more now that I whacked the hair off} and am finding that's really "my" style. It's what I feel the best in.

If you are ever interested in something I'm making, please feel free to drop me a line {gracefullady@gmail.com}. And depending on my work load, I might be tempted into making it for you. ::And I haven't forgotten about the leather bags. Still working on finding the right leather. In a few weeks I'm going to Chicago and a friend there said she wants to take me to a place that just might have some. So we'll see. {Not to mention the loads of fabric shopping we'll be doing...if only I had a larger wallet...}

On another note, I haven't had much to write about in the last few weeks, but I'd like to get better at blogging. I always enjoy it, but finding something to write about that is of any interest can sometimes be hard, especially when there's mostly just work and nothing exciting going on in my life. I think mostly I'm just overloaded with a lot of things so I haven't been able to really sit down with a clear mind. I'll be on here again before too long. I've got a 1940s dresser and vanity that Mom gave me and needs some TLC. So I'm thinking some before/after pictures are in order. :) And that chair I got last year which dearly needs new cushions made. Also have a vintage bike that needs help. badly. I want to do more biking as the weather gets nicer, so I need this bike in shape! If anyone knows of some DIY linkage on fixing old bikes, I'd love to hear about 'em. I'd like to try and do it myself, because that's the way I am. It was a cheap bike and cost me barely $8, but I'd like not to have to drop an arm and a leg fixing it up if at all possible.

Have a lovely week. As for me, back to sewing.

lucked out

Today I went out with my friend Elyssa to this tiny little town nearby that has the most amazing cafe with the best homemade fries I've ever eaten in my life. So good. We also went to some antique shops around the area and I totally lucked out. Picked up an original 1850s tintype of two gorgeous women. And the price tag: $8. Yeah, only eight buckos. I sure swiped that one. This never happens to me. Like ever. So you can imagine how happy I am. It's just an all around amazing image. Take a look...



And here's my outfit that I wore, because I like to take pictures of my outfits. hehe. I really love the 1930s and after getting my hair chopped, I've been really kickin' the '30s look these days. Need to try putting my hair in pin-curls one of these days to see what I'd look like in a true '30s do. Oh what a dork I am.



and my friend Elyssa (who recently went and got herself engaged)


Another find I made the other day was at Goodwill. I decided to peruse the dress section quickly before heading out the door when I happened upon this apron. And to top it off? It happened to be tagged with green and green was on sale for .88 cents that day. So yeah, I pretty much ran out with that one too. I think I'm a hopelessly old fashioned. But what can I say? There was so much beauty in times past. I think we've lost a lot of it in our modern plastic world we live in.



On the "This is..." front. I'm going to have to play catch-up, 'cause I'm really getting behind here... ack.