Vintage Vamp

Funky boy-bag

2007-04-09T20:11:00.000+10:00

My 9-year-old son has a groovy little over the shoulder bag he carries his treasures in when we go out.
I bought it for him in a sale last year and when we go out he always finds something in there to while away quiet moments.
He's decorated the bag with badges we've collected on trips away and he's really proud of it.

I guess the secret to the success of a bag like this is not to have it too big, otherwise it could get too heavy and a child would end up ditching it.

Yesterday I suggested the bag idea to my 6-year-old son and he picked out the fabrics he liked.
What do you think of his selection? Cute or what?

I let him choose from fabric leftovers including what looks like 100% cotton barkcloth from the 60s with a beautiful tall ships print.
The fabric is so luscious to touch - it takes me back to my childhood. Sort of a coarse weave in lovely smooth cotton.
I love the barkcloth and I'd like to stretch it out to use in future projects as much as possible so I just used it for the flap.
The gorgeous orange and brown brushed cotton paisley was used to fully line the bag, including an insert.
The same paisley fabric was used for the outer bag and under the flap.
A strip of denim was used for the outer insert and shoulder strap.

I used the original bag as a pattern.

I just measured it up and added 1.5cm seam allowances.
The original bag has a velcro fastening but the flap on the handmade bag is heavy enough to sit well without it as it's lined.
A button would be too fussy for my little darling boy anyway.

He's been carrying it around for two days now and has filled it with the little treasures he needs to keep an eye on such as pad, sharpener and pencil, tamagochi, bionicle, spyro, pez and water bombs. Critical stuff!!
Orders are coming in thick and fast from my other two kids!

Groovy little bolero

2007-04-07T10:19:00.000+10:00

About a week ago I was at the Salvo's and they let me fill a bag with fabrics for $3.
I found some real beauties, including a navy and white cotton full circle skirt that was way too small for me.
It didn't take long to realise it would make a perfect bolero jacket from Style pattern 4654 I'd bought for 20cents a few days earlier.
I'd never actually made anything out of a circle skirt before - lining up the straight of grain and getting the pattern lined up properly was pretty interesting but not too tricky.
The bolero has cute puffed sleeves and a deep pointed cuff.
I was sewing away thinking how clever I was to wizz something up in a couple of hours when I realised the jacket need to be lined.
I ended up using white damask left over from making sofa slipcovers a couple of years ago.
Now the jacket is reversible - white with the navy and white

cuff.

I probably won't wear it that way tho' - looks too much like a waiter's jacket.
I wore it to work the day after I finished it and got lots of positive comments - it felt great!
The pattern is ideal for refashioning a full skirt as it doesn't take much fabric and there's only four pattern pieces - no collar or yoke pieces.
I remembered a piece of advice from years ago a little late though - hang the garment and lining overnight before hemming.
The lining is a tiny bit too full so I'll have to remember that next time.

Whatever it ends up as, it needs big sleeves!

2007-03-24T20:20:00.000+10:00

I picked up this handmade dress in an opp shop for $3 because I liked the fabric.

It's 100% cotton and has "Marchioness Fabric'' printed on the selvedge.

The dress is a maxi length but is too short for me and the bodice is too tight so I've decided on a refashioning attempt.

The skirt and bodice have been lined in white satin but I've picked it apart and will just use the lovely, cool cotton fabric for a short, puff-sleeved blouse with a long round collar.

Here's a close-up of the fabric.

Squeezing the most out of summer!

2007-03-24T19:53:00.000+10:00

I bought about three metres of this cotton stretch knit fabric from St Vinnies for $5 about a month ago.
I didn't want summer to go by without making something from it.
It's just above the knee and looks great with platform wedges!
I bought the pattern for it at the same time for 50cents.
It was a weird pattern - nothing I'm really used to.
It has back and front seams and no side seams, just long darts that run from the armhole to hip and two front and back darts and bust dart.
It fits really well and I love it on.
The fabric's pretty out there and I have plenty left over - I'm confident the dress and pattern are both from the 70s.

This is a close up of the fabric.

And this is the pattern I used - the pic isn't all that great but it gives a better idea of the shape of the neckline and armholes.

My first refashioning attempt

2007-03-19T19:44:00.000+10:00

I've collected plenty of thrift shop clothing and accessories, sewing patterns and fabrics and I think it's time I put my wallet away and started doing something with my burgeoning collection before people start throwing things out behind my back!

So, during a thrift shop search last week I came across a two-peice evening outfit that I could imagine someone wearing to a conservative little dinner dance.
A camisole top and maxi skirt with tie belt - it was pretty boring but I couldn't go past the beautiful green thai silk bird-print fabric.

I haven't snapped the top and belt here but the outfit cost $4.

It's nearly the end of summer but we're still getting real scorchers here in Brisbane, so I decided to refashion the skirt into a sundress.

The skirt was lined and I did a burn test on both fabrics. The outer seen here is definitely silk as the fibres were feathery and crumbled. But the lining was nylon unfortunately - the fibres fused into a hard ball.
So I removed the lining, used another sundress as a guide for the armholes and skirt width and cut the top off the skirt.
I used some of the fabric to create bias binding for the armholes and the self-tie belt I threaded and secured in a casing at the top.

It's looking a little creased here as I've worn it three days in a row.
Silk is so cool for summer and it's such an elegant fabric.
I'll wear this night and day.

I'm so excited and can't wait to start my next project!

This is a pic of some of the bird-print detail.

2006-03-05T11:48:00.000+10:00

Op shop platforms - only $9!!! - I'm so happy with these, can't wait to wear them all winter. So rare to find second hand shoes that fit me - I'm going to wear them with opaques in bottle-green, deep purple or black. I wore nude fishnets heaps last winter so I'm going to wear them with these honeys again.

"After you Mrs Steele..."

2006-03-05T10:19:00.000+10:00

I'm loving the change of season ... the whiff of autumn in the air is so inspiring.
All the hard work over summer is finally paying off - walking, running and pump classes (oh, and humping come to think of it).
Time to climb into a black, zip-front flared jumpsuit and strap into my black & white, snake-print, vinyl trench.
The day has come - after years of not knowing whether I could pull it all off again, after all the pregnancies and breastfeeding, after mother nature herself taking liberty with my body.
I'm back and I feel alive again!
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I've enjoyed my daily fixes of the European shows over the past 6 weeks - much of my response however has been "thanks but I'm on track".
As for the winter clothes in the shops now, I went shopping with M yesterday and was so happy to just sweep past all the clothes I saw.
Kind of reverse snobbery: I know what suits me and you're not going to make me wear a lacey top just because every shop is stocking them!
I'm going the opposite way.
I've been trawling op shops for old sewing patterns and found ones for a 60s jumpsuit, a hooded cape with toggles and a 70s hip length fitted jacket with big patch pockets and little shoulder "fins".
Can't wait to start sewing but have to pick fabrics first.
Jumpsuit as mentioned above, will be black of course.
It's sleeveless so it's perfect for this climate and I can layer with a skivvy on cold days.
Cape not sure yet.
I'm looking through fashion history books at the moment for inspiration.
Velvet and tweed always work but they're too heavy for this climate.
Any ideas Mere?
The jacket, same thing really - haven't started looking for suitable fabrics yet but should be easier than the cape fabric.
Predictions?
Pinafores and tunics - fitted layers are going to continue to hack thru the floaty peasant skirts and dresses.
Simple a-lines will get stronger.
But my biggie is the pinafore - nipped in at waist or a dropped waist, worn at mid-thigh on its own or over a skirt or narrow trousers. On its own or with a blouse, t-shirt or turtleneck. Belted or self-belt.
I see tunics reappearing in the current shows but I think it will become more of a uniform look a-la the pinafore.
Gorgeous with patent leather knee-high boots or over-the-knee socks and platforms!
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I'm going to start listing all my bargains, with pics and cost details.
How about we start this now?
It'll be fantastic - a cyber version of racing home to show off your purchases to your sister, 'cept we can't swap and borrow - hmmmm.

2006-02-07T10:47:00.000+10:00

"Hello lover!" - Carrie, SATC

Let the fashionista out!

2006-01-22T00:03:00.000+10:00

Looking at fashions for 2006, it seems women are spoilt for choice.
No longer are they being totally dictated to, they're being offered abundant variety.
OK so maybe they're still being dictated to - "You will pick an era and make it yours!"
I guess designers have to pigeonhole their collections tho' otherwise how could they possibly market themselves and sell stacks of clothes?
Or perfume for that matter.
But I do think the reins are loosening a bit.
However, who will take up the challenge and wear what they really want to? That will be really interesting to see.
We're being offered the New Look, 60's mod, military, Russian, gypsy/peasant, 70s disco and 80s blah.
Belts and pants are sitting anywhere on the body from under the boobs to hipsters and anywhere in between.
Are people just going to get totally confused and freak out over having to choose?
Can designers now say "Well you wanted choice so here they are, go get 'em"?
People just love to complain - and I really believe that the only thing they can complain about now is their own lack of passion and fashion education.

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Having waffled on a bit, I've taken to naming my outfits.

Today I was wearing Stepford Wife: pastel mint cotton dress with voluminous 3-tiered skirt and fitted bodice with shoulder straps, huge 70s style brown tinted sunnies and massive straw floppy hat.

I used to do it with shoes, here's a rundown of my fav little darlings I've had shallow love affairs with over the years:

Mob wife: Gold lame fabric kitten heeled mules studded with yellow love beads and trinkets (actually I must dig those out of the kids' dress-up box again!)

Phillipino girl: White 70s block heel mules with shimmery trinkets on the thong, terrible loss as I slipped down stairs onto butt while carrying Ems and tore heel off shoe. Ems safe.

Kicker boots: Knee-hi black leather lace-ups with 5cm block heel - loved the mixed reactions they got. Titilation at the "kinky" lace-ups but on the other hand I could easily wear them to work for their business-like attitude from the flat heel. Enjoyed 10-years of seeing confused, lusty, po-faced frustration - poor darlings were retired last year due to my not so dainty feet.

"Oh mama" gold platforms: Original 70s shoes in former life, reborn and renamed as such after finding them spray-painted gold in a vintage clothes shop. Too small and passed on after one party.

Divine Italiano: 4cm heel, black leather ankle boots with squared-off pointy toe. Survived 13 years and still going strong - pretty damn good considering they clocked up several hundred miles on the dance floor and being splashed with beer by inconsiderate non-dancing types.

Plenty more inbetween, but I guess they're the most memorable for me - my lovely little foot buddies!

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In the year ahead I have muchos school contact with all 4 on the formal education treadmill.

I worry about this as I find it very hard to be "real" around all the mummies - how am I going to do it for 5 days a week?

Kindy on 2 days, preschool for the other 3 days, primary and high school every week day.

I can't pretend not to be me - I have to be.

If I don't I'll be miserable - I can't drag myself around looking and feeling like a bag lady. I totally destroys me and feel like I'm turning grey from the inside.

It will be a true test for me to see if I can keep it together by keeping me in one peice.

People will think I'm mad - or maybe they'll think I'm eccentric.

It used to be so easy in my 20s - I never cared about what other people thought I was wearing. It was dressing with humour.

Then lots more kids.

But from where I am now, no more babies and no more to come, I feel like I'm myself again, but older.

I think I'll just wing it and see. For gods sake it's just a sodding bag, pair of shoes, hat, jewellery - whatever!

But I think every woman is in denial if she says that she doesn't care about what she wears.

LIARS!!!! All of them!

If they don't care then why do they say that? Christ grab me those platforms over there will you - I need some air!!!

2005-12-28T08:26:00.000+10:00

It's over!

September 16, 2005 - that's sweet relief you're looking at. Now how do I juggle 4 kids and burning ambition?

Let's talk about me

2005-12-23T10:36:00.000+10:00

I've been a fabric and fashion/vintage history junkie since my mum taught me to sew in the 70s on her old treadle machine at age 8.
Spurred on by 4 sisters who sewed their own clothes, in my young mind they always stood out in a crowd with people oohing and aahing over their fabric choices.
With no tv in the house I became an avid reader and read everything on 19th and 20th century clothing and fashion that I could get my hands on.
Reading early-mid 20th century novels and plays only added fuel to my burning teenage imagination.
In my mind's eye I dressed the characters, and fantasised about the unspoken words and what burned in the minds of the protagonists.
Ernest Hemingway, Noel Coward, Daphne du Maurier, Joe Orton.
I guess it was inevitable that I became a journalist with a passion for costume and vintage clothing.
I spent three heady years living in London during the 80s and I can only describe it as a mammoth crusade of vintage discoveries.
Markets and vintage clothing shops were a dizzying accompaniment to my imagination and fed my passion for tactility.
The 1930s paisley silk dressing gown I bought in Oxford for a lover, the cream silk men's shirt I bought for myself at the same shop.
I'm transported in an instant to that time and place at the brush of silk.