I made a new dress!

Here it is! Please excuse the mirror photo and bad hair. I cut this dress out over a year ago and never made it up, but felt the urge to complete it last night. The pattern is basically Butterick 6582, a repro 'Mad Men' style from 1960, but I've modified it by dropping the neckline, and tapering and lengthening the skirt a little to give it a more 50s shape.



Here's the fabric. I have some left, it's a chartreuse atomic print cotton barkcloth.


I have already begun drafting a bolero pattern to go with it, it's going to be 50s style, black with the green fabric as a lining, which will be visible on the turn back cuffs and collar.

Quick giveaway at Heyday!

Shona over at In the Heyday is running a quick competition to win a £25 voucher for her marvellous reproduction clothing store, Heyday!

Pop over and take a look, but be quick as the competition ends tomorrow!


Picture copyright Heyday Clothing/Fleur De Guerre

She will be mine...

Oh yes, she will be mine.



I have just ordered this rather magnificent corselette from Girdlebound.com, having promised it to myself if I had enough money spare to buy it, including £30 I had from Christmas. I hope it arrives quickly from America!

I finally have a dressing table!

I got this mirror for Christmas over two years ago, and it has been waiting to be put up ever since! It's a 1940s early plastic replica of a Rococo design. I finally decided that I couldn't wait any more for Aerospace boyfriend to mess about finding a stud detector, scanning the wall for wires and such, and generally putting it off, so eventually I just stuck a screw in the wall, which took two minutes and did not result in electrocution! I think I shall return to doing all my own DIY.

The dressing table is in fact the polished wood cabinet from my grandparents' first television set, probably purchased (as so many were) to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It had the workings removed at a later date to leave a useful cupboard, but unfortunately has sustained some scratches from being moved from house to house. One day I will have it restored, but until then I think it looks great holding my hair flowers and trinkets.

Here is the transfer on top, with the HMV dog emblem and the inscription 'suppliers of gramophones, records, radio and television apparatus to the late King George VI'.

Lovely things!

Here are a few things I got for Christmas!

EDIT: I am to emphasise that all these things, unless otherwise stated, were bought by my boyfriend. Yes, he deserves the plaudits, and isn't afraid to ask for them.

Kit-Cat Clock!!! I have wanted one of these for as long as I can remember, since I was a tiny child and I first saw one on Doc Brown's workshop wall in Back to the Future. I was so happy to receive one! Made since the 1930s by the California Clock Company, this lime green lady cat is part of their latest run of limited editions.




The other stuff on my kitchen wall:

Marilyn Painting - gift from my friend Martin of Stick 'em up Art, Affleck's Palace, Manchester.
Pufferfish bowl and tiki mugs - Rockers England
Repro wartime Ministry of Food signs - Imperial War Museum
Cake tins and sign - gift from Paul
Large cupcake - gift from our other friend Paul
Small cupcake - gift from my friend Fiona
Skyline retro utensils - Lakeland Limited

Now I just need this original 1950s beauty to keep my kitty company.



Speaking of poodles, here is the lovely new lucite bag which Aerospace boyfriend got for me - the lining is poodle print! I'd seen it on eBay ages ago and he surreptitiously purchased it.




My mum's side of the family decided that they weren't making a big thing of Christmas due to money and my sister and I both being at our partners' parents, and that any presents given would be handmade. My mum made me this fantastic cupcake-print apron and oven gloves (pot holders) set, which is nicer than something bought from a shop anyway!



A lovely DVD box set of Hollywood musicals, which I am working through!



I also got some Bela Lugosi DVDs, some lighing fixtures for my fish tanks, books and other bits and bobs.

New Year's Resolutions!

This year, I am actually making some new year's resolutions, which will hopefully be achievable!



The first: lose weight. I don't own a scale so don't have a weight target, but I do have a size target. I'm currently a UK 20, I'm aiming to be a UK 16 by July which I think is pretty sensible. My diet started today! I did quite well with dieting last year, but put it all back on when Aerospace Boyfriend finished uni for the Summer and I couldn't control my meals as easily when cooking for two and eating at odd times. This time I hope to stick to it.

The second: Build a proper website for my business with an online store.



The third: Finish my sewing projects! Like many of you, I have a stash of garments which have been cut out or started and never finished. I plan on getting these finished, especially the green tiki barkcloth dress I cut out last Spring and never stitiched together.

The fourth: blog more! It's been almost a year since I began this blog, but I'd like to add more interest, more frequent posts and gain more followers. I'm planning a small giveaway soon, and more vintage fashion posts.