Headscarves!

This was supposed to be a post about a pair of wide-leg jeans I'm making, but the zip just broke and now I Hate Them. So here are some headscarves instead.

I really like this look but I didn't just want a rectangle or triangle of fabric wrapped around my head. After trying out some pleats and gathers I've settled on this design. It's a rectangle, with a centre pleat or fold, and attached tie ends. 

The pleat means there isn't a heap of fabric bunched up around the knot, which is specifically what I wanted to avoid. 

 

These photos were taken in a hot sewing room so my hair is getting more and more frizzy as these photos go on.

So far I've made a few, and I have a heap of leftover fabric to make more. I also want to make some with long tie ends, to wear more as a headband with the ties hanging down, and some in silkier fabric.

I'm thinking of selling these but I'm not sure what the interest in them would be. If anyone has any suggestions for design or fabric I would love to hear them.

Beverly Hills, West Germany and communal change rooms

I have been sewing lately, but everything is delayed due to my own mistaken belief that being industrious suits me (it actually just inspires procrastination on a greater level than usual). So here are some opshop and vintage finds I've, er, found lately.

Green leopard print dress

It actually is green. I'm planning on winterising this as there is no way I could wear this or any backless dress in summer.

Shawl and gloves. I found these in a stall at the Bendigo Pottery.

The gloves on the left are actually teal, and on the right, emerald green.

Yesterday I picked up some truly amazing items at the RetroStar warehouse sale (seriously, if you're in Melbourne, you should go to these sales). These sales can be wonderful, and I'd like to offer the following advice:

* prepare to spend several hours browsing

* wear clothing easy to take on/off in a communal change room

* whilst changing in said communal change room, do not stand with 5 of your friends directly in front of all the mirrors to change and compare clothes. The mirrors are for everyone. The change room is large. Pick a spot and learn to share.

First, the slightly less exciting items - two casual dresses which can be easily winterised or worn as is in summer. For some reason, brown florals greatly appeal to me. They make me thing of wood nymphs and sprites in autumn (ok, I guess I know the reason why they appeal to me!)

I can only button this dress as far as the waist, so I might add a modesty panel to the front or just throw on a camisole underneath. Or long sleeved tops in winter.

One sleeve badly needs an iron!

And now, the good stuff.

I bought this purely because it's fun. It looks to me like something an aging starlet would wear, swooning in bed and pining over her lost 25 year old toy boy (he preferred the attentions of Roderigo, the muscular and eternally shirtless pool boy).

   

The pink velvet curtains haven't been drawn back for days, the room stuffy yet cool. Empty gin bottles litter the floor and two lap dogs are alternately cooed and wept over, pink bows in their hair, which they shed all over the satin quilt cover.

 

I decided to have a look for the name online, in case it still exists. I found out Lucie Ann of Beverly Hills was actually quite popular amongst the starlets. The below paragraph is taken from Dollhouse Bettie

"Lucie Ann Lingerie was founded by designer Lucie Ann Onderwyzer in Hollywood in 1949. Born in Belgium, she brought a European woman's passion for beautiful lingerie with her to the United States. Her designs are known for their femininity and glamour,  capturing the dazzling opulence of 50s Hollywood. She created babydolls, slips, pajamas, bed jackets, peignoirs and lounge wear but she is most famous for her exquisite nightgowns, often fashioned from yards and yards of colorful nylon tricot and adored with fancy details like marabou trim, rhinestones, ribbons and pom-poms. 

"The luxurious designs made her a favorite to the stars with clientele that included Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Loretta Young. In the 70s she was hired to design all the peignoir sets for Eva Gabor's title character Lisa in the television show Green Acres. Onderwyzer's creativity was highly regarded and she  was presented with the 1966 Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion."

So I'm going to believe this gown did in fact belong to an aging starlet, swooning in bed. It's kind of hard to look at this thing without wanting to swan about in it.

Swoon!

Pine!

Right, enough of that...

The other amazing find is this red dress

The tag proclaims it to be made in West Germany but nothing to indicate when. It could easily be a costume. The button holes seem way too large for these buttons so the buttons may not be original. It also has a side zip.

This sad little bow may also be a late addition. It's only pinned on with a safety pin.

Finally, I re-purpled my hair and learned how exactly how many times I can bleach it before it starts to sizzle off. Fortunately I was only left with a patch of short fuzz, not an actual bald spot. 

Oops.

I shall return with actual sewing soon.

Mumsie

Mother's Day is this Sunday and I'm getting in early because it's also my mother's birthday this week. Besides everything else I've learned from her, she showed me how to use a sewing machine, thus creating a life-long passion. Here are some of her own sewn creations.

My quilt. Everyone in the family gets a quilt at some stage. Mine was a 21st birthday present, although it took so long to make, I think I got it for my 23rd. I requested black and purple, which is what I got.

 

 

I will never lack for lavender thingies so my clothes smell nice and moths are kept at bay.

 My bed runner (yes, I stood on the bed to get the entire thing in frame... )

 And matching cushions (there are two, but they're identical)

 

 

My Christmas wall hanging, which stays up all year long

 Complete with angels

And happy little wise men!

There are also some Christmas tree decorations but they're all crammed into a bag somewhere...

 She also makes bags and various accessories.

 This one has a flower clasp

 and lovely contrast lining

Mum also makes a LOT of things for craft stalls, charities, aid organisations, people on low income, etc. This includes clothing, knitted blankets, toys, children's quilts, and so on... A lot of these things are just donated or sold for a token price at church sales. These are some little stuffed animals for a church craft stall in a few months time.

 

 I love this elephant.

 

And finally, the woman herself. My mumsie,

Aged 3 or 4 (check out those blonde curls!)

Aged 12, and, according to the back of the photo, wearing a STORE-BOUGHT SILK DRESS. Very exciting for a gal whose own mother made pretty much everything she wore. (Seriously. I'm from a long line of sewists.) She's with her sister here.

 

This is my favourite photograph of her. Aged 24. Great hair style.

 

This weirdo kept following her around on her wedding day. Oh, wait...

 Why, who could that be?

 

 Happy birthday and Mother's Day, Mumsie.

 

xxx with love from yor dorter.