The Most Dangerous Thrift Shop in Fillmore

I've been hitting up thrift stores and antique shops lately, combing through treasures, getting prices for things I may want later. I also checked out Craigslist, and found an antique store in town that I've never been to or driven by. So I hit it up. And found TREASURES.

The first are some old batik printing blocks. There were a bunch, but I didn't want to buy a lot, so I picked up two in good condition that made me think of historic designs. The larger one is 5.25 inches tall by ~6 inches long border print with vines, flowers, and paisleys. The smaller is 4.25 inches by 3.5 inches, with a simpler design. I want to use them to make my own printed fabrics for 18th century - Regency gowns.

The backs. There are handles nailed to each block, and they are actually quite comfortable. The larger one has holes that run through it where it wouldn't be obvious in the design.

The next finds make me very, very happy.

First up, a McCall's Magazine from July 1905. It has housekeeping articles, child care articles, and beautiful clothing ads.

This is an ad for a skirt waist holder, which are basically safety pins. So safety pinning your skirt in place is period appropriate.

Some McCall's patterns you could have purchased. I want to make a skirt like the bottom right.

An article about swimming and bathing suits. The one on the left is described as red, which seems a little flamboyant.

An article about becoming a children's dance instructor. My favorite excerpt: "The boys should be taught that girls' dresses soil easily: each must carry a clean white handkerchief in his right hand when dancing. It is pleasanter to carry away a good impression of one's partner in one's memory, than a bad one on the back of one's gown."

An article on making the decorative suspenders that were popular on gowns. I was struck by how large and uneven the stitching in the photo is, I had expected something finer.

Next up, another McCall's magazine, this one March 1917 and missing it's cover.

However, this one had two or three colored advertisements, mostly for cleaners, but this beauty had to be shared.

Here's a full article on how to assemble a coat. The design itself is very much like the pattern available by Wearing History, and could easily be adapted from it.

There's also tips from the readers, some of which are still great ideas today. "When cleaning house -  A stick with a notch in the end of it is a great help to the housekeeper in taking pictures from the walls. The picture wire slips right into the notch and the saves the necessity of the housewife's climbing up and down. - W. L. H. Warner, New York."

"A boiled rice hint - When boiling rice, if you add a teaspoonful of lemon-juice to the water, the kernels will be much whiter and the flavor of the rice greatly improved. - Mrs. W. H. H., Caliente, California"

The largest, and my personal favorite: Needle-Art, from Autumn 1923. Knitting, crochet, and embroidery patterns galore.

Two of eight patterns for crocheted hats, and some embroidery designs for them.

Filet crochet patterns for undergarments.

Knit sweaters. The one on the upper left has two holes in the neckline so you can thread the ends of your neckerchief through them.

There are more magazines at the shop that I want, and I plan to pick up once I have a safe place to store them.

Thrift Store Finds

So my work is allowing us to wear costumes and different things for a small donation to a charity this month. I've been participating as much as I can, partially out of my own desire and partially to help lead the rest of the team. Today is Star Wars Day, and I didn't want to pay $2 just to wear a t-shirt. So I got creative. White shirt and pants from Goodwill, a baseball cap and Sharpies from work, and ta da!

Geeky pick-up line: Hey, am I the droid you're looking for?

A decent BB8 costume for less than $15. I'm pleased with how it turned out, and it's something I can easily wear again when the next movie comes out, though I do need to take the pants in a little.

While purchasing the components for this costume, I came across something beautiful.

Beautiful

The shirt is a patterned silk, flatlined to a coarse cotton, and covered in embroidery and beads down the front and on the sleeves.

Close-up of embroidery

By the shape and the style of it, I think it would make a perfect 18th century men's waistcoat. The embroidery on the sleeves will become the pocket flaps, and the shape will be changed to reflect the time period. Now the main question, do I make it for my husband, or myself ;)

Bag of Happiness

In a previous post I alluded to a bag of vintage sewing supplies I found. I figured it was finally time to show off what I got.

Couple of months ago I went up to Ojai to visit the farmers market. My favorite coffee is a local roast, which I've only found for sale at a Cajun restaurant and the farmers market. After some shopping, I was trying to kill time before another store I wanted visit opened, and I discovered I was lucky enough to be there while the monthly peddlers fair was occurring. After wondering the tables, I found one selling some crocheted lace. There was at least a yard of each, so I bought a few.

This one is actually two pieces, each one over 18 inches long

Then there's this lovely edging

This piece isn't crocheted, but it's nice and will add some pop to a costume one day

Most of the lace was rolled into little cakes, and safety pinned together, with some mother of pearl buttons threaded onto the pins to prevent them from damaging the lace. So on top of the lace, I also got 6 buttons.

After that first find I decided to really explore that table, and found a ziplock bag with some fabric and other sewing stuff in it, so I grabbed that. After buying it I was able to discover all it held.

There were three pieces of fabric. The brown floral and the white with periods and commas are both fat quarters. You'll recognize the brown floral from my 18th century housewife. The piece to the right with the tea and croissant is not much bigger than shown, and I'm thinking it will be a steampunk bag (to hold tea supplies, of course).

 There's some blue and purple floral trim, a long, triangular piece of cut lace, a ton of hooks and loops or bars, and some packs of pins and needles. There's also buttons, plastic and mother of pearl, and some flower appliques.

Here's more buttons, a bunch of snaps (various sizes), three zippers, and a spool of gold and red trim. That plastic container in the upper right is full of tiny buttons.

Check out this button. It's hard to photograph, but its lavender with a pearlescent shine that makes it look light blue.

Now my favorite part. Besides the beeswax and piece of elastic, there is a whole lot of cotton bias tape and rayon seam binding. There's also a pack of nylon stretch lace seam binding. Some of the packs have been used, but some are completely unopened. There's also some iron-on patches.

The bag was $10, and the lace was $3 each, but I was able to get the lot for just $15. An awesome find, one I'm really happy with. I almost made it out with just this, but then I found some pins and had to get one.

This guy is about 4 inches long and only cost me $1. I've been trying to go back, but I've been working the Sunday of the peddlers fair every month. Hopefully this month, cross my fingers.

Historical Sew Fortnightly #13: Under $10

Sometimes, luck is on your side. Serious luck. A few months ago I was at a local Goodwill when I found this:

Not a bad dress, but not really my color. But there was something about the shine, the texture:

Holy shit, it's pure silk. And also, MINE! (I have a particular weakness for thrift store silks.)
The dress is an off the shoulder affair, a size or two too big, with pleated details.

You can notice that the shoulder strap is pinned about an inch to keep it from falling off, and the pleated detail of the skirt. Also, I really need to clean that mirror.

The entire skirt is pleated the entire way around, with an obvious seam at the waist. I don't think this could scream "petticoat!" any harder.

A look at the interior proved that someone upstairs likes me. (Of course the goddesses of costuming live upstairs, it's the best way to make a grand entrance.) In the photo you can see two lines of stitching, one for securing to skirt to the bodice and another for securing the pleats. Which means when I separate the top from the bottom, the pleats will stay there, perfect and waiting for a waistband.

So I did just that. After removing the few points where the lining was secured to the seam allowance, I used my seam ripper to remove the zipper. Then I separated the top from the bottom, careful not to break the thread so I'd have it for the stitching later. After the skirt was freed, I whip-stitched the zipper opening shut.

The crappy, uneven stitches in the middle of the photo are mine.

The skirt also had side seams, to ease the transition from bridesmaid dress to 18th century petticoat. Another bit of luck, the seam allowances were serged separately, so they could be pressed open. Ripping out serging sucks, and I was happy to be spared it. I measured nine inches down from the edge, marked it, put in a half dozen stitches to stop the seam from opening farther than I'd like, and then cut open the seam. I also put in a bar tack at the bottom, to lessen the pull on the seam.

From there I measured some ribbon (I.E. I wrapped it around my waist, tied it in a bow, cut off that much, and then cut a second piece the same length), centered it over one part of the petticoat, folded it over, and stitched it down hiding the raw edge of the skirt. Then I did the same to the other side.

The excess I left hanging as ties. The ribbon isn't really the same color, burgundy as compared to a fuchsia, but they both have shine and in poor lighting look similar. I was going to use cotton twill tape, but I didn't have enough. I put in a few tacks to make sure the seam allowance by the pocket slits won't roll to the outside and I was done.

The hem circumference is modest by most standards, only 90 inches, but it's a good basic piece. It's also long enough to handle some fluffing without going all flood warning. Right now the petticoat has no accompanying outfit, but I have plans. I still have the bodice, and will likely cannibalize it for trim and details that will say "I intended to make this outfit with a non-matching skirt," instead of "I couldn't afford fabric."

The breakdown:
The Challenge: #13 Under $10

Fabric: Fuchsia colored silk

Pattern: I used this guide by A Fashionable Frolick: http://fashionablefrolick.blogspot.com/2011/04/threaded-bliss-tutorial.html (For some reason blogger isn't letting me do links.)

Year: 18th century, but likely to be worn for a number of periods, if only for the rustle.

Notions: Matching thread obtained from original dress, burgundy ribbon left over from another project.

How historically accurate is it? In styling, very. It has a narrow hem, slits for pockets, and heavy pleating. However, since I didn't deconstruct it and remake it by hand, it also has machine stitching, serged edges, and polyester ribbon as the ties. I'd say it's about 70% accurate, since you'd have to look at the wrong side and hidden edges to notice it's machine made.

Hours to complete: Three and a half.

First worn: For the photo shoot

Total cost: If you include the ribbon $7. If you don't since it was leftover from a previous project, $4. I am a thrift store ninja.

Historical Sew Fortnightly #10

So, I didn't make anything.

Like, at all.

I was sick for a while, and didn't even meet my May goals, but since I did do some research, I figure I can at least present art-based costumes I hope to make in the future, starting with Amazzone Perugina:

Amazzone Perugina, by Cesare Auguste Detti

Although this is a late Victorian painting in the style of the 18th century, I intend to make this a proper 18th century habit. Unfortunately, that will not be for some time. To date, this is what I've accomplished on this costume:

This is half of the front of the stays to be worn underneath. I also made a shift, but that's as far as I got before I went back to my main project. Since I'm hand-stitching it, do not count on seeing this costume any time soon.

Pinterest recently inspired a search of painting by Alfred Stevens, who focused on painting women in the late Victorian era. His work shows off clothing to a stunning degree, and caused me to fall in love with this beauty from the end of the Natural Form era:

La Parisienne by Alfred Stevens 1880. Also, look at that sass. 'If that bastard doesn't show up in the next five minutes, I am done with him.'

 

I love the different shades of green, the lace trim, the sharp pops of black that bring the whole thing together, that matching parasol. So much love. Not to mention that at first glance the olive green appears to be velvet, but if you click through for the larger image, it actually has textured stripes. So either it is velvet with some striped texturing going on, or it's corduroy. I can do corduroy. Olive corduroy with chartreuse silk and a lifetime of happy feelings. And since my current project is approximately 1884, my basic undergarments (combination, corset) will work for this project. No idea when it will happen, but I will keep the dream alive.

And lately, having nothing to do with art or the HSF, I got a Victorian button hook for $6 at an antiques fair today.

It's small, only about 3.5 inches long, but it was too good of a deal to pass up. Happy!

Stupid Adulthood

I had to bribe myself to get things done today. But now that the house has propane again, the car is gassed and had the oil changed, and I have ability to mow the pastures again, I allowed myself a trip to the Dollar Tree to pick up a bottle brush to clean my new drinking horn.

Is so pretty

Once it's cleaned and cured, I'll make a leather holster as use it at the upcoming Renn Faire. I was going to coat the interior with beeswax, but considering it can be over 80 degrees F indoors I thought it better not to waste time on something that won't work in the long run. Most guides use ale to cure it, but I wonder if vodka is okay. I like ale, but I have a big thing of vodka gathering dust in the cupboard. And wasting beer always seems like a crime. I plan to do more to it, but there is talk of going to the Renn Faire on Easter, so I doubt I'll have time.

I also picked up a selection of bamboo place-mats to use for boning in my 18th century stays. When I get to work on them (which will probably be during my vacation next week), I'll be using this tutorial, along with information in Norah Waugh's Corsets and Crinolines.

The pale ones in front have pieces 1cm wide; they're also the longest at 14 inches. They were the most expensive, a whole $2 each at Anna's Linens. Behind it, the next one has white pieces 2mm wide and blue pieces 5mm wide, but only 12 inches long. It was the only one I could find at the Dollar Tree. The two rainbow and two greenish ones at the top of the picture have pieces 3mm wide and 13 inches long. Those were $1 each from Big Lots. I have the width in metric because most articles I've read talk about stay bones in millimeters. 2-4 mm is more period for fully boned stays, but I'm not sure 13 inches will be long enough. But these will be my 'cane' boning for any lightweight stays or corsets I make for a while.

In the upper left corner of the picture are the silk pieces for Gabriel's corset, which I will be basting to the coutil by hand. Luckily, I found The Dark Knight for $5 at Big Lots, so at least I'll have entertainment.

Want to see the Disappearing Pencil trick?