Golden Gingham Days

Reel Red Cardigan  ~  Thrifted   Pearl Strand  ~  Antique Shop   Go Gingham Girl Dress ~  eBay.com  Embroidered Gloves  ~  Thrifted   Eyelet Petticoat ~  Thrifted   Santa Cruz Beach Heel  ~  Modcloth 

~ * ♥ * ~

I think I’ve got a gingham virus affecting my brain.  Seriously people ~ every time anything remotely gingham pops up on my computer screen I’m like “Ooo!  That’s so cute!!  Gotta have it/something resembling it RIGHT NOW”

Thus, how I acquired this dress.  I was already in the process of bidding for another cute 50s cotton day dress on eBay when I some how stumbled onto this gorgeous blue-checked beauty.  It was love at first sight.  I’ve been hunting down the perfect gingham dress since last summer, so I knew this one had to be mine. Never mind that it’s autumn, almost winter here, and that I was already in the process of bidding on one unwearable summer dress.  I had to have this unwearable summer dress too!

I promptly turned around to my husband and said that I hoped my bid on the previous dress fails because I want this one more!   However, as the luck o’ the eBy would have it {seriously, how perverse is it?!! Always giving you things you don’t want, and never the things that you do!} my offer was accepted, so now I had to decide what to do. 

Ha.  Yeah, right.  The decision was pretty much foretold, and I sat on tenter hooks, waiting for the auction to end so I could bid.  Did I mention that I am really, really, really bad at bidding?  The auction nerves swallow me alive, and my Twitter feed bore the brunt of it because Husband thought it was all quite a ridiculous fuss over nothing.  Nothing!  It’s ONLY the MOST PERFECT gingham dress EVER!

Needless to say I won it, and now that I have it in my sweaty little grasp, it is never escaping… *bwhahhaaahhahahahaha! etc*

Do you like how I managed to sneak in at least one wear of it before winter starts?    > U <    Never underestimate the power of a cute dress! 

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~  Yes, I’m not forgetting about my shoes, I would like to talk about them too, but thought that it would make this post even more ridiculously long.   Short story ~ I saw them on The Glamorous Housewife, wanted them, ordered them, waited for them, found them on my front doorstep, unwrapped them, gasped/exclaimed/danced over them, then loved them forever!  ; )

::CLOSED:: Last Chance ~ The Thank You Giveaway!

Hi everyone!  It's the last day to enter my giveaway so if you haven't already, do sign up for your chance to win.  Don't forget that everyone who signs up is in the running to win a third, mystery vintage package.  ᵔᴗᵔ

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Here’s what happening.  I’m doing one giveaway for all of my followers and one giveaway that is open to anyone who enters!  Plus, there will be a third, mystery giveaway…  Exciting, yes?  Well, then onto giveaway number one!



Up for grabs is a gorgeous 40x40 silky vintage scarf with a pretty paisley pattern in blue, grey and pink.  There is also this darling vintage shirtwaist pattern in 36” bust.  Even if you don’t sew, this pattern is lovely to have around, even just to look at.  There is also a pretty lip balm included to keep you in tip~top kissable shape *wink* and a set of 6 hair combs that are fabulous for creating the perfect vintage inspired hair dos!

The Follower’s Only Giveaway:

To enter this giveaway you need to be a follower of Depict This!  You can do that by liking the B dot Depictions FB page, following on Twitter, through Google Reader or another RSS feed reader, through Google Friend Connect, or you can follow through Bloglovin'.  : )  And please, no following and leaving after the contest.  If you don’t really want to follow Depict This! there is another giveaway for you.  Thank you!

Giveaway number two consists of four vintage patterns and a surprise gift.  I won’t tell you about the surprise gift, because it’s, well, a surprise!  What we do have is a Make It Easy 8 multi-sized pattern sewing guide with variations on blouses, skirts and even a jumper; plus instructions on making a kilt!  Then we have two Style patterns up for grabs ~  Style  1111 is a size 12, with a 34” bust and it’s the darling negligee pattern in the bottom left hand corner.  I love the sweet simple shape of this pattern; it could be used for a baby doll nightgown or a darling summer dress if you wanted!  The next Style 2442 pattern is the cute shirtwaist with a vest in a size 14, bust 36”.  This one unfortunately seems to be missing a piece, but it should be easy to make up with a little ingenuity.  Last, but not least, Simplicity 7382 is a pretty cocktail or evening dress pattern with a precious caplet detail.  I personally think this pattern looks quite 1930s, and could be use to make a gorgeous period inspired piece.  Any of these patterns are cute and wearable so enter now for your chance to win the lot!

The Open Giveaway:

This is open to anyone who would like the chance to win, so just leave your details and if you want, you can tweet for an extra chance to win!



The giveaways are open internationally and close the 25th of May, 2012 6:00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. 


Oh, and if you are wondering about the extra mystery giveaway, it’s a random chance draw, so anyone who enters either giveaway gets an extra chance to win.   Good luck everyone!!  > ω <


I will announce the winners on Saturday next week.  : )

xox,

bonita

Link Love ~ Back in the Day; Photo Archives

I adore these sneak peek snaps into the day–to–day wear of the 1940’s!  Betsy Hatter does a lovely guest post for Retro Chick, so hop along and check it out.  ^ _ ^

Vintage Inspiration - Photo Archives

I want to use my guest post on Retro Chick to introduce you all to brilliant, under used online historical picture archives which everyone can access. These amazing resources are local newspapers picture archives. Many of the pictures in these collections are wonderful day to day snapshots of life from the 1940′s onwards (sometimes further back but those pictures are rarer). You come across pictures of people at work and children playing as well as people all dressed up in their best for royal visits and official openings. You can see what people were really wearing and use the images to help put together your own style….

xox,

bonita

Why I Wear Vintage

When I saw Charlotte of Tuppence Ha’penny’s post on “Why I Wear Vintage” I knew I had to do the same thing.  She said that she was “Inspired by a recent post on Already Pretty in which three guest contributors answered a few questions about their chosen wardrobe aesthetic, I decided to pose myself the same questions.”

And I thought “Hey, what a great idea!”  So I went back to the original post {which features Casey from Elegant Musings} and pulled out the questions so I could try to answer them myself.  Plus, now I have a perfect excuse to go back and find pictures of some of my favourite vintage outfits to show you.  > U <

What made you decide to dedicate your wardrobe to a single, defined aesthetic?

I guess I’ve been searching for the ‘right’ style for me for a long time.  I never really liked to dress like everyone else ~ I sort of followed the fashion pack but always insisted on putting my own twist into it.  As I got older I realised how vitally important it is for me to express my personality through the way I dress.  I am a very visual person and I love that my clothing finally reflects how I feel inside ~ artsy, feminine, and very individual!  ; )

How long have you stuck to it?

I really only discovered the vintage aesthetic half way through 2010, so I’ve probably been dressing in a 1940s – 1950s style for about a year or so.  However, the more I do it, the more I love it.  This is something I can see lasting my whole life. 

What do you love about it?

I think the biggest thing that I love about vintage wear is how feminine it feels.  I tend to think that nowadays designers are focused on creating clothes that look good on minus zero models, a sort of androgynous look that it neither designed for a feminine or masculine figure, but rather for a unrealistic, impossible figure that only exists in the world of high fashion.   

Whereas I feel that even though vintage wear still had is ‘impossible’ figures in the high fashion ~ models with generous curves and tiny waists, the clothing itself was still designed with real women in mind.  You may not be able to look completely like a fashion model, but the clothes still look good on your “normal” figure. 

Because of that, I think vintage feels like it was made for me, not just the impossible woman, and who doesn’t love clothes that feel perfectly suited to you?  Oh yeah, plus vintage wear is so cute with all the little details that you just don’t find in mass produced fashions. Each piece of vintage is different, and no one has the same dress {unless it’s a repo}, so of course that appeals to my very independent streak.  

What’s frustrating?

Availability.  Don’t get me wrong, I love that there is a huge appreciation for the vintage look at the moment; vintage being on trend is a big bonus in fleshing out my wardrobe with some cheaper ready to wear items.  It’s helpful in that respect, but not so great when you are paying between $50-$100.00 for simple cotton day dresses.  And of course, the really nice stuff is going for $180 + these days! 

The high demand means that you have to really treasure the vintage pieces you own{which I already do} and treat them really carefully.  This can get quite wearisome when you have young children and need to be able to get dirty, clean the house, be rumpled, pulled on, snot nose wiped on, and etc. That is the hardest obstacle I face when dressing in my vintage clothes.  Sometimes I just can’t do the things I would like to in it, so sometimes I can’t dress the way I want to. 

What would you say to someone considering a similar sartorial path?

Dress the way you want to, wear what makes you feel pretty.  I know there can be some hesitation and concern about others judging you on your clothes, or maybe feeling like you’ll draw too much attention to yourself, but really ~ if it makes you happy go for it!  The last thing you are going to do when your life is nearing it’s end is wish that you had stayed at home and hid yourself away.  Life is for enjoying, so enjoy it and good luck.  ^ ω ^ ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~  Outfit photos from Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, and Here.  : )

Wordless Wednesday ~ 2nd May Ed.

    

    

xox,

bonita

The Blue Danube Cardigan

Blue Danube Cardigan  ~  Me Made from this Vintage Knitting Book; Bulky Knits    Classic Collar Blouse  ~  Thrifted   Vintage Lilly Love Brooch  ~  Love Vintage Clothing Show, 2011   Plaited Belt  ~  Thrifted    Swingin’ Circle Skirt  ~  Me Made in Casey’s CSSA   Gingham Picnic Wedges  ~  Modcloth

~ * ♥ * ~

You guys, do you know how absolutely excited I am?!!  See that pretty blue cardigan I am wearing?  I made it myself!!  It’s my first knitted garment and I am completely adoring how it came out!  I think that it looks exactly like the picture for the pattern ~ don’t you?  ᵔᴗᵔ

Well, almost exactly the same, except that I haven't yet sewn on the hook and eye at the neck, and I also made mine a wee bit shorter because I couldn’t get enough of the same dye in the yarn I bought. 

Still, all that aside, I can’t wait to start on my next knitting project.  This one was finished in about a month, so I think I might be able to squeeze in another heavy knit in before the end of winter and then I’ll have to start on some more lighter weight {i.e. ~ finer yarn which equals a lot more time on the needles!} projects.  I might even have enough garments to participate in Me-Made May if it’s on next year.  > – <  Fun times!

xox,

bonita

Link Love ~ Fitting & Dealing with Pattern Ease

As always our beloved Gertie from Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing is a fountain of sewing techniques and knowledge ~ her latest post on dealing with pattern ease is very helpful to anyone out there who is wondering why their dresses don’t fit as well as they should.  Check it out over here:

Dealing with Pattern Ease

Here’s a topic that gets a lot of discussion, but I think the info bears repeating: ease in patterns. I’ve been making more contemporary patterns than usual, and also featuring them here. I’ll often get comments (virtually and in person, when I teach) warning me to watch out for the sizing on a certain pattern because it’s all off and it came out ginormous, etc.

So, here’s the thing: the sizing on a pattern doesn’t have to be a surprise. Actually, let me restate that: the EASE on a pattern doesn’t have to be a surprise. (Ease being the extra inches built into a pattern for wearing room.) It just takes a couple more steps in preparation than usual.

As traditional sewing wisdom would have you believe, all you have to do to get your correct size is measure yourself, check the size chart on that pattern, find the size that corresponds to your body, make that size, and ta-da! Your dress will fit you perfectly. Unfortunately, this is completely untrue…

xox,

bonita.

Bohemian Hipster vs. Parisian Chic

Be Mine Beanie  ~  ? Can’t remember!    Pearl Headband  ~  Equip     Fuzzy Friend Cardigan  ~  Thrifted    Classic Top  ~  ?  Can’t remember   Louis Bird Brooch  ~  Acorn & Will    Plaited Belt  ~  Thrifted   Seeing Spring Skirt  ~   Thrifted   Maroon Socks  ~  Local Dollar Shop   Bow White Flats  ~  Tightrope

~ * ♥ * ~

Dressing for playgroup is an interesting experience.  On one hand I don’t wish to stick out like a sore thumb amongst the “mom uniform” wearers {y’know, the jeans/track pants + t-shirt/hoodie}, but on the other, I feel like I should remain true to myself and my style even though I know that a dress and heels {and stockings!  *gasp* > 0 < } is TOTAL overkill for playgroup mornings. 

Throw in the fact that you need to be able to crawl around on the floor or grass with your baby and possibly get smeared with some unidentifiable substances {and identifiable ones, like mashed banana, or toddler snot!} and you have a recipe for some rather random outfits on my part.  Like this one ~ it’s not totally me, yet it sort of is.  And I can’t decide whether it’s bohemian hipster or Parisian chic style!

The good news is that my style or not, everyone liked my beanie and I got to hide my deplorably bad hair day.  I’d call that a win all-round.   > U <

xox,

bonita

Wordless Wednesday ~ 1st May Ed.

     

     

xox,

bonita

How To ~ Pretty-fy a Hair Comb

This is a super simple tutorial on covering a hair comb with yarn to make it pretty.  It’s very quick to do, but has some lovely results, so let’s get started.

Supplies needed:

• Some pretty yarn
• A hair comb or two
• A darning needle
• Glue {optional}

  Step 1:  Secure the yarn between the first two teeth and leave a tail at the back to wrap around.  

  Step 2:  Turn the comb over, and start wrapping the yarn a ‘fan’ shape ~ laying the strands next to each other* See below.  I found that five wraps was enough for the thickness of my yarn, but you may need to experiment to achieve the coverage you would like.

  The fan shape you are aiming for.

  Step 3:  Thread the yarn through the next space between the comb’s teeth and over lap the strands with the next fan shape.   

  Step 4:  Continue in the same fashion across the top of the comb, until you reach the end.

  Step 5:  Cut the yarn leaving a short tail to secure off.

  Step 6:  You can either glue the tail down, or tie it in a knot around the yarn.  You can do this by threading the tail onto a darning needle, passing behind and around the back of the wrapped yarn. Tie your knot, then thread the remainder of the tail behind your yarn to hide the rest of it.

Et voilà!  You are finished!

Now enjoy your pretty new hair combs! 

xox,

bonita

Link Love ~ Make Many Dickeys pattern + post

More reformatting!  Instead of going for the “Quick Share” on Fridays I thought I’d call it how it really is:  “Link Love”.  Links that I love - get it?  Anyway today we have a guest post from the amazing Angie of Quality Time on Stephanie’s blog The Girl with the Star Spangled Heart. 

*whew!* Got that all straight?  Anyway, do hop on over an check out both these lovely ladies’ blogs if you haven’t already.  Lots of vintage sewing goodness to be had!

In the mean time…

Make Many Dickeys...a Vintage Pattern

 

Hello Star Spangled Readers!  My name is Angie and I blog over at Quality Time. I was so excited when the very sweet Stephanie asked me to guest post for her here on her blog….

…I've been poring over my recent purchases of vintage sewing and pattern magazines looking for the perfect thing to scan and share with you all here. My own blog is more miscellaneous sewing adventures than vintage clothing adventures, but I do like to combine the two when I can.

This pattern I'm sharing is from a dressmaking booklet from the 1940s.  Some of the pages were missing, but luckily not this cute article about wearing a "dickey", or a "faux" shirt.  (Basically, a dickey is a partial bodice but usually a full collar, to wear under sweaters, cardigans or other garments).
I hope you enjoy the article! …

xox,

bonita

Pretty Broach Giveaway

There’s a lovely giveaway going on at Grandmother's Pearls.  Elsa is hosting the competition ~ she has a darling vintage blog is a great source of inspiration and pretty vintage modelling/pin-up pictures.  She’s teamed up with Sarah of Snövits äpple {which the ever~handy Goggle is telling me means “Snow White’s Apple”}. 

Sarah makes stunning jewellery pieces that are very vintage inspired, and are simply beautiful for adding that special touch to any outfit of choice.  I adore her photograph broaches ~ they remind me very much of an antique glass locket, or an Edwardian keepsake. Thankfully, everyone who enters the giveaway has the chance to win a custom broach for themselves!

This is the picture of Joey and myself that I would love to have in my broach if I won:

That or this one:

~ * Actually, I think this second one is my favourite! * ~

Now most of you may not really know this, but horses are such a big part of my life and I wouldn’t part with my boys for anything!  Joey and Copper play a big role in teaching me about myself ~ my mental attitudes, my physical talents and limitations, and the strength of my character.

Honestly, I can’t really describe the kind of bond that is formed between a horse and his rider ~ it’s not like a human friendship, but something else; a mental connection…  Sharing that with my boy Joey is a very important part of who I am. 

My vintage world and my horse world don’t often mix, but with a customized piece of jewellery, I would have a small memento of how much the horses in my life mean to me, and I would love to be able to wear that wherever I go!  So here’s me hoping, and if you want the chance to have your own customized jewellery piece, you can meander over to the giveaway post here:

Blog competition - Win a custom made brooch!

Good luck everyone!

xox,

bonita

Don’t Leaf Me Lonely

Reel Red Cardigan  ~  Thrifted   Nautical Navy Top  ~  Thrifted   Vintage Leather Belt  ~  Thrifted  Blue Sails Skirt  ~  Thrifted    Tan Penny Loafers  ~  Big W

~ * ♥ * ~

Autumn is here, and it is holding the rest of us hostage.  Seriously, 2 degree lows over night?  *brrr*  That’s cold.  Usually there’s a tradition in Canberra to only start lighting the fires/heating your house up after Anzac Day, but we really couldn’t wait that long this year.  I think it’s going to be a cold one.  

Yay for the snow season!  The Hubs and I have season passes again this year, so we are absolutely looking forwards to that.  Another thing that is making me smile is that my new loafers match the colour of the fallen leaves.   How epic is that? 

I have been wearing these shoes a ton.  Partly because I had been looking for a decently priced, cute pair of heeled loafers for the better part of a year and a half, so now that I’ve found them, I am super excited, and partly because I find myself turning more and more away from my ‘boring’ black shoes and going for the more colourful, quirky pairs. 

I don’t know what it is, but I am feeling so anti-black at the moment!  That is fairly interesting considering at one stage my entire wardrobe was in shades of monochrome – ranging from white to black.  Now I’d say it’s more 45% black and 35% colour, with about 20% being white or grey.  Hmm.  Maybe I’m just growing out of my emo-teen years.  ; P

xox,

bonita  

Small Town Trucker

 

Cream o’ Green Crochet Top  ~  ICE   Gladys Owl Fakelite Broach  ~  Acorn & Will, Gladys Owl   Fakelite Carved Rose Bangle  ~  Dotti   Jadestone Bangle  ~  Hong Kong  Sailor Side Button Jeans  ~  Freddie’s of Pinewood ~ Note:  They don’t have the exact pair anymore, but these are close ~ 1940's Work Pants   White Sandshoes  ~  Thrifted

~ * ♥ * ~

I looooove this old ute!  It’s parked in the ‘back yard’ of the tumble down house I take photos by, and it’s got such character!  This outfit shoot was literally a ten minute “drive by”, but the truck makes it so full of win.  I am really, really happy that we live where we do!  So many interesting places to take snaps…  > <

Incidentally, do you all like the change of formatting to my outfit post?  It’s kind of subtle, so you may not have noticed, but basically I’m not numbering outfit posts anymore; I think it’s getting too crazy and what happens if I start getting into the hundreds?  What if I hit 1,000 outfit posts??  That would be nuts, but it could happen!  

I’ve also decided to cut down the picture content.  While I love outfit posts that have lots of details, I felt like 5 – 7 photos is just getting too repetitive.  I also noticed that a lot of my favourite bloggers only do a couple of pictures, some of them only one!  Because I’m not posting outfit posts that frequently though I decided to cap it at 3 main photos and one details shot.  What do you think?  Should I do even less photos, like just one or maybe two, or should I go back to my old format?  Feel free to let me know!
^ w ^

xox,

bonita