Date Night Dresses from 1959

These dresses are from an ad in a 1959 Mademoiselle magazine. The ad reads "Let's make in short...all night long" in regards to the short (knee-length) dresses. The dresses were made of silk, silk organza, or rayon, in sizes 5-15 for Juniors, in colors white, pink or blue, and costs originally $25 to $45.

I love the details on these bodices and the cinched waist, something to consider when designing your own. Although, a cinched waist wouldn't work on me these days but tucked darts and empire waist, oh yes!

Do you have a favorite?

Taking a Stroll Through Lithia Park and SOU Art Musuems

Yesterday, my honey and I had a nice stroll along a trail up above the lower reservoir above Lithia Park. This particular trail does not go very far back into the woods, it's a place where the elementary kids go and spend the day to do nature studies. On our way back we stopped at Southern Oregon University's Art Museum before heading to the University library to take photos from some of their vintage periodicals (will post those later).

Lithia Creek, we decided the rock on the right would be a great meditation rock, it was so peaceful and quiet with the water running below.

I thought this was an interesting tree with the shade and light behind.

Same shot as above but with a different exposure.

Here I am in the tree, happy day!

I told my honey to go stand on that log that crossed over the creek, and he did, what a guy!

We walked down to the reservoir. There were people swimming in the water earlier, it is freaking cold, like ice. Snow is still melting on Mt. Ashland.This little boy, as most children go, never seem to mind the cold water.

A shot looking up creek from the reservoir. 

 At the museums is some great art work click here to see schedule. 

My camera captured the glare from the glass in the middle.

 In the other Gallery is wonderful student artwork....

There was series of these beautiful ink drawings on wood or stretched paper, (my camera also caught glare on this drawing). Some wonderful nudes, beautifully done.

I must say Ashland is a very good place to live, all this and more in my backyard in a town of 20,000 or so people.

My Favorite Thrift Store

This is why the Goodwill in Ashland Oregon is one of my favorite thrifting stores. And they have some of the best prices around, minus estate and yard sales. One of my favorite employee at the Goodwill was gracious enough to model another of the fantastic hats I found. I did leave a couple of hats behind, two other pillbox hats and this ethnic hat she is modeling. Don't you just love her cateye glasses...

Love her style! Also, she informed me that her and a co-worker will get to model the upcoming Halloween costumes they will be putting up for sale in the coming months, sure to be some fantastic pictures.

Score of 1950s Vintage Hats Preview

All these beautiful hats belonged to a very lovely lady that just adored wearing hats in her younger days. Unfortunately the clothes that accompanied these great hats were long gone. But, do not despair there are many great vintage clothing seller out there where you can find just the right outfit to compliment one of these charming hats. Or, you may already own that perfect match. So please don't hesitant to post a link to what you find or own that you feel is just right for any one of these delicious hats. I would truly love to see what you style.

A lovely neutral taupe wool pill box hat with matching wool felt flowers embellished with grey wired seed beads overlayed with netting. Label: Marché Exclusive

A sweet straw hat trimmed in dark blue velvet with rose pink silk flowers gracing the sides.
Label: Cavalier











 Large white straw pill box hat is encircled with white tulle and dotted with little white rosebuds














This large pill box hat reminds me of Aladdin, probably because of the gold threads that run throughout the brocade fabric. The fabric is a beautiful aqua blue brocade with a royal blue satin top and lining covered in a blue netting.

Union Made

I love this charming neutral camel colored wool felt cap. The soft brown trim is a type of grossgrain ribbon. Label: Alex California

Here comes the bride in this circular white crown hat with a white velvet bow on top and two white roses in front covered in white netting.

A very lovely rose pink crown hat with rose and pink flowers on top and pink netting that comes from underneath the crown.














All these hats will soon be listed in my Etsy shop Oso Victoria hope you enjoyed this preview tour and please feel free to post a link to your shop, whether you have the perfect outfit for these hat or just love hats, thanks!

Reproduction Vintage Clothing

I have finished a few of these pieces and am working on a skirt and dress that are nearly completed except for the hem and buttons.

I saw this fabric in the store over a year ago and thought how cute, a little bubble goth, a style Kerli posted on You Tube for Seventeen Magazine on How to make a Teddy Bear Necklace tutorial Well, I'm not sure the fabric would actually qualify according to Kerli, but, I liked it, guess I was in one of my 'I need to do something different moods.' I can also see this in an adorable little girls skirt, which I'm sure you can find either on Artfire or Etsy.

 So what makes this a sweet top is the 1974 vintage pattern that was used, it is all girly, girl. I feel the length is a little too short and am thinking about adding some tulle or lace to the bottom hem. Below is the pattern:

 This is a great cotton summer dress from a brown and blue ethnic print. The print reminded me of the South Sea Islands, but the pattern is a McCall's 1959 pattern. I love the full dresses of the 50s done in a tropical fabric especially the designs of  Alfred Shaheen This fabric is very similar to the one in the picture of the swim suit on his web page.

And the McCall's 5235 pattern from 1959:

This is a dress I'm still working on, six months later - I had put it aside - got busy on other things - lost focus -
Borrowed my daughter's sewing machine, because it has a great buttonhole attachment and makes super clean buttonholes (my Bernina is old and requires great skill, or a lot of practice, to make the buttonholes look pretty - no time - no focus - to busy -) So, I borrowed my daughter machine, no instructions, Okay so I figured out how to wind the bobbin, thread the machine and use the button hole attachment, for the last part I downloaded some free instructions, yeah! Everything worked like a peach until I started to sew onto the dress. the machine clogged up and now the upper thread will not catch the bobbin thread, I think I messed up the timing, if a machine has such a thing. And I can't take the darn thing apart to take a look at the insides. Fail!

Enough of that on to the dress, unfinished....

Also loved the tropical print fabric and all those buttons down the front. The trim is a purple linen that picks up some of the purple in the print, the buttons are covered in the purple linen. It took me  awhile to locate the exact match in color of the trim to the print, I searched high and low and finally found it. The pattern is Butterick 6548 from the 50s. The instructions have you hand stitching the buttonholes, like that is ever going to happen, it has been many years since I hand stitched buttonholes. I guess that is why I was so thrilled with the automatic button holer. Hey, I don't use a washboard anymore either, I have an electric washing machine and a dryer too! Indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water....

Now these skirts presented a problem all their own, unprinted pattern pieces! It did take me a while to figure out what the instructions meant when stating on how to attach the front pocket  area. I had wanted to make the jacket also, but those pattern pieces were missing.

The skirt above is an Indian print tapestry ikat cotton fabric with vintage silver glass buttons.

 I layered the buttons on the skirt above. I used a purple bottom button with a green button on that topped by a copper bead, makes for a great button. Once a gain I searched high and low for the right colored button and alas could not find one, even in my vast collection of buttons. so, I did what any self-respecting crafter or auto mechanic would and created my own, loved the look!

The skirt is from Modes Royal 1077 and would lovely in a tweed.

 I am very happy that they have made sewing patterns so much easier to follow and construct, my favorite patterns to sew are Simplicity, I think the name says it all.

If you know of blogs that blog about reproduction vintage clothing, using patterns or clothing I would love to have a link to them, please share, thanks!