Designing with Buttonholes

I love these vintage dresses. The buttonhole designs add a touch of individuality to these lovely dresses.

You can add a variety of collar or cuff designs by using this simple buttonhole technique.

More beautiful trim is added with this easy buttonhole slash design.Perfect for making those sexy lace up corsets

Scarves, ribbons and bows have nothing on these beautiful dresses. This design would work well with added sashes too!

Experiment with these techniques and design some extraordinary dresses that stand out and say oh-la-la!

Coming up designs with slot seams...until then happy sewing...

Spring and Summer 1950s Fashion

I just got back from Hawaii with visit to Oahu, Kauai, and Hilo on the Big Island visiting family and friends. I should say my body is back but my mind and spirit still seems to be in Hawaii. How long does it take to acclimate back to daily chores and weather. so with my spirit still feeling strongly attached to the beautiful tropical breezes, ocean sand and amazing sunsets here are a few summer styles tantalize. 

I love this swimsuit and the matching skirt is divine. I often worn a skirt over my swimsuit too!

The white linen middy dress, a streak of the hottest new color in town. No schoolgirl's look, the collar is a high loose turtle neck, the shoulder are cut-away, and it's cut to cling like jersey. $29.95

The printed empire dress, the dress with the high sweet waist. The print is one of the new wide-opened ones - a blue sky flecked with black and white wings. Silk shantung, $45. The bamboo mailbox, a line-for-line translation from the original. It's very closely woven plastic bamboo and very convincing take-off. By Ronay from $10.95 to $15

Two very pretty lemon frocks with hip and bodice waist smocking in Arnel and cotton, $30

Love these cool spring and summer fashions...

And, I should show you the Hawaiian fabric I bought while I was in Hawaii, can't decide what styles to make with them, I only got 2 yards of each so the full skirted dresses are out. I need to take pictures then I'll get them posted, maybe I'll find some patterns I like to show too, guess I had better get to looking through my pattern stash. Until then...