May 16, 2013

"Welcome to Cloth World"- Our Mega Vintage Pattern Find

Cloth World Fabric Store via Brentwoodlane
 

Vintage Patterns Brentwood Lane
This month, we inherited some awesome vintage patterns. This is what happens when a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend is getting rid of her grandma's patterns! We were super excited to look through all of them and get them cataloged. I even started to sew up one of them!
Vintage Patterns Brentwood Lane
Each box was stuffed full of them! We still haven't counted yet...
Vintage Patterns in Cloth World Boxes Brentwood Lane
 The majority of them are from the 1960s, a handful from the 1950s and the rest 1970s-80s, with the exception of the Hollywood Pattern. I was suprised to find one of our favorite stars on our first Hollywood Pattern--Olivia deHavilland!
Hollywood Pattern 1759 Olivia deHavilland Brentwood Lane

Butterick 9299 via Brentwood Lane

Simplicity 5998 via Brentwood Lane

Simplicity 3950 via Brentwood Lane
 
I have heard similar stories in the blog world about others getting a huge amount at one time, but I never thought it would happen to us! I think pattern lovers have dreams that they come across someone's lifetime collection and it becomes theirs-whether at an estate sale, flea market, as a gift, or rescued before getting trash.
What are some of your unbelievably great finds?
 
--Viola


May 2, 2013

Pick a Pretty Petticoat....or Crinoline??

 
 
This post was fueled by curiosity--I had to do some research on the difference between a petticoat and a crinoline. On the Internet I have seen these two terms used interchanged with each other and became a little confused. After a brief look-up, I quickly realized that historically a crinoline is cage-like and the petticoat is more like an underskirt-- both are worn for fullness.

Pick a Pretty Petticoat
...Or Crinoline

Crinoline Courtesy of fashion-era.com
The definitions I found explained a petticoat as "a skirt-like undergarment[s] worn for warmth or to give the skirt or dress the desired or fashionable shape" and crinoline as a "stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman's dress into the required shape."
*I also found this interesting post about bustle periods.

The most memorable decades for crinoline-and-petticoat-wearing that stuck out in my mind were:
 
The 1850s-1870s





The 1950s
Vintage 50s Dress // 1950s Pink Tulle & Lace Prom Evening Wedding Dress // Pearl Pink Full Skirt Pary Dress with Bows

Simplicity 1191 - Vintage 1950s Womens Dress Pattern with  Bateau Neckline, Full Skirt


 
The Early 1960s
 
For some reason, I associate petticoats and full dresses with summer. Depending how hot your summers get, petticoat-wearing can get a little warm-- to say the least. Knowing me, I will probably wear them in the heat anyway! Since this was an interesting topic, and I am sure I'll do more in-depth probing later.  Until next time,

--Viola