Well hello! I’m so sorry it’s been so long since my last post – I think, in fact, this has been my longest ever absence from the blog. Life has been very hectic over the last six weeks or so, and unfortunately something had to give. Things are still a bit crazy but I’m hoping it will all calm done by the beginning of October and I should be back to my regular schedule again. Keep your fingers crossed! And, whilst the chaos and lack of posts continues, you can always keep up-to-date with my shenanigans over on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Anyway, to keep you up-to-date with my crocheti ..read more

You may remember me mentioning a while ago in my Sewing & Crocheting Plans post that I wanted to crochet a pair of sandals. Or you may have even seen them in progress in my latest Vintage Crochet Projects Podcast. Either way, I’m happy to report that they’re now all finished and thoroughly wearable. Yay! The pattern I used was a Weldon’s pattern from the late 1930s or early 1940s. I purchased it as a PDF from Vintage Ali Patterns on Etsy and thankfully it was just a scan of the original leaflet and not a re-typed version as you sometimes get. The reason I say ‘thankfully’ is because the p ..read more

Up until recently, 2018 seemed to be a bit of a bust when it came to my sewing. For the first five months the only thing I actually managed to sew was my Grevillea Beret, mainly because I was concentrating so much on crocheting. I think the reason I did this was because of the weather. For most of the first half of 2018 it was miserable and grey every single day and all I wanted to do was curl up on the sofa, watch box sets and crochet. It was actually rather relaxing, which was something I needed after how insanely busy my day job has got this year. That in itself, is one of the biggest ..read more

Continuing on from my first vintage crochet podcast, here is the second in this series about the finished, current and future vintage crocheting projects I’m working on. In this episode I talk about the 1930s gingham jumper I featured on the blog a few weeks ago, a 1930s tailored cardigan in peach cotton that I’ve been working on for nearly a year, a pair of 1940s crochet espadrilles, a simple 1930s cardigan and a 1930s lace jumper. Funnily enough, I featured all of these in my Sewing & Crocheting Plans for 2018 post back in early February. For once I’m actually sticking to my plans and n ..read more

A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of going to The Watercress Line Railway for their War on the Line event. This annual event, based down near Alresford, Hampshire, UK, explores what it was like on the railways during WWII. It’s an event like no other, with everything focused around the amazingly restored steam trains and beautiful 1940’s platform buildings. And with plenty of reenactors walking about in period costume and educational demonstrations, you almost feel as if you’ve actually been transported back in time to the Blitz. The Watercress Line railway was built in 1865 and pla ..read more

I have a real fascination with 1930s fashion and needlework magazines and have built up quite a collection of them now. Throughout my entire collection, I definitely think that this Butterick Sewing Pattern Book from the summer of 1938 is my favourite. Not only is everything featured in it exactly the sort of 1930s fashions I absolutely love, but it’s also jam-packed with full-colour illustrations, something that’s quite rare during this period. Unlike my the Vogue Sewing Pattern Book from 1935, I previously showed you (here and here), the fashions in this Butterick one are much more every da ..read more

As promised, when I did my first Vintage Crochet Podcast, here is it’s sister one, my first Vintage Sewing Podcast. In episode one I focus on the the sewing projects I’m currently working on to create a 1930s holiday wear capsule wardrobe. This follows on from my last post about the inspiration for my 1930s beach pyjamas and now you get to see the fabric that I’ve chosen. It’s from somewhere quite unusual. I also talk about the other pieces I want to make and show you the inspiration behind them, the fabrics and trimmings I’ve chosen and the patterns I’m going to use. Hopefully, this will giv ..read more

With this wonderful sunny weather we’re currently having, my mind is entirely focused on the small collection of garments I want to make for my holiday later this year. The one item that’s really taking prominence now is a pair of 1930s beach pyjamas and I previously showed you the pattern I’m going to use to make mine in my Sewing & Crocheting Plans post I did back in February. As these are now in the planning and mock up stages I thought I’d share some of my inspiration with you. I warn you, this is a very picture heavy post, but who doesn’t love a round up of 1930s beach pyajams! Nauti ..read more

Outfit Details 1930s Gingham Jumper – Made by me 1930s White Linen Skirt – Made by me 1930s Reproduction Shoes – Royal Vintage Shoes 1930s Navy Crochet Handbag – Kate Kitsch Lapis Lazuli Drop Earrings – Shepton Mallet Flea Market 1930s Style Sunglasses – Had them for years When I first spotted this beautiful 1930s gingham jumper pattern on Etsy I was absolutely convinced it was knitted. As someone who can’t knit, I completely discounted the pattern, knowing that I would never be able to make it. It wasn’t until someone I follow on Instagram posted it a ..read more

One thing I don’t tend to share on the blog is the random vintage sewing and crochet bits and pieces I pick up on my travels. Whenever I go to vintage fairs, flea markets or antique shops they’re always on my radar and I’ll spend hours rummaging through stack of boxes and digging under tables to see what I can find. Unfortunately these treasures aren’t always easy to photograph, so making a video about them is a great alternative way to be able to share them with you all. Today’s haul is from a couple of weeks ago when I went to one of my favourite vintage fairs, The Vintage Bazaar and includ ..read more