Sew What You Got - Sewing Challenge

Each year I have the same resolution - sew more, sew from what I got (patterns, materials) to reduce my stash. Currently, sewing is almost impossible for me, as I have no sewing room. I had one. Now it's stuffed with boxes and clutter I don't know where to put, as I was supposed to move downstairs into the basement. However, my husband was so busy with his work that he was not able to prepare the basement. So I'm caught between two stools, and the unavoidable projects are made on our dining table.

But I really need more clothing. Less fancy dresses, but practical ones for everyday wear. (Saying this, I have to laugh. Wearing a dress in my village causes always comments like "Are you going to a special event?") Basics like jumpers that I can wear with trousers. And trousers. Especially now that we have, after many years of warm winters, freezing temperatures ands now again, I realized how little separates I have that I can wear when I'm outdoors.

Ich habe derzeit kein Nähzimmer mehr. Mein Kram ist zum grossen Teil verpackt, aber mein neues Näh-Verlies noch nicht bezugsbereit, und so entstehen die unvermeidlichen Projekte derzeit an unserm Esstisch. Aber ich brauch einfach endlich mehr Sachen zum Anziehen, Praktisches zum Kombinieren, und nicht wieder ausgefallene Kleider, die für meine Mitmenschen danach aussehen, als würde ich an einen speziellen Anlass gehen.

I love sewing challenges. Especially when there's no time limit, but still, a tiny bit of pressure is always good for me. The projects that others finish are the best motivation to compete and complete. And this one is wonderful, #sewwhatyougot, as it also helps to downsize my stash. Being in the middle of a move, I always wonder how I ended up with THAT MUCH material. Years of being crafty I guess. Being a hoarder collector of beautiful supplies. The advantage is, I can use so many fabulous materials and patterns I have since years!

Ich hab zuviel Material! Enorm, was sich in all den Jahren angesammelt hat! Deshalb dient meine aktuelle "Challenge" dazu, den Stoffvorrat abzubauen und eine Vielzahl jener Muster zu benutzen, die sich schon lange in meiner Sammlung tummeln.

So, let's start! First of all, I want at least two wrap dresses for the cold season. I have a forest green ponte de roma knit that I want to try on a vintage pattern, even though the pattern requires wovens. (I have seen very inspiring vintage dresses from knit fabrics here and here.) So I combine the knit fabric and the wrap style in my first project, and I'll make anther war dress from another material.

Mein erstes Projekt ist schon bald fertig. Diesen Romanit wollte ich schon lange verarbeiten, und es wird ein hoffentlich bequemes Wickelkleid geben. Oft habe ich mich gefragt, wie dieser oder jener Schnitt aus einem Jersey gefertigt aussehen würde. Nun probiere ich es aus, nicht zuletzt dank dieser beiden Posts hier und hier.

Project 1!

I would not be me if I didn't have already some ideas for dresses in my mind. Yes, I said less dresses, but I have so many fantastic patterns, and nice materials, it would be a sin!
I gave this pattern to a friend, but asked her if I could make a copy for my own use. It's a Swiss pattern! And the shirred parts are just made by sewing rows with elastic thread.

Ihr merkt - also doch Kleider. Es geht einfach nicht ohne, ich hab doch so viele tolle Schnitte! Diesen Schnitt hier will ich unbedingt nachnähen. Ein Schweizer! Ich habe ihn einer Freundin geschenkt und durfte ihn abpausen. Die gesmokten Partien sind einfach mit Elastikfaden eingereiht. Das kenne ich von Nähprojekten für meine Tochter, und ist ganz leicht zu machen.

This is the fabric I plan to use! It's a 1940s rayon crepe, and I feel a bit nervous about cutting the pieces, as its rather slinky. Look at the print - Asian people, what looks like pagodas, too cute! I even have another piece of it in a different colour. This will make the most comfortable summer dress!

Und das ist der Stoff dazu. Ein Viscose-Crêpe aus den 40ern. Er macht mich schon jetzt nervös, den schon beim Zusammenfalten  rutscht er in alle Richtungen weg. Aber seht Euch den Print an - ist der nicht sensationell. Und das Beste: Ich hab den Stoff gleich in zwei Farben. Das war ein absoluter Glücksfund.

And then there's this one. We thought we would attend to a wedding last year, but then we didn't. I had already chosen this lovely koi fabric for one of the following patterns. But never managed to start. Now, new year, new luck!

Dann dieses Projekt. Ja, noch ein Kleid. Aber ich hatte den Stoff letztes Jahr extra für eine Hochzeitsfeier gekauft, kam aber nie dazu, das Kleid zu nähen. Nun sollen die schönen blauen Kois in eins der Kleider verwandelt werden.

Talking of dresses, I also need more slips. A friend of mine recently sent me a copy for a wrap slip I want to try. You never can have enough things to wear underneath!

Wenn man Kleider trägt, braucht man auch Unterwäsche. Eine Bekannte hat mir netterweise einen Wickel-Unterrock kopiert, den ich jetzt endlich nähen möchte.

I mentioned I need some jumpers. Basically, I can knit, but I'm very slow. So I will have to sew my jumpers. I have recently bought some warm knit fabrics for this purpose.

Und wie gesagt, ideal zum Kombinieren für den Alltag wären Pullis und Shirts. Ich könnte zwar stricken, bin aber so langsam, dass ich meine Pullis wohl besser aus Strickstoff nähen werde.

In the meantime, it will certainly soon be spring. And in spring, there's a lot of outdoor work for me, so some trousers or even a pair of dungarees would be handy. And what about a cool cropped jacket for the cooler spring and summer days? This one could be made from a sturdy, yet not too heavy woven material, I have plenty of this kind in my stash!

Wenn es Frühling wird, werde ich auch wieder vermehrt draussen anzutreffen sein. Eine leichtere Jacke, passend zur Highways-Jeans wäre da prima.

Getting older, I feel like I should wear pajamas and robes again. I realised that especially robes are very useful in the morning while I help the kids to get ready for school. They are decent. I don't like to open the door to the postman in a worn-out t-shirt and joggers. I'm not yet sure weather it's going to be a 50s or 40s pattern (why not both?). And isn't it lovelier to go to bed in a cute pajama or nightgown? I'm going to sleep twice as well!

Ich werde ja auch älter, und ich denke öfters drüber nach, wieder vermehrt Pyjamas oder Nachthemden und drüber einen Hausmantel zu tragen. Da ist man auch morgen, wenn man die Kinder für die Schule vorbereitet, gleich besser angezogen. Ist ja auch unschön, wenn man dem Postboten in einem ausgeleierten Shirt und Trainerhose öffnet.

My robe will be made from this amazing cotton sateen I bought some time ago. A bit heavier, it will make a wonderful staple for the cooler days.

Last year I was lucky to find feedsacks with prints that are so totally up my alley. Mexico and Venice! As these come only in smaller pieces, I first had to find suitable patterns, so these will be some of my projects as well. Perfect for summer!

Letztes Jahr hatte ich zugegeben grosses Glück, da ich ein paar Feedsacks gefunden habe, die genau mein Geschmack waren! Mexico und Venedig! Da diese Stücke ja immer sehr klein sind, habe ich auch lange nach passenden Schnitten suchen müssen, aber diese Blusen werden für den Sommer dann genau richtig sein!

As you can see, I love to pick matching jewelry even before I make the garment!

Seeing that winter this year is rather cold I had planned to finally sew a lined coat after one of my many vintage patterns. But I guess it would be better to start that one in autumn, so it would be (hopefully) ready for next winter. After my last project I feel quite confident I could do that. I have tons of heavy woolen fabric in my stash, I just need to pick a pattern.

I guess, I will end up with more than the required 8 projects, but I'm already so much looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies will sew. I will not have to fight with timelines, but still, a tiny bit of pressure to show your progresses and your finished garments is perfect for me.

Eigentlich wollte ich, vor allem weil diese Winter doch sehr kalt war bis anhin, endlich einen so richtig tollen Wintermantel nähen. Aber dieses Projekt wird dann eher für den Herbst sein, damit dann der Mantel auch wirklich rechtzeitig zum Beginn der kalten Jahreszeit einsatzbereit ist - hoffentlich.

Ich denke, zuletzt werden es sicher mehr als 8 Projekte sein, und ich freu mich schon sehr zu sehen was die anderen Damen nähen werden. 

Swirl Dress Sew-Along - McCall's 5411

It's almost winter in Switzerland, and I was thinking about making a dress for cooler days from a warm and cozy fabric when Beccie from Sew Retro Rose announced her "Swirl Dress Sew-Along". Well, Beccie lives in Australia, and I guess it must be very summery there right now, so this project at first sight seemed a bit weird, but then - you can't have enough nice dresses!

Nun ist es schon fast winter bei uns in der Schweiz, und eigentlich wollte ich mir etwas passendes aus einem wärmeren Stoff für die kalten Tage nähen, als Beccie von Sew Retro Rose ein Sew-Along für einen Swirl Dress ankündigte. Nun, Beccie lebt in Australien, wo derzeit jetzt Sommer ist, und eigentlich fand ich das sommerliche Projekt etwas seltsam, aber andrerseits, kann man denn genug Kleider haben?

McCall's 5411, the Swirl dress pattern

The pattern is from 1960 and definitely out of the time-range I prefer, but Swirl dresses have been made throughout the 1940s and 50s, and I liked the wrapped part on the back, so I thought I give it a try. Especially as I recently purchased the "Fleur" dress from Hayday which is very similar and amazingly comfortable to wear.

Der Schnitt ist von 1960 und ist eigentlich so gar nicht aus meiner bevorzugten Ära, aber Swirl Kleider wurden in den 1940er und 50ern (und auch später) produziert, und der doch zeitlose Schnitt mit dem überschlagenen Teil im Rücken gefiel mir, so dass ich ihm gerne eine Chance gab. Vor allem weil ich mir vor kurzem von Heyday ein "Fleur" Kleid gekauft hatte, das ich ausserordentlich bequem finde.

I planned to use one of my vintage fabrics, as I wanted my Swirl dress to have a true vintage touch. The fabric I picked is from the 1950s, and when it arrived it was still crisp and in like-new condition. It certainly needed a simple pattern to do the generous print justice. However, on a first look it was slightly too small. The sad thing about vintage fabrics. You have only the amount you buy. Full-stop.
However, I somehow managed to cut my pattern pieces from the material I had chosen, even if I had to make the facings from a solid fabric.

Für das Projekt wollte ich einen meiner Vintage Stoffe benutzen, weil ich wirklich diesen authentischen Touch an meinem Kleid wollte. Das Material stammt aus den 50ern, und als es bei mir ankam war es in einer "knackigen" und fast neuen Verfassung. Der grosszügige Druck verlange eindeutig nach einem einfacheren Schnitt. Allerdings war das Stück auf den ersten Blick zu klein. Das ist das Traurige an Vintage-Stoffen. Man hat nur die Menge, die man kauft. Punkt. Dennoch scharte ich es, alle meine Teile für das Kleid aus dem schönen Stoff zuzuschneiden. Die Belege und das Futter der Taschen fertigte ich aus einem passenden Uni-Stoff.

Lots of feather swirls, perfect for a swirl dress! I'm really in love with the teal and purple shades.

Viele Federwirbel, passend für ein Swirl-Kleid! Ich bin wirklich sehr verliebt in die violetten und petrolfarbenen Töne.

Beccie's time-schedule for the sew-along was not too strict, and I finished my dress in time. However, I was caught by a very nastily flu, and I spent an entire week blowing my nose, coughing, drinking tea, and recovering. By the time writing this post, I'm still sick…

Beccie's Vorgabe zur Fertigstellung des Kleides war nicht zu knapp, so dass es frühzeitig fertig wurde. Leider befiel mich eine fiese Grippe, und ich verbrachte eine Woche mit schnäuzen, husten, Tee trinken und mich erholen. Während ich diesen Post veröffentliche, bin ich eigentlich noch immer krank.

Weather in this season in Switzerland usually is dreadful, and in my condition it was probably not the best idea to pose outside in a short-sleeved thin cotton dress. So after I finally convinced my dear husband to take some pictures, we decided to make them in the evening in front of the fireplace. So these photographs resemble the look of the good wives when the welcomed their husbands after work at home. In a nice clean dress, hair-style and make-up re-done freshly to please the husband's eyes. Well, I usually do not look like that.

Das Wetter zu dieser Jahreszeit ist bei uns ziemlich trist, und in meiner Verfassung war es sicherlich keine gute Idee, in einem dünnen kurzärmeligen Kleidchen draussen zu posieren. Nachdem ich meinen Mann überredet hatte, einmal mehr Fotograf zu spielen, entschieden wir uns für Fotos abends vor dem Kamin. Insofern gleichen diese Fotos wohl der Art, wie eine brave Hausfrau von damals ihren lieben Gatten abends nach der Arbeit zu Hause empfing: in einem netten sauberen Kleidchen, frisch frisiert und geschminkt, um dem Mann zu gefallen. Naja, so sehe ich normalerweise nicht aus.

I found a matching Czech glass button. And I could wear some true vintage jewelry made of enameled metal.

I had to make some adjustments to the pattern, but I generally am very pleased how the dress turned out. And - I have overcome my pocket-phobia! I am so happy with the pockets I definitely will not skip them anymore on my next projects. (Usually did so.) You may notice that the pockets I made are different from the ones on the pattern. It was an optional style that the host of our sew-along provided, and I immediately was fascinated by the special shape of them. I had to try them - and I love them!
There's still a gap on the front neckline, but I can live with it. If I make the same pattern again, I will keep that in mind.

Am Schnitt musste ich ein paar Änderungen machen, allgemein aber bin ich zufrieden wie das Kleid ausgefallen ist. Und ich habe endlich meine Angst vor Taschen überwunden! Ich bin so glücklich mit ihnen, dass ich in meinen künftigen Projekten die Taschen sicherlich nicht mehr weglassen werde wie bis anhin.
Ihr werdet vielleicht feststellen, dass die Taschen nicht denen des Schnittes entsprechen. Es war eine Variante, welche die Gastgeberin des Sew-Alongs uns zur Verfügung gestellt hatte. Ich sofort von der speziellen From fasziniert und musste sie ausprobieren - und ich bin wirklich begeistert davon!
Der vordere Ausschnitt ist etwas zu weit und sitzt nicht perfekt, aber damit kann ich leben. Wenn ich den Schnitt noch einmal nähe, werde ich das natürlich ändern.

I even tried to pose like the lady on the pattern envelope… 

I always had a fondness for wrap tops and wrap dresses (they are very forgiving), and after the sew-along I went on a hunt for another similar pattern. And look what I found! It's a similar style, a back-wrapped dress, but from the 1940s, with an amazing bodice shape. I already cut a new dress. Let's swirl!

Ich hatte schon immer eine Vorliebe für Wickeltops und -kleider (sie vergeben vieles…), und nach dem Sew-Along machte ich mich auf die Jagd nach einem weiteren Schnitt in dieser Art. Und schaut was ich gefunden habe! Es ist ein ähnliches Design, ein Kleid das im Rücken gewickelt wird, jedoch aus den 1940ern, mit einem ganz tollen Oberteil. Das neue Kleid habe ich bereits zugeschnitten.

Pattern: McCall's 5411 (1960)
Fabric: vintage cotton print from the 50s (from Etsy)
Shoes: Clarks (last time I wore them I ended up with a torn ligament…)
Button: glass button from the Czech Republic, repro
Watch: vintage from the 1940s
Jewelry: vintage (from Etsy)
Lipstick: Diva by MAC

Vintage Play Suit, Ready To Go Out

As you could read in some of my previous posts here, I was joining a sew along for a vintage play suit. Usually, such sew alongs are too complicated to join in. There's always coming something in between. A freezer frozen solid, kids with chicken pox, a broken toe... I could write books.

But this sew along was different. We plan to go on holiday in Italy, my husband's country. So I was very excited about the idea, and as I am in desperate need of some decent pieces for my wardrobe, I was planning to sew some clothes anyway. The sew along just came in time! I am the kind of person that needs a little bit of extra-pressure to keep a project going on (you certainly do NOT want to know how many UFOs I have...), so I was happy to join.

Creating a play suit set offers countless possibilities, in the end I just had to decide for one pattern for a skirt, short pants, a bra and a halter top or blouse. And the fabrics of course.

I chose a simple buttoned skirt from a German 1951 sewing magazine. They had lots of play suit options in there!

However, I lengthened my skirt, and I made is with pleats instead of gathering it. I wanted to use some of my vintage buttons, but I didn't have enough of the same style. (I love brown, but I wonder why I do have only so little brown buttons...) I found some rectangular, almost square horn buttons I bought about 10 years ago at a flea market, they are all handmade and differ slightly in size and shape. So even being not properly vintage, they somehow seemed to be a nice choice.

From another German sewing magazine of the same year, I took the pattern for the trousers, as they came along in a bigger size there. I planned to use a remnant piece, but in the end I had to order some more again as it was not enough. I absolutely wanted to have the red pants! They would be perfect, especially under the patterned skirt.

I also planned in the beginning to make the pattern of the striped bra, but after I copied the pattern (which is rather demanding, look at the pattern sheet!), I realised that bra would probably not fit me very well. Despite having breast-fed my two children for quite some time, I still belong to the species of small-busted gals. I needed something more cheating "shaping", so after trying to alter the pattern I threw my muslin away and then decided to give a try to the beach bustier from Mrs. Depew. Anna has lots of very special patterns available as downloads. However, in the end I made so many alterations, that not much was left of the original pattern. And it still didn't fit. Despite having fed both my kids, I'm still rather small-busted not particularly full-busted. So another muslin flew to to bin. I will do that again later. It makes no sense to lose so much time when you are in a hurry to finish a project.

As I really wanted some interchangeable pieces for this set as possible, I also made a cotton knit top to wear with the skirt. On a holiday in Italy, in certain places it is necessary to be dressed in a decent way. (And I completely agree, it's just not appropriate to enter a public location in town when you're wearing a beach outfit.) Easy to make (I have an almost antique serger machine I use for my kids' stuff micro-business), comfy to wear, and looking always neat. I do have some of those peasant blouses I bought off the shelf, but most of them have huge midriffs, or they become larger with each washing, so I decided to make my own better fitting design. I simply made a traditional peasant blouse to add some fullness to the bust (remember - small-busted gal) and made a more or less tubular lower part below the bust. That's it. This is some kind of prototype, so with some minor adjustments I will get a really decent and not so usual looking peasant top. And yes, I usually do NOT mix patterned materials, but ginghams are synonymous for summer, and gingham is probably the only pattern that goes well with many flower patterns.

So this is how my set looks like on Kunigunde. Unfortunately, she isn't able to wear pants, and I am far to embarrassed to expose my entire legs or my chubby belly on my blog. I leave this to younger and slimmer girls... :-) And as it's raining since days, I was not able to pose outside or make decent indoor pictures. And, worst of all, my mom broke her hip and we spent a lot of time in the hospital, and as I still have some holiday wardrobe projects on my table, I really have to postpone that. You will have to wait until we are on holiday. I promise to post about the fort day out of my playsuit set.

I admit, I am not a person who love to lie on the beach (I dislike being exposed to the sun, however, it can't be avoided when you doing as much garden work as I do), but it's certainly a "must have" for any vintage wearer, and as it's so versatile, it doesn't have to be worn on the beach necessarily. Wear it for the cocktails on early evening, or for a nice summer day on your holidays when you're in town!

Share In Style "Gold" - Turquoise & Gold Assam Tea Dress

Golden sunshine in the morning - perfect for my dress with golden accents

In my previous post I wrote about the "Share In Style" project I was invited to by dear Rosy. I wanted something Asian or Oriental inspired. The lanterns and flowers on my fabric looked somehow like that, and the name of the fabric (printed on the selvage) said something like "Geisha". In my previous post you can see the golden accents on the fabric much better.

My pattern, Simplicity 4087 from 1952, was till in factory folds that came in a rather large size 20, but I though it would be easier to downgrade it slightly than to enlarge it. (Wrong - I'm not good at adjusting patterns, neither this or the other way.) The oblique wrap front and the collar remind slightly of Asian dresses with frog closures and mandarin collars, but I didn't want the dress to look too much like a Chinese cheongsam. Now it's a rather "Oriental" dress in tea dress length.

I should NOT cut my fabrics in the late evening after a hard work's day... I made a small mistake, but I guess most people will not notice. :-) In the end, I even like it better this way.

I made the facings of bodice and skirt and the side pockets in a contrasting colour, and that the facings would just show a tiny bit. I love this tiny detail.

But I didn't have any matching buttons. I have a lot of buttons, but they had either the wrong colour or the wrong size. I decided not to lose too much time searching around and make some fabric covered buttons instead. You can't go wrong with them. 100% matching. Doing this, I thought I could make a fabric covered belt buckle as well, as I knew I didn't have a matching one. To be honest, I didn't wear belts very often when I was younger, but they are an absolute must when it comes to vintage dresses! And this one is even reversible! While I was looking through my buttons I found a pack of turquoise seam binding from the 1950s - and in the perfect colour.

The shoes are authentic ballerinas (if there is such a thing like "authentic" ballerinas...), made by Porselli in Milan. They also make the ballet shoes for the dancers at the famous La Scala opera house which is right next to their shop. (And they also have tutus for little girls and all that stuff that makes you want to dance...) However, today I wished I had bought a golden pair as well...

I chose a golden tan vintage hat and goldtone vintage earrings made from brass. They also have a small amber rhinestone that looks lovely with the hat and the golden accents on the fabric. In the end I forgot to take my purse with me for the pictures... But I had a lot of golden morning sunshine!

Yes, side seam pockets! I had to overcome my phobia...

Just as a footnote: the flags on the pole are from Switzerland (I'm Swiss) and Italy (my husband is Italian). Mostly it's the Swiss flag only. My husband is insisting on doing that, even though he lives here as a foreigner. The night before, there were two games for the world championship in football (soccer), and both Italy and Switzerland played. (Haha, and both lost...)

I should have "photoshopped" the wrinkles... ;-)

I got my dress finished very late somewhere between Friday and Saturday. Well, it WAS Saturday already, but it was worth working late. I definitely will make and wear more dresses again.

I love the traditional afternoon tea as it's custom in many countries, especially in GB. And I love tea! So, now I'm just waiting for an invitation to an afternoon tea. :-)



And here are the pictures of what the lovely and talented Rosy made for the "Share In Style". Isn't that dress wonderful? Just a golden ray of sunshine on a wonderful sunny day. I love the fabric that has a vintage vibe! She is very photogenic and is blessed with beautiful locations on her Spanish island to take those marvelous pictures. Isn't that gorgeous?

I love the buttons!

Rosy created this lovely collage of both of us in a similar pose with our dresses. Thanks! Of course she does much better, I guess she has far more experience than me - I usually get embarrassed when being photographed, and it will take some time to get used to pose in a decent way without making funny faces.

Pattern: Simplicity 4087 (size 20, adjusted)
Fabric: true vintage cotton print by Avon, "Geisha"
Belt buckle: upcycled vintage fabric covered buckle
Hat: vintage hat bought on Ebay
Earrings: true vintage screw-backs bought on Etsy
Shoes: Porselli, Milan

The dress is worn with a petticoat.

Photography by my husband

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Share in Style Announcement

Yesterday I was asked by my lovely friend Rosy from Sewingadicta if I would like to be her partner in "Share in Style". I had seen her wonderful contributions to those projects a few times, but had no idea what it was about really. Not before she asked me.

Just a few words about Rosy. Rosy is living on a beautiful Spanish island and she is an amazingly skilled sewer and very talented crafter. She even does hand-painting on fabrics that are made into dresses, and she makes her own hats - isn't that wonderful? (I have a vague suspect she's a master of the art, and I guess it's about time I ask her to find out. Her creations are amazing, and she makes the drafts for many of her dresses by her own! I like the fact that she proofs that women beyond 40 can look absolutely splendid. Wearing vintage inspired items is not only for twenty-something year old, but also for mature women.) So being her partner would certainly be not only a huge honour, but also lots of fun.

Now, I would have said "yes" in a heartbeat, if it had not been for the motto of the next "Share in Style" project: Gold.

I would have to lie if I said I disliked gold. Gold is my favorite materials - on jewelry. I think it has something to do with my Celtic ancestors that adored gold over any other material. (Yes, in Switzerland, we had Celtic tribes as well, the Helvetii in my region, only that they melted away to submerge with the Romans, but this is just the historian in me that goes wild once more...) I love the buttery look of pure gold.

Source

But gold on clothing? An absolute no-go. As you may know, I'm a curly red-haired, and it would simply look too exaggerated on me. I once bought in what I recall a fashion frenzy a golden lamé shirt for Christmas. Believe me: I never wore it. I had it in my wardrobe for about  two years, feeling guilty about the purchase, and then I gave it away to some charity shop.

Now, as dear Rosy came up with the question and I always love a good challenge, I had a look at my stash to get some idea if a participation for that obviously rather delicate motto would still be possible.

Guess what I found? Not only one, but two authentic vintage fabrics that had golden accents on them. (I have a few more, modern ones from Japan.)

The first one is an amazing barkcloth I bought on Etsy, and compared to other bark cloths it was almost ridiculously cheap very inexpensive. For a stay-at-home mom of two little ones - I have no proper income - it was a lucky find! It is 5 yards long, and it has the most adorable pink flower sprigs on a decent grey background and golden splatters all over the fabric. The fabric is from the 1950s, and even after such a long time and having been laundered after I got it, the print, including the olden accents, looks so gorgeous. And I'm absolutely in love with the "rough" structure of the material!

However, as it's a barkcloth - therefore rare - and also suitable for a less summery project, so I would like to save it for a different project.

The other fabric is an Asian inspired turquoise dress cut print, also from the 1950s. It seemed to be new, newer used nor laundered when it arrived. Still so beautiful after so many decades!

Dress cuts were pre-cut pieces of about 5 yards length that could be bought back in those times to make a dress. This makes sense, as most patterns of the 1950s require 5 yards of material.

The aqua blue background features white flowers and oriental lanterns in shades of purple and blue. The motives are highlighted with metallic gold.

It still had this paper tag pinned to the selvage...

I bought this fabric because of it's Oriental touch, not being sure what to make of it, and certainly not because of the golden accents that require the right pattern to avoid being too tawdry. I guess this will be a lovely material to create something nice. Otherwise it will be in my stash for another 60 years...

So I agreed to join this "Share in Style" with Rosy. I even think I have some lush gold jewelry to accomplish my outfit once it's finished.

Wish me luck I make in time. I still have to sew a pair of bermuda shorts for my husband's upcoming birthday!

If you're interested to participate, there are only very little "rules". Create your outfit from "off-the-rack" clothes or by making it yourself, have fun and share it with other that love to dress in a special way. Doesn't have to be vintage. :-) Just check Rosy's post about the guidelines.