Retro Restyle: Cashmere Sweaters

I love sweaters.  They are part and parcel with the whole sheep and yarn hobby.  Some day maybe I will do a proper write-up on my sweater addiction, but not today.  Today I have a story of two oddball sweaters that never were circulated in the daily wardrobe.  One started out life as a men's XL v-neck in grey, the other was a women's L crewneck in red.  They were cast-offs, one too big, too baggy, the other too tight around the neckline and stained on the lower cuff. Eventually they were taken to the sewing room and  left folded in a pile, waiting for redemption.  Individually they were not particularly exciting, but together they created something beautiful. 

Derby: In Memoriam

Two Winters ago one of my favorite rams passed away.  Derby.  He was born on our farm in 2004, sweet and gentle from Day One.  As he aged, his disposition never changed.  He was top ram for a couple of years when youth and testosterone were on his side, but slipped from power pretty quickly because he just wasn't a fighter.  He is the only ram we've ever had that never, never, lowered his head to me.  I was perfectly comfortable, never hesitated in fact, to break that Cardinal Rule and turn my back to him while in the pasture.  Aside from his remarkable demeanor, Derby was, and still is, the only sheep we've had who has shed his wool.  Each Spring, I would wait for his fleece to loosen and lift off the skin.  He would stand stock still for me while I pulled off, handful by handful, his gorgeous chocolate brown wool.  When he died late one evening, the other rams stood vigil.  My husband found them and remarked how it was chilling to find Derby on the ground while the three other rams stood quietly with their heads resting on his lifeless body.  Being the middle of Winter and befitting a Shetland ram who has equally strong Scandinavian as well as Scottish heritage, we built a large bonfire from a shed that had been torn down and sent Derby off in glory.  His soft nose, nuzzling into my hand, and his calming presence are sorely missed around the pasture.

So I decided to honor his memory the best way I know how,

with my needle and thread. 

1930s Dressing Gown

This past month one of my good friends got married.  She and her new husband were already settled in a house and didn't need the proverbial china and silver, so I decided to take a less traditional route.  Using the 1930s Butterfly Blouse pattern from Decades of Style, I opted for a romantic Dressing Gown.

It's even on sale!

Quick before the snow melts

It seems that Winter in Wisconsin is finally on the wane which, honestly, couldn't have been better timing for this sewing project: a fur-trimmed vest.  It's warm enough for cooler temperatures, but would be bulky and uncomfortable to layer under a coat.  Here's the story...

Draped in plaid

Earlier this Winter I decided to take a scissors to some wool and try my hand at draping.  I am confident enough to alter a pattern, sometimes quite drastically, to suit my taste, but never had I just draped the fabric off a dressform in hopes that it would magically transform in a couture garment.  In my collection were three pieces of lightweight wool in coordinating colors.  The problem:  I only had one yard of each.  I decided to put all three together and play with the possibilities.

Waverly upholstery samples

 

Recently I purchased a pack of Waverly upholstery samples from the 1960s.  The line was titled "New Hope" and came still stapled to the cardboard hanger.  Each smaller swatch had a label on the back, and the larger piece was almost a half yard.  Hmmm, a pencil skirt?  A tote bag?  Throw pillows?

Swishing my way out West

When Hank and I first started planning our vacation out West, it was clear that we had very different approaches to the 3000-mile trip out to Yellowstone and back.  He immediately pulled up Google maps, started plotting cities, researched attractions and calculated mileage.  I casually thumbed through my sewing patterns.  Hank anxiously gave the 1950 Chevy a thorough run-through, hoping she'd hold up for just one more roadtrip.  He changed the oil, checked the brakes, checked the suspension, double-checked his emergency toolbox and, just because he's that cautious sort, signed up for AAA.  I thrilled at finding the perfect piece of summer-weight wool.  Priorities, you know. 

When I think of Summer vacation , I immediately picture billowing, cotton sundresses and snappy playsuits in novelty prints.  But when I combine that image with Summer traveling, I cringe at the thought of ironing said cotton dresses with teeny hotel irons and flimsy boards (should you be *lucky* enough to even have one).  Such was my dilemma.  The South Dakota Badlands in August were sure to be hot, but once again, I opted for wool.  Hank looked up from under the hood of the Chevy just long enough to raise his greasy eyebrow at that decision, but I sewed on.   Ultimately I decided on two staple pieces on which to build my wardrobe:  an A-line skirt and a pair of pants. 

Retro Restyle: This tater sack's a humdinger!

Over a year ago I made up my mind to make something out of burlap.  There are so many fabulous potato sacks out there with catchy slogans and vintage graphics, and they all can't be made into tote bags.  At first I was thinking corset or vest, paired with gingham perhaps, but this particular sack wouldn't lend itself to cutting.

what I started with

what I ended up with

Retro Restyle: Felix and Val's

This past winter I scored a fabulous wool club jacket at an estate sale.  It was dirty and moth-eaten and my husband couldn't believe I actual put it on to take these photos, but the embroidery on the back was too cool!  Felix and Val!  Well, that's almost as slick sounding as Lenny and Squiggy! 

Hoffman Construction Co.

On the front of the jacket was a large patch advertising the Hoffman Construction Company.  After a little online research, I found that they were started before the turn of the century and based in Appleton, Wisconsin.  So why was Wausau listed on the patch as well?  Did Felix and Val own a local branch office of Hoffman's?  Like a lumberyard?  I immediately sent an email off to the company to find out.  

The Magic of the Swants

Have you heard about swants?!  The can't-help-but-stare, gotta-try-for-myself trend coming out of Europe?!  Born from his sheer love of sweaters, Stephen West, of Westknits, is the mastermind behind this recent trend. Originally hailing from Oklahoma, Stephen currently lives in Amsterdam, and I suspect the change in scenery really affected his creative arts.  He has written three knitting books, offers patterns on his website (some free, too!), and heads up a FunSquad that hosts online knit-alongs.  Talk about building your passion into an enterprise!  But enough about his business savy, let's talk swants.

 

Quite simply, swants combine two of my most favorite things: (1) a restyle project involving (2) sweaters.  I had to be part of this movement.  And I'm not kidding when I say movement.  Swants were showcased on Good Morning America shortly before Christmas (if that's any barometer on cool).  I have never been so trendy as I am in this moment.

New Year's in Peacock Blue

Do you know what it's like to have a piece of fabric in your possession for ages?  I mean ages.  So it was with this particular slubbed satin in peacock blue.  Five yards of fabulous that was originally intended to be a full-skirted 1950s dress.  However, a glittering invite arrived in the mail to Wild Kat's New Year's Eve Prohibition Party.  I knew this peacock blue was just the ticket!

 

Well, okay, I actually spent several weeks toying with several other color/style combos, but peacock blue said 'New Year's' better than my medium brown wool.  But Prohibition?  1920-30s?  Not necessarily my go-to era.  This would require research.  After pouring over EvaDress and Decades of Style and several contemporary pattern books at JoAnns, I finally settled on Vogue 1371.   I wanted a dress that had a slim silhouette, a high waistline and some interesting detailing.  Done in the right fabric with a few alterations, this had the right feel for a 1930s-styled dress.  

Retro Restyle: Your Grandma's Blanket!

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess overworked shepherdess.  Every day after brushing her long golden hair pitching hay to the animals, she would sit on the couch and dream of spending time in her sewing room.  One day she awoke...

...to find that all her sewing dreams had come true!
 

details on the wolf pillow are here

Retro Restyle: Foxy t-shirt

My daughter's second favorite animal is a fox (the first being a horse) so when I saw this t-shirt for a mere $3, I grabbed it up.  The snuggled-up arctic fox was adorable and glittered and on a background of aqua (her second favorite color).  Perfect!  The only problem was that the shirt was an extra-large.  But assuming I could talk her into a new tote bag or pillow, this was actually not a problem. 

Retro Restyle: Secret Garden Jacket

A few years ago I picked up this 1960s wool shift dress for a couple of bucks.  It was wool.  It was plaid.  I was powerless to resist.  But deep down I knew that it probably wouldn't get worn too much.  Comfy though it is, I like a defined waistline because I figure that at some point in my not too distant future, I won't have a waistline.  I'm enjoying it while I can.

I liked the clean lines, and my first thought was to simply add darts, shape the side seams and add a bit of trim.  Pockets maybe, or a belt?  But it turned into one of those dreaded mending projects that I continually avoided.

One night last week, I was frustrated with seeing it on the mending pile, just laying there, taunting me, so I took a scissors to it.

For the love of plaid

It's no secret.  My love of plaid.  And this time of year my sewing thoughts always turn to plaid...and wool.  I recently received several 2-3 yard pieces from my mother's friend.  I'm envisioning varsity jackets, swing coats and pencil skirts.  But to start things off, I opted for a pair of pants.  Nothing fancy, slightly high-waisted (which is how I typically sew my pants) and narrow through the leg. 

Bonneville or Bust

"It's official!  Hank and I are headed off on a second honeymoon.  Next month we'll be married for 15 years.  Our first honeymoon was out to South Dakota.  We did all the required stops; the Corn Palace, Wall Drug..."

 And so began the post that I drafted over a month ago!  

Well, today I'm on the other side of that trip, and I can tell you, it was not a bust!  Back in mid-August, we waved goodbye to the children, pointed the Chevy west, and drove a total of 4200 miles to a height of 11,353 feet.  We walked the hallowed salt of Bonneville Speedway, and Hank got the bug.

I, on the other hand, basked in the sun with my new Salt Flat Dress.

This was one of those last minute sewing projects that was finished en route.  Literally, I was sewing on the buttons while we drove through Wyoming (I-80 is very dull; I do recommend some handwork).  I wanted something in cool cotton and easy to wear.   

Retro Restyle: Navy Uniform

A while ago I purchased a Navy uniform at the local thrift store.  The wool pants were in pristine condition and fit my husband beautifully.  The uniform top was in poor condition, full of moth holes and almost too small for me across the bust.  It had not a single patch or trim, and immediately, I began to ponder how to salvage it.  I threw the top in the wash, and waited to see what would come out.  It washed up well, shrank just a tich, and I put it in the "restyle" pile.

Summertime capris!

This was my most recent sewing project, a pair of capris and tie-front top, made for the Blue Ribbon Beer Run Car Show held last Saturday.  The show was held at the historic Pabst Brewing Company grounds, downtown Milwaukee.  Great time.  But I knew the weather was going to be brutally hot and walking on blacktop all day didn't sound like ideal crinoline weather. 

My daughter's poodle skirt

While shopping at Saving Grace Salvage Company last weekend, my daughter found the small, curly poodle applique.  It was in its original 1950s package.  Now she's a horse-lover first and foremost, but dogs are a close second and before I knew it, I was looking into those "Pretty Please" eyes that she can do so well.

Let's fast forward to Monday.  The temps were hitting 90degrees and the humidity was so high that hanging laundry was out of the question.  Seemed the only logical thing to do was hunker down in the sewing room.  We scrounged my stash of quirky-and-vintage-but-good-for-something fabric and found a cotton/poly aqua tablecloth.  It has a slight slub in the weave and a nice drape.

Steampunk Airship Pirate: Part V ~ The Finale

Today I proudly present for your viewing pleasure, (drum roll please) 

my fully-assembled Steampunk Turkish Airship Pirate!