RuebyRetro

Bangs Help!

2012-01-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

OK guys, I need some advice. I have 3 options for curling my bangs; straightener, 1" barrel curling iron, or 1/2" barrel curling iron.

Straightener. It tends to curl the tips and can leave a flat bit on top.

1" barrel iron - I can either do it double layer which I think I did here, or single. It curls from root to tip but makes them "bigger".

1/2" makes tiny bangs. I think they were shorter here too though.

WHICH DO YOU THINK LOOKS BEST?

I know the pics aren't the best. I'm just bothered with them right now so thought I'd try to get some more opinions!

If you have Bettie bangs, how do you style them? Any other tips?

I usually wear glasses...weird that all my photos lately were on contact days as those are SO few and far between.

Flea market sale day!

2012-01-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

It's been freezing here for the last week, around -30C (-40C with the windchill), but as a good Calgarian I still ventured out a bit. Krista Dee and I hit up the flea market last Sunday and I spent far more than I should have, but got quite the haul! You can click the picture to make it bigger but it was taken with Photo Booth and I realized it it also backward...the utensils are really on the right side of my stove!

A lot of the vendors were having sales or willing to deal as it was a very slow day.

I had seen the chalkware ballet dancers in the bottom left over the summer marked for $20, I got them for $4. The Royal Copley Asian girl wall pocket was a pair, Dee has the other one. She is now on my vanity holding my vanity set.

I bought about 8 pictures, 7 of which are now part of my frame collage wall in the hall and the other is by the closet.

Andi on Etsy

2012-01-14T20:50:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of those who read this blog also follow Andi B. Goode, but in case you don't then A) you should because she's awesome and B) she's recently started listing on Etsy and has a few gorgeous numbers up for grabs including this gray dress which makes me wish I had a shrink ray to use on myself!

I'd also like to extend a welcome and huge thanks to those of you who have taken me over 100 followers! I apologize for not realizing and having a big post about it. I did say sometime ago that when I went over 100, I would try to get together a giveaway. Luckily, I have at least 1 item now to include in that and am off to the Flea Market tomorrow and will try to find something else. I should get that together sometime soon! THANKS AGAIN! I love that you all take the time to visit this little corner of the web :)

Bomb Girls

2012-01-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

I'd heard about this show premiering on Global last year and actually forgot about it until two FB friends posted about it this morning. I promptly downloaded it and watched.

I'll start with the good things:

The dress on the left was GORGEOUS. It must be rayon crepe, and looks genuine vintage.

This dress was fascinating. It looks like a travel poster print that has been draped around. The white part hit just on her hip on the one side, and the rest is navy. Very cool and unique.

I really like this green dress as well. It had a somewhat 30's vibe and was just really nice.

This is the transition shot...see the hair on the women in the red blazer? GORGEOUS. A wonderful roll. Then see the hemline on Claire Danes on the left? Oh wait, I'm not watching My So Called Life? Then why does she look like she fell out of 1994?

Then of course the characters know Dr. Who, he brought them this Pyrex which wasn't produced until 4 years after the end of the war!! Magic!

I would also like to know whether contrast seamed stockings were fashionable in the 1940s. I know a lot of us wear them now, but I think that is to emphasize the nostalgia more than to be period correct. Gladys wears a pair with lace welts and no heel...they look like someone bought them at La Senza. Also, when she balls them up they definitely look like modern nylons and NOT silk from the 1940s. Couldn't they have at least purchased authentic reproductions?

John Doyle wrote a review for the Globe and Mail which is spot on. I think this show had a lot of potential but got too wrapped up in being dramatic that it came out campy. I was ok with it, until the "accident" scene which was so unrealistic I winced. They don't have titanium hairspray now...let alone in 1940. If my Lottabody was capable of that, well...I don't think they'd still be making it!

I think we need to leave WWII productions to the Brits.

I'll watch the other 5 episodes, if only to TRY and find the good bits.

I'm not sure if it will work outside of Canada, but the series is watchable online at Global TV.

What are you doing New Years, New Years Eve?

2011-12-30T14:57:00.000-08:00

A day early, but this is CUTE as HECK!

I'm in a super awesome mood, cleaning my house today and tomorrow so I can start 2012 off right. I have no big plans for tomorrow except to see my friend who leaves for school early on the 1st. I don't get to stay out till midnight as I have to be at my sisters to feed the dog/let him in BUT I've spent a few New Years with that pup now and I'm sure we'll have a grand time snuggling on the couch.

I think I'll just put this on repeat while I clean

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What are YOU doing New Years Eve?

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

As I wait for my sister and family to pick me up for our Christmas Eve party, I thought I'd say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone :) Best wishes this holiday season!

I decided to try to do something similar to Jean Arthurs hair in The More The Merrier today and it worked really well! Excuse the photo booth shots. I used both Hot Sticks (on top) and Lock N' Rolls (at the bottom), split the curls and pinned them up without brushing them out at all.

My room is a MESS...but this is my awesome gingham skirt I bought off Etsy awhile back. It is taffeta and when combined with petticoats I rustle! Reminds me of Mammy and her red taffeta petticoat in Gone With the Wind.

Mame Liked the Roses

2011-12-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

This song is on the Elvis Christmas album I have and when I listened to it while setting up my tree I quite fell in love with it, despite the fact it feels like a funeral procession song to me. Oh well!

I apologize for all the music posts lately. I have two more finals tomorrow, a George Canyon Christmas concert with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra with my sister tomorrow night, work, the dentist, more work then it is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then it is work again!! In my spare moments I admit to not doing much besides reading...including my dishes which, well frankly is getting gross...haha.

I'll be done my job in January, just as the new semester begins and I have a bunch of goals for next semester both school wise and life wise. This blog, or rather my Etsy store, are included in there so don't fret. I have a bunch of posts that I just haven't finished yet.

Hope everyone is having a nice holiday time so far and that your Christmas or whatever holiday it is celebrate at this time of year goes well :)

All the lights are coming on now

2011-12-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Haven't listened to The Raveonettes in a couple years, but this has brought me back to them! I love how they make you dance all over the house...or is it just me?

Another recent Christmas song discovery is Christmas Island sung by the Andrews Sisters with the Guy Lomardo (Canadian!) orchestra.

Restraint

2011-12-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

I have a goal list for 2012 that is about ten miles long but one thing I've been cutting back on over the past few months is buying things. I love things, but I have A TON of them...how many doilies does one girl need? Or how many dresses that rarely get worn? Et cetera.

SOMEONE ELSE BUY GORGEOUS THING BEFORE I CAVE

I bought a wonderful coral coloured Asian-inspired lamp off Etsy some months back, but it unfortunately arrived broken. I managed to put it back together, somewhat, but haven't painted the exposed white chalk yet. I do fear this would arrive the same way but...red...and chartreuse! And little Asian people! It's so cute! I have an Asian junk table lamp and two 1949 chalkware wall plaques...it would match oh so well. I'd feel somewhat bad for replacing the pink panther TV lamp I currently have. But.

Ugh.

Nothing Replaces the Original

2011-12-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

"The original is the thing, the object that was on site...it's what was...at that event."

This video deals with photography, and is pretty cool, but I think it also relates to the appeal of vintage versus repro. I enjoy using my vintage things and knowing it has had a past life and past loves. It just gives one a far greater sense of connection with what one owns and uses and wears.

Christmas Movies

2011-12-03T17:57:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite Christmas movies as a kid and now is the Muppets Family Christmas. Turns out it was a TV special in 1987, but seeing as I was only 1 then...I've seen it repeated on TV and my sister has it on VHS. Now, you can watch it on YouTube too (or here ;)!

Of course I also watched the classic stop-motion Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer from 1964:

I also watched the original How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and probably saw A Charlie Brown Christmas numerous years as well. I have never seen Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas (though I'm seeing that on the big screen next week!). We usually watched The Sound of Music around this time of year, as it was always on TV growing up.

I sometimes scour the movie store for $10 deals on old films. I picked up Holiday Affair starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh last year and actually quite liked it. Robert Mitchum is always eye catching ;) I recommend checking it out if you can find it!

NRB

2011-11-10T14:12:00.001-08:00

I decided to visit the two vintage shops near my place today and I found a gorgeous houndstooth swing coat in taupe and cream which fit perfectly. I wasn't too big on the $50 price tag, but looked the coat over for anything that needed repairs and to look for tags to date it. I usually stick swing coats in the late 40's thru 50's era...but I found a label inside!

It has a National Recovery Board label (begun in 1934 and run until the 1960's) which I initially connected with National Recovery Act (1933-1935 only). Turns out the label has a tiny © '35 written on it as well so I was correct in my years.

This is officially the oldest garment I have in my collection!

It doesn't have a closure, though it looks like there was possibly something attached just above the buttons by the neck on the inside, only I can't fathom what. A hook & eye would make the most sense but the placing seems illogical?

Also, does anyone know what these are for? There is one on the other side as well and all I could think was somewhere to put your arms if you wore it as a cape, just over your shoulders?

I've seen similar things, or just random strands of ribbon inside fur coats before and can never figure out their purpose.

Classic Film Series

2011-10-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you happen to live in Canada, you should definitely be checking out North By Northwest tonight when it plays at 7pm across the nation on the big screen at your local theatre. Best part? Only $5!

Cineplex Odeon is having its Second Season of Film Classics Series and it actually started with Citizen Kane in September. I found out about it too late for that one and probably should have posted about this before tonight, but just remembered!!

All the films are playing on a Sunday and Wednesday, one a month until August 2012. You can view the full schedule here.

The ones I'm most looking forward to are:

October

December

February

Gregory Peck on the big screen for a birthday present? Heck YES!

April

May

July

August

We're going to see this both days and buying yellow rain gear to show up in. Harry Potter? PFT! It's all about Gene Kelly baby.

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

At 7:57am this morning, about 20 minutes ago, I heard thunder. Extremely strange noise for October in these parts, especially when it rolls on for longer than a few seconds.

It wasn't thunder. It was the implosion of this:

Photo from Calgary Heritage Initiative

Here's a video of the implosion:

And a photo breakdown of the event.

The Ogden Federal Grain Elevator at Bonnyville was built in 1915 and was a masterpiece of architecture in its time. It was a link in a chain of elevators that stretched across Canada, totalling about 6000 at one point with roughly 500 still standing somewhere in the country, even less than that are still operational.

While these concrete elevators might not be an aesthetically pleasing site for those without appreciation of industrial architecture, they were an integral part of our city's landscape and were functional up until several months ago. The problem, and ultimate reason for their demolition, was the difficulty in repurposing such a structure. The silos you see on the right are just that, round tubes of concrete meant to hold grain. Windowless, and otherwise functionless.

Photo from samuel.boisvert

While large concrete elevator facilities like this were used as central hubs in larger areas across the Praire and country, most elevators were wooden and located in small towns. They are now known by nostalgic names like "Towers of Silence" and "Vanishing Sentinels". Grain elevators feature prominently on the praire landscape and are often used in art and as symbols of agriculture and the praire spirit.

Photo from the Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre in Nanton, AB

Art by Peter Thompson

Calgary itself has a lengthy history of demolishing its historical buildings including its largest central downtown hospital, the General Hospital in Bridgeland, in 1998. A mistake if there ever was one!

Some others that would have been wonderful to leave up include:

"1969 - The James Short School's demolition to make way for the Greyhound Bus Terminal in downtown Calgary. The Sheraton Hotel in the background was later demolished as well."

Calgary Herald

"1950s - Robin Hood Flour Mills, 401-9 Ave SW was demolished to make room for Gulf Canada Square."

Calgary Herald

Sources: Calgary Herald - Landmark Elevator Coming Down, Calgary Herald - Demolition 'Painful' for Heritage Advocates, Calgary Heritage Initiative - Grain Elevator marked for demolition, Wikipedia - Grain Elevator

Awarded with the Victory Polka

2011-10-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

My tremendous thanks to the very lovely Nabby and her gorgeous red sweater who gave me a blog award about a week ago! It is my very first one ever :)

I'm supposed to name 7 random facts about myself, then pass it along...but for now I'm just going to list some facts. So here goes!

1. I'm Canadian and Swiss (officially) and could have British citizenship as well if I ever bother to apply. My parents moved here in 1970 by ship so I'm first generation Canadian as well.

2. I've been a vegetarian for 10 years. Why? When I was 15, it was "punk rock"...now, I dislike the mass production of meat & the values that industry encourages. I'd eat it again, one day, if I could raise the chickens myself! Though someone else would have to slaughter them...eep.

3. I haven't had cable TV in over 3 years, nor a landline telephone with touch tone (all rotary!)

4. I've been to the US, England, North Ireland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Austria, France, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.

5. One of my favorite movies ever is the Sound of Music and I have the letter my Mom wrote to my Dad telling him about her first time seeing it and her love of the song Edelweiss. Edelweiss is probably my parents "song" if they ever had one, and my nieces heard it as a lullaby from my sister. Family song for us now I guess!

6. I love Dr. Quinn. LOVE.

7. I love 50s cars with 4 doors and continental kits and boys always think I'm silly for loving what no "car guy" would dare to actually like.

Hope those were somewhat interesting...haha! I'm horrid at such things.

Roger Roger Radio

2011-10-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

I was never a huge radio listener; I'm one of those people who finds a song or an album, falls in love, plays it over and over and over until I find a new one. The radio was only ever on for background noise or in the car. But I never really thought about how the radio worked. I'm sure I learnt it at some point, but this lovely video from 1937 does a dandy job of explaining!

Since replacing my 1970 record player with an older 1950's tube one, I lost the only FM radio I had. While I was given an FM tuner with the "new" Electrohome, I haven't hooked it up and really have no desire to. I do listen to modern music as well as old, but it tends to be bands that aren't played much on mainstream radio in my city anyway...like J.D. McPherson, The Civil Wars, The Decemberists, Placebo, et cetera.

If I do listen, it is usually in the kitchen on this lovely dear I picked up at a car show:

It's either classic country or CBC 1 talk radio.

Viking was the store brand of Eaton's, a Canadian department store which had been around since 1869 when it shut in 1999. They had stores across the country which have now been taken over by Sears.

click through for some notes on this photo

P.S. I will be doing the blog award post still! This one just managed to distract me from my studies when I found the radio video.

Oi

2011-10-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Oh boy this week has been a gong-show. I've had ongoing ankle trouble over the last couple months and had a return trip to the doctor for it on Tuesday. Same day I woke up with a stye in my eye. While the ankle was looking better, I had a test first thing Wednesday morning which I wasn't nearly as prepared for as I would have liked. Then, around 2:30am Thursday morning...I got super sick. Spent all of Thursday in bed except for maybe 4 hours, and Friday was almost just as bland though a bit of laundry was accomplished. Now, I seem to have acquired a cold as well and my sinuses are protesting their existence! I have two more exams this week as well as an in class assignment and I need to study and read for those today.

Needless to say, I haven't had much time for my poor little blog.

Until I get around to a proper post about it, I'd like to thank Nabby for the very sweet blog award! I'll be passing it along and filling out the 7 random facts when I have a chance sometime next week.

Since you left me...

2011-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I always end up liking songs that never made it big.

We've been playing a lot of Beatles music at work again, which is a band I never really liked. My dad loved them, he lived near London when they made it big and saw them play a few times at the festival things they had back then. I have his records now (including a 45' of Eleanor Rigby & Yellow Submarine!) and grew up listening to them with my sisters. Specifically, we used to move the hallway rug off the wood flooring and they would "jive" with me to songs like Twist & Shout. I remember, and definitely prefer, the early Beatles stuff.

This is a song I heard the other night for the first time though, and I love it...

I liked this video as it brings to life the photos I have of my Dad's 21st birthday party, when my parents met. I'll share them one day. Same era, same age, same country!

Era ID Help

2011-09-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of scanning my parents collection of photographs. They are all from England (Durham, Sussex, London area) and Switzerland (Uznach, Luzern, Lausanne). Most I can identify to the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

This one...I believe is my Grandmother in England, but I can't decide on a date. If it is my Grandmother, she looks much younger here than in the photos with my Dad which are from 1945 onward. From the clothes, I would *guess* early 1930s...probably before WWII.

Any insights?

What Katie Did(n't)

2011-09-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

This post has been edited and added to on Sept 23 in regard to shipping cost refund. Please see bottom of post.

I asked on FB, and I asked on Twitter, and now I'm going to ask here:

Am I the only one out there completely underwhelmed by What Katie Did?

I feel as though this company is often mentioned as the be all and end all of vintage shapewear, lingerie and hosiery. Through the years now, I have tried to like them. In total I have purchased 4 pairs of stockings, a merry widow, a swimsuit, French knickers and a bullet bra from them. I currently have...4 pairs of stockings. Why only that? Well, nothing else fit!

I bought the clothing on sale, after studying size charts and reading reviews. I have NEVER had such issues with fitting.

The French Knickers look like a diaper.

The swimsuit was always too large (though I will grant, was nice).

The Merry Widow is still a mystery as it was sized smaller than my usual size, yet could have fit someone twice my size. The hip/bust/waist ratio was...unearthly.

The bullet bra was tiny as heck.

Now those were all bought online. Online shopping can easily be inaccurate, we all have trouble with it. So what else to do, but pop into the boutique when in good ole' London Town?

I visited the WKD boutique in September of 2009. It is a lovely little shop and since I went on a Friday, there was even a vintage market happening next door!

I purchased 3 of my pairs of stockings here - the seamed contrast ones in nude/black and black/red as well as tulle seamed stockings. I have worn the nude/black pair numerous times and they have held up wonderfully. My only complaint would be the length, as I have to fold the welt over when attaching to even girdle garters - but this is a person specific issue.

I bought a girdle in London as well...but a vintage one in Camden that I looked at the tag and tried on; fit perfect.

I couldn't find a SINGLE item in the boutique that fit well. From waist cinchers, to open bottom girdles, to merry widows. I tried on a variety of sizes both up and down from my usual, and nothing fit like it was supposed to. I don't know if this is an issue that has been addressed and resolved in the last two years, but it certainly was frustrating. The shop assistant was on the telephone for most of my visit, and didn't seem to know anything more about the sizing than I did!

My latest experience with this company has been in relation to a pair of CC09 stockings. The ones I ordered were pictured with a finishing loop; the ones I received did not have one. After emailing and sending pictures, I was informed they were supposed to have a finishing loop, meaning I had received a technically faulty pair although as stockings themselves they were sound. I chose a refund instead of a replacement product. You may have noticed a CC09 product missing from the page, I am why.

They only refunded the cost I paid for the product, NOT the shipping, which begs the question...if I chose a replacement product, would you charge me for shipping again?

As a buyer and seller on Etsy and Ebay, if I buy or sell a product and it does not reach the recipient in one piece or at all...I am obliged to refund their total - not just the product price. While that is a Paypal and Ebay policy, it is also my personal policy and what I believe to be good customer service.

In this instance, I feel as though I paid shipping just to quality check their own product on their behalf.

Needless to say, in this case, I'm thoroughly unimpressed with What Katie Did(n't) and next time I want vintage lingerie or stockings...I'll be trying some of the below companies instead:

I have bought several girdles and bras from these guys and am very impressed by their prices, shipping rates, speed of service and return policy.

I have been lusting after their leopard print bullet bra for quite awhile now - I may just have to get it after this! Gorgeous no?

A UK company that has tons of lovely stockings including 100% wool Levante ones! Perfect for winter.

These guys have everything you need foundation garment wise and at excellent prices to boot. You can get most girdles, bras and panties custom dyed as well!

They have their own beautiful bullet bras as well. This one comes in red too!

~*~

After my last email with WKD, I received this this morning which I was glad to see:

"Hi again,

Our returns policy states (as you have pointed out) . "In the unlikely event of an item being faulty, we will reimburse the full cost of return postage."

If a customer returns an item - faulty or not - and requests an exchange then we do ship the exchange free of charge.

I fully understand your frustration at not receiving the item you expected and being out of pocket for the pleasure and so on this occasion as well as suggesting you have the item free of charge will also refund the £X.50 outward shipping cost too.

Our policy is in line with many other companies and the terms and conditions of sale and return are fair and in my experience as a consumer are better than most retailers.

It's unfortunate that you disagree with this and I hope you accept our gestures of goodwill as examples of our commitment to customer service.

Best regards

Returns Dept."

*This post is my personal opinion and experience with WKD and may not necessarily reflect that of anyone else. I have no affiliation with WKD beyond being a customer. I am not being paid by nor have any affiliation with the other companies - I just want to present alternatives to shoppers.

Mobile Treats

2011-09-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

Despite my obsession with having everything used or old, I do own a laptop, an HDTV, a dvd player and cell phone somewhere within my records and Pyrex and rotary phones.

But.

I like to make my cell "unique" so I have rotating backgrounds of vintage movie posters and celebrities. Currently I have a two Bogey & Bacall photos including the below gorgeous colourized shot, a Ginger Rogers photo, some Clark Gable with Joan Crawford from Dancing Lady, a poster for It Happened One Night and a colourized shot of Bettie Page.

For my ringtones and msg tones, I prefer something also unique that very few will recognize or will freak everyone out (like the Sci-Fi tone on iPhones? Have that go off in an antique store when surrounded by old ladies...oh my!) I like to make ringtones in iTunes and have for years, so I thought since I've been on a kick with them lately, I would share a few. All are in Mp3 format.

Clicking the individual links will let you download just that one, while you can also download a .zip of them all here.

My current set up is:

Betty Hutton - Halloween (first 5 sec) for a message tone

The Epoxies - Please Please for a ringtone

Music:

Elvis Presley - Little Sister

J.D. McPherson - Firebug #1 #2

J.D. McPherson - Scratching Circles

J.D. McPherson - North Side Gal

Social Distortion - Ball and Chain

Los Straitjackets - The Munsters Theme

Betty Hutton - Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree

Avalanche City - Drive On

S. Richter - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor - 1. Moderato

Sound clips:

Arsenic and Old Lace - "Insanity runs in my family...it practically gallops!" (I had this for my sister when I had caller ID and could set individual tones...shhh ;)

To Have and Have Not - "You do know how to whistle don't you Steve?"

Casablanca - "Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into mine."

*sigh* If only Bogey would be on the end of the line one day when the phone rings...

2 Decades of Square

2011-09-17T20:25:00.001-07:00

Monday Morning

2011-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

"She may be young but she only likes old things.
The modern music it ain't to her taste
She loves the natural life, captured in black and white.
She see's mirages and mountain ranges."

Death Cab For Cutie - Monday Morning from Codes & Keys

Art Deco Paris

2011-09-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a the end result of a little craft project. While rearranging the living room, I've been trying to find uses for frames and objects I've collected that otherwise are just sitting around.

The little pictures are actual photographic prints of sights in Paris. They probably date somewhere in the 1930s to the 1950s, but I'm not really familiar with Paris (It is one European city I really need to get to! Furtherest into France I've been is Strasbourg.) nor am I very good with French. If anyone has more clues, please share!

They are from this souvenir photo set from the Eiffel Tower that has 25 photos. The envelope and most of the shots live on a little display shelf, so I thought I'd bring some more out into the light. I picked up the set in Winterthur, Switzerland during my first trip to a Swiss Brockenhaus.The frame is an art deco style 30s/40s era reverse painted frame. I picked it up for $10 at the Flea market but can never seem to find 8x10s to put in those size frames!!
I printed an old map of Paris off Flickr, tinted it redish in Photoshop, printed it and trimmed it to size. The labels are actually photocopies of what is handwritten on the back of each photo, I presume by its previous owner. It is all very lightly held together by tiny bits of acid-free double sided tape, then placed in the frame.

I have another smaller style of these frames which I picked up at Value Village for a steal. It has cute scalloped glass edges and it currently housing a print from The Thin Man (which I just noticed slipped down a touch in the photos, oops!)

On The Hunt For

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I get my house clean and photographed for you, which I know I've said I'd do for ages now, you'll see just how much stuff I "collect". Most of it has been found in person, despite the amount of online shopping I do. Online, I usually just buy clothing. Shipping costs and the risk of breakage are too high for me to buy much else.

I've been on Pinterest for awhile now and have wracked up a few boards worth of pictures and inspiration. Today, I added a bunch to my On The Hunt For board. I think I've decided to suspend online shopping completely for the duration of the school year, perhaps with the exception of Christmas gifts. This means I can use my thrifting as both a hunting opportunity and a break from school work.

My number 1 tip for thrifting and buying secondhand is to never walk in consciously looking for something...you will not find it. However, I do keep a list in the back of my mind of things I will grab if I spot them. Some I collect and already have pieces of, and some are things that have just evaded my grasp thus far. You can few the entire (and ever expanding I'm sure) list here but below are some things I've been looking for subconciously:

• Tall ship or anchor bookends - found some ONCE with a friend at Value Village, but the rule when thrifting with others is first spot, first chance to buy. Unfortunately, my friends and I often have similar tastes in regard to cool items like these!!

• Vernonware 'Heavenly Days' - this is my "fancy" dinnerware set. I found a set of 25 pieces for something like $50 at an antique show once, and have never seen another piece in person in a store here. I've ordered a few bits and bobs off of Ebay over the years, but they add up in price pretty quickly with shipping.

• Branch coral screwback earrings - these are a more recently want. I've had an eye out for cheap necklace/earring sets, but cheap and branch coral rarely go hand in hand. My Mum always had necklaces of this, and recently gave me one that had broken on her years ago and she had yet to restring. I did that quickly, and now have a wonderful necklace. I just need some matching earrings!

Calgary - The Living West

2011-08-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is a tourist promotional film about my city from 1962...it is amazing to watch!

I've lived in Calgary for about 9 years officially (I grew up in a small town just south, which is not very small anymore. It was about 3000 when we moved there in 1988, and now around 23,000), but consider myself as having been living here since we moved back in 1988 (or was it 87?) I was about a year and a half. My parents moved here in 1970, to an apartment not all that far away from where I am living now. I live in the Mission district, which is one of the oldest in Calgary and was originally a French settlement known as Rouleauville. I'm very close to Mount Royal, one of the oldest rich areas in the city which is highlighted in this film.

It is funny that a lot of the sentiments the narrator expresses in this film still fit now for anyone who has grown up here, or in the areas around. It is amazing to see the places I actually recognize, which are few and far between! The first big office tower he shows is across from the C-Train station I go to to get to school.

And look at all the patio dresses worn to the Stampede!! There are at least 3 more I spotted.

If people then were at all like now and only dressed "Western" during Stampede...that means there must be a ton of patio dresses in awesome shape hiding in this city. Oh where oh where can they be?!

Rude

2011-08-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Out of the blue while in line at Starbucks in the mall...

Random stranger: Do you ~~swing~~ square dance? (EDIT: Whoops. She totally said square.)

Myself: *looking around to see who spoke* Uh, nope.

Random stranger: Do you live in the city?

Myself: *blink* Yes?

Random stranger: Your dress is Western, your boots are Western, your bag is Western. You don't look like a normal girl.

Myself: *continue blank stare and looking at my friend thinking WTF*

Random stranger: Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you...blah blah *as I turn to friend and then ignore random stranger*

Dress: late 60s 'Western Fashions' from Used - House of Vintage

Boots: 'Radio BBC' Fluevogs

Belt: thrift store

Bag (not visible): leather tooled handbag with matador and bull.

Forgive the photo. Taken quick in Value Village to send to a friend while waiting for another friend to try on clothes!

Shop & Life

2011-08-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

My house is slowly getting clean and I'm near the point I'll be able to photograph, measure and list the many items I have for the shop. I picked up a pile of goodies yesterday and am very excited to get them listed! I have a 50s tulle prom dress for you, as well as a lot of woolen pieces for the (Northern Hemisphere) winter. I also have a very awesome red & green plaid jacket for the gentlemen!

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been surprisingly busy with having a bit of a life lately and I haven't found much aside from the recent acquisitions for the shop!

A post! A post!

2011-08-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

I'm still not fully back on the internet - avoiding Twitter and Facebook for the moment. I don't trust myself to not get sucked back in.

That is also the face my wallet made at me when I pulled it out at the Flea Market today!

- Art deco painted glass frame.

- Fisher Price 1960s turtle with a top hat!

- HUGE black panther with green eyes. See? HUGE!

- five milkglass spice shakers with solid lids & shaker inserts.

- Pyrex 501 fridge dish bought for the lid, they are SO hard to find for cheap.

- wooden Scotty dog pin with metal C clasp - probably 40s/50s - my third one and this one is in the best shape! I assume it is from Kingston, Ontario?

- bow rhinestone earrings - stones are a bit yellowed from the glue, but cute anyway.

- bone bracelet that needs new elastic - my current one is made of two broken ones! I prefer grabbing these in falling apart shape as I have to remove links to make them fit me anyway.

And some gratuitous self-portraiture in my clean kitchen!

Dress: Princess Peggy from 1950s - a gift

Hair flowers: H&M

Earrings: garage sale

Away I Go

2011-07-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

I'm off camping for the long weekend.

Planning to stay offline for as long as I can into August, but I will be back!

Pocket Money Jingling in my Jeans

2011-07-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

After a late night and early (but gorgeous) morning...

I went with my Mum to the Flea Market again, which I'm glad to say was MUCH better this week. It seemed to be paper week though and I came away with a whole bunch of magazines for less than $1 a piece.

Most are from the mid-1950s (Grace Kelly!) but the one of the right is from 1944 and from the UK, so it is full of advertisements and fashions on the ration! It also has a knitting pattern, and many gorgeous fashion illustrations. It is of a size I should be able to scan, so keep an eye out for that piece.

This one caught my eye for the cotton ad on the right. The cover was falling off, but the ad was gorgeous. Also, does the model not look like Bernie Dexter?

Photo source

I also grabbed 4 copies of Playboy - Aug 1963, October 1957, October 1959 and November 1959. Only I didn't realize all the centrefolds were missing...which was disappointing. For how much I paid versus how much ones with centrefolds cost on Ebay, I still did well I think! It will be interesting to contrast how articles were written for men versus the womens magazines.

We then went up to Airdrie to visit Where On Earth Did You Get That? which is apparently "Southern Alberta's Largest Antique Mall." It was pretty darn big and there were a lot of very nice things. My favourite beyond anything are the Asian chalkware wall plaques which are lime green!

From top left clockwise to centre:

• Felt late 40s hat originally from Eatons - antique mall

• two NIB embroidered pillowcases (they say Made in China, but look to be from the 50s - not everything we think is handmade was apparently!) - antique mall

• Asian-inspired Flavorware chalkware plaques marked 1949 - antique mall

• A book of German readings for English speakers learning German - antique mall

• A book of English for Germa speakers learning English! These are the best as they have English pronunciations written in Germany. I find them highly entertaining - antique mall

• A small 8" panther statue which matches a longer, planter version I already had - flea market

• Plastic rooster for kitchen wall - antique mall

• WWII maple leaf 'V for Victory' pin - antique mall

• Little salt & pepper shakers with Native American figures in moccasins - these are just going on a shelf, I will not become a S&P collector! - flea market

• Souvenir anchor thermometer and compass from Stand Rock in the Wisconsin Dells - flea market

Snooping Round My Door

2011-07-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

As much as I love Elvis, sometimes you can never beat the original:

Props to Andi B. Goode for uploading a compilation she bought with it on it - it IS the most kick arse version of Hound Dog ever!

Are there any songs you love that were covered by someone else, who made it an even bigger hit?

+ Oh my! I'm at 80 followers! You guys are awesome!

How to Keep from Getting the Blues

2011-07-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

I was excited to go to the Flea market this morning, so I headed out around 9:30am. I haven't been in a while and was disappointed at the lack of vintage items - but still managed to find a couple items. I walked back through the downtown and down 17th Avenue stopping at Blame Betty and the two vintage shops.

Dress - Silly Rabbit Vintage @ Etsy
Scarf - silk from Mum
Sunglasses - vintage Ray-Bans @ antique show
Shoes - Value Village @ Kamloops, BC
Earrings - Coro sterling silver @ Salvage Center for FREE

Hat case, confetti lucite bar spoon and barkcloth handbag (lined with velvet) all from the Flea market
Lucky 13 bandana from Blame Betty

I heart Patsy Cline

2011-07-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I bought a Patsy Cline record while on a walk with a good friend today. She was an amazing singer and her songs linger hauntingly in your thoughts, even if you don't mean for them to. You can read her story on good ole Wikipedia if you aren't familiar with it. A tragic loss to music.

An Outfit Post!

2011-06-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

Two friends and I had a vintage-retro garage sale yesterday at one of their homes. I sold a few dresses I had had on Etsy, as well as a bunch of random things I've collected yet have no room for! What didn't sell, which was sadly quite a lot, has gone to Goodwill.

I biked around her neighbourhood to put up signs and run for booze and now have a whole new respect for the women you see on bicycles in 1950s pictures - a cruiser bike on hills in a girdle is a workout and a half!

I didn't take any pictures, forgot about a camera - as usually but luckily Miss Cheri Pintrix of the Vintage Lesbian Project swung by. She picked up a dress and grabbed a quick shot of my outfit as well! Awkwardly posed I know ;)

Photo by: Cheri Pintrix

Dress: Stutterin Mama @ Etsy

Hat: dealer @ Viva Las Vegas

Sunglasses: Collectors Show & Sale - Ray-Bans with original case!

Belt: Used House of Vintage

Katie's Corner

2011-06-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Antique Show + Value Village

2011-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

I seem to be on a bit of a photo roll! Both my digital cameras were out of batteries however, and if I didn't take these the second I got home, they never would have been taken! So Photobooth it is yet again.

Went to an Antique Show today with my Mum. These happen every couple months in our city and a lot of the vendors are the same every time. This was one of the more antique oriented ones, rather than mid-century, so I didn't buy a whole lot. As always I was complimented on my clothes, a lot, and recognized by a few people this time as the dressed up girl!

Ooops! My dirty kitchen :) Click for notes on stuff in the background.

Forties straw & felt hat. Crown is crushed, but I hope I can make it work. Also the only picture you can see my awesome GOLD Elvis clock. His legs swing back and forth. You'd think those would be easy to track down in Vegas, but they were not!

I could not get rid of the reflection in order to show you the actual picture. Hence the eek face. It is one of those paintings with a persons shadow painted on the convex glass; in this case it is an Indian lady in a canoe. They had two smaller ones of cowboys but they were each more than this single one!

The Scottie broach is missing a bead for an eye, but I can do something with that. Coro box was empty but has gold stars all over the outside. The red and blue is a celluloid barrette! Earrings are cheap, but cute.

These are from Value Village. The little vase is a gorgeous chartreuse colour and the light glass was just dirt cheap, I have no fixture for it!

Top find of the day you wonder?

A $15 iSi soda syphon!! Looks perfect on that bar, no? Just needs a wee bit of TLC against rust on the top of the mesh, and a charger! This pictures has notes too!

And a couple more gratuitous self portraits....love my hair today. First time I've set it in quite awhile!

Random Vintage Kitchen

2011-06-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Flickr has some notes on the photos of the stuff you can see in the background!

Shall I call her Peggy Sue or Debbie?

2011-05-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Found this beauty yesterday at a "Retro" garage sale. The guy had a TON of stuff - Krista and I went back twice, and again today to pick this up. In total I got this, a ceramic panther and a Bakelite "Lucy" phone (A Western Electric 302; the first phone to have the ringer box built into it!) She got a bunch more including a corner amp/speaker, fiberglass lamp shades, a kitchen radio, some Hawaiian figurines and a Heywake-esque vanity chair. We hit up a few garage sales in the neighbourhoods around his place as well and came away with quite a few goodies all told - we also stole the laundry line pulleys from an abandoned house but shhhhhh ;) I think I got a few more things, but I honestly can't even remember because this piece outshines them all.

The console is an Electrohome High Fidelity stereo with a Garrard record changer. The changer was made around 1957 so I'm putting the whole unit around then. It has a Tape input as well, so I can plug either an FM tuner or a CD player or an iPod or my laptop into it - in fact my Macbook, Norma Jean, fits beautifully on the little shelf and I can then change music with my Apple remote! Wonderful way to mix the gorgeous tube sound with modern technology. The speaker cloth is a gorgeous burgandy with gold splatter and is in perfect shape. The tuning screen lights up and there is a light inside the record changer compartment as well! It all works perfectly though I need to give the record player some TLC.

And the best part? I paid $20 for it AND he delivered it!

I'll try to get better pictures as I rearrange my living room again.

Vintage Fabric Twins

2011-05-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

I know Emily posted about swim dresses the other day and a brand called DeWeese, which I'd never heard of. Then Mary posted about a Cole of California dress she found on the Goodwill site, then found its fabric twin in Australia! Now I have my own to add :)

Searching Ebay for Swirl wrap dresses, I saw this Violettville listing and recognized the fabric right off the bat.

That is the dress listed on Ebay. It is by Ruby of Miami but appear to be built the same as my own:

These are from a car show a year ago, I look a bit different now but I so rarely take photos of myself these days. Especially when I am dress up, like yesterday. Oh well.

Sample Soundtrack

2011-05-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

This isn't really a vintage or even rockabilly post, but I quite adore my most recent of playlists as it goes back to music I haven't listen to for a long time (The Ramones) as well as my newest love (J.D. McPherson) and I thought I would share. A good mix for those who maybe came to love vintage thing via the punk/rockabilly scene.

The Ramones - California Sun
Ganim's Asia Minors - Daddy Lolo
Rum Runner - Dead Men are Heavier Than Broken Hearts
J.D. McPherson - Firebug
Tim Armstrong - Hold On
Tiger Army - In The Orchard
Operation Ivy - Jaded
The Reverend Horton Heat - Liquor, Beer & Wine
Elvis Presley - Little Sister
Tiger Army - The Long Road
J.D. McPherson - North Side Gal
Tiger Army - Outlaw Heart
The Ramones - Pet Cemetery
Tiger Army - Santa Carla Twilight
Rum Runner - Secrets and Lies
The Ramones - Rockaway Beach
J.D. McPherson - Scratching Circles
Operation Ivy - Take Warning
Time Armstrong - Wake Up
Tiger Army - What Happens
The Misfits - Where Eagles Dare

Weird bit of History

2011-04-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

I grew up on the Canadian prairie, and as a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie. Seriously...I was obsessed. My mother sewed a pioneer dress for me complete with two bonnets and pinafore for the morning summer camp I attended for a week at Heritage Park. I've been to all the historical reenactment parks in Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Idaho and Montana. I used to be able to tell you (in theory anyway) how to do everything pioneer style from sewing to making candles (I have a mold somewhere) to killing a deer.

I never was terribly interested in where the pioneers had actually come from though. I knew Alberta was mostly settled by Ukrainians and Germans. Some Russians, Norwegians and Swedes. Never did quite stop to think that the same style of buildings would reside somewhere else in the world though...perhaps...where the settlers had originally come from?

These are all colour photographs from between 1905 and 1915 from inside the Russian Empire. They are all from The Denver Post. They look like they could have been anywhere in Alberta from the late 1800's to early 1900's.

Crazy.

We still have a large Ukrainian population (Vegreville, Alberta) and perogies & cabbage rolls are common on the shelves of every single grocery store. We also learn how to decorate Ukrainian Easter eggs in school (grade 3 for me anyway!)

Psssst ;)

2011-04-14T00:20:00.001-07:00

SALE25

Code for 25% off at my Etsy shop till Sunday.

Vintage Clothing: An Education

2011-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

When I buy vintage, the first thing I look for is price point. If a low price catches my eye, I then look for sizing, fabric and lastly condition. If the low price has my measurements (B40, W32, H40-41), is not polyester and is listed as "Mint condition, no flaws" or "It is in perfect shape, I cant find anything wrong with it!"; I have been known to grab it up.

Luckily, I can wield a needle and thread as those statements are not necessarily all they ought to be.

Here are some guidelines for what I expect when I read a listing and buy an item - these are also the guidelines I run my own shop on.

Sizing

When taking garment measurements, you want the bust, hip and waist at a minimum. Length is also good to include, especially if it is a 1950s or earlier dress but is only 36" long (If this is the case, it was likely shortened in the 1960s.) With garments that appear homemade (have no tags, have unfinished seams, hand finished buttonholes, darts at waist don't match perfectly between skirt/bodice, asymmetrical decorations) it is a good idea to take measurements of the shoulder to waist and waist to hem, as well as sleeve hole/length. Look at the bust, does it seem to have a lot of extra room? Patterns and commercial dresses are usually made to fit a B cup. If there is anything that seems odd about the measurements, include it!

It is also a good idea to state your measurement method. The best way is to lay the garment flat. Do not stretch out the fabric, especially if it has front button closures or has some stretch to the weave (crepe, wool, sheer).
For bust - measure from underarm seam to underarm seam. Flip it over and check the back to be sure.
For waist - measure across the smallest part of the dress, this is usually about 7" or 8" from the underarm seam.
For hip - measure across about 7" or 8" below the waist measurement. Some people say 9". It is a good idea to check a few times in the general 2" area, if there is a significant difference or it is a very restrictive style garment (pencil skirt, "wiggle" dress) state how far down you measured it.
Length - you can measure from either the back neck, or the shoulder. I measure from the back neck as that is how patterns list their length.

As a buyer, remember that measurements are of the GARMENT...not the body it will fit. You can measure yourself, but that isn't always accurate (my waist measures 33" but I wear dress that measure 16" across the waist, or 32"). The best way is to measure a garment you already own that fits you well.

Let's face it; most buyers are American. Using inches is the best method. If you want to use CM, then list the converted measurements on the listing...it makes it a lot easier for your buyers who are more than likely going to be American.

Fabric Types

If you are unsure what kind of fabric something is made of, don't just guess! You can do a burn test on a small piece of the fiber (very small, you can take a strand off of a seam.) It is a good idea to become familiar with different types of fabric if you intent to sell a lot of clothes, as well as the eras they were used in. Rayon was used mostly in the late 1930s and 1940s, but can be found later. Jersey was used in the 1950s and later. Nylon and acetate were used in the 1940s, but moreso in the 1950s and later. Nylon Tricot is a 1950s and later fabric, slips and lingerie are often made of it and are NOT from the 1940s. Slips and lingerie in the 1930s and 1940s were made of rayon, silk or cotton. Thick polyester is from the 1960s and 1970s. The only polyester used earlier is Dacron, which is very thin. Orlon is an acrylic fiber from the 1950s.

If you want to know about basic fabric types, take a look at Colette Patterns Fabric Series. It is an excellent starting point!

Condition

This is the area that I find the most problematic. I realize many people nowadays do not sew. I don't expect you to fix vintage garments for me, but I do expect any problems to be described and photographed, not brushed aside.

The areas on vintage garments that are of the most concern are the neckline, shoulders, underarms, waist seam and all other seams.

Neckline - Neck lines are usually "faced". That is the fabric that tucks into the neckline, the usually matches the garment fabric. It provides a clean line for the neck edge and a second layer for an area that otherwise gets a lot of wear. The main problem that can be found here is discoloration from sweat over the years.

Shoulders - This is where the stress is held on anything that is hung. If it is hung for years, there can be stress on the seams here. It is often the only part of a garment that is 'exposed' all the time and is thus vulnerable to fading, rusting (metal hangers are a big no-no) and general deterioration of the fabric. Rayon is especially vulnerable to 'shattering' which is when the fabric becomes dried out and brittle (from sun exposure mostly) and will literally shatter when put under any sort of stress.

Underarms - This area gets a lot of wear. It is rubbed with every arm movement, and is sweated in, a lot. Modern deodorants can discolour fabric as well as make it weaker. The aluminum gets into the fiber and rubs...as though you have tiny bits of metal rubbing about your dress. It also is the meeting point of 4 seams, in garments with set-in or raglan sleeves.

Those seams are under a lot of stress and often need restitching on older garments. It isn't a difficult fix, but it should be noted.

Waist seam - The waist and the darts that come out from it are another high stress area on a garment, especially a dress. Often older dresses have reinforcing tape at the waist, to help prevent stretching of the seam. Some even have a grosgrain ribbon sewn in (a waist-stay) that closes with a hook and eye; this ribbon may measure less than the outer garment as it is meant to fit tightly while the dress "flows" over the waist.

The darts at the hip and bodice are often under stress. All it can take on an old garment to stretch these darts is someone trying it on who is too large for the dress. All seams should be checked over. They can often come underdone after years of storage or of wear. It is again, a simple fix, but one that should be mentioned.

A handy tip for brick and mortar sellers and buyers! Write the measurements on the tags of expensive garments (or all!)...this reduces the likelihood of people 'guess' fitting. If you buy a lot of vintage clothing in local shops or garage sales, carry a measuring tape around with you and know your measurements. It is far easier to measure the waist on a dress and known right off that 14" is too small than to try and struggle into it.

Holes, stains, snags, smells, fading - The easiest way to check for holes in a garment is to flip it inside out and hold it up to the light. Go over it bit by bit (sleeve, bodice front, bodice back, skirt front, skirt back) and note anything irregular. Check for stains at the top of the garment, where a hanger would hold it...sometimes you get rust spots here. Also check the arm pits and neck for yellowing or fabric discolouration from sweat and deodorants. Check for arm pit smell. This can be very hard to get out, though it is possible depending on the fabric. Check for fading of the fabric especially at the shoulders. As stated above, shoulders are often the only exposed part of a garment when it is stored in a closet!

Repairs - any seams sewn with a different colour thread, or hand sewn (uneven stitches) should be noted. Look for patches when checking seams.

Here are some examples of garment flaws that I noticed as soon as they arrive. Both dresses were described as having no flaws. Would you be able to tell what is wrong with them?

Shoulder seam on 1950s sheer nylon dress

Click to zoom!

Back hip darts and 'train' on 1950s sheath dress

Click to zoom!

There are a few more photos if you click through to my Flickr but truthfully, none of them quite capture the damage. Every single dart/seam in the waist, hip and lower bodice area on the second dress has quite significant seam pulling. A couple are over a 1/4". Someone tried it on at some point who was obviously too large for it.

The top dress is a sheer 1950s shirtwaist with a fabulous star print. It was a steal and described as perfect. That shoulder seam is actual a HUGE patch that was put in by the original owner/maker. It makes one sleeve shorter than the other. There are also rust stains all along the shoulders.

If there is anything you feel I missed, please share your advice!

Note: I am not a professional seamstress, though my mother is and taught me a lot over the years. If there are any errors in this article, please email me or leave a comment and let me know. If you have a backup article/diagram/et cetera, please include it.

Shop update!

2011-03-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish this dress fit my waist! It is GORGEOUS on. Amazing flattering Princess cut.

Talking Pictures (and everyday things)

2011-03-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

Just saw this video, and love it.

Collecting old snapshots is a hobby I haven't been able to pick up, mostly because I don't often find little pictures for under $5 around these parts. I have always wanted to though and plan to keep a better eye out this summer.

I collect a lot of old everything else though, and part of the reason is that they talk. Especially books.

I used to buy old textbooks as a kid. I used them to play school or to "teach" myself things. I used to do the spelling quizzes out of a 1950s spelling text.

Once I found an old math textbook, but I'm afraid I'm not sure where it is now. Somewhere in a box or a cupboard at my mothers house I assume; but in that text was a photograph that I can still see clearly in my mind. It was of a little brother and sister. He had light hair, and was holding a model airplane in the yard of their house. She had dark hair and a sweet smile, standing by her big brother as he showed off his plane. I really, really want to know where that photograph went. I believe it had names on the back as well.

For books, I have everything. A friend came over the other day and I showed a lot of them to him...question about the metric changeover in 1972? Why I have a brochure about it. I have a guide to the Trans-Canada Highway from 1967. An atlas from 1952. A book on Princess Elizabeth from the 30s. First edition of Mutiny on the Bounty. H.G. Wells Outline of History. A Latin read from Ontario High Schools from the 50s. A text on High School Subjects Self-Taught, with everything you could imagine in it. Nursing texts. A guidebook to London from 1928. Fairy tales from the 20s. A music text from the late 1800s. A phrasebook for Germans visiting England including Germanic pronunciation of English words. A 60s book on the constellations. Greek and Roman Works in Translation. Dictionaries. Books on drawing. Hitler.

Literally...everything.

I collect them because I can usually find them for cheap. I enjoy the pictures, the scuffs, the names written on them. I have a nursing text with a racist joke written in it, beside a recipe for a cake. I like to know that the books were loved, and read, and had lives before this time.

Canada's Official Tartan

2011-03-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

I had no idea Canada had an unofficial tartan let alone an official one but apparently here it is! The Maple Leaf Tartan inspired by the changing colours of Maple leaves in autumn:

I quite like it and can totally imagine a dress in it, like this:

If this is your image, let me know so I can credit you!

Apparently this is Alberta's official tartan - not a huge fan of it though.

New Stock

2011-03-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jean

2011-03-03T07:08:00.000-08:00

As Harlean's Heyday reminded everyone, today would have been the 100th Birthday of Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter). She might have made it too, had she not tragically passed at the young age of 26. She left a legend behind her though, and a collection of amazing films. My favorites are Red-Headed Women, Hold Your Man and China Seas. There are still a few I've yet to see though, and if you've never seen her on screen, seek her out!

Confession to Dress-slaughter

2011-03-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Remember this dress? And how I ought to have learnt my lesson about handwashing? I have a confession to make, specifically to The Baroness.

This comes to light in response to the controversy surrounding Livia Firth's Oscar dress, which was made from 11 1930s frocks bought in very good condition from a London vintage shop...and then murdered. The end result, honestly, isn't even period and isn't really anything special. It has been Tweeted and FBed about quite a bit.

I hadn't been planning to share this, as I still feel so bad about it, but...oh well! Here goes:

photo from Adeline's Attic

That is the gorgeous, perfectly fitting crepe dress I purchased from Jill last year.

And this is the skirt that it now is:

I have worn the skirt numerous times, and I love it a lot...but I'm oh so very sorry for my stupidity when it was a dress. I thought I had learned my lesson; I tested, I wet just the hip swag, I measured, I double checked...I let it dry...it hadn't shrunk. Huzzah! Dunked it in the tub...and the tears began. In a stupid haze of sadness I thought 'I'll put it on! It will stretch back out!' but alas, of course, it didn't and instead it tore on either side of the bust. Stupid, stupid me. I salvaged the skirt, and it will live on.

I also spent an hour crying to my Mother on the phone about my stupidity and how sad I was to have ruined a dress that had survived 60 years so well. I was a murderer. I should have been charged!

In the time since, I have downgraded the charge to dress-slaughter...as I did not begin with the intent to kill.

I'm sorry Jill.

I swear I have learned now...my local dry cleaner has become my best friend.

Rate Your Wife

2011-03-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

Are you a vintage lover who dons red nail polish, can't sew on a button, sleeps with curlers in, is often late, or warms your feet on your bedpartner?

Well! What a horrid wife you would be!

You can read the article here but basically it was a test designed to give couples feedback on their marriages to help with counseling. Interesting how all the problems originate with the women!

Wine, women and song is it not?

New listing! R & K Originals Dress

2011-03-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Part 1 of the amazing dresses I picked up the other week.

March Means Spring!

2011-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

When I said yesterday that I was planning on making a new layout and reorganizing, I hadn't actually meant I'd be doing it that day...but it turns out I did. Spent far too much time on it actually, but I am very pleased with the end result! I couldn't quite wait till today to put it up though...so anyone who came here last night got a treat.

Also, March does NOT mean Spring where I am...but surely I can pretend!

Please let me know if there are any issues with the layout! For those who read on the page as opposed to through a reader anyway.

Whoops!

2011-02-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's been brought to my attention that my last two posts about new dresses in the shop didn't link properly to the shop! Both have been fixed now, and there is a strapless 50s or 60s bra up there as well! Please check them out here, here, and here!

AND I have 57 followers! That includes 4 new ones in the last week! Wonderful! You guys are fabulous.

I'm planning to get crazy with Photoshop and make a proper layout for the blog and hopefully organize it all a bit better. I have some old magazines I ought to scan, some photos of my place I ought to take, and some features I ought to start!
I'm doing my best to get the shop going, I have at least 15 more pieces to add soon. Let's say that when I reach 70 followers, I'll put up a discount code for the shop! ;)

The Vintage Shapewear "Dent" vs. Modern "Muffin Top"

2011-02-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

Today, after 10 hours of wearing garter belt, panties and a longline bra under a dress...all of which met at my waist...I officially looked like this when it came off!

...Ok well. I'm blonde...and probably 4 or more sizes larger. BUT...see that sort of "line" at her waist? I had that! And when I pushed my stomach out...well guess what? It wouldn't go away very easily!

My point with this? I read somewhere the other day that (unfortunately I cannot remember her name) the women who introduced American housewives to the New Look had an 18" waist which she attributed to shapewear. Much like corset waist training, wearing a girdle/high waist dresses all day will mold your body the same way. I also read a few years back about how womens body shape is changing and that over half of women have a waist which is less than 9" smaller than bust/hip. I truly believe that along with diet, the shape of clothing has A LOT to do with this trend.

Can you see the "line" in this image?

That is from her pants/underwear! That is what I usually have as I don't wear things at my waist most of the time...but boy is the idea of wearing a girdle 24/7 tempting if it moves that line a little further north...

This also brings to point the recent obsession and rise of Spanx...can't wear a tight dress when you have lumps that aren't supposed to be there now can you?

The Things That Live In Our Phones

2011-02-20T22:28:00.000-08:00

I have photos!

Now that my Mac has built-in Bluetooth, as opposed to the fiddly-never-working-USB-thinger I previously had, I can easily download my camera phone pictures. Some vintage style bits and bobs for you:

This was my entry way around September. Bit different now. Includes my 60s Princess Phone which does light up when I actually plug it in! $8 find :)

Some of the wicked 60s architecture left on my campus.

My old $100 sideboard that has now been passed on to my best friend. Shows my Vernonware 'Heavenly Days' collection and the Fire King 'Primrose' pieces at the bottom.

An art gallery exhibit on my street.

Lady head vase, an Etsy find.

The latest big acquisition, a 1953 Philco Golden Grid console TV/Phonograph/Radio (AM & SS). Not in working condition, and the TV is going to end up a modern LCD...but the cabinet is gorgeous.

Lastly, a peek at my living room set up :)

Swedish Rockabilly & Dead Computers

2011-02-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Stella, my pretty little iBook G4, has sadly passed this week. She faithfully provided almost 6 years of service though, completely trouble free which is a wonderful thing. I had time to do a few last minute backups and get about 95% of my stuff off her before the harddrive gave its last whirl.

I didn't manage to get my iTunes playlists, though I have all my music. I added a radio station last week that I think a vintage blogger posted about sometime recently...it was Swedish and played mostly rockabilly. Had a two letter suffix...dl or nl?

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

More listings!

2011-02-11T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have two dresses that were custom made for a very large busted gal headed to the shop! This one, and another in a few days :)

New Etsy listing

2011-02-10T12:22:00.001-08:00

Another dress up for sale :)

Two more listings!

2011-01-31T19:52:00.000-08:00

Pin-up art for sale!

2011-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

If you want to buy HIGH QUALITY pin-up prints for your walls, be sure to check out Kalart on Ebay. This is the webshop of a fella I've bought quite a few calendar prints off of over the years at antique shows and had some good chats about the artists with. He has an amazing collection!!

If you're looking for a copy of a particular image, HE is the man to talk to as well!

Click the image above for the Ebay listing for it.

Etsy Shop Dress Updates

2011-01-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

FINALLY got around to photographing and measuring a few of the dresses I have to sell. I will be listing them over the next few days and just put this beauty up:

cringe

2011-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually one to bother following what "celebrities" are wearing these days, unless something is specifically pointed out. I have seen the vintage dress Michelle Obama wore a month or so ago, and then today this one popped up on my local news site:

And my response was the post title. All I could wonder was why no one had pulled her sleeve back up before taking pictures! Apparently Oscar de la Renta gave her flack for not wearing an American designer (Didn't even realize he was American)...I give her flack for not wearing something that drapes nicely and doesn't look like she ran in to a curtain, twirled and put on her heels.

Really its just not remotely a flattering dress in my opinion. Just because something is "designer", doesn't mean it's nice. Anyone else like it or hate it...?

Boop!

2011-01-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to update my Tumblr on a regular basis :) I have storeloads of photos I can post...and a cute mini-hair tutorial (preview) from Ulrikas Facebook.

I tried my hair like that today but need to go crazier with bobby pins next time. It isn't long enough to stay rolled at the back.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T23:18:00.000-08:00

Just add 70 years to that number she's showing off ;)

I'd like to be able to say that I was out somewhere at a grand party tonight, but in fact I was at home, alone, knitting and watching the first two episodes of the HBO miniseries The Pacific. I'm afraid I haven't been in much of festive mood this holiday season and tonight was not an exception.

I can't recall making an definitive resolutions last year that I managed to work toward. Large changes in my life tend to be sudden, rather than planned and thought out...or brought about by other changes or revelations. I have "resolutions" in the back of my mind though for 2011, but I won't write them down or share them.

I find it strange how only on this one day, Dec 31, these chapters we divide our lives into seem important. We only look back on the other ones that have passed on this day. Tomorrow is new and kind of exciting and everyone has a bit of hope that something will change significantly in this chapter and that the story will have a big twist or turn in a positive direction. But the day after that is just another day...and life continues. I suppose its human nature to want to make things significant...to want to bring meaning to things that are otherwise mundane. But I suppose I just don't quite get that. I've always found far more pleasure in the mundane and in the past than I ever have in ideas of the future or in fancy dreams. Meh. Waxing poetic I be.

Happy New Year folks :)

Stockings!

2010-12-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

If you wear stockings, what do you wear? Backseams or no? Vintage, new or reproduction?

I have quite a few pairs in general (stowed away in cases) and a bunch of vintage seamless mesh stockings including 4 pairs of the apparently "much sought after style '415'" in Topaz and Town Taupe; found at the thrift in original boxes! I've never worn them but the contrast top is so pretty to look at. Most of what I have are cheapies in plastic single packs though, and I don't like to wear them when I'm out drinking as I won't be paying attention to what I'm doing.

I prefer the look of backseams and contrasting ones at that, so I have two pairs of these from What Katie Did; nude/black and black/red. I bought Large as I am 5'8" and in the weight range, but they are SO long! I have to belt them almost on the stocking instead of the welt. I have also found they snag quite easily, which is a pain at about $20 a pair.

Now I am a) wary of stocking sizing and b) unsure of what is any good out there!

How are WKD's fully fashioned ones?

AND has anyone bought any of the CC09 collection? The rayon ones seem very tempting as a bit of a cooler weather stocking!

How about another favorite brand?

North & South

2010-12-16T00:31:00.000-08:00

Ding Ding Ding

2010-12-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

Cleaning up today and these are part of my soundtrack; a Fabulous Forties 3 disc collection actually. The second one is a rendition by Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters of one of my favorite American standards; Cole Porter's 'Don't Fence Me In'. However, I prefer Ella Fitzgeralds version overall ;)

I'm back where I belong...

2010-12-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

This song has played a few times at work recently and I'm now addicted. It seems Christmas-y to me for some reason as well...

Would I have survived the Blitz?

2010-12-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

It seems some silly person has decided to leave dear Fleur a stupid, supposed-to-be negative comment about being a "vintage fake"...as though there is such thing as a "true vintage" person...I guess this commenter is friends with Dr. Who! Or...80 years old...
Fleur wrote a bit about whether she would have survived the Blitz and how it is impossible to know, but shared a few of the effects of WWII on her family. Here's my take:

First off, had I been in England in WWII we are going to say I actually would have been in Hove, Sussex. That is where my Grandmother, Florence, lived and my Dad was born in May 1945, right at the end of the war. This was probably taken in the summer of 1946 or 1947.

I have no idea what my Grandmother did for a living actually, before or after the War. She was a single mother and aside from a name, Thomas King, we know nothing of my Grandfather. My Dad recalled seeing a man on the street with his Mother one day and being told that was his Father, but its all we know. They lived in welfare housing his whole life though. The only direct connection to the war effort I am aware of is an Uncle of my Father's who was supposedly a pilot and was shot down over the Channel and killed; but my own research has come up with nothing in that regard.

I know my paternal Grandmother could sew and do all the "crafts" necessary for life then, and my Mother (who is from Switzerland) is a professional seamstress. I can hold my own when it comes to sewing in this modern world, and when it comes to being crafty with the things I have. I'm also very good (my hammer for the last 3 years has been a Jagermeister bottle, for example, and everything in my house is hung with pins and reused nails/screws) at repurposing. I can stretch money very well and can be creative with meals. I tend to think quick on my feet and find immediate solutions to problems. I can very good with mechanical things and fixing them. I probably would have joined the WAAF or attempted to be a WREN and as a last resort, the WLA.

This post is making me think of Claire in Outlander (Diana Gabaldon). Her background in WWII was excellent training for her to survive Scotland and life in the 1700s; she fared very well. I think I would prrobably do the same although I wouldn't have any of her medical knowledge.

Christmas Wind-down

2010-11-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

Turns out when in University, Christmas is a calm time...not a hectic one! Thus I hope to get my house in order, then Etsy shop and blog over the break. My digital cameras have been sitting dusty in a corner for months as have a lot of my dresses. The weather here isn't too helpful either, as it was -30C for a good week in there. I have a pile of mending that is overdue including cushion covers for my "new" 50's sectional! Also the aluminum Christmas tree is sitting decorated in its revolving stand, but no other decorations have made it out of the box yet. Lots to get done in December. I have already managed to watch It's A Wonderful Life (though I don't really consider it a Christmas film), Holiday Inn, Holiday Affair, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Sound of Music (grew up watching it every Christmas, and only then.)

Any favorite Christmas films you hope to watch this year?

Guffaw!

2010-09-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

$598.00?!?!?!

And It's Dark at 9pm Time Again

2010-09-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last winter I went crazy trying to buy winter boots after I thought I lost mine; only I found them then decided it wasn't worth the cost of new ones. This year however, as the month changes to September, I find myself wearing alot more vintage styles on a day to day basis and wanting to keep that look through the change of seasons.

I found a few vintage wool coats last year including a navy 60s Gloverall duffle coat and a 50s red wool swing coat with a neat bow neckline. I also have a 70s 'Eskimo' coat which is for VERY very cold days. I also just bought an early 60s burgandy Lilli Ann for a song.

Ulrika, who happens to live in Helsinki where it gets REALLY REALLY cold as well, has an awesome post on dressing for such weather which I found today and which is now causing me to hunt for winter boots again.

Mainly I want warm, but also naturally warm (ie. wool inside!) and a classic sort of look which will work with modern dress or vintage...so far I've found this pair from Land's End or these in black:

Henri Pierre from sears.ca

My current pair have no buttons or zippers but tie up around a furry front part. I call them my "Finlandia" boots as they look like viking boots...I just don't like them anymore!

If you're from a place with true winter, what on earth do YOU wear in order to still have a 'vintage' feel in -15C and a foot of snow???

Never wash rayon crepe!!!

2010-08-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

A warning:

NEVER HANDWASH RAYON CREPE!

:( :( :(

I feel like the worlds worst vintage lover today, as yesterday I committed a cardinal sin and washed the rayon crepe dress I spoke of in the last post. It stunk like smoke when it arrived, and I just was not thinking. It fit very well, with a bit of extra ease at the bust. Now, the hemline is 3" above my knee and the waist is an empire. It still fits in width, but the length is shot.

This does improve my chances of fixing the jacket to match however, as now I can make satin sleeves, add satin at the hem and waistline as well. I may need to add more than that too; I will have to do a study of the dress fit. Luckily, my vintage sewing books have a lot of information about adding to old dresses to make them wearable or to fix worn spots.

I have learnt my lesson...and will be paying for it with my time and wallet.

Fixing Up Vintage

2010-08-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

In general, I don't like to spend a lot of money all on one thing. Most of my vintage items, including clothes, have cost me next to nothing because I am willing to clean up and fix whatever I may find. I don't like my vintage to be near mint because it costs so much more and its nice to know that I'm helping to keep an item alive where it otherwise might just be tossed.

In regard to vintage clothes, I am far more willing to buy 3 dresses for $30 each that need seams repaired and buttons resewn than I am to spend $90 on 1 dress which is perfect. So I bought this set from Etsy and am waiting for it to arrive. The dress is apparently perfect, but it comes with a matching jacket on which one of the sleeves looks like this:

Now what the heck should I do?!

My chances of finding a modern crepe that matches are slim to none, which means replacing the whole sleeve is only an option if I can find a fabric which will go with it. I was thinking satin...then to tie the sleeves into the dress, I could add a strip of satin somewhere on the dress. If I made the jacket into a vest, then the dress sleeves would show and I think that would be silly. If the fading and tear are fairly central on the sleeve, I could just run satin down the top of the sleeve.

Anyone else have any ideas for salvaging this wonderful jacket?

Mini TV Inspiration Round-Up

2010-08-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

It seems whenever I tell myself 'I will do this every second day...' or such, I never do. Hence the lack of posting since...Viva! Anywho, here's a small collection of screen caps from a few shows that I have collected. I believe you can click on the pictures to get the full size versions.

From Foyle's War, no idea what episode - Love her updo with the curls and comb!

Foyle's War again - Sams dress is simple yet adorable and could be easily recreated from a basic pattern.

Mad Men S04E02 - Aluminum Christmas tree! I have one, though not as full, and am now inspired to track down a silver star for the top. Interestingly, they appeared to have electric lights on this tree; a huge no-no unless you are able to find a vintage set of Aluminum tree lights which have a very stepped down voltage. Found those once on Ebay. Most people just had a colour wheel lamp.

Booth from Bones - Massive love for this man due to his hidden pin-up Vargas tie, general vintage tie collection, Chuck Taylors at a crime scene, amazing taste in clothes, love of vintage cars and for listening to my favorite Social Distortion album on vinyl while in the bathtub with a beer hat.

Dress #2

2010-05-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

It appears I fell off the wagon for a few weeks here. I've found it hard to come up with ideas for blogging...

This is the pattern I used to make my first dress. I attempted the middle version, view A, but failed at the cap sleeves so I ended up with a sleeveless version. I used a fabulous fabric, very busy with grey, red and orange flowers about a 1/2" in size. I love that dress.

I'm now attempting to make the blue version, view D, but in a lime green gingham.

I suck at facings and sizing. I knew from the first version the I would need the dress to be smaller at the bust and shoulders than the waist, but didn't bother trying to change the pattern itself. Figured I would put it together then take it in. *smacks forehead*

Now, I have the dress put together. I have to put the straps and facings on, but once again have to take it in first! This is a bigger problem than last time though as the front of this baby is gathered. The task seems so huge and I'm kicking myself over and over for not just fixing the pattern. If I do that, then I could make ten million of these dresses as I LOVE the pattern so much.

Better to stare at my hat than my....

2010-05-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

"Wearing a hat is like having a baby or a puppy; everyone stops to coo and talk about it." (Louise Green)

It appears that Baroness and I must have green babies or three headed dogs with us on the days we wear hats, as no one stares at a baby or a puppy and no one compliments a baby or a puppy quite as we experienced it in the last couple of days. (or so I gather from her blog ;) she is free to correct me of course)

I wore a hat yesterday to an antique show (I need to work on outfit posts for the days I actual wear something nice, most days its just work clothes) and received at least 20 compliments on my outfit from strangers. To me it was nothing fancy; I curled my hair, wore a sundress I've altered a bunch with a red belt, and my 40s style cardigan from H&M. I had my red glasses, some red earrings and literally last minute, plopped a red vintage hat on my head.

It began with the first table we really looked at and my Mum overhearing the vendors talking about me, that it was nice to see a young person putting effort into their dress and looking good. The women complimented me to my face as well. Then continued with people tapping me on the shoulder just to say, "You look fantastic!" I'm far better at receiving compliments than I used to be, but I still find it difficult to find something other than "Thank you" to reply with.

I'd like to expand my vintage hat collection, as many a gal would I'm sure, but I'm rather curious as to how much of a curiousity hat wearing is! Do you get stared at? Complimented? Do you never wear hats because no one else in your town does? Do you always wear a hat and have started a trend?

Quite interested in your thoughts Andi B. Goode after your hat collection post the other week ;)

Seasonal change

2010-04-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Afraid I haven't though much about blogging lately; seems to be a theme at the moment with many people. I'm attempting to get my house under control which includes getting the 1964 Schwinn Hollywood bike frame (currently in bits behind my television) out and painted so I can get her on the road as well as getting rid of bits and bobs and general cleaning. I also have several sewing projects floating around in my head, and quite a few things to put up on Etsy. The bike depends completely on a friend, but the rest is up to me and I'm hoping by the end of the month I should be ready to rock and roll with a level of organization I haven't seen in years....hope being the key word!

Materialism?

2010-04-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

The following might not be very clear, I'm not exactly the best critical writer, but I tried and I'd like some thoughts if you care to give them! (On the topic, not my writing skills :P )

---

My sister, M, drives out to our hometown, where our Mum still lives, about twice a week for lessons for her daughters; sometimes, on a day off, I go with her. We usually go to either the Salvage Centre at the local dump, or the local thrift store, or ideally both. I am a thrift/junk addict for sure, but my sister finds all kinds of good deals for her girls as well and isn't afraid to "stock up" for the years to come when good deals can be found, especially with a third kiddo on the way as well. So this week, I had to go to the dentist out there and we stopped at the thrift store ahead of my appointment and the girls lesson.

We ran into a women, Jessica, who was being filmed with her 3 sons for a local news clip on the "Buy Nothing New" challenge her family had given themselves for 2010. You can watch the final clip below (ignoring the fool that appears who would be yours truly) right here.

Both my sister and I agree that what this women is doing is a good thing, but we talked to her quite a bit more than what appears in the video. She didn't really impress either of us with her reasoning, and she didn't impress me with what appears on her blog for reasoning. Perhaps this is being too judgemental, but since I live her challenge 24/7 as a personal lifestyle choice and just a plain old matter of taste, I was rather bothered by how big of a "deal" she made out of the whole thing. As was my sister.

I mentioned several of you ladies who sew to this women, including Susannah and her Fashion on the Ration challenge and Zoe and her Me-Made-May (and March) challenges. Her reaction was non-existent aside from a basic "Well I don't sew." I also mentioned the 'Make Do and Mend' philosophy briefly, which she also had very little to add to.

She attempted to almost 'preach' to me about how she is lucky in that her friends like to receive second-loved gifts for birthdays or holidays, and that she is lucky because they all like to gift experiences as opposed to materialistic consumer goods. I haven't bought anything new, except things very much on sale from my work, for my nieces/nephew in a good year or two. For Christmas, I bought a stack of 16 or so books at Value Village, sorted them into 4 piles depending on the child and that is what they received. If I can find something off someones list at the Thrift, they will get it from there...not only does it save ME money, but it likely buys them a better product than I could ever have afforded, it gets them a truly unique gift, and it obviously saves something from the landfill.

Her entire reasoning behind the challenge seems to be the "materialism" of a consumer society. She was tired of coming home from the store and having her sons ask what she bought them. But it appears, from both her reasoning for the challenge and her sons behaviour in the store, that she is missing the entire point of materialism.

I am a consumer. I am materialistic. I came home from that hometown adventure with 8m of fabric, a bedsheet, 3 picture frames, a train case, a blind cleaner, sewing machine attachments, 2 pairs of earrings, 3 purses, a peeler, furs from my Mum and more that I am probably forgetting. That amount of stuff is not unreasonable for me to bring home on a rather regular basis. It cost me around $25; new, it would have cost about...oh...$300-$400?? I never would have bought so much new, but it proves that I am a consumer for sure. I also didn't need any of that. I just wanted it. That, to me, is the big difference and the definition of consumer and materialistic...a consumer consumes for the sake of consuming, rather than out of need while one is materialistic when they collect material for the sake of having it, again, rather than out of need. I picked up the peeler solely because it was old school with a red wood handle...I will keep it just for that reason too. I just wanted it.

This women, appears to be just as materialistic as she was before...the only difference is she isn't shopping at big box stores (as she saw fit to point out) and she isn't buying "new." From her small amount of intrigue when I mentioned that I can change the grease out on my 1948 mixer (while I had to chuck the plastic one I had when I stopped working as it is impossible to repair) I gathered that when she is buying used, she still isn't searching for quality and she still isn't necessarily shopping out of necessity. Which I think negates, or rather extremely simplifies her challenge.

My Mum, sister and I all agreed that her "challenge" wouldn't be a challenge, at all, for any of us. I looked around my house last night and in each room I guarantee the ratio of number of things bought new to things acquired secondhand is 3/1...minimum. In the living room and kitchen that is probably more along the lines of 5/1.

I don't know if Jessica shopped at thrift stores much before they decided on this challenge, but if she did...is it really much of a challenge? Or should it BE that much of a challenge? Because I don't feel that it should. A challenge would be to only buy things that are needed, or to only replace things that you already own. If she didn't shop at thrift stores before, it puts a bit more of a positive spin on things...but I still don't feel that it is difficult enough, or inspiring enough to warrant the attention she has apparently been receiving.

I'm sure some pyschiatrist would say that I am jealous of her attention, reaching for recognition or such nonsense. I'm just...bothered that such a simplistic thing is supposed to be a challenge; I find it sad that it is a challenge for people to live their life buying secondhand things.

In my sisters words:
"Going to the thrift store doesn't change materialism, especially if you go three times a week and buy them what they want anyway - it's just way softer on your pocket book!!!"

In love with Vegas!

2010-04-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Its Saturday, time for the car show here at Viva 13. Between Krista and Clay, we have TONS of photos...I haven't been taking too many myself. I'll have tons to post after Viva, just none right this minute!

Flights down were good; we got into Vegas around 8 and were at the hotel and checked in by 9. Hung around the casino that night, nothing too exciting and not many 'rockabillies' were here yet.

Thursday we went shopping at Meadows Mall and raided Forever 21. I found a few awesome things, but both Dee and I spent too much money! Went to Target as well, which was sadly not as amazing as we hoped. Made it back to the hotel eventually, napped, primped and headed to the Ballroom here for Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys who were fantastic. We were addicted to the swing dancers, some of whom were BREATH TAKING. One fellow we have officially renamed the God of Swing; he was Elvis on speed.

Yesterday Krista had a photoshoot lined up at Shari's 50s Diner with a bunch of girls and Robin Preston for a photographer. I was done up in my vintage as well, so I got to pop in at the end of the diner bar as well :) It was a recreation of the 'Last Supper', but with pin-up girls! Here's a sneak sneak peak (and no, that blonde in blue is NOT me...I was in pink):

This entire weekend is one massive vintage/rockabilly/psychobilly fashion show. I brought my best vintage with me, and am in high-waisted everything for the week. I love it! I've seen some gorgeous dresses, and they have some gorgeous dresses for sale here too. And amazing pants, and amazing skirts, and amazing...you get the picture.

I need to go get ready for the car show now...must figure out a bandana situation for my hair as the purple one I brought does not match my playsuit! Oh what tragedy!

But now for the sign off...On the blog post about the photoshoot, he thanked all the girls and everyone has a cute name but myself :( I've been Rueby by itself for years, and use Rueby Retro for all my shops and blog and what not. I don't like my first name, which is Carla, so I've started to just use Cee. Ideas anyone?

xx Rueby Cee?
xx Rueby Retro?
xx Rueby?

Vintage: To alter or not to alter

2010-03-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm of the size that a lot of vintage I come across either just barely fits, or is about 8" too tiny in the waist. I don't have alot of problems finding things with the advent of Ebay and Etsy, but I find I sometime end up with the opposite problem when buying from there. Some people seem to measure garments and leave off an inch or two of ease (without mentioning they did so) while some measure exactly.

Usually, I go over any garment I get and double check the seams, reinforcing where needed. The ill measurement, on my behalf or the sellers, means I've gotten a few things that have required the bust to be taken in, or the waist let out, or the shoulders darted, et cetera.

BUT...

I was thinking with the playsuit I last did this with, about whether its considered OK by vintage collectors...or if one is supposed to only buy their size and pass ones that don't quite fit onto someone who can enjoy them in their unaltered state.

Opinions?

The history of vintage clothes...

2010-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of old department store catalogues, a 1952 Eatons Of Canada one and a 1948 Simpson's & Sears one. One thing about flipping through them that fascinates me, is the thought that one day I might find a vintage dress...open this catalogue and find it right there on page 38. But this hasn't happened...

Instead, whenever I buy a vintage garment with the tag still in it I hit up google in the hope of more information. Well today I actually found some!

I bought this lovely playsuit from 1385 and it has a marvelous little label that says "Princess Peggy; our 50 year".

Turns out that Princess Peggy was a clothing brand from Chic Manufacturing Company in Peoria, Illinois. They began with aprons in 1906, which would mean my playsuit was sewn in 1956. In fact, it was made in this exact building right here:

There's a bunch of information, especially in the comments, and an old postcard image of the same building here! Now I know to pack it along should I ever make it to Peoria, Illinois...then I can go to the building and take the playsuit home for a little bit :D

Women and Pants

2010-03-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just spotted this image on The Sartorialist and the caption got to me:

"If you look deeper you'll realize she is a woman in the 50's wearing men's jeans, something women did not do in small town USA back then. She was a style trailblazer, not letting the fact she is a woman stop her from wearing what she wants, when she wants. The outfit in present day is not shocking but I think we can still appreciate her sense of style and take inspiration in that freedom she so boldly stood for back then with what we choose to wear today."

A) Those ARE NOT men's jeans; there is NO fly! Women's jeans in the 1940s, when they were in use for the war for sure (if not before, as trousers were worn from the 1930s onward), had a zipper in the hip pocket, concealed. Women have no technical use for a front zipper so why put one in? Not that women's pants never had them, but its more of a pain with denim than another fabric.

Am I wrong? Can I just NOT see the fly? Were men's pants EVER made without a front fly? I just cannot see that happening.

B) If SHE wore jeans in the 1950s (whilst on a road trip btw, as the caption says), why was no one else able to? It might not have been see everyday, but I don't think it was outlandishly shocking. If you look at everyday photographs of the time as opposed to fashion magazines or movies, you see ALL KINDS of clothing that was actually worn.

The Countdown is on! TEN days!

2010-03-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Miss Krista Dee, Mr Clayton and myself are off to Vegas next Wednesday! It's our first time going to Viva, and we are super excited. Our plans aren't very concrete, but we ARE booked to see a dinner show with The Rat Pack ;)

Aside from that we get to witness the live wonders that are Chuck Berry AND Wanda Jackson!

I am also quite excited to see all the vendors that will be there, though I don't have nearly as much money as I would like nor am I a huge fan of vintage reproduction, especially for clothes. Stop Staring is touted as amazing by so many rockabilly fans it makes me, as someone who sews, ill. The designs themselves are FAB, but the construction is shoddy and the fabrics are horrid stretch synthetics. Ugh. NOT worth the price!
There does seem to be quite a few vintage sellers there though...I suppose we shall see!

Has anyone been or wish to go? Obviously I'll let you all know my thoughts on it and I should post some pictures as the week passes as I'll have my laptop with me.

Stowing Your Vintage Stash - Part 1: Stockings

2010-03-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I come across 'stash' used most often for sewing; those lovely piles of fabric that have mysteriously accumulated in all corners of the sewing room and beyond. I don't have much of a fabric stash...I do however, have a vintage clothing and accessories stash. I call it a 'stash', because 99% of the time its hidden away and I either forget most of the things I have, or just never have an occasion to wear or use them! So tonight I bring you:

Stowing Your Vintage Stash!

Part 1: Stockings

As with a lot of my vintage collecting, this mini-collection began with my Mum. She kept quite alot of her clothes and stuff from the 60s when she lived in England and somehow it survived two way older sisters to make its way to me. Including her stockings in their lovely cases!

The right case is now an ivory coloured background with pink and blue feathers all over it and grey-blue trim and snap. It once had a layer of foam under the clear plastic with the feathers, but its disintegrated unevenly leaving the ivory(ish) colour. The inside pockets are made with clear plastic with white flowers on it. Its originally from either Switzerland or England in the 1960s.

The middle green case is fabric on the outside with an adjustable snap closure (two settings). It has a clear and white houndstooth pattern on the inside pockets. Its from Switzerland in the 1960s; the snap reads 'Brero, Suisse'.

The pink case made its way to me from Etsy recently. I've never seen one of my Mums cases in a store here so I grabbed another when I came across it. Its not as well made as the European ones; there is no snap closure (I just tied a ribbon around it) and the inside is just boring pink.

All of the cases have 4 or 6 pockets and the two older ones each have a mini-pocket in the centre for small items.

The pink has 3 pairs from What Katie Did; the green is two pairs cheap modern, vintage holdups (with amazing elastic), 1 vintage pair nude and two pairs of nylon socklike things (the ballet slipper ones); the feather case is all black stuff including some nice pairs of vintage black lace patterned stockings I'll detail another time.

Now the real reason for this whole post is that I'm super curious as to how you store your vintage (or reproduction) stocking collection?

Take-Off and Swing

2010-03-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

Take-Off: American All-Girl Bands During WWII

Just found this book at the music store on sale for $2; I bought it for the swing CD that's included more than anything else to be honest, which I'm currently listening to and I quite love...aside from the bad recording quality on a couple tracks (which could be due to the fact I'm playing it through my DVD player/TV)

One review from Amazon says the following:
"Take-Off (which is slang for an improv solo) tells an abbreviated story, for sure, but nonetheless lays it out: 16 million American men served in World War II, and their absence created room for more than just Rosie the Riveter; it also allowed space for The Hour of Charm All Girl Orchestra, Ada Leonard (a former stripper) and her All-American Girl Orchestra, and The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, among others."

Sounds like a neat little read and the CD alone is definitely worth the 2 bucks I paid for it!

They need drugs for this...

2010-03-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

I'm attempting to wean myself from Etsy and Ebay purchases. Off to Viva end of the month and I don't want any packages arriving whilst away; the fact I am broke is also a good reason.

However, things like Solanah's amazing sailor jacket make me go crazy trying to find something similar for myself. In measuring different tops to see what chest sizes would for sure fit, I remembered this piece:

Bit difficult to see but it has a grosgrain ribbon as a tie which is sewn onto the shoulders under the back collar.

Also the little white bit, middle of the back neck is my sisters name on one of those sewing labels.

I actually stole it from my Mums house years ago and it belonged to my eldest sister. She used to Highland dance and it was part of her costume for a number. My Mum made it for her, but it's made out of thick, cheap polyester...so I have never worn it aside from randomly trying it on. I would love to re-create this top from a nice cotton twill in a slightly larger size one day.

RUDE sellers

2010-03-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

I shop on Etsy and Ebay quite frequently. I never "blindly" click to purchase something; I read descriptions, read shop policies, message with questions ahead of bidding. I am however a huge fan of truthful feedback; I don't automatically click "positive" unless its warranted.

Being in Canada and buying from the States can often lead to a lot of questions about shipping for one thing. Which can, in turn, sometimes lead to questions when someone tries to get me to pay $20 when I know for a fact a dress (and many other small/lightweight items) can be shipped for $5.01. In general, I am flexible and willing to pay the $20 so long as they are willing to refund overage. I have had one instance though, buying blades for my rotary cutter, where the shipping I was charged was over 400%the actual shipping on the envelope. AND the seller advertised "Free shipping" within the USA. I demanded a partial refund from the seller and all I got was a bunch of ill typed snark. Needless to say, negative feedback!

Another time I bought one of those rotary colour changing light lamps from Ebay and the seller shipped it in the vintage box with NO outside covering! They wrote on the original box and it was dented and covered in stickers by the time it arrived. As they had used the box as a selling feature of the lamp, I was pissed. Again messaged the seller, got NO reply, and left negative feedback.

The thing with this all, that I cannot abide, is sellers who don't reply to messages. I generally give a seller 3 business days, which is the same turnaround I would give a local business for a reply via phone or email. Etsy allows sellers to set their shops on "vacation"; not sure if Ebay has that function but it isn't difficult to edit listings and add that you will be unreachable for x amount of time. Even if all you reply with is "No.", at least its a REPLY! Its an acknowledgment that you check your messages!

I have had quite a few times where I've emailed sellers with issues after receiving something that wasn't quite right and gotten prompt replies, refunds without having to ask for them and all sorts of great service! So I know good customer service DOES exists in web-land. Sometimes, its just a pain to locate :P

Needless to say, this was sparked by some bad Etsy service recently from a vintage seller. I won't name names, but if you keep any sort of bad seller list and wish to add them to it, message me!

I'll have you, someday..

2010-03-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

I suppose I have a thing for tall men with dark hair and glasses (yet I've never dated one) especially if they can play guitar and croon like Buddy Holly. Wait...does he croon? How would one define a "crooner"?

My Thursday night = Buddy Holly (plus a little Ronnie Hawkins & probably some Johnny Cash), laundry, dinner and dreaming about dresses to make. What about you?

Who woulda thunk it?

2010-03-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

Just recieved this little lovely in the post and since I'm on my lunch from work, only have time to glance at it. In doing so though, I noticed something:

The NOTCHES, the wee little triangles on the pattern itself, are CUT OUT!!

Who the heck ever thought of doing that?! Everyone is probably going to say the opposite; whoever thought NOT to cut them out?

My Mum told me to just cut the fabric where the notches are, so I usually don't even notch, but she never mentioned a thing about cutting out the triangles themselves.

I'm floored at how much sense it makes, and how it just never even crossed my mind that one could cut the notches out on a pattern.

Oh I feel so silly...

Hem and button and...

2010-03-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

This blouse is taking far longer than I ever expected :( The Sencha I mean. I made version 3, with the keyhole front. I catch-stitched the button facing bits tonight, made the button holes and sewed on most of the buttons. The top button won't keep its cover on (I used self-covered buttons) and I managed to stitch into the stitches of the buttonhole itself on the last one so it needs re-sewing. I still have to hem the sleeves AND the bottom...AND after I sewed the buttons I put it on to see the fit; its so loose. The waist droops in the back and to make it sit straight I have to pull the shoulders forward at the top an inch; to make the waist fit I have to pull the thing in about another inch. I'll have to see when all is said and done I suppose, it isn't so bad it isn't wearable and considering its my first non-cotton project, I don't think I did too horribly!

Pics will come, I'm sorry! I'm so rarely home during daylight hours and I hate using the flash...plus my house is a disaster area.

Giveaway @ Yesterday Girl

2010-02-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

While over at Yesterday Girl, where everyone should be, look for this cute little giveaway! She's celebrating 100 followers :) I'd be stoked on 1 comment right about now, so if you read this blog today...leave a comment saying hi!

I have a mad thing for canisters and the Bits & Pieces one would be fab! In my random canister collection I currently have the usual kitchen four-some in chrome with matching bread box, two 1960's Fluffo tins (which sounds like that marshmellow goo but was actually shortening), two plastic fit-into style ones that are light blue with white lids (they came to me via the Salvage Centre but were originally from the Aldersyde church, which is a little hamlet near my hometown...or so says the markings etched into the bottom!), a set of four Japanese ones in orange and red, a set of two with yellow lids & flowers which are fit-into metal and have a matching cookie tin, and lastly a large pink plastic Kitchenaid one with white lid and a gold F (which means fabric scraps in my land).

I have so many collections its ridiculous...I need to photograph some more for this don't I?!

Best little bookends in the West

2010-02-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

,Aren't they darling? Picked up these little Mexican siesta bookends at Value Village today as well as the copy of Ginger Rogers and the Riddle of the Scarlet Cloak. I never would have grabbed the book had I not been reading Ginger: My Story at the moment. Her mother, Lela, wrote the novel in 1942.

I also picked up some clothes for Vegas including a tea length black pencil skirt, some plaid highwaisted shorts, a white buttondown sleeveless top, a white/blue striped version of one of my favorite beige full skirts (with pockets!) that is from Old Navy, and an 80s-does-40s sailor dress that I'm going to change the buttons on before wearing. I also picked up some more fabric for another version of the Sencha blouse...!

Sencha...how close you are...

2010-02-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Just recieved this beauty in the mail today from Wendybirde on Etsy:

The corner is marked with 1951, which seems about right to me. Its a true vintage unprinted pattern, something I definitely won't be trying for a bit.

My latest foray into sewing is/was the Sencha blouse, as mentioned before. I finished all the machine sewing today, but now I have to wait until I can get to the fabric store (or get ahold of my Mum who may have some) and get mustard coloured thread. I did the machine work in grey, which IS a nice contrast and isn't seen from the outside anyway...but the sleeve hems, bottom hem and back fastenings are all supposed to be invisible. This would be A LOT more work with grey thread.

This was also my first project, pretty much ever, with a fabric that wasn't basic cotton. I think its a rayon, of some sort, but is quite slippery. I found it easier almost to machine stitch on, but cutting it out accurately was a bit tricky and it marks easier than cotton if I do make a mistake. The buttonholes will be perfected on the scraps for sure.

Small world when..

2010-02-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of Google Reader and use it to follow I-don't-know-how-many blogs...but today, once I worked my way through and reached Sew Retro, that the little vintage sewing blog community is just that...quite a little, small world actually. Its quite nice! Out of 4 new posts, I'd already read 3 of them on everyones original blog before reaching Sew Retro!

Since the Monday post-Valentines, I've had an interesting week of being 24; some boy drama, some university applications and some injuries that won't go away. This week also marked the arrival of a new-to-me MIB vintage Sunbeam Ironmaster (whee!); I had wanted a Steammaster, but I'm impatient and haven't found one MIB. Steam irons tend to just have a whole other assortment of issues that can go wrong, as I learnt through an Etsy travel iron purchase. The dry iron will do fine for now, if I get more into sewing and specifically need steam alone...I will just buy a new one. Also received my first roll of Swedish Tracing Paper, which I have used to trace and cut out the pattern for the Colette Sencha blouse. Handy stuff that! It cuts like a dream and being able to drape without ripping is so handy.

Topped off the week yesterday with a trip to the local thrift then Value Village fully decked out in a royal blue pencil skirt, white sweater with red & blue scarf motif, beige puffy sleeve cardigan and a red belt around that. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo; I half felt like a stewardess, half like an American flag (I LOVE red and blue together, but it always makes me feel like a patriot for the wrong country). Loved it anyway though. Purchased two new blouses, one is Mexx with a pinwheel print and the other a cheap Joe shirt but with a super cute green and navy print and a tie at the collar.

Paradise for Typeface Lovers

2010-02-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

Spent some time (Be warned, you will spend too much time!) at the Movie Title Stills Collection today going through the 20s to 50s. Fantastic stuff in there, here's a few favs:

1924 (I really love nautical things...eesh)

1927

1932

1933

1934

1935

1936

1940

1941

1946

Though I went all through them all up to 1960; I didn't like any really beyond 1946!

Film Noir photoshoot

2010-02-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

Back a year and a half ago I "modeled" for film noir shoot my photographer friend Mr. Clayton Hansen wanted to do. My best friend did my hair and makeup, which she is now doing professionally here in Calgary under the name Cherry Bomb Kustoms (she specialized in old glamour, pin-up stuff but is awesome at everything really!). I still haven't seen all the shots as I keep forgetting to ask Clay for a look, but here's a peak at my only experience as a model...ever...

Goodbye cruel world...or overly tempting market websites...

2010-02-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Today, I will make one final purchase off of Etsy (and eBay) using my Paypal balance before I am banning myself from purchasing off both sites for awhile. I have a goal to get over $150 into my Paypal account by selling stuff, so that I can withdraw it without a fee and...well have some money for debts!

Too many things are far far too tempting, especially considering what luck I have at the Salvage Centre and thrifts.

My final goodbye...shall be a hat. Which I'll post a pic of once I've bought it!

VLV Projects

2010-02-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I'm off to Viva Las Vegas for the first time this year. We're there for a week, from March 31st to April 6th and my friend Dee and I have decided we need unique clothes for the event. She's been buying some vintage things for it, while I've been buying and attempting to sew.

So far I've completed a border print circle skirt and a sundress (which fits with or without longline bra/girdles, so I'm not stuck in too many layers in the Vegas heat); I have a few more things on my list though as must-haves for the heatwave that will be Vegas...mainly a black pencil skirt, a sleeveless blouse, and a keyhole version of the Sencha blouse from Colette Patterns. I found about 4 yards of this awesome mustard colour Swiss dot fabric at Value Village for it, though I'm not positive of the fiber content I'm pretty sure its rayon from the burn test and ironing it. Does rayon "bubble" if it gets wet when hot...? Maybe I won't mist it next time...

Essentially this is what mine will look like!! I hope...