Witchy Weekend

This has been another slow week. I've just been puttering away a little tasks, but despite feeling poorly (combo of my "normal" health issues and a slight cold), I've actually managed to get a fair bit done. I did a photoshoot for the shop a couple weeks ago and am finally getting around to posting the listings. (I am going to be so glad when my friend/model moves back next year and I can use her for photoshoots again. It's just so awkward doing it by myself.) I'm about half done uploading them to Etsy and should have the rest up by the end of the week. 

I've also been working on some other projects and have even started knitting again. It's been a hard year (especially health-wise), so I really needed knitting. I've discovered I can actually do some knitting, despite my hand/wrist issues, if I use square needles and only knit every-other night for less than 30 minutes. I missed knitting so much! Even doing a little bit is helping me deal with life better. I have a Edwardian sweater and a 1950's sweater on the go at the moment. The Edwardian sweater is going to take at least another year (small needles, so many stitches....), but the 1950's one should hopefully be done in a month or two.

After all that productivity, I needed a break and have been relaxing most of the weekend. However, I did get dressed up to go out for a quick coffee. Since Halloween is only a couple days away, I went with a vaguely witch-y themed outfit. I paired a thrifted dress with my What Katie Did corset, Victorian-inspired boots, and some tree earrings.

I tried to take some "flying" photos on my broomstick... Unfortunately gravity was not on my side. I did manage to time one just right, but of course I'm grinning like an idiot. I just can't seem smile nicely and "fly" at the same time.

If you follow me on Youtube you may have already seen this, but here is my lastest video. It's the first one I've been able to create since my hand-injury back in the summer. I just couldn't let Halloween slide by without making a "spooky" episode. It features hair, makeup, and some deadly beauty products of the past.

I hope everyone has a great Halloween!

That's All.

Hey guys, just a quick post: I just heard Jessica Cangiano's home burned down last week. Jessica is such an amazing person and cherished member of the vintage community. I can't even recall how many times her kind comments on my posts have brightened my day and her blog (Chronically Vintage) has long been one of my favourites. I was terribly saddened by this news, especially as this couldn't have happened to a lovelier person. 
There's a facebook page and a donation site set up for those wanting to help. 

Crepe Paper Costumes (1920)

In my research for what was originally planned as an extensive Halloween collection for my Etsy shop (which unfortunately had to scaled back due to my hand injury), I discovered a lot of the gorgeous costumes in 1920's illustrations were actually meant to be constructed from paper. It makes a lot of sense to use paper instead of costlier fabric to make an outfit that was only meant to be worn once. Although these dresses look so fabulous I would have wanted them to last more than a single party! 

Here is an article from "Dennison's bogie book" (1920) about creating crepe paper costumes. The book is mainly an advertisement for paper products but it has some great ideas in it. Dennison Manufacturing Co. was a paper company founded in 1844. The company still sort of exists, but they no longer make these adorable paper products. (They merged with Avery in 1990 to become the Avery Dennison Corporation, and now mainly sell adhesive labels and related products.)

This article doesn't give you specific instructions for each costume, but gives you an idea of how they were created:

I would think most of these costumes could be recreated with modern materials and a little creativity! Which is your favourite? 

For more party inspiration, here is the entire booklet from 1920. There are some adorable paper decorating ideas and instructions:

My own Halloween plans are far less elaborate and consist of staying home and handing out candy. Anyone doing anything exciting this year?

That's All.

Purples, Leaves, and Acorns

While my heart lies with earlier decades of fashion, I must admit I love diving into 1950's every once and awhile. Fluffy crinolines and poofy skirts are so much fun to swish around in!

This dress, while technically not a true 1950's dress, certainly has the proper silhouette. It came in a bag of saris and garments my grandmothers friend gave me to cut up and use for fabric. This "dress" was actually intended as a tunic and had a matching set of pants, but on my frame it looked much more "1950's dress" than tunic (I'm a bit...uh... "bigger boned" than the tiny lady who owned these before). I added a belt and a vintage crinoline to emphasize the 50's shape. 

The days are still surpisingly warm, but since it is autumn I decided to add some seasonal accessories. The hairpiece is made from a floral pick from a craft store that I glued to a hairclip. I love how the colours work so well with my hennaed hair. My earrings are real acorns. I made them for one of my first tutorials on my blog. and still wear them every autumn. 

This was the first outing for my new shoes, I wanted a pair of vintage-appropriate shoes that were comfortable and without a heel, but that still looked cute with a dress. They were a bit expensive, but I would rather pay more for well-made shoes that will last years instead of buying cheap shoes that will fall apart in a single season. I figure paying more up front will actually save money in the long run. I used to have a LOT of shoes when I was younger, but I've become quite minimal in my shoes choices. I now prefer to own just a couple pairs of neutral shoes (plus a pair or two of colourful heels when I need a bit of "fun"!). 

I'm going to have a busy week sewing new garments for my Etsy shop. Not sure how much I will realistically finish, but I'm aiming to create a bunch of new pieces and use up some of the mountains of fabric I bought before I injured my hand. Luckily my hand is still improving, so hopefully I will be able to resume all my previous activities soon! 

I hope all my fellow Canadians had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and everyone had a great weekend!

That's All. 

Finally Back

Hello everyone! I feel like I've been away for ages!! I mean, I never technically went anywhere, but I've had to severely limit my computer time lately which has meant no blogs, no blogging, no youtube, and almost no pinterest. I am so glad to be back!!

More on that in a minute, but first: today's outfit. While we have finally had a bit of autumn weather, today's has been a last glimpse of summer. It seemed like my last chance for straw hats for a while, so I donned this adorable vintage chapeaux. I paired it with this lightweight "dress" (it's technically an old skirt I cut armholes into), homemade belt, and Buster Keaton necklace. 

(Necklace close-up, since it's hard to make out Buster in the other pictures)

The reason for my absence from the ol' interwebs? I hurt my right hand. 

I managed to lie on it funny while sleeping, and strained a tendon in my hand. It's been almost 2 months of curtailed activity now and it's just starting to get back to normal. I still need to be careful, but at least I can do a little bit.

As I've been unable to do much of anything lately, I haven't much to report for the last 2 months. My Halloween collection for my Etsy shop has only just launched. It was supposed to be up in August, but had to be delayed for obvious reasons. Anyways, if anyone is still looking for a Halloween costume, Halloween themed garments, or wants to get a jump start on next year, I've listed several new items. It's not the extensive collection I had planned, but *sigh* maybe next year. 

The only other project of interest was these fox gloves I made for Britt's birthday last week. They fought me every inch of the way, but I'm pleased with how they turned out in the end. 

I hope everyone has been doing well lately. I will be trying to catch up on my blog reading over the next week or two, but there is a lot to catch up on! If my hand continues to improve, I will hopefully get back to Youtube as well. Video editing takes a lot of computer work though, and my poor lil' hand just can't quite handle that yet.

That's All.