Happy Valentines Day

I just adore Valentines day! I think it has a lot to do with the colour scheme and cinnamon hearts. I never go out with anyone on Valentines day but instead spend the day pampering myself. Whether you are single or taken I hope you treat yourself to some "me-time" this Valentines day. Trust me, it feels damn good to spend a bit of time on yourself! 

Swishy Dress

Last week I attended a family birthday party and finally got a chance to wear my new dress. I made it on New Years, as I was bored and wanted something to do. It was originally going to be a Victorian-inspired petticoat but I cut it too long and it morphed into a dress. I quite like it. It is very "swishy" and full. 

Outfit Details: 

Dress - Made by me

Jacket - Thrifted

Boots- ?

Earrings - Made by me

I also discovered it is very easy to get long swishy dresses caught on things. Whoops. (Note to self: never again wear a long swishy dress to a hardware store...).

Hope everyone is having a great week!

That's All.

Dressing a Good Game

I think I would be much more interested in sports if I got to wear such cute outfits!

My Vintage Hat Collection

I have been stumped as to what to blog about these past few weeks. The weather has been too cold for outfit shots outside and none of my inside ones turn out very well. I also haven't been doing much except job hunting, sleeping, and tidying my room. So since I have nothing new to share I thought maybe I should share one of my many collections. I am natural born "collector" *cough* hoarder *cough* and have many different collections. One of my favourites is my hat collection. I have a lot of modern and homemade hats as well, but I thought I would focus on my vintage hat collection. (Overall I have well over 60 hats so I obviously had to narrow the focus of this post!)

I may have forgotten a few, but here they are:

A very frilly white number

This one has the most spectacular feather I have ever seen. The pictures don't do it justice.

This was the first vintage hat I ever purchased. It is from the 1930's. 

And this is the most expensive hat I've ever purchased. When I bought it it was labelled as a Victorian hat. After a bit of research I think it is more likely from the 20s/30s but I love it none the less. 

This one has the most darling pin. 

I just realized this is the only vintage hat of mine that is not white/cream or black. It looks a bit dark in the photos but it is navy with pink flowers. It is going to be my Easter hat this year. 

This hat was in pretty tough shape when I bought it but I have managed to restore its shape more or less. 

This hat is currently awaiting some restoration work (it needs a good blocking for starters!).

This was my latest purchase. It is a Victorian bonnet. The ribbon at the back needs a bit of work but it was a steal! Now I just need a Victorian style dress to go with it!

This last one may not technically count as a "hat" but I had to include it. It is a 1960's nurses cap and came with a matching cape. I love that the original owners name is printed on the inside. It needs a good press though, so apologizes for the wrinkles!

I just adore hats and if you look hard enough at antique stores you can often find them at pretty good prices. Overall most of my hats cost under $20, with the occasional splurge. I keep most of them in boxes with a few on display that I rotate a few times a year. 

That's All.

Latest Sewing Creation

Taking outfit photos is so difficult in the winter! It is much too dark inside and much too cold outside. I did want to get some shots of my new sweater though. I made it out of a very soft knit fabric, with a cotton gingham collar and belt (the buckle and buttons are vintage). This was my inspiration image. I think I came pretty close. I love how it is a vintage style but is still casual enough for everyday wear.

That's All.

Call for Sponsors

Hello everyone! Just a reminder that I do have ad spaces available on the side of my blog. I'm looking for small businesses who wish to purchase some ad space for the month of February (or longer if you want!).
The prices are (per month):
$5 for 170px by 50px sized ad
$10 for 170px by 170px sized ad
(I may be open to exchange of merchandise for an ad too, so send me an email if you wish to negotiate!)

Please email me at purlsofthepast@live.ca if you are interested!

Winter Hats 1922

1920's Sweater and Passing Grades

Hello everyone! Good news! I passed all my courses (I also almost passed out from shock as I was certain I had failed a couple). So if my application to graduate goes through I will have a Bachelors of Mathematics before the end of the summer. Eep! I am so excited to be almost finished. Of course there is the big scary "now what?" looming over my head. But for the next couples days at least, I will be relaxing and sewing myself some much needed winter clothes.

Speaking of winter clothes, I finally finished the 1920's sweater I have been working on. It took a long time but I love it! It was knit from a 1922 pattern, although I had to alter the sleeves since I ran out of the discontinued wool I used. The original pattern can be found  here.

 That's All.