Feedsack heaven
I enjoy all kinds of vintage things, some of which include glamorous clothing, hats, furniture, lighting, and fabrics. I especially like feed sacks, sometimes called flour sacks. They were used to transport flour and grains from the 1920s – 1950s. After they were emptied they became valuable as fabric and were used to make dresses, aprons, nightgowns and many other household items. The manufacturers of the sacks realized the value of making pretty or cute feedsacks and so companies competed for business by making feedsacks that house wives would want to use for sewing. Here is a link to an interesting article on the Etsy Blog about feed sacks….
https://blog.etsy.com/en/2011/feed-sacks-a-sustainable-fabric-history/
I was lucky enough to find a large collection of feedsacks at an estate sale about a month ago. I thought you might like to see the patterns… I was very excited to realize that what I thought were just vintage sheets were, in fact, feedsacks. Many are unopened, meaning that they are still in the form of a sack. Others have been opened at the seams and are ready to use as yardage.
Glamorous 1950s Vanity Fair – fit for a princess (or bride)
This is another beautiful gown I recently purchased. It’s a 1950s Vanity Fair nylon and Chantilly lace creation with a very full acordian pleated skirt. This would be perfect for a bridal trousseau or even a wedding dress, if worn with a full slip. I think it is heavenly!
Drool worthy!
I had to show you my latest acquisition! This is one of the most beautiful gowns I have ever purchased! It’s late 1930s or early 40s sheer net lace dress with lace appliques and graduated bands of velvet on the skirt. There’s a side zipper and little zippers at the wrists. I am keeping this one!
I’m Back!
I have been away from my blog for quite a while. I have a bit more time now to devote to adding content. There are quite a few things I have to tell you!
First, I have some rather exciting news! I was contacted by the asst. costume designer for a new television series and they purchased a lot of inventory from me! I was so excited, especially when I found out the name of the series will be “The Astronaut Wive’s Club”. I lived through that part of our American history and can remember where I was when we first landed on the moon. The show will be about the space race starting in late 1950s and ending in the early 70s. The wives had a club, of sorts, that was formed to offer encouragement and support, as they were the only people on earth who were going through the stresses and fears of having a spouse go into space. The series will be based on a book by the same name. Here are a few of the items they have purchased for the show so far…… I can’t wait to see them in action! It is supposed to air next year.
Wrinkle Release Tips
This is a helpful guide to caring for your vintage clothing fabrics. It’s written by the costume designer of Mad Men. It’s obviously an advertisement for Downy Wrinkle Release but there’s good info. I actually was surprised with the different uses for Downy Wrinkle Release. Might have to go get some today. No, I am not a paid endorser for Downy 🙂
One of my Facebook followers posted that she makes her own wrinkle release concoction and it works great and is a lot cheaper….Here is her formula –
” In a spray bottle (I use a Febreeze bottle or an old Wrinkle Release bottle) mix half water and half alcohol. Then add a tablespoon of unscented liquid fabric softener and shake it up. Don’t use it on anything you wouldn’t steam like 1960s rayon crepe (which shrinks) or old silk that might get water spots. It works great on cotton, wool and synthetics, though.”
NEW LISTINGS TODAY
Here is a pic of some of the newest items in the shop……
You can see more detail about these and other vintage fashions in my shop –
New finds!
I went to an amazing estate sale this weekend and found several beautiful dresses. This is one of my favorites. I didn’t see the condition issues until I had purchased it and gone outside and looked at it in the sunlight. There are brownish stains or maybe just soil marks on the white stripes. I am going to try and salvage this dress because I think it is amazing and I love it! Wish me luck. I will keep you posted on the outcome.
Vintage Etsy Society SWEET 15 SALE Feb.1 – 15
I am a member of Vesties and am participating in the SWEET15 Sale from Feb. 1 -15. There are about 50 vintage shops that will be offering 15% off for the next two weeks. To see is list of all the shops, click on this link……
http://www.etsy.com/teams/6269/vintage-etsy-society-street-team/discuss/11669237/page/1/
Or, if you want to browse all shops go to Etsy’s home page, http://www.etsy.com/?ref=si_home, and type sweet15 in the search bar and all items on sale will come up. Or, be more specific, such as 1950s dress sweet15 and you will see the 1950s dresses on sale. Look for this Avatar when you are searching on Etsy and you will know the shop is participating….When you go to check out use SWEET15 as a coupon code and the 15% will be deducted.
It’s been a while…
I have not posted on my blog for a very long time. This past year was kind of rough. My mother came to live with us about a year and a half ago because she had dementia and could not live alone or even in a retirement community. She also was a breast cancer survivor for six years but she had a recurrence about six months after she came to live with us. It was very difficult caring for her as she declined. We brought in caregivers but they were only here for short periods of time and my mother never was never very cooperative and didn’t want them to do much for her. So, it ultimately was myself, my husband and my 18 year old son who cared for her most of the time. It was something we wanted to do and I am glad we were able to, but it was hard. She passed away on Dec. 17, 2012. I know she is happy and can now remember everything she had forgotten. I am throwing myself into work and starting to socialize again, as I had been kind of housebound, in a sense. My friends have been so wonderful and I am full of gratitude for their love and support. I look forward to returning that and want to always remember to take that extra step and do that little something kind for someone each day. It means more than you realize.
So, I have been busy with my shop! Here are some of my new listings – all the HATS! …. I plan to update you each Monday with what great finds I came across over the weekend…Stay tuned. I have plans to go to a great estate sale on Saturday!
These pictures are from a photo shoot I had today with KELLY! Isn’t she darling?
A funny shop!
I stumbled onto this Etsy shop the other day and fell in love! This seller is so creative and funny! She uses a doll to showcase all of her vintage items – just like a model. It’s really hilarious! Here’s the link to her store – http://www.etsy.com/shop/janastuff?ref=top_trail It’s named Janastuff.
Vintage Runway Blog 