Saturday, May 30, 2015

༺ Stitching Stories: A 'Round the House Wrap Dress ༻

Simplicity 2275, dated 1948 | Lavender & Twill

Stitching challenge 2015 for a vintage wardrobe | Lavender & Twill
Vintage - around the house - mama style | Lavender & Twill

Hunter green vintage 1940s reproduction heels | Lavender & Twill
Easy 1940s style | Lavender & Twill
Pin curls, vintage, and 1940s frocks | Lavender & Twill
*whew*

Am I ever so glad that this dress is done! I have never had so much trouble putting together a sewing project before ~ not because it didn’t come together easily enough, that wasn’t the problem ~ it was because I just couldn’t get the dang thing to sit right!  (┛◉Д◉)┛*rage*

I suppose this is where experienced seamstresses look pointedly at their muslins and toiles {“twahl” for those of you that don’t “sew speak”, so to speak.  ; P}, then at me, then back at the neat little muslin sitting on the dress form…..

Yah.  Ain’t nobody got time for that! Least ways, I don’t.

I found out that the bodice of my 90% completed dress was not fitting correctly because of my nursing bust size, even though I’d measured the pattern and thought that it would fit. The design of the back of the neck was not working for me either. It wouldn’t sit right no matter how I adjusted it ~ up or down!

Getting the dress to fit required a lot of what my coding Mister calls “hacking”. In my sewing world however, hacking involves taking a sharp pair of scissors to already sewn seams and hacking the bajeebies out of the fabric along strategically drawn chalk lines.

I cut roughly two inches out from the back of the neck, and lopped off three to seven inches from the sleeves, then hemmed the skirt up by five inches. It was a risk that the whole thing would fall apart if I snipped too much, or in the wrong place, but it paid off as the dress sits much better around the neckline now. 

It isn’t all weird and bunchy like it was before. I don’t quite know what was happening, but the back of the dress sat really high up on the back of my neck, and it was making the darts sit in the wrong place, which was making the bodice puff up really strangely above the bust.

Of course, getting it to work took a lot of extra fiddling, which took a lot of extra time, and I ended up taking way too long on this project. Plus, I’ve been sick as a dog for the last week, which means May is officially up and I didn’t manage to get my other project ~ a winter blouse ~ done this month.  (TT ^ TT)

So, only one more project ticked off the great Sewing All the Things challenge of 2015, but at least it actually happened because I was worried there for a moment that I would end up having to toss the whole dress.

                                              ~ The source of much trouble! ~

Next question ~ does anyone want to purchase this pattern?  It will come with all the original pieces of the pattern, the original instructions {taped, because they are falling apart}, the original envelope, and also a copy of the bodice, sleeve, facings, waist inserts, tie, and pocket pattern pieces all traced onto Polytrace {similar to Swedish Tracing Paper ~ it’s a soft, woven fabric-like paper}. Basically, I traced off everything but the skirt, so you can work straight from the pattern copy.

If you would like to buy the pattern, along with the the Polytrace copies for $20.00 AUD, please email me with your Paypal address and mailing address, and I can send off an invoice which will also include whatever the P+P will cost. 

~ Project Details ~

  • Year: 1948
  • Pattern: Simplicity 2275
  • Fabric: 2 1/2 metres of red and green sprig floral of poly-cotton{?}. I have no idea about the fibre content of this fabric as my Grandmother gave it to me.
  • Notions: None, is a wrap dress.
  • Time to complete: Three weeks
  • Make again? Nope. I really don’t want to make this dress again. It was just such a hassle to get it working properly that I really don’t want to go through all of that again. I like the dress, but not that much.
  • Wear again? I will, but I think it’ll probably be in my “around the house, running errands, going to playgroup, etc” wardrobe. Which is okay with me because I need more vintage around the house clothes anyway.
  • Total Cost:  $0.00 ~ yay for stash busting! 

    Have any of you had sewing dramas with almost-but-not-quite-failure projects before?  Would you seam rip to make it work, or try ‘hacking’ it up? Plus, how great are my new shoes ~ right?  (ノ ゜ω゜)ノ

    xox,

    bonita


    ༺ ♡ ༻


    Vintage Bow Hair Tie | Me Made, May 2015 {tutorial here}
    ’Round the House 1940’s Wrap Dress  | Me Made, May 2015
    Hunter Green Swinging Heels  | eBay


    ༺ ♡ ༻


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    Friday, May 22, 2015

    ༺ Really Picture Perfect? ༻

    Recently Lauren of Wearing History wrote a very powerful post about Social Media and the Myth of Perfection highlighting the curated reality of social media and the internet. 

    She said a lot of things that really resonated with me, and also followed up with a second post, but this line was the key in my mind:

    We all put our best foot forward most of the time.  We don’t know what’s going on in their lives.  We can’t see what’s just off to the side of the viewfinder.”

    And it’s true.

    We put ourselves out there, we share our lives, our successes, and even our failures with people we may know, and many more that we don’t.

    So naturally, no matter how honest you are, you are still going to be a curating an image of who you are online. And so does everyone else.  When we see what they are showing us we may think things are amazing, their happiness ‘rate’ is through the sky ~ in short, we start to believe their lives are perfect. 

    Just think though, is your life perfect? Nope.

    Is it because they have something you don’t?  Not really.

    It is the powerful lens of curated social media changing the way we see others. No longer are we just keeping up with our neighbours, the Joneses, we are suddenly compelled to keep up with a lot of Joneses every where.

    But the Joneses aren’t picture perfect all the time; and neither am I…

    {P.S. ~ Click on the photos to go to the full post!}

    Nobody's perfect - Baby Belle's hungry and chewing my thumb | Lavender & Twill

    Nobody's perfect - Hungry munchkins | Lavender & Twill

    These photos never made it to the blog, but basically it’s two hungry munchkins ~ Isabelle is wanting some food, and so is Theodore, but Mama’s juuust trying to finish this photo shoot guys, can you just hold on a few minutes??

    Nobody's perfect - Awkward photos in public | Lavender & Twill

    I went to a tiny local park with my son, and then some people showed up to play with their children half way through the shoot. I was standing there with my camera and tripod… Er, awkward much?

    But the light was fading sooo fast, and I had photos to take.  What's a blogger to do? Keep shooting and don’t make eye contact of course!

    Nobody's perfect - Getting sunburnt taking outfit pics | Lavender & Twill

    The sun was so bright in these photos I could hardly keep my eyes open! So many pictures, so many squinty faces…. Oh yeah, and I totally got sunburnt taking these snaps.  (⌒_⌒;)

    Nobody's perfect - More awkward photos in public | Lavender & Twill

    I always feel like/ somebody's watching meeee/ can’t get no privacy/ whoa-ah!” 

    It took me an hour to get the photos for this post, and the entire time I was doing it, some random creeper was sitting on his front porch {off to the side and across the road} drinking beer and watching me run back and forth with my camera + tripod. 

    I could literally feel his eyes on me every single second. And he didn’t go inside until I started packing up…. 

    Yeah. Those shots were hard to get, I didn’t really like what I ended up with, and no wonder!

    Nobody's perfect - Photoshopping photos | Lavender & Twill

    I spent ages photoshopping out a random ‘extra’ from this photo. In hindsight, the event was too crowded, and I didn’t try hard enough to get photos in better locations that didn’t have people everywhere. But I just wanted to enjoy a day out with my family, but then I also wanted to get outfit photos and…  Conflict! Drama! And lots of “Urgh. Why do I do this to myself?” afterwards.  (╯°□°)╯彡 ┻━┻

    Nobody's perfect - Baby photo bombing | Lavender & Twill

    This. Happens. A. Lot. 

    Hi babies!  °(• ᴥ • )°

    Nobody's perfect - Dressed up, feeling sick | Lavender & Twill

    Pregnant with my third child, the all-day sickness I was having still hadn’t subsided by 20 weeks, and continued on until 28 weeks whereupon I got six week reprieve only have the nausea come back with a vengeance at 34 weeks!

    On the days I had to go out, I would get up and throw on a frock regardless of how icky I felt. Putting on some nice clothes helped me feel a little more like myself again, and less like a sick whale.

    Nobody's perfect - 39 weeks and over it | Lavender & Twill

    I’m 39 weeks pregnant. My feet are swollen, my ankles have vanished, my face is puffed up like a marshmallow, my children kept on running into the shots, and I am just D.O.N.E.

    Trying to take photos without my brain exploding and smiling at the same time?  Near impossible, but hey! Some how it comes off, though I was seriously doubting that it would at the time… 

    Nobody's perfect - Postpartum struggles | Lavender & Twill

    I’m almost four weeks postpartum here, and in my post I tried to keep a positive outlook about my body and how it looks, but let’s face it - what I really wanted to do was rant and rave and cry about how nothing fits, I have nothing to wear and I think I look like a big blob because no muscles, no waist and giant nursing boobs taking over my chest and when am I ever going to feel normal again and fit into my dang clothes!!! 

    And I’m not gonna lie. At least once a day I still feel like doing that. It’s a long road back from carrying a baby, and every time you do it, there’s something else that changes in your body. Something else that won’t go back quite the way it was before. It’s an adjustment ~ to the new baby and to the new you.  Sometimes you don’t like the new you at all, and sometime you wonder if it’s ever going to be okay again.

    But you know it’s worth it, even if it is hard. It’s like plucking a rose from amongst the thorns. You might get damaged in the process, but that beautiful flower is a treasure worth the pain.

    So you suck it up, {and in! Thank goodness for corsets!} and keep on doing what you do, because in the end it makes you happy.  ❀(◕ ‿ ◕❀)

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    Now for the caveat. As Lauren says in her follow up post:

    Sometimes the image was taken at a time of some of the hardest stories we’ve ever been a part of.  It helps others to understand that the image doesn’t capture how our real life was at the time.  But when we gather them together and are mindful of our own experiences and journey, it can remind us of how far we’ve come.  And if we did it then, we can do it again.  We can never expect smooth sailing through life.  Hard things come, and we get through them and grow stronger and wiser.

    Some of the things behind the smile I’ve chosen not to share, because this simply isn’t the place to do that. Or because I haven’t shared it with anyone in my life except those nearest and dearest. 

    Really, in the end I’m not posting this because I think my life is so hard ~ I’m so grateful for my family and all the blessings we have. I am aware that they are many and overflowing, and I’m thankful. Rather it’s because I want to document the stuff that really goes on behind the scenes, including the pimples I’ve photoshopped off my face.

    I think it’s nice to inject a little bit of ‘reality’ into my online story, not just so that I can remember that it’s not all sunshine and lollipops, but also so that others can see that we are all people behind the pretty pictures.

    xox,

    bonita

    ༺ ♡ ༻

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    Tuesday, May 19, 2015

    ༺ Hello Hello Kitty! ༻

    1940s casual; repro jeans, cute tee & a bolero | Lavender & Twill

    Hello Kitty graphic tee with Freddies of Pinewood jeans | Lavender & Twill

    Wear your t-shirt with a string of pearls | Lavender & Twill

    Daisy. Red nails. Jeans. | Lavender & Twill

    Casual vintage style | Lavender & Twill 

    I picked up this Hello Kitty t-shirt while I was pregnant with Charlotte {about 28 weeks-ish? I think?} ~ anyway, I knew I’d love wearing it even though I couldn’t even imagine it stretching enough to fit over the bump at the time. 

    A few months and one baby later, it turns out I was right!  :P  I really love this t-shirt, the fabric is soft, and it feels very ‘vintage’ even though it isn’t in the slightest!  I totally get the obsession with vintage t-shirts now. You also can’t go wrong with a classic kawaii Hello Kitty print.  

    I’m wearing it with some Freddie’s I bought off Stephanie of The Girl with the Star-Spangled Heart when she sold some of her wardrobe in a blog sale. {I have discovered I love blog and Instagram sales, even though they are dangerous to my budget!} I also picked up a fabulous 50’s dress, but that’s a post for another day.   (⌒▽⌒)

    Jeans and some sort of blouse/crop top/t-shirt would appear to be my day-to-day outfit combination this autumn ~ I’m not entirely sure why, though I suspect it might have something to do with the sad lack of ‘winter’ type dresses in my wardrobe currently.  I’ve been keeping my eye out for appropriate dresses, but it does seem that longer sleeved dresses, or ones with a winter-y colorway such as jewel tones, are harder to come by without resorting to buying black! 

    Not that I’m against black, it definitely has a place in my wardrobe, but I just seem to be leaning more towards tan or navy blue, rather that the starkness of black for my accessories. And black clothing just seems a bit, well, boring. Actually, it can be really awesome in person, but it never seems to photograph properly you know? That also makes buying black clothing online pretty tricky.

    I do wear darker colours more in winter, but my sensibilities still are yearning after pastels and florals! Even the dress I’m sewing at the moment is a floral sprig print.  *shakes head* I think I need to get my act together. If I’m sewing my own clothes I really should be sewing the pieces I need!  

    There’s always the next project though, right?   (*≧ω≦)

    Do you like wearing t-shirts with your vintage jeans or do you prefer to stick with classic blouses or knit tops?

    xox,

    bonita

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    Red Heart Clip | Dollar Shop
    Vintage Pearl String Necklace | Gift from my Mother
    Cherry Drop Bolero | Thrifted
    Hello Kitty Vintage Tee | Kmart, ‘14
    Black Freddies | Blog Sale, Similar here
    White Plimsols | Woolworths, Old

    ༺ ♡ ༻

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    Thursday, May 14, 2015

    ༺ Mother & Daughter: We ❤ Mother’s Day ༻

    What vintage mamas get up to | Lavender & Twill

    Vintage in pastels, white & lace | Lavender & Twill

    Mama style with knit tops and circle skirts | Lavender & Twill

    Mother and daughter enjoying the sun | Lavender & Twill

    Circle skirts are easy and comfortable to wear | Lavender & Twill

    My precious girls | Lavender & Twill

    Following on from the awesome day we had Saturday, it was time to celebrate Mother’s Day with our extended family in Sydney.

    My Grandmother and Grandad came to lunch with us and my Uncle, Aunt, and cousins ~ and I have to say, I think that’s really special. My children have two great grandparents to enjoy!  That’s also four generations of women on my mother’s side, which is pretty amazing.

    We all got dressed up in pretty dresses, and yes, Charlotte was supposed dressed up in a pretty dress too! But she was sleeping, so she’s snuggled up in her spring time wrap that is a special gift from when she was born instead.

    Despite the cooler autumn weather, spring time was the inspiration for these mother and daughter outfits, mostly because my new me-made skirt has a delightful pastel pink and lilac floral print on a mint background.  Yes, this circle skirt is actually my March “Sewing All The Things” make.  I really did make it in March, I swear!! It’s just that it’s taken me this long to get the photographs of it. (> o <)’ 

    It doesn’t mark off any of my goals from the Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge, as this pattern might be vintage, but it is self drafted and neither “a vintage sewing pattern, nor a reproduction vintage pattern”.  That’s alright though because pastel! Pockets! Gold buttons! All the fun things! (^ ε ^) ♡

    Did you do anything special for Mother’s Day this year? I loved the chance to dress up in matching outfits with my daughters, as I probably won’t be able to con them into matching outfits when they are older.  Have you ever worn Mother & Daughter outfits before?  Would you do it now?

    xox,

    bonita

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    Lacy Look Knit Top | Thrifted
    China Doll Circle Skirt | Me Made, March 2015
    Dragonfly Chain | Gift, Christmas 2009
    Rose Garden Peep Toe Heels | Thrifted

    ༺ ♡ ༻

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    Tuesday, May 12, 2015

    ༺ WoreSawHaul: A Sydney Vintage Gal Meet up ༻

    VD_1

    OhMyGoodness you guys!!  This is me, Saturday past.  Yup, yours truly standing right next to Ellen from A Wild Tea Party and Nora from Nora Finds!!  *fangirl gush*  Ahem. So sorry…  I shall compose myself, I promise.

    Really though, I do have a little bit of a good reason to be excited ~ it was my first real life blogger meet up!  (╯°□°)╯ I feel very privileged to get the opportunity to spend time with Nora before she moves over to the UK ~ especially because, to be honest, interacting with other vintage loving girls only happens online for me.

    Yes, I was totally nervous {Sydney traffic making me late DID NOT HELP, neither did the fact that my dang petticoat would NOT sit neatly under my dress; and I didn’t have another one with me to wear instead, and I felt totally not-put-together because of it…. : / }, but Nora and Ellen were so friendly and lovely that it didn’t matter in the end.

    And of course, we had to do all those things that bloggers do when they get together ~ this is so much fun btw!! It was great to be able to be all “Ooo, pretty pavers ~ I need to get a snap so I can Instagram it!” without having to do it on the sly so that you don’t get weird looks from your non-blogger friends. Haha!

    Anyway, I thought I’d ramble on about my outing with a new series called “WoreSawHaul”  which is pretty self explanatory. It’s all about what I wore, what I saw and what I hauled ~ because you know that there is no way I’m going out exploring vintage shops without coming home with some pretties!  \ (*≧▽≦)ノ

    So without further ado;

    ~ WHAT I WORE ~

    WSH_1  WSH_3
    WSH_2

    Thank you Nora for taking these photos!

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    Vintage Crumpled Cream Hat | Love Vintage Fair, 2011
    Daisy Garden 1950’s Vintage Dress | eBay
    Triple Strand Pearl Set | Christmas Gift
    Petticoat | Doris Designs Adult 26" Petticoat in Peach
    Ivory Jelly Wedge Sandals | eBay

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    ~  WHAT I SAW ~

    Newtown!  Actually, King Street in Newtown, Sydney, specifically. We wandered up and down the street having a peek at any of the shops that caught our interest. 

    The first shop we visited was The Vintage Drawer, which is owned by the lovely Deborah, and to whom I was introduced to by Nora {I swear she knows just about everyone in the vintage scene! So impressive}. 

    VD_2

    ~ This photo and the one at the beginning of this post is thanks to Nora again, and to Deborah who kindly took the snaps for us! ~

    We browsed incredible dresses that were so drool worthy, tried some Bésame cosmetics and took selfies ~ DUH!  And then I proceeded to let my husband walk off with the camera in the stroller {along with the son and two daughters, he really is the best Mister ever!} so I have no photo evidence of any of the other shop stops…  D’oh!

    I’m just going to have to tell you all about it instead. We visited a shop that had tons of kitschy, awesome stuff ~ jewellery, decor, clothes, etc ~ it was called Made 590. I made my first purchase there and spotted the cutest clock that I wanted for my office ~ it was a pony! 

    We also visited an antiques and collectables shop and had a good giggle at some of the scandalous paperback-covers-come-posters that were there, and tried very hard not to bump anything with our petticoats {my petticoat was as wide as the aisle!}.

    We stopped at a few others, the main one being Retrospec'd, where I just couldn’t help myself when I saw… Oh! But that would be spoiling the next part, so I’ll leave that bit for later.  (- ‿◕)

    I will say that I instantly fell for the Freddie Knitted Top in antique {sage} green and have nefarious plans to add it, and the navy one, to my wardrobe. *insert grabby hands* Must have!  (> o <)

    Doughbox

    We went to Doughbox Diner for dinner, which was unbelievable ~ the food was amazing! You think you’re getting burgers and chips, but instead you are surprised with a popcorn bread basket, and a crepe cone! They are right when they warn you about the addictiveness of the food; the Avocado Bite I ordered was divine.

    Of course, it was all over far too soon, but I had a really great time and I’m so glad I got to meet Ellen and Nora! (✿◠‿◠)

    The story is still not quite over yet, because some very delightful little things found their way into my suitcase to be carried home!

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    ~ WHAT I HAULED ~

    WSHSyd_2

    These beauties!  *squee!!*  I have been dying to try Bésame cosmetics for years ~ and I do mean years! I heard about Bésame when I first started wearing vintage, and back then they weren’t available in Australia at all. So when I came across their products at The Vintage Drawer I was determined to pick some up and finally experience the luxurious, elegant makeup for myself.

    Then while we were at Retrospec’d, Erstwilder lured me into picking up not just one, but two of their sensational designs.  The cute resin bird and heart brooch I found at Made 590. It’s by The Moby Duck, a local company from Melbourne.

    WSHSyd_3

    The red heart topped with the swooping pearlescent dove reminds me of those sweet celluloid vintage brooches, and it’s perfect for my winter wardrobe when it swings around to blacks and reds again. The sleeping mint green fox is too cunning for words ~ I’m smitten by the color and of course, the polka dots!  The flower on the right is a Waratah, a stunning native Australian flower. I love that it’s a subtle symbol that shows I’m proud to be Australian.

    WSHSyd_4

    Bésame rouge in Crimson Cream. I was so tempted to go with the lipstick in Red Hot Red, as it looks like the perfect red ~ with that touch of coral undertone. I have one such lipstick in my collection, but I have been looking for another. 

    However! The rouge wooed me in the end as I have one pink-y cream rouge, but no other blushes. Deborah gave a demonstration with Ellen as her model, and it looked so perfect. A natural rosy glow that had me sold.

    WSHSyd_5

    Oh, and I almost forgot! I found my first nylon hair scarf! It’s not vintage, but I’m okay with that as it really is super sweet.  ( ^ _ ^)∠☆

    Heheh, I didn’t take a photo of it with all the other stuff because I was wearing it in my hair and only remembered about it the very last minute before I stopped shooting. But I love the fluffy peach goodness, and yes, I’m wearing it right now as I type this post.

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    If you’re exhausted after reading all that ~ don’t worry so am I! But it doesn’t quite stop there as we celebrated Mother’s Day on the Sunday following, so I’ll have a post about that later this week as well.  Whew!

    Tell me though, what’s your favourite thing to do when you meet up with vintage or blogger {or both!} friends? I certainly don’t want this to be my last meet up! I am keen to hang out if there is anyone else who would like too ~ and any ideas for what we could do would be fun!

    xox,

    bonita

    ༺ ♡ ༻

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    Tuesday, May 5, 2015

    ༺ How To DIY Your Own Vintage Hair Tie ༻

    Remember the vintage styled hair tie I debuted in this outfit post?  Today I want to show you how to make your own version of this cute hair accessory! This tutorial is great if you have a hankering to try sewing, and would like a simple, easy project to begin with.

    If you already have sewing skills, you can just download the free pattern for The Vintage Bow Hair Tie and jump right in!  {Note: You still might want to skip down to the end for the giveaway however!   ♡~ (^ ε ^) }

    VBHT-Tut_21

    Materials you will need:

    • Fabric:  92cm (36.5”) x 12cm (4.75”)  or  46cm (18.5”) x 24cm (9.5”)  
    • Sewing Machine
    • Thread to match fabric
    • Needle for hand sewing
    • Fabric Scissors
    • Vintage Bow Hair Tie Pattern
    • Pins

    Vintage Bow Hair Tie Pattern:  Download here 

    VBHT-Pattern_1

    How to make your own Vintage Hair Tie:

    VBHT-Tut_1

    Step One:  Print out Vintage Bow Hair Tie Pattern twice, and cut out pattern pieces. There should be four in all.

    VBHT-Tut_2

    Step Two:  Join pattern pieces together as indicated.  The broken line tabs should go under the un-broken line tabs.  The last piece of the pattern, the rounded tip piece will have to be upside down to sit correctly.  The pattern should end up looking like a very long canoe!

    VBHT-Tut_3

    Step Three:  Fold your fabric over and place pattern on top.

    VBHT-Tut_4

    Step Four:  Slide any excess fabric back under so that the raw edge of the fabric is under the bottom edge of the pattern, and the fold of the fabric under the top edge of the pattern. This way, when you cut the fabric, there will be very little waste.

    VBHT-Tut_5

    Step Five:  Cut fabric.

    (Option): If you have the smaller width of fabric you can ‘piece’ this pattern together by cutting HALF of the pattern TWICE as shown above.

    VBHT-Tut_6

    You should end up with a piece like the one on top if you cut the whole pattern, or two pieces like the ones on the bottom if you cut half of the pattern twice.

    VBHT-Tut_7

    Step Six (Option for pieced pattern):  If you have pieced the pattern, put the right side {the bright side of the print} of the fabric together and pin.

    VBHT-Tut_8

    Step Seven (Option for pieced pattern):  Sew along the straight edge to join the two pieces of fabric together.  Allow 1/4” to 1/2’'” for the seam allowance.

    VBHT-Tut_9

    Step Eight:  Fold the fabric in half ~ right sides together.

    VBHT-Tut_10

    VBHT-Tut_16

    Step Nine:  Starting at one end, allowing 1/2” for the seam allowance, sew along the outside edge of the fabric.  (Option):  You can sew this seam by machine, or by hand.

    VBHT-Tut_11

    Step Ten:  Leave a 1 1/2” gap at the opposite end to pull the fabric through the right way.

    VBHT-Tut_12

    Step Eleven:  Pull the fabric from the inside of the tube, turning it the right way out.

    VBHT-Tut_13

    Step Twelve:  Press flat with an iron.

    VBHT-Tut_14

    Step Thirteen:  Tuck the raw edge of the gap in and press.

    VBHT-Tut_17

    Step Fourteen:  Thread needle, and sew up gap. Start off by passing the needle from inside the fabric tube to the outside, so that the knot end stays hidden inside. You can use the “Stitch in the Ditch” technique to hide your hand sewing, as explained below.

    VBHT-Tut_18

    The idea behind the “Stitch in the Ditch” technique is to hide your stitches inside the seam, such that you cannot see the stitches once you have finished.  To stitch in the ditch, you pass the needle through the fabric that is tucked INSIDE the gap, and repeat a little further along on the opposite side.  Continue up the sides until the gap is ‘bridged’ by the rows of stitches.

    VBHT-Tut_19

    The hand sewing sits below the crease made by pressing the raw edges in, and when you pull it tight, it closes the gap and hides the stitches.  Knot your work, and pass the needle down into the seam and out through the fabric. Pull the thread taunt when you snip, and the tail of the thread will pull back and disappear into the inside of your fabric tube.  Invisible stitches!

    VBHT-Tut_20

    Step Fifteen:  Enjoy your new vintage-inspired hair tie!  A fabulous accessory for those ‘around the house’ days to keep your hair out of your face, or when you are fancied up for day out in your favourite dress.  Make a new one every time you sew up a project and you can have co-ordinated hair and wardrobe!

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    I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have fun making your own vintage hair tie. If you have any questions about anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask and I’ll do my best to help out. 

    As always, I’d love to see your creations so please do let me know about them ~ you can share by leaving a comment or link to a blog post, tweet a picture @bjvear or share on Instagram by mentioning @missbjvear, or hashtag #DIYLavenderandTwill so I can take a peek!

    VBHT-Tut_21

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    Now for the exciting part:

    Giveaway

    For those of you that don’t like sewing, you have a chance to win your own version of the Vintage Hair Tie in this sweet floral print!

    ~ Giveaway Details ~

    Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. You must be a follower of Lavender & Twill to enter {no unfollowing after the giveaway ends please!}, and you can earn additional entries in several ways.

    IMPORTANT:  Lavender & Twill is now a .com domain, so if you follow through Bloglovin’, you need to update your feed by following the new Bloglovin’ link for Lavender & Twill.

    This giveaway is open internationally, and will be open until Sunday, May 31st at 12:00 AM (GMT +10). The winner will be chosen at random through the widget and will be contacted via e-mail by Tuesday, June 2nd {so be sure to use a valid e-mail address}. The winner must respond within 24 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Thanks for entering and best of luck!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    xox,

    bonita

    ༺ ♡ ༻

    Find me:

    Instagram | missbjvear
    Pinterest | bjvear
    Ravelry | BJVear
    Twitter | bjvear
    Youtube | Bonita Vear

    All patterns and instructions copyright to BJVear Studio. Available for personal use only, no commercial rights allowed.

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