༺ How To Crochet A Rose Hair Flower Accessory ༻

Hello lovelies! (•ᵕ ᴗ ᵕ•)❀

This is a simple tutorial on how to crochet a flower hair clip like the one above.  You might have noticed me wearing it in my hair in my last Mother & Daughter outfit post?  Anyway, now you can make one just like it for yourself!

I do not have my usual step by step photos in this tutorial, as it mostly about following the crochet pattern, so if you have any questions; please do not hesitate to ask.  ( ^ _ ^)∠☆ 

Materials List:

• Yarn in two different colours {I used 2 ply cotton yarn in ivory & pink}
• Crochet hook in the appropriate size for the ply of your wool
• Hair clip finding {I used a mini millinery barrette as the clip}
• Needle for sewing the flower to the finding

Gauge:

I used a 1.75mm hook with my yarn.  For your standard 3-4 ply wool, a 2.00 - 3.25mm hook is recommended.  Hook & yarn chart.

Abbreviations:

ch – chain
sk – skip
sc - single crochet
dc – double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
* – repeat

The Pattern:

~  Flower Centre  ~

Ch 21.
Row 1: *Dc, ch1, dc* in fifth ch from hook. *Ch1, sk1. Dc, ch 1, dc in next stitch* till the end (repeat 8 times).  You should end up with 9 double crochet V’s.  Ch 3 and turn.
Row 2: In first ch1 space between the double crochet V’s, dc 4 times. *Sl st in next ch1 space between the double crochet V’s. Dc 5 times* till the end (repeat 9 times).  Sl st in last stitch in row.

༺ ♡ ༻

Step 1:  Fasten off and leave long tail for sewing. With the tail on the right side, roll the flower inwards (clockwise motion), placing the petals how you would like and sewing to hold it in place.

~  Flower Petals  ~

Ch 48
Row 1:  Sk 1 ch, sc in next ch and across, ch 3, turn
Row 2: *Sk 1 sc, 2 dc in next sc, sk next sc, 1 dc in next sc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 3: *2 dc, ch1, 2 dc in space between 2 dc, dc in next dc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 4: *3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in ch space, dc in next dc, continue from * across, ch 3 turn
Row 5: *8 dc in ch space, dc in next dc, continue from * across – finish off with sl st leaving a long tail to sew the clip on.

༺ ♡ ༻

Step 2:  Take flower centre and roll the outside petals around it, sewing the petals in place with the rest of the flower centre’s tail.

Step 3:  Using the flower petals’ long tail sew the hair clip finding onto the back of the flower. 

Step 4:   Wear and enjoy your crochet flower hair clip. (✿◠‿◠)

༺ ♡ ༻

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Find me:

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

༺ How to DIY a 1940’s Crochet Snood ༻

For some time now I’ve been eyeing off various gorgeous hairstyles around the place that have involved lovely snoods, like this one, or this one, but I have hemed and hawed about purchasing one for myself.  The ease of popping one on and waltzing out the door for the day is very tempting for a busy vintage mother, the only problem ~ $16.00 or more seemed like a lot to spend on one snood.

I decided to whip out my Google fingers and see what I could turn up, and et voilà!  I present to you the “Perky Snood” pattern.   A vintage 1940’s crochet snood pattern for a medium sized snood. 

~ Download free snood pattern here ~

The pattern is very simple, but calls for a long treble crochet stitch which is rather old fashioned, and not used all that frequently these days.  Here are the instructions on how to do the stitch:

Long Treble Crochet (long tr.) -  YO 3 times before inserting the hook into the work, YO and draw through 2 loops on the hook 4 times.

Decreasing Long Treble Crochet (dec. long tr.) - YO 3 times, insert hook in next long tr. and YO. Take off  2 loops 3 times in succession, leaving 2 loops on the hook. YO 3 times, insert hook in work (6 loops on hook), YO, take off 2 loops, 3 times in succession, YO and take off 3 loops at once.

Yarn Over -  YO

Now, I have to warn you that although I found this pattern easy to get the hang of in terms of stitches, it doesn’t seem to be easy to put together the right sized hook and yarn ply to create a large enough snood.  I actually repeated this pattern three times before I finally turned out a snood that was large enough to wear!

Here are my notes so that you don’t make the same mistakes that I did.

~  Second snood on the left compared with the third snood on the right.  The first one was even smaller, can you believe!  More like a bun net than anything else…  ~

First I tried using a small 1.50mm hook that I thought the pattern called for, and the yarn to match.  That turned out all wrong ~ it was far too small.  So was the next one, with a larger 4.00mm hook and the yarn to match.  I looked like I was wearing a lunch lady’s hair net rather than a snood!  So then I went back to my original yarn, which was actually 2 ply cotton, with the 4.00mm hook, and somehow that worked.

I still think that the pattern ended up a little shorter than what I would have preferred, but in this case it is ok, because my hair is quite short at the moment and won’t really suit anything longer.  If you want a longer snood, simply add more rows in the middle before you start your decreases and you will be all set!

Last, but not least ~ here’s the finished results in action:

 

Remember to swatch your work, as the gauge is crucial to sizing, and enjoy your snood making!   ヾ(＾∇＾)

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Find me:

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

༺ How To Make Pastel Colored Bobby Pins ༻

Hello Lovelies! I have another simple DIY tutorial for you that produces some very cute hair accessories, so let’s get right to it shall we? 

    
Supplies needed:

• Clean bobby pins/hair grips ~ preferably new ones
• Pretty nail polishes in your choice of colors  ~  I used Mode Cosmetics – Cool As, Maybelline Express Finish – Passing By Pink, BYS Nail Enamel – 05 Light Purple, N.Y.C. Color – Lemon
• Some cardboard or paper

Step 1:  Arrange your bobby pins on the cardboard and make sure there is paper underneath them to catch any extra spills.

Step 2:  Carefully paint along the top of the individual bobby pins using your nail polish.  Be careful not to put too much polish on the brush or it will puddle over the side of the bobby pins.

Step 3:  Rinse and repeat as often as you like!

Top Tip:  It is better to use a thicker nail polish for this DIY than a thin one, as you not only get better coverage, but it’s also easier to paint neatly so that you don’t get puddles of excess polish everywhere!

 

Step 4: Double coat your bobby pins to cover up any see-through spots.  When you are happy with how they look, very carefully move any bobby pins that are sitting in puddles of polish so that they don’t stick when dry and ruin the paint job when you take them off the cardboard.

Allow your bobby pins to dry over night and then enjoy wearing your new pretty accessories in your hair!  (= ᵔ ᴗ ᵔ)  ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Find me:

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

༺ Doing an Authentic 1940s Cut ~ The Middy Plus ༻

This is the story of how I decided back in 2012 to get my hair cut in an authentic 1940’s war time style. This post originally appeared on my previous blog Depict This!. I thought it might be helpful, so I decided to republish it here. (｡・◡・｡) ❤ 

༺ ♡ ༻

One day I went to my hairdresser to get a trim. Initially I had planned to get my usual style freshened up, but at the last minute I found a diagram of the Middy Plus cut and popped it on my phone, just in case. 

I have been thinking about trialling that cut for a while, but when I asked my old hairdresser she pretty much said that she didn’t want to do the cut like that because she thought I wouldn’t like my hair being that short.  All well and good, but I sort of wanted to try it anyway!

So when I went back to the salon to have my first haircut with a new hairdresser I bit the bullet and rather haltingly asked her if she would do this “retro 1940s haircut for me because I sort of like to wearing vintage-y style outfits and I know it’s kind of random, but it’s fun and….”  Yeah. (≧ o ≦)

I was embarrassed ~ particularly after last time! But she was super sweet and loved that I had brought in an actual hairdresser’s diagram to show her.  {I took page number 3 ~ The Middy Plus}

 

I won’t lie; when she made the first cut into my hair, I died a little inside….  I hadn’t realized just how short 4 1/2 inches at the back is!!  Still, I reasoned with myself that my hair does tend to grow quickly to a certain length {and then it just stop altogether  : P } so if I really hated it, it would grow out.  Anyway this is the finished result:

I didn’t use any pin curls or rollers; just my natural curl with a bit of styling wax combed through it while it’s wet to control the frizz.  Overall I am super happy with the cut, but there are some downsides to getting an authentic cut.   Here’s my list of pros and cons.

 

~  Deciding on an Authentic Vintage Cut  ~

Pros:   

1. It’s very easy to look vintage with your hair out.
2. It’s super quick to do a pin curl set, or rollers.  And a lot easier!
3. It’s cute and it’s different.
4. It helps to keep era-ambiguous outfits period correct.  What I mean by that is that even though back in the 1940-50’s there would have been fashion cross-over, you can look a bit ‘muddled’ if you don’t try to stick fairly close to one era when you dress vintage now a days.  Fleur de Guerre once commented that vintage styled victory rolls was her best accessory for looking vintage and I agree.  Get your hair right and the rest follows ~ little things like correct make up, shoes, etc, don’t tend to matter as much then.

Cons:

1. You most likely will need to learn specific techniques for updo styles. The Middy Plus is supposed to be “a convenient length for updos” but I really haven’t found that even after having this cut for over two years. Low updos are easier, but high updos are quite tricky.
2. It’s short.  As in really short.  I can’t pull it into a ponytail which is a bit frustrating.  I have heard that a way around this problem is to ask the hairdresser to add length to the cut, so for instance, if the Long Length cut is still too short, ask them to do the cut but add 4” all around, making 6” at the back 10” long and the 3” at the side 7” and so on.
3. If you don’t want to look vintage, it’s a bit hard.  An authentic cut will immediately create a vintage, old fashioned air with any outfit.
4. Sometimes you think you look like a grandma….  And in an old way, not the good way.

༺ ♡ ༻

Like I briefly mentioned above, I’ve swung between the Middy Plus cut, and the longer variation, the Long Length cut, for over two years now.  I have changed my hair product approach and tend to use styling cream, combined with hairspray or hair mousse to control the curl.

While the cut does look better with a proper curl styling, like pin curls, I like that I can wear my natural curl and still style my hair with an authentic vintage appropriate look.  For a busy mother this is a decided advantage and I know I’ll never look back now, these two cuts are the only two I will try.  I like them both that much!

Have you ever thought about trying an authentic 1940’s cut?  What would appeal to you about it?

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Find me:

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

༺ Sewing for the Home ༻

I thrifted this lovely 1967 Woman’s Weekly Home Sewing Decor Guide, and had to share by converting it to a .pdf. I personally love looking at these fantastic booklets, as I often learn some housekeeping trick or titbit that turns out to be quite useful. While this one is aimed at the home sewer, I hope there are some decor ideas in here for everyone. ♡

It has lots of instructions on how to sew just about everything you could possibly need for your house; everything that that can be sewn that is ~ and it also tells you how to make interesting window dressings like pelmets, valances and cornices.

I like these examples of window treatments ~ although I think that all that floral wallpaper in the photo on the right is a bit overpowering for me.  (> . <)

The instructions for the table clothes seem simple, but with a nice variety of trimming styles from the normal square. I also like the thought of layering two clothes on a round table for more textural interest.

I love the color palette in all of the photos above ~ the soft pastel tones and ivory cream tints really seem to lighten and brighten the spaces, don’t they?  

French Provincial mixed with a kind of Country Victorian look is one of my favorite decor styles, and I adore the feel of carefully crafted solid wooden furniture with brass or gold accents. I also like it if it looks a little worn and shabby, but as my husband is not so fond of that particular style, we try to meet in the middle!

There are of course, tons more inspiration pictures out there. Pinterest is a mecca of shabby chic! If you combine your favorite styles with this handy little guide, your own vintage inspired home decor and furnishings shall be easy to create ~ download it here. (✿◠‿◠)

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Find me:

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

༺ How To Make Ric-Rac Rose Jewelry ༻

Ric-rac is such a fun, quirky trim that comes in such a variety of colors and sizes, it’s no wonder that it’s still a popular material for many crafters and sewing enthusiasts.

You’ve also probably noticed that ric rac features heavily as a favorite trimming in the 1950s ~ a lot of dresses and skirts had ric rac detailing on them, like these lovely dresses:

 
 
So if you’re are looking for a simple way to add a touch of that vintage~flavored kitsch to your outfit, then this Ric-Rac Rose Jewelry Tutorial is just the thing for you!

Materials you will need:

• Thin ric rac if you want to make earrings, thick ric rac to make a broach/ring
• Jewelry findings ~ such as post earring backs, and a brooch pin or ring base
• Thread to sew the roses together/to your jewelry findings
• Hot glue

How to make a ric-rac rose:

Step 1:  Cut a length of ric-rac, fold it in half and twist the two pieces around each other.

Step 2:  Roll the rose up and secure it with glue or thread so it doesn’t come unraveled. You can use pins to get the placement of the end right, or just hold it tight. 

Step 3:  Peel the petals back if you like, or use it as a rose bud. 

Now to make your ric-rac roses into jewelry! ✿

To make ric-rac rose bud earrings:

Step 1:  Cut two 15cm pieces of 1/2cm wide ric rac and roll them into a rose bud.

Step 2:  Glue your bud to the earring finding.

Note:  I used bead cups with the post earring threaded through the hole in the middle because the disc at the end of the post was too small to glue the bud onto.  You can just use a plain post earrings if that is your preference.

Step 3:  Repeat ~ and voilà!  You have two cute ric rac rose earrings to wear. 

To make a ric-rac rose brooch:

Step 1:  Cut a 82cm piece of 1cm wide ric rac and roll into a rose.  Glue the end down.

Step 2:  Peel the outer layers of the ric rac back to ‘unfurl’ the bud.  You may have to glue the bottom of the rose to keep it from falling apart. 

Step 3:  Cut out some green felt in the shape of leaves and a small circle that is the width of your broach pin.

Step 4:  Glue down the leaves, then the broach pin, then the felt circle.  You want the circle to sit in the middle of the back of the rose and cover all the untidy glue. 

Now you are ready to début your lovely set of ric rac rose jewelry. (✿◠‿◠) You could also make a ring, or glue a rose to a clip and wear it in you hair ~ really the possibilities are limitless.  Ric-rac can add the perfect sweet touch to just about anything; so have fun with it!   

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

Find me:

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

~ Why I Wear Vintage ~

Quite some time ago I had read Charlotte of Tuppence Ha’penny’s post on “Why I Wear Vintage”. She said that she was “Inspired by a recent post on Already Pretty in which three guest contributors answered a few questions about their chosen wardrobe aesthetic, I decided to pose myself the same questions.”

So after our discussion on “Wearing Vintage ~ Real world vs Blog land" previously, I thought this series of questions would be a great way to explain why I choose to dress with a vintage style even if I do stand out a bit…

What made you decide to dedicate your wardrobe to a single, defined aesthetic?

I guess I’ve been searching for the ‘right’ style for me for a long time.  I never really liked to dress like everyone else ~ I sort of followed the fashion pack but always insisted on putting my own twist into it.  As I got older I realized how vitally important it is for me to express my personality through the way I dress.  I am a very visual person and I love that my clothing finally reflects how I feel inside ~ artsy, feminine, and very individual!  ; )




 
How long have you stuck to it?

I really only discovered the vintage aesthetic half way through 2010, so I’ve been dressing in a 1940s – 1950s style for close to four years now.  The more I do it, the more I love it.  This is something I can see lasting my whole life.

 

What do you love about it?

I think the biggest element that I love about wearing vintage is how feminine it feels.  I tend to think that nowadays designers are focused on creating clothes that look good on minus zero models, a sort of androgynous look that it neither designed for a feminine or masculine figure, but rather for a unrealistic, impossible figure that only exists in the world of high fashion.   

Compared to that, I tend to feel that even though vintage wear still had is ‘impossible’ figures in the high fashion ~ models with generous curves and tiny waists, the clothing itself was still designed with real women in mind.  You may not be able to look completely like a fashion model, but the clothes still look good on your “normal” figure. 

Because of this reason, I find that vintage feels like it was made for me, not just the impossible woman, and who doesn’t love clothes that feel perfectly suited to you?  Plus, vintage wear is so cute with all the little details that you just don’t find in mass produced fashions. Each piece of vintage is different, and no one has the same dress {unless it’s a reproduction}, so of course that appeals to my very independent streak. 

 

What’s frustrating?

Availability.  Don’t get me wrong, I love that there is a huge appreciation for the vintage look at the moment; vintage being on trend is a big bonus in fleshing out my wardrobe with some cheaper ready to wear items.  It’s helpful in that respect, but not so great when you are paying between $50-$100.00 for simple cotton day dresses.  And of course, the really nice stuff is going for $180 + these days! 

The high demand means that you have to really treasure the vintage pieces you own {which I already do} and treat them really carefully.  This can get quite wearisome when you have young children and need to be able to get dirty, clean the house, be rumpled, pulled on, snot nose wiped on, and etc. That is the hardest obstacle I face when dressing in my vintage clothes.  Sometimes I just can’t do the things I would like to in it, so sometimes I can’t dress the way I want to.

 

What would you say to someone considering a similar sartorial path?

Dress the way you want to, wear what makes you feel pretty.  I know there can be some hesitation and concern about others judging you on your clothes, or maybe feeling like you’ll draw too much attention to yourself, but really ~ if it makes you happy go for it!  The last thing you are going to do is wish that you had stayed at home and hid yourself away.  Your life is for your enjoyment, so step out and don’t look back.   ٩(⁎❛ᴗ❛⁎)۶ ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

~ ♡ ~

Find me:

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

Wearing Vintage ~ Real world vs. Blog land

I feel like a princess ~ I have donned my petticoat, pretty 50s style dress, floral heels and softly gleaming pearl jewelry.   Then I step out the door and all of that changes….  I walk with my head high, conscious of the stares and double takes.  Yes, I know I am dressed differently from the average person, but is it really that strange?

I have heard other vintage bloggers talk about their fashion choices and the effect it has on public when they walk out the door in head to toe, era perfect wear.   To be honest, I thought I knew what they were talking about.  I’ve had my fair share of odd looks ~ I haven’t really dressed in ‘normal’ clothing for sometime, but then again I have never gone the full head to toe of any style in particular ~ i.e. Goth, punk, Lolita, vintage etc.

Apparently outfits that are slightly off magazine trendy are unique and edgy, but a completely non~fashionable style such as vintage is peculiar.  I say this because the general public response to my vintage outfits and to my ‘interesting’ arty outfits is not the same and this surprises me for some reason!  Therefore, I am wondering if my expectations of people’s reactions is slightly warped perhaps?

You see, what I see on my computer and what I experience in the real world are two very different things.   You might say there are almost two separate worlds that I wear vintage in, one is the internet in vintage~friendly blog land and the other is my life; amongst real strangers with real judgments and preconceived ideas.

If you are wondering what I mean by saying that, let me say that this is how I see it:

In internet~blog land we read and visit blogs that we are interested in; so if you are into food you will read food blogs, and if you are into IT development you will read developer’s blogs.  It’s much the same with fashion blogs ~ if you are obsessed with runway fashion, you will read blogs that focus on that, and if perchance, you happen to like vintage fashion, those are the blogs you will focus on and immerse yourself in.

So everyday in your feed reader you will see gorgeous ladies dressed in 50s tea length dresses, 20s flapper outfits, 30s, 40s, 60s ~ you name it.  Every era, every style, every part of history is represented online.  And the thing about that is, you not only see bloggers themselves excited to wear these gorgeous clothes, but their readers eager to see them wear those clothes too ~ to me, these blogs are communities built around expressing yourself through your clothes. 

Therefore, in the online world vintage clothing is an acceptable mode of dress; and not just vintage, but pretty much any style of fashion distinct from main stream is okay.  I think that this acceptance creates an idea that dressing in vintage is a part of normal life.

But the thing is, in reality, that’s not the case.  Sure, anyone that wears vintage, or other subversive styles of dress, are really just ordinary people with different ways of expressing themselves.   However acceptable and ‘normal’ this is in the online world, it’s pretty unusual to see someone in everyday life wearing unordinary, un~everyday clothing!

I forget that.   I walk out in vintage clothing and I forget that the majority of people around me may think that queer, bizarre or even odd. 

Because of that I find it easier to post pictures of my vintage outfits than actually wearing them, because in one world uncommon fashions are admired, but in the other, they are just plain weird.

Does anyone else have this problem when they make daring fashion choices?

xox,

bonita

~ ♡ ~

Find me:

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