1930's Apron

I was looking through my file of ideas and discovered I haven't shared any pictures of my collection of aprons. Here is one of my favorites.

 My sister picked this up in an antique shop for me. The higher waist, the way the shirt is shaped and that cute pocket, all shout 1930s to me.

 Pocket detail. I love the shape of it!

 An "H" style back. The ties are a bit short, but I like how they are bound with bias tape and how the ends are rounded. I think it was homemade as there is no tag and the ties are pieced together.

Of course this was too cute of an apron, it needed to live on. So I took a pattern from it and made another in cherry fabric. Love those cherries!

 This summer, hopfully, I will have patterns for this apron for sale. I will keep you updated!

Applique and more Applique!

 Looking around on the internet, I kept coming across all these applique aprons. Aren't these cute? So cheerful!

Apples! What could be better? Late 1930s.

Love the design of this one. Early 1940s.

 Mid 30s. What could be cuter? Pink elephants and cherries!

 A little south of the boarder influence here. Mid 40s.

 Look what they do with rick-rack. Later 40s.

 The flowers are too cute, 1930s.

This one is on my to-do list! From the 50s.

Ginger Rogers

While browsing around for more apron ideas, I can across this marvelous pattern from the 1930s. Isn't that neat the apron buttons on the dress? I love it. You just have to make sure you always wear buttons!

I have seen a few other patterns that have the button on aprons, all from the 30s. But they are not very common.

Hollywood patterns were based on the fact that everyone likes to dress like their favorite actress. You can find just just about every well known actress on the front of them, and some unknown actresses.

Ginger Rogers was a wonderful actress, she had such sparkle! I love the movies she did with Fred Astaire. They were such an elegant couple.

Here is a clip from "Shall We Dance". One of my favorites of the Fred/Ginger musicals. I love Ginger's clothes, isn't her dress smashing?  

Music to Sew By

Last weekend I did a bunch of sewing. (Hopefully I will have pictures up next week! ) My sister and I love to listen to music when we do projects. And we love music from the 1950's. Here are a few of my favorites.

Melodie D'Amour by The Ames Brothers.

One of our favorite singing groups! Love their voices.

This one I have just discovered. So sweet!

It is so true of any relationship, little things do matter a lot.

And of course Doris Day! We have been huge fans of her since we have been little.
This song is on a record we bought at an estate sale.

Of course, there are a whole bunch more I can tell you about! But these are my current favorites. I have been in a 50's mood. In case you would like to hear some more 50's music here is a link to online radio http://www.gotradio.com/MusicRoom.mvc, go to Forever Fifties.
Enjoy!

Clothespin Apron- Free Pattern!

Today I have a free apron pattern for you! How exciting is that? I am very excited to share this with you. A Clothes-pin Apron. Isn't is cute? The pattern is from a little booklet from the 1920's. It has one big pocket with lots of room for those clothes pins.

 Finished apron

The apron is made from two squares of 18" fabric. A fat quarter is 18" x 22", so that makes it handy! And half a package of bias tape. I think it took me about 20 minutes to whip up.

 Pattern pinned, ready to cut.

Cut an 18" square for apron back and use pattern to cut apron pocket.

 Sew bias tape on edges of pocket openings.

 Pocket edges with bias tape sewn on. I took a picture because it is a little hard to describe which edges to sew. As you can see it is the ones on the sides that make the pocket opening edges.

Pin pocket and back together matching all edges. The pins are there! You just can't see them in the bright fabric. Sew bias tape to side edge continuing around bottom and up other side.

Now for the top! Cut a piece of bias tape 72" long. Mark center with pin, mark 9" on either side. Turn in 1/4" on end of bias tape and stitch edges together until you reach first mark. This is for the ties.

When you reach first mark, insert top of apron in bias tape and sew.

When you reach the end of the apron, continue sewing the bias tape, turning in 1/4" at end edge.

You're done!
Here is the pattern to download and directions. The pattern is in three pages which you will need to tape together.
I hope you have as much fun as I had! Let me know how it goes!

You Learn Something New Every Day

 There is always something new to learn. Yesterday I learned two new things. I was reading an old Singer Sewing Manual circa. 1954 (with marvelous illustrations!) and came across this tip for turning corners. I have never heard of this before! And I have read my share of sewing books, old and new. I love when I find a new tip. I did try it out, works really nice!

The other thing I learned, is southeast Wisconsin is at the same latitude as southern Spain. But because Europe is a smaller land mass, they have a more temperate clime then here. Interesting.

The Well Equipped Cook

Here is a collection of cookbook covers I am adding to my apron website. A good cookbook, a cute apron, how can you not turn out a delicious meal?

 Abt. 1909 I really like the pointed apron skirt.

 1922 Still looking very much like the last decade. Isn't the trim cute?

 Classic late 1920's!

 Early 1930s, love the floral.

 I loved the side veiw. abt 1919 Looks like the apron is dotted!

1906 Such detail on this one. Those shoulder straps are quite something!

I just love the illistrations. The ladies are too cute. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have! Pictures are from http://www.oldcookbooks.com/

Tulip Time in the Netherlands

Gorgeous! Wouldn't you love to visit in May?

 

 I was sent these pictures in an email forward. I don't even know who to give credit to.

Milk Bottles

Yes, I have a collection! Fifteen milk bottles. I didn't realize I had so many, until I put them all out. It all started with one I found in my grandfather's garage. It was from a local dairy. Then I got the brilliant idea to collect a milk bottle from all the different towns I have been in. It helped to narrow the field down for me. Of course I have a couple from my home town too. I try and make them useful by using them to hold knitting needles, pencils and scissors. And they make dandy vases!

Milk Bottles are very hard to date as the they didn't change that much. Milk first started being delivered in glass bottles about 1903, but didn't become wide spread until 1920's. There are two methods of marking a bottle; eembossed (the letters are a raised part of the glass) and pyroglazing (a method of "glazing" a paint on) first used in 1933. Two very informative sites are: http://www.sha.org/bottle/index.htm http://dairyantiques.com/Home_Page.html I haven't done to much research on them. They are such fun pieces of history. Some even have funny saying on them. "They Came to Visit not to Stay, Please Return our Bottles Every Day!"

 A local milk bottle

Fruited Tablecloth

 This was a little treat to myself last time I went antique shopping. It was a little more expensive then I like to pay for tablecloths, but it is in excellent shape and gorgeous. I couldn't pass it up!

Don't you love the fruit? In case you haven't noticed, I adore fruit. I find it very interesting that all the fruit is red. Maybe it was cheaper to print just one color or thought it looked better. Fruit tablecloths were very popular in the 1940s and 50s. I think this one is from the 50s, as tablecloths from the 40s generally were in bright primary colors.