More Yummy Images from Sears Spring and Summer 1942 Catalog

Hello lovely readers! I had great intentions of actually writing a post for at least one of my three finished objects this weekend, but instead I came down with a cold. Yuck! Instead, I have some more great images from the 1942 Spring and Summer Sear's Catalog. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration!

All of these outfits are so lovely! I especially like the fun shoes the lady on the right is wearing.

This is an close up shot of my favorite outfit from the previous page. I love the ensemble on the left with the red vest, white blouse, and blue pants. If you look closely, the vest actually buttons all the way down the sides. Since I don't have the skills to knit myself one of these, would it be possible to buy a large mans vest (thrifted of course), open up the sides, make buttonholes, and sew on buttons? Of course it would need to be serged and need some sort of interfacing. I am not really an up-cycler so any advice would be great.

Who says overalls are only appropriate for those doing manual, outdoor labor of those still holding onto the grunge scene. Those bib overalls on the left are totally adorable. The sweetheart neckline and cute pocket detail make them so feminine. As you can see on the right, they also come in a playsuit version, which would probably be a bit more wearable for me.

All of these are super cute. My personal favorite is the tailored blue slacks with the white blouse.

Notice the text on the page reads, " Special Playclothes for larger women". Now, none of these women appear to be "larger" to me, but I suppose the average woman in 1942 was much more petite than I am. Anyways, despite that these were supposed to be for a larger lady, they are every bit as stylish and cute as their smaller counterparts.

I hadn't posted many black and white images but I just had to show this flared skirt. It hangs so nicely and looks so elegant. Try finding a skirt that hangs this nicely in a department store today.

Even though the red coat in the middle is a bit on the boxy side I still think the outfit looks so neat and pulled together. I also love the jumper on the left.

Just look at those lovely prints! I would love to recreate these prints in a gorgeous rayon, but the only way I currently know how to do that is through Spoonflower which is so, so pricey.

Just look at that lovely fit! To most of us, $5.98 seems like a steal for a dress. If you account for inflation, this dress costs about $85 in current USD. While this dress is certainly better made than its modern day counterparts, it still wasn't inexpensive in 1942.

More yummy prints to drool over. I need at least 5 yards each of those polka dots.

That red fabric with leaves is divine.

 The outfit on the right is gorgeous. Sadly, I do not have the head shape nor circumference for hats. I have a rather large noggin.

 I love the skirt and blouse combo on the right. I'm not sure I'd wear this ensemble as is today, but I would definitely wear the pieces are separates.

Apparently, there were lots of dresses that qualified as the Best Dresses in America for $4.98. The dress on the left still has a pretty full skirt for the early 40's, but since 1942 would have been the early war years for the US it seems reasonable to assume the most strict rations had not taken effect yet.

Both of these coats are so divine. The both fit so well and just exude a sense of quality.

Doesn't she look ready to conquer the town in this coat? This coat wasn't an inexpensive purchase at $19.98. According to an inflation calculator, this cost would cost you approximately $281 in modern USD.

Readers, which are your favorites? I'd love to hear your opinions. I do have lots more images to share in time as the catalog is over 1000 pages in length. ( Though I doubt most of us want to see images for replacement farm equipment parts or other machinery.) I will definitely post the fabric and sewing section next!

Spring and Summer 1942 Sears Catalog

Over the summer my mom found a great Sears catalog from the Spring and Summer of 1942 at an antique shop for only $14! It is chock full of fabulous images featuring drool worthy dresses and lust inducing shoes. I thought that I'd share some of these images with my lovely blog readers. My internet is being terribly finicky about uploading photos, so I can only upload a few in each post. I will post multiple posts featuring all the lovely images. I also hope to do a post about the weird and wacky things the catalog sold, such as a cream made by Nestle designed to make a toddler's hair curly.

Look at this adorable cover!

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I really like the pink skirt shown in the top row.

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I love all of these dresses but the white,, green, and red one is lust worthy!

Just look at those swoon worthy play suits!

This is adorable as well!

I had to take an up close picture of this outfit. A play suit with a matching cape? Yes, please!

This is such a smart looking outfit!

I would wear this every day if I owned it.

These fabrics are the other choices for the dress in the previous image.

As I said earlier, I have so many more images I can post. Is there anything in particular anyone would like to see next? I was thinking of posting all the shoe pics next. There are also lots of pictures of foundation garments, but they are almost entirely in black and white. Is anyone interested in black and white pictures or only color ones? I had always thought it would be so strange to order clothing when the picture was in black and white. Much to my surprise there is a card in the back of the catalog, in color, with what looks like very small paint samples with corresponding numbers. The number of the available colors were in the descriptions and you matched it to the corresponding number on the card! How neat is that?

Inspiration From Barbie?

Do you ever find sewing inspiration in the oddest of places? It seems, lately, that I cannot get enough of the vintage outfits that Barbie donned in her glory days. Now, outside of my childhood dolls days, I cannot say that I have ever been a huge Barbie fan, or more truthfully, a fan at all. Though I do thoroughly enjoy hoarding stockpiles of stuff that will never help me in the event of a catastrophe, Barbie just seems to have never entered my hoarding radar. Just for the record, I have no problem with Barbie, and I don't believe she is destroying the female youth with an unrealistic ideal of beauty and perfection. For the sake of this post, however, we'll keep it on a light and fun level and talk only about Barbies clothes. Deal?

I do remember playing with Barbie dolls in my youth, circa 1994. More specifically, I remember dressing Barbie in the most fashionable, read awful, 90s clothing that I could procure as 4 year old. Stirrup pants for Barbie, anyone? These are not, thankfully, the clothes that I am referring to when I say I want to recreate some of Barbies looks for myself.  I want to make life size versions of some of Barbie best, and most fashionable, ensembles she ever donned.

First up, we have an outfit which seems to be known as "Roman Holiday". According to my very amateur research, Mattel released this outfit around 1959. According to the seller of this Ebay auction, which is the source of the picture below, the Roman Holiday outfit is the holy grail of outfit for collectors.The auction is currently at a bit over $1200!

What isn't to love about this outfit? A navy skirt with a red and white striped bodice, a matching coat, a lovely white belt, white clutch, a sweet red bow for your hair,  and a fabulous pair of navy heels to top off the outfit. If you click on the link above, you'll see additional pictures of the outfit, which also features a back metal zipper for the dress. If memory serves me correctly, in the 90s, all my Barbie clothes had velcro backs, instead of nice zippers.

Next up, we have this lovely red velvet 60's evening coat. The Barbie sized version of this will only set you back a respectable $10, if no one else bids against you. Doesn't every woman dream of owning a rich, luxurious red velvet evening coat to don for the most special occasions. I genuinely enjoy overdressing for Christmas, and this coat would make quite a statement. Don't you think?

 Now, how about a lovely nightgown and matching satin robe for me, er for Barbie? This lovely set features a teal colored nightgown with a matching, adorned robe for Barbie to gallivant around the house in. This outfit would be so much prettier, and much more feminine, than the generally hideous elastic waist, flannel PJ pants which seem to have invaded.

Lastly, we have these seven absolutely amazing sheath dresses. Right click seems to be disabled, or at least not working for me, on the picture, so you'll have to follow my link. ( It goes to an Ebay auction, and I promise it's worth a click.) After seeing all those dresses neatly lined up like seven glamorous ducks in a row, I have an urge to turn the dining room upside down and whip up some sheath dresses.The addition of the bows on Barbies versions make them all the more spectacular.

In closing, do you ever find inspiration from odd sources? Ever looked to Barbie for some sewing mojo kick starter? Would you create a life size version of any of the outfits I've shown? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Fall Sewing Inspiration

Hello? Hello? Is anyone out there? It seems I have been badly neglecting my poor blog these days. Shame on me! School has kept me quite busy lately, and I was out of town almost the entire week last week plus the weekend.

So, as you might imagine, not much sewing has been going on lately, though I REALLY want to be sewing. I'm working on a modern Butterick jacket that is lined right now. I would have more done but the fashion fabric and lining both fray like mad, and I've been finishing every seam. With. A.Zig-Zag. Stitch. Slow doesn't even begin to describe the process.I'll get some pics of it up in the next few days.

But for now, let's delve into some ooey gooey fall fashion goodness, shall we?

This little Shabby Apple number is to die for! I love the mustard color and the gargantuan collar.

This Kate Spade coat may just be the best thing ever, but has the worst price ever at over $600. Lucky for me, I have the perfect vintage pattern to recreate it, but unlucky for me I have no idea where one finds reasonably priced hot pink wool.

 I am practically going gaga over this amazing vintage number. I will find out a way to recreate this masterpiece one day.

Now this is a fabulous coat if I've ever seen one! Maybe if I start sewing a knockoff now, I'll have it completed by, say, my 40th birthday.

Well, there you have it my lovely readers, so great eye candy to start off the fall sewing season. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get some serious amounts of sewing done and post a sneak peak of my jacket. What is everyone else planning to work on for fall?

Dear Modcloth, Please Stop Making Me Drool on my Keyboard!

Have you been over to Modcloth lately? If you haven't, I suggest you grab a roll of paper towels ( you'll need those to wipe up the drool) and a bottle of vodka*, and head on over there to check out the to die for collection of dresses that they sell. (* You're going to need to vodka to self medicate after you realize you don't have an extra ten grand laying around to order one of everything.) I seem to love almost every single dress that they feature. Some of a bit more modern, with an 80's flair, while some are super cute retro inspired dresses that are totally wearable. Each time I click over there I end up saving what seems like a bagillion things to my "clipboard" in Polyvore. Just for the record, I have not actually bought anything from their website. Most of the dresses are in the $75 plus range, and I am a complete cheapskate, and some of the styles are a bit short for my taste.

Over the weekend I finally cut out some fabric to be made into my first Modcloth inspired dress. The dress is still listed here on their website though it appears to be sold out. It originally retailed for $98.

I need your help though, dear readers. I plan on making a loop and a knot of fabric to put on the bodice of the dress and I am going to use one of my "new" belt buckles and backing to make the belt detail. Where I need your help is in deciding if I should include the white stripe at the bottom of the dress. I can't seem to tell what the stripe is made from or if it is just woven into or printed onto the fabric. I assumed that I could just hand stitch some white ribbon onto the bottom to imitate the design feature. Do you think that this is a good idea or should I use something else? Should I leave this off? I need your feedback lovely readers with much more sewing knowledge than I.

I am already planning my next Modloth knockoff and I have yet to even put a single stitch into my first one. I am an over planner, so what can I say? This is such a cute and modern looking shirtdress. I am pretty sure that one of the new Lisette patterns has the perfect short sleeve shirtdress pattern to recreate the look. I will add that to my already filled to the brim and exploding to do (eventually) list.

Happy Sewing!

P.S. I should have a new skirt to show you all tomorrow!

Summer Shorts Inspiration

First of all I want to say thank you for all the wonderful comments on yesterday's shorts post. I will definitely be checking out all of your pattern suggestions and picking up a few at the next sale.

First up on tonight's agenda is my current sewing project. I am working on a Kate Spade inspired skirt right now. All it needs is a hook and eye and the hem, which I intend to do by hand*, and then it will be ready for it's photo debut, weather permitting. Since I didn't have time to make an Easter dress I think I am going to deem this my Easter skirt.

* In the not so distant past I had publicly declared my hatred of hand sewing. However, I think I have had a change of heart. A girl can change her mind, right?  I still don't love it, but I think I am starting to see that it does have a purpose and can produce very satisfactory results. In the case of hand sewing, the end definitely justifies the means, even if the "means" are not a boatload of fun.  I decided to hand baste the zipper on my skirt and I became magically converted, and in awe, of the wonders that a little hand sewing can do.

Now, lets get to the main point on tonight''s agenda. Summer shorts! I have been perusing the interwebs for some lovely inspiration, so kick back, grab a snack, and take a look.

 

I really love the retro flair that these shorts possess, but with their price tag of $230 the only way I will possess them is to make myself a pair. 

I love bows and I love ruffles so of course I love these Modcloth shorts.

The pockets on these shorts, also from Modcloth, are precious! It couldn't be that hard to draw a heart to make a simple patch pocket, right? ( These are precious, but not precious enough to order a pair with their nearly $200 price tag.)

Modcloth definitely has the cutest shorts that I have found online. I really like the pair above, but I am not sure if that pleat would do anything to help my thighs.

I have posted these on another inspiration post before, but I still love them.

These shorts were also on another on my inspiration posts, and like the ones above, I still think they're quite cute.

Readers, what do you think? Do you love or hate my inspiration shorts? Have you seen any cute shorts while perusing clothing websites?

Happy Sewing!

1957 Florida Fashion Part 2

First of all I want to say thank you for all of the comments and suggestions on my last post! I was able to squeeze out a new piece from the fabric that I had. I will be spending quite a bit of time with my seam ripper in the near future.

I thought that I would share a few more pages from the Florida Fashions catalog today. There is so much spring and summer inspiration in there. If a super full skirted dress or a romper shows up in my "to sew" list anytime soon all blame can be placed on this catalog.

I love buttons as embellishments so naturally I am in love that with dress on the left.

I think I also need on of those blue dresses in my closet. These sold for a very reasonable $2.98 in 1957 which is about $23 in today's money, quite a steal in my opinion.

Their waists are so unbelievably small! I wonder what women did when those fashions were in style if they didn't have a teeny waist? I don't think any amount of shaping foundation garments could get most women's waist to be that tiny. Nonetheless, the dresses are quite cute.

I will take one of each dress on this page please. Well, maybe I'll take two of the dress in the middle, which is hands down my favorite.

There are still more pages to come, so stay tuned!

As always, I LOVE hearing your comments and feedback. Jump on in and tell me what you think. Which dress is your favorite? Would you wear these today or would you feel you were wearing a costume?
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Happy Sewing!

1957 Florida Fashions Catalog

Last summer I went to a beast of an estate auction and was able to come home with hundreds of zippers, more vintage juice glasses than I will ever be able to use, a trunk load of vintage Tupperware, and a plethora of other knick-nacks and what-nots. One thing that I brought home was a box of random papers, which happened to include this wonderful catalog, quite a few ration stamps from WWII, and a whole heap of junk mail from the 80s.

Each and every time I look through this booklet I imagine myself sitting by the pool at my 50s ranch style house, sipping an iced beverage, and picking out all the wonderful dresses I plan on wearing to all of the fabulous parties and backyard barbecues that I will attend. I decided that I would share this wonderful catalog with my lovely readers so that you too can imagine yourself in your own 50's fantasy.

Note: This catalog is about 50 pages so I am going to break it up into a few separate posts, so stay tuned for more to come!

I need one of those polka dot dresses in my life!
Blue dress: $6.98 which is ~$53 in today's money
Polka dot dress: $8.98 which is ~ $68 in today's money

These little dresses look so sweet, and given their pastel colors they would make wonderful Easter dresses. It seems that less than $7 would have gotten you both the dress and the cardigan. Once again, $7 in 1957 ( the year this was published) is about $53 today.

( I had a little harder time getting decent pictures of the black and white pages.)
Those play suits, which the catalog calls shortalls or rompers, are so cute. It would be very interesting choosing a color without seeing it, especially with their color descriptions simply stating things like red of blue.

This may just be my favorite page from the catalog, though I am sure I will pick half a dozen other favorites as I post these.
The dress in the lower right corner sold for $3.98 which is about $30 today.
Below is a more zoomed in picture of the 2pc "weekender" shown in the middle of the page.

It seems that this "weekender" is a pair of shorts that have a removable skirt that buttons on top of the shorts. How cool is that? (Note: When you read how cool is that you must use your best Ina Garten voice to impersonate her saying how easy is that.)  The weekender also retailed for $3.98 or about $30 today.

I will post the rest of the pictures over the next few days.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. Which ones are your favorites? Would you wear these styles today?

Happy Sewing!

Spring Inspiration with some Fabulous Dresses!

Earlier this week my aunt sent me a link to the Lily Pulitzer website. Oh my goodness gracious! When you click that link, and I know you will, your eyes are in for a delicious treat of absolutely precious spring and summer dresses. Since seeing them for the fist time the other day my mind seems to always be wandering from the task at hand to that gorgeous collection of dresses. Luckily for those of us who know how to sew, some of the styles could easily be recreated with the help of out trusty sewing machines. Given the prices of these dresses, the only way I will be getting one is if it comes off my sewing machine. I have been exploring the internet in hopes of finding some similar fabric. It seems that Amy Butler has quite a few fabrics that, while not exact, are very similar to the Lily Pulitzer collection. Granted, the Any Butler fabric is quilting cotton, but with the right pattern that doesn't need a lot of drape I don't really see a problem with using quilter's cotton.

Here are my picks that have my mouth watering just looking at them. Well, maybe my mouth is watering because it's dinner time and I'm hungry. Well, either way take a look at this collection of fabulousness.


1. Wouldn't this dress be so adorable for a summer picnic? Perhaps I'd be a tad overdressed if I did wear it to a picnic, but since I plan of being as gaudy and over the top as Joan Rivers when I'm 70 I think I could use the practice.  $148

2. Next up is another great summer dress. This dress might be a bit hard to recreate in quilter's cotton because the original is in silk jersey. Nonetheless, it is still cute.

3. Here is another lovely number. I adore the print of this dress and it seems to turn up frequently throughout all the garments. I think a dress like this could work with a quilter's cotton. $248

4. I love yellow, and this dress fits the bill perfectly. The bill that would ensue from ordering this dress however would not be so perfect. $198

5. I love this little dress! A dress that looks like a perfectly pink cloud of cotton candy? Where do I sign up? $228

6. A cute summer dress with sleeves is hard to come by, but this one would certainly fit the bill. While I have nothing against showing my arms, and I wear a lot of sleeveless in the summer, some occasions really do call for a dress that covers your arms. Sadly, I have not found any similar fabric to recreate this one at home. $148

7. For some reason this dress makes me think of Woodstock, free love, and flower children. My generation will never experience these things but that won't stop me from dressing like I am. $278

8. The eye candy just keeps on coming! I need need need one of these and I think it could be recreated. $268

9. This dress is retro mod inspired fabulosity at it's best! I want one! Actually, I want one of all of them. $178

10. I love the lace embellishments that some many of these dresses have, and this one is no exception. Despite the fact that I currently have hundreds of yards of lace in mu closet I have been scouring Etsy for the perfect lace to recreate these dresses. $268

11. Now, for my favorite dress in the entire collection. Lately, it seems that I cannot get enough navy, so naturally this dress and I experienced love at first sight. It really is perfect with the exception of that pesky little price tag. $278

Here are the fabrics that I have found that could be used to make some similar dresses.

1. Amy Butler rose fabric. $8.98/yd

2. Another Amy Butler rose print in a slightly different shade. $8.98/yd

3. This fabric is similar to the second dress in the lineup. $8.98/yd

 Hopefully this weekend I will have time to look on a few more websites for more fabric that would work.

I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the dresses. Do you love 'em or hate 'em? Happy sewing and have a wonderful weekend!