The Fifties Red Car Coat

I have been thinking about this project for a year at least.

I have a few pieces of wool, coating bundled together and several of patterns in mind.

I need to decide whether I can be bothered to make a lined coat. Makes it easier to wear and warmer. I’m still deciding which lining fabric to use?

I really had hoped to whip up a car coat before the cold weather hits. This is really all you need in Sydney for Winter, if you have a car. There are really only a few really cold days which warrant a full length coat.

Every one complains about how freezing it is – for months, but they really don’t have a clue how to dress for truly cold weather. Not the way you learn when you live in a cold climate like NZ, or even Melbourne!

Tips for beginner sewers:

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making a coat. A short coat should be not too difficult as there is less fabric to handle. They are easier than tailored jackets as the fabrics are easier to work with was they are more spongy and forgiving and the lining at the hem is not caught in – easy!

Make sure you have your linings and interfacing together before you start sewing.

If you get tailored button holes done it will give your coat a more professional look

Fifties fashion from Australian Home Journal advertisements

You may like to do your Vintage Wardrobe Research using original source materials. In Australia, Australian Home Journal magazines from the forties through to the sixties are easily obtainable for under $20 on eBay or in Junk shops. They are a rich source of inspiration for your wardrobe, hairstyles, and make up.

This ad has has it all.

* Divine fabric
The diversity of fifties fabric never fails to surprise me.
This print features what looks to me like a night scene of fireworks over a Chinese village.
The cornflower blue with the pink background really appeals to me.

* Five cute fifties looks:
- two simple buttoned up blouses
- what would have to be a pleated or gathered waist skirt
(but is drawn as a circular skirt)
-and a classic button front skirt for whipping off at the beach
- revealing a pinstriped sun suit
- a shirt using the border print over the hip region,
just like a menswear style!

* Period make up – heavy, unplucked, brows,
winged eyeliner, pink lipstick

*Three hairstyles

* A palm tree – love!

If you can’t get your hands on Australian Home Journal – you probably have a local equivalent in your country.

Source: Australian Home Journal September 1959

Friday Fabric Find – Delft Tile Fabric

Another trip to the dentist with the big boy today so we visited two op shops out of our neighbourhood.  He doesn’t mind visiting an op shop and he found two pairs of All Stars (sneakers) and one pair of Vans – nice!

I got some patterns which I shall show you on another day – but how do you like this?  I think its very Fifties – because of its hand painted look.  The subject matter pictures what I assume are supposed to be Delft Ceramics – which are white and blue – but look lovely in the grey tones.

There is a subtle tile pattern in the teal background – can you see it?  I will have to make it up into a little top and see if my Tiler husband gets the joke!

It was a bit of a bargain 90 cms wide (definitely vintage) 1.5m in length for $6.50!

The fabric is cotton but has a lovely sheen to it – because it’s a sateen weave.  You can feel the difference when you run your fingers over from top to bottom (it’s smoother) and across (more rough).

Still not much sewing going on around here – ok none!  It’s still T-shirt weather in Sydney – the mornings are cooler but the afternoons still in the high twenties – it’s lovely actually.

The big boy had to have an adult tooth removed – it was weakened by Asthma drugs as a baby and was never going to be any good – no matter what we did to it.  He was a little anxious on the chair and started to hyperventilate (just like I did as a kid).  The retail therapy improved his mood – like mother like son!

Hope you get some sewing done this weekend!

Polka Dots and Crosshatch

Just picked up this baby!

Score! It’s a vintage apron probably made from leftover fifties fabric after cutting out a dress.

Three of my favourite things feature, polka dots, cross hatches and yummy shades of green – kelly green and chartreuse.

And all for just $2! Worth walking through the rain for!

Libby’s Place

I got to see a lovely friend of my parents (and mine) yesterday.

Here are a few snaps from her house from my phone.

Thanks for an unforgettable time Libby and great to meet you Terry.

She gave me some the green 1920′s plates in the photo and the 1930′s bowls with boats on them. I love boats. Aren’t I spoilt?!

Thank you Libby!!

That place that has “Cool” in it

That’s how Noah described the place I disappeared to recently – he says the most poetic things at times. I hope he always does, but Alex doesen’t speak like this anymore! He’s all about the facts!

But, enough about the kids.

Here are some quick snaps of the things I bought on my trip to Coolangatta

From “That Shop” came this “Sourpuss” patent handbag – it fills a gap in my handbag wardrobe!

I also picked up this little bolero cardigan there too. It has very cute Day of the Dead skulls embroidered on it.  I do buy quite a bit of knitwear – well you can’t sew everything!

From the 21st Century Collectables place next door came this gorgeous 1940′s rayon fabric. I had some fabric similar to this that my grandmother gave me. I loved wearing the shirt I made from it and I have photos of me wearing it at a dance party in the 90′s. I need to dig that out for a laugh!!

If anyone has any idea what kind of plants or flowers these might be – I would love to hear it!

And finally – How cute is this tin? Still working at getting the very stubborn label off. I have added a couple to my collection recently. They are great for transporting food to places in the car and won’t break or chip if I drop them! Important for a klutz like me.

Please note – these photos were taken in my phone – still reading the manual of my new camera – watch this space.

Coolangatta Gold

Does anyone remember the movie?  I saw it back in the 80′s and thought all of Australia was like that!  I actually thought the Gold Coast was the name of Sydney’s beaches.  Not that Sydney’s beaches disappoint. So last week I got to go there – isn’t it good-looking!

The view from our hotel room – those distant skyscrapers are in Surfers Paradise 

Coolangatta is the town that hosts “Cooly Rocks On‘ – Formerly “Wintersun” – a Nostalgia Fest for Fifties lovers.

It was a busy few days – I attended my company’s Sales Conference in Coolangatta. We had a couple of days in meetings and some nice dinners out – I love not having to cook!

I also managed a little shopping! Coolangatta has a couple of op shops and a great reproduction vintage clothes shop called “That Shop” – where I bought a nice handbag. You can find “That Shop” at 2/33 McLean Street, Coolangatta

Just next door is the 20th Century Antiques And Collectibles. I spent a long time there – feasting my eyes!!  I may have bought a couple of items there too!

There is another vintage clothing shop just down the road a bit called “Retrosheila”. Alas it was closed when I went by but it looked like they had a lot of 70′s clothes – fun!

Here are a few photos from my phone so please excuse the poor quality.  My early Christmas present – a new camera – is currently stuck in Customs – I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

Tea Cups $35 each at the Antiques Centre

Aussies have a tradition of lovely outdoor furniture from my favourite era – these were beautifully upholstered

Lucite Beauties!

Out and about on Griffith Street

Mosaic Tiles in a Shopfront

“That Shop”

“

Dinner at the Surf Club

One last look – at dusk

It was a real treat for me to have a few days away, Mark did a great job with the kid’s school run and meals – and they loved the extra time with their Dad.  Maybe next year we can all make the festival!

Oooh Shiny!

I haven’t managed to finish a garment this week. We are all getting tired as the end of the school year draws close.

So here’s a little bag I bought recently.

Twinkle twinkle right!?

I have wanted one of these slouchy evening bags with a serpentine chain for ages. I remember seeing 1970′s disco clothes for sale in James Smith’s (a Wellington Department store – now long gone) as a kid.  I remember a pair of black satin knickerbockers on a mannequin there, one time we visited. Can’t remember what she had on top but it could have been one of those slinky mesh tops – my friends elder sister had one in the 80′s – outrageous!

See the cute “GC” Art Deco Label ?  Well my friend Miss Penny Queen of Handbags told me that it stands for Gold Crest – there is a great piece about their history here.
You do see lots of this type of bag in the op shops.  Some may date  from the fifties, the majority are probably 70′s and 80′s styles, through to recent knock offs.  The main labels available in Australia are Glomesh and Oroton (Ebay has a few Gold Crest currently).

Older purses will most likely be made in Hong Kong new ones in China.

Commonly in white, bone, navy, black, less often in bergundy, silver or gold, You might also be lucky and pickup a key holder, coin purse or cigarette case.

This shimmery stuff epitomised 70′s glamour to my childlike corduroy eyes.

Before you buy – try to shake it over a white surface – they can get rusty on the inside – and you don’t want a fine film of rust on your white clothes now do you?  Prices for this style of bag is creeping up and some op shops are charging around $45 for a nice Glomesh.

Have a good look at it – make sure you are happy with the condition of the lining and that all the little pieces of mesh are there and if its not a plain metalic one – check that the paint is not chipped, and that the handle or strap is firmly attached.

See the fine chain edging around the flap of the bag – an unusual touch.

Now all I need is a seventies party!

The “That’s Torn It” Top

I am an Autumn – what are you?  Know what I mean?  If you were around in the 80′s you might remember Carole Jackson’s book “Colour Me Beautiful”, or her book for men “Colour For Men”.  I became slightly obsessed with this book.

I tagged along with Mum the day she went and had her colours done – waited outside in the car for an hour or two!  They took one look at me and told me I was, like Mum an Autumn.  She carried that little packed of swatches in her handbag for years – wonder if you still have it Mum?

I love that we still discuss whether this colour or that, is right for us.   I bought a “lovely” pastel apricot skirt and jacket on the strength of it.  I took it with a grain of salt when I started wearing black all the time – since then to now!  But I do like to whip out a nice red, or a forest green, a lime or even an olive green, and I love kelly green.  And kingfisher blue.  But I feel depressed when I wear brown.  And cream just doesn’t feel right.  I did have a very pale yellow cardi for a while.  Orange is fun – in small amounts but not all over.  And my Dad used to hate the rust dressing gown Mum wore for about 20 years.  It’s not science.

If you are interested – you might find this book at your local opshop/charity/goodwill shop.  If you read it you can determine your own colours – it’s fun.  I know now that I should not wear Grey, Pink, Aqua, Purple – and yet most of my friends are winters and they look amazing in these colours.
Have you had your colours “done”?

My 40′s Sailor Style Pants are from Retrospect in Sydney’s Newtown

I hear its been updated – my friend told me she is a Clear Spring with Flair!   What ever that is.  A funny piece on the subject here

So when I heard about the Sew Weekly Autumn palette I knew I would have no trouble pulling something for it from the stash.  This silk is a a rather recent addition and just cost a few dollars at a church fair that I frequent – I don’t love the print and all the yellow but I thought it would be a shame not to try and use this silk.

I also recently purchased this necklace which is 1940′s Celluloid Autumn Leaves – how perfect!  Ebay again!

I seriously ran out of time to finish this garment.  Since I’ve been back at work – I have not put much time in to sewing as I have had very stiff shoulders and a sore neck.  I think the 6 weeks I had off I did a lot of sewing and it just caught up.  I have had a couple of massages and even tried cupping (like Gwyneth Paltrow) at my local Chinese massage therapy place.  You should see my back – it’s like the biggest outbreak of polka dot bruises ever.

I used New Look  pattern 3691 which was very easy.  I pleated this up and staystitched the neckline, leaving the arm holes unfinished.  I threw  some bias binding  on the neck and it slipped and slid around, fine silk does that.

I think this silk is fairly old – probably from the 60′s – silk is vulnerable to light, heat and microbes.  If you iron it on too high a heat setting, it may show no signs of damage at the time – but in time – the fabric will just perish and come apart.

So I was all ready for my photos outside in  front of the Bougainvillea bush when the neighbour’s gardener turned up and started mowing next door – I was too embarrassed to go outside and get all posey, so I put another load of washing in the machine and rip, went the armhole!

Ah well, glad I didn’t waste my time finishing it beautifully, just to have it rip while I was wearing it at work!  I have scrunched it up in a bag and will donate it and other fabric scraps to my local Preschool – where it will live on in the children’s artworks!

The Fifties Fair – What People Wore – Part 3

Here are few more outstanding examples of great outfits from the best day of the year.

The Dress! This is the lovely Deborah from The Vintage Drawer, shop 14 at the Sydney Antiques Centre who I bought a dress from back in March. We chatted about how she, as a retailer, as realized that women are not all tiny! Smart woman! She is making a concerted effort to seek larger sized vintage clothing. If you are not a size 10 person, and love vintage, you need Deborah in your life! Now why can’t all Australian Designers take a leaf out of her book?!

I do hope this beautiful woman will forgive me for cutting off her head, but my camera caught her pulling a funny face, and I wouldn’t like it if it was me doing that!  I really want to talk about her dress.  I had serious dress lust at Laura Ashley last summer over this baby and have recently haunted the Birkenhead outlet store in the vain hope that I could pick on up on the cheap.  Alas – it was such a great dress that it sold out last summer.  There was a sweet little cardigan with Bunting (I know! Bunting – so cute!) embroidered on it that was in the same story, an another dress or skirt, with different print still in the travel theme.  I just love vintage postcards – but I just can’t spend nearly $200 on a dress.  I just can’t.  Especially as I still have this lurking about in the sewing room – waiting for a new yoke!  Promise I will get it out for summer!

Burgundy ensemble, with lovely hair and accessories!

Hottest couple !  Aren’t they cute!

I thought this woman looked so effortless and chic. Is she about to go overboard by buying a fur coat? Look! Her mouth is open!   Think I might tone it down next year and dress like this. Who am I kidding -  I will no doubt overdo it again!

The gorgeous Michelle over at Ravishing Retro has just done her blog post on the Fifties Fair and she very kindly mentioned me.  And used my photo of us, from Instagram up.  She looks immaculate, me – not taking Coco Chanel’s advice at all that morning.  Oh well!

So that’s it for my pick of the sartorially splendid from the day. The next few blog posts will show you merchandise available!  Get ready for piles of vintage fabric – so exciting!