Snoods - Yea or Nay?

Friends, let's cut to the chase.  What do you think of the snood?

As my 1944 Outfit Project draws to a close, and with our photo shoot tentatively scheduled for Thursday (yes, Thanksgiving) morning -- where my cousin will be channeling Maureen O'Hara in Miracle on 34th Street -- I've been busy trying to assemble Cathy's period look on a dime.

I think you've already seen my muff, and why does that sound dirty?  The consensus seems to be that this little $3 hand warmer is shaved rabbit, or shaved something -- real fur.



My original intention had been to make my own shoulder pads for the coat, but I was up at Daytona Trim on 39th Street yesterday, and they had an entire canvas rolling cart full of these molded pads for just $1 a pair.  They're not covered -- I'll likely do that myself with muslin -- but they're huge.  To get the effect I'm going for, I'll be putting a pair in each shoulder!



I also picked up a yard and a half of crepe-backed satin for lining at Chic Fabrics.  I was originally going to use Bemberg rayon, but it didn't look heavy enough plus that's kind of fancy, don't you think?  I like the look of the satin better, it's cheap, doesn't wrinkle easily, and I think the weight will enhance the drape of the coat.



Then there was the question of hats/hair.  The Forties had a very particular look and I wasn't sure how to recreate it.  I looked at hats at the flea market, but the colors were all wrong (I needed brown or a muted green), or the shape, or the price.  I was hoping to find something like this, but no such luck.

So on my way home from the fabric store yesterday, I passed one of those ginormous beauty supply/wig/hair extension stores one often finds in New York City, Beauty 35, and I poked my head in to see what kind of accessories they might offer.  Friends, Lady Luck has smiled on me once again: I found a wide assortment of snoods -- just $1.99 each!  I bought two: one brown, one burgundy.

I experimented with them, and I must get your opinion: both of Cathy in a snood and of snoods in general.  To me, this type of hair covering treads dangerously into Orthodox Jewish territory.  (I have two orthodox first cousins -- daughters of Aunt Florence with the aqua toilet that looks like a Pintastic pin dispenser -- so it's a look I know well.)

OK, brace yourself:

1) With the bangs, I am a dead ringer for my cousin Ellen (who no longer goes by the name Ellen, of course).



2) This is a combination of Cathy's new hairdo, with Cathy's old hairdo in the snood.  Rest assured, she'll be clean-shaven and won't have swim goggle imprints around her eyes.  (Flower courtesy of Beauty 35 @ $1.)



3) Then last night I had an epiphany.  Some of the most famous Forties sirens were blondes.  I combined my vintage Eva Gabor wig (I didn't tell you about that $5 eBay purchase) with my Peter and the Parrot blonde wig in the snood, and came up with this:





Friends, Michael likes the blonde!

Anyway, back to today's topic.  I'm too lazy to delve deeply into the history of snoods, which have apparently been around since Medieval times, but you can read more about them at the Adore Cherie blog, where you can also catch a photo of Casey looking a little Amish if you ask me.  Snoods were popular during World War II and then fell out of fashion, though they've seen a resurgence in popularity among the vintage-loving crowd.

Are snoods simply too costumey for today, in your opinion?   Have you ever worn one?  Do they make you want to too say One ringy dingy and snort through your nose?

In short: Snoods, yea or nay?  

(....and which Cathy hairstyle, please)

Name That Notion!

Friends, this weekend at the Chelsea flea market I was delighted to stumble upon a big bag full of vintage notions and a trunk stuffed with vintage cotton fabric.  As you can guess, I couldn't resist.

First, the fabric:

I just love these old cotton prints and each piece is at least 5-6 yards long, if not more, at $4 apiece.  I plan to launder them later today.



These two are my absolute favorites:





The bag of notions I bought is primarily kits to make cloth-covered buttons and buckles.  I've never done that before and am excited to try.





But there were a few things I couldn't identify, and I knew I would have to draw on your collective expertise.  I thought it might be fun to turn this into a game/contest, so I've added a few additional "mystery" items just for fun.  Wanna play?

1)  You may have seen one of these before, or something very much like it.  This one was manufactured by Dritz.



Two questions:  a) How does it work, and b) Why is the first visible number at the bottom an "8"?

2. What is this black stuff called and what purpose does it serve?



3. What is this white thingamajig and what is it for?



4. These copper colored items are also stamped "Dritz."  What are they?  (I honestly don't know so if you're persuasive, you may be able to invent something and make the rest of us believe it.)



The winner shall receive...oh, I don't know...how about either a vintage Prims "Cover-your-own" buckle, or "Cover-your-own" buttons kit?  I'll announce the winner tomorrow and I'm willing to mail it anywhere.

Ready to play?  The first person who gets all four questions right is the winner.

On your mark, get set....NAME THAT NOTION!

Good luck, everybody!

1944 Butterick Topper UPDATE!

Readers, it's time to return to the 1944 topper project, Butterick 2969.  And I have good news to report.  Though this coat hasn't been without its challenges, I'm very happy with it so far.

Whether it's on account of the texture of the fabric -- a well-worn vintage wool blanket -- or the dusty rose color, this is perhaps the most photogenic garment I've ever sewn.  Not that it's not attractive in real life, mind you, but it glows on camera.  It's the Ava Gardner of outerwear!





The biggest challenge has been the wool itself, which is closer to mohair than melton.  It's loosely woven and moderately stretchy.  You can press it -- carefully -- but you can also practically mold it into shape with your fingers, which means it is easily unmolded as well.

I've already attached facings and collar and turned them, and though I've trimmed and graded seam allowances extensively, facing seams retain a thickness I'll have to live with.  I can press the life out of them from the inside with a clapper, but at a certain point I risk damaging the fabric, even if I'm pressing over a point board.  I think the addition of topstitching along the front will make edges a bit more crisp.  I've been noticing a lot of wool coats lately, and looser weaves like mohair have softer lapel edges and wider topstitching. 

The fabric is very spongy.  I'm sure you're familiar with the type of blanket this is/was -- very fluffy, with a visible weave, more visible still on account of the age of the blanket.  Here's a close-up sample: you can see the yarn easily.



As I think I've mentioned, when steamed, the wool exudes the smell of an old vaudeville trunk.  Oh well.



I padstitched the hair canvas: not as big a deal as I'd feared.  I applied twill tape to the shoulder seams to strengthen them (and of course there's twill tape along the outer the edge of the front facings as well).



Front darts came out nicely.





The welt pocket was a headache and I wish the pattern had called for even deeper front pockets, but I managed.  I love the look of the topstitched diagonal seam and pocket.





The coat drapes beautifully, perhaps due to the softness of it.



Yesterday I attached the sleeves and maybe for the first time ever, my sleeves went on without a hiccup.  They eased in beautifully without any need to trim the sleeve cap.



How I'd like to show you the coat with sleeves, friends, but I want to keep it a surprise for now. I still have to line it, and I'm not sure what kind of lining I'm going to use just yet.  Plus I need mega shoulder pads, which I may or may not make myself.  I'm hoping to be able to photograph the whole ensemble -- Hollywood jumper and blouse and coat -- this coming week.  Fun!

I hope your sewing is going well, friends, and who just said What sewing?  Time to put your pedal to the metal -- or is it the other way around?

Happy Sunday, everybody!

VIDEO highlights from our show!

Friends, I'm delighted to share with you video highlights from Noah's Very Unusual Insight, the cabaret show Michael wrote and which we performed last month at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre in NYC.

Plus, great news: we'll be performing again on January 27 & 28th!  We'd love to have you join us for a very healing and hilarious evening, and I may even wear a different oufit!

For more information or to make a reservation, click here.

Enjoy!

The Batman vs. Wackula

(Photo source: Dean Trippe)

I don't care for Twilight. Neither does the Twitterer known as The Goddamn Batman. And now, here are the best of The Batman's 140-character tirades against a vampire who's so goddamn banal he makes The Count from Sesame Street look intimidating.

June 24, 2010

June 30, 2010

July 2, 2010

June 5, 2011

November 15, 2011

November 16, 2011

UPDATE: November 17, 2011 (this tweet appeared a couple of hours after I first published the post)

Peter's New Book For Better Sewing or "The Dert on Gert"

Readers, I own many sewing books.  Probably too many.  I try not to think about it.

But there is one sewing book I've wanted for a long time now, a rare old sewing book, around which something of a cult has formed.  Can you guess which book this is?

Yes, that book!

Blogging buddy Gertie and I have so much in common.  We both love vintage sewing, small, furry pets, and deep red lipsticks with blue undertones. 

I know it reflects poorly on my character, but I often ask myself, What does Gertie have that I don't have, other than translucent skin (I've started exfoliating), a book deal (be patient), and youth?  Some say I have borrowed too liberally from Gertie since launching MPB.  But isn't imitation the highest form of flattery?

Anyway, friends, I decided I simply had to get my greedy mitts on Vogue's New Book For Better Sewing to see what all the fuss was about and perhaps to figure out Gertie's next move.  So last week, when I saw a copy available on eBay for the bargain price of -- let's just say half what a used copy currently costs on Amazon, I jumped at the chance.  At first I was resistant to spending so much money on another sewing book, but Michael convinced me that if I didn't like it, I could always resell it.  I have even discovered that Gertie herself is looking for another copy, so I could sell my copy to her, with a minor mark-up, of course.

Long story short, I bought the book and it has arrived! 



So what's it like?

Readers, VNBFBS is a lovely book.  Does it include sewing techniques I wouldn't find in other vintage sewing books?  Probably not.  But the concept -- unusual in its day -- of moving the reader through progressively more challenging sewing projects, is a brilliant one.  And unlike many of today's sewing books, it doesn't have you starting off with a pencil case, a sewing machine cover, or a tote bag (people didn't tote in 1952, they threw their packages in the back of their Chrysler Town & Country Convertible).

No, you jump right into a chic chemise dress, and the book assumes you have the skills to handle it -- though sewing techniques are outlined at the beginning of the book, along with a glossary of sewing terms.



One of the things about most other sewing books -- back then as well as today -- is that they are organized by specific technique.  This makes them excellent reference books, but they are much less likely to be read from cover to cover.  Nobody sits down and thinks, I'm going to spend today inserting zippers.  You're more likely to be working on a project that needs a zipper, and after inserting it, move on. 

VNBFBS focuses on projects, and walks you through each one in great detail.  As you probably already know, the projects themselves are Vogue patterns the reader would have had to purchase separately.  Thanks to the Internet, these patterns can now be collected (I believe Gertie has found all of them), but the process is time-consuming and potentially very costly.  But there are zillions of vintage patterns out there that are similar to the ones in the book.  In fact, only two days ago, for about $5, I picked up this vintage Vogue pattern on eBay that resembles both the "background dress" project and the coat project in the book.  Lovely, no?



I think the bolero chapter, for example, would be helpful for any vintage bolero, not just the one discussed.





I think I'll be keeping VNBFBS for right now.  It's charmingly written -- "Under the sun or under the stars, the portrait-neckline blouse has a way of making you your prettiest and most feminine." -- and beautifully art-directed, with excellent illustrations and period photography.  I think any vintage fashion home sewer would appreciate it.  I'll admit, though, the constant focus on tailor tacks to mark every dart line seems archaic to me, but it's obviously a couture technique others find valuable.  I'll stick to pencil or chalk.

You can see more photos of Vogue's New Book For Better Sewing here.

Moving on, to be filed under "Solutions in Search of a Problem" I  must share this cutting-edge June Tailor notion I recently stumbled upon.



Friends, how often are you in the middle of a complicated sewing project when you find yourself in need of a pin.  You reach over to your pin cushion, only to discover dozens of protruding possibilities.  Which to choose -- the glass head pin, the flower head pin, the blue, the red, or the black?  Seconds pass, which over the course of one's sewing career could add up to countless minutes of precious life you won't get back.

Choosing a pin the old-fashioned way also requires casting one's glance to the periphery of one's line of vision or even turning one's neck, risking vertigo, whiplash, or worse.  If only there were a solution to this potentially crippling problem!

Friends, look no further!  June Tailor's Pintastic makes your pin choice for you!  This battery-operated device automatically dispenses a pin -- as if by magic!  No twisting, no turning, and, best of all, no thinking!



How much would you expect to pay for this amazing space-age convenience?  $200?  $100?  How about just $59.99?  It's true!  But wait -- are you sitting down? -- you can now purchase Pintastic directly from June Tailor for the reduced price of only $29.99!!  But hurry, quantities are limited.  (4 AA alkaline batteries not included.)

And to think, Christmas is just around the corner!

Personally, I love the aerodynamic lines of June Tailor's Pintastic, which resembles nothing so much as a vintage 1950's toilet bowl -- in fact, my Aunt Florence had one exactly like it in the bathroom of her suburban ranch house in Clifton, New Jersey.

Aunt Florence's toilet

Friends, that's all for today.  I have much sewing to do as I'm sure you do too.  Right now, however, I need to pay a visit to my Pintastic, or the next closest thing (wink, wink).

Have a pintastic day, everybody!

Any owners of VNBFBS out there? What do you think?