A Milestone and a Giveaway!

In the greater scheme of the world of Pinterest I suppose it's a minor accomplishment at best... I've reached the milestone of 150 followers!  In a world where some are followed by thousands (and even 10s of thousands) this may not seem like a very big deal, but to me it's fantastic and unbelievable!

I've always been the shy one - the wallflower, the shrinking violet - so for 150 of anyone to pay attention to me is truly astounding... SO, to celebrate, let's have a giveaway!  Up for grabs are these fab vintage patterns, courtesy of my good friend, Adorna (I got a box of Adorna's patterns at an estate sale, which you can read about here.).

First, there's Simplicity 7512 in size women's 38 (bust 42).  It seems Adorna and her mom really loved shirt dresses. This one is from 1967, and features a special how-to guide on setting in sleeves.  There are both full skirt and a-line skirt options.

The second is Simplicity 4213, a cool vintage apron pattern, also from the 60s,  Aprons are so popular right now, and this apron could be adapted so many ways!

To enter to win these lovely patterns, simply follow my pinboard Sew Inspired, or if you prefer, my inspiration pinboard Seams Sustainable, and leave a comment below.  The winner will be chosen at random on April 28th, one week from today.  As always, thanks for coming by!

Isn't that Pinteresting? - 3

The third installment in our Pinterest series relates to one of the main topics on this blog, restyling old clothes into something more useful and wearable, when the useful life of the original garment is past: in short, restyling!  You all know how much I love the search for raw materials, as well as the end results, of fashion upcycling.

This pin actually comes from a retail store called LaGarconne, based in NYC, carrying oodles of really on- trend clothing.  So the garment pictured was designed this way... but I was thinking... what about an old tank or T, joined to a discarded men's shirt?  Ooh-la-la et voila!

Do you get some of your inspiration from retail catalogs or websites?  Everyone hacks Anthropologie, right? What are your favorites?

Isn't that Pinteresting?

I admit it.  Pinterest is one of my guilty pleasures.  And I'm far from alone.  The internet is abuzz with with, well, buzz about one of the most successful and addicting social media sites to be invented.  And it's not just nameless, faceless hoardes of web trolls who frequent the site, its almost everyone I know.

When I'm looking for inspiration, whether it's planning my various home makeover projects or planning my next sewing project, I turn to Pinterest.  I follow many boards, not because I hold the pinner in high regard, but because I love the pinner's taste, or they are pinning about something I am passionate about as well. 

In this recurring feature, I'd like to share a pin from one of my boards (concentrating on sewing, of course, but I may stray a little now and then!), and tell you a little about why I pinned it.  I'd love for you to chime in, too, and let me know your opinions about the information, and point me in other directions if you've seen something similar, or maybe, in your opinion, better!

For installment 1, I'll start with something simple.  On my board, Sew Inspired, I pin anything that could inspire my sewing.  Patterns, sewing rooms, notions, tutorials (possibly some of yours!)... you name it, if it's related to sewing, you could find it here.  Here is one of my recent pattern pins, McCall's 4408, from 1957.

 

 

This pattern appeals to me on a number of levels.  You all know I love vintage, particularly the 50's, the thirties and the Victorian/Edwardian eras.  Come to think of it, I won't put my nose up at Medieval or Rennaisance stuff either!  So, the fifties MadMen vibe was of instant appeal.  I love that there is a wiggle dress option and a full skirt option... I can also see the wiggle with a sheer full over dress!  But the thing I loved the most was the cute bow embellishment on the hem.  This could be added to other patterns, or used to restyle a thrift shop find.  I even liked the nice earthtones the artist used to render the fashion illustration!  I can see this made up in a nice silk (or two).  This was originally pinned from the Etsy Shop of sydcam123, and, at least at the time of this post, was still available.

 

What do you think about this pattern?  Is this something you would pin, or are your pattern tastes different?  Let me know, and feel free to share the links to your sewing boards.  I'd love to take a peek!