{sewcial 2} vintage fair

 Going to the vintage fair. A step-by-step guide.

Step 1. Dress vintage.
Whilst '50s style Madmen ladies and Rockabilly is all the rage...
I subscribe to the steam age Victoriana!

Step 2. Check weather for travel by umbrella.
Mary Poppins taught me herself.

3. Prepare for take-off.
Up, up and away.

~ || ~

Later, at the show....

vintage goodies!!

Sequined bags

Hats!
With Pam (aka BurdaStyle's PamBox)

Jewels! Wonderful costume jewels.

{who's your...?} pattern girl double

ASIDE: You've been waiting and it's unfair not to update you. 
The skirt kit giveaway will be finalised in the next few days. 
A special 'Hello' to new followers of Le Coutureve. 

Pash's Pattern girl doppelganger: simplicity 5229

You won't be disappointed when you see the announcement 
post ;)
Sorry for the Le Coutureve absence.
 I've been working on an outdoor 
project in the past week - more news 
to come on that.  Project Runway #6 
coming soon and more.

Have you found your pattern girl double? 

One day whilst pouring through vintage patterns online, I got a shock when I saw myself staring back at me. There she is above left. OK, so, on the right is the only available photo of me in a yellow turtle-neck. But pre-school or not, there's something going on, there.

It made me wonder: From where does the pattern cover artist take their inspiration? A girlfriend? The indelible impression of a pacing face on the street? Some are obvious - there are plenty of movie stars and celebrity inspired pattern cover girls!

Here's a Lady Di double on Neue Mode 22471. I superimposed the photo onto the right of the pattern cover. Because there really is no mistaking it!

Who have you seen in vintage pattern covers? Have you found yourself yet? Tell me which pattern! And do you agree that the photo covers spoil all this imaginative fun?!

Now, in folklore and legend seeing your doppelganger isn't always a good omen. So, maybe you can just count yourself lucky if you haven't!

And here's a test to take you out. Can you pick which one isn't Nicole Kidman?

... McCall's 2799, of course!

{Vintage luxe #1} Antique trim

 

From the pages of a 19th century salesman's book of Spanish trim. It was a time when real metal was used liberally in trims. And it results in lustre unrivalled by its contemporary counterparts.

Sourced from a collector of rare antique fabric remnants, Lisa Genesta. I spend a long time admiring her pieces. She has just listed some more here and here

Embracing vintage is an environmentally sound initiative. This piece is so much more than that. To me, this is art. And will be framed and hung, accordingly. 

pash @ the leopard lounge

I love organic and vintage as much as the next eco-retro (retreco?) girl. But I never expected them both from a hair salon. When I went searching for an organic local I was hit like a lightning bolt by the fabby-gorgeois-stylista-bliss-bomb-of-all-things-poptasticly-sexy, Milena and her Leopard Lounge.

So when Milena planned to open a new salon, I was honoured to sew her luxe wall of curtains - check them out.

There is so much more to her store than the curtains.

Isn't she just the most amazing interior designer? 

And she's been voted one of InStyle Magazine's Top Ten stylists. 

Milena even makes her own range of hair care organic products. Wow.

You will love Newtown's newest and coolest salon.

 I'll close with Campbell's soup curtains ;)

the taking liberties shirt

altered pattern in a liberty fabric

Based on pattern 2010/5 from Burda (available here) 

With liberty fabric destashed from here

Wooden buttons from here

This is the first button down shirt I've sewn. I recommend using using a button sew-on foot (bernina #18). There's 10 buttons, including the cuffs. The cuffs, frilled collar and mini sleeve cap detail are my own design (I took some liberties with the original pattern). The frill inside the collar is inspired by a shirt of my mother's I admired as a girl.

The use of vintage fabric, continues the theme of reuse in the creations you find here at Le Couturêve. It's not a platform for this blog per se. It's (thankfully) a theme far too ubiquitous (in the crafting scene) for that. Nonetheless, it's a page the mass production methods of the fashion industry could take a leaf out of. 

In time for Autumn.

a bag a day: the orient reverse bag

for grandma

Nana Linda's lifestyle is strongly influenced by the Orient. You can see it in her furnishings and clothing. She has been to the East many times. Her husband (my grandfather) was a prisoner of war of the Japanese and formed friendships with his captors that endure to this day. She is a sensational lady and deserves an equally sensational bag for her day-to-day things. 

It started with a vintage chinoiserie fabric sample - purchased from this shop on etsy (though most of her stock is now here on ebay). Both sides of the fabric are lovely, and I couldn't decide which to use... solution: make it reversible!

The contrast panel is a silk and linen blend - from tessuti. The seams are covered in a burnt gold grosgrain ribbon. 

                

a bag a day: the summer lace bag

On the hottest of hot summer days, you choose a dress so light it floats. And this is the bag to match that dress. Light as air.  It's not going to hold everything. Just a dainty for a garden party or to glam up a summer night.

A gorgeous lace embroidered netting fabric from tessuti. I started making a top from it. But it is so light, I would have to line it or wear a nude cami. And it seemed a shame to place anything against this fabric, except the light.

 

a bag a day: the vintage handle bag

 

100% reuse. 

That's not to say the material itself isn't new. It is! You know those fabric swatch books in decorator stores? That's what the outside of this bag is made from - two swatches.

And fabric swatch books aren't just for decorator fabrics, either. Fabric wholesalers/importers have them too for ALL types of fabric! That's what the lining is made from. Yep, another swatch.

You will find plenty of individual swatches for sale on etsy. I find mine at the local community centre.

The handles are vintage.  Aren't they great? Keep an eye out for some on an old handbag next time you're in a thrift store. They're easy to work with. You can buy them new in quilting/embroidery stores.