diy style
sewing
vintage for beginners
That dreaded time of year is upon us where we drag ourselves store to store looking for the perfect swim suit (one that fits great, is flattering, adorable and the right price). Two summers ago, I decided to completely skip the bad dressing rooms and sew my own perfect swim suit, using Mrs Depew's one-piece bathing suit pattern.
A halter strap bandeau never goes out of style. Pair it with the beach shorts shown in the pattern or, for a style like the ladies pictured, try this bikini bottom.
The wonderful thing about sewing your own swimwear is that you can get a perfect fit every time. Buying separates has always been difficult because my swim bottom was always a different size from the top. I'd often pick a one-piece and alter it to fit anyway. Mrs Depew patterns come in print or draft at home and a few are available in paper, perfect for the girl who can't fit ready-to-wear beach wear. With the one-piece suit that I sewed, I was able to size the bust and hips to fit (with great coverage up top) and nip in the waist.
Va-Voom Vintage readers save 15% off from Mrs Depew with code "VAVOOM" at the register
Check out other beautiful projects made with Mrs Depew Patterns on the Mrs Depew Customer Gallery pin board
Get the look from The Notebook in the 1940s beach shorts, turban and beach bra
We all fell in love with Tasha's version of the Depew beach bustier. Embellish yours in pom pom trim, piping or contrast fabrics. Check out my tiki dress to see how I extended the torso portion of this bustier to make a fabulous bodice.
The classic skirted one-piece is on the covet list for many vintage ladies in the summer. This versatile pattern may be made in strapless or halter. I added decorative buttons and piping to my aqua blue and red version. Also check out Marilyn's red suit from How to Marry a Millionaire, made using the Depew one-piece pattern.
Mrs Depew Vintage is a sponsor of Va-Voom Vintage
Sew Your Own Vintage Pin Up Swimsuits
That dreaded time of year is upon us where we drag ourselves store to store looking for the perfect swim suit (one that fits great, is flattering, adorable and the right price). Two summers ago, I decided to completely skip the bad dressing rooms and sew my own perfect swim suit, using Mrs Depew's one-piece bathing suit pattern.
A halter strap bandeau never goes out of style. Pair it with the beach shorts shown in the pattern or, for a style like the ladies pictured, try this bikini bottom.
The wonderful thing about sewing your own swimwear is that you can get a perfect fit every time. Buying separates has always been difficult because my swim bottom was always a different size from the top. I'd often pick a one-piece and alter it to fit anyway. Mrs Depew patterns come in print or draft at home and a few are available in paper, perfect for the girl who can't fit ready-to-wear beach wear. With the one-piece suit that I sewed, I was able to size the bust and hips to fit (with great coverage up top) and nip in the waist.
Va-Voom Vintage readers save 15% off from Mrs Depew with code "VAVOOM" at the register
Check out other beautiful projects made with Mrs Depew Patterns on the Mrs Depew Customer Gallery pin board
Get the look from The Notebook in the 1940s beach shorts, turban and beach bra
We all fell in love with Tasha's version of the Depew beach bustier. Embellish yours in pom pom trim, piping or contrast fabrics. Check out my tiki dress to see how I extended the torso portion of this bustier to make a fabulous bodice.
The classic skirted one-piece is on the covet list for many vintage ladies in the summer. This versatile pattern may be made in strapless or halter. I added decorative buttons and piping to my aqua blue and red version. Also check out Marilyn's red suit from How to Marry a Millionaire, made using the Depew one-piece pattern.
Mrs Depew Vintage is a sponsor of Va-Voom Vintage
Giveaway: $50 to Perfectly Posh Vintage
Today I have a lovely giveaway from my sponsor, Perfectly Posh Vintage.
The prize- $50 gift certificate to Perfectly Posh Vintage, may be used on anything in the shop, including shipping.
To enter-leave a comment below with your favorite item from Perfectly Posh. Follow the Punch Tab widget for additional ways to enter
The prize- $50 gift certificate to Perfectly Posh Vintage, may be used on anything in the shop, including shipping.
To enter-leave a comment below with your favorite item from Perfectly Posh. Follow the Punch Tab widget for additional ways to enter
Perfectly Posh Vintage is a sponsor of Va-Voom Vintage
Vintage Caravan Book Giveaway Winner
Thank to all who entered the Vintage Caravan Style giveaway! The lucky winner was chosen by random number generator. Congrats to Noemi P!
Check back tomorrow for another lovely vintage giveaway!
Behind the Scenes of Maddy James Vintage Loungewear
Last week, I shared the exciting news about Maddy James vintage inspired lounge wear. Today, owner and designer, Gina Kimmel is here to share her story about how Maddy James went from hunting for the perfect nightgown to launching her own clothing line.
Maddy James will be launched only if the remaining start-up funding goal is met so please pop over to the Maddy James Kickstarter page to donate before May 7th and help this beautiful collection reach its launch date!
{Looking for the Perfect Nightgown}
Maddy James will be launched only if the remaining start-up funding goal is met so please pop over to the Maddy James Kickstarter page to donate before May 7th and help this beautiful collection reach its launch date!
{Looking for the Perfect Nightgown}
I came up with this idea to produce
vintage lounge wear about three years ago when I was looking for a
vintage nightgown to wear to a 1930’s weekend in Catalina organized
by the Los Angeles Art Deco Society. I’ve always loved vintage
style of lounge wear and found so many delicious pieces, but I had a
hard time finding things in my size, and what little there was in my
size was so fragile I was afraid to actually wear it. Then I started
doing an exhaustive search for reproductions, and what very little I
found there was made from real silk charmeuse cut on bias, gorgeous
but over $400 dollars. Ouch!
 |
| Pledge $105 and be the first to lounge in the Katharine Jumpsuit from Maddy James |
I had been involved in the costume
world in Los Angeles for several years, was a member of CGW
(costumers guild west) and dabbled a bit on TV shows. I’ve been a
seamstress for over 30 years, and made countless period costumes.
Due to my search and research for the Catalina event I became
obsessed with vintage loungewear, and started making my own based off
of vintage patterns I had collected over the years. That is when I
had the idea that maybe other ladies were sick of sleeping in
sweatpants, but also couldn’t find beautiful items that weren’t
priced out of reach or really trashy (I love Fredrick’s of
Hollywood, don’t get me wrong, but not practical for every night
wear) It started to come to me that maybe I had an idea here.
{The Best Looking Tomato in Town}
Around this time my grandmother, whom
was such a lady and such a fashionista died and left me a small
inheritance. I decided instead of using that money to pay bills or
sock away, I would use it to do something special and something in
her honor. And that is what gave me the where-with-all to take on
this challenge.
The logo, which is a sexy tomato is in
her honor, and drawn by my daughter, who is in art school. My
gramps use to always say, “your grandma is the best looking tomato
in town”. Every time I look at it I think of her.
{Going Home to Chicago}
There were some big obstacles to
overcome before I could get going. The first was that it was right
about this time that my honey and I decided to move from LA back to
my hometown of Chicago. Chicago isn’t exactly known as a fashion
mecca in the United States and keeping all of the manufacturing in
the United States is very important to me. However, moving home
actually turned into a good thing. It freed me up to actually start
something new, and there was just enough of the fashion industry left
to make it doable. At one time Chicago was known as quite a
powerhouse of fashion. Floreshiem men’s shoes originated here, as
well as Spiegel Catalog and Ebony fashion magazine. (Sadly all gown
now)
 |
| Pledge $70 to cuddle up with a good book in the Aubrey Pajama Set |
The next obstacle did not really know
much about the fashion industry, and although I’ve been making
clothes for 30 years, I didn’t know to pattern or grade or any of
the other important things to design a collection. So, back to
school I went. I joined the fashion department at Harper Community
College and there met some great ladies who were eager to help make
this happen, and even greater teachers and mentors that customized
the fashion program to fit my needs and were so supportive with the
encouragement and with their great advice and hand holding.
{Launching Maddy James Vintage Lounge Wear}
For the last year I’ve spent a lot of
time into coming up with the first collection. I wanted it to be
fashionable and glamorous and make every a women who slept in feel
special. Yet, it had to be practical enough to wear every night.
All of the fabrics I’ve chosen are luscious and cozy, but most
important everything can be cleaned in a washing machine. The
collection is sized small (4-6), medium (8-10), large 12-14) and
extra large (14-16). Most of the pieces have some sort of elastic in
them to give it even more give and comfort.
 |
| Pledge $95 to relax in the luxurious and classic Chantal nightgown |
After three long years I am ready to
launch. I have all my ducks in a row. The designs and patterns
completed, the fabric and trims sourced, the samples made, and the
factories lined up. I am now doing a 30 day Kickstarter to help with
the rest of the funding, and I am planning on having the first
collection ready to sell on my web site (designed by my honey)
starting in June. However, you can pre-order or purchase part of the collection through the Kickstarter page!
It’s been a crazy, scary, long, fun
journey and it’s finally ready to go. A real tribute to my
grandmother, and I know she would be really proud.
Maddy James is a sponsor of Va-Voom Vintage. Please view my full disclosure page
How to Make Blog Photos Pop with Mascara from Picmonkey
Just a quick tip that I wanted to share with you ladies who love Picmonkey as much as I do- play with the mascara tool from Picmonkey's Royale features.
I found this many months ago and use it on almost all of my photos now. It makes everything really pop!
Open your photo in Picmonkey and select the lipstick icon
Move the slider to make the brush size as big as you can, then adjust the strength till you like the results. I usually use around 50-60%. Sweep the tool across the image and select "apply". You can deepen the look of smaller areas by making the tool smaller.
Mascara is a paid feature but you can try it free for a week to see how you like it. Picmonkey's Royale features are $33 per year, which I happily subscribe to since I find a way to use it almost every day in blogging, social media and even editing family photos and making photo gifts for the grandmas.
For more tips on blogging, check out my other blog tutorials and my brand new ecourse, Bloggerific: How to Have a Beautiful, Successful Blog, in which I teach how to design your whole blog using Picmonkey!
Va-Voom Vintage is an affiliate of Picmonkey. Please view my full disclosure policy
Va-Voom Vintage Shop Now Open!
Now that its spring and I've been taking things in a different direction and doing a lot of simplifying, which I love!! The vintage clothing shop is closed although I still have lots of inventory, I'll be purging it here and there in vintage sales on my facebook and instagram pages throughout the year.
My new shop is now open and I'm really excited about it! I'm spending the next several weeks listing automatic downloads in pdf form for vintage beauty books, knitting and crochet patterns, home making booklets, ecourses and ebooks and vintage clip art. I personally love automatic downloads because I'm very impatient and don't like to wait for things to ship to me- and also because they preserve rare and crumbling papers to be shared and enjoyed by everyone.
Today and yesterday, I posted two booklets and I'm working on scanning my spring and summer collections of vintage knitting and crochet patterns.
Also purchase my ecourse on blogging in the new shop
New items will be added every few days so check back or follow on facebook, twitter or instagram for updates!
outfits
Afternoon at the Science Center
Today is Rhys's 3rd birthday! Pj was off work today so we took the kids to the St Louis Science Center for a day of play.
The Planetarium is full of retro space-age memorabilia, kitsch and artifacts. Its funny seeing things that you own in a museum setting! I have those dishes and a very similar brooch!
Olivia is terrified of tornadoes and any kind of bad weather so it was fun for her to get to be up close to a tiny tornado and learn how it works. There's slots in the side so kids can reach in and feel the air swirl around.
After playing at the Science Center, we had a picnic in Forest Park under a beautiful tree by a lake.
Rhys picked a flower for me and hoarded the muffins
Olivia played in the dirt
I made silly faces
As we were packing up, these three funny ducks came over to snag a few bites.
The Planetarium is full of retro space-age memorabilia, kitsch and artifacts. Its funny seeing things that you own in a museum setting! I have those dishes and a very similar brooch!
Olivia is terrified of tornadoes and any kind of bad weather so it was fun for her to get to be up close to a tiny tornado and learn how it works. There's slots in the side so kids can reach in and feel the air swirl around.
Rhys picked a flower for me and hoarded the muffins
Olivia played in the dirt
I made silly faces
As we were packing up, these three funny ducks came over to snag a few bites.
Outfit
vintage bowling shirt- thirfted
lucite B brooch- ebay (see my tutorial to make your own)
capri pants- Family Dollar
black flats- Walmart
outfits
Every few weeks, Pj and I pack the kids up and take a short road trip to visit my parents at their home in the country. We love to go on nature walks or fish and swim in the river. Often times, my sister and her family come or other extended members of the family join us and it makes for a lot of fun...and a very full house!! My parent's country home is right next door to my grandparent's country home with a barn and pasture between the two. Although both houses have a lot of room for guests, we're all planning to fix up my grand parent's beautiful vintage Airstream as a mini guest house to sit between the properties.
Last Sunday, we had a little peek inside
This darling sofa folds out into a 2nd bed. There's also a bed towards the back of the Airstream, near the bathroom.
I love all of the original knobs and controls for the radio and kitchenette. It has a lot of work to be done on the inside, since the mice have gotten to it. The ladies will have a lot of long hours scrubbing and sewing and finding retro decor while the guys work on wiring and all of that mechanical stuff. When the hard work is over, we'll all have a really adorable camper to enjoy on the weekends and grandma even has a pair of original pink flamingos for the outside!
Giveaway!
Throughout April and May, Sticth Craft Create is hosting the Vintage Caravan Style Blog Hop to celebrate the new book from Lisa Mora, Vintage Caravan Style.
Lisa is the editor of Vintage Caravan Magazine. If you love glamping as much as I do, pop over to Stitch Craft Create to check out all of the vintage caravan features from my fellow bloggers this month, including some shots of their own caravans!
To Enter
One Va-Voom Vintage reader will win a copy of Vintage Caravan Style. Please leave a comment with a way to contact you if you win! Entries open worldwide. The giveaway will end next Friday and the winner will be announced then.
Giveaway: Vintage Caravan Style
Every few weeks, Pj and I pack the kids up and take a short road trip to visit my parents at their home in the country. We love to go on nature walks or fish and swim in the river. Often times, my sister and her family come or other extended members of the family join us and it makes for a lot of fun...and a very full house!! My parent's country home is right next door to my grandparent's country home with a barn and pasture between the two. Although both houses have a lot of room for guests, we're all planning to fix up my grand parent's beautiful vintage Airstream as a mini guest house to sit between the properties.
Last Sunday, we had a little peek inside
This darling sofa folds out into a 2nd bed. There's also a bed towards the back of the Airstream, near the bathroom.
I love all of the original knobs and controls for the radio and kitchenette. It has a lot of work to be done on the inside, since the mice have gotten to it. The ladies will have a lot of long hours scrubbing and sewing and finding retro decor while the guys work on wiring and all of that mechanical stuff. When the hard work is over, we'll all have a really adorable camper to enjoy on the weekends and grandma even has a pair of original pink flamingos for the outside!
Giveaway!
Throughout April and May, Sticth Craft Create is hosting the Vintage Caravan Style Blog Hop to celebrate the new book from Lisa Mora, Vintage Caravan Style.
Lisa is the editor of Vintage Caravan Magazine. If you love glamping as much as I do, pop over to Stitch Craft Create to check out all of the vintage caravan features from my fellow bloggers this month, including some shots of their own caravans!
To Enter
One Va-Voom Vintage reader will win a copy of Vintage Caravan Style. Please leave a comment with a way to contact you if you win! Entries open worldwide. The giveaway will end next Friday and the winner will be announced then.
Shop Talk: April
Hello all! I've been having a wonderful afternoon working on a new design for Va-Voom Vintage! I'm so excited to give the blog a makeover again. I love to play with fonts and colors but this time, I'm really focused on re-organizing my content so its easier to find things for all of you!
While you're waiting for my lovely new look, pop over and say hello to this month's blog sponsors
Patterns from the Past is an amazing resource for vintage seamstresses. Here, you can find sewing patterns from the 1920s to modern out-of-print patterns. Women's dress patterns are categorized by era, making it easy to find the perfect frock.
Love That Lingers is a hand-picked vintage boutique, curating retro treasures for the modern girl. Owner, Dawn is getting ready for summer with her new collections of vintage swimwear and sunny separates. Be sure to like on Facebook for coupons and flash sales!
Bloomers and Frocks is a beautiful online vintage clothing boutique from fellow blogger, Rebekka Adams. Rebekka has curated a whole section of plus sized vintage clothing, my favorites featured in the gallery above. Also, don't miss the exquisite lingerie section for slips, girdles, corsets, bras and lounge wear.
Perfectly Posh Vintage is a California-based vintage shop with "a little bit of everything"! Perfectly Posh carries affordably priced vintage clothing, home decor, accessories, books and ephemera. Be sure to check out the fantastic selection of luggage, military bags and purses! Stay tuned later this month for a lovely giveaway from Perfectly Posh but in the mean time, you can save 20% off everything in the shop with code "vavoom" now through May 16th 2014
While you're waiting for my lovely new look, pop over and say hello to this month's blog sponsors
Love That Lingers is a hand-picked vintage boutique, curating retro treasures for the modern girl. Owner, Dawn is getting ready for summer with her new collections of vintage swimwear and sunny separates. Be sure to like on Facebook for coupons and flash sales!
Bloomers and Frocks is a beautiful online vintage clothing boutique from fellow blogger, Rebekka Adams. Rebekka has curated a whole section of plus sized vintage clothing, my favorites featured in the gallery above. Also, don't miss the exquisite lingerie section for slips, girdles, corsets, bras and lounge wear.
Perfectly Posh Vintage is a California-based vintage shop with "a little bit of everything"! Perfectly Posh carries affordably priced vintage clothing, home decor, accessories, books and ephemera. Be sure to check out the fantastic selection of luggage, military bags and purses! Stay tuned later this month for a lovely giveaway from Perfectly Posh but in the mean time, you can save 20% off everything in the shop with code "vavoom" now through May 16th 2014
If you have a blog, business or website, get featured in May's Shop Talk post by sponsoring Va-Voom Vintage . Email me at brittanyvavoomvintage@gmail.com for questions or information
fashion
outfits
It was a beautiful weekend at my parent's home in the country. We celebrated Easter and took the kids on a hayride Easter egg hunt.
On Sunday morning, Pj and I took a walk and explored the barn. I wore my beautiful new dress, sent to me by eShakti. I have a couple of their dresses and always get compliments when I wear them. Rhys came running in the house, yelling "Mommy!" and when he saw me he stopped and said "you wook pwetty!"
This is the Caroline dress and it is my absolute favorite! It has pockets and a full skirt with elastic smocking on the back waist area. The upper back has a lovely cut-out with a fabric covered button. I had this dress made to my measurements with puff sleeves.
The dress is made in cotton poplin which wrinkles very easily and is difficult to iron but I tossed it in the dryer with a damp towel and that did the trick! The waist is fitted with pleats that flare out at the hip. I'm hoping to treat myself to another in a different color- maybe blue or green next time! New customers receive $25 off your first order.
Caroline dress c/o eShakti
Va-Voom Vintage is an affiliate of eShakti. Please view my full disclosure policy
Girl in the Barn
It was a beautiful weekend at my parent's home in the country. We celebrated Easter and took the kids on a hayride Easter egg hunt.
On Sunday morning, Pj and I took a walk and explored the barn. I wore my beautiful new dress, sent to me by eShakti. I have a couple of their dresses and always get compliments when I wear them. Rhys came running in the house, yelling "Mommy!" and when he saw me he stopped and said "you wook pwetty!"
This is the Caroline dress and it is my absolute favorite! It has pockets and a full skirt with elastic smocking on the back waist area. The upper back has a lovely cut-out with a fabric covered button. I had this dress made to my measurements with puff sleeves.
The dress is made in cotton poplin which wrinkles very easily and is difficult to iron but I tossed it in the dryer with a damp towel and that did the trick! The waist is fitted with pleats that flare out at the hip. I'm hoping to treat myself to another in a different color- maybe blue or green next time! New customers receive $25 off your first order.
Caroline dress c/o eShakti
Va-Voom Vintage is an affiliate of eShakti. Please view my full disclosure policy
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