Snow Days for WIPs and UFOs

WIPs (work in progress) and UFOs (Unfinished Objects) are common to many crafters, vintage and non. We all know that feeling – like you're going to sit down and finish an entire project in one go and then, alas, something comes up that causes you to reluctantly (or not) walk away from it. Some of us have a few, others have hundreds (literally, guys... hundreds.)

Several of the writers here at Seven Magpies have gotten caught in the wakes of winter storms Hercules and Ion (now that we're naming storms, I feel as if we can all aim our frustration and fear at an entity rather than a gathering of clouds... how strange). A couple of us have even gotten almost an entire week off, due to them.

We'd like to share some of the WIPs and UFOs we worked on while tucked away in our homes and studios this past week, and we'd love you to comment and share what you've worked on as well!

Also, be sure to check out the poll we posted over on our Facebook Page where we ask our readers what they'd prefer to see as our first co-op blog give away!

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Emily, here! I have been dying to let you all know what I've been working on this week.

So I haven't gotten nearly as far as I intended to, and now that I look at it I am realizing I photographed the back of the piece, but I am working on my first crochet project ever. It's going to (hopefully) be a 1930's cap, complete with ribbon. The pattern calls for grossgrain, but if I can find a vintage velveteen I will definitely go that route since I am a major sucker for velveteen ribbon!

I only learned to crochet last week, and I chose to do a three dimensional project on a size steel 4 needle for my first project because for some reason I crave multi-layered challenges. I can't wait to finish and wear this with the adorable 30's wool tweed skirt I'm planning to make.
xoxo Emily

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Hello! I hope you've all had as much time this past week as I have to be incredibly busy doing the things you enjoy. I've actually been working on three projects this past week (aside from re-watching approximately 4 seasons of Seinfeld...). Two of these projects you will be seeing posts about shortly, so they will be kept a secret until that time!

 

Anyways, I have seriously taken to card making these past few days (one of my resolutions!) Here's a sneak peek at the card stitching project I've been working on. Using embroidery thread, a needle, handmade paper, and some creative energy I've been able to make eight geometrically inspired cards so far. These are incredibly simple and fun to make, the designs come fairly easily and look good even if you have no idea what you're doing! 

I'm very excited to finish a few more cards and then share the full how-to with you! Keep your eyes peeled for some upcoming card and paper making posts.

Ellen

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Nancie here. After almost three weeks of no school, now two snow days and sub-zero temperatures in the midst of a Polar Vortex, I'm starting to feel a bit shut in. Like Jack Nicholson from the Shining. Okay, maybe it's not that bad. I've been keeping myself busy. Very busy. You can say I've possibly become "snow day manic". Ahhh. Pure Michigan. First, I woke up Sunday and decided to do a deep cleaning on my bedroom, washing windows, shutters, hanging pictures and this little baby...a reproduction of an apothecary cabinet of sorts. 

I am using it to store all my aromatherapy supplies. I used to make all kinds of homemade essential oil recipes, but I've fallen away from that these past years, so I am getting back into it. I started simply, creating a basic atomizer of lavender & rose oil and water to spray on my face—to calm me down when I look out and see the snow drifts piling up outside. :)

Next, I signed up for an online mixed media course by Misty Mawn. For those of you not familiar with Misty's work, she does stunning portraits and just gorgeous paintings. I am a huge fan and have been wanting to take a class by her for a while now, so I thought now is the perfect time. 

I also picked up a few art books and the latest HandCrafted issue by Stampington. and have been busy painting on gessoed cardboard and my art journal. I'm working on creating my own art journals using the coptic method of bookbinding and hoping to share that with you in a future post.

(One technique I am enjoying is to paint my entire journal page in black, let it dry completely and then paint over it in another color. If you take sandpaper to the top coat, it will show the black underneath. It produces a very cool effect.)

Happy Winter Creating!

Nancie

Emily's Vintage Fashion Inspiration for 2014

It's exciting to think of the new year as a clean slate for DIY projects, whether they involve new skills or old, whether they're challenging or simple. This is the season for planning and scheming and I'm so happy it's finally come! Of course, when we get to the winter doldrums in four weeks or so I'll be whining and crying about how I can't take the winter weather anymore, but I guess Michigan is like that...

So here is a sampling of the vintage fashion that I've been drooling over recently:

 To the right here is a dress that is listed as being from 1918, though I have to admit I'm kind of skeptical of the dating on it. It really seems to be later than that. Still, it's listed by a seemingly reputable vintage dealer in Chicago, so maybe they really do know their stuff.  

Anyway, I love the large, bold front plaiting, made more delicate by the embroidery and bead patterned trim. The small pleats along the bust are awesome too, especially with the texture of the silk. It's a dress that you know would cling to all of the right places, alluding to form and shape without revealing anything too daring.  

There is very little detail about this dress on the web site where I found it, but the delicate, relaxed-looking lines and starchy, intricate details are enough to make me want to draft a pattern inspired by it. Now I've just got to find a nice source for silk that isn't in terrible, gaudy colors!

This next one is a woolen day dress from 1924, designed by Chanel and I'm pretty sure it's from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection (Ya know, that seriously amazing fashion collection that they keep hiding in some dark secret place? That one.)

I'm having a hard time finding much information about this dress as well, but I almost wonder if it's a wool knit, based on the way that it drapes. I love the covered buttons and the chain detail. This is a great example of a mid twenties dress that might actually work for someone a bit bustier than the typical female silhouette of the era.

The piecing on this one is also very curious, and the diagonal lines seem like they would be flattering to a curvier lady. I can just picture this one with a pair of buffed brown oxfords, a set of pearls and a sage green cloche hat!

 This third photo is a period photo from 1942 of two members of the Women's Land Army, specifically the New South Wales division in Australia. The Women's Land Army, or WLA, was a division of the National Service and was a volunteer organization. The women of the WLA were responsible for much of the agriculture during the second World War. 

So anyway, this photo shows some great vintage overalls, or dungarees, and I am just dying to make myself a pair to throw on in the morning for farm chores. Theirs are most certainly army issued, so there wasn't much variation in them. I am currently drafting a pattern that allows for a thick cotton flannel lining and if they work well I may eventually do a pair lined in wool for the coldest of our Michigan months.  

I am constantly finding myself inspired by the women of the Land Army, as well as the thrifty utilitarian fashion of war-time. War brings about a sort of practicality in fashion that seriously stirs me.  

Finally I wanted to end with something a little less predictable. This dress is supposedly straight from the 1940's, though it's another one that I suspect is a bit later than the original poster has said. There is something so classically utopian/dystopian about this dress's design that reminds me of the aesthetic of older sci-fi movies like Blade Runner, and Dark City (and maybe even a bit of City of Ember). 

I love the seemingly pointless detail around the collar, and there is another tab with a strip of non-functional buttons down the back. It's so starkly contrasting against the utilitarian and somewhat stuffy, conservative cut of the dress. 

This just begs to be drafted and remade in a slubby neutral wool with some sort of wild button color (and maybe contrasting stitching or embroidery?) The possibilities are endless! 

Have you been seriously inspired by anything lately? Do you have any big projects planned for the new year? Thanks for checking in!

- Emily 

Work In Progress: Early 20th century Skating Skirt

Emily, here!

A week ago I was invited to attend an even called "Holiday Nights" at Greenfield Village, the open-air living history museum adjacent to the Henry Ford Museum. Holiday Nights is an amazing adventure into the past. The Village itself is an amalgam of historical buildings and "places", all arranged neatly along streets to provide a literal walk through history. There are houses and workshops, and even a factory originally owned by Thomas Edison, seated comfortably next to his workshops which you can tour.

If you're a history nerd like I am, this place is heaven! Holiday Nights is their wintertime celebration during which they offer live music in various settings around the village. You can snuggle next to a bonfire and listen to fife, crowd the foyer of a 19th century manor to hear hammered dulcimer and glockenspiel, follow the traveling carolers and more! There are "street vendors" selling roasted chestnuts, hot cocoa and warm cider, as well as lanterns and wreaths. It was so beautiful. Everywhere you looked were people carrying little lights and lanterns, and people were laughing and singing all around the village (except for one of the houses. One of the houses belonged to a very conservative family, whose religion I have forgotten, who did not observe Christmas...) and the end of the night was led by a parade of noise and lights to the town hall where all of the visitors caroled as fireworks were set off over the village lake. Holy cow. I haven't had good educational fun like that in a very long time.

SO.
I've had this idea for a vintage-inspired skirt tickling the back of my head ever since that night and over the past few days I've been able to really get some work done on it. I want desperately to make one of those warm woolen skirts that you see women wearing for figure skating both in the 1910's and again in the 40s.

Ideally I'd like it to be the kind of skirt that you can pair with a fancy muff or a muck fork, depending on where you are! The biggest challenge for me was definitely coming up with something that is practical as well as elegant.

I spent an entire day pouring over my vintage/antique patterns (and Pinterest, of course) in order to come up with just the right cut. Finally I settled on one of my favorite patterns from "Past Patterns" which is a 1915, six gored skirt with a sort of "yoke belt". I used this patter as my base and altered it slightly to give it a slightly more 40's silhouette and length, and unless I'm sorely mistaken the result is going to be spectacular!

This pattern is a perfect example of how to find yourself in over your head with antique sewing! The pattern has a scant 4 lines of directions and was originally unprinted, leaving a series of perforations to be carefully deciphered by the seamstress or tailor. The "yoke belt" is nearly impossible to figure out, and in the end I decided to wing it. It was only after I finished the top of the skirt that I figured out how I should've done it, as it ended up a bit bulky, but it still looks fantastic when it's on!

The fabric that I had the pleasure of using for this was a heavy Italian wool. Don't get me wrong, I'm really not the kind of gal to go and splurge on some over-the-top luxury fabric, but last year I visited the Fabric Warehouse over in Warren, Michigan and stumbled across this amazing fabric for $12.99 a yard, when it had originally sold for $50-60 a yard in New York City fashion houses. Holy Moly, right? It's the most luxurious fabric I've ever sewn with (though I have a couple of other gems in my collection waiting to be used) so there was a lot of pressure to make it into something special. This project has proved to be the perfect excuse.

I have yet to add the buttons, hook-and-eyes and hem (which I am just realizing I've never actually done an invisible hem – maybe I can get away with hiding a plain-stitched hem in an embellishment at the bottom as pictured on the drawing...) so there will be plenty of photos of this babe when I'm finished. I'll be finishing the hem at a shorter length than was typical of the Edwardian period from which this pattern comes simply because I want it to be a working skirt, or the kind of skirt that you'd wear when skating on the local pond. It needs to be short enough that my wellies don't get caught up in it as I'm trudging out to feed the livestock, but ideally it should be long enough to allude to the modesty of the era.

Stay tuned for more photos!