How to Use A Seam Ripper

You can use a seam ripper as a pick and pull out stitches one by one.

If you're brave you may have run the seam ripper

right up the seam, with mixed results.

If you use the seam ripper correctly, running it up a seam is not scary.

All you do is flip the little red ball down to the underside as shown.

This technique protects the fabric from getting slit and you can see the point from the top side so it doesn't get caught as you rip.

This is the lovely Deluxe Vintage Style Brass Seam Ripper shown in the photo's.

Let's Stay In Touch, Join Our List: http://eepurl.com/bdG3sr

Vintage Monograms

 

Print these out for a lovely personal touch to any of your creations.

Visit out site.

Let's Stay In Touch, Join Our List: http://eepurl.com/bdG3sr

Match Thread, Needles and Stitch Length Vintage Style

This is "sew" good to know!

The perfect size to print out, and pin up.

Vintage Sewing Valentines

 Share the love.

Vintage Le Bon Marché Paris

This is a vintage ad from the Le Bon Marché

Department store in Paris in 1937

Le Bon Marché, "the good buy", or "the good deal" in French, is the name of one of the most famous department stores in Paris, France.  It was founded as a small shop in the early 19th century.  By about 1865 it had become the world’s first true department store.

Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts

This is a page out of a volume of The Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences Book, Published in Scranton, PA, with a copyright of 1936. I have eight volumes and just love them.  They are on all sorts of sewing and were used as text books. This particular page is from the volume on Children's and Maternity Garments. I don't know about you, but my maternity body didn't look anything like these girls.

I don't know how many volumes are in the whole set but the ones I do have are:  Ribbon and Fabric Trimmings, Cutting and Fitting, Principles of Tailoring, Sewing For Profit, Dressmaking - Trimming - Finishing, Children's and Maternity Garments, Harmony in Dress, Tailored Garments and Decorative Stitches and Trimmings.

If you wanted to track them down I would think a search in google with the key words of  "Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences" would be a good place to start.

This is a sample page is from the volume on
Ribbon and Fabric Trimmings.

The China Teacup Pincushion

I got a few really lovely china tea cups when my mother-in-law passed away. This was my favourite. I didn't want it to just sit in the cupboard so I made it into a fancy pincushion that I could see and enjoy almost everyday while I was sewing. I don't really use it, but I have it on my shelf and think it's very cute. I hope it's not some sort of a rare antique because I did glue gun the cup to the saucer and there is a little dab of glue here and there. I filled the cup with polyester fiber fill and tucked a piece of heavy silk over top of it and glued it in place about 1/4" below the inside rim of the cup. I finished off the edge with a pretty pre pleated ribbon. On the saucer I tacked a piece of antique lace, that sort of looks like a lace napkin. I love it even if the cup turns out to be worth a fortune I love it just the way it is!

Gramma Irene's Little Heirloom Dress

Oh to be a little girl in the 1900's...

This is Grandma Irene little heirloom dress.  I got this the same day she gave me her christening gown and Grandpa Clive's christening gown.  Little dresses like this make me want a little girl.  It's a very basic square yolk dress made out of batiste, not the greatest quality - but it's still here after all these years so it held up well.

If you click on the pictures a new window will open and you can get a good close up look at them.

On the back there are twill tape ties to close the dress and one mother of pearl button you can't quite see at the bottom of the yolk. All the lace on the dress if cotton and made in France.

The sleeve detail shows lots of lace and pretty layers. Notice that there is lace edging on the edge of the collar and sleeve, you can also see some insertion and then the flounce of Swiss edge under the collar.