A Vintage Look, Personalized

Next up was this 1950’s reissued pattern from Simplicity. Michelle knew it was coming and claimed this sew for her own.

To make this 1950’s blouse more her style, she found this Halloween fabric that she thought would be perfect. Off I sew!

The shirt had simple pieces but featured this peplum bottom. What is a peplum bottom? Here’s the definition;

pep·lum/ˈpepləm/noun

1. a short flared, gathered, or pleated strip of fabric attached at the waist of a woman’s jacket, dress, or blouse to create a hanging frill or flounce.
   • (in ancient Greece) a woman’s loose outer tunic or shawl.

So let’s talk about buttons. I LOVE buttons. I have TONS of buttons, and I’ll never stop buying vintage buttons, jars of them, or containers of them. Once upon a time Grandma gave me a bunch of vintage buttons that were still on their cards. I call these my “fancy, good buttons”. When it came time for Michelle to pick out buttons, I let her chose from my bin of fancy, good buttons. Yes I love them, yes I collect/possibly hoard them, BUT I do use them and let them go to others.

Since I am so spoiled with a large button collection I have found that I’ve become a bit of a button snob. I glanced at some new buttons in the store and they were so cheaply made that I turned my nose up at them. Of course things used to be made better than they are now days. I’ll make do with my tins and jars of buttons, and my bin of fancy, good buttons for my sews.

These particular buttons had me curious. I had to look up the B. Blumenthal & Co., Inc.

Benjamin Blumenthal started his button company in 1877. In the beginning most of the buttons were imported. When WWII started the type of material that they made buttons out of changed, and they began to make more of them in the United States, Iowa, to be more specific. Between 1940 and 1960 they began making plastic buttons.

The B. Blumenthal & Co., Inc. is still in business today. They make several brands of buttons including La Mode, La Petite, and Streamline.

I love to research the sewing things that I’ve been given or have collected. I hope you have enjoyed this bit of button history too!

Sometimes I get into a project and am sewing along and realize I haven’t taken enough pictures for my blog. Oops!

But this shirt went together easily and didn’t give me any trouble. I delivered it to Michelle, and she decided to wear it out for a weekend of shopping.

Of course I made a mask to match! Here Michelle is in her favorite author’s section of the book store.

“Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking”? If you figure it out I’ll be expecting a classic Italian meal, HA!

I absolutely love the look of this shirt! I’m going to have to make myself one using this pattern, but with different fabric of course.

In this picture you can see the buttons down the front. They coordinate so well! They’ve earned their title of “fancy, good buttons”.

Seems like all of the bands from our youth are popular again? Maybe we’ve always been trend setters!

I love that Michelle takes fashion risks by using a non traditional fabric with a vintage pattern. It turned out so cute and flattering!

I’ll have to fit a shirt for myself into the mix! But as I write this, I know that I have a bunch of sews for myself coming up! Guess I’ll be on my way to having a closet full of me made clothes!

It’s important to do for others, it’s also important to take care of yourself as well!

As for me, onto the next!