When we look back on the 1930s, we think of a rather bleak decade that was largely defined by economic struggle and political upheaval. Believe it or not, however, a lot of fashion from this time was the very most in glamour and opulence.
sewing
Find out all about the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, in this collection of vintage articles – including interviews with the cast, peeks behind the scenes, costume info, photos, videos and more!
Back in the 1960s & 1970s, if you asked someone on the mainland about Hawaiian music, chances are the first (and probably only) songs they’d know would be by Don Ho. The singer’s smooth, laid-back style delighted millions. Find out how it all began here.
Step into a world of timeless grace with 1950s wedding dresses — where lace meets luxury for peak vintage bridal elegance.
See several 1960s sewing machines here. Turn the knob and automatically do straight stitching, fancy embroidery, mending, button-sewing and much more.
Who remembers when these vintage 1950s Singer sewing machines were new? One big seller was the Swing-Needle SINGER Automatic, which came in black or beige, in lovely cabinet or portable style.
As long as antique buttons have adorned our clothing and shoes, people have been collecting them. Made from a multitude of materials – from metal to bone, wood to plastic – buttons are miniature pieces of everyday history.
Both gaucho pants and culottes have a wide, flowing cut — and that can make them look very similar at first glance. But there are some key differences!
Here are some crafty fabric Christmas ornaments you can make yourself. There are five different designs using an inexpensive patchwork design.
Here are some vintage tips for how to tie-dye clothes, right from the 60s & 70s. The results are vibrant patterns, from geometric to lush organic effects.
As this girl’s interest and sewing expertise grew, she asked her parents to transform a tiny, unused back room into a super-efficient, light and cheerful sewing room just for her.
What is cottagecore? Old-timey, flowery, ruffly skirts; lacy high-necked tops and dresses with a Victorian/Western vibe. Sound familiar? Turns out, yesterday’s prairie revival is today’s cottagecore dress.
Remember when every girl wanted a Lane hope chest? See 20+ vintage hope chests from the 20th century
Way back when, it’s what every girl wanted: A cedar-lined Lane hope chest for linens and her trousseau. In upper-middle-class homes, giving a teen cedar chest was a longstanding tradition — and practically a requirement for marriage.
These vintage Sew Magic & Sew Perfect toys were working sewing machines that let kids do real sewing, but without having to use needle and thread by hand.
Planning a wedding with a classic old-fashioned feel? Check out this collection of beautiful vintage wedding dresses from the first two decades of the 1900s!
These vintage zodiac cross-stitch designs could be used as-is, interspersed and contrasted with plain squares, or the designs adapted to many other uses — such as cross-stitch embroidery for table linens.
Have you ever thought about using some of the millions of pine needles that fall off the trees to make something useful? Here are more than 20 vintage pine needle crafts & decor ideas!
With this easy vintage DIY puffy happy face pin project, it’s easy to put on a happy face, a funny face, or any kind of face you fancy with soft, cuddly cotton creatures!
These gorgeous spring and summer fashions from 1922 show how beautifully-made women’s clothing was back in the 1920s. Take a peek at these full-color images that were published in 1922.
These gorgeous winter fashions from 1922 show how beautifully-made women’s clothing was back in the 1920s. Take a peek at these full-color images that were published in 1922.
These vintage home decorating fabric styles and patterns show you what was popular in 1965, both in terms of what designers were offering, and what everyday folks were buying at popular department stores.
There is not a man living who does not like to see a woman in an apron. Every groom dreams of his young wife donning an apron in which to pour his coffee.
This carefree tie-on poncho is cut in just four identical pieces and put together with simple straight sewing. Best of all, it has a dozen uses, can be made in any number of different fabrics, and cut to any length you like.
Here are a few ideas for antique-style Christmas embroidery you can use to create small gifts. We have also included some bonus patterns, also from the early 1900s.
Look years back at teachers, students and old school classrooms from more than a century ago, and see what education was like back then.
This retro-style DIY bulletin board framed by satiny stars, clouds, and moon crescents promised to add a soft touch to any 80s teen’s bedroom.
Take a look back at these creative handmade vintage quilts from the ’70s. These are the 51 prize winners out of almost 10,000 entries.
One little piece of felt, cut in a simple shape, a few quick stitches – and, presto! – a hat! Here are some simple vintage one-piece hats you can sew.
Why were vintage Biba clothes so popular, even among celebrities like Twiggy and Mia Farrow? Part of it was that its mini-clothes could be bought on a mini-budget.
Most of these vintage designs were intended to provide suggestions for embroidery or other needlework to adorn clothing and linens, or to for the kind of knicknacks people desired long ago. We wanted to restore these antique graphics and create from them coloring pages that would appeal to hobbyists and artists today.
These sweet bandana baby clothes are wearing tops made from the kind of cotton scarves you can buy anywhere. Here’s how to make these outfits from 1977!
Try your hand at these traditional patterns for Americana quilts – the pride of America’s past, and adaptable for many uses today.
Make bedtime wonderfully wild with these lion and elephant quilted comforters for kids, that can turn nights from hassle to heyday. See how to make them here.
The 1860s were a time of great conflict and stress, but that didn’t mean that formal Civil War-era dresses were suddenly less extravagant — they were anything but.
Stitch your own American folk patchwork and make a beautiful wall hanging for your home with the help of these patterns & style ideas from the ’70s!
Before the Civil War, popular Elegant Victorian dresses were not just several feet wide and many layers think, but there were different dresses for dinner, evening, carriage rides and beyond.
Holly Hobbie was the old-fashioned girl dressed in calico with lace-up boots and an enormous sunbonnet who appeared on everything from curtains to clothing.
Looking for some DIY ’70s clothes? Here are some quickie, kicky young wearables to make out of this and that for next to nothing!
For Valentine’s Day or any day, you can re-create these pretty heart cross-stitch patterns with these designs and directions from 1955.
Make some retro ornaments for your Christmas tree with these crafts from the ’60s: they’re fanciful birds and butterflies in inexpensive, easy-to-sew felt.
You can create new fashions from old clothing! Here, see how a moth-eaten bathrobe and skirt, an outgrown blouse, knee-worn slacks were converted into sparkling new accessories.
Opulent enough even for fashionable Linda Gray – Dallas’ superspender Sue Ellen Ewing – she models these high-style silk dresses were stylish in the eighties.
Who invented the sewing machine? That really depends on how much progress has to be made for something to be considered ‘invented.’ Find out more!
There were several great vintage Halloween costume patterns available in the ’70s and ’80s. Butterick, Simplicity and McCalls all offered some basic costume designs and many variations were possible.
Shortly before her clothing line debuted – and back when her son, Anderson Cooper, was 8 years old – the multi-talented heiress Gloria Vanderbilt came out with her own print magazine: Gloria Vanderbilt Designs for Your Home.
6 million teenagers love to sew – this is what they will make this fall Ladies’ Home Journal – September 1960 Full of enthusiasm, teenagers
Here are vintage Victorian directions for a Marie Antoinette dress sewing pattern for a little girl, trimmed with bias ruffles, and headed with a bais band of satin.
Mme Demorest’s Emporium of Fashions – 473 Broadway, New York We think our lady readers will be both interested and benefited by having their attention called
Take a look at these antique cigarette cards — collectible free trading cards that were included in packages of cigarettes — featuring images of famous
No-sew wrap-and-go fashion from the 80s From a beach cover-up to a party dress, the perennial “pareo” does it all, with just two yards of
Party aprons and serving holders Ever since Madame Schiaparelli wore lovely aprons as part of her hostess gowns, we’ve been on the alert for something
