Finding Fabric on a Budget

Today I've got an idea for you guys on how you can create vintage pieces on a smaller budget, focusing on saving money on fabric.

I had a shorts pattern I had tried out before, Butterick 9779, and I decided that it was so amazing that I must replicate it in many colors.  However, who's got all the money in the world to go buy a bunch of new fabric and zippers and notions to make a bunch of shorts?  I sure didn't.  So I did some upcycle thinking.

I had found this maroon corduroy 80s-90s skirt in a thrift store for $3 thinking I would shorten it into a winter skirt, but it was much too pleated and gathered and full to look right.  It looked pretty icky, actually.

However, that fullness was a great thing!  I laid out the skirt to see if the shorts pattern pieces would fit on the skirt fabric, and after a bit of shifting, they sure did!  I cut out the pieces and snipped out the zipper and a button that was on the skirt.  (The zipper was especially handy.  It's already a matching color and much cheaper than a new one!)  I reused all these pieces to create these shorts:

I was quite happy with the result!

Now if you, too, have a project in mind and would like to save money on fabric, here are some other things you can look for to use for projects:

- Curtains:  By far one of my favorite things to use for sewing.  There are lots of lacy grandma curtains out there!  Often they also have scalloped edges or other such fancy trim.

- Sheets:  Great for large pieces, and oftentimes they're a comfy fabric with soft floral prints.  Perfect for spring!

- Large clothing items:  Like my full length skirt, or you can also look for long jackets, large dresses, ponchos, etc.  Anything with large panels of cloth works.

- Blankets: Obviously, you'll want to keep the thickness of the blanket in mind when choosing so it's appropriate for what you want to make.  It's actually a very vintage/antique idea to remake blankets into skirts and such!

- Tablecloths: A classic 1930s-1940s Depression and rationing era trick.  You can even find vintage instructions on how to turn a tablecloth into a dress or skirt!

- Notions:  When you're altering or purchasing clothing items, save the notions off of them, even if you don't need them for that specific project.  Definitely throw any buttons into your button jar, but you can also save zippers, hooks and eyes, snaps, chest support pieces, and shoulder pads.  Keep them for use in later projects.

I can't wait to see the awesome, ingenious fabric solutions you guys come up with to make your vintage wardrobe plans come to fruition!

My First Forties Shoes!

I saved this for you guys from a couple weeks ago.  I wrote the post immediately but didn't have photos 'til now.  Though it's from a little while ago, the emotion is still the same!

Today marks a milestone in my vintage wardrobe section of life.

Today, I bought my first pair of legit 1940s shoes!!!

I spotted them amongst lots of 60s-80s shoes at a local vintage store, and I freaked out (inside).  They had that high arch of forties shoes.... looked old.... right aesthetic...

I rushed to tried them on and did a silent scream to myself in the mirror, because they fit!!!  I took them home, and after a bit of re-gluing, love, and carefully making a couple extra, matching holes in the heel strap for my narrow heels, I proudly wore them all night as I sat behind the desk of my dorm on duty.  No one could really see them, so I made sure to pop my foot up on the counter in as genteel a manner as possible so my peeps could share in my excitement with me. Hee hee.

I always wonder what happened while these shoes were being worn.  Did some young lady don her prettiest day dress and these shoes to go shopping with her friends?  Did a kind husband gift them to his wife on their 20th wedding anniversary?  Were these shoes on the feet of a woman who ran to meet her soldier coming home from World War II?  Maybe these shoes haven't seen such sentimental moments.... but maybe they have!  They'll hopefully see many more in the future!

Though I don't own a huge giant vintage wardrobe, it's little moments like this that make vintage so fun.  Because I own fewer things, I appreciate them so much.  I rarely make impulse buys because of my budget, so when I do get items, they are items I REALLY want, like these shoes!  I didn't think I would be able to find a pair in my size and in my price range, but lo and behold, vintage miracles do happen!  In the Bible it says that every good thing is from above, and thus, I think it's totally appropriate to thank God for some awesome shoes!