V is for Vintage

"I'm Just A Jitterbug"

2012-02-23T20:55:00.000-08:00

I've fallen off posting about dancing much in the last couple months, but a recent Facebook conversation reminded me that I've been meaning to post this article originally published in a 1939 Look Magazine. It shows some "behind the scenes" shots of LA swing dancers who were filmed as inspiration for the Walter Lantz cartoon short "I'm Just a Jitterbug".

The footage of dancing was rotoscoped for the cartoon (basically traced), which seems to be looked down on by animators, but it's fun for us dancers, because it's so true to life. Only 2 couples are shown in the Look article, but from watching the footage we know that Ray Hirsch and Patti Lacey were part of this project too, because we see their signature moves in it!

As was unfortunately common in this era, there are racist and derogatory images included in the article and cartoon. I have included them in this entry because I feel strongly that it is inappropriate to cut them and not recognize the bigotry present.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Human Jitterbugs Are Models...

For Dancing Insects In an Animated Cartoon

Nobody ever knows what a jitterbug will do next. Even those masters of miracles, the Hollywood animated cartoonists, who cam make pigs dance and ducks talk, couldn't figure out the jitterbugs.

"When the jitterbug craze hit the country," says Cartoon Producer Walter Lantz, "we started out to make a jitterbug cartoon. But after making many hundreds of drawings, we realized it was impossible to follow the intricate steps conceived by these dizzy dancers unless we could work from actual jitterbugs in action."

So Lantz rounded up jitterbug teams, turned them loose in front of a camera, then had animators study them on the movie screen. Even then, the timing problem was too difficult. Finally, each frame of action was projected and a tracing was made of it. Animators then drew the cartoon bugs over the tracings of the dancing teams.

Some of the human models and the cartoon scenes they inspired for "I'm Just a Jitterbug" are shown here. The cartoon required 12,000 individual drawings, but it takes only seven minutes to show it on the screen.

Grandpa and Grandma Bug act as silly as human beings.

(Dancers are Roy Damron and Snookie Bishop)

The Bugs Get a Lesson in swing from Mary Herron and Jack Conlogue.

"Snookie" Bishop and Roy Damron demonstrate for the bug cartoonists.

This is the Way the bugs do it after Roy and "Snookie" have shown them how.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here's the final version of the cartoon!

Funny thing is, I don't see any of the images from the magazine in the cartoon.

"I'm Just a Jitterbug" (1939)

Because I like to see the unedited version myself, I've included the complete magazine pages below.

The Great LA Air Raid - 2012

2012-02-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, this weekend we attended the Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 (2012 edition). We had a great time - the weather was beautiful, the band was great, and I had a new outfit! ;) Other than dyeing my shoes I didn't have time to make anything new, but I picked up a few new pieces recently that luckily went together nicely.

I've never been a hat person in the past because they're usually awkward on the dance floor, but I'm challenging myself to wear them to more events. This turban hat was great though - it stayed put nicely the whole night!

Dancing to Dean Mora and The Fort Macarthur Officers Orchestra

Photo by Dave Welch - follow the link for more pics of the event!

There were tons of military vehicles and displays. I think it gets bigger every year!

Cait, Lauren and me - offering a little morale boost for the troops!

Heading to watch the Sherman Tank demonstration.

With Rusty Frank, one of our favorite local swing instructors. She taught a free lesson before the band started.

Sirens with the siren. :)

Climbing up to the top of the Sherman tank was a huge highlight - we felt like conquering heroes. Or at least really tall!

In addition to the military vehicles, there was a vintage car display - Lauren's husband Matt made the clever display below with vintage tires.

With Joshua Curtis, the author of Sunkissed. Love that book.

V for Victory! ...-

---------------------------------------------------

Dress: From Brooklyn With Love

Gloves: MartasRose

Hat: antique store

Shoes: Aris Allen, dyed by me

Dyeing Aris Allen Oxfords

2012-02-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

This week is one of my favorite events of the year, but unfortunately I don't think Hallmark will ever make a card in honor of the Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942.

The Air Raid is held at Ft. Macarthur in San Pedro, and is primarily outdoors and unpaved. Last year was rainy, but we've been having a mild winter this year so I hope the weather holds through the weekend! Even if the ground isn't muddy it'll still be dirty, so I want some warm sturdy shoes to wear. Last year I wore my Aris Allen oxfords and they got nice and muddy, and last weekend I finally got around to dyeing them, which I've wanted to try for a long time.

This isn't exactly a tutorial on how to dye these shoes because I feel that this technique can be improved on, but in case some gals want to dye theirs I thought I'd document what I did. If you have any ideas how to improve this process, please comment below! And if you haven't seen it, read the Dreamstress's Shoe Dyeing Tutorial.

Supplies:

Aris Allen Velvet Oxford Shoes

Dye - I chose Dylon, RIT would probably work fine

Salt - this may or may not be a good idea, see below

Gloves - get a 5 pack, I used at least 3 pairs

Brush - I chose a cheap sponge version, it worked fine

Old toothbrush - to clean shoes

White Tissue paper - stuff inside shoes while dyeing

Not shown:

Bowl for dye (glass or stainless steel)

Spoon for mixing dye (do not use for food)

Paper towels!

Using a toothbrush or something similar, clean your shoes. Mine still had lots of mud from last year, and you need to clean off all the junk so the dye can take evenly.

I mixed up the dye according to the package instructions, but they wanted me to add salt to the dyebath water. Since I painted my shoes, I added it to the dye - which I'm not sure was a good move...

I didn't tape off any trim, but if you want to, do that now.

Stuff the shoes with tissue paper or paper towels.

Using the brush, thoroughly wet the shoes with plain water, then apply the dye. It's like watercolor painting, wet-on-wet. It spreads fast and goes on fairly evenly.

Wet shoes, after one coat. I let them dry for a while, then did a second coat.

After drying, the shoes were really splotchy! I'm not sure if it was from the dye or the salt, but it brushed away. I had already pitched the toothbrush, which was the wrong tool for the job anyway, so Chris got me a soft bristle brush from his shoe polishing kit.

Shoe Brush.

Ahh, much better! not perfect, but good enough. They are more even-toned in real life.

Here's a warning about this project. The velvet nap seems like it's made of cotton, which is a natural fiber and dyes well with Dylon or RIT. The stitching and binding are synthetic and doesn't pick up the dye for natural fibers well, which is why you get the neat contrast. BUT!! it looks like under the cotton nap is a synthetic base, so the areas that are rubbed down through wearing don't take the dye well either.

If you really want to dye well worn shoes, I'd recommend mixing together dyes that are intended for natural and synthetic fibers. But then you'll loose the contrast stitching because that will dye too. Another option is to use a lighter shade of dye so the contrast won't be as strong.

FYI, I never wore these shoes much, maybe out dancing 5 times? That was enough to wear down the nap, I guess.

I'm still really happy with how they turned out! I like them in brown MUCH more than the off-white from before, and the contrast stitching is so cool. Most of the uneven color is on the inside of the shoes so it's not obvious, and I'm not above touching them up with a marker. :) Now I just need to find the Scotchgard and spray them down!

DPP 2012 Costume Contest Entry

2012-02-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

I just sent in my entry for the 2012 Your Wardrobe Unlock'd and Foundations Revealed Double Period Project Competition. This year's periods were 1812 & 1912, and since I created a new ensemble for the Jane Austen Evening I decided to enter it. I didn't get quite enough photos of the gown at the event, and I didn't have any good photos of my stays, so last weekend Chris & I went out and snapped a few more. I *really* wish that we could have gone to the Huntington Library & Gardens in Pasadena for the photoshoot because the buildings and gardens are just perfect, but we didn't have time so we explored a regional park close to home.

Here are the photos I submitted to the contest plus a couple extras, enjoy!

Playing with Toys

2012-02-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

I picked up a new old toy for myself today - a while ago I took my grandmother's vintage Singer sewing machine into the shop, and today I finally picked it up! She's a beaut, if I do say so myself. I couldn't resist snapping a few shots with my fancy-pants Christmas camera to share with you. (I need a new hobby like I need a hole in the head, but learning photography is turning out to be fun. :)

The plates on this machine are exquisite. There was another vintage Singer at the shop that wasn't nearly as pretty. ;)

I've had the machine for maybe 5 years now, and I always knew that I *could* sew with it, but until I started reading sewing blogs it never occurred to me that a lot of people prefer the vintage machines to modern ones! Lauren and her husband inspected it for me and warned me that the electrical needed to be replaced, so off to the shop it went. She got a couple new wires, a new belt and a tuneup, and now she's ready to go. I just need to get the table out of the garage and negotiate room for it in the living room somewhere - the sewing room is full up!

In honor of my grandmother, Lucille, my new old machine is christened Lucie. :)

This is the BACK of the machine. No modern manufacturer would bother with such lovely details on the back of something anymore.

Possibly the coolest part of the whole machine - if you look close you can see the spool of thread at the bottom of the "S", and the thread goes through needles. Someone should reproduce this and make jewelry or something.

I'm a complete novice about this, but I'm discovering that the nifty thing about vintage Singers is the serial plate for each corresponds to the date of manufacture. According to the Singer website, this machine is from the end of 1940. HOW COOL IS THAT?! My dad doesn't know if the machine was bought new or used (the family moved around during the war), but he said it definitely came with them during the move from Minnesota to California in the 50's.

Now I need to find some family photos of garments that Grandma sewed right?

Aunts, come to my rescue! :D

Regency Evening Gown 2012

2012-01-26T23:39:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have some process shots of creating my dress for this year's Jane Austen Evening. My dress was inspired by this one from the exhibit Napoleon: The Empire of Fashion - I've drooled over the dress ever since I bought the catalog, and when I found some sheer striped fabric in the LA garment district I decided to give it a shot.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inspiration

The below 3 images are found via Thomason Photography. I was happy to find this website, because the exhibit catalog doesn't show the sleeve clearly. I never found a photo of the back, so I just made it up based on my previous Regency dresses.

Source

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Draping

Earlier this year I bought my very first dress form, Beatrice, and she was a life saver for this project. I took all my measurements with my stays on, then put them on her, laced and padded her out to match. I draped the bodice directly on top and only had 2 fittings from start to finish, and honestly the bodice of this dress fits me better than anything else in my closet.

I had 2 fabrics to work with, my base satin and the sheer striped fabric. First step was draping the satin underlayer - I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted the neckline, so I marked a couple options and picked one in my first fitting. I think(?) I picked the lower one.

I like to make notes on my muslins during draping or fitting, so that I remember what to do to the pattern. I decided to have drawstring closures at the neck and waistline, and because I wanted a slight gathered effect, I added a little extra to the CB of the pattern when I traced off my muslin.

I don't have a shot of the side view, but I kept the armhole really high, right under the armpit. High armholes are not the standard in today's clothing but they are crucial for good movement (especially in non-stretch fabrics!), and since I would be dancing in this dress I wanted to be able to lift my arms!

Next I draped my sheer striped fabric on top of my muslin. Luckily this fabric was not expensive, so I bought extra and decided to drape directly in the real fabric, and knew I could start over if I had too. As you can see, the bodice is bias like the original. Love directional stripes! (OK, all stripes are directional, but you know what I mean.)

I don't even want to remember how long it took me to drape this darn bodice! Hours, literally. Getting all the tucks and poufiness placed correctly and flatteringly was really hard. I draped half, marked all the tucks, and then transfered it to the other side on the flat. The over layers of the bodice are flatlined to the satin.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Construction

The rest was fairly easy! So of course I didn't take process shots of it, grr. The neckline is finished with bias binding casing and trimmed with lace and a beaded trim, and I slipstitched the waistline seam allowance closed to create a casing. Here's the inside view of the front - yes, I overlocked the inside seam allowances!

For the skirt and sleeves, I used my modified Sense & Sensibility pattern from last year and just added the striped overskirt, which was a couple of rectangles with a bunch of box pleats. I did the CB placket wrong because the edges are supposed to butt up to each other, but my placket is for edges that overlap. Oh well, that's nothing a little hook and eye can't fix!

The Finished Dress!!

Whew! Thanks for indulging me that post, and congrats if you made it to the end! ;)

Jane Austen Evening 2012

2012-01-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Chris and I attended the 14th Annual Jane Austen Evening in Pasadena, CA. This is our 3rd time attending, and I think we have a better time every year! It's such a fun event - we see a few people regularly at other events, but lot of attendees we only see at the dance practices and the event, and then we all disappear for 11 months until the following January.

I got a fancy-pants camera for Christmas, and I'm still just learning how to use it (where's the zoom again?), and this was it's first official outing. Hopefully this means I'll have lots of fab pictures for you in the future!

This year we were greeted by the rabble protesting us 1% who are high-falutin' enough to attend a sumputous tea and ball...

Chris and I shared tea with Post-Captain Paul and his lovely partner, Kendra.

(hope I got the rank correct! I'm hopeless about military things.)

Chris wore the same ensemble I made for him last year - I was hoping to make a pair of trousers for him this year, but didn't have enough time. That's why the photo is from the waist up. ;)

My dress was inspired by a gown from the exhibit Napoleon: The Empire of Fashion. I fell in love with this gown when I bought the exhibit catalog, and when I found the sheer striped fabric I knew I had to give it a try. It's not intended as an exact copy, but I guess it turned out pretty darn close - several people recognized it from the original, which was a pleasant and unexpected surprise!

I did take some process shots of creating my dress - I guess I should post those soon, right?

The hall filled with dancing.

Lauren looked amazing as always, and had a new turban and accessories to go with a dress from last year. I'm so glad she wore this dress for another outing, it's just stunning!

Beautiful lineup of costumers and their creations, including Katherine of The Fashionable Past, Loren of The Costumer's Closet, and Lauren of Wearing History. Chris saw our group of ladies lined up for a photo op and spied all the cameras sitting on a table, quickly grabbed all of them and started shooting. And who says that chivalry is dead? ;)

All in all, the Jane Austen Evening was a huge success, like always. It's growing more and more popular every year, and tickets sold out this year in less than a week! The date for next year is already set for January 26, 2013, and if you are interested in attending I recommend joining the email list and buying tickets as soon as they go on sale!

1939 Eagle Rock High School Yearbook

2012-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope it's not too late to say that :) I've had some writer's block lately and haven't felt like saying much, but then yesterday I received an eBay package that I'm excited to share! I bought a 1939 yearbook from my high school in Eagle Rock, CA (northeast part of Los Angeles). When I was in high school I loved looking through the old yearbooks, and I'm thrilled to have one of my own.

Eagle Rock High School was opened in 1927 and was built in a traditional Spanish style, with tile roofs, arched doorways, and a courtyard. The original buildings were torn down in 1970 and rebuilt (due to earthquake safety standards, I believe), and unfortunately the "new" buildings weren't nearly as cute. The only original building still remaining is the auditorium.

The ERHS yearbook is called the Totem, as a tribute to the Native Americans who first settled the region. The yearbook still retains this name, I believe.

In this period, the school had 2 graduating classes per year - Winter and Summer. I think they combined the classes in the 40's? My yearbook has all the Winter classes/clubs/sports at the front, and Summer in the back.

The yearbook is dedicated to the burgeoning city of Los Angeles. It's fun to look at the pictures of our historical LA landmarks (Hollywood, Los Angeles City Hall, and Griffith Observatory) and think how they were so new back then. I guess they're still new by most architectural standards, but they feel old to us Angelenos!

Some snapshots of the old school - you can see the courtyard and classrooms, and I think tennis courts?

Winter Class 4-H Club. I think those are classrooms in the background?

This is one of my favorites - this club is standing in front of the auditorium, and you can see the class plaques out front. Every graduating class votes for a Class Name, designs a logo, and raises funds to have a plaque made for the front. It's nearly full out in front now! Next time I'm driving by the school I should take a picture - it's quite cool to see how the graphics changed over time.

Of course, there are loads of hair and clothing inspiration in this book, so I will be posting more. (did someone say Stripey Socks? They're all over!) After I finished scanning I found the book's original owner - Shirley Martin. She's quite cute and judging from the inscriptions she was quite popular with the boys!

Regency Stays Part 2

2011-12-22T22:57:00.000-08:00

My Mantua Maker stays are nearly done (finally! I did most of the work last spring, then left them unfinished for months!), and they're good enough to post about now.

Overall, I like this pattern - I recommend it with only slight reservations. It fits well and goes together easily, and has thorough instructions. My version is a new printing, so it's even been updated to increase the size of the back (a common complaint on internet reviews). Originally I was going to leave the length, but I did end up reducing it 1" because I'm shortwaisted.

But - the shoulder strap placement drove me NUTS. It's so wide in the back that they dug into the back of my arms, and constantly fell off. I scoured the internet for pics of these stays made up, and every picture I saw has the same issue, so I decided to just go with it - no one else seems to complain, so maybe I should just shut up and deal.

Then I went to see the Fabulous! exhibit at FIDM, and they had a pair of regency stays on display. The straps on these stays were much closer together in the back, but still sat wide at the shoulder and at the front. The shape reminded me of a racer-back tank, though less severe.

I did more internet research of extant stays, and over and over I kept seeing the same thing -

the way these stays from the MFA are displayed show this concept - see how they're narrow in the back and wrap around the shoulder to be wide in the front? Seemed like it would solve the strap-falling-off problem.

Extant Stays, early 19th Century - MFA Boston

So even though my stays were all but finished, I just wouldn't be happy if I didn't try to fix them.

Here's how I tried my new racer-back concept - remember, my stays were basically finished, so I had to get a little creative to attach the new straps. I had even done the binding at the top and had to remove that. ARGHH!!! :)

I put the stays on Beatrice, and tossed last year's Jane Austen Evening dress on top and marked the neckline with pins to use as a guide for how wide to set the straps.

I kept the shoulder strap on grain, and wrapped it from back to front. It's basically just a rectangle with a little flare at the back seam. The angle of the strap at the seam is the important part to get right.

Shoulder strap trimmed down.

This side view shows how the original strap placement in the Mantua Maker pattern is under my armpit. No wonder they're so uncomfortable!

New strap placement.

Here's the finished version, on my properly padded form - they are much more comfortable, don't fall off as easily, and hopefully are still wide enough for a nice evening neckline! My new straps are slightly too long now because the stays were sitting too low on Beatrice when I "draped" the strap, but oh well. Adding another hole won't make a big difference to these frankensteined straps!

(As previously mentioned, I did choose to do cross-lacing instead of the period-correct spiral lacing at the back. Without a maid, it's just too hard to lace up a spiral-back-lacing corset!)

Getting a little Christmas spirit...

2011-12-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we headed out to Chris's office party, and I decided to wear the sparkly white lace dress I recently got from Banana Republic (part of their "Mad Men" line, but it's only vaguely 60's...but I liked it, so moving on.) It's pretty but rather plain in solid white, so I decided to make a bow belt to dress it up. I wanted to look like a present, all wrapped up! I think it worked. :)

I used Tilly's Bow Belt Tutorial to make this - the only change I made was to fold the corners of the belt so that the ends were skinnier behind the bow. If I make another one, I'll miter the corners before sewing, because folding them back is a bit too thick. I was planning to make a hair bow at the same time, but the bow was a little to large for my pin-head. Just need to scale it down a little! So I wore a poinsettia in my hair, instead.

Chris wore a 1930's 3-piece suit to the party - he wears a modern suit every day for work, so he wanted to dress up extra so that the party felt special. I was expecting him to be heckled for wearing weird old clothes ;) but I'm not sure anyone even realized it wasn't modern. Classic styles last forever!

Sense and Sensibility Chemise

2011-11-27T15:37:00.001-08:00

Today is the end of the long Thanksgiving weekend here in the US, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it! We visited with family on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday Chris and I met up with friends to go see the Debbie Reynolds costume auction preview in Beverly Hills. (other) Chris from wacky tacky and Lauren from Wearing History did write-ups of our visit, so pop over to check those out!

In other news, I've been buckling down and starting to work on some Regency wear in earnest - the annual Jane Austen Evening is at the end of January, so it's time to get going!

This week I made a chemise from the Sense and Sensibility Underthings pattern. It was nice to work on such an easy-going garment - I tend to get wrapped up in fitting, make 3 mockups, and then burn out before getting to the real thing! I'm usually of the tank-top-is-good-enough opinion when it comes to undergarments that won't be seen, but someday I want to make a nice sheer white gown, so having a proper chemise is important. It was very easy to put together, and I even did the flat felled seams. Loose fit and cotton? I might have to make more clothing like that...

I only have 2 comments regarding this pattern:

1) Even though I technically fall into the Medium size category, I made the Small chemise. It's plenty big enough! On the next one I might even remove some of the fullness - I'd rather have a slimmer chemise and add more fullness with a petticoat, if necessary.

2) For the bias casing around the neckline, the instructions say to stitch the bias tape to the neck, then fold back 1/4" on the other side of the bias tape. That's insanely hard! Press back the 1/4" BEFORE you stitch the bias tape to the neckline and you'll be much happier.

Here some photos of Beatrice wearing my chemise over the Mantua Maker stays...the stays are basically done, but I'm not entirely happy with them and still want to tweak them. But that's for another post!

Blurry Photo - whoops! :o) I shortened the chemise hem length only about an inch, and probably shouldn't have even done that. It rides up a little with the stays on.

I really like the drawstring at the neckline - it's adjustable so you can raise or lower the neckline depending on your gown. The strings are on the inside, and you tie it at the front.

Obviously, the back neckline is adjustable too. :) (Re: the stays, yes I did cross-lacing instead of spiral. I think it would be nearly impossible to get dressed in rear opening spiral laced stays without a maid!)

Side View illustrating how the stays only come halfway up the breast, and the chemise holds in the top - here's a great post about the proper fit of stays on the Oregon Regency Society blog.

And the Winner Is...

2011-11-20T17:09:00.001-08:00

Today's the drawing for the Campus Five album giveaway! Thanks to all who participated - it's fun having you play along, and I appreciate your feedback! Turns out everyone who entered is a sewist, so perhaps a pattern giveaway would be good for the future - maybe for the 1 year anniversary of this blog, which is next month!

And without further adieu...

the Winner is...

JP!!

I'll be contacting you via Facebook, since you didn't leave your email (*ahem*)

Congrats and thanks for playing!

Dale Simons - Performing Live!

2011-11-14T22:29:00.001-08:00

In an example of Great Minds Think Alike, last week my aunt Laurie and cousin Lauren edited a couple videos of grandpa's band, and my new Ebay purchase has already been put to great use. :)

So here we present for your listening pleasure, Dale Simons and His Blue Denim Boys.

"Redhead"

"Hi Diddle Di" - wedding song

And don't forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of a Jonathan Stout and His Campus Five album!

100 Followers...and a Musical Giveaway!

2011-11-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

My blog has reached 100 followers on Blogger! And more than that on Google Reader/RSS feeds. Wowza! I want to give a big thank you to all my readers - due to other time-consuming but un-blog-worthy things happening lately I haven't been able to devote as much time to sewing, dancing and blogging as I'd like, so I really appreciate all of you that follow me. :)

To celebrate my readers, I'm holding a giveaway! Originally I considered giving away a vintage pattern or jewelry, but I didn't want to deal with international shipping. Plus, I have some awesome readers who don't sew etc. and it's hard to figure out a prize that appeals to different groups.

Then I thought about what I really love about this hobby of getting dressed up in funny clothes and going out. One of the things that makes the Los Angeles swing/vintage/historical scene really special and unique is the amount of LIVE MUSIC we have at events. Whether it's at a bar on a weeknight or a fancy ball, live music is featured frequently, and we have some a-MAZ-ing musicans in town. The traffic may be bad and the cost of living is high, but I love living in LA and getting to dance to awesome bands like Jonathan Stout, Dean Mora, The Lucky Stars, and Bonebrake Syncopators, just to name a few.

So to celebrate, I'm going to give away a digital download of an album from one of my favorite local bands, Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five, featuring Hilary Alexander. Together, Jonathan and Hilary run one of the premier swing bands, and are both swing dancers themselves. They have 3 albums, all available for purchase through their website or through iTunes:

That's pretty cool right? Cause who doesn't like good music. And it means I don't have to go to the post office at all! ;)

How to Enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post and let me know which topics you enjoy on my blog or what you want to read more of. It would be swell if you left your email address or another way to contact you, too.

2. For additional entries, post a link to this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog, then leave another comment letting me know (up to 4 entries total per person).

3. The giveaway closes on Friday, 11/18/11 at 10pm PST. The winner will be selected by random drawing and announced on Sunday 11/20/11.

Rules for the Giveaway:

1. Prize is for one (1) digital download of a Campus Five album through iTunes, album to be chosen by winner.

2. Winner must have a valid email address.

3. Winner must have a valid iTunes accounts and device to download album.

4. Giveaway is open to everyone, including my mother. You do not have to be a follower of my blog, but it would be nice. :)

Dale Simons and His Blue Denim Boys

2011-11-10T17:59:00.001-08:00

I arrived home tonight to find an exciting package in the mail today - it contained the below advertising card for "Dale Simons and His Blue Denim Boys". Why was this so exciting? Dale Simons was my grandfather!

I've been haunting ebay for months, hoping to find some sort of memorabilia from my grandpa's band. He had a dance band in the late 30's to the early 50's in the midwest (though interrupted by the war, which took the family to Washington state where my dad was born). They toured through many midwestern states, playing polkas and other dance tunes. My grandpa played cornet and sang. I think this postcard is probably post-WWII, because the family lived in Winona, Minnesota and operated a dance hall there until dance clubs became unprofitable in the mid-50's.

In this picture the band is wearing their signature overalls with a tie hanging out. There's a better quality version of this image hanging in my parents' hallway, and I remember looking at the row of funny smoking men on the bandstands a lot when I grew up.

Howdy!

HEIDI ROSENAU: vintage dancer, in 13 acts

2011-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Over the past week or so, my friend and fellow swing dancer Heidi Rosenau in New York has been the subject of a 13-day blog feature at TheChicIndex.com. She dresses in exquisite head-to-toe vintage daily, and shares some of her favorite outfits and the stories behind them. It's fascinating and inspirational!

Here are a couple of my favorite outfits so far, click over to the blog for more info and to see the rest. I can't wait to see what she has lined up for the rest of the week!

Day 1: 1930's Sailor Dress

Day 2: 1940's Dress with Cape

Day 5: 1930's Printed Evening Gown

Hal's Roll

2011-10-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night we went out to Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association's annual Harvest Moon Swingout. Due to other conflicts we only made it to the Saturday night dance, but we had a blast! It was packed. And sweaty. ;) Stompy Jones from San Francisco played, and they always draw a crowd.

I nabbed this photo of us during a jam from Facebook (thanks Steve Hwan!). Right here we're doing the move we call "Hal's Roll" - named for its inventor, the amazing Hal Takier. Hal doesn't call it "Hal's Roll" of course. :) He just calls it the "Roll".

(I'm spinning when Chris jumps, so I'm always impressed
when I see later how much height he gets!)

What makes this move really exciting and stand out compared to most LA swing/bal-swing movements is the "pop" of energy on beat 2 (captured beautifully in Steve's photo above) - most bal-swing turns happen on beats three and four, but the Roll pushes it forward and the lead pushes the follow to reverse the direction of her turn on beat 2. This unique timing requires practice (and it helps if the follow is familiar with the move), but it's a real crowd-pleaser.

I don't think anyone's found footage of Hal doing the Roll in the 30's or 40's, but there is 70's footage of it. Maybe he didn't invent it until later? But even in his earlier days, Hal frequently used beat 2 to jump into his flashy moves, and that's part of why he looks so much more energetic than other dancers.

There's no sound in this clip unfortunately, but you can see Hal and Marge do the Roll, starting at 1:22.

Los Angeles Union Station

2011-10-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

1940's Mother of Pearl Sweetheart pin
My jacket isn't dirty, I was trying to be clever and "age" the photo!

Last weekend we attended a wedding at the downtown Los Angeles Union Station. This vintage train station is one of my favorite Golden Era venues, so it was a treat to attend an event there! The train station opened in 1939, and was one of the last large train stations built – commercial air travel was fast becoming the transportation mode of choice, and airports were being built instead of train stations. The LA Union Station still gets quite a bit of use though – it’s the hub for several local train lines, Metrolink and Amtrak. We were quite surprised at how busy it was on a Saturday afternoon!

Los Angeles Union Station
Image Source: Wikipedia

Waiting Room in Union Station
Image Source: Wikipedia

We tried to arrive a little early to snap some photos before the ceremony, but darn LA traffic got the better of us and only had time for a few photos. (Yes, we did drive to the train station. We don’t live near a train stop!)

I wore one of my Make and Mend projects – this dress needed some repairs and the hem was long and uneven. On Chris’s suggestion I took the extra fabric from the hem and made a belt, since the original was missing. I did some dancing in this dress, and did rip the sleeve (yikes!) but it was on the seamline and is easily fixed. Back into the mending pile it goes!

If you want to learn more about the history of Union Station and want access to some of the areas usually closed off to the public, I highly recommend the walking tours run by the Los Angeles Conservancy. I’ve been on several of their tours, and even though they are all volunteer-led, the docents are highly knowledgeable and have a real passion for the architecture. I’d go on any of the tours a second or third time!

Duchie Award

2011-10-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

I won another blog award! Lauren over at Wearing History passed along the Duchie Award for Excellence in Historical Costuming and Bloggery. It's a huge honor to be included in this group! This is a dual award for V is for Vintage and my other blog, Fashioning Beau Brummell.

“When you receive a Duchie Award, post on your blog (in any order):

Five things you love about historical costuming/wearing vintage clothing
Three (or more) blogs to pass the Duchie Award onto
A link back to the blog who awarded you the Duchie”

Five Things I Love About Historical Costuming/Wearing Vintage Clothing
1) Social history is one of my lifelong passions, and I love looking at history through the eyes of fashion. Like how those of us in this hobby usually distinguish between Historical Clothing as pre-WWI and Vintage as post-WWI, as there was such a huge shift in societal roles and behaviors as we hurtled into the modern world.
It requires something like a World War to take us from this:

c. 1912

to this:

c.1925

in fewer than 15 years.

2) Day-to-day, I'm a pretty boring/conservative dresser, but I love hunting out, creating and wearing clothes for special events. I'm usually more self-conscious about trying out modern trends than dressing completely vintage from head-to-toe! Playing with vintage and historical fashions is where I really express myself fashion-wise.

3) I love going to period events where the setting is just right and everyone involved makes an effort. I'm not a stickler for perfect accuracy, but I prefer events that revolve around a common theme/period, and when everyone gets involved. Luckily, I live in an area with a vibrant community of reenactors and vintage lovers!

4) Patternmaking and fitting are fascinating. I'd rather work on a pattern than sit at the sewing machine. I guess that's why most of my projects average 2-3 mockups (and take so darned long to finish!).

5) Not least, I love all the costume blogs I read! It's so inspiring to see what everyone is working on, and I learn a lot from the fabulous blogs in my reader. And the community is so supportive - I think most people in this hobby push themselves to do great work, but aren't competitive with other people.

**I didn't list shopping, but that's obviously a favorite part of the hobby, right? ;)

Now I get to pass on the award! Since last time I picked vintage-focused blogs, this time I want to share some of my favorite historical costume blogs:

1) Romantic History - Sarah's might be the first historical sewing blog I discovered, and it's still one of my favorites. She works in a huge range of eras (Civil War, Regency, Medieval, 20th C. etc...) and does them all well! She does a great job of showing her process of creating costumes, which is helpful to me when I'm trying something similar. Plus her whole family goes to reenacting events (and she makes clothes for everyone!!), and her sons are just the Cutest. Ever.

2) Lady of Portland House - When I started doing research for Chris's Regency ensemble, this is blog I kept checking for references. Lauren does exquiste and amazingly authentic reproductions primarily from the late 18th Century. Though I love her occasion forays into the 1940's! If I lived nearby, I'd definitely invite myself over for a candlelight dinner - her cookery skills look amazing, too.

3) Isis' Wardrobe - I'm not playing favorites, I swear - Isis just has fabulous blogs! I awarded her other blog, Fashionable Forties, previously, but Isis' Wardrobe is at least as good, and has even poufier skirts!

Film to Reveal Origin of Jitterbug

2011-10-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

I was playing with Google News Reader again, and came across this writeup from The Pittsburgh Press, Dec 23, 1943.

Film to Reveal Origin of Jitterbug

HOLLYWOOD -- Filming of "Jitterbugs," Pete Smith Speciality designed to show how the art of "jitterbugging" developed, will get under way soon, with Will Jason directing.

The short subject boasts a cast of five women and three men, including Arthur Walsh and Jean Phelps, Lennie [sic] and Kay Smith; Charles Saggau and Irene Thomas; and Dorothy Ford and Betty Lou Walker.

Groovie Movie (1944)

----------------------------------------------------

I've never heard of Dorothy Ford & Betty Lou Walker before (I'm guessing Dorothy Ford is this gal?). I wonder what their roles were supposed to be?

Arthur Murray: How to Shag

2011-09-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to yesterday's Arthur Murray post, here's a clip of the man himself teaching and demonstrating shag. Boy, do those kiddos learn fast or what?

If you want to see more fun how-to instruction (or stripey socks!), check out CollegiateShag.com - on the Photos page, Morgan has Arthur Murray's Shag and Big Apple instructions from the 1938 edition. Totally bummed that this info was removed by 1942!

(And since I mentioned Morgan, did you all see his AWESOME Super Mario dance routine that went viral this summer? He danced with one of my besties, Emily, and I lost my voice for a week from cheering for them!)

Arthur Murray: How to Become a Good Dancer

2011-09-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some scans from Arthur Murray's book "How to Become a Good Dancer". Originally published in 1938, Arthur Murray's book illustrates the popular ballroom dance steps using the footprint diagrams he developed for his mail order dance instruction booklets in the 20's.

My edition is from 1942, and the 200+ page book covers general dance technique, Fox Trot, Waltz, Tango, Rumba, La Conga, Samba, and finally, on four piddly little pages at the end, has the Jitterbug and Lindy Hop.

Interestingly, the steps as illustrated are not what you'd learn today in a jitterbug/swing dance class. There are some similarities, but the names of the dances/moves and even where to place beat 1 are different! This is a good reminder that we often view the past through our own experiences, or oversimplify it by thinking that one person's experiences represents everyone. But this way of thinking about "how things used to be" isn't usually accurate. If you danced at the Savoy Ballroom you would have one idea of Lindy Hop, but if you took a class from Arthur Murray you'd have a completely different understanding of the dance - both things you could have done in New York in 1938. Is one right and the other one wrong?

All swing dances used to be called the Jitterbug -

today we distinguish and separate the various forms much more.

Here, Shag is called a variation on the Jitterbug.

The photograph referenced in the above instructions.

This version of the Lindy Hop starts on the triple step (our modern beat 3) and

removes the rotation of the partners.

This version replaces the triple steps with a tap-step, but it's still an 8-count basic.

"Sugars" are what we call swivels today.

Pinterest, and a Blog Award!

2011-09-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

It's time to deal with a couple housekeeping items around here!

First of all, if you click through to my blog here you may have noticed a new little red button on my sidebar - Follow Me on Pinterest. Have you heard about Pinterest yet? It's like a virtual bulletin board where you can "pin" images you find on the internet, and categorize them however you want. It's fabulous for collecting and sharing inspiration! You can selectively follow people too - so if you want, you can easily follow my Balboa board but not my Edwardian fashion board, for example. And yes, you can pin YouTube videos!

Secondly, Mr. Tiny over at wacky tacky awarded me the Irresistably Sweet Blog Award! I'm honored to receive the award from someone so talented - not only does he have one of the funniest blogs around, but he also has some amazing creations over at his SouthSideMarket. He also listed me first in his awards, which I like to think means he likes me best. (a girl can dream, right?)

I guess now I'm supposed to tell you 7 little-known facts about myself. Though I feel as if we're all intimate friends already, I guess I can dig way back and find something new to share.

1) I first started playing dress up in Jr. High, going to Renaissance Faires. By high school I was much cooler and found swing dancing. Ha.

2) I marched in the Pasadena New Year's Day Rose Parade 5 times, playing trumpet in a marching band. See above RE: how cool I am.

3) My favorite day of the year is October 1st - to me it represents the start of Harvest and Holiday time. This year we'll be in wine country for a wedding on October 1st, which should be lovely.

4) I love Jack Benny, but I ADORE Gracie Allen.

5) When we go out all dressed up, I play a Look-Alike game: Do I get more "You look like Judy Garland!" comments or does Chris get more "Fred Astaires". I *always* lose.

6) I hate pepper on eggs. Blech.

7) Doing laundry is my favorite household chore. It's like shopping without the expense, and you know that everything already fits.

And now the best part - I get to give this award to other bloggers! Here are just a few of my favorites - go check them out!

By Gum, By Golly! - Tasha is one of the cutest gals around! Check out her wedding this summer and the amazing knit-along she recently led. This girl has serious vintage crafting skills.

Fashionable Forties - Inspired by a 40's wardrobe planning book, Isis shows us how to build a vintage wardrobe.

Lindy Shopper - Laura trolls the internet looking for vintage and retro clothes for swing dancers. Props to her for helping to bring fashion back to the dance floor.

Blitz Diary - Charlotte, the mastermind at Tuppence Ha'penny Vintage, posts the daily daily diary entry from a 19-year-old girl living in London during the Blitz. I'm fascinated by homefront life during the war!

Jazz It Up With Jo - If you only read one Lindy Hop blog, Jo's is the one to pick. She travels the world teaching and performing, and shares her thoughts on local dance scenes and her own dancing.

This Old Life - Nabby does amazing knitwear and hat revamps. Truly inspiring!

Queen Mary Art Deco Festival 2011

2011-09-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post? As much as I enjoyed my little blogging break, I'm glad to be back! As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend we attended the 7th Annual Queen Mary Art Deco Festival, hosted by the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles. In addition to being an incredible time, the Festival is a fundraiser for restoration projects on the Queen Mary. It's amazing that we have this treasure here available to the public, and the recent work done on the ship has been great - I think she looks better and better every time I go!

With Lauren of Wearing History

The Festival runs from Friday through Sunday, and there are package options for the whole weekend or a la cart - very neat if you can only go on one day or want to try out the experience without making a big commitment. We attended the whole weekend, but as we live locally we drove back and forth from home. Someday we'll have to get a catsitter and stay on the ship. :)

Friday Night Reception at the Veranda Grill, with Chris and Sharlene, a member of the ASDLA board.

Music provided by Jim Ziegler and the Swingsations.

One of the highlights of the weekend was getting to meet Jill from Tea with the Vintage Baroness. Her Schiaparelli-inspired bow dress was one of my favorites from the whole weekend - it sparkled like crazy with rhinestones on black velvet. My dress is my first actual vintage evening gown ever, only just acquired this summer. It's wool crepe, so it's sturdy enough for dancing - and that long skirt made me feel like Ginger Rogers!

After the cocktail reception was the Pajama Party - we didn't have pj's, but we went for tea and cookies anyway. Based on a Horse Racing game played on the Queen Mary when she sailed, we played a (fundraiser) betting game where 6 wooden horses race to the finish, fueled by the roll of a die. I got to jockey horse #3 in the first race. I didn't win, but it was a photo finish!

(This is my personal favorite photo from the weekend! :)

On Saturday we went back to the ship during the day and after doing some damage at the Marketplace Bazaar, we met up with friends and walked around the boat. There were also tours and art deco lectures during the day, open to the public.

With Lauren and Jill

You've seen this outfit before, but I made a 30's fedora-style hat to go with it for this event (pattern available from Wearing History). I'm not much of a hat-wearer so I was nervous about it, but when a couple of dealers in the marketplace asked me where I found the matching ensemble, I decided it must have turned out okay!

Art Deco Ball - Saturday Night

We ran home, and after slapping on some fresh lipstick and fluffing my hair, we headed back in the evening for the Ball. It was a formal dinner in the Grand Salon, with music by Dean Mora and His Modern Rhythmists. We stayed there until our toes gave out, but if you wanted more dancing you could head up to the Observation Bar for Jonathan Stout and His Campus Five.

With Sharlene and Dean Mora, the bandleader of Mora's Modern Rhythmists

With Lauren and Jill - aren't they stunning? Everyone looked exquisite!

On Sunday we took it easy, and just relaxed and only attended the Tea Dance. I had big plans to make a 30's chiffon gown, but obviously that didn't happen. ;) So I pulled out a favorite Loco Lindo dress, and realized that this white nautical jacket went with it - perfect for a day on a boat! Chris loaned me a pocket square, and we were off! There were loads of amazing chiffon gowns at the tea dance, so I got my fix anyway.

Chris wore a striking 3-piece beltback suit, I thought he looked fantastic! It had a couple little moth bites, so he did some darning and repair work on it himself. Made me proud. :)

Obligatory dance shots. Can't resist. :)

THE END

___________________________________________________

Big thanks to the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and the Queen Mary for hosting this event,

and to Lauren and Sharlene for sharing their photos with me.

Summer Vacation

2011-08-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided to take a bit of a blogging break for the next couple weeks – I know you’re thinking I don’t post much (that’s what I was thinking at least), but according to my Google stats I’m holding strong at over 2 posts per week! July was busy busy for me, and I need a little vacation – I’m not as young as I used to be. Did I mention I turned 30 last month? We had some friends over for a luau party – it kept me up past my 9:30 bedtime, but it was worth it. J

I've wanted an Alfred Shaheen inspired dress for years, and finally tracked one down!

Chris worked the grill like a champ all night - he barely took a break!

Some of the Dollar Store decor. Festive, yes?

My folks came out to help celebrate. Now you see where my good looks come from! ;)

Unfortunately for Chris, my idea of a “blogging vacation” means that I’m planning to work on all the little projects that never get finished. Like my Make & Mend projects – over one month past deadline, and the rest are still lined up, looking at me sadly whenever I pull out a fresh pattern to start. Chris was hoping for a trip to the Bahamas! Or to Palm Springs, at least.

I am taking him on a local outing to the Queen Mary Art Deco Festival over Labor Day weekend, though! I’m so looking forward to it – dressing up, live music, dancing, all in a fantastic setting. I’ve slated to wear a couple Make & Mend projects to that event, so I promise to take some pictures of them there. Don’t you think they’ve earned a fun night out?

See you on the other side of September!

Costume College 2011 - Classes

2011-08-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

I only took 4 classes at Costume College - despite signing up rather late, somehow I got into 3 of the 4 limited classes I requested (limiteds are the hand-on workshops, and unlimiteds are lectures). Each class was long and took up most of each day, but I didn't mind - I got to make some new pieces and try things I'd wanted to learn about for a long time.

I think that most of these classes will be offered again in the future, so I'm going to recap them in case you want to know more. I know I'm a bit effusive about them, but they were all great - the teachers all volunteered (many MANY) hours on their classes, and their hard work showed.

Friday I was in an all-day class on Pocket Hoops. J.P. Ryan herself came out from the East Coast to teach the class, and we used her pattern. It's an excellent pattern and went together quickly, but there were a couple parts that I didn't understand from the instructions, and I'm glad she was there to answer questions. The pattern is correct, but a couple of the construction illustrations could be reworked for clarity. IMO, the best part of the class was that she brought all the materials for us, so I didn't have to worry about which weight of linen or reed to buy, or how to handle the reed in the hoops. That saved me many hours of research and guesswork! (And yes, they do collapse for storage.)

On Saturday, I got into a very popular limited class on Regency Bodiced Petticoats, taught by Mela Hoyt-Heydon & Martha Davis. The first part was an unlimited lecture on the construction & materials, and they primarily referenced Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage & Screen. In the second part they did fittings on us and made a bodice pattern so that we can make our own at home. I'm very curious to see how the shape will compare with my Regency Stays...once all those projects are finished. ;) We sent our measurements in advance and they had muslins ready for us, and tag-teamed the fitting & pattern work. They worked really hard, and I'm looking forward to having proper undergarments for the next Jane Austen Evening!

Finished bodice pattern after fitting - it's tiny! High waisted AND low-cut.
Gusset size, shape and placement were determined during the fitting -
so much smarter than using the generic placement in a pattern.

Sunday I took a 3rd limited - Beginning Embroidery with Catherine Scholar. I've tried to teach myself embroidery several times previously, but there's no substitute for a real person showing you technique and giving tips. When it's finished, I'll stitch this up into a little Regency-style reticule (purse). I was so excited when I saw the project - it's exactly the kind of purse I'd pick to make. Have I ever mentioned how much I love monograms? And did you notice that it's GREEN? :)

Sunday afternoon I attended the unlimited lecture "What Real People Wore - 1930's and 1940's" by Lauren - she had a ton of info, and I just wish the lecture had been longer! I think she's going to post some of her research material on her blog, so keep an eye out!

Costume College 2011

2011-08-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Bit of a change up, now - last weekend I got away from swing dancing for a little bit, and headed up the 405 to my first Costume College! As I've mentioned before, usually this event is on the same weekend as Camp Hollywood, but this year they were back-to-back weekends instead (and next year too, it turns out, so I can go again!). It's funny how similar the two events were - both in Los Angeles Marriott hotels, with classes during the days and parties at night. Tools of the trade vary though - Costume College is full of sewing machines, and Camp Hollywood is full of sweaty t-shirts!

It was fun being a newbie at an event, and I was lucky to have a couple of regulars to show me around! As excited as I was, I was still worried about doing things "right" and not looking out of place, as I don't have a huge wardrobe of historical costumes. I needn't have worried though -- it was a low-pressure atmosphere, where everyone was more supportive than competitive.

Things I was worried about going into Costume College:

1. Not having any costumes that matched the themes.

There were nominal themes for different events (Friday night social was Steampunk, the bonus class track was medieval, etc.) but it turned out that everyone just wore whatever they felt like, whenever they wanted.

2. Not having enough impressive historical costumes.

There were some a-MAZ-ing historical gowns, but I was surprised at the wide variety of costumes and clothing at the event. There were fantasy outfits and costumes made from non-traditional materials, with a wide range of skill levels. Dressing up during the day was the exception, not the rule, and there were even jeans and t-shirts at the Gala on Saturday night. I'm all for dressing to the nines, but all efforts were appreciated, no matter how small.

3. Only knowing a couple people going into the event.

This was probably the silliest thing to be worried about! Everyone was was incredibly friendly and supportive, and I met lots of new friends in classes and just roaming around the hotel.

Even though I knew I was going to CoCo several months in advance, I didn't have time to make any new outfits for it. I decided to go with what was already in the closet, and just focus on the classes instead of worrying too much about what to wear. Glad I did - I loved my classes, and I was glad I didn't have to change clothes/redo my hair several times a day.

All photos courtesy of Lauren of Wearing History

At the blogger meetup on Thursday night, wearing a vintage 60's dress

- Me with Lauren of Wearing History and Jen of Festive Attyre

Friday night at the Ice Cream Social, I rewore my most recent Regency gown. The theme was Steampunk and they had great props and table decorations!

Saturday night at the Gala I busted out my Prom dress! I felt like a cheater because my mom made this instead of me. :) It was from a 30's Vintage Vogue reprint, and 12 years on it still looked pretty good. Now I want another one in green...

Fun stuff! I can't wait for next year - the bonus track for classes is Hollywood Glamour, 1930-1955.

Wonder if my mom is up for sewing a green satin gown?

CH 2011 - "A Day at the Races" Outfit

2011-07-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

I only made one new outfit for Camp Hollywood this year, for Friday night. The theme was A Day at the Races but it was also the night of the Balboa contest finals, so I didn't want to be too "theme-y". I decided to wear some 30's daywear but was still undecided as to exactly WHAT - until Kate posted some Summer Inspiration from 1938. The Sunback Dress (4th picture down, #7754) caught my eye and I knew that was the way to go.

I have a similar sundress pattern that I've made several times, so I grabbed that and headed to Jo-Ann's - and actually found some cream rayon herringbone there! Miracles do happen. The striped fabric was hiding in the upholstery section, but it softened up after washing.

Sundress
Hollywood Pattern #1788 - c. 1939

Bolero
Simplicity #2762 - c. 1938

And here's an action shot - the belt kept spinning around all night - I think I need a well-placed snap.
Doesn't rayon just move the best though? :)

Photo by Alex Vasallo

And last but not least, here's a video of the Balboa contest finals. Can't leave that out, I guess!

Camp Hollywood 2011 - Balboa Finals

Video by Sandra Carranza

Camp Hollywood 2011 - Balboa

2011-07-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the 14th annual Camp Hollywood, and as usual we packed up the car and drove 20 minutes to the LAX Marriott hotel for our "big" summer getaway. Hey, a couple days off work? I'll take it.

Out of all the swing dance weekend camps, Camp Hollywood is particularly dear to me. Not only is it the biggest swing event in the region, and is kind of a "family reunion" with longtime friends whom we don't get to see much, but it's also the camp where I first learned sugar pushes and swivels, took my first Balboa lesson, and saw Groovie Movie and Buck Privates for the first time. Way back in 1998, when I was a senior in high school. Without a doubt, that weekend changed my life.

This year Chris and I competed in Balboa, and won 2nd place (congrats to Jacob and Valerie for beating us again! ;) We were watching footage this morning at 4am when we got home, and I was particularly excited about how we danced in the prelims - I couldn't remember much about this dance after it happened, so I was surprised at how much I like it!

Camp Hollywood 2011 Balboa Prelims

(I'm unfortunately blanking on the name of the guy who filmed and was awesome enough to pass us a copy)

And for those who are wondering, I'm wearing the trousers I made from Wearing History 30's Trousers pattern (blogged about here). I got so many compliments on them that I must make more soon!

LOOK Ma - More Dancing!

2011-07-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Here's the final installment from the Swing Issue of LOOK Magazine - September 27, 1938.

I wonder what happened with the photo contest - heck, I'd enter for $50 in today's money!

[In the previous post] are the four basic movements in the LOOK Hop, a new swing dance created by vivacious Rita Rio, whose popular all-girl swing band has made a hit in movies, on the radio and in ballrooms.

Rita says much of the fun in dancing the LOOK Hop lies in working out additional steps after mastering the "L," double O" and the "K". [Below] she and her partner, Bill Furrow, demonstrate other steps.

LOOK will pay $50 to the amateur submitting the best set of pictures showing a couple doing the LOOK Hop.

"Gettin' in the mood," Rita calls this. So far, so good; it's easy.

"The cuddle and coo" is an easy one, too, but from here on the steps get more complicated.

Allee-oop, and hang on tight; if the boy friend is husky, this is all right.

This looks as if it takes practice, but it also looks like lot of fun.

The secret of success in this "step" is for the girl to hold on.

In the spirit of the dance, now both partners take a look. You may go on from here.

How to Do the LOOK Hop

2011-07-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Rita Rio is back! This time she teaches you to dance the LOOK Hop.

I dare you to try this at the next dance you go to!

Band Leader Rita Rio Introduces the LOOK Hop - Try It

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

They Face, one arm overhead, one arm out, forming "L". For 8 counts continue basic step: Jump with toes in, knees together, slightly bent; jump on toes, feet apart, knees straight.

Continuing basic step, girl turns back to partner as feet are apart, and both form an "O" with arms, the man's to the right, the girl's to the left.

As Toes are turned in on basic step, man drops arm in circle over partner's head. Girl's arms form "O" in front. Continue, reversing arms from side to side 8 times.

Girl Continues with back to boy, both standing on right foot, left leg extended to side, knee straight, right arm over head, left arm extended diagonally from shoulder to form "K". Hop on right foot in circle for 8 counts.

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 3

2011-07-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Irene Daye makes a lovely canary (girl vocalist) for Gene Krupa. Even tin ears (persons who dislike swing) like Irene, and of course rug cutters (swing dancers) do.

Speaking of swing, here's Jack Benny as a squeaker (violinist), Dick Powell at the plumbing (trumpet), Bing Crosby drumming, Tommy Dorsey, chief ridesman (ace musician) behind Bing, and Shirley Ross at the 88 (piano). Peeking over Bing's hat is Ken Murray. These spooks (white musicians) put out real gut-bucket (lowdown music) without groanbox (accordian) or grunt horn (tuba).

Hot Man (a musician who can swing it) Bunny Berigan can send (arouse the alligators) on an iron horn (trumpet), even if he closes his eyes when he hits a lick (a hot phrase in rhythm).

When you think of Eddie Duchin, you think of a moth box (piano), but Eddie here shows he's at home on a woodpile (xylophone) too. He's also an ace monkey hurdler (organist).

When you place a cat (swing musician) beside a doghouse (bass fiddle), anything might happen, even barrel-house (where every man swings for himself). However, Jimmy Dorsey's ace drummer, Ray McKinley, sticks to his voodoo boilers (drums).

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 2

2011-07-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Sliver-Sucker (clarinetist) Benny Goodman, and Skin-Beater (drummer) Gene Krupa get in the groove (hit their stride) at a jam session (musicians playing for their own amusement) after working hours.

Big Apple dancers will swing it anywhere, even if the music is nothing more than corn-on-the-cob (a harmonica) and a belly fiddle (guitar).

This is the Little Apple, a miniature version of the dance [above], and you don't even have to leave home to do it if you have a platter (a record) made by hepcats (swing musicians).

There's nothing long-haired (symphonic) about it when Scat-Singer Leo Watson and Trumpeter Charlie Frankhouser swing it with Gene Krupa's band.

Bogie men (critics who say what they think) call Herb Haymer of Jimmy Dorsey's band one of the world's best on a gobble pipe (saxophone).

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 1

2011-07-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Alligators (swing fans) like these girls can't sit still when the swing (latest type of hot jazz music) band gets whacky (swings its wildest).

She savvies jive (understands the language of swing) and pleases the jitterbug (same as alligators). It's Ina Ray Hutton - as if you didn't know.

You never see dancing like this when paper men (musicians who play by note only) are reading the spots (notes) and schmaltzing it (playing sweet, sentimental music). These are shag dancers.

Paul Whiteman, the old man (leader), bends an ear as Jack Teagarden gets hot on the slush pump (trombone). Even ickies (persons who don't understand swing) can appreciate such a push-pipe player.

Do You Know These Swing Terms?

2011-07-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

How many do you know? Picture definitions in the following posts.

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

ALLIGATORS

BARREL-HOUSE

BELLY FIDDLE

BOGIE MAN

CANARY

CATS

CHIEF RIDEMAN

CORN-ON-THE-COB

DOG HOUSE

EIGHTY-EIGHT (88)

GOBBLE PIPE

GROAN BOX

GRUNT HORN

GUT-BUCKET

HEPCAT

HOT MAN

ICKIES

IN THE GROOVE

IRON HORN

JAM SESSION

JITTERBUGS

JIVE

LICK

LONGHAIR

MONKEY HURDLER

MOTH BOX

OLD MAN

PAPER MEN

PLATTER

PLUMBING

RUG CUTTER

SCHMALTZ IT

SEND

SKIN BEATER

SLIVER SUCKER

SLUSH PUMP

SPOTS

SQUEAKER

SPOOK

SWING

TIN EARS

VOODOO BOILERS

WHACKY

WOODPILE

Give Swing a Chance Says Benny Goodman

2011-07-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Benny Goodman, $125,000-a-year "King of Swing", now 28, chose to play a clarinet when he was 9, because it was so pretty. Conductor Leopold Stokowski calls him one of the world's best clarinetists.

Give Swing a Chance Says Benny Goodman

by Benny Goodman

There is one thing swing critics cannot combat. That is, that the public approves of swing. So why not give it a chance to prove it is not a flash in the pan, but the only really truly American music we have? Every other form of musical expression portrayed as a dance form originated abroad. Swing, as it is now being written and created, originates solely in the minds of musicians who think in the American way.

Some persons object to modernizing old songs into swing tempo. The answer is that swing is still young and needs nourishment.

To educate the people to enjoy original swing creations, we must feed them something they know of, can understand and enjoy because the melody is familiar.

The present day swing artist is a pioneer, creating something that in the future will become the popular expression of the day. So the next time you hear swing, just figure to yourself that you are in on the birth of something your grandchildren will some day take for granted in the same manner as you take opera today, and you will feel as I always do - awed.

Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Caprice XXIV - Adapted from Paganini's Caprice No. 24 in A minor

Look Magazine: Swing Issue, September 27, 1938

2011-07-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

I've gone on a bit of a magazine collecting spree lately, and here is one of the spoils - the Swing Issue of Look Magazine from 1938. I'll be posting some of the goodies in the days to come - you can learn some new jive-talk and dance moves!

The cuties on the cover are Rita Rio and Bill Furrow. Rita Rio was the bandleader for an all-girl swing band, and went on to have an acting career under the name Dona Drake (Rita Rio is also a stage name, her real name is Eunice Westmoreland!).

Here are a couple of clips of Rita performing - Enjoy!

Rita Rio & Her Orchestra - Feed the Kitty

Rita Rio - My Margarita

I'm a Model!

2011-06-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, Lauren from Wearing History Patterns asked if I'd be willing to model for a new pattern release - the words were barely out of her mouth before I said YES! Of course I would - playing dress up is so much fun!

Palisades 1940's wrap dress pattern - available in multisize packs

This cute little wrap dress pattern is the newest addition to the Wearing History pattern line. The neat thing about it is how easy it is to sew - no sleeves, and because it wraps and ties, there are no buttons or zippers to deal with - perfect for a new sewist! And I want to mention that even though it has a low back, I'm wearing a normal bra - it crossed right above my braline, so there are no special undies required.

If you're a swing dancer and want to try making this pattern, I suggest adding a few hooks and eyes at the wrap opening, so that the opening stays shut!

And yes, those are my super comfy Aris Allen wedges.

We went to a local marina with our husbands in tow to shoot the photos - I think I'm making funny faces at them in most of the pictures, probably not the best idea. :)

Can't imagine why this one isn't the pattern cover. Hmm...

I'm no Bernie Dexter, but it sure was fun! :)

Make and Mend

2011-06-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough couple weeks around here (just busy with work, etc.), but I've been trucking along with my make and mend projects when I get a chance. Most of my projects have been sitting in a pile for weeks or months (years? yes, even that. sheesh!) so I'm glad to be forced into working on them.

My first 3 mending projects have been fairly simple. One was tacking a hole in a sweater (just one little hole, but I didn't want to wear it and have it run), the second was restitching the zipper in a favorite dance skirt, and the third was cleaning up some Re-Mix shoes.

This skirt's actually green. But I wouldn't mind having a blue skirt!

The shoes are the most dramatic transformation. I've danced HARD in these shoes for the last couple years, and they still have some life left in them but they looked so gnarly I was embarrassed to wear them out. I had them reheeled a year ago and asked the guy to repaint them gold, but they didn't look any better afterward, so I decided to try it myself. First up, clean them and snip any loose threads.

Then I got a gold paint pen and went over them a couple times. I have no idea how long this will last, and if you try it on your expensive Re-Mix shoes and they get messed up for any reason, don't blame me! This was my last ditch effort to save them from the trash bin.

And voila! I'm pretty happy with them. They're slightly streaky if you look close, but the nicks and scuffs are gone. Chris polished them for me after I took these pictures and now they're a little less bling-y, but hopefully that keeps them from rubbing off on other people's shoes. Like his. ;)

Edwardian Corset Part 1

2011-06-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got some help fitting my Edwardian Corset! I'm pretty good at fitting on myself, but not only is fitting a corset on yourself EXTREMELY hard, but I also needed an experienced eye for this one. Most of the reference images I'm finding are illustrations so stylized with miniscule waists and odd proportions, it's hard to know how the corset should realistically fit. When Lauren from Wearing History said she could come up for a visit over the weekend, I immediately planned to rope her into my Edwardian world.

This is my scaled up version of the 1901 Corset from Hunnisett's Period Costumes for Stage and Screen. I got lucky and the basic pattern is close to my size. This is actually my second mockup - the first one I took out from the bust and hips (not anything from the waist, boo!). Now I see I could have made more changes on the first go-round, but I didn't know what I was doing! There are no bones in this mockup, and the final version will have a center opening busk.

(Man, my shoulders are way crooked. That's all I can see when I look at these photos. Time for a massage!)

We shortened the body length about 1" total so that the top of the corset hits at or just slightly above my apex. I also needed a little more gap at the CB, so we decided to take that out of the hip gussets. We got tired and didn't pin out the total amount, that's why it's still too close at the bottom gap.

On the side view, you can see a little bit of the Edwardian "S" curve posture, where I'm tipped forward on top and backward on the bottom.

I think one more mockup for this guy, and then I'm gonna start on the real deal!

Huntington Library and Gardens

2011-05-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend we invited Lauren and her husband to come up and go to the Huntington Library with us. I swear, this place is the best kept secret in Los Angeles - if you have any interest in art, history, or gardens, it's not to be missed. We were blessed with beautiful weather - only a slight bit of wind, but with a firm grip I managed to keep my hat on!

The site was originally the private home of Henry Huntington, a major businessman of the early 20th century, so there are buildings interspersed in between the gardens instead of one giant art complex. The Huntington's 1911 Beaux Arts mansion is now the main art gallery, and it's lovely wandering from building to building through the gardens. We were there for about 4 hours and probably only got through half of galleries and gardens - and we were hurrying!

There were loads of people who were interested in how we were dressed, and we were surprised at how many people knew we were wearing 30s/40s styles. Not a single flapper or 50's comment! (Although we did overhear one "Night at the Museum" reference in the art gallery, which I thought was pretty funny.)

Sitting on the bridge in the Shakespeare Garden

Lauren is working hard to avoid my hat! It kept banging into anyone who came near, but it was great for keeping the sun away!

Sitting in front of the Judy Garland roses.

Chris and me in the Rose Garden.

Walking from the Rose Garden to the Mansion/Art Gallery.

Sitting on the back railing of the mansion.

The boys relaxing on the porch. Any minute now, a mummy is going to rise from the tomb behind them.

Photo Effects by Lo-Fi App

Make & Mend Month

2011-05-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've signed up to participate in The New Vintage Lady's Make & Mend month. It runs from June 1 - July 11, and the goals are to make new projects using our existing stash, and mend garments that need some TLC. I've got a pile of mending that I never get to, and of course I've got supplies up the wazoo that need to be used. Excited to have a deadline for finishing the unfinished! You know you want to join, too. ;)

I'm heading out in a little bit to look at a dressform I saw on Craiglist. I've been sewing for 18 years, and never had one at home before. (I'm getting old...) She's a Uniquely You squishable form, so I'm hoping I can make her my size and shape, and be able to put my new corsets on her for fitting historical garments. I'm already thinking up names for the new addition to the family.

Regency Stays Part 1

2011-05-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

I've been making progress on my Regency stays and Edwardian corset, very very slowly, but there it is. In case you hadn't noticed, I jump around a lot with projects and hobbies - I try to do a good job on all of it, but if I have 3 dance rehearsals in a week, the sewing slows down. And vice versa. Ahh well, it keeps me interested, and hopefully doesn't make you crazy with all the jumping around!

I'm working on the final version of my Regency stays now - I did a mockup, and didn't really make any changes to the pattern. I considered playing with different bust gusset sizes and shortening the length because I'm short-waisted, but in in the end I left the pattern alone. The only adjustment I made from the original pattern was cutting straight across the top of side piece, instead of dipping down at the armhole. It looked awkward, was already plenty low for comfort, and keeping it straight will make binding easier.

Busk at CF, no bones or cording yet

The brown part is my lacing strips at CB, not part of the finished project. I don't love that it comes up at CB, but I didn't see that until right now, so I won't change it for these stays. The back panel is on the bias, so the pattern piece is cut straight but then stretches slightly, causing it to veer upward.

Here you can see the "lift" that the Regency period is known for. The stays do the upward pushing, and the chemise (or in my case, the tank top) holds in the top to prevent spillage.

I was a little surprised at how this fits - people keep saying that Regency corsets are just like a really good miracle bra and Spanx, but I also felt a huge difference in my posture - the wide straps force my shoulders back and chest out, which explains why the clothing of the period has such small backs. Or else I just have rotten posture.

When I fit this the other night, I was kind of unhappy with it - the buck wasn't staying put (maybe it's too wide?), I had trouble keeping the shoulder straps on, etc. And then I tossed on my most recent Regency dress and it looked TERRIBLE . *sigh* They just weren't fit to go together. But these pictures look pretty good, so here's hoping a little cording and boning help everything settle in better. Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated!

Roy Damron & Mitzi Mayfair

2011-05-15T23:39:00.000-07:00

Do you remember Roy Damron from my post about the Rendezvous Ballroom? I came across a photo of him from The Milwaukee Journal, March 10, 1944. (Google News Archive is my new toy! :)

Roy Damron with Mitzi Mayfair, one of the stars of Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)

I haven't seen Four Jills in a Jeep in several years (our copy is VHS, and we don't have a player anymore!), but I checked on YouTube and there's a clip of them dancing together! So far as I know, no one has attributed this clip to Roy previously -- it's not on his IMDB profile. Does anyone know how to add it?

Enjoy!

Long Beach Yearbooks

2011-05-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Last night I was renewing some library books online, and I noticed that the digital archives include local high school yearbooks. I love looking at yearbooks – they’re a great snapshot of a time and place. And yet, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

If nothing else, they provide lots of hairstyle references!

I think anyone can look at these without an account with the Long Beach library. They're in pdf format, so you will need Adobe to look at the files. Some of the scans aren't the best, oh well.

Long Beach High School Yearbooks

I haven't looked through all of them yet (there are 77!) but so far my favorites are Wilson High School from 1938-1940. There are some truly stunning photographs, a common theme is "Beautiful Girls", and for the ad section they sent students out to the businesses for photos and write ups. Very cute!

Thespian Club, Wilson High School, 1940

W Club Service Group, Wilson High School, 1940

Knott's Berry Place, 1940 - before it became Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement park with major roller coasters!

Christmas Swing dance, Wilson High School, 1938 - I think the boy in the bottom center is the bandleader?

White Graduation Gowns, Wilson High School, 1938

Go to Zukor's for your dress, then head to the Tee-Pee after the dance! Wilson High School, 1938

Backstage in the Auditorium, Wilson High School, 1939

Hip Hip Hooray! Wilson High School, 1939

Herb and his Ambassadors, Wilson High School, 1939

Wilson High School, 1939

A corsage lasts longer if you take her to the ice rink for your date! Wilson High School, 1939

TCM Film Festival 2011

2011-05-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the annual Turner Classic Movies film festival in Hollywood, and on Friday night we attended a cocktail party/concert they held. TCM brought out Vince Giordano and His Nighthawks from New York to play the score for a Buster Keaton film and for the party, and they're top drawer! They play only 20's music, which is a little earlier than we usually listen to, but the band is so tight and well-rehearsed that it was a pleasure to listen to them. You know this band if you've seen The Aviator (2004) - they're the band playing "Happy Feet" in the Cocoanut Grove.

Without further adieu, here are the pictures!

I took my anniversary purse out for it's first outing! It's the perfect size - I can fit everything I need for a nice evening out, and because it's structured I don't have to worry about my phone getting crushed. Not super-fancy and beaded, but I love it!

Chris looking dapper as always!

This dress is from a mid-40's Vogue pattern, and it's one of the trickiest ones I've made - the front princess panel wraps around to the back, and the back skirt is gathered to create a "bustle" effect. The back has a lot of visual interest, so I took the flower applique from a 50's dress that was falling apart and added it to the front.

Our group of snazzy dancers!

I can't figure out how to link to the video, but there's a super brief clip of the dancing on the TCM website - follow the link and click on Festival Update Day Two if you're interested. Doesn't the weekend look amazing? I think I need to attend some movies at next year's event!

We're In The Money - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

2011-04-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Friends, I'll admit it. I almost forgot that I owed you a musical selection today! Theme weeks are going to be my downfall, I see that now. But my corsets are underway - as for patterns, I'm starting with the Mantua-Maker Regency Stays and the 1901 corset from Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage and Screen (yes, I know I said 1912 and now I'm doing 1901. Phhbt.) Anyhoo, I'll post pics of the mockups when they're mocked!

I'm afraid that I have a disappointment for you - I wanted to post "Hooray for Hollywood" from Hollywood Hotel, featuring Johnny Scat Davis and the Benny Goodman Orchestra (as a marching band!), among others. But no one has thought this clip important enough to post on YouTube yet, so I'm afraid you'll have to haunt TCM for the movie. Perhaps my mom will help - back in the days of VHS, she haunted TCM for probably 6 months once, to record this movie for me! Ahh, the past was so much harder than life is today. Love that DVR.

Instead, here's another clip from my playlist that's straight from the soundtrack of a 30's musical. Ginger Rogers lights up the screen in the opening number of The Gold Diggers of 1933 (I believe this was her first big movie role?) - cute and sassy right from the start. And how fabulous is that mini fashion show sequence in the middle? I'll admit that I skip this track sometimes while driving, but the visuals improve the vocals considerably, don't you agree?

I think I may have found inspiration for next year's Halloween costume!

You're The Top - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

2011-04-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a gem - a rare recording of the Great Cole Porter singing his own song, accompanied by himself. There's a true sense of zeitgeist in this tune - not only are the lyrics practically plucked from the newspaper headlines of the 30's, but his voice and tempo and staccato delivery simply can't be from any other era.

I was thinking about doing a whole encyclopedic entry to explain the lyrics, but then I found this clip on YouTube that does the job far more elegantly than I would have.

"You're The Top" written and performed by Cole Porter (1934)

Wikipedia lists some of the alternate lyrics from over the years.

Ain't She Sweet - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

2011-04-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

Jimmie Lunceford is one of my favorite bandleaders - he's the guy responsible for barnburners like "White Heat" and "Lunceford Special". There's a playful quality to his music, and this song is no exception.

"Ain't She Sweet" recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra (1939)

I wasn't joking when I said I like when the band sings, right? In case you weren't sure, according to the record label you should fox-trot to this song.

And just for fun, here's a couple other versions of this song.

"Ain't She Sweet" recorded by Gene Austin (1927)

"Ain't She Sweet" recorded by The Beatles (1961)

Which version is your favorite?

Great Stays Project of '12

2011-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Things have been very scattered around here on the sewing front lately. I've got so many project and ideas swimming around in my head and I've had trouble focusing on anything. 30's blouse? Hats? Regency stays? A shiny shirt for Chris? I'm also thinking about outfits for Camp Hollywood and Costume College. (--My first time attending, because it doesn't conflict with CH for once! Whee!) All these were on the list, and then suddenly I was bit by the Edwardian bug.

More specifically, by this jacket in Downton Abbey:

I've never been a big fan of Edwardian fashion, but I'm starting to get it. I usually like tailored fashions more than fluff, but I've been branching out and finding a lot to like lately in the Edwardian world. And there are Edwardian events nearby (and as huge and crowded and frustrating as Los Angeles is, there are so many great events and fun things to do that I can't imagine ever leaving...) So I'm going to branch out and sew an Edwardian.

I spent a lot of last week surfing around, looking for project inspiration (instead of actually sewing!). If I were more fun and less precise, I would just grab a Simplicity costume pattern and make a dress. But that's not how I work. I try to be accurate and efficient, even in my "relaxing" hobbies. (I know, I bore myself even.) And everyone knows that undies make or break a period outfit.

So I'm going to take on the Great Stays Project of '12. I'm going to sew Regency stays (1812) and an Edwardian corset (1912) simultaneously. Using my hands and feet at the same time? Something like that. But I think I can get these projects done a little faster and quicker if I do them both at once. This also fits in with the Double Period Project on Your Wardrobe Unlock'd, so if I keep my membership I suppose I'll enter.

Unfortunately, if I work from the inside out, I'll have about 37 garments to sew before I can make that coat. Edwardian undies are seriously complicated. Someone talk me out of this, quick!

Blue Skies - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

2011-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

When I'm in the mood for music, the playlist that I reach for most often is my Vintage Lifestyle playlist. These are the songs that, to me, most strongly evoke another era and take me back in time. The tracks tend to be a little scratchy, kind of heavy on the vocals, and are frequently slower than the tempos I like to dance to. But then, most tempos are slower that the ones I like to dance to.

This week I'm going to share a few of my favorite tunes with you - I hope you enjoy them!

"Blue Skies", performed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with Frank Sinatra on vocals

Frank is great and all, but my favorite part is the band singing behind him. It's just enough Novelty. And the horns swing HARD after the vocal chorus, even though it's fairly slow. I'm gonna listen to it again. :)

6 A.M. Swing Party - Rendezvous Ballroom

2011-04-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

In honor of last week's post about the Balboa Rendezvous, I thought I'd share a 1938 Look Magazine article with you about some of the incredible dancing that used to take place there! The Rendezvous Ballroom was huge, roughly 1 city block wide and 1 city block long - but I think 5,000 kids in there would still have been crowded! No wonder they could only dance chest to chest. :)

5,000 Young Californians Rise at Dawn for a...

6 A.M. SWING PARTY

On June 18 in Balboa, Cal., the amazing swing music fad in the U.S. hit a new high. On that day some 5,000 "cats" and "alligators" rose at dawn to "cut rugs" and "kick out" at 6 o'clock in the morning. The occasion was a "jam session" or "swingaree" staged by radio station KEHE to celebrate the end of the school year.

The night before the party, "ickies" and "jitterbugs" started arriving. Many came in parties composed of members of local swing clubs. Most of them came by car, some by foot. One young man drove 396 miles from Tonopah, Nev. One came on crutches.

From 6 to 8 in the morning, the ballroom of the Balboa Rendezvous shook with their dancing of the Big Apple, the Varsity, the Suzie-Q while the orchestra and a phonograph "gave out" with "licks" and "solid senders."

Those shirts! Those ties! So terrible, and so AWESOME!

Dancing in a hat and gloves...but no stockings. Those wild jitterbugs!

This photo has been one of my personal favorites since I was 16 years old -

I wanted to be her SO badly.

Still do. :)

Balboa Rendezvous 2011

2011-04-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Chris and I headed down to San Diego for Balboa Rendezvous - the last time we attended this event was 5 years ago, on our honeymoon (sightseeing during the day and dancing at night? Yes, please!), so it was nice to go back. We squeezed a lot in this weekend - some shopping, sightseeing, and lots of dancing!

For any of you who read my blog for vintage fashion and get all confused when I talk about different dances, here's the 30-second explanation: Lindy Hop was invented in New York in the late 20's/early 30's, and is the most popular swing dance with large movements and death-defying stunts. But as swing music was sweeping the airwaves in the 30's, people all over the country wanted to jitterbug so they invented different dances - Balboa was invented in the crowded ballrooms of Southern California and is characterized by a close body position and fast footwork. The two dances are contemporaries and are often danced to the same music.

Anoinetta and me hamming it up at the Loco Lindo booth
- I've got my J&J ribbon

The main thing that makes this event different from other weekend Balboa events is that everyone caravans up to Newport Beach on Sunday, and the dance is held near the location of the Rendezvous Ballroom on Balboa Island, which was ground zero for Balboa. We're also joined by many of the original Balboa dancers for a panel discussion and dancing. Their numbers are becoming smaller and smaller, and Chris and I treasure every opportunity we get to spend time with them!

We also competed this weekend in the International Balboa Championships and the pro Jack & Jill. (I still find it funny that I'm a "pro" in my hobby! ;) The dancers in the finals of the IBC were a really good group, and everyone had a distinctive style. We all walked in thinking that anyone could take it, and they would deserve it! Chris and I earned second place in the IBC - Huge congrats to Jacob and Valerie for their first place win!

The video from this weekend is already up - here's a peek of what happened at the finals! I'm in the B&W polka dot dress, and Chris is wearing white pants. I love that the video goes into slo-mo at :45 so that us mere mortals can see Chris's footwork - he blows me away! (I'm allowed to be proud of him, right?)

I've got a new boyfriend...

2011-03-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

Look who came in the mail today! My new Sailor Buddie. I've wanted one of these guys for SO long, and last weekend I saw one in an antique store priced at $150. Insanity! I knew there was one listed on the internet, so I bought it as soon as I got home - he's in better condition and cost less than 1/3 of the other guy!

I think I'll call him Joe.

I've been on a big brooch kick lately - quick, I better make a brooch board like Tuppence Ha'penny's!

Heel, Girl!

2011-03-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Betty Roeser, original (Balboa) Swing dancer,
often wore flats - but her feet flew!
Photo Source: LAPL Library

Over the last week, there's been a lot of chatter in the Lindy Blogosphere about Women Dancing in Heels - Yay or Nay (inspired by Why Women Should Wear Heels by Sarah Breck). I'm not surprised that it created some excitement (although I did think it was going to center around the oppression of women rather than physical comfort! ;) The other night a couple people asked me about dancing in heels, so I thought I'd write up a little sumpthin'.

For roughly the last 3-4 years, I've danced nearly exclusively in heels - not too tall, 2 3/4" is my favorite heel height. But I don't give it a lot of thought, my shoe choice is almost exclusively based on color...

Dancing only in heels wasn't a conscious decision - back before that I only danced in sneakers or wedges, but my feet started feeling heavy and sluggish and grounded, and when I danced in heels it forced me to lighten up and pick up my feet more. It changes your posture because your weight is forced forward onto the ball of your feet, and it gave me a jolt to re-evaluate how I wanted my posture to look while dancing Lindy. The more I wore heels, the more I liked the look and the feeling, and now I feel clunky in wedges. (I still kinda like tennies.)

Nowadays, I rarely drop my heel to the ground, and when I do it's usually to accent a beat or do a certain styling - I almost never put a lot of weight on it. It's come a long way from my old flat-footed dancing!

Reasons I wear heels:
1) I'm lazy - I don't like to change my shoes throughout the night, so I just pick a cute pair and stick with them.
2a) They're loud. I know just enough tap dancing to make trouble, and it's easier to add a little tap rhythm styling while wearing heels.
2b) I'm more inspired to do footwork in general - because I'm not as "grounded" it's easier to move the dogs around.
3) I like the look of a tight narrow base (regardless of 1 foot or 2), and heels help focus your weight into the smallest area possible. Should I try pointe shoes next? :)
4) I only go dancing 1-2 nights per week, and that's when I like to dress up. I'm super casual and wear flats the rest of the time, so I figure I have time to recover from the damage I do to myself. If I danced more, I'd have to switch it up.
5) Heels were popular with Original Balboa dancers.

Reasons to not wear heels:
1) They really do injure you, and make existing joint issues worse.
2) In general, Original Lindy dancers wore flats or wedges.
3) Because your weight is forced only the balls of your feet, it's really really hard to pike properly in a swingout, especially to fast music.

Funny thing is, after talking about wearing heels, I want to get out some flats and experiment with them. I wonder what I'd discover?

5 Years of Happiness

2011-03-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary today! Time's flying, and doesn't seem to be slowing down. He surprised me last night with a deadstock 40's purse that I had been mooning over for a while (pics to come!) and today we poked around in some antique stores in Seal Beach.

Here's "our" song, in honor of the day. :) Artie Shaw and Billie Holiday, "Any Old Time".

The Great White Way

2011-03-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Broadway Melody of 1940 was on TCM the other night, and we turned it on just as my favorite dance scene was starting - the "Italian Cafe Routine". It's not as jaw dropping as the "Begin the Beguine" finale, but I love how this routine is natural and playful. And it doesn't hurt how great their outfits are - Chris and I would wear clothes like this every day if we could! (He's just crazy for that little bolero - they show off his small waist. ;)

Here's a picture of Fred and Eleanor rehearsing for this movie- I love that Eleanor was a trousers gal.

http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/U894943INP.html

Now where are my tap shoes?!

Modern Swing Fashion

2011-03-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Back in the late 90s when I started swing dancing, vintage style was all the rage - high-waisted pants, gabardine skirts, the aforementioned long-sleeve blouses...it wasn't enough to dance awesome, you also had to look the part.

Then the popularity of the vintage clothes waned - they're expensive, fragile, and it's hard to make or buy decent repros. Much to the chagrin of club promoters and brides-to-be, jeans and t-shirts were common at even the fanciest events and biggest competitions.

The last couple of years I've seen a real upswing (hehheh - no pun intended) in swing fashions. I chalk this up to 2 causes: among instructors there's a new emphasis on performing choreographed routines, so costuming is being considered more, and the emerging Balboa dance culture prides itself on being Refined instead of Raw. I'm loving it - what you wear has a huge impact on how you move, so dressing the part can actually make you a better dancer!

A couple weeks ago we went to the Saturday night portion of Inspiration Weekend and saw the 30-Second Showcase. This is a competition designed for non-professionals to get their feet wet with choreographing and performing a routine - the dancing was great, but I was really impressed with some of the outfits! So many competitors managed to put together looks that were coordinated without being cheesy, using modern clothes that are dance friendly. I hope to see more of this! :)

All photos used with permission. To see more, please visit BHousePhoto.com

Celina Avila and Jason Le

Morgan Day and Emily Wigger

Michael Seibert and Virginia Zachary

Jack Chen and Brittany Calavitta

Michael Seibert and Virginia Zachary

Pattern Review: 30's Trousers from Wearing History

2011-03-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks things have finally started calming down and I've managed to squeeze in some personal sewing time. I've known for months what my next project was going to be - I've been desperate to try Wearing History's pattern for mid-30's trousers - how cute is this?!

Smooth Sailing by Wearing History

I'm a tad bit obsessive about fit (I've been known to sew while in my skivvies so that I can try on the garment every 30 seconds) so I figured my first pair would just be a mockup and I'd have to tweak the pattern for the real one. This was one time I was GLAD to be wrong! ;) Lauren did such a great job updating the original pattern that I only needed minor tweaks. 30's & 40's trousers are notorious for low crotches and shapeless legs, but she's done a great job of adjusting this pattern in all the right ways.

In addition, this pattern has all new instructions - a vast improvement over vintage sewing instructions! No need to fear if you're still learning how to sew.

The only change I made to these was shortening the front & back rise 1" (I'm shortwaisted and the waistband was creeping up my ribcage). Seriously. The ONLY change. Awesome. Look how cute!

(I think Chris is making shadow puppets on me in the Back view)

I found some bluish-gray checked fabric on sale at Jo-anns - it's a poly-rayon blend, so it's machine washable but still drapes nicely. I think next time I'll do a lightweight denim or chambray - I want to be just like the pattern cover!

A few notes:

The waistband is snug, so if you're in between sizes, go up.

The hips and thighs are cut full, so if you're larger on the bottom, no worries. If you've got slim thighs, ~~I hate you~~ you might want to cut a smaller size through the leg.

I skipped the belt loop template and just stitched them on where they looked nice.

I hemmed them slightly shorter than the pattern because I hate getting caught up in cuffs.

Swivels: Footwork

2011-03-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Finally getting to the promised footwork part of swivels - better late than never, right? I hope so.

There are two basic footwork patterns that you can do, and they're both easy. They both take 2 beats, so they can be done on the 1+2 of a swingout, or repeated for switches.

Are you ready? for the big Reveal? In no particular order, the two footwork patterns are:

(dum-dum-DA!)

Step-Step: step on alternate feet evenly on every beat (1 2)

Kick-Ball-Change*: kick with your right foot, step on your right foot, step on your left foot (1+2)

These two footwork patterns are interchangeable because they take the same number of beats and you wind up on the same foot at the end. The Kick-Ball-Change is just a gussied up version of the Step-Step.

Let's take a look at these in action - my apologies for repeating clips, but I want to use ones where you can see their feet.

Step-Step Swivels (I call these "Jewel swivels" because this is her standard footwork)

Buck Privates at 1:49 - Jewel just steps on every beat, starting by sitting deep into the 7+8 of the previous swingout. On the even beats (8, 2, 4, 6, etc.) she steps to the left with her left foot, and then brings her right foot to meet it on the odd beats (1, 3, 5, 7), all while maintaining her turnout.

Kick-Ball-Change Swivels (I call these "Jean swivels" -- guess why?)

Groovie Movie at 3:45 - it's hard to see if you aren't looking for it, but Jean is doing KBC swivels. You can tell because her toe comes up slightly on 1, which doesn't happen if you're putting your weight down. It's not a big kick from the knee, it's just a little flick. Try keeping your heel slightly touching the ground.

Groovie Movie at 5:36 - here you can see Irene Thomas (brunette in the center) and Kay Smith doing KBC swivels alongside Jean. It's nice to see some other LA follows featured in switches besides just Jean and Jewel!

The footwork pattern you choose is completely personal choice, and it's not dictated by the lead at all. Use the music as your cue - I think that Step-Step swivels are a little smoother, and KBC swivels are snappier. You can travel cover more distance with Step-Step swivels than KBC, and when the music's really fast you won't have enough time between the beats for Kick-Ball-Changes, so Step-Steps are your only option. Practice both and play with changing them up!

________________________

*Kick-Ball-Change = KICK/step on the BALL of same foot/CHANGE your weight to opposite foot

It's not "Kick the old ball and chain"...

70s does 30s Blouse - New and Improved!

2011-03-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

As a swing dancer, I'm always on the lookout for vintage-y pieces that aren't precious real stuff. Silky blouses with flowy long sleeves are one of the hardest garments to find and are highly coveted among my friends. We get our inspiration from these dancers, among others:

Whitey's Hopper Maniacs, better known as Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

So every time I see a 70's necktie blouse with lovely gathered yokes, pintucks, bright colors and bold prints, I'm sad that it looks so darn 70's! They're affordable, sturdy, and cute. But the necktie just won't work.

Blouse available from funretro, $25

A couple weeks ago I needed a "shiny shirt" for a performance, and rather than risk wearing real vintage I pulled out this F21 blouse from the pile and attempted some Swing Era Transplant Surgery!

Here's the steps in case you want to try:

Put the blouse and mark the new collar. (My seamline is marked with the blue pins on the viewer's right.) Try it both buttoned up and unbuttoned. I went as wide & long as I thought I could get away with!

Mark your edgeline (where your pins were). If you're smart, use disappearing ink or chalk. I'm not smart and usually use a Sharpie cause it's handy, so I made tiny dots...hope you can see! Your lines should be more or less straight - no need to curve the collar tip.

Transfer markings to the opposite side.

Staystitch a line 1/8" inside your edge to stabilize the layers.

Carefully cut along your edgeline, and apply Fray-Check if needed.

Grab your trim, swap out the thread colors on the machine if needed (I changed to black on top and white in the bobbin), and apply trim along the entire collar edge to cover your raw edge.

If your trim is double sided (like rickrack) you can just fold it back at the corner instead of trying to turn the corner - it's a tight corner, so it's worth finding doublesided trim!

My project's a little messy, but that's not visible unless you're photographing it on macro. :)

Here's the finished product - I love how the contrasting trim highlights my new collar!

If you try this project, send me a link or a picture - I'd love to see!

LA Air Raid of 1942

2011-03-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

It seems like a long time ago since the Air Raid happened (really, 1942 was a long time ago!), but I've been hanging onto my measly few pics to share.

Because it's always cold at this event, I asked my mom to knit this Victory scarf for me - isn't it great?

It looks like a simple pattern, but I haven't knitted anything in about 7 years and I didn't feel up to relearning at the moment. (I never did learn how to cast on and off properly!) I asked her to make it a little skinnier than the pattern states, and I think she just used smaller needles instead of redesigning the pattern. That also made the tension tighter, so the V popped a little more. Smart lady!

Muddy shoes! But they kept my feet warm, and now I can try dyeing them like the website suggests. Perhaps mudbrown, so they'll be ready for next year...

I don't have any pictures after the dancing started, cause I was on the floor the whole time! But here's a few links with more pics if you haven't had enough.
The Sky is Falling!
WWII Factory Coveralls
Air Raid Outfit Post
Inspiring Outfits
Gar Travis Photography

Flash! Breaking News!

2011-03-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

And we're back! 3 weeks after moving in, the internet is finally installed. Did you miss me? Nah, I didn't think so...but I'm glad you stuck around anyway!

Believe it or not, we've been busy even without having internet (moving will do that to you).

We visited the Long Beach Flea Market, which is every bit as dreamy as everyone said:

A selection of vintage board games for sale

Chris fixed this fountain so that the kitties and I can look at birdies when we sew:

View from my sewing machine

And while we're limiting our furniture purchases to a few key pieces, a new cat perch topped the list:

The perch reminds me a little of the Trylon and Perisphere from the 1939 World's Fair:

No? Well, Charlie likes it anyway. He's a Moderne Kittie.

I'll be playing catch up this week with blog posts - I've got a lot of rambling stored up! And I've got some ideas for regular features I want to roll out, but more on that later.

Glad to see you again! :)

V is for Valentine's Day!

2011-02-17T10:12:00.000-08:00

I know you'll forgive me for this belated post, as we just moved and I'm lucky if I can find my toothbrush! But I wanted to share our Valentine's gifts with you! I'm still excited about them.

I gave Chris a vintage tie - his favorite movie star is Fred Astaire, and a while ago a friend showed a picture of this tie to me because it's just too perfect for him! I randomly searched on Ebay last month and the same tie popped up! It was a promotional tie for Philco Radios, probably given out to top sellers as an incentive gift, so there are probably a few more floating around out there.

Chris gave me a wonderful little piece of sweetheart jewelry, my favorite! This one is two gold hearts, attached to an expandable gold band. The best part is that the center of the hearts are still blank, so I can have our names engraved on it. I think I'll wear it to the Air Raid this Saturday!

And I love that Chris has his own Etsy account so that he can surprise me with the cute things I want! :)

Air Raid Picnic!

2011-02-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

I finally remembered to buy my tickets for The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942! It's coming up next weekend - it snuck up on me! You save $10 if you buy them in advance, and I'm all about that.

I better go get my picnic basket out of storage! (I mean, right after I move the contents of my whole house 30 miles south tomorrow. ;) In case you were wondering, there was not yet US government rationing of food in February of 1942, so if you want a period-accurate picnic you don't have to skip the meat and sugar! I'm glad - I've tried a couple wartime ration recipes and they aren't very good. I quickly learned why people hated rationing so much!

Sugar was the first food to be rationed in the US, starting in the spring of 1942 - but tricky homemakers found ways around the rules, like using marshmallows to make desserts instead of plain sugar.

Sugar Ration Coupon, Home Front Coupons, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University

If you're interested in more info about WWII ration cooking, check out Grandma's Wartime Kitchen: WWII and the Way We Cooked. It's out of print now, but I found a copy at my library. It's interesting reading even if you don't try the recipes!

I think we'll probably have sandwiches and cookies in our picnic. I think that's about all I'm up for cooking this week!

Swivels: Practice that Shoulder Stuff

2011-02-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

How you hold your shoulders during swivels and switches has a big impact on the overall look - for the classic LA style swivels, it's important to pull your shoulders back and center them over your core (don't hunch forward and don't lean back - your shoulders should be directly over your hips). This technique is functional as well as stylistic - you're building a solid foundation in your midsection, so that your bottom half can relax and let your feet do more than just hold you up.

Go look in a mirror and practice this. Hold onto a doorway and bend your knees a little, and check your posture in that mirror. You don't even need a full length mirror - your bathroom is fine, because you're only looking at your shoulders. If you feel wobbly, try to use your stomach and back muscles a little more. If you can't find those muscles, go do a couple stomach crunches to show you where they are!

Got that posture figured out? Now here's the tricky bit. While doing your footwork*, isolate your shoulders and don't let them rotate forward & back/left & right as your hips move. Hold them steady. Don't let them wiggle and flop around and distract from your nice turnout you've worked on. Pay extra close attention when you rotate to the right - keep that left shoulder in place!

Okay, here's your inspiration clips - you've earned it!

"Chool Song", Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan dancing

In her switches at 1:00, Jewel holds her top half up and steady, and her shoulders barely wiggle - even with those giant sleeves that accentuate everything! Notice too that she opens up from Dean a little - she's not perfectly parallel to him (which makes this a better angle for the audience), but she still holds steady.

"One Girl and Two Boys" from Swing Fever, Jean Veloz dancing with Don Gallagher and Lenny Smith

In this clip, Jean does some sassy ups and downs with her shoulders, but still keeps them back and doesn't let them rock in as she swivels. Notice too how her arm does different stylings, but she still keeps her posture.

If you feel inclined, go back and watch the last clips I posted, and this time watch their shoulders. I'm trying to post a variety of clips (and not just Buck Privates every time!), but if you're into this, go watch them all again!

_________________________

*Footwork- still planning a post on this, but that one will take a little more time to write, so I'm stalling! :)

Pickwick Vintage Expo

2011-02-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

Finally found time for an update! Well not really, since I should be packing for our move...but I need a little break, right?

Last weekend I headed out to the Pickwick Vintage Expo that I posted about previously. Chris decided to skip it, since there isn't usually much menswear at this event. Good call - even our favorite vendors didn't bring menswear - they have it, but it doesn't sell as well so they don't bother bringing it.

I was hoping to find some sewing notions and magazines, but didn't find either. I did get a couple new pieces though!

Deadstock 40's Wedges with a coveted ankle strap - so they don't fall off while dancing!

Navy Swing Coat. I really really really am going to stop collecting coats soon. But I don't have a navy coat, or a swing coat, so how could I pass on it?

Don't worry, I was a good girl and walked away from the 30's silver and green brooch, even if she did knock $100 off the price...

Swivels: Don't cheat your turnout

2011-01-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

I'm an old school LA style Lindy Hopper, and as such I've spent more time watching old clips of Jewel McGowan and Jean Veloz do swivels than is strictly healthy. Fuzzy black and white images, played in slow motion, over and over and over...retina strain? OCD tendancies? sleepless nights?

In an effort to save you this pain, I thought I'd share some of my observations -- if you're interested in swing dancing, I'm very interested in your feedback. If you're here because of a more general interest in vintage style, please enjoy the clips and come back for future posts on fashion, music, etc!

Watching clips today, I realized that one of the critical elements in achieving sharp swivels is having an equal amount of turnout on both legs. A lot of girls will turn out their left leg on beat 8 of a swingout, but not rotate back in toward their right arm and turn out their right leg on beat 1. If your turnout isn't even, your swivels will have all the snap on only one side and not be smooth and even.

Here's the classic Buck Privates example:

At 1:37, Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan lay into some of the prettiest swingouts ever recorded on video, followed up with the epitome of switches at 1:49. Even if you can't see her feet the whole time, you can see that Jewel's knees rotate an equal amount left to right.

And Groovie Movie:

At 3:45, Jean Veloz (dancing with Arthur Walsh) lays into some deep swivels of her own - even though her footwork is different from Jewel's, she still gets plenty of turnout on both sides. (I'll go over footwork in a future post.)

Of course, there are always exceptions to any rule...Jewel McGowan usually has amazing turnout, but in the Baby Boogie, her switches at :25 aren't even on both sides. Does it look as good as usual? I don't think so - her right side kinda drags along.

Nitpicky? Absolutely. But the main differences between LA style and other forms of Lindy Hop are stylistic - we do the same moves, but in a different way - so if you aren't precise about your execution, the style gets lost.

Shopping Bonanza!

2011-01-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

There are some great vintage/vintage inspired shopping events the next couple weeks round these parts. I'm trying to decide if I can afford to attend them all... (Probably not!)

Loco Lindo Pre-Season Warehouse Sale
LA's new favorite vintage repro company is having one of their fab warehouse sales!
All fabrics are machine-washable, which is perfect for "active" dancers.

"Vintage" Dress in new shorter length!

$5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 racks
Nothing over $40.00 (retails of $24 to $140)
FRIDAY, Jan 28th   10am to 5pm
SATURDAY, Jan 29th   10am to 4pm
1651 South Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91204         818-956-1415

Vintage Clothing & Textile Show
The Pickwick Gardens
1001 Riverside Drive
Burbank, California
SUNDAY January 30th, 2011
9am-3pm
Regular Admission $7.00
Early Buying at 8am - $20.00
Free & Easy Parking

Santa Monica Vintage Fashion Expo
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
Feb 5 - 6, 2011

Regular Admission $10.00.

Sat Early Buy Admission $20.00

Re-mix Vintage Shoes

Remix just posted some new styles, and added some sale pricing for a few items.

If you live nearby, it's best to shop in the store, but of course anyone can shop online too!

Jane Austen Evening

2011-01-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we attended the 2011 Jane Austen Evening - as most of you know, I've been sewing for this event for weeks, and the projects inspired me to start blogging. Whew! What fun, but I'm glad that now I get to enjoy my memories instead of worrying about what else I should be sewing!

My dress is from the classic Sensibility pattern, but I've fit and altered the bodice quite extensively. My version has a lower and wider neckline, I added to the bust height so that it can stay down around my ribcage and not ride up, I interlined the sleeves with organza to make them pouf, and updated the back closure to lacing instead of buttons.

Catching a few rays of daylight outside the ball.

Closest pictures I have to a front and back view of my dress.

The back has the spiral lacing I wrote about previously.

I'm pretty sure I got more compliments on my jewelry than my dress. As it should be!

With one of my dearest friends, Ashley. It was her first Regency Ball, and I think she's hooked too!

Adam (Ashley's husband) was a great sport. I think he was my favorite dance partner of the evening - he really got into the spirit, and took every opportunity to strike a dapper pose. :)

I think Chris and I usually look like this when we dance - him teasing me, and me looking mad. ;)

High Tea before the ball.

Sweets - sweet!

The Tea Master at work - all the servers wore period outfits, which was a nice touch.

One fellow setting up his table.

A couple of the nicely decorated tables. I don't want to bother bringing all that china, but on Ashley's suggestion I'm going to bring a tablecloth and centerpiece next year.

I have more pictures of the impressive menswear at the Ball that I'll be sharing soon over at Fashioning Beau Brummell - please check that out too!

I don't have many pictures of the dancing (I was too busy having fun!), but if you want to see more, check out the Jane Austen Evening Facebook page - there is loads more eye candy there!

A Dealer's Life

2011-01-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

For me, the most fun talk at last weekend's symposium at LACMA was "A Dealer's Life: Conversation with Martin Kamer and Wolfgang Ruf". These were the two men who teamed up to build the collection that LACMA acquired, and together with Sharon Takeda, the senior curator of the Costume and Textiles Department, they told many interesting stories about their friendly rivalry and acquiring these pieces.

I managed to snatch a couple of burry photos from their Powerpoint presentation - there were a lot of behind the scenes shots that were a real treat.

This 1860's dress is featured in the exhibition to display the roller printing techniques that were newly developed. What didn't make the exhibition cut was the matching day bodice:

Exciting, right? Well, the audience thought so - there was an audible gasp when the picture flashed on the screen. Kamer also explained that this day bodice has hook and eye tape down the front, which is the earliest example he's seen of that. (Hope I got that info right - I was madly taking pictures and notes and probably didn't get everything right!)

Another crowd favorite is this dress from the 1830's:

Aren't those beret sleeves delish? Here's a couple more (fuzzy-wuzzy) shots from the screen.

Bottom and Interior Views

THE SLEEVE FOLDS FLAT!!! Pure genius.

It kind of reminds me of this, but the pink one is way cooler. :)

Faux 40's Sweater

2011-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

I popped into my favorite faux vintage store today, Forever 21, and came across a gem - a cable knit sweater that looks straight out of the late 30's/early 40's! The medium looked about like this on me - okay, but a little slouchy, so I sized down to a small to get the cute short sweater look. In person it's a nice deep blue-red - the only shade of red I can even attempt to wear next to my face!

What do you think - could it be out of this knitting book?