Glamorous 1930s Evening Gown Knitting Pattern

I was looking through a vintage copy of "Minerva Style Book" dated 1934 and was struck by this beautiful gown.  The gown is called "Alora" and is so elegant and tasteful that it would be just as glamorous today as it was in the 1930s.

In addition to the gown, there is a coordinating evening jacket that can be made in the same color or a contrasting color as shown in the illustration below.

The size is listed as 16 to 18 but that was 1930s sizing, not the same as today's measurements.  The finished gown would probably be a medium sized fit.

Here's the pattern for those who want to create this spectacular gown:

The vintage Minerva Style Book has several classic ladies patterns to knit and crochet.  This gown was just too special to not share!  Enjoy this free ladies fashion pattern and get stitching!

Log Cabin Quilt and 1930s Reproduction Fabric

Today I received a delightful surprise in my email inbox -- a photo of this beautiful lap quilt made by one of my wonderful Etsy customers for her very lucky mum.  She utilized the reproduction 1930s fabric that I stock in my Etsy shop, in addition to some complimentary fabric she acquired for the project and backed it with warm fleece.  The log cabin pattern lends itself well to this type of project, you can make your quilt practically any size without a lot of adjustment.

Here's the beautiful quilt:

Two fabric bundles were used for this quilt, this one:

And here's the other bundle:

I'm so excited to share this work, it's terrific to see the creative process in action.  This lap quilt, using vintage inspired fabric and a traditional pattern resulted in a very lovely, warm and cozy work of art, like a hug, wrapped in love.  Sweet!

Free Apron Patterns

There is just something charming about aprons.  Just looking at them brings back warm memories of delicious smells coming from the kitchen.  Yesterday I was looking through a vintage sewing pattern book and found the patterns for these two little sweethearts.  The vintage pattern book isn't dated but the designs look very 1930s to me.

As you can see from the description, the directions call for the aprons to be made with oil cloth, but any pretty cotton fabric will do.  You'll have to do a little drafting to enlarge the pattern, but it's pretty straight forward after that.

This half apron would be perfect for either crafts or gardening.  The appliqué is charming and you could embroider a cute design on any of them for a personalized look.

One of the things that I love about my large vintage pattern book collection is discovering the treasures within.  So many of them are from a thrifty time, this one from the 1930s is a prime example.  "Make Do or Do Without," as the saying goes.  Enjoy making aprons from these vintage apron patterns, they'll look just as good today as they did then!

Vintage Rag Scrap Quilt

Since I'm on a quilt theme, here's another vintage quilt that's a real sweetie.  This one came into my collection through an online auction.  Although I'm not certain of it's age, it's definitely vintage and well loved.

The colors are a bit faded, especially the pink which I suspect was once actually red.

The elements that I find so attractive about this vintage rag quilt are it's scrappiness and randomness.  It reminds me of a crazy quilt but without the embroidery.  Yet it's still orderly with it's predictable pink diamonds.

Here's a good shot of the hand quilting.  Not tiny, perfect stitches but the whole quilt is lovingly covered in hand stitches.

The fabrics include a lot of plaids but also sweet prints like these.  Makes me think that maybe this was made in the 1930s or 1940s.

Considering it's size, which is twin, the use of plaids and that the pink looks like a faded red, I wonder if this sweet quilt was made by a loving mother for her son.

I just adore vintage quilts and truly admire the amount of time and effort that was put into these handmade treasures.  This vintage rag quilt is a perfect example of that.

Vintage 1930s Double Wedding Ring Quilt

This incredible, vintage 1930s Double Wedding Ring quilt is in pristine condition.  It is completely hand quilted and was lovingly pieced together decades ago.  The colors are crisp and traditional for the era.

Probably the most amazing thing of all about this quilt is what it cost.  I have seen vintage 1930s Double Wedding Ring quilts in antique shops, antique malls and for sale online.  This sweetie was found in a thrift store.  A thrift store!

Someone gave grandma's lovingly made Double Wedding Ring quilt away to the thrift store!  And I picked it up for 15 bucks.  I saw it out of the corner of my eye and snapped it right up, I knew what a treasure I had found!

Check out the handwork of these stitches on the curve of the Double Wedding Ring:

Here you can see the backing of the quilt and it's sweet shade of lavender.  Interestingly, the purple used on the front of the quilt is a different shade than the back, a brighter, redder purple.

The take home message is keep your eyes open, you never know what goodies you'll find or where.  For $15.00 I purchased a real treasure in this vintage 1930s Double Wedding Ring quilt and you can bet that I ALWAYS check the quilt section when I visit the thrift store!

Vintage 1930s Dresden Plate Quilt Pattern

It's been so long since these Dresden Plate quilt pieces came into my life that I really can't remember where I got them.  More than likely a rummage sale, garage sale or the like.  All I do know is that these little treasures probably were made in the 1930s considering the fabric and the popularity of the Dresden Plate pattern at the time.

Since the sun provided such wonderful light yesterday, I decided to take advantage of it and photograph these unfinished quilt pieces.

I have a warm spot in my heart for 1930s fabrics and these pretty prints are still bright and cheerful after all these years!  These Dresden Plate quilt pieces have a variety of colors and print sizes that give the overall look a balanced feeling.

The grey striped fabric on the left is intriguing with it's modern take on the leaf motif.  One of the things I love about 1930s fabric prints are how they are sweetly old-fashioned, yet new in design.

The seamstress sewed the Dresden Plate pieces by machine but turned down the edges by hand.  Here you can see the her hand basting in preparation for appliqué.

There are six of these beautiful Dresden Plate pieces waiting to be turned into a quilt, it's just a matter of time.  Fortunately, they will blend beautifully with current reproduction 1930s fabrics and a new, yet retro quilt can be made easily.  Well, time to get to work!

Lucky Find!!

I can't go by a thrift store without going inside, I just have to, I never know what I'll find.  Over the years I have found some wonderful treasures including a vintage 1930's Double Wedding Ring quilt in pristine condition for $15.00, so far my best find.

Well, several weeks ago, thumbing through the used sewing patterns at my local thrift store, I found these treasures!  Vintage sewing patterns from the 1930's!  Three vintage Butterick, a DuBarry and a Pictorial Printed Pattern.  And, because it was the thrift store, I got them for a song.... oh happy day!!

Vintage DuBarry sewing pattern dated 1939.

This Pictorial Printed sewing pattern is dated 1931.

The take home message:  Don't ignore your local thrift store for vintage sewing pattern finds!