Make do & Mend

Make do and Mend. This slogan and many others were printed in magazines & posters, promoted on radios & at the movies. It was used to motivate & to help everyone understand the shortage of supplies occurring during the war.

Families were given a ration book that had stamps or would get stamped when certain items were purchased.Almost every item in the store would have a coupon value.Families were told how much meat, sugar, coffee and even certain yard goods could be purchased.The goal was to cut down on certain items that were much more needed for the men and women fighting the war.

In order to make it a little easier on everyone, mostly the housewife, they gave out booklets with helpful hints on dealing with the rations. After many things were donated to the war effort, what they kept had to last for as long as needed.They planted gardens to help out the made up recipes to extend the rationed food.They re-knit old sweaters into socks,gloves or even baby sweaters.Blankets became coats, old dresses became aprons, skirts, quilt scrapes & so on.Why buy & use up a coupon if you didn't have to.

They sacrificed for their families,to help out neighbors,to honor their country and especially to support the men and women in service.All of their hard work to care and preserve what they had, is the very reason why we have the vintage items that we do.The dresses we wear, the books we read or their household items we use to cook and decorate our homes. All of these items that are still in a nice condition shows all of their efforts. Everything that we enjoy that's vintage must be cared for so that we may show respect & honor all of their hard work. I thought that I would do my own version of Make do & Mend for today's needs. To "Mend" our vintage items and make them last.To "Make do" and ration what we have and re-think certain items to make them stretch a little farther. I will try to be as thorough as possible. I will split the posts into two parts, so that I may able to give you couple of helpful hints and add a couple of photos.

Vintage shower curtain

I thought I would do a quick tutorial on turning vintage bedspreads or sheets into a one of a kind shower curtain. I don't like altering or cutting anything vintage, unless it's already in shambles & I have no other choice. I'd rather reuse, than toss it.
For this shower curtain, I bought a $2 flat sheet from the thrift shop. It had a wash tag with 1970 printed on it. I hope that you find this tutorial easy to follow.
Materials needed-

1. Vintage sheet or blanket preferably in full size & not too heavy. It won't flow as well.
2. Scissors & pins
3. Marking pen
4. Sewing Gauge
5. Embroidery six strand floss
6. 1-5 Size Embroidery needles
7. Embroidery hoop
8. Sewing machine
9. Shower curtain liner

Always, make sure it's centered to show off the entire design. Find center of sheet & liner.Mark sheet with pins. Mark liner with pen. This will line up the holes for the rings.

Center the holes from the liner to the center of top hem of the sheet. The hole being in center of hem will create a little ruffle on top. Mark holes and cut

Place hem in the hoop to make it easier to stitch.The floss is 6 strands rolled into 1. Separate into 3 smaller strands of 2. This will be a little tricky at first, but it will make the stitching look better.

Once you finish sewing all the holes for rings. Lay curtain on floor to measure the sides to trim excess.If you can, use the liner as a template to measure for width. Add 2 inches with gauge & mark. This will give you a seam allowance. Cut & sew only the sides.

Hang curtain on rod for a day. The weight & steam will loosen fibers in curtain and it will get longer. Take down and then determine the length you want. Mark with gauge, cut & sew. Hang and enjoy!









**If you don't wish to hand stitch each hole, you can use grommets.
**For easier separation of floss. cut the length for stitch & then roll each end in opposite direction. pull out the two strands.
**Don't toss scraps. Use to make coordinating towels. Make tie backs, if choose to make two curtains or just save for other projects. 

More from Cat's Pj's

Clothes do make the man!

            

 She looked just like Irene Dunne.

I was so busy shopping that, I completely forgot to take photos of what I was wearing. I'm lucky that I remembered to take these. Oh, well next time!

Dapper

Coats and more coats

The Cat's Pj's

Recently, my daughter Spring and I went to The Cat's Pajamas vintage show and it was fantastic! Two floors of beautiful vintage clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry and more.

My friend Peggy & owner of TresYours vintage told me about it last year. Unfortunately, I arrived late and I had to rush around trying on anything that I could find. I ended up buying 3 dresses from a sweet lady with the largest hat collection I have ever seen. I also bought a black dress, my first from TresYours. I had fun, but I always wondered how many more things I could've bought. Like a greedy little kid with candy, I wanted more!

Well, this year I got more. I bought 5 dresses,2 pairs of gloves & 1 hat from the sweet hat lady whose name I finally learned. Carol, the owner of Carol's Vintage closet from NE. TresYours vintage also had a booth and it was there that my daughter found her first vintage dress. My daughter rarely wears a dress & she instantly fell for this dress. It's pretty awesome that one year ago I bought my first dress from TresYours vintage at this very show.                                                               I also bought a brown plaid coat that was originally at $65, then 20 & then 10! I'm not sure who the vendor was, it seems everyone around was grabbing things left & right as soon as she yelled that everything on two racks was $10. My last purchase of the day was a Garay pink wool purse, actually it wasn't very pink.It had brown stains & smelled which is why I got it for $5.

It was so much fun shopping, meeting new people & I loved that they also mixed vibrant modern hair color with vintage clothing. And so, I must wait for the next show in Sept., but in the meantime thank goodness TresYours is just around the corner!

A clean Garay purse--coat--Spring's first vintage dress

From Carol's vintage closet to mine

Paradise & The Bride

I love movies.Especially vintage films.I enjoy the simplicity.They depended on the acting, story & score.Yes, they did use special effects which of course is nothing like today's. I'm not picking on modern films. There are many incredible modern movies that I could on & on about.
Classic films are a part of my childhood & my study guides.If I need an idea for something vintage these movies help. And so,I thought that every so often I would suggest movies that I enjoy  & maybe you would as well. Instead of making a big long list, I will take 2 at a time, give a brief synopsis & viewing suggestions.

Till we meet again (1940)
It stars Merle Oberon, George Brent & Pat O'Brien. The main characters Joan & Dan meet in a bar and are instantly attracted to each other. As they finish drinking a Paradise cocktail, they break the glasses, join the stems together & say good-bye.Dan is stopped outside the bar by O'Brien and they board the same ship that Joan is on.We soon learn they both have a secret that may keep them apart. The movie has a cool under water scene for a 40's film. Oberon is beautiful & Brent is suave. - -Recreate the ocean breeze & mist yourself. Serve Shrimp cocktails & make your own Paradise cocktail*. Then grab some tissue & enjoy.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
This is a sequel to Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester & Clive Colin.The monster survives the fire from the first film, as does Dr.Frankenstein. He is later forced by another scientist to make a mate for the monster & trouble ensues.This has it all, great score, crazed scientists, crying monster, cool hair & a dead chick ditching sweet dead guy for a rich doctor. --For this, serve something green(monster) like Guacamole & a drink called The Bride of Frankenstein*. A couple of these & you'll start walking & talking like the monster.
                            
                                     --- Drinks ---

Paradise cocktail                        The Bride of Frankenstein

• 2 ounces London dry gin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apricot brandy
• 1 ounce orange juice
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice

- See more at: http://www.esquire.com/drinks/paradise-drink-recipe#sthash.to4RH39l.dpuf

1 1/2 oz gin                                                                      4oz Voga sparkling wine   

4 oz Voga Sparkling Wine
1 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz pineapple juice
Directions:
Pour Chambord and juice into a Champagne flute. Top with VOGA Sparkling and garnish with a raspbe
- See more at: http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/drink_recipes/bride-of-frankenstein/#sthash.C83DYl7e.dpuf

1 oz apricot brandy                                                       1oz Chambord 
2 oz orange juice                                                            1oz  Pineapple juice
serve in Sherry glass                                                   serve in Champagne flute   

• 2 ounces London dry gin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apricot brandy
• 1 ounce orange juice
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice

- See more at: http://www.esquire.com/drinks/paradise-drink-recipe#sthash.to4RH39l.dpuf

                                         

• 2 ounces London dry gin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons apricot brandy
• 1 ounce orange juice
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice

- See more at: http://www.esquire.com/drinks/paradise-drink-recipe#sthash.to4RH39l.dpuf

Purple blunder

I love color! It's in my home, on my clothes & now in my hair. For over 10 years, I worked in a store that didn't allow any color in clothes or hair.  Now that I no longer work there, I want to dye my hair every color that I can get my hands on.
I was hesitant as anyone would be about bleaching my hair. You must pay close attention to the condition of your hair (Can it handle the strain?), the type of products to be used (20, 30, 40 volume?), timing (Too little time & nothing. Too long & uh-oh!).  It's a lot to consider, so you must really give it a lot of thought. If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you have an answer to every question that may possibly come up. If in doubt, have a professional do it. Once you do bleach it, the colors available are amazing!
I had great success with Manic Panic's Vampire red, so I expected nothing less from Manic Panic's Purple haze. After my red washed out & I attacked my roots, I applied the purple. Unfortunately, I did not realize that red tends to literally bind itself to your hair. Even though I did lighten my hair slightly, it wasn't enough, so the color came out a very dark purple. It was nice, but I had expected it to be a brighter purple.
I waited again through shampoos & deep conditioning, till it was ready to color again. This time I switched products thinking that it might come out the purple tone I was after. I tried N'Rage in Purple plum. It smelled like a bad packet of gum & could only be left on your hair no longer than 20 min. The color was even darker than Manic's purple haze & you could only see the purple in direct sunlight. After 2 weeks the color & thankfully the smell was gone. Feeling defeated, I did nothing to my hair, but condition it for months.
I tried yet again, this time using ION Fuschia. It was very, very thick with the consistency of spackle. The directions said to leave it in for up to 40 minutes, but it had such a strong smell of chemicals that I was afraid to, so I washed it out after only having it on my hair for 10 minutes. Even though it said it contained no ammonia, it smelled like it. I just couldn't get past the smell & what it might be doing to my hair. I did an emergency wash out. This is where you immediately wash out semi-permanent color with dish soap, clarifying shampoo or hair color remover.  Any of these choices will probably remove almost all the color & pretty much every bit of moisture in your hair. Immediately condition, unless 70's frizz is your thing.
In the end, I wasted not only my time & my money, but I also felt a little dumb. I felt like I left a good man that treated me wonderfully & went out thinking that there was something better out there. I've watched enough chick flicks to know better!
I love Manic Panic. I would recommend it to anyone who loves bold colors. The price is slightly more than the other two, but well worth it. You get plenty of product, it's also conditions, it's cruelty free & vegan based. It can be left on your hair for longer period of time & you won't smell like a bad packet of gum. I know, that I made the mistake in not picking a lighter shade of purple dye to combine with my leftover red tones. Next time.
If you have even the slightest doubt in bleaching or coloring, Go to a professional! It will save you worry, time, money & maybe even your hair. I have been been bleaching & coloring my hair for awhile now, I still get nervous every time. I am not a professional!! I just wanted to let anyone who is interested in hair dyes, know what I thought about these products. Mind you, how or what they did to my hair, may not apply to your hair. Everybody's hair will react differently to each product, so any one of these could be better than the other.
I hope this helps in case you may be thinking about using any of these three products or deciding that you would rather go to a salon. I will say it again-I am not a professional. I'm just someone who wants to have fun with my hair and dye it any color of the rainbow with a little help from a jar.

PURSES

I have a small, but steadily growing collection of purses. As you can see they are all very different in many ways, but I love each purse equally the same. I treat them all with great care. I know that like any other vintage item it may be the only one of its kind.
I believe the purse is the most important & useful item for any vintage lady. It's last item we put on as we head out the door & the first thing people notice as we set them down. It must also  hold all of our "Necessary Stuff" and if you have kids, the stuff doubles. Things, we do need, might need or buy on sale need.
Vintage purses do tend to be on the small side if you compare them to today's purses. A vintage gal will learn to adapt & appreciate them. If only our vintage purses could be like Hermione Granger's, small enough for lipstick & large enough for a tent(yes, I am a Harry Potter fan)!
A purse for me, must fill 3 requirements:
1- Cost- I have a set budget.
2- Color- Does it go with any of my outfits?
3- Condition- If I plan on using it, will it last?
Most vintage dealers really do care about their items & love them just as much as we do.They may have already cleaned the purse or made any necessary repairs. Take your time looking it over, because sometimes the item may be non-returnable. If you come across a purse from a second hand store or garage sale, be very thorough, they will not take it back.
Although, we all have our own set of rules, style & depending where you're from, call it a purse or handbag. The one thing we do have in common is- Where am I going to put all of my stuff?