Back in days gone by they were a classy bunch. Graceful, debonair and chic; the dress of the 40s and 50s took a fair amount of putting together but was worth it for the finished look. Inspired by her grandmother's photos and vintage fashion photographs of the period, My Vintage Dresser was created.
Katie dreamed up the vintage pattern shop when her job became a bit unstable and has gone onto create a place where you can find a treasure trove of vintage fabulousness.
You can dig up retro goodness to your heart's content with a classic selection of sewing and knitting patterns. From 1960s pleated skirts from Vogue to P&B Wools patterns for fine tailored jackets, every pattern will have you itching to get your retro on.
Katie also teams them up with the opportunity to attend workshops covering everything from vintage hairstyling and makeup to where to source vintage and how to put it all together.
You'll be crafting yourself vintagey before you can say "Make do and mend".
Who doesn't love a bit of kooky crochet? Well whoever you are turn away now because Knot By Gran'ma has kooky crochet by the stashload, with free patterns to boot.
She makes painfully cute and often slightly unsettling weird but wicked wool-based beasts. Her creations include wailing ghosties, a disgruntled green frog, and bizarre fibre-freakshow people such as Jen the Tri-Headed Cheerleader. Her Etsy shop offers patterns and the option to buy some of her more complicated finished products.
There are also free pattens for you to try. Check out the boundless joy on the crocheted face of Johnny Heart and the rock-star fun fur of her Baby Bootie Socks.
Her blog offers links to useful crochet sites too. Encouragement for even the most unsure of happy hookers to get their own crochet creatures on the hook.
You've got to give a little love to get a little love of your own according to indie folk band Noah and the Whale, and as all fibre-flingers know knitted love is the best kind to get. Especially if it's quick to stitch up. At Stitch and Bitch London, my not-so-little knitting group, we pass on the knitting love weekly and our Stitched Heart on Your Sleeve Brooch allows you to give love with minimal stitching effort.
Whipped up by the button-obsessed Fastener the simple free knitting pattern is a combination of knits, purls, increases, decreases and a little fanciness with a bit of vintage lace and some cute as a button buttons.
In a shameless bit of self-promotion I thought I'd let you Crafty Crafty folks know that all sorts on woolly wonders appear in the S&B London newsletter every fortnight. So whether you're a Londoner or not it's well worth joining us. It's free too.
Knit someone you love a bit of vintage-style heart-shaped adoration. Go on. It's less messy than giving someone a real heart too.
Winter may feel like it's going on forever but at least it's an excuse to make yourself something cosy to combat the cold. Warm yourself up woolwise with Whit's Knits: Swan's Island Organic Merino Long Striped Hand Warmers.
The pattern comes from the ever so lovely Purl Bee. So far I haven't seen a pattern on there I don't love so it comes from good stock. Knit in grey and 'spring green' the hand warmers pictured also give us a little hope that spring is on the way at last.
See the full pattern here and stitch yourself a pair before the frostbite sets in.
Looking at this painfully cute patchwork bag, I have no doubt that its maker was inspired by nostalgic dolly Strawberry Shortcake. To you, this may or may not be a good thing...
If you're in the 'good thing' camp, you'll need to get your craft on - as this bag comes flatpacked with full instructions on how to turn it into the real thing. I have to confess to being something of a fan: the colours aren't too cutesy, and the shaping is very tasteful. I can see this making a great carry-all for those who like to knit, crochet or sew. [Via The Bag Lady]
$9 at Etsy
I'm always impressed by DIY-ers who choose less obvious fabrics to make up their patterns (remember the shower curtain dress?) so I was instantly drawn to this delightful dress that Chic Steals made up from a Vogue pattern using Ikea's Patricia fabric. Ikea's a good place to find bold, clean and eyecatching fabrics, which work just fine in dressmaking, even when they're intended for upholstery.
The pattern used here is Vogue v1068: the little sheath dress pictured top left, made here with a more tweedy fabric that's also a great choice for autumn.
Let's face it, grannies are where it's at. They were getting down to the crafty life when we were still in nappies and many of us owe our crafting skills to stuff we have learned from them. Accused of being bit of a granny with my knitting I am rather pleased. To me it's a compliment. Both of my grannies are amazing ladies.
So when I stumbled across the Purl Bee's Granny Square Slippers I had to share. For a start the Purl Bee's patterns and tutorials are all kinds of amazing. They can make anything look stylish or sassy or cosy. Something I learned when I visited their shop Purl Soho in New York and wanted to stay there all day.
Wander over to the Purl Bee blog for the Granny Square Slipper pattern and don't blame me if you find a few more things you are desperate to make.
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