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".
Meoooooow! Mrrrow! Meoooow! Moaw? Cats get bored. They get insistent. They end up patting at your hair and 'settling down' on your keyboard while you're trying to do very important tweeting. The only solution is to whip them up something to entertain them while you're too busy to scratch behind their ears. Which is where we turn to Fantastic Toys.
Fantastic Toys is crammed full of felt, paper and fluff lovelies for you to make yourself. Their Cat Toy Critters, with a free downloadable template, are made from felt and thread, and can be filled with catnip to drive your kitty wild with cat distraction, while you get on with your life a little less cat-harassed.
They also have an Etsy shop with some fantastic things including an Alice in Wonderland paper playset inspired by the children's classic.
Handmade treats for kitty, no more accidental tweet that say "ppppppppp;;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikkkkkkkkk" for you.
Knickers are the new jeggings. Ok that isn't true. But flying in the face of the horror that is sometimes high-street fashion you could hand-make your own undercrackers for a bit of vintage style on your booty.
For stylish and inspiring sewing with a retro twist Colette Patterns are fabulous. Their mission is "to help you create clothing that feels both beautiful and personal" and they certainly do that with a simple chic style that will easily transfer to the pile of fabrics you have in your stash.
The site also features a number of very useful how tos, including how to make a handrolled hem, how to adjust for a smaller bust and how to make a silk scarf.
Their Mini Bloomers pattern is free and will possibly have to fighting the urge to flash your undies at every opportunity.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Hire me! Is the type of attitude any sound business person wants to take with them when trying to impress clients.
A monster business card holder will surely impress folks into handing over their hard-earned out of fear alone.
Those clever folks over at Instructables do it again with their free Monster Business Card Holder tutorial. The how to is the growling brainchild of crafty monster maker alittlestranger, a freelance model maker and plush designer (who quite possibly wears some of the coolest t-shirts ever).
Make a monster and start striking some gargantuan business deals. Or just threaten to bite them if they don't go for it.
People are much more eco-friendly these days and Valentine's Day is no excuse to fall off the green wagon. Flying blooms in from the deepest Amazonian jungle just doesn't cut it anymore as your intended recoils in horror at the carbon footprint of the perfumed posy. It makes perfect sense to go green with your pinks.
The Pompom Emporium features two how to tutorials on some fabulous fabric flowers.
The first bunch are Anjie's Ribbon Roses, made from 'lucky dip' ribbon from her local haberdashery's bargain bin. Graduated coloured ribbon gives them a perfect in-bloom effect.
The second bunch of Zip It! flowers are a bit more steampunk. They're made from zips with the teeth side out giving them a bit of a sweet but sinister air.
A minimal amount of sewing up creates both, there's no rifling through cupboards to find a vase to put them in before they start wilting and you'll be recycling for romance.
Huge woolly jumpers are often lurking quietly in draws soaking up the smell of moth balls and lamenting the fact that they will never escape to be worn at fancy parties. It's a sad tale that happens in many a crafty household. But wait. There is a way to give giant jumpers a second life.
Craftser member Frithalouise show you how to turn the humongous into something hot and handmade in a matter of hours. Wielding a sewing machine, some scissors and a bit of clever work with pins (avoiding stabbing yourself is a necessary step) jumper becomes sassy little dress.
See the full how to here.
New life for the drawer-lurking jumper and a new outfit for you. Everyone, but the moths, is happy.
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
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