20 July 1957 “She Sews For The Whole Family”

Today I thought I would shared this article in my McCall’s Magazine about a lovely homemaker who sews.

“This pretty, young California housewife taught herself to sew “very Badly” she says, in her teens, because she couldn’t afford to buy the clothes she wanted. Now she’s an accomplished seamstress who thinks nothing of turning out a dress in a day and a half. Sewing has become a creative outlet for Mrs. Witter. She not only made the clothes she models here, but runs up sports shirts for her husband, Jere, an editor on the San Francisco Chronicle, and coats and dresses for four year old Ann. She often tackles slip covers and curtains too.

While she was working as a receptionist for a California couturier, before her marriage, Mrs. Witter began to understand the importance of attention to detail and fine finishing in making good clothes. Mrs. Witter, a size 9, ways fitted suits are hardest for her to make, dresses easiest. She works so fast she can make clothes as needed instead of planning ahead.

Know what she does for relaxation? She knits-Dresses.”

Here are some more of Mrs. Witter’s triumphs:

First off, I adore matching children to mother. I think it is so darling and not sure why it isn’t done anymore. I also really appreciate the simplicity of a 1950’s day dress. Simple fabric with some ric rac. It has an almost more modern simplicity than the complicated various pieces worn by modern people. And I can’t imagine tight knit yoga pants are more comfortable than a cool breezy full skirted cotton dress.

I don’t know when and why it began, but the modern idea is not to go ‘matchy-matchy’. Having ones shoes and bag match your outfit or to have your headband coordinate is seen as un-fashionable. I almost began to wonder if this was to create a sense of not knowing what goes with what else which actually leads to having to buy and own more. If you had say 7 outfits with matching accessories in a similar color story, you could literaly mix and match these outfits to create endless looks. This type of lesson was even once taught with the old Barbie doll. You purchased a doll and then clothes separately and learned to mix and match. Today Barbie Dolls are just an endless supply of the doll with whatever outfit they are wearing. So, even at play level, we are not learning how to really dress and how easily one can have less clothes but look nicer, easier, and without much thought.

This is such a darling suit. And again, we see shoes and bag match and hat is in the same color family as the bag. It looks clean and smart and effortless to me. Now compare this with a current trend Boho Chic Long, almost dangerously so, skirt very low with skin showing. Huge bag weighing down the shoulder. Loose blouse which could not even look crisp if it were ironed. Hair unkempt and rather ‘witchy’ looking when compared with the smart Mrs. Witter above. Yet, both were as easy to slip into, though Mrs. Witter hasn’t any worry of tripping, her midriff showing or, honestly, rather or not she is receiving a text about someone’s day: “I just drank a double mocha” (stop the presses!).

I know fashion and style is each one’s own, but I also think the basic simple rules of matching and coordinating are actually a God send to many people as not all young ladies or gentleman for that matter, really want to care or think about fashion. Yet, with simple rules could look always put together without any effort. But, I fear the days of t-shirst and jeans and sweats are to never end.

Back to Mrs. Witter.

What a darling little girl’s dress this is. And, as it states, would look wonderful belted but offers a great range of play motion when simply left unbelted. This is true for Mrs. Witters dress with the blue scarf at the waist. I actually was able to find this type of vintage pattern, where the dress is a simple long tube shape. It gets it’s waist from a belt but is a wonderful cleaning or working round the house dress when left free.

This polished cotton looks a dream to wear and yet is really inexpensive. One could easily look as glamorous while just working round the house.

As some of you may like to source these vintage patterns, you will see the number with each photo, that coincides with the number for the McCall’s pattern. To help with this search I have included this image which shows the basic dress style and the pattern which you buy to make it. Using ebay or other online sources you can often find the original vintage pattern.

  In my own sewing, this is the latest dress on my dress form. You may recall the navy and pink dress on here last time. That dress has been finished. I will try to remember to get a picture of me in it to share. This fabric is a wonderful floral dotted swiss I found and fell in love with. I felt it was very summery and also very vintage. I wanted to break up the pattern so there will be a band of the turquoise fabric in the center. This is also a good trick for we fuller figured gals, as a solid color emphasizing our smallest area helps to slim the figure. I also think it shows of the floral a bit better as it gives the eye a break before returning to the pattern at the top.

  Here is a closer shot of the fabric. I just love that Robin’s egg blue, as many of you know. It is a recurring theme in my clothing and this helps to coordinate various outfits for me. Here, in this close up, you can see the lovely little raised bits in the dotted swiss fabric. Here it is up close and you can see the raised bits. In many cases a dotted swiss is sheer and used as an overlay over dresses. I would like to make this but have had trouble finding a sheer dotted swiss and when I do it is always too dear for my pocketbook. This is sheer enough that I shall line the skirt with white muslin.

Here is a very thorough definition of Dotted Swiss:

Dotted swiss is a type of fabric first made on hand looms in Switzerland in 1750. While there are many variations of dotted swiss sold, the original look is always the same: a sheer, lightweight fabric with a dotted motif. The fabric, which is usually cotton batiste or a polyblend, provides the background which is usually a muted or pastel shade such as gray, light pink, or cream. The fabric then has dots applied onto its surface in a number of methods. Single colored or multicolored dots can be woven, flocked, printed, or embroidered, resulting in a temporary or permanent pattern on the fabric.

Dotted swiss is a popular material for constructing a variety of clothing for women and children. They have made appearances in summer dresses, blouses, aprons, curtains, bedspreads, wedding apparel, and baby clothes. The fabric appears fresh and youthful on the person, and it is this timeless quality that makes it a wonderful material for heirloom goods as well.

Notably, dotted swiss can be dated by its dots. The size, arrangement, and method of application all demonstrate the original date of fabrication. For example, the authentic, original dotted swiss is created from cotton batiste, which is a sheer, delicate fabric in a plain weave. The dots are also small.

As a fabric, dotted swiss now comes in a variety of color schemes. The background may be a brighter color or be made from other material such as organza. The dots can be larger in size and printed instead of woven. At retailers, dotted swiss is sold by the yard or as a yardage piece.

The dotted swiss pattern has become very popular, and is not just limited to fabrics. The term dotted swiss has been applied to other things including pottery and cake decorating. In both instances, the term refers to the random arrangement of dots that resemble an actual dotted swiss pattern.

I hope all have a lovely day and as always, Happy Homemaking.

18 July 1957 “The New Hens Are Laying”

As some of you may recall, I have had two batches of chicks this year. My first batch were hatched at the end of January. I placed some in an incubator and some under my broody hen. I hatched a few of my own chickens eggs, but I had also ordered some French Copper Maran eggs. They lay a dark chocolate egg and are much sought by chefs and egg connoisseurs.

Well, these first batch of chicks, containing the Marans, are now finally old enough to lay. Some how I was lucky enough that all the eggs that were hatched turned out to be hens. This almost never happens. We simply thought we would eat any roosters born, as we already have a lovely Rooster who guards our flock.

Here is a shot of two of the Copper Marans. The hen in front we at first thought was a rooster, as her comb is a bit larger and we thought her feathers showed a potential for a rooster tail. But the other day we saw our Rooster, “Roostie” doing his husbandly duties with this one. We know realize she is, of course, a hen.

  Here we see Roostie with three of the marans, my Blue Cochin (she and her sister who is a Splash Cochin will soon be going to live at my MIL with some other chickens I gave her). And you can see one of the blue Orpingtons we hatched as well.

I was aware that the Marans had begun to lay yesterday when I gathered eggs. Here you can see the deepness of the color compared to the blue/green of the Ameracauna egg and the lighter Orpington standard brown egg.

 Here is a close up of the intricacies of the color. You can see it is a spotted egg. The deeper shades in the spots will eventually be the entire dark color of the egg. They darken a bit as they lay and then towards the end of the year lighten up.

I have another batch of chicks that were hatched about two months ago and they are happily living with this flock. We are having a very good and happy farm like summer around here.

I would also like to apologize for my laxness of late in my posting. I have finally got to the final push of a large project. I have been literally emptying, organizing and trying to set up our two story barn building. A few years ago two houses an and apartment were emptied into the barn as well as various old papers and photos of family. As we now have our home on the market it has finally given me the push to get to it. I have been spending about 8 hours a day simply cleaning, sorting, organizing and making various trips to our local dump which also has a swap shop for donations. I am finally getting to a space useable and certainly more appealing to the eye.

I plan to return to daily posting and think I will make my news become a weekly event. I hope all are willing to wait it out, as this week is also our court date with our tenants. I cannot wait to get that over, though there is still a 10 day period after that they they are allowed to stay in the house (Putting us into August). On top of that I am having showings of our home, as I am acting currently as our own real estate agent. And I have been giving myself time to enjoy the summer as well, with bike rides to the beach and town. Swimming and enjoying fires and of course playing in the gardens.

I hope all are having a lovely summer thus far and thank you for being patient with my rather busy summer. What are any of you working on this Summer? Any big projects or plans or simply fun? Maybe you hate the Summer or the traffic if you live in a tourist areas, as I do, share with us I love a good Summer story.

Happy Homemaking.

15 July 1957 “A Cape Cod Day”

  We had a very Cape Cod day the other day. Gussie and I went out on our bikes to the local waterway. We swam and lounged in the sand. We stopped on the way back when we heard the jingling sounds of the Ice Cream truck. And, as it was on my way home, I stopped at our local Fish Monger. I hadn’t much on me (Cash being the payment of a 50’s gal) but enough to get a few pounds of mussels and 1/2 pound of scallops.

I felt very Cape Cod: happily riding along the water on my vintage bike, my skirts happily flapping in the breeze, and my basket full of fresh shellfish.

Here was one of the plates of my delicious haul. Steamers and oysters are usually more sough after than mussels, so they are therefore more affordable. I like the taste of all seafood and shell fish. Mussels, however, are so wonderfully easy to cook and yet can often impress guests.

Usually we would simply stem them in a lobster pot with simply an inch or two of beer or white wine and they are still wonderful. But, sometimes I like to make them as I did here. I cook up butter and olive oil, garlic and various fresh herbs from the garden. This time I did basil and some thyme and just a sprig of rosemary. I get that cooking until the garlic just softens sweet and then in go the mussels (shells and all of course. Running them under cool water and picking any beards as need be. If there are any open that won’t close, discard those, they have died).

Then I just pour in some white wine, maybe 3/4 of a cup or so. I just pour until I smell the sweet aroma of the wine mingled with the herbs and garlic. Let them steam about 3-5 minutes. Then, as they are opening, give them all a good stir. This mingles the lovely broth with all those delicious opening mussels. And I steam another 3 minutes. Then simply scoop out onto a plate or in a bowl and I pour some of the broth over them, as it has such a good taste. Garnish with some fresh basil and there you go.

  Look how lovely they look and I even captured the steam rising from the plate. They are sweet and wonderful and of course are served with drawn butter. Many people who find they don’t like steamers of other shellfish, often like mussels. Their taste is not as strong and they are not prone to the bellies of a clam. As my pocketbook could only allot a small amount of scallops, I sliced them up and rolled them in bread crumbs and some powdered onion soup mix. I know, any purists out there might shutter at that, “Onion soup mix”, but least we not forget I have been living in the 1950’s for some time now. And any self respecting homemaker will have a packet of onion soup mix handy to make anything from a sour cream based dip for a bridge game or cocktails, an additive to her own soup stock, or as a sprinkle on chicken or any meat to add zest.

These were simply flash fried in olive oil for about 2 minutes and plated with some fresh tomatoes with again fresh basil from the yard. Such an easy dinner and yet so delicious and again, very Cape Cod Summer.

Always provide a bowl or some recepticle for you and your guests to place the empty discarded mussel shells as they eat them up. I always love the look of the bowl of empty shells as we sit back, bellies full, and sip our second glass of wine or a G & T with a sprig of fresh Lemon Balm in.

I hope all are having a lovely day and that you can enjoy your own area’s Summer greats. Don’t forget, wherever you live, some may consider it a summer vacation spot. Think of what strangers would do in your town for a fun Summer day and then you do it. We often ignore the fun and advantages in our own back yards. Staycations can be anytime, not just during designated week long holidays.

Happy Homemaking. No News today. I am considering changing the format to a weekly news day of multiple pages.

13 July 1957 “A Continuation of our Homemaker Discussion”

I received so many wonderful comments yesterday and some continuing today, that I thought it merited continuing the discussion.

I would first like to say I am sorry to Mrs. Ames, as I simply misunderstood her comment. As I tried to explain, though obviously not very well, yesterday was that it was my OWN response to her comment that made me think. I did not think she meant anything untoward or ‘snarky’ in her comment to me. Therefore first and foremost, I am sorry some people viewed my response to it that way. We are happy to have comments and advice from a seasoned homemaker and please do chime in again.

Therefore, without further adieu, let’s continue on with this discussion. I think the great talking points are:

1. stress and tasks of a Homemaker with new children

2. The changing attitudes towards the homemaker as her children grow and need less aid (late teens) or empty nesters. Is the homemaker then expected, by society, to then get a job as she hasn’t “anything to do”.

3. The perceived value of Homemaking for a Childless Homemaker vs. a Homemaker with children.

4. The perceived value of a Homemaker with 1 or 2 children compared with a Homemaker with 5-7?

So, either continue to comment on yesterday’s post, or simply move over here and share any more. Even, if you feel the need, to simply vent about how frustrating it is to care for your children and home and yet still get the comment, “Oh, you don’t work?”. Let’s hear it ladies. I love a good discussion.

12 July 1957 “The Childless Homemaker: Is it a real Job?”

I saw a comment the other day that has made me think. As many of you know, who read my blog, I am often apt to brood. Most likely it was a negative trait in some respects, for I have often been told I ‘think too much’ or ‘over think’. Were I able to shut it off, sometimes I think I would, happily. Though, in many cases it has lead to much self-discovery and even the initial attempt to journey into the past was brought about by such contemplation.

 The comment, though I am sure meant light-hearted and not in any way negative or hurtful, did make me feel a bit wounded at first. But, as I said, I don’t think the commenter meant it that way and I am not attacking her. It was her own feeling and I was glad that she commented and her meaning may have been miles from what I interpreted. That is, after all, one of the main problems with modern communication of typed words on computer screens, cell phones and the like.

Here was the comment:

Oh, my darling,
When I saw the title of your post I thought that you & your husband were expecting an addition to youre family.
I was looking forward to following your journey past the 1950s "honeymoon period" into the reality of homemaking/Mother.
Perhaps someday ... until then, enjoy your play!

Now, I am certain that this comment was simply meant as a happy, enjoy yourself, sort of comment. But, as usual, I read much into it. It made me feel as if as a Homemaker, if you are childless, than really you are not doing a real job. Or perhaps, because your job must be easier without children, perhaps you should be doing something else.

Then, as I usually do, I followed my thought path further and thought, “Well, what if this is simply my own opinion of what she said?” and then the inevitable, “My, goodness, is this what I actually think?”

So, I had a good sit down for a few minutes and really thought about it: The role of the childless Homemaker. In today’s world, many Homemakers with children are already viewed as people ‘wasting their time’ or ‘why don’t they get a real job’ or ‘how can they stand being trapped at home all the time’. But, and here is the rub, they often might get, “Well, they do have their children to care for”.

Does this mean then, in the eyes of the majority that the childless Homemaker must be the biggest lay about of all time? And, horror of horrors, would even other Homemakers with children feel this way about their childless Homemaking sisters? I am not sure.

Now, concerning my own thoughts on this. That, after all, might very well have been what lead me to interpret the remark that way. Do I, childless, feel as if my job as a Homemaker is less of an occupation as I have no child? My quick response is yes. But, having only over the past two and half years come to realize the importance and real work in the home for the Homemaker, certainly there must be some residual modern thinking of ‘at home, no kids, no job, lazy’.

In my response to the comment I mentioned that I felt one would not consider a maid not a real maid if she hadn’t children following her around all day while she did her job. This, later in the day, of course came back to me and made me think: do I really think Homemaking is only equivalent to a domestic? Not that a job of  maid is not a good or noble profession. Nor, should any domestic feel their job is not important, but what made me at first choose that as the equivalent. Why, for example, did I not say, “Would we think an executive any less of an executive if he didn’t have children to care for While he did the bulk of his work?” Because, quite honestly, what  a Homemaker does is not merely cleaning. Surely, that is a large part of one’s daily chores. But, the managing of meals, the organizing of the house, the managing of the money and subsequent organization of important paperwork;planning, preparing, creativity, drudgery, multi-tasking, all of these are the qualifications and duties of a Homemaker both with and without children.

Now, surely I should NEVER claim my job is equal to a mother of two or even one child. But, then if one is a mother of say seven is she meant to be a harder worker and more a Homemaker to one who has only one child? What are the degrees? And,  if someone say worked at a bank and had a child who was in daycare. Is that person MORE or a harder working bank teller because of the child? Does that perception pile over into other professions.

Again, I now adding children adds literally thousands more things to think about. Yet, I know it also had thousands more wonderful things and moments of joy that a childless homemaker could not feel. They certainly HAVE to work harder to feed more, clean for more, and also add in being a teacher to their brood. So, yes they are harder working, it is apparent. Yet, if one is childless, rather choice or not of their own, are they viewed, because they are women at home, as having not only less work but less purpose or even, dare I say it, value? Do we value women based upon their children? I would hope not. I think we should value and praise and raise up all mother’s for there is no more important job, but I would hope that should be a separate value from women as a sex. I would hope that we, amongst ourselves, would not value each other based purely on their offspring. But, I don’t know, do we? Do I? And if I do, do I feel, in some way, that I am not quite of the same value as I could be? And if it comes to be I cannot have my own child and could not afford adoption, would I then have to live with this evaluation of myself and others as less a woman, less a Homemaker…less a person?

See, I told you I over analyze and over think. But, that is perhaps because I do spend quite a bit of my day with myself. Would this personality trait become less with a child to focus on. Yet, I don’t honestly feel as if I am not hard working or that I am not doing a real job. I don’t find that because I have more time to my own thoughts without a child’s need of attention that those thoughts are then not as important. If I did feel that and had a child, would I then feel my own child, were she to choose or have to be childless, also have less right to her own time or thoughts? I would hope and like to think not, but I wonder if it is lurking under my subconscious somewhere and perhaps all of we women that a Stay at Home without a child has less value.

I shall endeavor to overcome these thoughts because I think they are not warranted. Though, as I said, I would NEVER claim to be as busy as my Homemaking and Outside the home Job sisters with children. There can be no way as by the very amount of added work a child brings changes that amount of work. Yet if someone has a job that is very fast paced and busy, say an E.R. physician and someone else has an important job, but is more sedentary and in an office, same pay, same social scale, is the E.R. physician more of a person, have greater value, or a ‘better’ person because of the added work? Is the very definitions of their jobs also the definitions of their self worth and if so, does that also apply to homemakers. Or could it be that a Homemaker with no children is still equally as important but their job is not as hectic but still equally as valid and valued as the Homemaker with two children. And, then, the Homemaker with two children is not as busy are harried as the Homemaker with seven, so they are both still valued equally, right? One has more physical labor and mental gymnastics, but they are both doing equally valid jobs, correct? Is a college professor who has to deal with adults viewed less of a job compared to a grade school teacher who has to deal with their students being young children? They both are doing the same type of work, education, but having to approach it differently, one being more physically demanding, so is one more valid or valued?

I hope this is the way I think and hope most others see it this way, but am now quite curious. Therefore, any and all out there who would like to share their opinion: what is your initial thought of the Homemaker with no child compared to one with children? Do you think it is the same way you feel about equal jobs where in one requires more physical work to the more sedentary? It can be very enlightening to us to see how we view one another and ourselves.

There is no news today and as always, Happy Homemaking.

10 July 1957 “ A Story For A Sunday Afternoon: ‘Patter of Little Feet’”

I thought today, being a lovely Summer Sunday, you might enjoy a good read. A kick back and relax with a cuppa sort of afternoon.

My vintage magazines are full of fiction. They often are light-shedding onto the thoughts, goals, and general thought of people of the time. This little story, here in its entirety, deals with a baby photographer, his gal and babies. Can it all work out? Read and find out.

There is no Vintage Daily News today, so have a lovely day and as always, Happy Homemaking.

9 July 1957 “Old Radio Programs & New Technology”

I recently received a letter from a follower asking me where I got my old radio programs to cd. I figured a post about old radio programs would be interesting with an accompanying Vintage Daily News to go along with it.

Before TV in the 1950’s, most passive entertainment came from the radio. Though the 1950’s had the TV, radio was still a major part of your daily life. The radio in the car was a new thing in the 1930’s and was not standard equipement. At first home systems were adapted to the car.

By the 1950’s most cars came with a radio:

A common feature of modern car radios is the "seek" function which allows tuning from one station to the next at the push of a button. This was a popular option on some Ford products in the 1950s. It was known as the "Town & Country" radio since it used a pair of switches marked "Town" and "Country." Pressing the Town button actuated a motor to rotate the tuning mechanism while the receiver sensitivity was reduced so that only local (stronger) signals would be received. When a station was tuned, the motor stopped. Pressing the Country button had the same effect except that full sensitivity was enabled so that the very next available station would be selected. In addition, for repeated seeking operations, pressing a foot switch on the driver's floor up to the left where the "dead pedal" is located on modern cars would reactivate the Seek at whatever sensitivity was last selected.

The Radio program was the forerunner of the soap opera’s which transferred to TV. But, they started out for homemakers in the afternoons. One could listen to the drama unfold while they folded the laundry.

1950’s tv actors often started out as Radio personalities. Andy Griffith, for example, began as a stand up comic and radio personality. Here is an example of his early radio entertainment HERE. And of course Dagwood and Blondie from the funny pages was also a Radio Program (here sponsored in 1947 by lustrecream shampoo). This would later become a TV program. Listen to the radio broadcast HERE.

My hubby was kind enough to make compilation cd’s for me by downloading shows and commercials from some online sites with MP3’s and then burning them to disc. In today's Daily News I have a few links to such sites. Oldtimeradiofans.com allows you to download MP3’s which can then easily be burned to cd or simply used on an i-pod type device. This is very good if you can manage a fun make over of an old Radio into an MP3 Player docking station.I have a link to an instructables to make such a radio in the News today.

You can also use a product called an i-trip which plugs into your i-pod and allows it to transmit over any radio, such as your car. This is a much easier solution and you don’t need to destroy your old radios, simply get them running again. This even works on old Tube Radios. Then you can take your vintage music/shows/commercials into each room that has an old radio and away you go.

Here we see someone using it to transmit on an old radio. This is an easier use as you simply need to get an old tube radio or radio that works and then broadcast to a dead air station any list you have. You could make up an mp3 list of old radio shows, commercials from a particular year and while you are busy doing your chores feel as if you have indeed time-traveled.

another example of using a radio broadcaster for an mp3 player on an old radio.

These transmitters run about $20 and I put some in the corner store. You can buy them HERE. I love things such as this that allows us to enjoy and keep our old things and not just to look at as if in a museum, but to interact and use them as intended, to hear great old programs and music (or new as well. Feist would sound just as good on an old set as would Ella, though I prefer Ella myself.)

Any way you slice it, old time radio is just plain ole’ fun. I love it, as well, as it is another way to ‘wean’ oneself off the constant entertainment required by modern living. It disconnects you from the viewing need, which suddenly frees you from the sofa. You can easily garden, clean, and move about while enjoying old radio programs, freedom from the modern stare at the screen. I hope if you have never tried old programs you do give it a go. You will be vastly amused and entertained. So, check out the various links here and on the News today and see what you think.

Happy Homemaking and let me close with G I Jill, a famous radio announcer here from a 1950 recording. If you would like to hear more of G I Jill including a 3 part war time broadcast go to APRON TV and click on Classic Radio Programs on the side. Enjoy!

6 July 1957 “Pleats, Fashion, & Sewing”

Summertime fashion and pleats seem to go hand in hand. This fresh Summer dress is enhanced with accordion pleats above and below the waits. The simple sloped shoulder sleeve would be easy to sew with a two piece dress pattern, though the pleats would be rather hard. One could find such pre-pleated material perhaps.

I have not talked about sewing in awhile. I have been sewing, but merely have not had the time to discuss it, with the preparations for our home for sale and so on. I thought I would share what I am currently working on today.

I think I shared this fabric purchase with you before. It had a very sixties graphic print, but the color and sensibility I felt was very late 50’s early 60’s. Therefore I wanted to make it into a summer dress that would carry over well into possibly Winter dressing with darker hose and a maybe a boucle jacket of navy with pink or green braid trim.

I felt the fabric would be too overpowering for the entire dress and therefore bought a basic cotton in the same Navy as the backing of the patterned fabric. I could have done so with either the pink or the green, but then I felt  it limited its wear-ability to only Summer time. And, as the maker of my own clothing, I like to get as much wear out of my clothing as possible.

You can see here it is in its final stages of construction. I made a simple seamed two piece bodice. The skirt fabric now is pinned in pleats. I am trying to decide if I want pleats or gathers. I rather like the pleated look. (Excuse the background, it is my second story barn studio space, that is why you see plywood under my old Oriental rug).

I like pleats. I like sewing them and find that they can be more flattering than gathering on a ‘fuller figured’ gal; more forgiving if you will.

 I like the look of these large pleats of this Dior from 1953. Though this is a heavier material, most likely a mohair or wool, so I am not sure if fewer but bolder pleats will work for a simple cotton Summer afternoon dress. I will re-pin it today in this style and see if I like it. Having a dress form makes such dress making choices much easier. I had made my own form back in 56, but a friend recently gave me her form she was no longer using. I was very happy to have it, believe me.

Pleats can be as complicated as these triple inverted pleats (to give the skirt added fullness) or a simple knife pleat where the fabric is simply folded and stitched, as seen in this Vogue Pattern.

This is a good example of a 50’s dress pleated simply.

The easier knife pleats are not as difficult as one would think and I simply pin the ends of the skirt to the sipper and then the opposite side seam and that allows me to know how much equal amounts of fabric I have to work with. I only have two yards to work with her, but that is enough to have a few varieties before I decide. I will share the finished dress, of course.

I have included a list of Pleat terms and a free downloadable 50’s dress pattern in today’s Vintage Daily News.

I hope all of you are intrigued enough to either get back to your sewing machine or possibly give it a try for the first time. You will be happy to see that making your own clothing is not as complicated as one might think, so give it a try.

Happy Sewing and Happy Homemaking.

There is a Vintage News today click link or go HERE.

5 July 1957 “Hurricane Audrey”

On 27 June of this year, 1957, Hurricane Audrey demolished Cameron Louisiana. The residents of Texas and Louisiana had very little warning before Audrey hit. It did $147 million in property damage and took 416 lives.

As the storm moved inland it caused many tornados in Mississippi and Alabama, causing 14 injuries and two deaths. The moisture from the storm reached the Mid-West and caused record (at the time) flooding. It is amazing what such a storm can do to the whole country.

Red Cross volunteers help to answer some of the thousands of telegrams of inquiry from family members impacted by Hurricane Audrey. More than 7,000 wires were received and transmitted. Disaster headquarters, Lake Charles, LA, June 1957.

Surely, today in the 21st century, we know of a much more damaging storm, Katrina. Its aftermath was intense and left our country reeling in many ways. I think what frightened me the most and still does today was our Country’s own response to the storm. I fell less like looking for blame and more curious and a bit worried that we simply are not ready for such situations. It makes me feel rather vulnerable in that if such storms or any disaster hits our country, are we not prepared or is it simply a matter of politics and ill planning? I know that for those involved, it is devastating.

We are subject to Hurricanes where I live on the East Coast. Our last large Hurricane was Hurricane Bob, but did no where the damage and deaths seen in the South.

I do hope, with all the devastating tornados and bad weather we have had this Spring in our country, that we are becoming better equipped to deal with it. It seems, however, that most often the area’s need to rely on one another. I heard that in one of the devastated tornado areas, a town was so destroyed and so devoid of public help, it began using elephants from their local zoo. It makes one wonder how it was dealt with before cars and electricity, and certainly it seems, one would have more animal power on hand to asses the damage. Presumably, there would be less population density and overall buildings to clean up as well. There is an interesting link in today’s Vintage Daily News of the people in the towns and such doing clean up after the hurricane in 1957. It is worth a look.

Well, I hope the remainder of this year is storm free and that we may all enjoy a wonderful and good weathered Summer.

There is a Vintage Daily News today, click link or HERE.

Happy Homemaking.

4 July 1957 “Independence Day and Chicken for a Pic-Nic”

Today is Independence Day here in America. We celebrate in many ways, but the main often involves parades, picnics, and fireworks.

Last year we attended our local town parade and were rather sad. The ‘floats’ were simply cars and trucks pulling trailers with signs that took all of 10 minutes to make. And peopled with t-shrit wearing, giant plastic water cann0n toting individuals who felt the need to literally pelt the crowds with gushers of water. In today’s digital world of expensive cameras and phones always out and being used, I thought it an odd mix. There was no thought or time put into it.  Gussie and I felt over dressed even though we were simply wearing cotton dresses white cotton gloves and hats. Ah, to be out of time…I enjoyed some of the older cars and such, but overall was rather sad.

Here is an amazing parade from 1957, much thought and time and effort went into these floats, that is for sure.

As many will be enjoying fried chicken, a staple of the American pic-nic, I thought I’d share this article on it with you. Enjoy:

Enjoy your day. There is no Daily Vintage News for today.

Happy Homemaking.