Burlesque Tuesdays

Since this is vintage or sew....(so), I wanted to start out my first Burlesque Tuesdays with costuming I have sewn or created myself. I propose that soon I will stop talking about myself and focus on my inspirations from other wonderful performers.


The original group of “Rockettes” made there ways to the “Big Apple” New York City to open Radio City Music Hall in 1932. In 1936, the troupe won the grand prize at the “Paris Exposition de Dance”. Pictured is a original Rockettes Candy Cane outfit worn by the 1930’s Rockettes.

My version was very quick and dirty. I needed a holiday inspired outfit in less than 2 days so I whipped this together. I made the hat and altered the clothing with a lot of sewing. The bra we hot glued with sequence and the had made with covered cardboard and scraps. This soon will need a revamp to make it look more flattering, but I think it was still very fun. Photos were shot by Danger Ninja and POC Photo.

Friday Fashion

A couple of days ago I snuck over to my local thrift shop and snagged this beauty! I love this dress although it is clearly from the 70s it reminds me of some early 40s patterns.

More importantly it reminds me of a picture of Veronica Lake. What do you think?

Did I mention?

Did I mention I am obsessed with other blogs?? I will be occasionally reposting about some amazing giveaways. Fleur de Guerre of Diary of a Vintage Girl is giving away an amazing lingerie set of Ava lingerie from Playful Promises.
If you would like to enter and learn more about the rules go to Diary of a Vintage Girl.

The Promised Projects

I know it is a lot for one day but it hasn't been brewing for one day only. These are the pattens and projects I must complete before buying fabric, patterns, or materials for something else. I must commit. I feel like things get very pretty and I get distracted.

First up Vogue Pattern V1078. This beautiful dress require 7 yards of fabric! Luckily I am blessed with an amazing student who provided me with the perfect exact shade and stretch. I am almost done cutting out each piece only one more to go but it is a big one. After that there is a lot of gathering and sewing to be done. I will have this one done before June possibly for Vegas.

What I love about this pattern is the 30s-ish glamorous back. The only thing I am not fond of is the strapping in the front but we will see how it will turn out.


Next up we have this amazing jumper/dress. It looks great for the summer time with an easy wrap around skirt. Challenges for this dress is that it is not in my size. I need to make a muslin mock up before trying to cut up material to ensure the right fit.

I think I am going to try to find a vintage bed sheet to make this dress out of. I wish I had the same fabric as my blog background but alas I have not found it yet.







Finally the last project I am working on is trashy prom dress inspired. I found this dress at the local mall for $500. Those rhinestones aren't that nice dear! I started drawing up my own pattern and mock up. I think it looks like a good start. I need to buy some boning and experiment with the skirt and I should be ready to roll.

When the Girls are Bad!

I had the pleasure of working with an amazing photographer last month. POC Photo is based out of Seattle, Washington and takes amazing shots. One of his projects that he has continuously been working on are the reproduction of pulp covers.

Pulp covers were very popular as racy fiction. They often dipicted women who had some sort of taboo sexuality.

A woman possessed was the pulp cover we chose to reproduce. This called for a trip to another vintage store for a lovely night slip. I think the photo turned out amazing.

And yes he removed all my tattoos.

To see more of POC photo's pulp cover go here. Please also vist POC photo's home page for more work.

First early 60s Sheath Dress

Recently I rediscovered the vintage patterns I had been collecting since I was 17. It used to be an impressive collection but after many moves the pieces dwindled to 10 or so patterns. I had never really attempted to complete any of the projects until I pulled out my vintage 401A sewing machine.

I hadn't realized that my machine was so old. My mother had given it to me so I assumed it was from the 70s. I finally researched the machine and found that they were mostly manufactured in the late 1950s! It was my grandmother's machine. I have never met her as she passed away when my mother was in her early 20s.

I love this machine! It is 22 lbs but so sturdy, although I admit I need to take it in to get some of the dials unstuck, other than that it is perfect.
I set to work on my first vintage dress. I decided to do a wiggle dress from the early 60s. I set to work by creating my first muslin mock up. What a brilliant revelation! It makes so much sense to do this rather than ruin such lovely fabric.

I created this dress with burlesque in mind so I added a longer zipper that unzips from the bottom and has snaps on the shoulder for easy removal. I also created a matching tilt hat which I learned how to make in a millinery class from Vienna La Rouge, a burlesque performer in San Francisco.

Here is a close up of my tilt hat with added fabric roses, veiling, and feathers. It was a lot of fun to make and at this moment is one of my favorite hats.

To make the dress I used a patterned satin fabric that is sheer beige with velvet roses. I lined the dress with a lovely shade of red and added red bias tape to the edges of the sleeves and neckline. I also added decorative tassel so that it is easier to zip off during my act.

These pictures were take by POC Photo and are the finished product!