Have you heard of Project 95? It’s a network of small shops dedicated to increasing awareness of local, independently run fabric stores.

According to their website, 95% percent of fabric shoppers purchase from chain stores. We all know that isn’t good for local small business, or for getting the specialized selection we might want, so it’s great that they’re teaming up to challenge that!

You can go to Project 95 to find a shop in your area, or add one.

{via Threads}

Just a quick note for all you Seattle folks! I will be selling at Urban Craft Uprising this weekend, so come on by and say hi!

I’m a little obsessed lately with very simple vintage blouses. You know the type: they’re from the 1940s, have cap sleeves, and they button up the back. I have several old patterns and I’ve been collecting all sorts of vintage novelty prints to make them in (but not much time to make them).

I was making this one up in this rather loud pink silk I’ve had sitting around for a while. I had jut enough to make this blouse and the frugal side of me really gets a thrill out of that. I love being able to throw the scraps away after sewing and not feel bad about it.

The pattern called for finishing the neckline with bias tape, so I made some just like in the bias tape tutorial. But I had some bias tape leftover, so I thought it would be cute to make some bows.

These are very easy to make. Just take your bias tape, fold in half,press, and stitch close the the edge. Cut it into short lengths and tie them in bows. To finish the ends of the bows, I tied the raw ends into knots and trimmed the excess. I got this idea from some bows on a vintage dress, and I really love the way it looks.

I placed one bow at the throat, and the rest down the back! I just sewed in snaps rather than buttons, and sewed the bows on the outside at each snap. I think this is a very sweet alternative to proper buttons!

I recently acquired the gorgeous vintage dress, which appears to be handmade (looks like the early 1940s?). There are many reasons I love this dress, but first among them is the beautiful, bright, silky butterfly fabric.

Excuse the wrinkles, it had just had a bath.

So now I’m a bit obsessed with butterfly fabrics, especially in silk. A little 90s perhaps (does anyone else remember that trend of photorealistic insects printed on fabric?), but I think they’re very pretty.

These are all silks from Thai Silks

This is a print I’ve been admiring for a while. The butterflies are huge, over 9 inches!

This one is very loud, but I like it.

And this black and white print is really stunning. Couldn’t you just see it as a dress with some brightly colored trim?

I recently picked up a really pretty vintage pale blue velvet pin cushion with a base of scrolling brass vines (not pictured here). That has set me off looking for pretty velvet pin cushion. There’s so much that can be done with the design of pin cushions, yet everyone seems to have the same little red tomato. Why not a gorgeous giant red velvet strawberry?

This heart shaped cushion is also really pretty.

Or a very practical pin cushion / pin box. Making something like this seems like it would be a fun and easy project, no?

I just had to post this one. After seeing Amy’s pretty Parfait dress and then this beautiful Eclair from Jenna, it really seems like Americans were feeling a tad more patriotic this year.

Jenna’s dress above is made with Obama logo fabric. Crazy and awesome. And what a perfect backdrop too!

Check out Jenna’s thoughts on the dress on her blog.

One of the fun things about buying vintage fabric is that the sellers often have stories to go with them. This gorgeous modernist botanic print, in a light rayon-nylon blend, was purchased in Paris to make curtains for an art studio. It’s so fresh and pretty. There’s enough yardage to make a blouse or skirt for only $15.

Back in the day, dresses often came with matching belts covered in the same fabric. What’s more, home dressmakers could buy kits for making their own belts to match every dress they sewed. When I first started sewing, these buckles were available in most fabric stores.

Unfortunately, this old fashioned touch has fallen out of favor and it seems these cover-your-own buckle kits are no longer being manufactured. I mourn the loss of the covered belt, and really wish they’d make these again.

But you can still find vintage ones! They are easy to use and come with their own little pattern and instructions on the back. Check out this pretty yellow silk-cotton voile dress I made recently, and tell me that the matching belt doesn’t add so much charm.

So go ahead and find some on ebay or etsy and try a belt with your next dress. The great thing about these being so out of fashion is that they can be found for cheap!

I want to introduce you to one of the most amazing sewing books I own, Women’s Wear of the 1930′s by Ruth S. Countryman and Elizabeth Weis Hopper.

The late 1930s and early 1940s is, by far, my favorite era of fashion. I love the soft femininity of the 30s and the simplicity and sleekness of the 40s. So this book of complete patterns taken from real garments from the 30s is just a treat. The authors not only supply complete patterns for a huge variety of vintage garments, but describe in detail the fabric and colors of each garment.

The downsides are that the patterns are at a 1/8 scale and must be enlarged and there are no sewing instructions to speak of, which makes it pretty impractical for most home sewers. It’s really a book geared toward costumers. But with a little experience and time, these beautiful garments can be brought to life. If you read my other blog, you may have seen these adorable tap pants I made from the book.

I had a really hard time deciding which garment sketches to post, so here are many:

I have this fantasy about sewing an incredible wardrobe of beautiful silk loungewear. What could possibly be more luxurious than that? When I get around to fulfilling this fantasy, these silk pajamas are on the list.

I could really use a pair of beautiful overalls like one of these.

This lounging suit is described as being made in ecru silk. Wow!

And this suit is the reason I bought the book. As soon as I saw that jacket, I wanted it so much I really had no choice.

It seems that lately I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to pick out a sewing machine. I usually pass along this really helpful post on how to choose a sewing machine by Erin at A Dress A Day because honestly, she says it better than I could.

But now I have a wonderful resource to couple with Erin’s sage advice: The Sewing Machine Master List from Sew, Mama, Sew!

The lovely people over at Sew, Mama, Sew! asked their readers to answer a number of questions about sewing machines and post them to their own blogs. they then compiled the links to all of those posts. The result is a neatly organized list of tons of interviews with real people about their experiences with their own machines. So useful!

If you’re thinking about a new machine or may be in the future, bookmark this amazing list.

Oh, and if you have other useful resources for choosing a machine (or even just getting started in the world of sewing), I’d love to hear about them.

{image of green sewing machine by Moa Maria}