I wanted to make a peter pan collar for some t-shirts and simple sweaters that I wear to spruce them up and fit in better with a vintage look. I decided to make them two different ways, one that buttons closed in the front, and another that buttons closed in the back. I'm not sure which I like better!

This black and white collar has a crow print that I really liked! I even show you a quick snippet of the crow roost at my work!

It's finally done! I made this dress LAST October, but I never edited the video, and I hadn't had the chance to do a photoshoot with it. October to March was when I started looking for a new home and moved across the state, and well... March, we all know what happened since then.

I hope you enjoy! I like how this dress turned out and I'm so glad I made it! While I was frustrated with the sizing (I think I should have made a size 12) the dress turned out beautifully. Now, that it's done, I think it's time to relax and watch some Agent Carter.

This is a slow-roll: Today's video covers a wonderful book I purchased last year with a photo gallery of lovely women's garments divided up into many categories like necklines, collars, pockets, and more. Garments span from early to late 1900s, with a good portion of garments from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. My apologies if I pronounced any names wrong!

In this video, I take a $23 frumpy eBay dress and convert it to a 1940s-style shirt dress with a matching fabric belt. The belt buckle was $2 from Etsy! I love doing refashions like these, because it's hard to find good apparel fabric. This fabric was 100% rayon, nice and thick, in the right color with a beautiful pink floral pattern. If I bought 3-4 yards of high quality apparel fabric like this to start from scratch it would cost at least $60! Not including a pattern, buttons, and interfacing!

Adjustments I made:
- Hemmed it 8 inches
- Used the hem fabric to make a matching fabric belt
- Reinforced the button holes so the buttons don't pop open
- Removed pockets
- Removed the belt ties/straps
- Brought in the sides about 1" from sleeve to hips
- Brought in the princess seam from bust apex to shoulder
- Added a back dart from shoulder to mid back
- Added elastic in the back at waist to tighten up look
- Re-hemmed sleeve

Here it is! A video on my pink vintage bathroom! My house was built 1938-1940 and many of the original fixtures and paint are still intact. There is a pink Standard American sink and tub, a beautiful vanity, laundry chute, and a tiled-out mosaic menorah.

I moved into a late 1930s home with original cabinets and the doors would stick and be hard to open. Yes, they need to be repainted, but I would NEVER replace them! Wood cabinets are amazing - especially compared to the modern mdf and compressed wood cabinets. They feel so different and are so lovely!

This video covers how to maintain the hardware so they open and close smoothly. There is likely no reason to replace the hardware if you do this tip!

I found a cheap mannequin at the thrift store and it was a few sizes too small. I decided to resize it using quilting batting and making a new outer sleeve for it. I used a staple gun mostly to attach the layers, but tiny safety pins and straight pins can be used. No duct tape used, no sewing pattern, my total cost was about $35.

This video covers how to make earrings from vintage (and some new) plastic buttons. I wouldn't normally buy new plastic buttons - I thought they were metal - so look closely when purchasing them! These buttons don't have holes through the front face of the button, but do have a plastic shank on the back that is easy to cut off. Add a post with epoxy or super glue and you're done!

I’ve been working on getting my vintage SewMor 606 1950s-1960s sewing machine up and running. I found this beauty in a thrift store and it needed some work. This video covers how to thread the machine, adjust stitch length, reverse stitch, and adjust the tension. At the end we talk about the knee pedal and how it differs from a foot pedal.

I’ve been working on getting my vintage SewMor 606 1950s-1960s sewing machine up and running. I found this beauty in a thrift store and it needed some work. This video covers how to replace the bobbin winder and fill and load the bobbin. Threading the machine video comes later in the week.

I wanted some little cropped sweaters, but they are hard to find or quite expensive from vintage reproduction companies. I had one white cardigan sweater for about 5 years that needed a make-over (and I wouldn’t have been sad if I ruined it if I botched the project). I also found a nice black cardigan at the thrift store for less than a dollar made from all natural fibers (bonus!). An hour or two later and some vintage buttons, and I’ve got two new sweaters that fit me and work better for my wardrobe and style.

I used a serger because I had one, but you can do all this sewing with just a zigzag stich. Jersey stich is better (diagonal zigzag). Using a walking foot and a needle for jersey (dull point) is best. And of course, you can sew the buttons by hand!

I replaced a motor on my vintage SewMor 606 1950s-1960s sewing machine. The machine was barely able to turn a stitch, and I want to make this my primary machine. Replacing a motor will help it get going again, but also help with power and provide speed range.

Please note: Electricity can be dangerous. Please work with your machine OFF AND UNPLUGGED. Only undertake this project if you know what you are doing. I am not an electrician or sewing machine tech.