fall

A Fashion Moment With (1959) American Thread Company: Easy Fall Knitwear

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Easy to Make fashions Star Book 149 front cover on a knitted background

We’ve been enjoying a beautiful long fall, with warm temperatures for most of the past month, but in the last few days it’s dropped and that wind is cold in the mornings. I’ve still been wearing my summer wrap skirts and short sleeved tops, albeit with a coat on top, but these last few days have put me in the mood for cozy knits. And what better way to get in the mood for colder weather than some good vintage knitwear! Today I’ve got the 1959 “Easy to Make Fashions for the North, South, East, West” by American Thread Company, Star Book No. 149.

cropped cardigan with velcro fastening for collar

First up this lovely cropped cardigan. I will take one each in black, brown, camel, sage, rose and navy please. Interestingly, this one features a detachable collar, fastened with Velcro, which was still extremely new at this point, having been invented only a few years before in 1954.

vintage long cardigan coat

On the other end of the spectrum is the long cardigan, which can be made to any length you like. I love this late 50’s look, where the styles held onto some of that 50’s glamour, but had loosened up a bit.

two vintage cardigans

Now for two lovely cardigans…and I have cropped the models faces out of the images because whoever owned this pattern book thought it was a good idea to draw their faces with a blue pen! The cardigan on the left reminds me of Welsh knitwear designs- it’s so intricate!

his and hers cardigans and pullover knitwear

Now for some his and hers pieces!

vintage easy to make fashions Star book 149 knitwear

yellow vintage cardigan from American Thread Company

I love this yellow one, it’s like an upscale version of a hoodie.

looped and fringed sweater and toque from American Thread Company

This is my go to winter look- well not with that toque! But I love tucking a pullover sweater into a skirt, especially a cute plaid one like that.

And lastly two beautiful stoles!

Which vintage knitwear pieces are your favourites? Are you looking forward to sweater weather again, or would you prefer that the temperatures stayed warm a while longer?

knitted stole from Star Book 149

All in the Details

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wearing a tan wrap skirt and a black top and shoes standing in a field with fall coloured trees in the background

When you have a minimalist or capsule wardrobe, it really is all in the details! If you’re wearing a combination of the few same pieces over and over again, changing your necklace or shoes can make it feel like a whole new outfit. Well, sort of?

wearing a black star patterned t-shirt with a tan wrap skirt and standing among the grass with yellow trees behind

To be honest, I sometimes wonder whether I should even post these kinds of outfits, since there isn’t much of a difference to see from the last few times I wore it… but since most of us don’t have the wardrobe of the Royal Family, wearing outfits again and again is reality. And while most of us own more than a single “Sunday best”, when you come up with a new combination, or add a new accessory, it definitely feels noteworthy.

It’s actually kind of hard to have a blog and not get sucked into the trap of thinking you need to post something new every time. But posting about the times I re-wear pieces is not only more realistic, it’s also so much better for the wallet…and the landfill. And besides, when I put hours of time into sewing a piece, or saving up to buy an item, I do want to wear it as much as I can!  I don’t understand our culture’s obsession with fast fashion. I want even my cheaper items to last forever, and am sad when inevitably “moth and rust destroy”.

wearing a black v-neck star patterned shirt with a brass snake necklace with an abandoned shed and fall trees in the background

yellow and green fall poplar leaves

detail of an antique brass snake necklace on a long chain

So, regarding this outfit, I’ve worn this favourite homesewn rayon-linen skirt many times this summer, but this time I paired it with a new thrifted geometric patterned t-shirt, a brass snake pendant I bought at a craft sale from Burlap Sac, and these laser cut peep toe heels for a fresh look.

detail of laser cut leather peep toe high heels in black leather

Sadly, these shoes are no longer a part of my wardrobe because when I wore them, I remembered why I never do. While the outers are leather, the insoles are not, which makes them really uncomfortable. My feet couldn’t slide in them properly, and so they felt very pinchy and stuck, even though the footbed fit well. It reminded me of why I always buy good quality shoes: life’s too short to wear uncomfortable shoes. (Ps. not only are quality shoes more comfortable, but they will instantly elevate your outfit.) I only paid a dollar at the thrift store for these, so I don’t mind sending them back!

holding a heart shaped yellow poplar leaf

standing in front of a yellow tree wearing a black t-shirt and tan skirt with a closeup of yellow poplar leaves

abandoned gas tank with yellow trees and a cloudy sky behind it

Well, I can’t believe that we’re already in October and I’m still able to wear lightweight skirts and open toed shoes; we have had a delightfully warm and long Fall. But, the leaves are almost all gone, and the bare trees are sweeping the sky, which means it’s time to finally pull out the Winter woollens. My Winter wardrobe is pitifully bare at the moment and, while I like having a capsule wardrobe, I don’t think I want it to be quite that minimal. It’s time to sew some more pieces or I won’t have much to mix and match this season!

spinning in a grassy area wearing a tan wrap skirt and black v-neck tshirt with black peep toe high heels

tan grass seedhead

Anyways, that was a bit of a scattered and rambley post, but I’m just getting over a head cold and I can’t think of anything else to say or a better way to say what I have written, so I guess I’ll leave it as such!

Do you tend to repeat outfits? What are your favourite ways to freshen up your outfits? Are you excited for the seasonal changes of outfits, or are you sad to say goodbye to the last season?

standing in front of a bare harvested field with trees in the distance

yellow poplar leaves silhouetted agains the sky and trees in the background

looking across the valley with trees in the distance

This Time of Year

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grassy lane with a view across the fields. The grass and leaves are golden and brown and the sky is a mixture of greys

It’s October now and it feels like it; the leaves are golden against a sky that alternates between crystal clear blue and stormy greys. When the wind blows, it often has a chill in it, and colourful leaves crunch underfoot as you walk.

golden and green tree branches against a bright blue sky

The season is short, but it’s my favourite time of year!

abandoned shed surrounded with trees and tall grasses

country road lined with golden trees and a cloudy blue sky in the distance

Every corner you turn has another spectacular view. This is a small ravine close to where we live. It’s gorgeous at this time of year.

valley full of golden trees and a blue sky

Even abandoned buildings have a romantic look to them.

empty shed with trees on either side of it

And despite the signs of decay, there is beauty to be seen in the blooms and seedheads.

hydrangea and blanketflower blooms at the end of the season

weed seedheads in the evening light

The trees are dropping their leaves…and their seeds! We will plant some and see if they grow.

basket of acorns and one acorn still on the tree

We’ve been so busy harvesting the garden and have a pantry stuffed full of bounty from our tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, choke-cherries and apples. There are delicious treats ahead this winter!

plums in the tree and colourful leaves

wicker basket full of red plums

mason jars with juice, salsa and tomato sauce in them

In the meantime, it’s still the perfect time to go outside and explore; soon we will be spending most of our time indoors!

barbed wire fence alongside the road with tall grasses and a stormy sky above

At The End of Summer

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A little shed overgrown with a virginnia creeper vine turning bright red

We are well past Summer now and into the late days of Fall, but I still wanted to share these photos from last month, chronicling the changing of seasons.

Oak leaves changing yellow and seeds from a hollyhock

Oak leaves have such an interesting shape. On the right, hollyhock seeds plant themselves for next year.

sunflowers

The cheeriest of garden flowers! We let the large seed heads dry out, so the birds can enjoy them.

brussel sprout leaves

We tried growing brussel’s sprouts this year for the first time. They didn’t taste very good, but at least the plants looked marvellous.

yellow zucchini and orange tomatoes

We had much better luck with these delicious yellow zucchinis and tomatoes!

pink hydrangea

Our hydrangeas don’t get very big, but they are still quite pretty.

cosmos blooms and yarrow

cosmos bloom with a bee sitting on top

So are these cosmos and yarrow blooms, and this one friendly little bee.

the last rose of summer

The last rose of summer, that lasted very well even past the first couple of frosts.

sunset

Sunset through the golden leaves.

wood stack ready for winter

The wood is all stacked and ready for winter nights. I’m thinking it’s about time we started making fires in our fireplace again…it’s starting to feel like the changing of the seasons again.

A World Where There are Octobers

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woman spinning in front of a row of yellow trees

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables 

The leaves are going quickly. Only days ago this row of trees in our backyard were covered in bright golden colours and by today they are mostly gone. Bare branches are left in stark contrast to the pale azure autumn skies. The bright yellow leaves are slowly deepening in colour, and the days are cool and crisp. I love this time of year and, like Anne, I am glad I live in a place where I get to fully enjoy Octobers.

woman walking in front of a large row of trees

mountain ash tree berries and woman wearing a wrap skirt and navy blue t-shirt

I am also happy that my sister was able to get these photos for me when she did, since I think this is the last time I’ll be pulling out this linen wrap skirt for this year. It’s time to reach for the tights and woollens and scarves!

patchwork quilt purse

This is the patchwork purse I mentioned that I was making. It took quite a while to finish, since I decided to hand stitch it to give more control over some of the very tiny pieces of fabric. I’m not a skilled quilter, and since I didn’t follow any pattern (each piece was fitted in place as I sewed) it ended up quite quirky! I think it gives it a rather authentic 1970’s feel though, don’t you?

After I finished the quilt, I then appliquéd it onto a canvas backing and then lined the entire thing to give it some strength, especially since the last one I made came apart. I was able to use so many unique pieces of fabric that I’ve saved over the years- you can even see in the picture above that I used a piece of the fabric from this skirt! Well, at least I know that this bag will coordinate with almost everything in my wardrobe…

woman spinning in front of autumn leaves

woman standing in front of golden trees looking into the distance

woman twirling in front of autumn trees

detail of a gold heart necklace

Friendship necklaces used to be such a “thing” when I was a kid, but they kind of went out of favour, didn’t they? A few years ago I found this friendship necklace; the heart cut out of the centre of this piece forms the other necklace! I like that it’s so delicate and minimal.

woman wearing a wrap skirt and carrying a patchwork bag

mountain ash berries

patchwork quilted purse

cognac coloured ballet flats

Why is it so hard to find brown shoes? Have you ever noticed that? Since deciding that brown is my “neutral” I have had the hardest time finding nice shoes that aren’t black. I was so glad to be able to find these from Vionic. I think it’s about time to put them away for the season, though. They are perforated, which is lovely for warm days, but a bit chilly for autumn!

I hope you are faring well and enjoying your October, whatever it’s looking like for you!

mountain ash tree

poplar branch in golden sunset light