Living A Vintage Life: Sweet Dreams

'Diary Of A Quilter' Gives Old Sheets New Life

Submitted by Three Chicks Vintage
I remember a lot about the sheets and pillowcases I slept upon as a child. My dear Grandma Alice's white sheets were pressed and starched and her pillowcases were lovingly embroidered with flowers and fancy ladies. Even now as I close my eyes I can smell the starch and feel the gentle scratchiness of grandma's freshly made beds. When my Dad remarried, my stepmother had a closet of striped sheets - it was the 1970s and the sheets were white with stripes in fashionable color combinations - yellow and orange, pink and gold, blue and purple. I was especially jealous of my little stepsister's sheets - wild, mod arrays of flowers in bright pink. How I longed to choose my own sheets! When I finally got my chance, sometime in junior high, I picked lime green sheets scattered with yellow-eyed white daisies. Green, no matter the shade, is a calming color to me, and at that time in my life I longed for the calm and the freedom to choose that those sheets represented.

Another vintage sheet project from Amy.

Nowadays it is rare for me to purchase new sheets, (unless I find good, Egyptian cotton on sale) instead I pick up beautiful, high thread-count, vintage percale at second-hand stores. For a couple of dollars I find a sheet that will outlive almost any sheet I could buy new AND I get to pick colors and patterns that remind me of childhood. But I don't just pick up vintage sheets out of a sense of nostalgia or thrift, I pick them up because they are simply beautiful fabric. Holding them at arm's length I can imagine them as quilt squares, little sundresses, hair bandannas, valances ... Of course my imagination is much more active than my needle, so I've a healthy stash of vintage sheets and pillowcases awaiting a resurrection or a sleepy head!

Fortunately, there are folks who actually put their stashes to good use. Amy Smart is one such person - the smiling face on her 'About Me' page suggests that she is a colorful, creative person and the pages of her blog, 'Diary of a Quilter' confirms it. The project I discovered in her blog post 'Vintage Baby Sheets Quilt' looks like my own sheet stash come-to-life. In her quilt I can see both sheets I have and sheets I have slept upon.
Her vintage sheet projects include hangable art and sundresses too!
So ... you have a stash, you have the inspiration, now you have pictures and the instructions to guide you through a vintage sheet project!
Do you need to start your own vintage sheet stash? Or build on one you already have? Search etsyvintageteam bed sheet or etsyvintageteam pillowcase to get started!

Living A Vintage Life: Sew Retro

"Sew Retro is a community of ladies and gents who adore vintage patterns, vintage fabric, and vintage style. We love sharing our vintage and retro projects for inspiration and encouragement with vintage sewing fanatics worldwide."
While Sew Retro's 'about' page certainly describes what this wonderful blog is about, you can't truly understand Sew Retro without experiencing it yourself. You will find they don't just show off vintage patterns, fabrics and projects but they give voice to the passionate folks who breathe fresh life into the objects of their passion. Buttons and petticoats, bridesmaid and baby dresses, fantastic finds and frustrating flubs all find their way onto Sew Retro's pages. Sew Retro's down-to-earth voice embraces sewing vintageophiles of all skill levels.

I appreciate A.J.A.'s honesty when she posted her experience creating a tea-length gown from vintage Simplicity 5343, Mommy and Me Formal Dresses : "There was nothing to fear except crazy fabric that could barely be pressed and frayed to fuzz, and a pattern with dart tucks straight out of h-e-double-hockey-sticks."

 

Katherine's story of Little Bo Peep brought a childhood nursery rhyme to life, complete with scratchy hay, 1947 Frigidaire and homemade toilet bowl cleanser.

Projects range from repurposed duds to evening wear and the blog is dotted with delightful old patterns, illustrations and charming goodies like this prettily primitive spool rack.

Sew Retro takes vintage sewing supplies out of boxes, drawers and closets and brings them into the daylight for all to use and enjoy! Pull up a hot mug of tea and spend the afternoon with Sew Retro and be inspired to not just collect but to live vintage!