Photographs from the past

I always enjoy a good rummage in dusty old boxes in junk/antique shops to see what I can unearth. I had a good look a few weeks ago in my local antique shop and I found these beauties. I spent quite some time deciding which to have. I couldn't afford to buy them all and I do find abandoned photos touching. I don't like to think that no one cares about the people photographed any longer and I always think that I need to rescue them. That is coupled with the fact that I love seeing fashions worn by real people in the past. So here are the choices I made:

Edith Dolan 1940's

One fantastic thing about these photos is that most of them had names written on the back and I do like to be able to put a name to a face. Many of them also had date stamps which is so very useful, especially for the starts and ends of decades where the fashions of one are merging into the new fashions the next and clothes alone aren't always enough to go on.

Isn't she just perfect?! Amazing hair, the arches on her eyebrows, glimmering pearl studs, puff sleeved jumper. I think the jumper is a hand knit and it looks to have dark thin stripes knitted in from the bust down. I think I have a similar pattern. I would love to know more about her.

Winnie Gibson and Douglas 1940's

Winnie's hat stopped me in my tracks and she went into the 'must keep' pile straight away. It is pretty amazing and so very big! Her dress is worth a good look too with those big round buttons on the shoulders and the diagonal stripes that cross at the bust. I wish I could see the rest of it. Douglas looks rather jolly and very smart in his uniform. I hope they came through the war unscathed and were happy together.

Ethel Booth 1920's

Ethel Booth 1920's

I couldn't leave Ethel behind for two reasons. One is that I found two photos of her and I wanted to keep them together. The other is her gorgeous 1920's day wear. I particularly like the first dress, the second is very pretty but a bit floaty for me. The first however, is one that I can imagine wearing. It appears to be a leaf print with a central white bib in the front and a long, pointed collar. Lovely shoes too.

I think Ethel is older in the second photo. Her face has slightly changed shape, her eyes are more defined like she may have some make up on and she has waved her hair. Her floral print dress has pointy, plain cuffs and collar. The floral fabric appears to be see through with a slip underneath, I think the slip is lace trimmed. Great shoes again. I can't quite see what she is holding but I think it is a beaded purse and so that is what it shall be.

Elsie Godard 26th October 1930

Bob and Elsie Godard 6th April 1931

I think Elsie Godard is such a glamorous beauty and I was so pleased to find two photos of her. I just love the top one; the casually knotted pearls, the big fur collar, the sparkle from the ring, the waved hair and that beret. It looks to be tweed, possibly with a bow at the back. I want it.

It is a bonus to get to see whole of her coat in the second photo; I'm sure it is the same one. I would like to know why they are in their outdoor clothes. Are they pretending that they lived in or visited the thatched cottage on the painted backdrop? Elsie looks more set for town than country to me though. Elsie still has her pearls on and I'm wondering if that is a dress clip on her cloche? Her shoes are marvellous too, with white edged bow shaped cut outs on the front.

Bob appears to be in a rather nice three piece wool suit, I can just about see his waistcoat. I like his big turn ups on his trousers. Nice tartan scarf too. I would like to know more about them.

Hilda and I 1920's

On the back of this photo it looks like the writer (I), on the left,  has written that they were 15 and a half and that Hilda is 17. I found out who was who as the next few photos are clearly labelled as Hilda. I think from their positioning that this is Hilda with her sister and I will come back to this in a couple of photos time.

I do like these dresses. You can clearly see the dropped waist of the one on the left, it is marked by several rows of small pleats. From the waist down the skirt are decorations which look rather like rosebuds. These appear to go all the way around the skirt. Hilda's dress has printed flowers and leaves which seem to reach just above waist level. There is a lace insert in the V neck. They both have lovely pearl necklaces and Hilda is spotting some very pretty, glittery star slides in her hair.

Hilda Price 11th April 1931

I would like to know what Hilda is thinking here; she has an interesting expression. I like her smartly belted coat with the big buckle and the thick fur collar with the corsage pinned on. I think her hat is woven fabric though it is hard to tell.

Florrie and Hilda Price 1930's

This was taken on 1st November but I can't read the year of the date stamp sadly. I think it is safe to assume that they are sisters. I am certain that Florrie is the I in the first photo with Hilda.  I have studied them a lot to make the connections. I like the matching huge bead necklaces and the carefully set hair. Hilda could well be wearing the same coat as in the previous photo.

Hilda 7th My 1939

Another interesting expression. What were you pondering Hilda? This photo really has something about it. Here she is a few years older, still liking a big pearl like necklace and a fur collared coat and a star shaped hair clip.

Hilda and hubby 1930's

I loved finding this and realising that I had photos of Hilda from her teenage years to her wedding. The back of the photo just said hubby, so sadly we don't know his name. I'm surprised that the writer didn't say having been so good at writing the names in the first place.

It is a perfect vintage wedding photo. Floor length veil, gigantic bouquet, beautiful full length, long sleeved dress and the groom is carrying his white gloves. I hope they were very happy.

Hilda Price and hubby

I nearly left this one when I first found it as it isn't my kind of thing and as I said I couldn't buy them all. But then I realised it was Hilda and it kind of finished her story off for me. I want this to be a honeymoon memento and I really think it could be. It was taken in a studio that has two branches, one in London and one in Blackpool. I'm so sure that Blackpool is where this was taken, it just feels right!

I think that these photos all came from one person's collection. I wish we knew the links between them all.

Works in progress (AKA knitting bag of doom)

Something about the new start/new year/season change feeling of September made me have a dig around in my knitting bag(s). I thought it might be wise to look at my unfinished projects and get some sort of plan together for reducing their number. I never intend to leave a project unfinished, it seems to happen for a variety of reasons such as: put aside to start a commission knit, put aside to knit a gift, put aside as babies keep being born, put aside as I need an easier project for knitting group, put aside as the sewing up needs doing, put aside as the lure of casting on something new was too strong, put aside as I need a new holiday project, put aside as I'm at a tricky bit and need to think it through, put aside as we have fallen out and it is in the naughty corner, put aside as the season changed and it isn't needed straight away, etc. Added to that my neck/shoulder problems sometimes mean I can't do as much knitting as I would like to and I have to ease off for a bit. Those reasons/excuses aside, this is where I am at.

Let's start with the most shameful.

It looks finished doesn't it? Like I should have been wearing it for ages on regular rotation in my wardrobe? Well yes and yet, no. It is so nearly finished that it is just ridiculous. It just needs a couple of rows of crochet to finish off the neckline. Tiny crochet true enough but just crochet. I can crochet. I can crochet that neckline. Why have I not? Why is my lovely 1940's jumper carefully folded in a bag? Will I hurry up and do it? Lets hope so.

It got put aside to begin with as I needed a think about whether I wanted the original neck fastening that you can see in the pattern photo. I don't normally like to deviate from the original pattern as I like my vintage knits to be as authentic as possible. In the end I decided that whilst I liked that fastening I wouldn't like it on me and so to get maximum wear out of the jumper I would just finish the neckline off in crochet. And that was TWO years ago!

I have been intrigued by these 1950's Alice band hats for a while. I like the look very much but wondered how comfy and easy to wear they would be. I had a couple of different patterns so I thought that I would experiment with both and see what I thought. They were very enjoyable to knit, interesting stitch patterns and construction. They have even been washed and blocked. I even have the hairbands, elastic and ribbon. But do they look like hats? Indeed they do not. Why is that? I think a year after they have been knitted it must be time for their completion.

It is a sad state of affairs for Pepi at the moment. So near and yet so very far. All his pieces are knitted and some are even stuffed and yet he is still not a poodle. I do know why this is at least. I knitted him for a craft competition earlier this year and then realised that with the best will in the world I would not get him finished in time as I had left it all too late. So then the impetus to finish him had gone, plus I was cross with myself for not getting my timing right so I blamed poor Pepi, obviously, plus, toys are a right fiddle to stuff and sew up and why do that when you could be knitting? But, he is cute and it isn't really his fault so I will finish him.

This 1950's bolero from a Vogue Knitting magazine always was an in between things project so I feel slightly less guilty about this than some of the others. I started it in August last year and then it got put away when the seasons changed and I hoped to finish it for this summer but now it is September and here we are. It doesn't look like much there but when I have draped it on me like the model it is going to look right when it is finished. Realistically though it is going back to the back of the queue as I won't need it for another whole year. Let's hope I am wearing it in August 2018!

Excuse the blurry photo, no idea what I did there.

I started this jumper last year and posted about it here. I know that this one got put aside commission knitting which I am completely fine with, that is just how it is. This is the completed back that you can see and I am probably about one colour repeat into the front so progress is being made. I would like to get this one ready to wear during autumn or winter so I think it will be what I start on with soon.

The colours aren't so good here as they are a really vibrant yellow gold and grey in real life. This is a 1940's tank top that I started in March this year. I know that as it was my train knitting and holiday project on the way to Edinburgh Yarn Festival. I have finished the front and back and have sewn them up but now have stalled slightly on the neck and armbands. They are just not that interesting to knit. That is the reason they haven't been knitted. Other knitting is more exciting! But I want to wear this lots so dull fiddly knitting will recommence soon.

I'm hoping that now all this is in the forefront of my mind rather than out of sight in a knitting bag and now that I have publicly shamed myself, the knitting bag of doom will soon yield up some completed items! Please tell me I'm not the only one!

Balenciaga - shaping fashion exhibition

In my last post I talked about my birthday trip to London and all the fun things that we packed in on our visit. One of the main exhibitions that we wanted to visit was the Balenciaga one at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It did not disappoint!

The exhibition looks at both the work and the legacy of Balenciaga. The first part of the exhibition focuses on his work, with plenty of glorious clothes to look at. The second part looks at how he influenced people that he worked with and his lasting influences on contemporary designers.

This is a photo heavy post. I couldn't choose!

These are the first dresses that you see. They show two of the influences on Balenciaga's designs; Spanish traditional costume and flamenco. I loved the embroidered flowers on the middle dress.

Stunning sleeves and such vibrant fabric.

These dresses revolved; great to get a 360 view.

Balenciaga is known for his sculptural shapes and in this exhibition there were several garments that were displayed alongside x-rays of the garment so that the internal structure/skeleton could be seen. This was really interesting.

Fabulous draping on the right hand jacket.

The x-ray shows weights in the garment.

I always enjoy seeing designer's sketches. Wish I could draw!

I would take this one!

This sari inspired dress is one of several that Balenciaga made. Unlike an Indian sari this dress is made of several parts and sits over a boned and structured under garment.

These three garments display the wonderful craftsmanship which goes into embellishing some of these garments. The beading, embroidery, use of sequins etc is just exquisite.

1960's wild silk evening dress with embroidery by Lesage.

I would happily have both of these too! I love the big bow on the second one.

A rather lovely suit with a display of tools needed for tailoring.

Another sculptural piece, a 1960's envelope dress. Look at those shoulders!

Some of Balenciaga's clothes, like other designers, were made on licence by smaller firms.

These are Balenciaga designs by the house Eisa, based in Madrid. I really like the floral dress.

Amazing!

These two outfits are from the second half of the exhibition. They are by Andre Courreges who worked as a cutter for Balenciaga from 1950-1961 when he then opened his own fashion house. Both of these designs are from 1967.

These are 1960's designs by Emmanuel Ungaro who was an apprentice of Balenciaga's from 1958 to 1964. He also worked at Eisa.

These fantastic sculptural outfits by Nicolas Ghesquiere are the result of re imagining iconic Balenciaga shapes after having access to the archives of the fashion house.

The gown on the left is an embellished beauty by Givenchy using coral, lace, glass beading and embroidery.

I adore this mass of embroidery on this jacket by Dries Van Noten.

This fabulous embroidered dress is by Erdem, influenced by Balenciaga. You can see the back the previous jacket too.

Nicolas Ghesquiere was the creative director of Balenciaga from 1997 until 2012. This is a reinterpretation of the balloon sleeve from 2006.

I really like the shape of this 2016 trapeze suit by Simone Rocha who credits the shapes of Balenciaga's work as an influence. This is interesting as it is made from a broiderie anglaise created from embroidered plastic.

It is a fabulous exhibition and is on until the 18th February 2018 if you fancy a visit.