Vintage patterns and making

1960s stylish mod vintage machine knitting patterns modelled by Twiggy

This is a very rare booklet that we have sourced and digitalised for a set of wonderful and very stylish patterns for knitting machines. They are really unusual not only because machine knitting patterns were not known for their fashion conscious looks at the time, but also because the model is Twiggy.

These patterns are hip, fab and groovy  in the true sense of the words- this one would look great today- and the long maxi dress could also be used as bridal wear and a wedding dress.

This stylish jacket has overtones of the Ossie Clarke designs of the time, and the elegant skirt comes with instructions for 2 lengths- mid and maxi.

There are also looks of Bill Gibb design sin this one- the midi jacket os wonderful and would look so stylish today too- either in the same bright colours or perhaps in more muted tones such as creams, whites and neutrals.

Look at these wonderful tight skinny rib jumpers too- they were made a size smaller than normal so that they clung really well to the contours....

This is such a great concept- its a poncho that can also be worn as a skirt! We love it! and ponchos are in the shops this autumn so are hip fab and groovey now too....

Please note that these are machine knitting patterns and not hand knitting patterns. They instructions are not for any particular type or make of machine and so are reasonably easy to follow.There are patterns for both single bed machines and double beds too.

The ebooklet can be found and purchased by clicking here, at our Vintage Visage website. Its the start of a new section of vintage machine knitting patterns

 

 

 

Make do and mend- how to convert a mans suit into a womans suit 1940s instructions

We had been looking for this item for a while, ever since a customer told us it existed  and asked us to look out for it- and finally we have found it! Its a wonderful article about Make do and Mend with diagrams and instructions of how to convert and adapt and so recycle tired and worn out clothing to make it into something useful.

The idea is that the mans would have worn his suit so much that it would have started to get tired and possibly fray at the edges and cuffs for example. He may also have grown out of it size wise. This article gives the instructions of how to adapt the suit and make it fit ladies.

The original one makes the trousers into a skirt, but you could of course make them a tighter fit trouser by cutting them down. Gone (thankfully) are the days when it was frowned upon for women to wear trousers-even in the early 1970s  elderly spinster great aunts were known to comment on teenagers girls wearing trousers and call them ' a disgrace to women!'. That is a true comment of the time by the way. Sad, but true.

Its not a new idea today-Armani for instance have been making women's suits out of mens suiting fabrics very successfully for many years now (admittedly they are very fine Italian fabrics tho!) But it is a great idea for all make do and menders and upcyclers and recyclers today- you could even make really pretty fabric flowers and corsages (see our fabulous fabric flower patterns) out of the bits and pieces of suiting cut away.

You could also embellish the new garment with beads, braids  and velvet ribbons around the collar and cuffs. Changing the original buttons to funky modern ones can make a suit look really great too. Do remember to keep the original buttons for other projects tho!

The article also shows how to convert

a womans suit into a shirt dress,

a womans coat into a childs overalls and hat, 

mens trousers into childs dungarees,

mans overcoat into a boys suit

a raincoat into a lumber jacket

a raincoat into a mexican poncho for a child

and other hints and tips for reusing old sheets, towels and curtains.

You can find it to purchase on the website - it is a pdf file and will be delivered to you via email within 24 hours of your purchase- click here to go straight to this and many other interesting period ebooks too, in a new window

Vintage Poncho knitting and crochet Patterns

We are starting to see lovely knitted and crochet ponchos on the shops ready for the autumn here. There are some fabulous ones at net a porter which are so beautiful in muted tones- and we also have some patterns for both adults and children for you to make them at home which will save you some money!
You can keep the pretty bright tones, or choose neutrals and greys like this ready made one from net a porter costing £335

We have tiny wee ones to make for little tots here too- these are great for using left over yarns as you can make them in stripes of different colours/textures as well as plain colours

Find poncho and shawl patterns here to download on our website