Easy DIY Travel Shoe Bags

I'm getting really excited for ALT Summit next week!  I'll be speaking on the Blog to Shop panel with three very talented ladies (Mackenzie, Piper & Janette) and with what we have to share, it is sure to be a talk you will not want to miss! If you can't be at ALT, there will be a recap on the blog, so you won't miss out entirely.  

Besides planning to speak on the ins and outs of running an online shop, I've been busy putting together some outfits for the weekend.  One of the parties is going to have a Clue theme and I'm going as "Mr. Green."  I found these shoes at H&M last week and I'm coordinating around them.  I got to thinking about the suede like fabric on these and how I didn't want them to get scuffed in bag, so I decided to take an old pillow case and make some nifty shoe bags.

 

This is a simple project.  

1. Take a pillow case, cut in fours.  
2. Turn pieces inside out and sew one or two sides, depending on the piece.  
3. Turn right side out and you are ready to go!  

Just slide each shoe in it's own bag to keep it protected and pack them into your luggage.

How to Clean White or Light Colored Vinyl & Leather

We do a lot of cleaning and repairs around here and when it comes to vintage, we rarely come across something light colored that is in mint condition.  A little trick I figured out when I was in a jam a while back and out of leather cleaner was to use a magic eraser.  Mr. Clean makes the original version, but I buy the generic offered at Target and it works just as well.  Just wet the eraser, squeeze out any excess water and wipe clean.  A few tips:

1. be sure to test it first on an inconspicuous spot, it could cause discoloration.
2. if you're only cleaning a small spot, cut or tear the eraser in fours and just use one piece.
3.  you may need to apply more pressure to dirtier surfaces (some spots on this coat had to be scrubbed).
4. the eraser starts to shred after a lot of use.  when this happens, turn it over or get a new piece. 
5. this trick is best used with vinyl, but can be used on leather in small areas, however it may remove the finish, so try a test spot first.
6. if you have a very expensive or priceless item, leave the cleaning to the professionals.

Good luck and let me know if you have success with this!

Vintage Care & Repair: How to Seal Chipping Paint

Yesterday, I was getting ready to post this and my screen went out on my laptop.  I seem to be having endless problems with technology lately.  My camera has been giving me all sorts of trouble and now this.  I have an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar tomorrow and I'm really hoping it's not going to cost a fortune to fix.  I'm at the studio now with my trusty desktop, so let's give this another try.

I wanted to share a little project I did recently.  I purchased this fancy coffee table at the Long Beach Antique Market earlier in the year.  I just love the detail and the distressed look of it.  Unfortunately, flakes of paint have been falling off of it since I brought it home.  I have young children and I didn't know how old this table was, so I didn't really want to take the chance that I was sprinkling my home with a toxic substance (lead).  Not to mention the fact that it's just annoying to have to sweep or vacuum constantly.  So, I devised a simple fix. 

 

I took the table outside and set it on a painting tarp.  Armed with a can of Rust-oleum Matte Clear spray paint paint and a small broom, I stopped the flaking madness.

First I dusted any loose particles off with a hand broom and then coated the whole table with the clear spray paint.  The finish did come out pretty matte, which was fine for the legs and sides, but I think next time I will use a gloss on the top.  One can gave me a single coat on the whole thing.  I would have preferred two coats, so I will probably spray it again in the near future.

The table is now back in our living room, what a huge relief!  We were using Ruby's kiddie table in the meantime, which was pretty hilarious when we had guests.  I figure I will probably have to do this procedure from time to time, but it wasn't too hard.  It took me about an hour and a half from start to finish.

Vintage Clothing Care & Repair: Notions

I always try to repair our vintage clothing with found vintage notions because it seems like the right thing to do and because I never make it to the fabric store, no matter how many times I plan to go. Since vintage is hit and miss, I may have items needing repair sitting in a pile for months waiting for a snap or button (I probably shouldn't blame the buttons, it really has more to do with my procrastination, but let's pretend for a second).  Over the weekend I hit the sewing jackpot at an estate sale.  I grabbed a box and filled it with pins, needles, snaps, buttons and more.  Time to start sewing!

How to Clean Vintage Clothing: Poly Knit Dresses

We sell a lot of poly knit dresses in our online shop and I would say that they are the most forgiving when it comes to cleaning, so I thought it best to start our "How to Clean Vintage Clothing" series here.  I figure most people are familiar with polyester fabric, but if you aren't sure and the dress does not have a label, you can usually recognize it by the fact that it doesn't wrinkle.  Ball it up in your hand and release, no wrinkles?  It's probably poly!  These cleaning instructions apply to poly/cotton and poly/rayon blends as well.  All of the dresses shown in this post are poly knit and are available in our shop.

Note: In the last image, I suggest checking the elastic and hem...that is because often times the elastic will lose it's stretchiness over time and thread will break down, so before you hang it in your closet, you may need a quick trip to the seamstress.  If you have bought a dress from our shop, this step has already been done, at least 50% of our dresses with elastic waists have been replaced.

Well there you go, I hope you feel a little more confident about cleaning your vintage poly knit dresses.  I'll have more tricks and tips soon!

How to Clean Vintage Clothing

One of the things I do a lot of around here is cleaning and I'm not talking about my floors (though they desperately need some attention).  Almost every vintage item that comes through our doors needs a wipe down at the very least and if I'm unlucky, three or more rounds of soaking.  I have some tried and true techniques that I have used over the years and I continue to add ideas to my arsenal.  One of the concerns that is expressed by many customers is how to wash their vintage garments.  Many are hindered from wearing and even buying vintage because they don't know how to care for it.  In the coming months, I will share some basic cleaning instructions for different types of vintage garments along with some more advanced techniques and strategies for transforming something old and dingy into something that sparkles like new.  Can't wait to share with you!

Behind the Scenes: Button Matching

When we get our vintage, we have to clean it and inspect it for flaws.  Most of the time there is something that needs mending: a loose seam, a missing button, an undone hem, the list goes on.  This lovely cream wiggle dress came to us missing some decorative buttons and immediately I new just the thing!  I've had this button card for years now and I just love the style of it and the look of the buttons.  I didn't want to remove them from their lovely cardboard backing, but I couldn't deprive this dress of it's perfect button match.  I sent this dress off yesterday to one of our regular clients for a fitting, I hope she likes it!

Journey of the Dress: Salvage Life Edition

My friend Maria over at Adelaide's Homesewn (and I think it was actually Duff of Jean Jean Vintage's idea, originally) started this blog post theme where vintage sellers share the process a dress goes through before it lands in the shop.  So, I'm joining in to show you how one of our dresses was salvaged and prepared for you to snatch up in our online shop.

 

 This currently available here.

My Guidelines for Altering Vintage

 I meant to get back to this topic last week, but I wanted to give it the proper attention, which was not possible as I was running around like crazy last week. This week will be busy too, but I feel like my head is on a little straighter. 

I really appreciated the comments left on the post about whether or not to alter vintage.  It is wonderful to engage with such wise and thoughtful readers.  This issue has long been a debate in my mind and a source of tension for me when I see altered vintage items.  It seemed that the general sentiment among responders was not to alter vintage unless it was unusable or irreparable.  After pondering it for a bit, I compiled a little list of personal guidelines in regards to the treatment of vintage things:

1. Always try to restore an item to working/wearable/usable condition first.

2. Think outside myself...who will own this next and would they appreciate the alterations made?

3. If it is VERY old (this one's a little gray, I'll say 40's or earlier) or rare consider not altering it at all, it may have more lasting value in it's original state. Common damaged items are less of a concern.

4. If it is damaged beyond repair and I have a great idea to reuse it, how much waste will there be?  Will I be able to use all the parts?  If there will be more than 25% waste, I will forgo the project.

5. Can the item be returned to it's original state after a new use?  For example, the watch necklaces I sell can be taken off the chain and put onto a watch band again.  Plus, I buy them without the bands, so there is no waste.

6. When it comes to a newer item, say a t-shirt from Target , deconstruct and reconstruct away! Maybe this is hypocritical, but since this item is really common, it doesn't have a lot of vintage value and therefore probably is more valuable if worn in a new way.

7. If I am going to alter something, I do it in a high quality way, so when I pass it on to the next owner, it will be appreciated.  Consider having a professional seamstress alter your clothing if you aren't adept at sewing.  Often clothing can be taken in for size without altering the garment permanently, that way it is more versatile for the next possible owner.

Like I said these are guidelines, not rules to live by, but I think the point is that we need to think about this topic when deciding what to do with our vintage things.  So, when it comes to my shop or personal life, I will probably reconstruct things that are damaged beyond repair and/or do not have a lot of vintage value.  I think an 80's shirt with a hole in it is free game!