The Wonderful Art of Smocking

It's always amazing to see smocking transposed to more "modern" clothing (in this case, a 1950's girl's dress). This simple and decorative form of embroidery was introduced in the 13th and 14th century English countryside and used by farmers who smocked their clothes to create extra warmth and promote freedom of movement across the back, chest and arms. Practical and pretty too, the early smockers adorned their clothes with symbols that indicated where they were from and what role they played. These garments proved to be unpractical and dangerous with the introduction of machinery and were no longer worn on the farm but adapted to women's garments as a fashion element. Generally, done by hand, smocking machines were finally invented in the 1940's and have been used, more so, on children's clothing.

It's All About Alice

It's all about Alice in this lovely treasury from lillianamarie who has included, from my shop, a vintage children's book illustration by Marjorie Torrey of Alice and the Cheshire Cat. Check out lillianamarie's very chic hair accessories on etsy.

I Have A Thing for Cars (But Not Necessarily This One)

I've always had a "thing" for cars, but as I get older I get a little bored with car maintenance, upkeep and expense (the bicycle and public transportation are probably the way to go...) But nothing beats driving a nice car at fast speeds down the nearest highway. Car styles have mirrored our lifestyles. This groovy number above was the 1975 Mustang II Ghia, an attempt by Ford to deliver a lighter model with a smaller engine in response to the 1974 OPEC oil crisis. Ford outfitted it with such swish 70's design features as a half vinyl roof, and a cranberry interior with crushed velour seat trim. Adding to the flash was an exclusive opera window that could not be opened and ensured that the back seat occupants had to beg those in the front seat for some fresh air. The chassis was based on the infamous Pinto. The color on this one was a silver metallic and it came replete with a nifty hood ornament (that was often stolen by "collectors"). I saw one on the road a few months ago. The color was a retro 70's flashy pumpkin color that reminded me of my sister's Vega. But that's another story....for another time.