Oh yes, I do love my vintage chic circa 1944.
Shoulders were strong but femme, necklines were sweet and the sweater girl was the pin-up princess of the day. A pair of pretty little lace patterns winding over and around the girlish topograpy was enough to set a young man’s heart afire.
My Zelda, she can be yours too. Find her in the latest issue of Yarn Forward Magazine #15.
Sometimes I like to re-visit my older styles and update them with a little tweak.
Since shoulders are sneaking back into fashion, I decided to give Myrna’s sleeves a little facelift and restore the gathered sleeve that this 40’s inspired beauty came with originally. So, I re-knitted her with more shoulder interest and even wrote the instructions to include sewn in tulle sleeve heads to be sewn in afterward for supporting their shape.
Purists might actually want to add shoulder pads for the full 40’s splendor.
Hi Portland, OR Knitters!
If you’re wondering what it takes to fine tune your fit from frumpy to fabulous , wonder no more!
I’ll be teaching my “Whip Your Knits into Shape” class at Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks the evening of May 13th, 2009.
If you’re a difficult fit, this class is for you. Adding designer shaping touches to your knitted garments is easy once you know a few simple rules and how to apply them. Flatter your figure by shaping any garment as you knit it. Darts, ease, and short row shaping are all important elements for a custom fit. Learn which ones to use to play up your specific body type to it’s best advantage.
The class will run from 6 to 9 pm.
Call (503) 258-9276 to make your reservation.
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We’ll also be at the Knit and Crochet Show the 15th through the 17th at the Doubletree Hotel, booth #28.
Here’s a discount coupon to help get you in. Right click on it to print.
I’d love to see you all there!
Join Bobbin’s Nest Studio , Bonita Knitting Store AND Joan McGowan-Michael for a fabulous Couture & Color Retreat spent with fellow knitters in beautiful Santa Barbara.
I’ll be the Designer in Residence for this wonderful trip, Oct 16th through the 18th!
Catch the train in either San Jose, CA or San Diego, CA and take a relaxing ride with us to Santa Barbara where we will spend a delightful weekend knitting, taking classes, shopping and of course, eating! Did I mention knitting?
My Whip Your Knits into Shape class will help you hone your fit and teach you the little techniques that turn your knitting from frumpy to fabulous!
There will also be a wine and cheese reception, color class, trunk shows (including one from White Lies Designs), and a knitting clinic among other fun activites.
More information can be found at : http://www.coutureandcolor.com/
Edit: Early bird discount! Save $150 by booking this trip before May 1st!!!
Welcome our lovely new tunic for spring, Coraline.
The delicate sweetheart neckline and pretty lace bottom are
just two of the charming details. Knit this in our Cascade Cotton Rich DK for easy wear and care.
Another magazine cover for me, this time in Britian’s answer to IK, Yarn Forward!
I designed this pretty tunic-length babydoll top in a silky, cool bamboo/nylon blend by KnitOneCrochetToo called Babyboo. Of course the instructions include short-row bust shaping instructions for bustier gals.
I love the idea of welcoming Spring with some bright colors and a girly little top that shows just the right amount of skin.
If you’re in the US, ask for your copy at Barnes and Noble bookstores.
For those of you knitters who have never been to a Stitches event, you really must try to get to one if for nothing else but the shopping experience the marketplace provides. It is true fiber-sensory overload and not to be missed!
If you find yourself in or near Santa Clara, California on February 27th, here’s a discount coupon to help get you in. Right click on it to print.
White Lies Designs will be in booth # 92 this year, right along the front wall.
This is one of the newest styles I’ll be showing; sexy Victorian inspired over-the-knee stockings.
Worked from the toe up on size 3 needles in our own hand dyed superwash wool, the Marlaina stockings are a surprisingly quick and entertaining knit.
It’s been a year since my mom passed and we all miss her terribly, especially at this time of year. But I had to smile at some of the photos that my brother scanned and sent me recently.
Mom did love her fashion and the 40’s was ( in my opinion ) the best decade in the 20th century for women’s styles.
So in honor of Mrs. White, I’d like to share some of her wartime vintage chic .
ETA: To satisfy the curious, most of these photos were taken in San Francisco, on or about Alabama Street where Mom’s family lived. The last photo was taken in Yosemite, where you can see Half-Dome in the background.
I love you, mom.
The appreciation for style and fashion has been a part of my constitution as far back as I can recall. I was knitting and crocheting myself accessories as an eight-year old and sewing my own versions of the current fashions at 12. Though we weren’t a financially well-off family, it was understood that if I wanted fabric or yarn to make things with, all I needed to do was ask. So I dressed myself, my parents and the family cats as long as they would stand still.
I do the same thing now on a somewhat wider scale. I’ve dressed the general public in my 25+ year career as a professional clothing designer and currently people enjoy making and wearing my knitwear styles. I still dress the family and myself, paying attention to color and shape to help everyone look their best.
I can’t imagine this would ever change, even into my golden years. I just love color, texture and fabrics ; making things and dressing people .
So I was delighted to find this wonderful blog that is essentially a look-book of Senior Style. These 55+ folks still enjoy playing with color, texture and pattern and there is such a freedom and joy about their fashion sense.
It’s so not about the latest advertised ”it” bag, communicating a social status via a lot of bling or displaying one’s new breast implants. It’s all about humor, appropriateness and putting a personal stamp of style on the external expression of who they are. These people seem so comfortable in their skin and as an extension, comfortable in their clothing.
I find this a very refreshing change from the broody, moody esthetic of many current fashion magazines that take themselves so seriously and the narrow body image parameters that the rest of the media bombards us with. There’s a lot to be said for getting older.
And a nice one it is too, with a lovely interview with me on their Daily Chum!
It’s good to be loved. 
