They See Me Mowing....

...my front lawn!  

Peoples I am busy right now trying to get my yard work done while the temperatures outside are favorable for human life.  I only have maybe two weeks left before the summer heat and horrific humidity take hold rendering life outside inhabitable.  After that point the best I can do for my yard is mow it once a week at dusk to avoid heat stoke and sun poisoning.

  

At the local small engine shop where I go to get my piddly pruning shears and other dull bits of metal sharpened I always enjoy seeing this vintage Lawn Boy mower that hangs out in the lobby:

Gosh it's gorgeous!  I love it's wonky misaligned front wheels. The plaid clad man on the cover of the Household Magazine (March 1957) seen above up top, is using a Lawn Boy for leaning.

Here is an ad I came across on the nets promoting the mowing luxury of a Lawn Boy!

And this gal looks quite fetching with her extremely cinched belt while pushing her Lawn Boy...with teeth!

I can't stand yard work.  You just can't fight Mother Nature.  I have surely tried.  We have an immensely invasive weed, greenbrier, that we have not been able to defeat no matter how many we pull, dig up, or poison.  

I would love to be able to show you all a pristine manicured yard when I am finished but truthfully my "after" picture would be most people's "before".  I am just doing my best to keep away the code enforcement folks.

So, with all that being said, I will be away from this here blog for a bit, dealing with my weeds...which is what my whole yard is really...one big weedy mess.

Sometimes I think the best solve for it is a can of gasoline and a match.

1960's Craft Patterns

Simplicity 5767 (1964)

Here is the last of my 1960's patterns. Just a couple of crafty ones.

The little stuffed toys are missing several of their pals.  It only has the rabbit, dog, and kangaroo.

I really wanted to make the elephant and the cat.  I think this pattern was given to me by a friend years ago.  It kinda looks like across the top of the envelope it says "Slut".  A nickname perhaps?  

McCall's 2461 (1961)

This is a pattern for a set of five different pajama bags or pillows.  The cat is really cute.  It would make a fun purse!

But any kid that brings one of those square people goofy looking PJ bags is going to be the one to have their hand put in a bowl of warm water when they fall asleep.

1960's Children Patterns

Butterick 3023

Here are the 1960's patterns I have for children.  Most are for little girls of which I do not have one.

But some of these patterns are just too cute and are mine for gazing at.

My favorite is "The Skimmy".  The font is fun and the illustrations are adorable.  The little girl on the left looks like my mom when she was little.

Simplicity 5603 (1964)

Cute little artist girls in smocks!

Simplicity 5477(1964)

Cute cloaked gals!

Simplicity 5202

I love this look.  It reminds me of dresses my mom made for me when I was little.

Simplicity 5854 (1964)

I bought this pattern from an antique mall (only 1 buck) with the intentions of making PB that shorts and suit jacket look, but he was more of a t-shirt  kinda kid.  Not one looking to go on a job interview while in kindergarten.

Simplicity 6468 (1966)

 This one also reminds me of clothes my mom made for me.  Such a cute classic style.

Simplicity 8301 (1969)

Oh gosh, so cute.  

I hang on to these patterns (especially) the last one, to make as baby shower gifts.  I also want to make them for my (w-a-y!!) future grandchildren.

1960's Dress Patterns

McCalls 5411

I LOVE this dress style.  It has been in the forefront of my 'gonna sew it one day' batch for quite awhile. This pattern is from 1960, which explains why it is still 50's awesome looking.  I love a wrap dress, so forgiving on fluctuating waistlines. It takes 3 3/4 yard fabric, which is just about pushing my limit of what I will accept buying, but only with a coupon and a sale.
Fabric is ridiculously priced.  On average it is 10 bucks a yard (for the "cheap" stuff) which means making this dress would cost about 40 bucks?!!
Add in your labor and most likely needed extra alterations for a good fit.
No, no boo boo.  I'll just make it from an old floral print thrifted sheet or something.

Simplicity 5408
I love this dress as well.  I like both styles and fabric prints.
Takes 2 5/8 yards.

Simplicity 5489

Cute style and only takes 2 1/8 yards.


Simplicity 4841

I like the kimono sleeves, which are easier to sew.  I have been thinking of trying out making this top section but with the bottom section of Simplicity 5408. 

Simplicity 8239 (1969)

Again I love wrap dresses.  They also mean you don't have to put in a zipper!  It calls for 2 3/4 yard fabric.  It looks so comfy!
These top 5 dresses are the ones I do want to make at some point.


Simplicity 3471

This was a pattern within the auction lot that I won.  Since it calls for over 5 yards of fabric it's not a consideration.  But I do like the cummerbund and the little cropped jacket.  Those pieces I could make to wear with something else.


Butterick 9792
Another pattern from the auction lot.  I held on to this one to possibly make the bodice section as a top, maybe.

Simplicity 3507
This pattern has seen some hard times!  The envelope is in horrible condition.  I like, of course, the wrap dress.  It's a size too small so I figured if I ever made it I could cut it larger or something.
I also thought the sleeves on the dress on the right could be used to add some 1930-esque style to some other dress or top.

Simplicity 5357
I am not sure why this pattern is still with my "keep" set.  I think it may be for the raglan sleeves or maybe to make the pencil skirt.  

Simplicity 8537 (1969)

I have this pattern in my stash because it has such a Jetson's look to it.  It may come in handy for a costume one day.

1960's Separates Patterns

Simplicity 3826

Here is a set of 1960's patterns from my collection that feature separates.
I love the outfits above.  So pulled together looking.  

Butterick 3325
I love the fabric patterns and colors used for this look.  It's got several ways to wear the outfit for different weather conditions, practical and chic!

Simplicity 4621
Again I love the colors, prints, and styles.  I like having patterns for cropped boleros and especially if it doesn't have set-in sleeves to deal with.

Simplicity 5216
Another bolero jacket with kimono sleeves.  This one is not in my size but I really liked the peter pan collar detail with the black jacket, so I have held onto it as a serving suggestion.

Butterick 9776
This was a pattern with the lot I won on auction.  The floucy shorts look like they would take too much fabric but I may try my hand at the fitted shorts.  Also I just really like all the matchy matchy stuff going on with this outfit.  This gal is really enjoying her "Easy Living" outfit and is about to head somewhere for lots of fun, fun, fun!

Simplicity 6882

This is a pattern that is in my eventually pending queue.  I really want to make that sleeveless top.  It doesn't take but 1 1/8 yard fabric and it appears it could be wore tucked in too.  Even the skirt only calls for 1 yard fabric, but I got my doubts that will be enough to cover my wide region.

1960's Around the house Patterns

Simplicity 3712

After going through my 1962 Simplicity Fashion Pattern Catalog, I wondered what patterns I had in my stash that were from the 1960's.
It turned out most of my patterns don't have copyright dates, so I had to guess based on styling, and then check online to see if anyone else had a date.  A couple turned out to be really late 50's, and then a few I would have thought were 70's were late 60's.  Online the date of generic decade"1960s" was given, but I saw it as a second opinion to my own, so 60's they are!

I got the above pattern as part of a local auction I won consisting of 40 vintage patterns for 20 bucks.  There was one particular pattern from the 40's that has been on my wish list that was in my size within the set, so I mostly was bidding for it.  There were several other patterns that I liked and kept as well, but I have intentions of selling off most of them.  I held on to this pattern because I like the style and fabric patterns depicted on the envelope.  I doubt I would ever make this because I am a tightwad and when I see a pattern like this, I first think it will take a lot of fabric and fabric is ridiculously expensive.

Simplicity 6099

This was another pattern from the auction.  I also kept this one because of the fashionable ladies on the cover having their morning coffee klatch.

Where are they?  One woman has her hand against a wall.  Are they in her doorway or did they gather in a seedy back alley?  Pattern envelopes hold so many stories.

Simplicity 6809

A few other "around the house" patterns I have are aprons.
I love the styling of the floral print.

Butterick 3307

This one has to be late 60's with the photography involved on the envelope cover.  I used this pattern several years back to make an apron for my mom.  The bib was of regular cotton fabric but I made the skirt section from a terry cloth towel.  Unlike these ladies, sashaying around and holding onto their shoe heels, my mom actually uses an apron to ward off food splashes and needs function over fashion.  Hence all of her aprons are massively stained and they are that basic "Kiss the Cook" flat unisex style.  I figured I could combine function and fashion  by using a dark colored towel and a multi color fun print fabric for the bib (all stain hiding!). I think this apron could easily be converted to a bib dress, which would be super cute, like the polka dot and striped one on the bottom...and with pockets!  

Advance Sew-Easy 3056

No illustrations here.  This apron pattern looks a little plain on first viewing but I have used it many times.  The top left style is the pattern I used for making this She-Creature costume.