Vintage Dresses

I love vintage fabric, honestly anything vintage finds it's way to my heart. I have been surrounded by piles and piles of fabric my whole life. My Mom and my oldest sister both are fantastic seamstresses and quilters and had I been able to know my Grandma Gee, the word is that she also could sew a stitch like no other! In fact, I believe she taught my Mom many of her tricks. My maternal grandmother, Grace, did not sew very much and if she did it was purely a necessity. So when my Mom moved to my Dad's family farm in Alabama once they married that is where she learned her sewing. I adore the stories my Mom tells me about her life there. Not that it was such an easy life  because I am certain it was not but because it seems some simple but full of grand memories. Gee, whom was really Dettie Pearl, but for some reason the kids called her Gee, was a very smart lady. Mom tells me that Gee never bought anything on "credit" she thought the idea of it was ridiculous. If you didn't have the cash in hand, she thought then you don't need it.  I do think she once tried to get a tractor with credit but after a couple of weeks went in and told them she had the rest of the money and she was paying for it right then. I think she had it right. If she were alive today I am sure she'd think all Americans had gone mad! She made many a quilt and she bought things in bulk. She planned everything to a T and taught my Mom many useful things which I am thankful for.
Of course, the sewing wasn't always one of the things I found so glamorous. As a young child, I am sure I enjoyed twirling around in a new handmade dress but as I got older...I remember hating it! It's funny to me now that I want to sew and that I brought home 3 boxes of fabric and vintage patterns to attempt. Sewing is now something that seems very glamorous but it also seems so simple. I have decided it's not simple and I will have to work very hard to get the hang of it. I do hope to be able to make an apron or a dress from the vintage fabric and patterns soon. That's how I plan to spend my Thursday mornings starting next week.
I thought I'd share with you some of my great vintage finds from the weekend...though none of these are pieces from Mom's. I bought 3 of these dresses at a yard sale benefiting the Wakulla FWC and the other 1 was bought here in G'ville at Flashbacks. The ones I scored from the yard sale were under .25 cents each! Unfortunately, I did pay nearly $10 for the vintage Sears dress here in town. I do love them all!

            The light green dress is from Flashbacks and the plaid and floral are from the yard sale.

A closer look: the plaid dress has a drawstring waist and two front pockets. The Sears dress is very much the style my Mom wore in the 60's :) In fact, when I put it on my sister said I looked just like Mom.

Now I am not sure the true age of these dresses but the one on the right has a label that reads "Cracker Barrel". The one to the right reminds me of those great 90's prints!

My idea for this Cracker Barrel dress is this: add Western cowboy boots, the belt and you'll be styling. Erica has forbidden me from actually wearing it but I think it's fantastic, what do you think?

No fibbing, I told you~The Cracker Barrel :)