Shopping for Scarves

 Day 6 :: Scarves Week

today is all about where to find vintage scarves...

 vintage scarves are hot-ticket items on eBay, Etsy, & in vintage stores around the world

Sheila Leiter sells vintage scarves (among other vintage goodies) at 2 different vintage stores in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. i bought an orange & brown scarf for her awhile back, the scarf ended up being published in a book, so i thought it would be fun to share that news with Sheila & we've emailed back & forth a few times. Sheila was so kind as to agree to answer some questions to help us in our vintage scarf shopping... enjoy !

 Q: It says on your website: "Filled with purchases from flea markets, estates and antique shops throughout the U.S. and Europe" which sounds very exciting, so please share with us, where do you travel to (what states & countries) & how much time to you spend traveling?

A: Travel is a priority in my life and getting to shop vintage everywhere I go allows me to experience an added adventure in each town or city!   I probably travel 2 months out of the year yet shop probably 2 days of every week.    I have brought back vintage, antiques & fabrics from  the flea markets & shops of Paris, the Netherlands, Bratislava-Slovakia and direct from people selling their goods on the streets of St. Petersberg, Kiev & Barcelona.   In the U.S., my best finds have been in Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, California plus New York is always a place to find something fabulous wandering the flea markets in Manhatten & Brooklyn.   But don't overlook the little towns of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.   They are within driving distance and make for a great road trip!   I fill my vehicle every time I go!

 Q: Do you have any tips for finding vintage scarves, where to go & what do you look for when you are hunting for them? How do you develop an eye for finding the vintage ones?

A: The best condition scarves usually are in estate sales & antique shops.   You can find them in thrift stores but watch for flaws.   Hold the scarf up to the light to see stains, holes, tears & water spots.  Keep your eye out for hand rolled edges, not stitched by machine.   You want to find the labels still intact for authenticity.  Buy 100% silk, cotton or rayon over polyester or blends.  Buy signed designer scarves plus travel scarves as collector items.   

 Q: What are your favorite types of vintage scarves?

A: My favorite scarves have bold designs and interesting, off-beat color combinations.  Vera scarves are some of the best!   The Vera scarves with the small ladybug next to the name are the oldest designs.  

 Q: Do you sell all the vintage scarves you find or do you keep some for yourself?

A: I sell 99% of the scarves I find.   I appreciate & love the colors and designs but tend towards layering & wrapping long scarves year round which allows me to pass on all of my scarves to my customers to enjoy ~

 Q: Do you have a "scarf story"?

A: My latest story involves finding a British Flag scarf from Lord Kitchner's with the original label still attached! Lord Kitchner's was a very popular place to shop on Carnaby St in Chelsea - London in the 60's.   Kings Road & Carnaby St. inspired so many trends of that time.   It would make a fabulous pillow with the label exposed!  It is still for sale in my space in Hopkins Antique Mall for any Anglophile!

 Q: Anything else you'd like to share?

A: I dry clean all my scarves.   Hand washing with a silk laundry soap is the only other method to use though some colors have a tendency to bleed.   When ironing your scarves, based on the fabric content, too high of a temperature can melt a hole in your scarf.  Play it safe and start on a lower setting.

thank you so much Sheila for letting us take a little tour to see all your lovely vintage scarves you have for sale (by the way, all the photos in this post were taken at her 2 locations)
AND also thank you for sharing your experience, wisdom & advice !

Sheila has a beautiful website called VINTAGE WEARS WARES, here are some of the name brands of vintage scarves she has for sale:
Burmel
Doro
Echo
Frankie Welch
Glentex
Paoli
Perry Ellis
Robinson Golluber
Vera (by the way, here's a great resource: learn how to date your vintage Vera scarves)

be sure to check out Sheila's vintage scarves for sale at these 2 locations:

Hopkins Antique Mall
1008 Mainstreet
Hopkins, MN 55343
952-931-9748

Guild
4414 Excelsior Blvd
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
952-378-1815
guildcollective.wordpress.com


If you are looking for something special, have out-of-season prop requests or have goods to sell, please contact via email s.leiter@vintagewearswares.com


that ends Scarves Week, thanks so much for stopping by & have a great weekend !

Wrapping with Scarves

 Day 5 :: Scarves Week

first of all, i want to say a big thank you to all of you who entered the Sew, Mama, Sew!  giveaway and send a happy welcome to all of you who joined me here for the very first time !
the winner of the Sew, Mama, Sew!  giveaway is Rachel who shared this link which is for a neglected man's neck tie sewn around the top of a woman's shirt ~ i'd never seen that before, so unique & such a clever idea !

so many great repurposed project ideas were shared in the comments section, so be sure to check them all out

today's idea for using scarves is wrapping & decorating...

i came across this book, Wrapagami: The Art of Fabric Gift Wraps by Jennifer Playford
here's what's written on the back of the book:
"Requiring only a square piece of fabric and an item to be wrapped, Wrapagami offers a simple, chic, and eco-friendly alternative to paper gift-wrap and bags. Derived from a Japanese wrapping tradition, the twenty-five exquisite wraps in Wrapagami include clear instructions, easy-to-follow diagrams, inspiring photographs of finished wraps, and lots of tips for creative embellishment and use." 

 so for the square piece of fabric, why not use a square scarf ?  it requires no cutting, no tape, & if you make a mistake, just unwrap & start again. also using a scarf to wrap a gift is like 2 presents in one, the recipient can reuse the scarf

more ideas on wrapping gifts with scarves here & here

and for decorating check out this picture frame decorated with a scarf

FYI share photos of your projects made with scarves and/or your scarf collection to the Scarf-O-Rama flickr group

see you tomorrow for day 6 !

How to Tie a Scarf

 Day 4 :: Scarves Week

you know what's so wonderful about scarves ?  they are so versatile ~ there are so many different ways to wear a scarf...

how about tying a scarf on your purse/tote/bag strap ?  years ago i had a small square silk scarf (my favorite scarf at the time) that i tied to my purse strap, i was walking down the Champs Elysees in Paris & the next thing i know... it's gone... forever  :(   that's my "scarf story", but hopefully your scarf won't fall off your purse strap like mine did

 i rounded up several links from the internet about how to tie/wear a scarf & thought i'd share them with you:

:: scarf tying guide

:: 37 ways to tie a scarf

 :: 6 ways to tie a scarf

:: figure eight knot

 :: various uses for a scarf

:: another way to wear a scarf, turn a silk scarf into a necklace

see you tomorrow for day 5 !

Sewing with Scarves

 Day 3 :: Scarves Week

today i bring you some information (some books & links) on where to find ideas for sewing with scarves...

first of all, you've already been introduced to this book: 30 projects for repurposing scarves in Craft Challenge Dozens of Ways to Repurpose Scarves

now be sure to check out: 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf which has a babydoll top, lantern cover, tank dress, replace t-shirt sleeves with poof scarf sleeves, use scarves to add ruffle cuffs to a sweater, use scarves to make covered buttons, plus so many more ideas...

 The Perfect Handmade Bag: Recycle and Reuse to Make 35 Beautiful Totes, Purses, and More has a vintage silk scarf bag

more project ideas:
:: a couple of home decoration projects (such as curtains & pillows) in Fabric Remix
:: pillow
:: small silk neck scarf to little girl t-shirt tunic

 these diy projects didn't call for scarves, but i think they would be perfect projects to make out of silk scarves:
:: eye mask
:: braided headband
:: jewelry pouches

see you tomorrow for day 4 !

Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway

 Day 2 :: Scarves Week

it's May Giveaway Day !  a big thank you to Sew, Mama, Sew! for hosting such a fabulous giveaway event !

the prize:
one copy of the "Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose Scarves" book (my project page signed by moi) & 4 vintage Vera scarves (use the 4 scarves to create one or more of the 30 sewing projects from the book)

enter to win:
:: please leave an answer to the following question: what is your favorite repurposed project? it doesn't have to be sewing... a repurposed project you've made or one you've seen elsewhere ~ leaving a link to the project would be a bonus, thanks !
:: one entry per person
:: i will choose a winner by picking my favorite repurposed project from all those that are shared
:: open until 11:59 PM Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
:: i will announce the winner once the winner has replied to my email
:: i will ship internationally
:: book & scarves will be shipped by Monday, May 30th, 2011

see you soon for Day 3 of Scarves Week !

Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon

 Day 1 :: Scarves Week

all this week i'll be blogging about scarves & today i'm kicking off scarves week with a quick peek inside the "Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon" book by Susan Seid, it's all about Vera Neumann and her art on scarves...

 :: this is such a colorful coffee table book, a great book to give as a gift, also a quick interesting read

:: get to know the lady behind the ladybug

 :: Vera Neumann believed that fine art should be accessible to everyone, not just to walls of museums & private homes

:: she put her paintings on scarves from botanicals to bold geometric patterns & signed the scarves (like a painting) with a cursive "Vera"

:: later she added the ladybug to her signature ~ a symbol of long life, good luck, & good health

 :: she was the country's top scarf designer

:: the most popular were the 36 or 44 inch square scarves

:: her company produced 500 Vera designs per year

:: Vera chose few colors for her scarves, limiting them to 2-4, making them more fashion-friendly

 :: the Vera company now sells apparel & kitchen linens, but it all started with a silk scarf

:: get this book & get bitten by the ladybug

see you tomorrow for a Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway

PS share photos of your Vera scarves with the Vera Neumann flickr group

Eyelet Ruffled Halter

 Day 7 :: Spring Kids Clothes Week

you've probably seen this ruffled halter around, i sewed a pink one with white polka dots last year, it's by Oliver+S & the pattern is found in Stitch magazine Spring 2010

each ruffle is different as i was using only the eyelet in my stash, you know, "make it work" (what Tim Gunn says on Project Runway)

that ends Spring Kids Clothes Week for me, i look forward to the one in the Fall

see you Monday May 23rd for a Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway ~ that will also be the start of Scarves Week here (as you guessed, it's a whole week blogging about scarves)