Knit It - Sunday Pictorial Beret

~ Sunday Pictorial Beret ~

Pattern: 1930s Sunday Pictorial Beret

Designer: Susan Crawford

Yarn: 2 balls of 4ply Rowan Cashsoft in Loganberry & Deep

Needles: 3.25mm / US 3 / UK 10

I started this beret as a quick project to use up some stash yarn way back in 2012 (January 22nd, 2012, if Ravelry is to be believed), but it has taken me four and a bit more years to actually call it finished and put it on my head!

The pattern comes from Susan Crawford's fabulous knitting bible A Stitch In Time Vol.2 and has been adapted from an original 1930s pattern published in the Sunday Pictorial. When I first saw it I instantly wanted to make it, but as usual, I couldn't decide what colour to choose. After a bit of stash raiding I initially picked a soft browny-beige shade, which looked almost identical to the original in the book, but as I was knitting, I was gradually falling out of love with it, as it wasn't a colour which felt very 'me' and I knew I if I didn't love it now then I certainly wouldn't wear it when it was done.

So I frogged it and went back to my stash to find this wonderfully squishy Cash Soft yarn by Rowan, in a gorgeous dusky blue shade and cast back on. I realised pretty quickly that I wasn't going to have enough yarn to finish, so I ripped it back again and this time added in some stripes, in another Cash Soft shade, a lovely purple hue called Loganberry.

The beret is made up in a garter stitch pattern (knit every row, no purl rows) which means it is very simple to knit and would be great as a starter project for those getting into knitting. Also, unusually for berets, it is knitted flat; on two needles rather than four, so it is wonderful for a bit of quick, mindless knitting with just a bit of row shaping every now and then, to create the wonderful spiralling centre crown!

If it's so easy and quick to knit, I hear you ask, then why has it taken you so long to finish?
Well, it spent most of those years lurking in my UFO pile, simply because I could not decide on what to do about the embellishment that should be sewn over the seam. If you look at the original pattern here, you will see that there are two delicate bows, which I believe are stitched over the back seam to disguise it and to add a fabulous bit of 30s flamboyant flare to the beret.

Well, I knitted the bows up: one in blue and one in purple, attached them to the beret but they looked a bit ridiculous. They were so floppy that they just hung limply at the back and didn't really look flamboyant at all! I learnt later from a conversation with Mim, that the reason they didn't work was that the yarn was too soft and didn't have enough structure to be able to hold its shape, she suggested getting some fine florists wire and work that in as I knit them, which I thought was a great idea, but I just never got around to actually doing it. So this weekend I called it quits on these bows and decided to move on. After dragging the beret back out of my UFO pile, I redid the back seam as the stripes were not matching up to my liking (my standards have obviously improved since 2012) and tidied away the loose ends before I giving it a quick wash and block over a dining plate which I left in the sunshine to dry.

So now my beret is complete and I can actually wear it, I really like it! It's a floppy beret with a loose style which means you can position it on your head depending on your mood or era you are trying to recreate. I actually really like how the stripes make it a little more interesting and are totally in keeping with its original 30s style which means it should look great with my dark blue original 40s fit and flare coat! I did buy a little more of this yarn in both colours before it became discontinued so I am toying with the idea of making up some matching stripy gloves, though I'm not convinced I'll have enough yarn to do the job so I might have to play a bit of knitting roulette and see if I win!

Wendy x

Wendy's Week - Sniffles & Sewing

Hello, hello I hope you're having a wonderful week and looking forward to the weekend, I know I am! So here is what I got up to last week

~ Sniffles & Sewing ~

- 12th - 17th April -

Onions are sprouting // Beau  snoozing // A massive June Bug Cocktail //
Bonnie & Clyde // Sew Over It Anderson Blouse // A fridge magnet from Petra

- Got a touch of the sniffles. I ain't gonna lie I didn't get much done this week I caught a cold on Thursday and so most of my weekend was spent lounging on the sofa, taking cat naps and watching lots of TV, rather than catching up with all my projects, which was a little irritating as I have lots to do, but sometimes you just have to accept it's better to just relax. Beau kept me company by lying along the edge of the sofa under my feet so that I didn't get lonely, he is sweet like that!

- I went out for drinks on Friday. This may well have contributed to me feeling rotten all weekend, as I met up with my pal Phillip for drinks and dinner at the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford. As you will see from the above picture we had massive cocktails in the TGI Friday's bar, that one's called a June bug, I can't remember what was in it but it was very delicious and far too easy to drink so we may have had more than we should! Oops!

- Began the Sew Over It Anderson Blouse! After spending a few hours sticking all the pattern pieces together, I managed to fit all of the fabulous Anderson Blouse into the remaining fabric from my dressing gown. I have started sewing the bodice together but it's certainly not been easy, the best way I have found so far is to use a walking foot and have the machine on the slowest setting. I will be taking Cate's fabulous advice  on my last post and be basting my pieces together from now on as anything that will make it easier to stitch accurately is worth trying.  I have also been serging/overlocking the raw edges which has been difficult as the fabric tends to stretch and warp under the overlocker. I can live with the results on the blouse, but I am thinking of biting the bullet and doing French seams for the dressing gown, it will take longer but should give a better result!

- My brother sent me a gift! As much as his Wartime Farm Pullover travelling the world has become a tradition, so has him buying me a marvellous fridge magnet from the country he has visited, this trip was no exception and so I have my very own Petra fridge magnet and a Polaroid of him in his Pullover to add to my rapidly growing collection on the side of my fridge!

{Image Source}

I watched a lot of TV & did a bit of knitting- Feeling grotty gave me the perfect excuse to do a bit of knitting front of the telly, which means I managed to watch a fair few films, Small Soldiers (perfect family Sunday sofa viewing), Divergent, (despite being a fair bit like Hunger Games it was rather good, in a dystopian sci-fi kind of a way) and Django Unchained, (really good, very shocking, funny and had mostly warranted violence, which for a Tarantino film is unusual) also I finally got around to watching the History Channel's Bonnie and Clyde mini-series which I've had on DVD for ages, it was actually Cate's Vintage On The Web post which reminded me that I hadn't watched it yet, so it was time to remedy that!

{Image Source}

I did enjoy it, not as much as the late 60s version, but it was really good, it certainly takes a slightly different spin on the story with Bonnie being shown as more of the mastermind behind their crime spree, but it works. The clothes? Well, they were epic!! It is actually worth watching this show for the fashions alone as Bonnie's wardrobe is utterly fabulous. After watching the extras on the DVD, yes I am that kinda girl, I discovered an interview with the costume designer, who mentioned that she found a whole wealth of fabulous original 1930s woollen dresses which they used for all of Bonnie's wardrobe (apart from the iconic jumper in the top still, that was made by the costume department), she figured they would be perfect for Bonnie as the woollen fabric would not crease and so would always look good, as being a criminal on a crime spree there isn't much time for ironing!

Wendy x

Let's Misbehave

Hello, hello I have a special little treat for you lovely people today, while I am busy beavering away on my SFV project I have a little filmic interlude that I am sure you'll all enjoy.

Today's post is a guest one from the ever so lovely Emma of Lets Misbehave - A Tribute to Precode Hollywood a beautiful blog which looks at, you guessed it, the Precode era of film. An era of films I absolutely adore, the melodramas, the gangsters, the glamour, the sassy sirens and their seductive eyebrows! But I'll be honest as much as I love the films I don't really know much about what Precode means and how it shaped theses early cinematic gems, but never fear Emma is here to teach us all about it. So dim the lights, grab the popcorn and settle down to learn more.

~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

Misbehaving on Film: 

Everything You Need to Know About Precode

While Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean films are generally seen in the light of ‘popular’ classic movies, pictures from the 1930’s or before are viewed as some kind of irrelevant and archaic art form. Strangely, most people have either heard or seen part of at least one Pre-code film. The original King Kong (1933), Bela Lugosi’s Dracula (1931) and Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein (1931) feature several iconic and easily recognisable scenes that have become both part of pop culture and the basis for many later horror movies.

But the Pre-code era is much more than monsters and gore, it represents the modernisation of American society through the burgeoning feminism ideology, organised crime (ie. Gangsters), financial depression and a left-wing political movement and a mini sexual revolution. This great combination of history, strong and determined women and the positive view of criminals brought a unique period heralded by Jean Harlow, Marlene Dietrich, James Cagney and the first words of the divine Greta Garbo.

[Source]

But what is Pre-code? Contrary to its name, Pre-code, which is generally classified as between the years 1929 and 1934, is not actually before – hence pre – a code at all. In actuality, the era in Hollywood was officially governed by a code or a series of guidelines setup by the major film studios as a kind of self-censorship. Named the Motion Picture Production Code – or the Hays Code – it was created originally in 1922 and updated in 1930 to account for sound pictures. Overseen by Presbyterian elder and Postmaster General, William H. Hays, it acted to prevent more stringent and strict government regulation. Late in the silent era, several provocative and anti-religious films, such as Cecil B Demille’s orgies in Manslaughter (1922) and The Ten Commandments (1923) and The Godless Girl (1929) fuelled fundamentalist religious and virtue group’s fears that an unrestrained Hollywood was corrupting American children. More alarmingly, the incidents and rumours of debauched parties and illegal drug and alcohol consumption within the film community only added to the fears. Occurrences, such as the Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle murder trial and the death of director William Desmond Taylor - whose sex life and drug addiction was revealed to the world - made some Americans believe Hollywood was not only immoral on films but in reality.

This code seemed to placate the religious critics who ceased their boycott of several Hollywood films as well as prevent government censorship. However, the guidelines were simply well-placed smoke and mirrors. Hays, far from being an unbiased mediator, was employed and paid by the films studios, up to a gigantic $100,000 a year. He acted as the studio’s spokesperson and by preaching American values and purity, they hoped the interested parties would ignore the sin, sex, and playfulness that was on the screen. Also, they had another ace up their sleeves; namely, by appealing the churches and the government by introducing the plot tactic of justice. Through this avenue, the main protagonist could steal, sleep-around, murder, and drink as much as they like as long as they paid for it at the end – mostly via a tragic death scene.

The code functioned to keep institutions out of Hollywood but wasn’t a substitute for enforceable legislation. So instead of cleaning up Hollywood, the MPPC operated as protection and, thus, a green light for filmmakers to include a wide range of sex, violence, drugs, organised crime and negative depictions of police and political establishments in their pictures. The list of dos and don’ts just provoked film-makers like naughty children to behave the exact opposite and with barely any actual restrictions, it was a free for all. Thus leaving film lovers and historians alike with delicious examples of blatant code breaking. Such as:

The Code: “Complete nudity is never permitted. This includes nudity in fact or in silhouette, or any lecherous or licentious notice thereof by other characters in the picture.” 

The Code Broken: Musicals were a great method for directors to include seductive nude or nearly nude scenes and dance choreographer/ director, Busby Berkley, was a common offender. He used interesting camera angles and geometric patterns to fool censors into thinking the chorus girls were more clothed than they actually were.

An obvious example is in Gold Diggers of 1933, when during a musical number, the dancers become drenched and need to change. They undress in levels behind a translucent screen that leaves little to the imagination.

The Code: “The sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home shall be upheld. Pictures shall not infer that low forms of sex relationship are the accepted or common thing.” 

The Code Broken: Actress, Norma Shearer, has more of a reputation today as the typical ‘good girl’ but in the Precode era she created roles that broke the boundaries of acceptability. Her two best films, The Divorcee (1930) – which she won the Oscar for Best Actress – and A Free Soul (1931), challenge the definition of marriage and fidelity.

The first questions the ultimate gender double-standard; whether it is appropriate for a wife to be philander if her husband can? Shearer stars as a cuckolded wife who gives her husband some of his own medicine, by cheating as well. A Free Soul represents a different take on modern relationships by showing an affair between a spoilt society woman and a gangster that involves sex with no marriage. Both films definitely challenge the Hays code definition of appropriate sexual relationships and the sanctity of marriage.

The Code: “Dances suggesting or representing sexual actions or indecent passions are forbidden.”

The Code Broken: As a director, Cecil B. DeMille, loved pushing the limitations of film and censorship. His picture, The Sign of the Cross (1932) starring Claudette Colbert and Fredric March, is filled with dozens of code breakers.

These include implicit graphic violence, paganism, blasphemous dialogue and loads of near naked woman. The most shocking scene involves an exotic dancer, played by Jozelle Joyner, who performs an extremely paganistic dance called The Dance of the Naked Moon. This includes grinding and moving up against the female Christian character, Elissa Landis, in an overtly sexual way.

The Code: “Sex perversion or any inference to it is forbidden.”

The Code Broken: Surprisingly Precode movies were filled with inferences to ‘sex perversion’, a euphemistic and discriminatory phrase for homosexual characters and behaviours, but there is a handful of intriguing examples. Filmmakers generally used the ‘dandy’ or a male effeminate character for humour or lightness without clearly identifying the person’s sexuality. However, two major films show the flattering use of lesbian conduct, namely, Queen Christina (1933) and Morocco (1930).

Both female leads, Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, project androgenic personas by the use of male suits and clothing with neither portrayed negatively. ‘Sex perversion’ is explicitly alluded to in these movies with Dietrich and Garbo both showing the earliest examples of a female kissing another female on the mouth. Strangely, even though the scenes flagrantly ignored the rules and were somewhat condemned by censors, neither the public nor critics generally had any problems with them.

For the next four years before a mandatory guideline was created, the code was the most ignored legislation since the Prohibition and inadvertently shaped an era in which sin, provocation and honestly was the order of the day.

~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

Thank you, Emma, for a fascinating insight into precode films! I know I will be adding all of the above to my watch list! If you enjoyed this pop over to Emma's blog to find out more, I am certain you won't be disappointed!

Wendy x

Film Fashions - Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day

With all the digging and veg talk that I have been doing lately, and all the posts with pictures of muddy allotments I've inflicted upon you recently, I thought I would be rather nice to have a little break from all that mud and wallow, so to speak, in a bit of 1930s glamour.

My remedy comes in the form of another Fabulous Film Fashions post and though it does actually contain scenes of mud and vegetables I can whole heartedly promise, that they are for beautification purposes only!

Romantic comedy based on the novel by Winifred Watson. Frances McDormand stars as Miss Pettigrew, a dowdy governess struggling to find employment in 1930s London after being unfairly dismissed from her previous job. She unexpectedly finds herself fulfilling the role of social secretary for glamorous American actress and singer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), whose life is an unending social whirl - the complete opposite of Miss Pettigrew's own drab existence. Despite their differences, Miss Pettigrew becomes Delysia's confidante and personal aide, and is witness to many of the joys and indiscretions that thrive in this heady, high-society climate. Could it be that Miss Pettigrew has finally found her calling? [source]

I first watched 'Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day' a couple of years ago, and it has since become the perfect light-hearted tonic when I am feeling down. Its short, sweet, touching, funny and has such wonderful clothes. There is just so much to love, and all this gushing comes from someone who tends to shy away from Rom-com's (I've been jaded by ex-flatmates forcing me to watch too many bad ones). Generally I would pick a war film over a Rom-com any day, the boyfriends very lucky in that respect (I've even watched his favourite the 5 hour epic Das Boot, with subtitles, twice!), but there are exceptions and this is certainly one I am glad I tried.

Lee Pace [source]

Oh yeah,  it also has the very dishy Lee Pace, the 'Pie Maker' himself, in it which let's face it, certainly helps one maintain an interest!

So today I am going to focus my costume love, on to the outfits of the two main characters, that of Guinevere and Delysia, On to the glamour! 

---- Warning screenshot heavy post. Click all images to make bigger ----

Miss Guinevere Pettigrew Played by Frances McDormand

Poor, sweet Miss Pettigrew, she starts off rather out of luck (and dinners) when she meets the shocking and glamorous Delysia, never fear things are set to change for the better. Sadly Miss P only has three outfit changes to Delysia's Six, and all in one day, the opulence!

Brown Mac & Dress

[Source / Source]

The first outfit we see Miss Pettigrew in is rather dull, so much so, it initially didn't cross my mind to screenshot it! Thankfully the good old Internet helped me out with a couple of good images and I have to say other than being a bit bland in colour there is quite a pretty dress lurking underneath that coat!

Blue Chiffon Dress

 This dress has Sunburst pleats, oh my!!!
Such a pretty, royal blue chiffon dress, long bishop sleeves, large cuffs with fabric covered buttons, The bodice is soft fitting with beneath bust pleats to add some shape, bodice and skirt are joined together with a diamond cummerbund style waist band, the skirt has fullness to the front which is created with sunburst pleats, dress is fastened at the back with buttons.

Blue Velvet Evening Gown

Beautiful deep blue silk velvet, bias cut floor length dress, high under bust waist line, with buttons which run down the bust. Front and back neck line run to a modest V shape edged with what looks like a soft pleated white taffeta long sleeves which taper at the wrist and are adorned with matching buttons.

Delysia Lafosse Played by Amy Adams

Delyisa is a ditsy, up-and-coming American entertainer living in 1930s London, who is torn between following her heart or following her career. The film may well be about Miss Pettigrew but Delysia's clothes steal the show. They are all soft, floaty, opulent and very, very dreamy!

Peach Silk Satin Dressing Gown

[source]

Silk satin dressing gown, with ostrich feather elbow cuffs & attached cummerbund style tie sash closure. How wonderful would it be to swan about in this dressing gown, I don't think I would ever want to get dressed!

'Wallis' Blue Dress, Stole & Hat

[Source] 

[source]

"Amy Adams wears a day dress of a colour called “Wallis Blue” named after the Duchess of Windsor. The short dress has a self bow at the neck and a sash with a tortoise shell buckle at the waist. The matching hat gives the whole (ensemble) some added oomph." [Source]

I just love this outfit, can you tell? 

A Wallis Blue, what looks like crepe, below knee dress with bias cut skirt, button through shirt waist blouse top with pussy bow collar, rouched bracelet sleeves, with shoulder pads and another cummerbund style belt topped off with a matching blue felt hat with tortoise shell red trim!

Ostrich Feather Coat

Sadly we don't get to see this coat in is full glory, as it is only in one scene. But its just too fabulous not to show you!

Pink Tea Dress with Fountain Diamanté Detailing

Just look at the detailing! It makes me want to buy a Bejeweler just so that I can recreate this dress! 

A simple rose pink calf length dress, with a panelled skirt, left side zipper and yet another cummerbund style waist cincher, which this time is incorporated in to the back of the dress and in a darker dusty pink. The bodice has gathers at the shoulder and a deep plunging V-neck, shoulder pads accentuate the sleeve heads which have been decorated with fountain jewelling which leads down to a long tapering close fitting sleeve.

Bath Bow & Dressing Gown

Another satin ensemble, A dusty pink hair bow, to protect your curls whilst bathing elegantly! And another dressing gown, this time in rose pink, with what looks like panels of quilted flowers on the lapels and sleeves. This actually really reminds me of Anne's dressing gown in Glorious 39.

Cream & Beige Pin Stripe Safari Suit

I love the way this safari style suit gives a nod to the intrepid adventures that Delysia life may hold. 

A felt 'pith helmet' styled hat, tops what looks like a beige cotton ticking shirt waist dress, perfectly matched stripes, covered with a cream bolero style long sleeve jacket, with matching lapels and Cuff link style button closure.

Gold Lame Floor Length Evening Gown

[Source] 

What can I say about this dress, its certainly a show stopper! 

Gold Lame floor length bias cut dress, with subtle diagonal gathers on the front and back at hip level, zipper at the back of bodice, which is where the calf length front sash is attached. The bodice is a very clever construction, the shoulder straps cross over at the front making it look like a halter neck but the straps actually run straight down the back and re-join at the lower back of the bodice.

and
because I promised you mud and vegetables, and it would be rude not to deliver...

Miss Pettigrew getting beautified! [Source]

Wendy x

A Girl With A Curl

When visiting my parents earlier this year, I found a bizarre looking tool whilst searching in hope for  some long lost hair grips in my mum/grandma's old curler bag. I remembered having found it when I was a child and wondering then what the heck it could be... some torturous beauty device no doubt, perhaps for cleaning out your ears or plucking your eyebrows?

 Well no. After 20 (alright 25) years later I have realised exactly what it is.

This, in fact, my Grandmas pin curler tool. You could even say it's a family Hair-loum! I know, I'm hilarious!

Shamefully I've never been able to do a pin curl to save my vintage loving life. No matter how many attempts I have made, tutorials I've watched, I still remained all fingers and thumbs inept at the simple pin curl. I toyed with the idea of buying the fabulous new 'Sculpture Pin Curler' Tool, as it has had such wonderful reviews all over the web (see Land Girl's review) but the price tag has put it out of my reach for now, anyway I had my Grandma's pin curler tool just sitting there unused and unloved for the last 70 years, it was about time I at least gave it a try.

You tuck the hair between the metal bar and the clip bit, so that as you roll the ends stay put, then once you've reached the top you slide the hair off and pin in place...well that's my best guess at how you use it anyway!

Try I did. After a bit of practice, I found that it was very easy to use. The only problem was with my hair being super thick and quite long (even though I've cut 4" off recently), the curls it makes are very small and tight and so a pain in the derrière to pin to my head. Grandma always had rather short hair so it would have worked wonderfully for her, unfortunately, me and my thick hair were going to need something a little bigger in diameter.

1930's Photo of my lovely Grandma, with beautifully coiffured hair!

Looking at it I realised there is some thing very similar that most of us would probably have had in our possession at one point or another - most likely as a child, it would usually be decorated with a face, dress, and pipe cleaner arms, well in our house it was - It's a...

Dolly Peg! Ta-dah!

Ok, Ok, it's not mind-blowingly fabulous and I am sure I'm not the first to have thought of using it, but the humble Dolly Peg does make a perfect pin curler tool!

After a few attempts, I have it pegged! (the jokes are just getting better) So for the first time in my life, I can say I have a pin curled set that I am proud to be seen outdoors with! Another first is being able to do those volumising lifted curls, flat was all I could manage before and a bad straggly flat at that!

Not too dissimilar, I think you'll agree!

I am sure most of you will not need any explanation on how to use it as it is super easy - not really any more difficult to use than a normal curler. But incase you do there is a quick tutorial below. I don't claim to be vintage hair blogger, my hair skills are bordering on the non-existent, but I can manage this. It does take a bit longer than I am used to with curlers but I am confident that will change with practice.

Personally, I think the benefits out weigh the extra time it takes. Being able to curl on damp hair and know it will be dry by morning (applies to lifted curls rather than flat, as the air can still get in to dry them out), which in my case means the curl lasts for days rather than hours. Also, they are very comfortable to sleep in, like resting your head on a fluffy cloud rather than sleeping on a pillow of pebbles.

~ DOLLY PEG PIN CURLS ~

You Will Need:
Setting Lotion or Mousse
Comb/Brush
Dolly Peg 
Hair Grips (2 per curl) or Pin Curl Clips.

Note: You might find like I did, that you need to use a nail file to tidy the rough edges of the prongs, this will stop it catching on the hair when you're trying to remove your curl.
I would avoid conditioning your hair the wash before setting if possible, it makes the hair lovely and silky but a slippery nightmare to pin curl.

1. Apply your preferred setting agent to your hair. Take a section of hair, how much depends on you hairs thickness. If doing Lifted pin curls, like me, then make sure the section is no wider than the length of your hair grips, otherwise, it may slide out.

2. Place the hair through the slot in the peg, slide down to the end of the section

3. Wrap ends around the peg and under the strand. Roll tightly until you are sure that it is secured. As with curlers, it pays to watch that the ends are tucked in nice and flat to ensure a smoother curl - I find this the trickiest bit!

4. Slightly more gently roll the peg up to your scalp.

5. Place your fingers either side of the curl to hold it in place whilst you twist the peg in the opposite direction to loosen the curl and release the peg. Slide the peg out. If the ends of the hair poke out when removing the peg then it's best to re-curl, fighting them back inside generally doesn't work, unless you're doing flat curls.

6. Stick your fingers in to hold the curl open, whilst you grab your grips/clips.

7. Pin to secure. Either by twisting so it lies flat to your head or as a raised curl as I have done by using 2 hair grips, one on either side.

Et Voila! 
Simple right? Honestly, if I can do it, anyone can!

My hair is pretty much one length all over so I continued in my usual haphazard fashion all over my head always rolling under. My long - can't decide if I want to grow it or cut it - peekaboo style fringe, is usually a nightmare to get into a curler, so I rolled it into two separate pin curls at the top. 

But after a good nights sleep and a damn good brushing, I think it came out alright. There's still a bit of a 'halo of frizz' my hair is prone to, though much less than with my normal roller set, and my fringe finally looks like it was intentionally curled rather than getting accidentally trapped in a roller! I brushed mine out with a basic cheapo paddle brush, as I have such frizzy hair I find the natural bristle ones create masses of static on my head, making me look like I have been electrocuted!

Cringey close up!

There is even a semblance of a wave to it ...
...if you look hard enough :)

So there you go, a simple if not very quick, pin curled hair. All done with an easily replaceable tool that cost me all of 9p! A pack of 24 pegs was £1.98 on eBay and with so many pegs left over, I can now relive a bit of my childhood by making some peg dollies with my god daughters...

...or just by myself

Wendy x

Linking my revelation up to Lakota's Ta-dah! Tuesday

Eleventy First Post Giveaway

Righty, Ho!
Without further a waffle or an ado here is my 'Eleventy First Post' giveaway for you!

Oooh, that rhymes and as promised and there's not a hobbit in sight!

So what's up for grabs...

1.1950's Gold colour brooch seen above
Whoops! I forgot to get a pic of it on its own!

2. A copy of the fabulous What Every Woman Should Know

I love this book it is packed with lots of great 'Life Lessons' from the 1930's and makes for a fascinating read.

3.  Two 12x8" prints from Vogue Covers 1919 & 1927.

Printed on matt/satin photographic paper. I had these made up absolutely ages ago and they have just been sitting unloved waiting to be displayed for far too long so it is time I found them a better home!

All this could be yours, so what do you have to do to enter?
Well, it is as simple as 1-2-3:

1. Be a follower new or old it doesn't matter!

2. Leave a comment below -It doesn't need to be anything fancy, simply a 'count me in' or 'Hello' will do!

3. Do the above before 12pm (UK BST) on Sunday 2nd September 2012

I will draw a winner using one of those random generators and post the winner's name here and if possible contact them directly.

If I am not contacted by the winner before the 16th September 2012 I will draw a new winner.

I hope you like it and please don't be shy and have a go
 I am more than happy to post worldwide so no one needs to be left out :)

Wendy x