Book Giveaway & Review: The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications

These days we're used to seeing and thinking about a whole host of world famous designers and fashion houses. Even if we don't own a single piece from any of them, most folks are at least familiar with a handful of such and we've come to think of their presence as part and parcel to the world of style.

Such was not always the case though and the invention, if you will, of the modern fashion house as we would recognize and acknowledge it today is relatively new. Unquestionably one of the first and most influential early players in this sphere was The House of Worth.

Founded in France in 1858 by Mr. Charles Frederick Worth, a highly regarded and skilled dressmaker who had previously been employed by some of the top tailors in the UK and France, the House of Worth hit the ground running, by offering exquisitely made and deeply beautiful haute couture clothing. As time went on, the company would grow to include ready-to-wear fashions, as well as perfumes.

The House of Worth provided fashions to some of the most affluent, wealthy, powerful - and powerfully dressed - customers in Europe and the world as a whole. From stars of the stage, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Nellie Melba, and Jenny Lind to European royals, old money and new, and those trying to climb the social ladder alike, The House of Worth had an impressive clientele and provided stunning pieces to all of them (including both wedding gowns and costume party ensembles).

In its original iteration, The House of Worth remained in business until 1952 (the brand was revived again after more than four decades of laying dormant, in 1999), with Charles Worth's heirs taking over the company after his death in 1895.

It was under the leadership of Charles' sons, Gasteon-Lucien and Jean-Philippe, that The House of Worth experienced the Edwardian years, and it is the tail end of this very period that the book at the heart of today's post focuses.





The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications is a unique and enchantingly beautiful soft cover book that includes 125 watercolour and ink illustrations, all of which were originally produced by The House of Worth.

That alone would be enough to make any vintage fashion or historical costume fan go weak in the knees, but this book is so very much more. Woven through its many fashion illustration filled pages, one is greeted with an excellently written - and very engaging - historical account of how these drawings (and some accompanying fabric swatches, which are pictured in photographs in this book) came to be in the possession of the Litchfield Historical Society located in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Readers are introduced to the well-to-do ladies, Julia Chester Wells and Mary Perkins Quincy, respectively, who received the drawing as a catalog of sorts that highlighted new offerings at the time, from the House of Worth during the 1910s. Throughout the book, their fascinating lives are opened up to us so as to help us get a better sense of what the typical American House of Worth customer was like back during the brand's heyday.

I've read more books on historical fashions over the years than I could ever count, and can honestly say that this is one of the most unique and appealing approaching to profiling the history of a company, its customers, and its products alike that I've ever had the pleasure of encountering.

The Litchfield Historical Society has done a marvelous job in helping to preserve the history of The House of Worth through these Edwardian era fashion illustrations, just as Dover Publications has done by teaming with them for the creation of this 144 page book, which was published in August 2015.

There is so much to enjoy and admire about the fashions created by The House of Worth. They were pioneers in the field of both haute couture and high end ready-made clothing alike, and unquestionably, they helped to pave the way for many other similar companies, some of who are still in business to this day, that would follow.

If you have even the slightest interest in yesteryear fashion history (and chances are, if you're reading this post, then you definitely do), than The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 is for you!

The awesome folks at Dover Publications have very kindly offered a copy of this book to one lucky Chronically Vintage reader. Read on to find out how you can win (they're are plenty of ways to enter and the giveaway is open internationally).



Giveaway details:


This giveaway is for one copy of the soft cover book The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications from Dover Publications. It is open to readers (participants) worldwide and will run from today's date (Tuesday May 31, 2016) until 11:59 PST on Tuesday June 7, 2016.

The winning name will be drawn using Raffle copter's random winner tool once the giveaway has wrapped up and the winner will be contacted via email shortly thereafter. Your book itself will be shipped out to you directly from the fine folks at Dover Publications.

You may enter using however many of the following ten different Rafflecopter methods you desire. The only entry that is mandatory is that you please leave a comment on this post in which you share with me one or more of your favourite elements of Edwardian era fashion.

The more ways that you enter, the greater your odds of winning become. If you have any questions about this book giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me anytime.


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Edwardian fashions, be they the simplest of garments or the most elaborate and expensive produced, have always spoken to me, and getting a chance to read The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 was a true joy that left me yearning all the more for a time machine (and a Vanderbilt's pocketbook!) to the past.

Sadly, such isn't possible, but we can immerse ourselves in the history of such care of marvelous books like this, and I truly want to thank Dover Publications for teaming up with my blog to offer a copy of this terrific title to my readers (as well, they've very kindly extended a 25% off coupon code, WFBJ, which you can use on their website to save 25% off on all orders until the end of June).

Many sincere thanks, and best of luck as well, to each and every one of you who take part in this fun vintage fashion book giveaway!

Book Giveaway & Review: A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938 from Dover Publishing

The years spanning the crash of the stock market in 1929 to the outbreak of World War II in 1939 were some of the most troubled, fascinating and, at times, even lively, that the world has ever known. They were also, despite the immense hardships faced by many, some of the most fashionable and at that point in time, the design houses and clothing companies of France still held major sway over what the world sported.

While, of course, many people could scarcely survive - let alone think about keeping up the the Jonses on the fashion front - for those who were fortunate to still find themselves in a middle class or higher income bracket, the world of style carried on, by and large, much as it had for not only decades, but centuries before.

New names emerged, vying sometimes with well established favourites. Trends came and went with the seasons, hemlines - much like the infamous stock market itself - bounced from high to low and back again over and over, and certain looks would emerge and forever cement themselves as the defining styles of that decade.

The gorgeously illustrated book, A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War from Dover Publications does a marvelous job of highlighting some of the most engaging and stylish looks of the nine - ten years between the end of era that brought us The Bright Young Things and six years of indescribable horror, as WW2 tore like wildfire though huge portions of the globe.

This was a period of glitz and glamour on the fashion front, where talkies entered the picture in Hollywood and movie stars – and what they wore – began to take on a status akin to that, traditionally, held only for royalty. It was time of uncertainty and excitement. Elements of the now often said expression "you only live once" remained from the party filled heydays of the 1920s, yet they were tempered with a more sophisticated refinement and serious air in the uncertain days of the thirties.

In A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War, readers are presented with a splendidly detailed array of fashions from the era as they first appeared from the leading clothing designers of France at the time.

Save for a lovely written introduction, there is exceedingly little text in this 112 page soft cover book (which was released by Dover in July 2015). Instead the spotlight is shone - as I'm certain many a 1930s fashionista and starlet alike would approve of - on the clothing of the era itself. Such is presented through a well curated bevy of full-colour illustrations that first appeared in the pages of French catalogs which were geared towards especially towards the international market.

From the lingering notes of 1920s trends (think drop waists, handkerchief hems, cloche hats, etc) to the strikingly different styles that saw many a woman through the start of the second World War, such as hemlines that hit just below the knees, bold shoulder pads, and waistlines at one's natural waist, a flip through this book instantly highlights many of the trends, creative ideas, and beautiful details that called 1930s fashion home.

Being so devoid of text, this elegant book can be enjoyed in one quick sitting, though many a vintage and historical costume fan will want to savour it for far longer that - and both will find it to be indispensable in furthering their knowledge of, and appreciation for, looks from the third decade of the twentieth century.

From chic daytime ensembles (including that sort that you just know 1930s ladies who lunch were sporting en masse) to jaw dropping evening looks, the styles presented in this delightful book span the last breaths of the flapper era to the softer, and yet at the same time, also more rigid styles that would set the tone for fashion well into the mid-1940s.

This is a book to read and time and time again, each new viewing helping further details - from button placements to hemline shapes - to present themselves to you, the reader, as you soak up and savour the supreme elegance that was 1930s fashion for those with the means to buy from the best that France had to offer.

Though I myself rarely wear looks from this period (most, especially those before 1937, are anything but becoming on my short, hourglass shaped figure), I appreciate them immensely and have a strong affinity for all things art deco era fashion related.

Thus, it was with no small amount of pleasure that I readily, and happily, accepted Dover's wonderfully kind offer to both receive a copy of A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War to review here, as well the opportunity to give one lucky Chronically Vintage winner the chance to win their own copy of this fabulous vintage fashion resource.

Read on to find out how you can win!


Giveaway details:

This giveaway is for one copy of the soft cover book A Decade of French Fashion, 1929-1938: From the Depression to the Brink of War from Dover Publications. It is open to readers (participants) worldwide and will run from today's date (Monday April 25, 2016) until 11:59 PST on Wednesday May 4, 2016.

The winning name will be drawn using Rafflecopter's random winner tool once the giveaway has wrapped up and the winner will be contacted via email shortly thereafter. Your book itself will be shipped out to you directly from the fine folks at Dover Publications.

You may enter using however many of the following ten Rafflecopter methods you desire. The only entry that is mandatory is that you please leave a comment on this post in which you share with me one or more of your favourite elements of 1930s fashion.

The more ways that you enter, the greater your odds of winning become. If you have any questions about this book giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me anytime.


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There was, and will forever be, an unmistakable sophistication and understated beauty to 1930s fashion. It took its inspiration from countless sources and culminated in a streamlined, refined style that could be blazingly minimalist or enchantingly whimsical. Very often it fell somewhere in between, with lengthy lines, bias cuts, and all sorts of marvelous details – that still make fashion lovers say "oh-la-la" to this day – calling the looks of this decade home.

I feel fortunate to be able to add A Decade of French Fashions, 1929 - 1938 to my collection, as well as to be able to offer one lucky winner a copy of their own, and want to sincerely thank Dover Publications for another exciting and very generous collaboration. My thanks all go out to each and every one of you as well, who take part in this exciting vintage fashion book giveaway.

Best of luck to all those who enter!

Book Review and Giveaway: Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present from Bloomsbury

With an attention grabbing name like "Fashion Victims" one might expect a book boasting such a moniker to perhaps be a snarky take on street style, haute couture show addicts, or current day wardrobe "fails". Alas, I'm pleased to say, it very little to do directly with any of those things - at least not as we might picture them in the 21st century.

Allow me to explain. You see, Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present - a 256 page volume by author Alison Matthews David, that was published by Bloomsbury last year - is a detailed, intelligently written look at some of the most perilous aspects of clothing over the past three centuries (plus the occasional mention of an earlier period), with a particular emphasis on wearables from the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Most of us are familiar with the risks that such garments as corsets and extremely wide hoop skirts posed to their wearers (and in the case of the latter, sometimes, tragically those around them, too), but the hazards of fashion in decades and centuries past goes far, far deeper. In this fascinating book, Ms. Matthews David does an excellent job of exploring seven such wardrobe risk in particular, as well as the roles they played on mainstream culture and the collective psyche at the time that they were most prevelantly a very real problem/risk.

After an engaging introduction, the author jumps straight into exploring the hand that diseased/germ infested materials, toxic (manufacturing) techniques, poisonous pigments, dangerous dyes, potentially deadly clothes (as in those that could easy strange and entangle their wearers), inflammatory fabrics, and explosive fakes (think early plastics and faux silks such as rayon) each played in the lives of everyday people and the well-to-do alike.

Each topic is articulately presented, with no shortage of photos and/or illustrations, and one instantly senses that the author - herself an Associate Professor at the School of Fashion Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario - not only knows the subject matter well, but that she spent a good deal of time researching and really getting to the material she was covering.

Despite the very somber nature of the topics explored within, I didn't find Fashion Victims to be an overly heavy or grisly read. That isn't to say of course that the facts and (in some cases) theories put forth aren't gruesome at times, for they certainly are, but rather that that tone and pace of the book was such that it was an enjoyable read that I got through quickly. In fact, I fully expect I will reread this book multiple times over the years.




Whether one is a passionate historian, collector of yesteryear garb, vintage fan, and/or avid historical costumer, there is a great deal of information to be gleaned and taken to heart in this book. Case in point, and without spilling the beans too much on one chapter, I will never look at – or touch - early fur hats the same way again!

Frequently when we hear about the risks involved in many areas of clothing production and wear in centuries past, we then proceed to think, often erroneously, that we're beyond such dangers nowadays. And while it is true, thankfully, that we now know of the often catastrophic risks posed by certain chemicals, dyes, materials, germs, and even garment styles themselves, as the author astutely touches (including in her final summary chapter), we are by no means immune to hazards and life threatening problems in today's fashion world either.

Each year I read a substantial number of fashion related books, most of which are historically centered, and I can honestly tell you that this one had me on the edge of my seat. While I was already familiar with much of the subject matter, in nearly every instance, I learned more about a particular topic than I was aware of prior to picking up this book and I walked away feeling both well informed and like I'd just had a very eye-opening read.

Quick in tone, lively in spirit (again, relative to the subject matter), and well laid out, Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present is a book that I wholeheartedly believe deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone with even so much as a passing interest in the history of clothing.

As such, I'm delighted to let you know that Bloomsbury - who very kindly furnished me with my own copy (thank you so much!) - has offered one lucky Chronically Vintage reader a chance to win their very own copy of Fashion Victims by Alison Matthews David.


Giveaway details:

This giveaway, which is open to readers worldwide, is for one copy of the book Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present, which will be provided to the winner directly from its publisher, Bloomsbury .

The giveaway will run from today's date (Monday January 18th) until 11:59 PST on Monday January 25, 2016, with the winner being drawn and contacted via email (as well as possibly announced on social media) shortly thereafter.

If you've like to enter, please feel free to do with as many of the following Rafflecopter options as you desire.

The only one that is mandatory for entry is that you leave a comment on this post, the rest are entirely optional. The more that you enter, the greater your odds of winning.

Should you happen to have any questions about this giveaway, drop me an email and I'll be happy to answer them as best I can for you.



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Fashion Victims: The Dangers of Dress Past and Present is not only a smartly written, in-depth and deeply interesting book, it is also an important work of historical research and sobering account of some of the very real, very deadly dangers that have lurked - and continue, in certain cases, to reside - in our closets and places of clothing manufacturing alike.
 
I hope that the winner of this giveaway enjoys, and learns from, their copy as much as I did and want to sincerely thank the good people at Bloomsbury for sponsoring this wonderful book giveaway.
 
Best of luck to all those who enter!

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of I Love Those Earrings from Schiffer Publishing

For months, nay, years even before my 13th birthday, I knew exactly what I wanted as my gift when that milestone day finally arrived: to get my ears pierced. My parents wouldn't allow me to do so before then and I'd secretly dreamed for as long as I could recall of the right of passage that would be that big day. Naturally when my 13th birthday did finally arrive, I beelined it down to the local Claire's and got my ears pierced.

I beamed with joy looking in the mirror at the small pair of "sleeper" studs that the young woman at Claire's had shot through my lobes with that high pressure piercing gun. If the experience hurt, I didn't feel it at all. I was far too hopped up on excitement and joy. In quick succession over the next four years, I would get - and still have - three more holes in each ear. Making up, I'm the first to admit, in doing so for having to wait (unlike most of my friends and schoolmates) so long to get my first piercing and also because I've always adored the look of multiple holes in each ear.

Even with my pesky nickel allergy, I've been able to find and make some great, safe earrings over the years and wear a pretty pair in my lowest hole (the one I got on my 13th birthday) nearly every day of the year, very much including for the outfit shoots that we do here for my blog (simple studs usually call the other holes home).

Earrings are one of my favourite accessories ever and I adore that now my Etsy shop gives me the perfect place to sell those (vintage) ones that I come across, but know I can't safely wear myself due to the possible prescience of nickel in them. In general though, I've long been fascinated with this truly timeless accessory and was thrilled with my lovely friends over at Schiffer Publishing recently asked me if I'd like to do a giveaway for one of their marvelous books called (fittingly, I thought) I Love Those Earrings.




This expansive tomb is the most thorough work I've ever seen on the history, lore, social purposes, culture roles, and beauty of the humble earrings. Authors Jane Merrill and Chris Filstrup do a superb job of taking the reader through not only the history of earrings, but their own experiences with collecting these tiny works of jewelry, all the while highlighting their writing with scores of prints of famous works of art involving earrings, illustrations, and photographs.

This book traces the roots of earrings back to their earliest forms and continues that history right up to some of the best and most sought after modern designers. An engaging, eloquently written read that I couldn't put down, I Love Those Earrings is a must for any costume jewelry, vintage, antique, historical costume, or fine jewelry fan - especially since it's size (dimensionally, I mean) and hardcover make it an excellent choice for a coffee table book.

In addition to kindly sending me a copy to review, Schiffer has generously offered to send a copy of I Love Those Earrings to one lucky Chronically Vintage reader. This contest is open to readers worldwide and believe me, you'll want to enter - this is by far one of the most enjoyable, fascinating jewelry related books I've ever read and I can't imagine any fellow fellow of such not adoring this book as much as I did.



How to Enter

There are eight ways to enter this giveaway. You are welcome to do however many of these seven things as you like.

Please leave a separate comment for each method of entry that you do so as to increase your odds of winning. Single comments that list multiple forms of entry can only be counted as one entry, so again, please leave a different comment for each method that you enter with (thank you!).


1. Leave a comment below letting me know what your favourite pair of earrings that you own or, if you don't sport earrings, that you have ever seen is.


2. Follow Schiffer Books on Twitter.


3. Tweet about this giveaway, linking to Schiffer Books’ Twitter account and using the hashtag #ILoveThoseEarrings in your tweet.


4. Like Schiffer Books on Facebook.


5. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.


6. Sign up for Schiffer Publishing's mailing list.



7. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, linking to both Schiffer Books and this post when you do.


8. Follow (or be an existing follower) of Chronically Vintage on YouTube.


Giveaway Details:

As mentioned above, this giveaway is open to participants worldwide. It will run from today's date (August 6, 2015) until Friday August 14, 2015 at 11:59 PST. The winner will receive one copy of the book I Love Those Earrings, which will be mailed to them directly from Schiffer Publishing.

I will draw the winning comment using a random number generator and announce the winner on Facebook and/or Twitter shortly after the giveaway has wrapped up. If such information is readily available on, the winner will also be contacted directly via email or Facebook private message. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me. 

♥ ♥ ♥

It's been a long, long time since I first got my ears pierced back on my 13th birthday, I still get excited each time I buy or create a new pair of earrings for myself and felt a similar thrill as I read, and found myself thoroughly captivating, by I Love Those Earrings from Schiffer Publishing.

And speaking of birthdays, today's just happens to be Tony's (we'll be celebrating it, much like mine last month, together once he gets back in September from working in the States this summer), so I thought that I would share in the festive spirit of such with all of you by starting this fun book giveaway today on August 6th.

Best of luck to everyone who enters this giveaway and many sincere thanks to Schiffer publishing for teaming up with my blog for another stellar book giveaway!

GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of the wonderful book Decades of Hats from Schiffer Publishing

If you've been following this blog for even a small amount of time, you'll likely know how incredibly wild I am about vintage hats. Big, small, fancy, understated, glam, utilitarian, it doesn't matter, if the words "vintage" and "hat" are in the same sentence, and we're talking about pre-1960s offerings in particular, I'm not just game, chances are, I'm asking about prices! :)

My own hat collection, which seems to grow as if by magic with each passing season, houses over forty family members, most of which get worn at least once a year, with many being frequent players throughout any given month. I've chatted here and elsewhere on the web fairly extensively about my passion for old school chapeaus (such as in this 2012 interview) and am sure it's a something I'll shine the spotlight on again many more times in the future.

Today however, the focus is less on my own hats and thoughts on the subject at large, and more on a seriously charming book all about antique and vintage hats called, rather fittingly, Decades of Hats: 1900s to the 1970s by Sue Nightingale, which was released in 2014 from Schiffer Publishing.





Without a doubt, one of the most frequently asked questions that comes my way - especially from strangers that I encounter when out and about - is some variation of "where does one go to find information on putting together and authentically styling vintage looks". There are many sources from which to learn and be inspired on this front, from the more obvious (movies, photos, museums, etc) to others that might not spring to mind right away, but which are well worth checking out.

Unquestionably one of the finest sources is books: vintage, modern, somewhere in between, so long as they pertain to yesteryear fashions and are historically accurate (or very nearly so), books are unquestionably an amazing source of help and inspiration on this front. They're not just for the vintage newbie alone either by any means. Every time I purchase or receive a new-to-me book that even slightly pertains to the past and contains images relating to fashion, I study them like I'm prepping for the SATs.

That's why I couldn't say yes quickly enough when a friendly rep from Schiffer Publishing offered to send me a copy of Decades of Hats for myself to keep and discuss on my blog, as well to provide a giveaway copy for one lucky Chronically Vintage reader.

This book, though it does include a wonderful introduction and some small notes peppered throughout from author Sue Nightingale, is not a heavy, academic read. In fact, it's very light on text - save for that which appeared in the original catalog pages that it is chock-a-block full of. Housed in this 144 page book you will find over 300 images, culled from authentic vintage sources, all of which focus on the beautiful hats in them.

For those who are familiar with Schiffer's popular "Fashionable Clothes from the ---" series of books, which feature scores of mid-century clothing looks from the pages of the Sears catalog, Decades of Hat follows in much the same vein.

The emphasis through and through here is on genuine early to mid-century images of antique and vintage hats. It is laid out chronologically from oldest to newest, with a small, helpful bit of author impute and plenty to inspire, delight and inform anyone who has the pleasure of flipping through its pages.

Whether you wear vintage hats often or not, if you're a fan of old school fashion - and chances are that if you're reading this blog, that's a heading you fall under - than you will definitely want to enter for your chance to win a copy of Decades of Hats. It's a fun, easy to read, wildly enjoyably book that you find yourself returning to time and time again, for both styling inspiration and the unfettered joy that looking at yesteryear styles themselves never fails to deliver in spades.


How to Enter

There are eight ways to enter this giveaway. You are welcome to do however many of these seven things as you like. Please leave a separate comment for each method of entry that you do so as to increase your odds of winning. Single comments that list multiple forms of entry can only be counted as one entry, so again, please leave a different comment for each method that you enter with (thank you!).


1. Leave a comment below letting me know what your favourite decade or era for vintage hats is.

2. Follow Schiffer Books on Twitter.

3. Tweet about this giveaway, linking to Schiffer Books’ Twitter account and using the hashtag #DecadeofHats in your tweet.

4. Like Schiffer Books on Facebook.

5. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.

6. Sign up for Schiffer Publishing's mailing list.

7. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, linking to both Schiffer Books and this post when you do.

8. Follow (or be an existing follower) of Chronically Vintage on Instagram.


Giveaway Details:

This giveaway is open to participants worldwide. It will run from today's date (May 12, 2015) until Tuesday May 19, 2015 at 11:59 PST. The winner will receive one copy of the book Decades of Hats: 1900s to the 1970s, which will be mailed to them directly from Schiffer Publishing.

I will draw the winning comment using a random number generator and announce the winner on Facebook and/or Twitter shortly after the giveaway has wrapped up. If such information is readily available on, the winner will also be contacted directly via email or Facebook private message. If you have any questions about this giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me.

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Decades of Hats is a lovely, fun read that will make you yearn for a time machine and bulging pocket book. I actually purchased a new vintage hat within days of reading it for the first time, because one of the styles it included spoke to me so much that I knew that I needed to enrich my hat wardrobe with one that looks quite similar asap!

This book is a fabulous resource for vintage fashionistas, hat collectors, milliners, costumers, and anyone who enjoys hats (and/or vintage catalog pages/ads) in general.

I want to sincerely thank Schiffer Publishing for teaming up with my blog for this great giveaway. As a lifelong bookworm who always has numerous titles on the go, there are few things I enjoy offering my readers as a giveaway prize more than a fabulous vintage related book like this hat image filled gem.

Many thanks, and best of luck, as well, to all those who take part in this fun giveaway (I can't wait to read more about your favourite decade for hats!).

GIVEAWAY: Win a copy of The Magic Pattern Book by Amy Barickman

Earlier this year I had the great pleasure of reviewing and giving away a copy of the book Vintage Notions by author, entrepreneur, and esteemed sewer, Amy Barickman and today's I'm delighted to be teaming up with Amy's publisher again for another exciting book giveaway.

In connection with Vintage Notions, I was sent a copy of The Magic Pattern Book, which was also written by Amy. Not being a sewer myself, I will admit, a wave of panic washed over my soul when I heard that this book was en route. How, I wondered, would I explain or properly access the integrity and merit of a book about sewing, when it's an art that I only know the very basics (think high school home ec level) of myself?

Thankfully, all it took was flipping through the pages of this lovely hard cove book to instantly put my mind at easy. Much as how Ms. Barickman centered Vintage Notions around the work of famed home economics leader Mary Brooks Picken, so too did she turn to the Women's Institute for inspiration with this book. Even the title itself comes from the term "magic patterns" that was coined by the Institutive in the early 20th century (so-called be it was nearly magical how one pattern could create so many different garments when altered a touch or done up in a different fabric). Though it should be noted that patterns contained within, which are of a fairly beginner level and thus ideal for sewers with a wide range of skill levels, are not vintage themselves nor intended to create vintage style fashions.

Chalked full of clear, beautiful photographs and illustrations, this helpful, well laid book presents readers with a series of six different sewing patterns (in sizes small to XXL) as well as six different variations and six assorted fabric suggestions for each (the patterns come on a CD that is included with the book, but can also be downloaded from the web, if desired). Thus The Magic Pattern Book, which was released in 2014, aims to provide readers with the ability to make a whole wardrobe thanks to the fact that between all these options, one can, in theory create 216 or more different garments.

Though that may be a bit of a stretch (being a complete wardrobe, I mean), particularly depending on your personal style, it does unquestionably provide readers with a wealth of different, straightforward, engaging sewing patterns and variations on all of them that could easily help just about anyone enhance and grow their wardrobe and skills at the same time.

While I don't foresee making any of the lovely modern - but generally quite classic - fashions or accessories in this excellent book anytime soon (again, I'm not a sewer), I was still able to enjoy it cover to cover, learning more about both sewing and garment construction in the process. As a passionate fashionista and more recently as an Etsy vintage shop owner, I find these points to be invaluable and loved the take away lessons I picked up from The Magic Pattern Book for this and many other reasons.

I know that scores of you are sewers and that is a huge part of the reason why I agreed to read, review, and giveaway this wonderful book. I love being able to provide one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of The Magic Pattern Book, and if you'd like to try to be that person, please read on for the details of this giveaway.


How to enter


Definitely free to do as many of the following seven things as you'd like to gain entry in this giveaway. I just ask that please ensure that you leave a separate comment for each method that you enter with, so as to increase your odds of winning.


1. Leave a comment on this post letting me know what you might like to sew first from the book (the options are a dress, a tank top, a cardigan, an accessory such as a hat, a skirt, and a coat), if you win.


2. Blog about this giveaway on your own site, linking back to this post.


3. Like Amy Barickman on Facebook and post about the giveaway on your own Facebook page.


4. Follow Amy on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, including the hashtag #TheMagicPatternBook in your tweet.


5. Sign up to follow Amy's blog by email (you can do so at the top of the right hand sidebar).


6. Follow, or be an existing follower, of Chronically Vintage on Instagram.


7. Like, or be an existing follower, Chronically Vintage on Bloglovin'.


Giveaway details


This giveaway is for one copy of The Magic Pattern Book by Amy Barickman. It is open to readers from Canada and America, at the request of the publisher (apologies to my wonderful international readers), and will run from today (March 12, 2015) until Friday March 20, 2015.


Once the giveaway has wrapped up, I will select a winner using a random number generator and announce that person's name on Facebook and/or Twitter shortly thereafter. If doing so is possible, I will also try to contact the winner directly by email or Facebook private message to let them know that they won and to obtain their address, which I'll pass along to the publisher who will send your prize to you directly.

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I was genuinely impressed and inspired by this book. I learned from it, smiled over the tidbits of history and vintage quotes from the Women's Institute that it included, enjoyed the modern, highly appealing format, and don't doubt for a nanosecond that if I was sewer, I'd be powering my way through some or all of the patterns house between its covers.

Thank you very much to Amy Barickman and her publisher for the opportunity to giveaway a copy of The Magic Pattern Book here on my blog and also for sending a review book my way, too. Far from trepidation, reading this book filled me with happiness, got my creative juices flowing in general, and ensured that I will always have a great title to turn to if I want to purchase a fantastic, very useable book for any of my awesome sewing friends.

Best of luck and thank you very much to everyone who takes part in this fun sewing pattern book giveaway!

Book giveaway and review: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

 It's a safe bet to say that the twentieth century decade that is on most people's lips these days in the 1920s, a fact that is spurred on largely by the latest film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby, which recently hits theaters across the world. I've always been a Fitzgerald fan and looking forward to seeing this film asap; however the roaring twenties have been on my mind for months now, long before DiCaprio sashayed onto the big screen as Jay Gatsby.

The reason for this stems almost entirely from the fact that last year, as I mentioned in this post, Tony I finally started watching the show Boardwalk Empire, were instantly hooked, and promptly worked our way through every single episode that had been released up until that point.

There are many reasons to enjoy this show, but without a doubt one of the main ones for me has been the superb, detail oriented costuming. Unlike many shows and movies that have been set in the twenties over the years, Boardwalk Empire doesn't just focus on flapper fashions (though there are scads of those, too), but instead encompasses a wide range of clothing that women of various socioeconomic classes wore during the era.

It's refreshing to see such outfits, and to imagine what I would have been likely to have worn myself had I been alive at the time. Between the hair (including some longer, non-bobbed styles), make-up, and clothes presented on the show, a passion for the twenties was rekindled in a new way in my heart, and I've found myself more and more drawn towards the era ever since.

As such, when I was recently contacted by a lovely lady from Big Honcho Media on behalf of Harlequin Books who was curious to know if I'd like to review (and hold a giveaway for) a copy of New York Times best selling author Deanna Raybourn's latest release, A Spear of Summer Grass, which is set in the 1920s, I gladly jumped at the chance.

I tend to be much more of a non-fiction and classic lit reader, generally spending considerably less time with modern fiction than either of those two categories. As such, it was a refreshing change of pace to settle in with a hot-off-the-presses piece of contemporary fiction recently while I continued to recover from my surgery in April.

A Spear of Summer Grass tells the tale of a young woman named Delilah Drummond, who boasts both a checked past and a rather sorted present, and who finds herself fleeing her wild life in Paris, when a particular scandal (involving her recently deceased husband) begins taking up too much space in the gossip columns.

Leaving Europe and nearly everyone she knows (save for her cousin, Dodo) behind, Delilah embarks to Kenya, where she takes up residence in one of her ex-stepfather's (Delilah's mother doesn't exactly have a spotless record in the romance department herself) homes, which is called Fairlight. Gradually she finds herself falling for both the exotic landscape and a chap named Ryder White who acts as her guide in this foreign, exciting, beautiful - and at times dangerous - landscape.

Drama, seductive romance, intrigue and life lessons a plenty unfold for Delilah as her stay in Kenya continues, while Raybourn takes the reader on their own journey through this corner of the the Dark Continent, painting a vivid, engaging picture of a time and place that both seem wildly distant and close enough to reach out and touch. The plot, centered as it may be in the 1920s, could just as easily have taken place twenty, forty, or even some ninety years later, in the present day world, a trait which I didn't find off-putting in the slightest to the context of this tale.

The storyline moves along fluidly and enjoyably, and one finds themselves empathizing to a certain degree with each twist and plot turn that comes Ms. Drummond's way (some of which are, undoubtedly more than a little self-inflicted), as well how she often tries to make the best of the less than stellar situation she finds herself amply thrust into at Fairlight, where life is rarely a bed of African violets for her.

Delilah, like most memorable literary characters is rather far from perfect, but one finds in her a a certain reliability and the desire to see life ultimately work out for this enigmatic, troubled, adventurous young woman before the final chapter comes to a close.

This is the first book by Deanna Raybourn (who is well known for her Lady Julie Grey series) that I've ever read, and overall I quite enjoyed it. Raybourn shines as a writer when it comes to the lyrical, captivating way she describes the landscape of Kenya, and it was this element of the story that I found myself most enjoying as the book progressed. A Blade of Summer Grass was what I'd consider to be a light, enjoyable, easy read. The 1920s timeframe and African backdrop worked well together, and created an imaginary setting that one could easily picture themselves in, perhaps under different circumstances, too.

If, like me, you're in a 1920s mood these days or simply enjoy a good historical fiction read, then I've got great news for you, because this week we're giving away two paperback copies of A Spear of Summer Grass.

One copy will go to a reader in either Canada or America, and will be shipped out from the publisher. The other is up for grabs by one lucky reader from anywhere else in the whole wide world and will be sent to you from me directly (the books themselves that each reader will receive are identical, it's just that the only way I could open this giveaway up to readers around the world was to mail out that copy myself).

You can earn as many as six separate entries in this giveaway, by doing any (or all) of the following things.

1. Leave a comment in which you tell me one or more reasons, of any kind, why you like the 1920s.

2. Like Chronically Vintage on Facebook.

3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, providing a link back to your post in your comment here.

4. Follow Chronically Vintage on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, including a link back to this post in your tweet.

6. Write about this giveaway on your own site, including a link back to this post. Once you've done so, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know about your post.

Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning. 

This giveaway will run until 11:59 PST on Sunday May 26, 2013, and will, as detailed above, have two winners - one from either Canada or America, and one from any other country in the world. Both winners will be drawn using a random number generator and will be announced in a blog post here within 48 hours of the giveaway concluding.

I found Deanna Raybourn's latest offering to be precisely the kind of book that be perfect for a day of leisurely reading on the beach (where no doubt the sand beneath your toes would only help add further dimension to the author’s beautiful descriptions of Kenya) or anytime you're in the mood for a the kind of face paced, easy-to-get-through story that is packed with the promise of romance, excitement, and early twentieth century life.

Thank you very much in advance to all those who enter this giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of A Spear of Summer Grass. Best of luck to everyone!