Meet Carla: The cosplay adoring, mid-century wearing, multitalented crafter from Tiny Angry Crafts

This month, for the first spring 2016 installment in our delightful ongoing "Meet a Fellow Vintage blogger" series, I'm over-the-moon excited to be chatting with none other than my good online friend Carla W., from the wonderful blog Tiny.Angry.Crafts.




Not only is Carla sweet, caring and kindhearted, but she's an active member of our vintage blogging community who frequently visits other peoples' sites. I've had the pleasure of knowing Carla for a few years now and really admire her spirit, passion for the past, fabulous knitting skills, and diverse array of interests, many of which appear in her enjoyable blog posts.

Carla and I are both west coast girls, too (albeit on different sides of the 49th), which is just one of numerous points that we share in common. If you haven't encountered Carla and her blog before, or have and are every bit as keen as I was to learn more about this fabulous vintage fan, read on to get the lowdown on everything from some of her favourite vintage knitting pattern resources to her love of cosplay, how her site's name came to be, the fact that she wants to learn corsetry and so much more!


Inquiring minds want to know, as surely there must be a good one, what’s the story behind your very memorable blog name?

Haha! My sister accidentally came up with the name. I'm shorter than she is; 5ft2 to her 5ft8, so I'm Tiny to her. When I'm being good while crafting, my glasses are off, and I have a very stern looking face when I work, which looks Angry. And I'm always Crafting. She strung the words together one day while we were at the zoo, and it stuck.



How long have you been blogging for? Was there anything in particular that lead you launch Tiny Angry Crafts?

Oh goodness, I had to go into my blog and check, but I've been blogging since 2010. I initially started up this blog to show off a lot of knitting and crochet craft I had worked on and sold to go with my (sadly empty) Etsy shop. But, I had a letter writing blog a bit before this, and a LiveJournal.




What sorts of crafts are you currently drawn to the most?

I love knitting and crochet. I also am very drawn to embroidery and cross-stitch, but I don't get to work on it as much, sadly. And I'm an avid letter writer, I have a few pen-pals I write to.



Do you find that you get much time to devote to your crafting passions?

With school, not as much as I'd like to. But I'll steal away an hour or two while I'm working to take a breather, and work on my cardigan or crochet up some slippers.



How does crafting intersect with your love of the past?

I come from a very crafty family, my mother used to be a tailor and dressmaker, my father was a milliner's apprentice, my grandparents know their way around a needle and thread, and my grandmother's mother made a good portion of her (and her 5 siblings'!) clothes.

It's always humbling to know they were able to make something from almost nothing, and have lovely stories to recant about it.



Have you been living a vintage filled life for quite a while now? (And when did you first start wearing old school styles?)

Hmmm, I've been interested in vintage styles since I was about 10 years old. I blame my grandfather for constantly having Turner Classic Movies on the television. But I was a terribly shy person growing up, and was afraid of drawing attention to myself (which is ironic, because I dressed up like comic characters before I dressed vintage). I think I started gaining more confidence to dress up when I turned 22 or so. So not very long, actually!



What is/are your favourite decade(s)? Any reasons in particular why such is the case?

I really like the 1930s and 1940s in terms of 'Oh hey, I'm going to wear this 30s style today' or something. I find myself drawn to the necessity to create ones own clothing while all this stressful turmoil going on. And I also love how they look on me.

In terms of aesthetics, I really enjoy a lot of 1950s and early 1960s looks, but I very rarely wear them.




How (if applicable) has your style changed since you first got into vintage?

I've stopped covering myself up a lot for one. In high school and my late teens, you'd often find me bundled in a jacket, no matter the weather. I've learned to embrace how my shape is. I've began to wear more makeup, take better care of my clothes, learned what styles do and do not fit me, and have had a lot of fun trying new things with my hair!



Are there any yesteryear celebrities/notable figures whose style you especially admire?

So I'm not subjecting your readers to a list about 20 miles long, I'll list a few:

I absolutely adore Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, and Lena Horne. They are so very important to me, being African American women who overcame not only rampant racism, but also sexism. How they all persevered in their craft, is a constant source of motivation to me.






Five crafting related items you’d take with you to a desert island?

Knitting needles, yarn, fabric, scissors, needles.



Do you tend to have a lot of WIPs on the go, or do you try to finish a project before moving on to the next?

Oh I'm sure if my family knew crafting slangs, they'd call me 'The Queen of WIPs'. I tend to get bored with a project, then will pop on to a new one. I eventually go back to some WIPs, if they're small enough.



I know it can be hard to choose, but if you had to pick one very favourite craft, what would it be for you?

Sewing. I went to school for it, and I've been doing it for most of my life. It's pretty much in my blood, haha!




Is there a craft (or really, any hobby) that you’d like to learn, but which you’ve not dabbled in yet?

I'd love to learn corsetry! Just to say 'Hey, I made a corset!' And it'll be a fun skill builder. I'd also love to learn to make faux armor with various plastics.


What are some of your favourite online crafting related resources (blogs, shops, how-to sites – anything you’d like to share)?

The Craftsy blog

By Gum, By Golly

The Vintage Pattern Files

The V&A 1940's knitting patterns

Knitting Help (This site is how I learned to knit my senior year of high school!)






You’re currently in school. Can you share a bit with us about what you’re studying and the direction you’re currently planning for your career?

I'm all set to graduate! I'm taking a course called 'Advanced Fashion Design' which has me (and 16 other classmates) making my own 3-5 garment collection. I've based mine on the 1930s, and it will debut at my schools fashion show in May! Career wise, there isn't a lot here in San Diego - and I'd love to get into theatre work along the line - so I'll just go where the wind takes me.



When not blogging, crafting, or going to school, what are some things we can find you doing?

Sleeping, playing with my dog, Prince, adventuring through my city!


Five words that you would use to describe yourself and five (others) that capture the spirit of your vintage wardrobe?

Myself: Quiet, inquisitive, kind, petite, and resourceful.

Wardrobe: Small, simple, colorful, dresses, cute.

And last, but not least, anything that you wish folks knew about you, but that they might not be aware of (about you) from your blog?

I mentioned I make costumes and wear them to comics conventions. The art is called Cosplay, and I've been doing it since 2007. It's what really kick started my love of sewing more, and sort of pushed me to going to school for fashion design. I plot to make a couple more cosplays for San Diego Comic Con, as well as for Comikaze, which might be from a few classic TV shows and movies!

Connect with Carla on the following sites:

Her blog

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Meet the past interviewees who have taken part in this delightful ongoing post series:

February 2015: Emileigh | March 2015: CiCi | April 2015: Helen Mae | May 2015: Esther | June 2015: Ms. Falcon |July 2015: Jessie, and Laurence & Sylvain| August 2015: Holly | September 2015: Rhia | October 2015: Franny | November 2015: Emily | December 2015: Porcelina | January 2016: Nora | February 2016: Kate

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Thank you very much for the terrific interview, Carla. It was an total joy talking with you and discovering more points that we share in common (for example, I would use those very same five words to describe myself, too). If you're not already following Tiny.Angry.Crafts, I highly recommend that you do so - Carla and her blog are a true delight!

I also really want to thank each and every one of you, my lovely readers, for the many wonderful comments that you shower each month's interviewees with, as well as the support you often show their blogs, social media sites, and when applicable, online shops, too.

One of my absolute favourite things is helping to bring members of the vintage community (all the more) together, very much including introducing those who may not have met online yet, and I feel really fortunate to have the chance to do so through this fun ongoing post series.
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If you're an active member of the vintage blogging world who routinely interacts with others in our midst (and who hasn't appeared in this series yet) and would like to be interviewed for a future post here down the line, please don't hesitate to drop me an email anytime. I'd be thrilled to chat with you, too!

Vintage sewing, rescue dogs, and 1940s reenactments: getting to know blogger Rochelle from Lucky Lucille

In my experience, whereas in the offline world one is routinely introduced directly to someone new by a person they already know, this happens far less online. I'm not talking about discovering another blogger via a post on the site of a person you follow, I mean having someone specifically go out of their way to tell you, "Hey, I think you'd like so-so and because...", or, "Have you meet Ms. Blogger, I think you two would hit it off splendidly", or something to that extent.

Last winter, in her wonderfully nice comment on my post about becoming a wig wearer, Tasha of By Gum, By Golly personally recommended that, if I didn't know her already, I visit the blog of a fellow full time wig wearing, vintage adoring gal by the name of Rochelle.

Being a total wig newbie at the time, and only one of an exceedingly small number in the vintage community that I'm aware, of I was deeply touched by Tasha's suggestion and made an immediate beeline over to Rochelle's beautiful blog, Lucky Lucille. Here, not only did I discover a fellow wig wearer, but a kindred spirit with whom I shared a great many interests and similarities, from adoring the 1940s to being a pet (but not human) mama, crafting to a passion for yesteryear catalogs.

In the months since then, I've had the great pleasure of following Rochelle's blog and in turn having the honour of her following mine. We've chatted about wigs, for sure, but also many other things and it was with no small amount of joy that I welcomed her last and her blog, Lucky Lucille, as one of Chronically Vintage's new sponsors in July.

This month I interviewed Rochelle, chatting about everything from WW2 reenactment events to rescue dogs, and today I am thoroughly delighted to bring you that very interview. I hope you'll enjoy learning more about this inspiring, awesomely talented woman and her fantastic blog as much as I did.


Your blog and your sewing both embody such a tremendously lovely sense of the hardworking resourcefulness and creativity that so helped to define 1940s, what are some other things that you feel define you and your wonderful website?

One of the best compliments I ever got was about my honest and humble writing style. I'd like to think people keep coming back to my blog because they enjoy what I have to say, as well as what I'm wearing. Oh, and of course, Lucille has a fan club all her own!




What came first: your passion for vintage or your love of sewing? (Or did they spring to life around the same time?)

Well they are two passions that I kept entirely separate for a very long time. I didn't mean to, I just didn't really realize I could essential sew my own vintage until recently! (It's so nice to have a 1940's dress that I can throw in the washing machine!) I grew up in a home with a sewing machine, a plethora of black and white movies, and a Bing Crosby Christmas album playing every December, so those paths were bound to merge at some point in my life!


Are there some things you wish you’d known when you started sewing when you started out that you know now?

I wish I had a better understanding of what makes a garment fit well, and how to implement those changes for a more successful sewing project. I have SO many dresses sitting in my closet that I love as a project, but do not love as a wearable item. You live and learn!


What are some of your favourite fabrics to sew with?

Hands down it's cotton, cotton, cotton! Any kind of cotton. It's practically all I use and I'm not ashamed of that. It's such a versatile fabric and I'm convinced there's a type of cotton out there for any sewing project you could imagine. In fact, a friend and I are hosting a vintage cotton only sewalong right now.





To date, what are three of your favourite items of clothing (or accessories) that you’ve sewn or knit for your wardrobe?

Definitely my WWII era Marian Martin dress - that will always be one of my favorite dresses. I also love my self drafted swing skirt, and a pair of 40's trousers that I sadly broke the zipper on and have yet to replace. I should really get on that because I wore those pants all the time!





What would be your dream project (vintage or otherwise) to sew or knit for yourself?

Oh goodness, if I had an ounce of talent at knitting I would definitely knit a heavy duty 1940's "boyfriend" sweater, or some kind of color work project with cute animals. My dream sewing project would involve my own line of sewing patterns. ...I'm working towards that actually ;)

{Image source: Sears and Roebuck catalog, fall 1942}

Aside from sewing, knitting and blogging, what are some of your other creative pursuits and hobbies?

Well I'm a big nerd so I enjoy reading epic fantasy novels, watching period piece films, and bowling hehe! I also really love snowboarding (it cured my seasonal depression!). I've also started digitizing some of my 1940s periodicals and making them available as downloads. Some of these magazines are just too good not to share! I'm working on restoring the "War-time Manual For Housewives" now.


Your personal fashion style is so understatedly, classically beautiful and evocative of a patriotic 1940s gal, what are some of your key wardrobe musts for those looking to take your sartorial lead?

Definitely a classic 1940's shirt dress! That's a piece that is truly timeless and translates very well from vintage to modern. I don't think shirt dresses will ever, ever go out of style.





Lucille, your immensely cute rescue dog, is a key player on your blog (and of course in your life). Do you find that she influence your style and/or what you blog about?

She certainly influences me in the sense that I live by her example. Before I rescued her she lived a very sad, hard, life but you'd never know it by her attitude now. She doesn't hold a grudge against humanity when she has every right to. She LOVES people and is generally an extremely sweet, happy-go-lucky pup. Her breed also faces a fair amount of adversity but she doesn't know that. She is what she is, and I am what I am, and we're happy as such. Dogs just take life one day at a time, and always stop to smell the flowers :) We can all learn something from that attitude.


You and I both share a passion for adopting rescuing animals and the importance no-kill shelters. What are some things that you wish more people knew about shelter animals and why it’s so important to consider adopting an animal from a shelter when looking to add a new pet to one’s family?

Oh boy, I could talk all day on this subject! I went to school for Vet Tech and also worked in a shelter, so this is a subject very dear to me. A lot of people think people give up their pets because there is something "wrong" with them. But the truth is, many people give up house pets who are well loved and well trained simply because their situations change and they no longer have the means to care for them. The majority of shelter animals are not bad pets. They just got dealt some bad cards.

You should go into a shelter with an open mind and talk with the staff about the right type of pet for you. I swore up and down that I was going to rescue a male greyhound, but walked out with a little white and brindle pit bull instead. She's the dog who won me over, she's the perfect dog for me, and now I can't imagine my life without Lucille. In her case, ending up in the shelter was the best thing that ever happened to her.

When you rescue a pet, you save two lives: The life of the pet you adopted, and the life of the pet who got to take its place at the shelter. Also, when you pay adoption fees, you help save more lives by supporting the shelter and allowing them to purchase vaccines and other resources for the animals still waiting for their forever homes. There is a fine line between rescuing and hoarding though, and with 5 misfit cats and one dog (a low count of pets for me!) I'm cutting it close haha! You can't save them all, but you can definitely make a difference.




You’re a fan of 1940s reenactment events (awesome!), what are some of your tips for those who are looking to get into this fun activity for the first time?

Start going to events dressed in period clothing to get a feel for what it's like, then try to join a reenacting group! It's always more fun when you can make new friends when starting a new hobby, and joining a group gives you the perfect opportunity to do that. Not to mention, a group leader can offer you guidance when putting together your impression (which is sort of like a character). Keep in mind that not all reenacting impressions are military.

I joined a group called The Paper Dolls and we do home front impressions specifically (think Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Land Army!). Do as much research as you can, and do your best to be authentic. Reenactors honor veterans and civilians by representing them as accurately as possible. It can very disrespectful to show up at an event and not represent the time period correctly.






You’re transported back in time to 1940s for an hour with a hundred dollars (in 40s money) in hand to spend however you like. Quick! What do you buy?

Well considering there was rationing going on during the war, and you might not be able to buy whatever you wanted even if you could, I'd still try to order pretty much one of everything from the women's section of Sears and Roebuck!

{Image source: Sears and Roebuck catalog, spring 1942}

Five words that you feel describe your life right now would be?

Great new things to come :)


Thank you very much for this marvelous interview, sweet gal. I adored getting to know you ever better, as I’m sure my readers did, too.


Rochelle and Lucille can also be found across the web on the following sites:

Facebook

Flickr

Google+

Instagram

Pinterest

Twitter

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I will always be grateful to Tasha for introducing me to Rochelle, and in turn to Rochelle for helping to answer some of my wig related questions during those early days of life sans my real hair, as well as for each and every email, blog comment, and lovely social media interaction we've shared since. Wigs may have brought us together, but a great many other things have helped form a shared point into a meaningful friendship.

Believe me when I say, you are bound to adore her Rochelle's fantastic blog. It is chalked full of awesome how-tos and patterns, finished sewing and knitting projects, old school images, endlessly adorable photographs of Lucille, and myriad other things, amongst which, we can all find something in common with this creative, beautiful vintage loving lady.