Baby Bean Vintage Studio

You can now find me here...

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Little Bean shop blog
and
Small Magazine blog

Just In! Vintage Fabrics!

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I have many more! email me christine at babybeanwear dot com to see more before you order Spring!

Sample Sale 50% off

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in my etsy shop

Snapshot from the photo shoot...

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Janet Playsuit

working on Spring/Summer 2010....

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vintage fabrics - blues

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Olivia Tux Dress

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100% grey cotton fabric with vintage fabric ruffle down the front. Simple a line fit with elastic neck. Hits above the knee.
100% Cotton
$52

Katie Bow Dress

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$68
Comes assorted vintage fabrics or email me to choose. Any size. Pictured on Amelie with a handmade Sophie & Lili doll.

as seen in Small! (I had to feature it!)

Indigo Ruffle Tank

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Vintage Baby Bibs

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I used to make these a long time ago. I changed the pattern a bit using vintage buttons to close rather then ties.

Playing while sewing...

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Dirty Projectors

mid-summer blouse

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Love this feedsack print.

eyelet trim skirt & vintage fabric scrap wood bead necklace

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another frock for the new shop

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Crayon Rolls

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For the shop....

Twisted Shell and Rick Rack Short

2009-06-21T10:15:00.003-05:00

Working on some things for the new shop.

vintage fabric delivery

2009-06-17T09:06:00.003-05:00

Good News!

2009-06-14T09:36:00.003-05:00

Well, we are going to call it Little Bean. This has been a dream of mine since I moved here to Dallas. I will post the progress of the shop. Little Bean will be filled with all my creations as well as designers I love and have worked with at Small Magazine.

Small Renewal

2009-05-06T13:49:00.003-05:00

I spent the last few days working on a very cool project for a Small Magazine shoot. I turned a few women's dresses & sweaters from Goodwill, along with some vintage fabric scraps, into six dresses for a 7 year old. Now I am packing them up and shipping them to the photographer in Canada. I can't wait to see them photographed!

Some New Summer Styles

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Summer Jumper

Millie Crochet Daydress

Fashion Illustration

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Barbara Hulanicki for Topshop

Summer Frocks

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I am sewing a few Summer frocks for my Etsy Shop today and I find these prints and silhouette's very inspiring. These illustrations look so much like my vintage fabrics.
From Weldons' Bazaar of Children's Fashions
July 1933

obsession du jour: balloons

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Monsieur II print by Blancucha

Balloons on the Up and Up by Kristinenoel

Tray by Shinzi Katoh

Heading out of town....

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to stay in a cabin near a river with some sunshine to shoot the latest fashion spread for Small Magazine.

Ruffle Bloomer

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I am working on a few of these bloomers with the contrasting fabric ruffle for my Etsy Shop. I am planning a big shop update in a few weeks.

Cigarette Silks

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Around the turn of the century smoking became quite popular with woman and the cigarette companies, who usually inserted sports figure trading cards in the package of cigarettes for men, started inserting small silk pictures. Woman started collecting these "silkies" and some companies even included instructions for making household items. Just like feedsacks! The silks were even used for quilts.

Photographs from Dating Fabrics-A Color Guide by Eileen Jahnke Trestain
More info about the silks here.

New Sundress

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Made from vintage lawn fabric and vintage cluny lace. I am having fun making a few new things to go in the Etsy Shop! This one is a size 3T. It will be in the shop soon.

Playing in the studio today while cutting out dresses...

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Antony and the Johnsons

Children's Playmate Magazine March 1940

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Easter Crafts!
I found this magazine on Ebay years ago. As always I love how the whole magazine is beautifully illustrated.

Seersucker Summer Playsuit

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I am working on samples to use for our Small Magazine Summer Photo Shoot. This will be up on my Etsy Shop soon.

Fifi for LeSportsac

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check it here.

Now that the weather is getting warmer...

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i would like to start riding a bike to my studio every morning. I love the floral design on this yellow bike and the basket is perfect for my sewing supplies!
Both from REI.

Vintage Sewing Needles

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I always find the best vintage sewing supplies at Estate Sales. I love the packaging! All made in England.

Hooray!! a new online magazine!

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Antler Magazine via Design for Mankind

same same

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monamici LOVE!

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I love trade! While in NYC at Bubble I traded a Baby Bean dress for one of these Organic Lily Dresses by Monamici for Miette. She loves it and wore it all weekend. Monamici is one of my favorite children's clothing lines---Beautiful, simple and modern!!!

Inspiration for Spring: Bright Colors

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Fashion Illustrations by Jo Ratcliffe at TopShop.

Just in: More Feedsacks!

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Oranges

Pinks, Purples & Blues

Greens

Heading out of town to Austin, TX!

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Hoping to see these guys play today......

I Heart Balmain!

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Check out the FW 09 Collection here.

Some more Vintage Paper Needle Books I found...

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found here.

Vintage Paper Needle Book

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I always find these Vintage Paper Needle Books at estate sales. The illustrations and packaging are fantastic!

Indigo Fabrics

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I discovered Indigo Fabrics at the Dallas Quilt Show yesterday. They are made in South Africa using designs from old English pattern books from the 19th Century and 20th Century American Mill Designs. The fabrics are stiff to the touch because in South Africa woman equate that to good quality. They do get very soft after you wash them. You can buy these fabrics from www.reproductionfabrics.com.

Cool Mom Picks!

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playing while sewing spring

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The Mountain by Heartless Bastards

Just in: 60's & 70's prints

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Obsession du Jour: shoes

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Shoe Drawing by alphabets

Prince by irisschwarz

Week31 SEVEN Weekly Edition of 7 by irisschwarz

Pierre Hardy Gold Leather sneaker by discotoast

Props for a kid's photo shoot

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Parasols

Accordian

Bird Cage

Kite

Pi-Pa

Bamboo Hair Picks

We will be working on a kids photo shoot this weekend and found these props for the shoot. From Pearl River.

Fall-Winter 09 Baby Bean Vintage Poster

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I just ordered this print as a poster for my booth at Bubble NY.

Art Of Dressmaking 1927

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trunk show

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Baby Gadget!

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Jenna over at Baby Gadget wrote a post today about the new collection. Jenna and her husband have a company called Whimsy and Spice that sells delicious sweets and a blog called Sweet Fine Day that I read daily. It's very inspiring!

Totally crushing....this is the perfect spring wardrobe!

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Spring 2009 Built By Wendy

playing while uploading the new issue of Small...

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Brendan Canning

the weekend

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Orla Kiely and cocktails

Miette the assistant stylist

Esther Summer Daydress in Cookiemag.com!

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Cute editorial! Check it out here.

Obsession du Jour: Feathers

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Fabric feather by Stephanie Barnes

For Being Birds Of A Feather Merit Badge by leemeszaros's

Baby Leaves Blue Earrings by MStevensonDesigns's

Love Peacock Feathers by Daisy Bow Designs

Rosie Flo

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Rosie Flo's Games Colouring Book. Just add heads, legs and arms! I can't bring myself to draw in mine. Beautiful illustrations. Find more here.

Rosie Flo's Games
Colouring Book
By Roz Streeten
Chronicle Books

new shipment of old feedsacks

2009-02-05T09:03:00.002-06:00

We just received a big box of old feedsacks. Here are a few of my favorites.

Mooks

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We have some Mooks in our house and the kids just love them.
by I Love Grey Skies

Playing while we work....

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Sam Champion

favorite feedsacks from my collection

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Pink Anchors with Stars

Red Knots and Flowers

beautiful. moody. florals.

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Lovely story shot by Steven Visneau and styled by Aubrey Mayo. I LOVE all the floral dresses.

1952 Simplicity Girl's Angel, Princess and Fairy Costume Pattern

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Children's Valentines

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Little Brown Pen

Whisker Graphics

Sarah Jane Studio's

More Spool Pets found on Ebay

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Pete Pig

Bob Bunny

BIAS TRIM and RICK RACK packaging

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This is bias trim packaging from 1935. It has instructions to make a Spool Pet. You cut out the horse and glue the two ends to a spool of thread. You could collect all 6 animals. How cool.

I love these illustrations.

pockets and fabric scraps

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Little Davis

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I love the clothing line Little Davis.
Her children's collection is made from reconditioned cashmere, vintage linens, vintage fabrics and liberty cotton.

Spring Florals

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We are starting to cut our Spring orders. Here is some of the vintage fabrics we are using today.

adventures in stitches

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What a great way to embellish tees and dresses.

adventures in stitches
by mariska karasz
1949

the perfect gift

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Whimsy and Spice.

I CAN FLY

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The illustrations in this book could inspire a whole clothing collection. The prints of the dresses are fantastic. I can picture the owls, the cow and birds screen printed on tee shirts.

I CAN FLY
Published by Golden Books 1951
By Ruth Krauss
Illustrated by Mary Blair

Playing in the studio today

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Amazing album from Esperanza Spadling.

1940's vintage salesman’s swatch folders

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I found these old salesman's swatch folders at a local antique shop here in Dallas. The prints are amazing. Back then home sewing was so common that a salesman would come to your door to sell you fabrics. Times have changed!

Looks I love from vintage patterns

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Nice

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Nice mention of Steven's work here.

Obsession du Jour: maps

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Vintage Map Wooden Blocks

Map Envelopes

New York on the Globe

Map Heart

Children's fashion ads from 1927

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From Leach's Children's Fashions 1927

D Magazine

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Judy Keyhole Dress shot and styled by Maxine Helfman for D Magazine. Maxine is one of my favorite photographers. She shot an amazing story for us in Small. Check it out here.

sunday at the museum

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We spent most of our time at the Olafur Eliasson: Take your time exhibit.

old fabric tags

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Playing in the studio today

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makes me miss Jersey...the shore...Diners...the short drive into the city.

Obsession du Jour:Masks

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Girl with Mask Print by Kiki and Polly

Owl Mask by Monpetitfantome

The Masked Ball Print by The Little Chickadee

Black mask by TotusMel

A few snapshots around the studio

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Vintage Children's Pattern Book

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I found this great children's pattern book on Ebay a few years ago.

Love these photos!

Check out this playsuit. Love that shiny polka dot fabric.
Love the adjustable sun hat.

Feedsacks

2008-12-27T13:16:00.006-06:00

Here at Baby Bean we make a lot of our dresses with vintage cotton feedsacks. I love the history of the feedsack. Feedsacks were first made of heavy canvas, and were used to obtain flour, sugar, meal, grain, salt and feed from the mills. The story starts in the early 1800's when North East Mills started using inexpensive white cotton fabric instead of the heavy canvas and farmers wives started using this feedsack fabric for dishtowels, diapers, and nightgowns. Manufacturers of the feedsacks decided to offer the sacks in colors and prints as a marketing ploy to get the the wives to pick the sack by print or color, instead of the brand of feed. Also it took three feedsacks to make one adult dress so the farmer would likely buy more. Flour was the most popular item sold in these feedsacks.

Magazines and pattern companies began to take notice of the feedsack popularity and published patterns for the feedsack prints. A 1942 estimate showed that three million woman and children or all income levels were wearing print feedsack garments.

So manufacturers started to compete with each other to provide the best prints and some came with preprinted patterns for aprons and dolls.

Here are some of the feedsacks we have collected over the past few years. Most of them have been made into dresses and shipped to stores or customers. The prints are so amazing and sometimes I just can't cut them up for dresses!

Information written found here at Quilt History.

Inspiration for our fashion editorial shoot

2008-12-26T18:40:00.011-06:00

Sometimes I do a little fashion styling. My husband and I will be shooting a fashion editorial for a local mag here in Dallas and here is some of our inspiration.

The movement that Richard Avedon captures is beautiful.

I love the Spring/Summer Collection from Charles Anastase. The denim, the socks with platforms, the delicate clown collar and especially the glasses.

HELP SAVE HANDMADE NOW!

2008-12-25T20:36:00.003-06:00

Please help to save Handmade Toys in the USA from the CPSIA. Read about it here and to find out how you can help go here.

A few things I will be making for Christmas Eve

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Hot Buttered Rum

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Artichoke Dip

Baby Bean Fall 09 Photo Shoot

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We photographed the new line in our living room.

Miette styling my flat shots.

Some new styles for Spring 09

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Esther Summer Daydress

Daisy Drop Waist Daydress

Lucille Sundress

Etsy Holiday Gifts

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I bought these Vintage Woodland Fairies bookplates from Oiseaux

Alice in Wonderland

Little Red Riding Hood

and these papercut prints from Elsita.

vintage fabrics no.2

2008-12-17T10:46:00.009-06:00

Here are some of the vintage fabrics I used for my Fall 09 samples.

a little snow in Texas.

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miette daydress in small

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love this illustration by The Black Apple in the Winter Issue of Small. I always try to sneak one of my pieces into the fashion illustrations of the mag!

still obsessing.

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can't stop listening to this record.

bow tie tees

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miette models a new style

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totally her idea to do this pose.

Baby Bean photo shoot

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We have just scheduled our photo shoot for the Fall/Winter 09 collection. I ordered these boots from Minnetonka for my little models. I would love to use these tights by Pop-up Shop.

via Babygadget.