Vera Scarves & Such

One of my favorite craft book series are the 99 Ways books. I have both the 99 Ways to Deck out Your Denim book, and the 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie and Rock Your Scarf book. The scarf book introduced me to Vera Neumann scarves, which I have been collecting obsessively since.

I thought I would post a few photos of my scarf (& napkin) collection and a roundup of the best Vera information I have found online.



First link is The Vera Company which now owns all Vera prints and is trying to resurrect the brand, selling the designs to Macy's (very nice table linens) and Anthropologie (clothes, scarves, and housewares). The most exciting is their announcement that they will be releasing a book (with lots of photos!) in March 2010. They also have their own blog which features lots of scarf tying tips. (Although my favorite scarf tying guide is the Play Time with Your Hermes Scarf pdfs)

My next favorite resource are the flickr groups Vera Neumann and Vera Textiles which feature hundreds of stunning photos of Vera designs.



Design*Sponge visited the Vera exhibit at a NY Anthropologie.

The Smithsonian featured Vera at a 1972 exhibit and even commissioned her to design a poster, which has sadly sold out.

The W Magazine posted an article with Anthropologie's Chief Merchandising Officer, Wendy Wurtzburger, about their collaboration with The Vera Company. Check out the photo of the beautiful Central Park scarf.



Scroll through all of True Up's posts tagged with Vera Neumann for some lovely photos.

Retro Age Vintage Fabrics posted a 1964 article about Vera and her husband.

Fizzy Lizzie has a beautiful overview of Vera information, including how to date her pieces based on the signature.

The design site Ars Longa, by Scott Lindberg, also features some great Vera information. You might recognize Scott's enviable collection of Vera designs from the flickr groups.

Miss Modish wears a gorgeous Vera blouse.

The Fashion Lawyer interviews Susan Seid of the Vera Company.

Ouno Designs creates patchwork bed quilts from vintage scarves.

Most importantly, my favorite resources for buying Vera are Etsy and occasionally I'll try my luck with Ebay.

Lastly, for general scarf knowledge, my new favorite website, Corporette, answers the question How to Wear Silk Scarves? and Brooks Brothers has another lovely scarf styling guide.

My flickr favorites:



1. Vera Linen Set, 2. Vera Scarf, 3. vera mod napkin, 4. Vera at the Smithsonian, 5. VERA napkin, 6. Vintage Vera at Anthropologie, 7. Vera Neumann Scarf, 8. Vera Neumann Daisies, 9. Vera napkins, 10. Vera napkins x 4, 11. Vera Neumann Scarf, 12. Vera Neumann napkin, 13. Vera Neumann napkin, 14. Vera napkins, 15. The catch of the day!, 16. thrifted vera napkins, 17. vera butterfly napkin-rectangle, 18. Vera Pink Butterfly Round Placemat, 19. vintage vera neumann floral napkin, 20. Vintage Vera Neumann Tea Towel - Kitchen Linen Calendar or Wall Hanging 1982, 21. Orange and Red Vintage Vera 1, 22. Vera Neumann Scarf, 23. vintage vera for mikasa plate set, 24. Vintage Vera Neumann Mikasa Tea Cup and Saucer Set

New Denim

I was almost out of my stash of denim, so it was time to restock. I also treated myself to some Gutterman thread, which I am excited to try. And of course I had to get some hook and eye closures for some upcoming sewing projects. I can't tell you how good it was to be back in the mainland where I could shop at Jo-ann's!

Paper Swap

I joined a "Found" paper swap back in July, it was organized by one of the participants in Elise Blaha's Get Crafty workshop. These are just a few of the fabulous items I got. Don't you love the banana bag? And those bird stickers remind me of Martha Stewart. And I love the Japanese papers at the bottom- they have great texture.

The Get Crafty workshop was really great, I have lots of good ideas for future projects. Elise has another workshop coming up, this one is only $15 and lasts 4 weeks. You should check it out.

Hey, isn't that.....

I've been trying to streamline my magazine collection, so I've been cutting up my old Martha Stewart Weddings and Living magazines and saving only the best articles in a binder. I found the above picture in an old Weddings ad, and thought it was really funny to see an old vintage Singer Featherweight used in the background.
In the end I don't think my streamlining project will save any space, I've narrowed down the Weddings into 2 BIG binders, and I'm tackling the Livings today.

Summer Afternoon, Summer Afternoon

I've been having a lovely summer, just haven't had much time for crafting or posting, for many reasons. I'm looking for a new job, planning to move in the next year, and I spent a two week vacation at home in the states (see below!).

But now, I'm shifting into DIY Wedding planning mode because we'll be having a church wedding in the Spring (we were married by a justice of the peace last year).

Lately I've been perusing these sites for inspiration:
100 Layer Cake
Once Wed (I love the Inspiration Galleries)
Vintage Glam
The Wedding Chicks
Something Old, Something New(I have to include an RI blogger!)

Have I missed any good wedding sites (I mostly like just scanning photos!)?



Hopefully I'll be able to post more regularly now!