Birthday Goodies and Rag Curls!

Yep, I just celebrated my 25th birthday last Friday!!!

I was spoilt rotten, with flowers from both my boss and my dad, a vintage sewing machine from my husband, a Royal Albert tea cup in a 1950's design from my In-laws, lovely white tablecloths and napkins from my Grandma, Assorted goodies from my Nanna, including a pink crocheted cup and saucer, decorative thimbles and a USB drive full of knitting and crochet patterns.

Along with my flowers, I was also lucky enough to get some birthday money from my dad, so I went on a bit of a shopping spree!

 I Finally managed to get the Gertie capri pattern in the larger sizes, as well as a few other repro patterns from Spotlight, a 1946 home journal with its patterns, plus a few bonus pattern pieces from a 1935 weigels pattern. Some more bra making supplies, vintage buttons, a whole heap of beads and things (10 for $1 at spotlight) more overlocking thread, 2 vintage toy sewing machines (probably from the 70's) and some cute cherry print vintage fabric!

I've also finally figured out the secret to successful rag curls!

Before when I tried rag curling my hair, I would wash my hair and tie it up in rags when it was almost dry, but still a bit damp. No matter what I tried, I could never get them to fully dry by the next morning. Not even by using my retro Lady Sunbeam hair dryer (the type with a bonnet you put over your head) and using lots of small sections of hair. So I decided to try it a different way. I sectioned my hair into 5 sections and just used the rags to curl the ends, while my hair was dry, then showered as usual, trying my best not to get my hair wet, but not using a shower cap, so that the steam would hopefully work on my curls. After a good night's sleeps I took the rags out, brushed out the curls and had gorgeous 40's style soft curls.

At work last week, rocking some 40's curls

So Now I've been rag curling my hair nearly every night! The curls hold all day (and even the next day if I don't re-curl them or get my hair wet) I haven't even needed to use any product, and no nasty drying heat styling. I was getting a bit fed up with my longer hair, so I'm so glad I've finally found an easy style that I love!

Before Shower: about 7 sections of hair tied up in rags. I curl my sections downwards, but tie them on top as that's easiest for me. There are plenty of in depth tutorials out there, this is just a quick outline of how I do mine. I was just using 5 sections, but I was finding the back sections weren't holding the curls as good as the front was, so I changed it to 7 slightly smaller sections

In the morning: after Coffee and make up obviously!

How the curls look after I've taken out the rags, but haven't brushed them out yet:

Before brush out

Not sure why the colour went so weird in these...

Then the Brush out! I mostly use my fingers to loosen and separate out the curls, then I use a brush to lightly brush, mostly the top to smooth it a bit and the back to get rid of any knots that may have formed overnight.

And with glasses...

Excuse my dirty old mirror...

I also Coloured my hair for my birthday. I think I've been binge watching too much Bomb Girls and Mad Men while sewing, so I've been having ginger envy. I mean, do Kate Andrews or Joan Holloway ever have a bad hair day?  I just went with a cheap box colour, and it turned out really pale, and more of a strawberry blonde (perhaps as my hair was so light before) and while I really love it, I'm hoping the colour will deepen when I have to re-dye my regrowth in a few weeks.

Dixie O'Dare

P.S. I finished another dress! Butterick B6094 in a red tartan that you can see above. I will be posting about it's construction when I can convince my husband to take some photos for me.