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I have a vast -- nay, friggin' huge -- collection of vintage patterns and books. They are an endless source of inspiration and wonder to me. Sometimes, of course, I wonder what the designers were thinking when they came up with them, but mostly I'm thrilled to see these creative bits of the past. At times, they are bourne of need and thrift, others of artistic expression, others of wealth and leisure. I'm fascinated by these historical documents and enjoy recreating or rethinking them. I love the feeling of connection with the women in the past who followed these patterns long ago.

What follows is an ongoing photo gallery of images that I hope you find interesting and inspiring, too. When possible, I will also show photos of my attempts at the designs. I kinda promise not to "update" them too much, as those attempts largely fail, but I hope the pieces that are inspired by them work. As an example of what not to do, the awful book "From Vintage to Vogue" is an embarrassment of adaptations gone horribly, horribly wrong. It's worth picking up and looking at how it is possible to take a vintage design and squeeze any life or charm out of it.

When looking at the designs below, I think it's plain to see how the best of them can easily "adapt" to contemporary wardrobes without too much fuss. Simply working them up in a fresh fiber or your favorite colors will do wonders for their usability. Hell, just wearing them with your 2007 hairstyle will do wonders for your perception of them.

A note about the organization - I have arranged this section by item category, not by period. I think it's intriguing to see how things change and how they stay the same. I hope you find these snippets from the past as achingly inspiring as I do.

Anyway, on with the show...

Accessories -- easy to make, fun to wear -- what hooker hasn't made a little something from the leftover bits in her stash?

Sweaters, blouses, vests, coats -- you'll find them here from old to new-ish

Skirts, Dresses, pants -- minis, midis, maxis, pencils, slutty and demure

Miscellanea -- not everything crocheted is for wearing, is it, so here are the non-wearables for your amusement

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