On “Village School”: A Book Review

Title: Village School
Author: Miss Read
Genre: Fiction

About the book…
Village School is the first book in the Fairacre Series written by Miss Read (pseudonym of Dora Shafe). It follows a year in the village of Fairacre as seen through the eyes of Miss Read, the school teacher, recounting the various enjoyments and challenges faced by the villagers.

What I think…
I don’t think I could ever tire of this book or its author. In general, I am prone to liking books that take place in the English countryside or small villages and Village School is one of those books that hits the mark precisely.

Miss Read’s writing is lyrical in the nicest sense and flipping to any page at random will prove that this quality is present throughout. The experiences written about evoke a connection with the endearing characters, which you very quickly develop a liking and sympathy for (even the cranky Mrs. Pringle) as they go through their daily lives.

It is a delight to read about the school children and the things that happen at the school (quite obviously a big part of this book), and makes one wish that they had gone to school there with Miss Read or Miss Clare (teacher of the younger students) as their teacher. Another aspect that I really enjoy is reading about the various festivities and the preparations for them.

In addition, having read her biography, it was fun to pick up on some of the references to things that the real Miss Read experienced (such as her disappointment of not being allowed to use a metal sand shovel as a child).

To sum it all up…
This is the book you want to go to if you are looking for something well written, light and pleasant in subject matter, and overall charming in every way. And if you really like it there’s the advantage of it being followed by nineteen other books, the next three which I can vouch for as being equally as good! ♥

On Having a Nice Day

Sometimes having a nice day is hard. Nothing seems to go right, appointments have to be kept when one would rather be doing something else, the weather is less than enjoyable, or one just doesn’t feel up to doing anything. Tired and crankiness set in and one begins to feel like this:


Not normally having a fondness for vampires, this no longer sticky sticker
appeals to me enough that I keep it atop my dresser  

In some cases, of course, all it takes to make everything cheerier is to read a favorite poem or book, listen to a particular song, or watch a movie. Whereas other days it can be a bit more challenging and it seems like nothing will improve anything other than getting a good night sleep.

Then there are days that start out nice and continue on in that way from start to finish. Everything goes right, one hears from an old friend, or is surprised in some way, and those sorts of days are very nice indeed! ♥

On the Sleeveless Blouse and the Pedal Pushers: A Tale of Two Misfits That Came Together to Make an Outfit

Way back in April I mentioned here plans to make a few sleeveless blouses from McCall's 3732 and shortly after I began making version C (upper right).
 

While putting the pattern together went extremely well, I finally came to the point of trying it on only to discover the armholes were not at all large enough. In fact, they were so tight I almost couldn’t get my arm in all the way. Armholes aren’t all that complicated to fix if too small, but being me I decided that I’d try making the adjustment without taking apart the side seams. Two hours and a half later (as opposed to the 20 minutes it might have taken) I had fixed my problem and the blouse was finished shortly after.

However, then came the problem of having nothing with a high-waist would even remotely match with it (Neon green shorts with my 1950’s blouse? I think not!). The solution: pedal pushers!

Sometime last month I finally got up the courage to try making Simplicity 2836 and, unfortunately, decided to use poly poplin since it was inexpensive meaning that if something went wrong I wouldn’t feel too badly. The pattern I could only find in a size smaller or larger than I needed, but this ended up being a nice opportunity to learn some pattern adjustment techniques that I’m happy to say will be used again. As to the fabric, poly poplin, I found, does not press well and this made it very difficult to get the waist band and cuffs to look right.


The lapped side ended up smaller
and I couldn't unpick it without making a hole. 

Upon completion, I went to try them on and, much to my chagrin, they ended up resting a full two inches lower than where they should have been (the practice pair did not have this problem)! Darts went in and they now fit much better, although not as well as I would have hoped.

And now that you’ve read all that went into making them I bring you the outfit created by two misfits:



 

While the first blouse put a damper on my ideas for making more right away and the pedal pushers left me feeling a bit cranky, I can honestly say I really like both of the patterns and will at some point be returning to them. Some things I will keep in mind, though, such as taking out a seam saves time, poly poplin is not a good choice for a first attempt (or any for that matter) at making pants no matter how inexpensive it is, and absolutely no waist adjustment for future attempts on Simplicity 2836!♥

On Five 1950’s Things I Love

In honor of this being my 50th blog post, I thought it’d be fun to look at five 1950’s things I love.

1. To Catch a Thief
Made in 1955, To Catch a Thief is in my top favorite movies from this decade. With Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, an engaging plot, an interesting setting, and beautiful costuming, there’s nothing I dislike about this movie!

Earlier this year I also read the book it was based on, written in 1952 by David Dodge, and found it to be equally as good.

2. Sewing Boxes
I really like the accordion sewing boxes of the 1950’s. They’re well made and hold a lot of supplies. They also double as a small table if you don’t constantly use the supplies they are holding.

3. My Favorite Building!
Built and opened in the early 50’s, this wonderful building’s large window and all the natural light are two of the many things I love about it!

 

50's wall clock!

4. The Modern Household Encyclopedia
Having quite a few 1950’s books that I adore, I must admit I had a really difficult time choosing which one to put on this list (Beauty course book? Home decorating? High school English textbook? Which one?!?). However, this book published in 1955 won out because it lives in the pile next to my bed.

The Modern Household Encyclopedia, while thin, really seems to have it all, ranging from cooking tips to locating your slippers in the dark (phosphorescent buttons, just in case you were wondering-see photo below).

(click to enlarge)

It’s great fun to flip through because you never quite know if you’ll end up reading a definition or a how-to.

A page with both good advice and questionable advice
(click to enlarge)

Lovely idea for hanging hats in the car!
(click to enlarge)

5. Constance Depler’s “Bar Hounds”
Constance Depler was known for her artwork in the 50’s and this is one of my favorites of hers!

While my list could probably go on and on forever, and is indeed missing a few of my most favorite things (I didn't even touch on clothes or sewing patterns!), these were some of the things that quickly came to mind that give me great pleasure in regards to the 1950’s and seem to be the perfect way to celebrate my 50th post! ♥