Thursday, June 14, 2012

Vintage - Castleberry knits

Another thrift store find, I don't know why I had to have this except that I immediately envisioned white linen palazzo pants, a thin lizard belt, gold bangles and big black sunglasses.  There's more, there was a cocktail in one hand, chaise lounge, a pool in the background and a cabana boy somewhere in there.

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My mother was very talented, and one of her talents was knitting these classic dresses for herself and clients.
She had a Pfaff double bed knitting machine which produced rib knits and intricate textured patterns, later she would buy a Brother single bed knitting machine to make intarsia and lace knits.  I still have this knitting machine and a few cones of yarn, so the purchase was more of a study of the cuffs and joining knit to woven.

The top itself has potential, it is 100% polyester, and while I normally stay away from polys this is a high end polyester, it is silky and very lightweight.  In addition to the knit hem and cuffs, there is a strip of knit trim around the collar and yoke (front and back).  I imagine this would be an easy travel item, wrinkle resistant and easy to wash and hang to air dry.  It can be worn as a jacket, with a cami underneath as the front opens all the way to the waist. A departure from what many travel pieces look like (we don't always want to wear tank tops and tank dresses).  An interesting style with some interesting design details.


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Hidden button placket
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Shoulder pads - inside out view
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Rib knit joined to woven fabric - just a note, this knit has tremendous recovery, from a flat 30" it stretches to 42" without distorting, so finding the right knit is key for this project.

Bottom Hem
Stretched out
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Relaxed
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Cuffs
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Knit trim collar edge
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Isn't it nice to know that even manufacturers have problems finding matching sets of buttons?
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