Damascening is the product of chiseling and inlaying different metals, typically gold or silver, into a dark, oxidize steel background. In jewelry, usually there are little scenes or patterns made. It's a beautiful process, traditionally hand done. Each piece is carefully hand chiseled, and then silver and gold foil from large spools are laid by hand in them. This art form has a history that goes back to Japan, as a way to decorate katanas, samurai swords. Damascening has been practiced by many cultures, but somewhere along the line began to be emulated, where pieces would be painted, rather than actually inlayed....

When dating and learning about vintage clothing, one of the many things you will research is fabric identification for vintage clothes so I'm absolutely thrilled to be sharing these vintage 1940s "Fashion Frocks" fabric swatch samples so you (and I) can learn more about vintage fabrics used in garments from the 1940s era. Fashion Frocks was a company that manufactured fabrics and clothing starting in the 1930s. These Fashion Frocks Sample Pages are from Miss Amy on Flickr and it really is such a wealth of information! Here is a fabric swatch sample for GABARDINE from a 1946 sample. Gabardine...

Who knew there were so many different types of sleeves a garment could have! Here is a quick reference guide to 16 different types of sleeves often found with vintage dresses and blouses. SHOP SHORT SLEEVE DRESSES   SHOP SHORT SLEEVE TOPS   SHOP LONG SLEEVE TOPS 

Learn more about vintage clothing and the construction of vintage clothes with this handy reference guide to popular collars and necklines often found with vintage dresses and vintage blouses.