The Dress Like Your Grandma challenge is a highlight every year, especially as more and more sewists participate and dig into family trees and other historical archives for inspiration. Some of the entries this year just made me stop in my tracks and stare in amazement.

I shared this on social media last month but forgot to post it here--eek! This is a wonderful challenge to get you sewing from your own family tree (or borrow a family tree!). Tanya has extended the deadline to April 24, so there's still time to participate!

I found your pattern (1940s Swing Dress) and it was the exact dress I was hoping to find in all the shops I had visited!

One wonderful accessory my late grandmother left to me that I wish I’d taken better care of was a pair of classic 1959 “cat” sunglasses. Those shades were of a heavy bakelite-style plastic and looked great with vintage dresses or just about any outfit. Alas, the plastic (while thick) was brittle, and one day, as I bent over to retrieve something I’d dropped

I so enjoyed writing about my paternal grandparents in Part I and Part II of this series, and I promised to share at least one more post about my grandmother's beauty regimen. Well, as I got thinking back over my memories of Mimi, I realized there were actually quite lot of things to write about, so I've got at least three posts before I'll finish off. Today's will be my grandmother's general philosophy of loveliness. It's one that rings true with me all these years later, and I think its wisdom is timeless. I hope you enjoy this blast from the past that still resonates today!

Planning to attend Titanic memorial events this year? I've pulled together vintage images from 1911 and 1912 to inspire you, and I've also got step-by-step photo instructions for a 1912 boy's outfit. Enjoy!

This 1950s Vogue pattern illustrates how a very simple design can make the transition from day to evening. The long skirt and dramatic back are truly striking. My 1958 Party Dress pattern has a similar style, including the kimono sleeves and V back option. Lovely!

Suddenly we're slim again! This is a 1957 McCall's pattern which shows a return to the slim look of twenty years before, albeit with shorter skirts and bared arms this time around.

The flared skirt look lasted well over a decade--even when the slimmer skirts started coming into vogue. Here is a 1959 dress pattern with options for the both the slim and the full look.

Here is a Simplicity ladies' playsuit pattern from the 1950s. What drama! Note the one-shoulder bodice styling and the "pannier" wrap skirt.

This 1950s Simplicity dress pattern is a lovely example of the early 1950s look with the full, hip-emphasizing skirt and pretty horizontal bodice detailing. It's the dawn of the "New Look" after the fabric rationing of WW2 came to a close.

A 1954 pattern for blouses. Note the interesting angled sleeve/armscye details.The "Atomic" age brought with it a vogue for more defined shapes. You see it in the furniture and home design as well.

A gorgeous 1950s formal gown pattern--probably for bridesmaids' dresses. The one on the left would be for a formal evening wedding, while the one on the right would work for a daytime wedding. Dreamy!

Early 1950s dress pattern, just beginning to show that 1950s "New Look" silhouette. I love the notched collar and the belted waist. This is a tailored, chic look for daytime.

Perhaps more than any other item, the circle skirt instantly brings the '50s to mind! My late grandmother wore these all the way into the late 1960s and looked fabulously glamorous in them. I love this feminine silhouette!

This knock-out 1940s Vogue pattern is very classy with its princess lines and back skirt panel (just right for dancing).The 1940s were famous for wonderful bodice and neckline treatments, and this one is no exception with its double bows below the V neckline. Gorgeous!

This 1940s Hollywood pattern features a fitted midriff belt with back ties, a V-neckline created by the crossover bodice and softly gathered shoulder yokes. It was my chief inspiration for the 1940s Swing Dress Pattern!

Here is a young Lauren Bacall, right at the start of her climb to fame. She has such a lovely personality, and her clothing--even now--is so classy.

This is a 1940s tailored jacket pattern from Simplicity with top stitching and lots of pocket options. I admire the clean lines and feminine fit.

Fifteen-year-old Shirley Temple sits on the diving board behind her home in 1943. Her cute play dress features a white collar and a slightly flared skirt, and note her "grown-up" shoes with peep toes. (Image courtesy of Rita Dubas and 20th Century-Fox.)