Hello, Va-Voom Vintage fans!

It's Emileigh from Flashback Summer, and I'm privileged to be able to do a guest post for Brittany today!  When she asked if I would want to, I was super excited.  I've been a fan of her blog for a while, and now I get to be a part of it!

As I'm sure you vintage lovers know, unique and colorful vintage gloves are more scarce, and when you can manage to find them they can be a bit expensive.  However, there are plenty of plain gloves around, especially white ones!  These plain gloves are a blank canvas for you to dress up according to your personal style and preference, and it's also a budget-friendly way to get the unique glove styles you'd like to have.  Today I've got seven ways to spice up a pair of plain vintage gloves that you guys can try!

#1: Dye them a different color.
I've been looking for a red pair of gloves lately, but I can't find any in my area.  So, I decided to dye this plain white pair!  It's quick, easy, and doesn't require any complicated skills.  This is also a good way to fill in any "color gaps" you have in your wardrobe because you can pick any color you want.

#2: Add contrast stitching.
This is especially good for gloves that have the stitching on the outside.  A while ago, Brittany mentioned that some pale yellow gloves she bought weren't such a good idea, as they looked like dish gloves.... This accent fixes that problem!  As I did with this pair of gloves, this technique adds a bit of color that you can match to your outfit without giving a "dish glove" look.  It also gives you an opportunity to show off any fancy stitches you've learned.

 #3: Add a cut-out.
This technique is on the more advanced end of sewing skills, since it involves cutwork.  However, if you take it slow (or already know how to do it!), you can end up with a pretty cool accent.  You can outline it in a contrasting color, like I did, or you can keep it subtle with the same color and let your cutwork speak for itself.  It makes a fun driving glove or even a steampunk sort of look, I think.

 #4: Add a cute trim.
I sewed on just a peek of lace to these beige gloves to add some femininity and detail.  However, you could also try a large ribbon, rick rack, or a knitted or crocheted trim.

#5: Embroider the gloves.
Though it can be a difficult to maneuver inside the glove to embroider it, I think the results speak for themselves!  I embroidered the edges of these gloves and added some curliques to accent the little bow that was already there.  It added a pop of color and lots of cuteness!  This was probably my favorite transformation!  There are also lots of possibilities.  You can do a fancy stitch on the edge, initials, a small picture, or just a simple design around the wrist.  Use your creativity!

 #6: Add buttons.
This is a great opportunity to use any vintage buttons you have in your stash.  You can use as many or as few as you want.  My pair of gloves already had waves on it, so I accented them with some plain white buttons.  However, you could put just a couple buttons at the wrist, line the edges with buttons, or anything you want!  It's a good way to showcase your especially beautiful buttons, too.

#7: Do a combination!
Why be constrained to only one of these techniques?  Try a combination, like I did with the gloves above!  I dyed them and also added buttons to the wrist.  You could add a button and embroider a design around it, dye a pair and edge them with ribbon or contrast stitch them, make a cut out and border it with tiny buttons, the combinations are endless!  Get your creative juices going and create something beautiful!

Do you think you'd like to try any of these techniques?  Which is your favorite?  Do you have any other ideas?
If you spice up a pair of gloves, I'd love to see them!

 Love you guys!
- Emileigh