Category: sewing

designers, Hollywood, sewing, vintage fashion

Jacques Fath & Rita

Lisa
Photo: Life Magazine

Rita Hayworth was something of a muse to Jacques Fath, who designed her blue wedding dress to the Prince Aly Khan, as well as her trousseau of 15 gowns to get her through the wedding week. Her wedding dress, designed in a powder blue Fath called “Rita Blue”, was copied almost immediately, and made available to the American public whilst the happy couple was still on their honeymoon. It was only available in America in navy and black. He then designed her maternity wardrobe shortly afterward. The sale of her wedding dress design caused an on again off again feud between the two, and Fath reportedly didn’t even send congratulations to Rita at her next wedding only four years later. There is no word whether they reconciled before his very untimely death from leukemia in 1954.

This dress, shown in Life Magazine was also designed for Rita, and was also seen in her namesake blue.

sewing, vintage clothing, vintage fashion

Gown of the Year

Lisa

As the fashion industry began to hit its stride after World War II, new fashions began to be seen. Dior’s New Look, of course, was one. Dresses began to be made with voluminous amounts of fabric that weren’t allowed during wartime rationing. In New York, a contest for “Gown of the Year” was held.

14 designers were asked to submit their designs, and they were worn by socialites at the ball. The jury was all men (!), and included Basil Rathbone, Richard Aldrick (a producer), and singer Morton Downey. The winner? Jean Desses, who had not only never been to the US before, but had never exhibited a dress here.

The ball gowns were worth a total of $7650 and were designed by Sophie, Jo Copeland, Christian Dior (New York), Henri Bendel, Ceil Chapman, Mme. Garnett, Desses, Carrie Munn, Lilly Dache (who I didn’t realize designed dresses, as she was known for hats), Oleg Cassini, Charles James, Omar Kiam, Nettie Rosenstein, and Adrian. Shown here (designers as listed above, from left to right).

The winning gown, with Msr. Desses on the right.:

Photo: Life Magazine.

The Christian Dior, New York dress, constructed 80 yards of lace and tulle just in the skirt:

Photo: Life Magazine

The Carrie Munn design. Is that skirt quilted?

Photo: Life Magazine.

The (fantastic) Adrian dress:

Photo: Life Magazine.

No word on the criteria for design or judging, other than it needed to be considered as Gown of the Year. I don’t know if they continued this contest yearly, or if it was just to jumpstart the fashion industry, but I’d love to see something like this today. I doubt we’d see it, as designing for a contest is probably too cost prohibitive for today’s fashion houses, but it sure would be interesting to see. With some female judges this time, please?

sewing
Lisa

Hubby is in the hospital again, after a nasty fall that caused terrible back spasms to the point where he couldn’t walk. Never a dull moment around here. It’ll be a week tomorrow, and he still has a week and a half before they will cut him loose, so I’ve been filling the time when I’m not at the hospital with various projects that I’ve been putting off.

My daughter came over today and filed patterns for me whilst I wrangled toddlers, and she made several videos for social media of the gorgeous stuff I bought in Michigan. I’ve spent the evenings familiarizing myself with this newfangled thing called a “TV remote” that I have, up to this point, never been allowed to touch, as it is hubby’s domain. I’ve been watching shows I’ve been wanting to see, but still can’t find a way to watch The Great British Sewing Bee here in the US — and don’t you know I have tried.

I found that the chairs in hubby’s hospital room are terribly uncomfortable and were causing me no end of neck pain, so I decided to work on this little project, to keep me aligned better. It’s a vintage Avon kit — I didn’t even know Avon made needlework kits! It’s called Floral Sentiments Pillow, and I think it’s cute. I found it on Facebook Marketplace, and it came just in time to put me to work. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment every time I finish a square, as opposed to a big project that I may never finish.

I’ve never been a fan of crewel embroidery. I just don’t like how it looks. That being said, my dad did crewel embroidery right up until he died at age 92, and my mom was a flower nut, so it’s a tribute to both of them. Since I don’t like crewel, I will probably pass it along to someone, or perhaps add to things to pass to the grandkids one day, so they can remember dear departed crazy grandma. It gave me a notion to start a hope chest of sorts for the grands, with pillow cases and things, but that probably means that one day my kids will have to clear my house of all of the UFOs (unfinished objects), so perhaps I will rethink it. What do you think?

sewing

When Worlds Collide

Lisa

I listed this book in the Etsy shop the other day. It’s a book of needlepoint patterns based on quilt designs. I always think it’s interesting when needle arts collide like this. The fact that needle arts are adaptable like that is only one of the many creative genius veins that run through our history. Needle arts are so ingrained in our nation’s (and world’s) history, but they are so often overlooked.

This particular book is interesting, because it not only shows the quilt pattern and how to needlepoint it, but it gives background on the individual patterns, and quilting history. For example, did you know that a girl needed to have twelve quilt tops completed in her hope chest? This was, of course, on top of the other items, like pillow cases, etc. But twelve quilt tops! They were not completed quilts, because a girl who completed her quilts before she was engaged was destined to spinsterhood. Instead, the twelve quilt tops were finished after her engagement, as precursors to today’s engagement parties. What a great way to bring women together in celebration!

I’ve come across books like this before. I had one that recreated crochet patterns for bedspreads from the colonial era, and let’s not discount the “Make and Mend” books, that show how to adapt clothing, especially during the World War II era. Our grandmothers would probably think we were nuts for enjoying these “old” things that they lived in real time, but it’s a vital part of enjoying the history of needle arts, don’t you think?

1950s fashion, sewing, sewing patterns

My Superpower

Lisa

McCall’s 5185, ©1959

I have a superpower that few can lay claim to. Maybe nobody. This pattern is a prime example. Isn’t it great? I sold it today, and therein lies my power.

For some whacky reason, I will sometimes come across a pattern in my stash. It’s been there a while, or maybe not. Maybe I listed it a looooong time ago (see last post) or maybe I just listed it but it’s one that should’ve sold overnight, as some are wont to do. Either way, it’s in my files and it shouldn’t be. Or maybe I look at it with a new eye and say to myself “wow, that is so cute.” Once in a while I even have the thought of inactivating the listing because I’ve just had it too long. But that little thought? That’s it.

That little thought means that that particular pattern is going to sell within 24 hours, guaranteed. I’m virtually 100% on this. It’s always by happenstance. I just come across it and wonder why I have it, or think to myself that it’s cute and I may as well package it up because it is going.

I’m not sure what causes this particular phenomena. I don’t do this every day. Most days I’m just madly crashing through my files looking for whichever particular beauties are going out the door. Maybe I’m cursing a bit under my breath because yet again, they have gotten out of order. Maybe I’m annoyed because they are in the back of a bottom drawer, and I’m not ready for the gymnastics required to reach that particular pattern, but trust me when I say that I don’t stare longingly at my filed patterns. But once in a while, a spark happens, the angels sing and one just jumps out at me, then BOOM. It sells.

I think the quickest this has happened has been half an hour after I came across it. It averages less than twelve hours from thought to sale, and it can’t be forced. I can’t pray to the patron saint of sewing (who is, if you must know, Saint Tabitha) because believe me, there are days where I’d try. Some days I can’t even run a massive sale to get one out the door (like today – 25% off because yeah, it’s my birthday). I sell all day, every day, but I can’t make it happen. It’s just my little Magic Kingdom and it happens when the stars align and the angels sing.

So that’s my superpower. What’s yours?

sewing, sewing patterns, vintage clothing, vintage fashion

Why Do I Still Have This?

Lisa

New York 872.

I’ve had this pattern for a long time. As in, a long time. I’m not sure why. I think it’s adorable. Romper / playsuit patterns are always popular, and I think this one is wonderful, but what do I know?

I got this pattern as a part of a salesman’s old stock, so it’s brand new and in wonderful condition, so that’s not a problem. It’s a bust 29, which is tiny, of course. My mom was a bust 29 when she got married, but it’s much more uncommon these days. That being said, I sell tiny sized patterns all the time, and people are pretty adept these days at resizing patterns to fit them, so I don’t know that that’s it.

It’s an unprinted pattern, which many sewists aren’t familiar with, so is that it? Perhaps. The rules of unprinted patterns are pretty easy though, so if people get over there fear and decide to expand their skill sets, they will find that it’s not so difficult as they may think.

Personally, I think the problem here is the illustration. Not that it’s not cute, but I think that pattern illustrations or photos definitely sell the pattern, and this one just looks perhaps too old fashioned for some people to visualize. That’s why illustrations look so different. Illustrators are taught to draw in a different scale than we actually are, in order to show the garment off as well as possible. They put the models in elegant poses. I actually prefer illustrated patterns from the 40s and 50s, rather than the modern ones that show the garment on people. Sure, photos show the garment on a real body, but I appreciate the art that went into creating the illustrations, and I look at many of them with a humorous eye, especially when they are seemingly talking with each other, have a tiny person at the bottom, or when they are leaning on imaginary objects. It’s just cute.

But this garment is obviously really cute. The illustration is sweet. The pattern is brand new. So why do I still have it? Please tell me.

1970s fashion, sewing, sewing patterns, vintage clothing, vintage fashion

Where It All Began (Kind Of)

Lisa
Simplicity 6926. Photo: FlorasNeedle.

I’ve been out of commission for a few days from an ear and sinus infection. Immunosuppression is not fun, folks. Thanks, lymphoma.

Whilst I was lying in bed feeling miserable, of course I was browsing sewing patterns when I came across this one. This is the first pattern I ever sewed. I was a sophomore in high school and decided that I wanted to learn how to sew. I took home ec in junior high, but only took the first semester, which was cooking. Second semester, instead of taking the sewing section, I switched to wood shop. Ironic, given my obsession with sewing patterns now.

I was the youngest of five kids, and though my mom could sew, she didn’t enjoy it, and by the time she got to me, she had pretty much stopped. She taught me all the needlework: knitting, crocheting (I’m VERY crochet impaired), embroidery and needlepoint, but she never taught me how to sew, and I wasn’t really interested. In my sophomore year of high school, something triggered my interest, so Mom got her old Necchi sewing machine out (a gift from my grandmother) and I set off to make this dress under Mom’s direction. I’m not sure that either of us really appreciated the process.

I made it in light blue chambray. It was, I’m quite sure, very wonky looking, but I wore it to school and was quite proud of myself. I then never sewed again until I was in my mid-30s, when I made my ex a couple of scrub tops (again, quite wonky, but bless him, he wore them all the time) and tried to make my daughter a Pikachu costume, which I dropped mid-project. It was still a couple of years before I started selling patterns, and now I’m in neck deep and loving every minute of it.

Sometimes things take time. Nursing was my passion from my earliest memories and was right up till a couple of years ago when I left to take care of my family. Sewing patterns started much later, and now I am obsessed, and learning to sew once again, albeit much easier projects. So yeah, if you are twenty, or forty, or sixty, just remember, finding your passion can take some time. The big thing is to not stop looking.

1910s, sewing, sewing patterns

Fashion Intersections with History

Lisa
McCall 3921, Ladies Waist. ©1911

I was adding pictures to the Vintage Patterns Wiki this morning. I got them from an April, 1911 McCall Magazine. I added this one and then realized — this is the same month that the Titanic went down. These are the subtle kinds of connections that fashion has with history, when we look at a garment and think “wow, someone who died in the Titanic may have been wearing this,” or when we see a pink suit and think of Jacqueline Kennedy on that fateful day in November, or a 1940’s nurse’s uniform and think of Times Square at the end of the war. This is why fashion is so important. It’s an entire sector of understanding culture.

We shall not talk about that celebrity wearing Marilyn’s dress on the red carpet though. That was a desecration beyond desecrations, IF indeed she wore the real thing, which many people are questions.

I leave you with Miranda Priestley’s take on the connections fashion has with our culture.

1920s fashion, sewing, sewing patterns, vintage clothing, vintage fashion

1926 Laws of Decoration

Lisa

I listed a series of sewing books from 1926 on Etsy over the past few months, called A Modern Course in Home Sewing and Dressmaking. They are available as downloads, and are a fascinating look into the mid 1920s era of sewing and styling techniques. They incorporate hand and machine sewing, and cover everything from seams, to fabric choices, to trims, to construction. I posted the last one today, and it covers silhouettes and style. I thought I’d share some of the ideas found.

They call them Leonardo’s Five Laws of Decoration.

  1. Decoration exists to make more beautiful the object decorated, and not to exploit itself. (I think Coco Chanel took this concept when she said to look in the mirror before going out the door and remove one thing, so as not to overdo it.)
  2. The first premise of decorative treatment is a crying need for decoration on the part of the thing to be decorated. (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.)
  3. Decoration should follow the structural lines of the thing decorated and add an appearance of strength. (Don’t weaken the design by trying to go outside the lines.)
  4. Decoration should not interfere with the proper function of the object decorated. (This is especially important in sewing. Don’t try to use chiffon when the pattern calls for cotton, or the garment won’t function as designed.)
  5. Decorations should be consistent in technique, material, scale, color and texture with the object decorated and with each other. (Don’t mix apples and oranges.)

Keep in mind that these principles work just as well for home decor as they do for sewing. I think it’s a great little short course in taste. What would you add to the list?

sewing, sewing patterns

1935 Spring Wardrobe

Lisa

I found an article from 1935 that mentioned what a woman’s spring wardrobe should be, so I went looking for the patterns. I couldn’t find a lot of them, so if you see any of them, please share and I will update the post. Listed are the patterns, the fabric recommended, and the final price to make it.

Swagger Coat Advance 1275 – El Chico Waffle Cloth – $1.23

Sports Ensemble Advance 1160-2 – Hollywood Yarn Dyed Seersucker – $2.82

Shirtwaist Dress McCall 8327 – Penney’s Printed Cord Fabric Pic-Pon – $1.71

Lace Knit Frock – Advance 1232 – Lace Voile $1.40

Afternoon Dress – Advance 1047 – Hollywood Printed Voile- $1.40

All Purpose Frock – Advance 1128 – Lace Voile – $1.35

Evening Dress – Advance 1138 or 1162 – Novelty Silk Crepe $4.27

All Day Frock Advance 1201- Cotton Sheers – $1.19

Eton Ensemble – Hollywood Polo Check – McCall 8328 $1.74

Daytime Frock – Advance 1286 – Rondo Fabrics – $0.87

An entire wardrobe from JC Penney’s for $17.98! That’s just amazing to me.