Introducing the Newest Pattern! WWII Home Front Overalls

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I’m happen to announce the latest pattern addition to Wearing History, which is now available for Pre-Order!

A perfect addition to your 1940s wardrobe, these WWII Home Front Overalls, Playsuit, and Trousers are both functional and fashionable!  Every WWII gal needed a pair of trousers or overalls when working toward Victory, and with this pattern you can make this vintage essential for your wardrobe!

This pattern features a lovely V neckline, straps that criss-cross at the back, a set in belt, and trousers with optional front pockets.  This can be worn over a blouse (blouse NOT included in this pattern, blouse pictured is from Smooth Sailing pattern), but the overalls hit high enough that you could wear them without a blouse, as in the late 1930′s “Farmerette” fashion, or as a playsuit with shorts.  The front of the pants have a tuck on each side, which is hidden when the pockets are used.  The tuck will be visible if no pockets are used.  If made without the top, these make excellent trousers, and when made in denim and with the pockets, they are great 1940′s jeans!

This pattern is a Wearing History Resto-Vival pattern based on an original period mail order pattern from the WWII era.  Unlike the other Resto-Vival patterns, which are follow the outline of original period pattern pieces, this pattern needed serious corrections in order to make the pattern fit together properly.   I have edited, corrected, and improved this pattern so you can be sure the pieces will go together as they should.  This pattern retains authentic period fit, including the lower crotch rise length that is different than the rise in today’s trousers.

This pattern includes pattern instructions based on on the original instructions.  Some notes have been added to the instructions to aid in construction.

 This pattern was originally available in Misses sizes 30″ bust to 40″ bust, but this pattern has been graded to expand the sizes to MISSES size 30″ bust through 46″ bust.  Larger sizes are based off the same misses size pattern and ARE NOT plus size.

This pattern is available in 3 sizes per packet.

 
This is the first Wearing History pattern that will be available as a mailed, printed pattern OR as a print-at-home E-pattern.  The expected release date is May 9th.

 

As a special promotion, until the pattern release date you can pre-order this pattern for $24!  That is a $6 discount off of the regular $30 price.

 

The e-pattern is not available for pre-order, but will be placed on the site on the release date for $9.99.

 

This pattern is an excellent match for the Victory Hats Pattern (which includes a factory worker cap to keep your hair in place for your Rosie factory worker impression) or the Smooth Sailing Pattern, which is the pattern for the blouse pictured here with the overalls and includes my top-rated WH original pattern for vintage trousers.  Remember, two patterns ship for the same price as one!  Patterns ordered with this pre-order will ship after the release date.

 

Thanks so much for supporting my little indie small business!  And if you love this new pattern don’t forget to share with your friends :)

How to Make a Modish Hat, 1904

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Happy Saturday!

Today I have a great article from the Ladies Home Journal from 1904 that tells how to make a hat for $3.00 (which equates to about $75.50 today, via the Inflation Calculator).  Although that might seem like a high price, we need to remember that ladies would usually only have one hat to last them through, in this case, spring and summer for a year.  They may even wear the same hat for several years and simply change the trimmings.  Most women didn’t have the luxury of having several hats or a collection of them, the way we can do today with our costuming or even our regular wardrobe.  So a little bit of an investment in a do-it-at-home hat could give a lady a hat that would be chic!

In the article it tells how to make the hat pictured.  If you try to take a go at it, please do let me know and share pictures!

Click the image above to be taken to a larger image you can read.

Have a great weekend!

The Practical Shirtwaist, 1904.

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Sharing another lovely image from 1904.  Here are more shirtwaist designs from 109 years ago.  The illustrations are just lovely.  And the hats! *swoon*.

What I think is particularly interesting is the sleeve design.  The placement of the tucks and the way they controlled where the fullness is released, as well as trim or decoration accenting the cuff… simply brilliant!

Click on the image for a larger version you can read.

Shirtwaist Designs, 1904

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I just got a few lovely old Ladies Home Journal magazines.  This one, from April, 1904, shows us the fashion in shirtwaist decorations from 109 years ago.  Maybe you could take these designs and incorporate them into my Edwardian Blouse Pattern.

What is novel about the designs below is that they are adapted from e pretty flourishes  and borders that are often seen in magazines of this period.  These, of course, come from the Ladies Home Journal.  In fact, the blouse just below the title has the same motif as the title decoration.  Novel, isn’t it?  If you enlarge the article you can read their suggestion for enlarging the designs for use in garments.

Click on the image for a larger version you can read.

Textile Inspiration- Pairing Dress Fabrics, 1939

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Hello all!  Long time no post! I’ve been a bad, bad, blogger.

We’re currently working on a new production of His Girl Friday at the La Jolla Playhouse.  I’m so excited, and feel so blessed to be working on one of my favorite movies in one of my favorite time periods and years for fashions!  They’re setting the play in 1939 and I’m loving the costumes we’re building.  Of course, that means I’m wanting to make all sorts of 1939 fashions for myself!  Here’s some great images that I’m inspired by, from the Spring and Summer of 1939 Chicago Mail Order catalog.

What I love about this, and several other fashions from the late 1930s, is how some of them actually look like seperates but are actually a dress!   These dresses often include a few different fabrics in order to get a very tailored look.  In these pages it’s called the “basque styles”.

Even if matching different weight or style fabrics isn’t your thing, these pages are inspiring for what to do with trims.  Bows, buttons, ruffles… you can take a relatively simple dress and add a lot of whimsical details to make it more fun.

Although these styles are aimed at juniors, you can tone the proportions or styles down in you don’t want something so playful or “youthful”.

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Hope the rest of your weekend is wonderful!

Fred and Ginger- Change Partners Dance

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Today I’ve got a great couple of pages of “how to” dance the “Change Partners” dance from Carefree.  Fred and Ginger are my favorites! I can watch their movies over and over.

Click on the images for a bigger version you can read.

These came from “Hollywood Magazine”, October 1938.

Here’s the clip from the movie (via YouTube- not my upload)

If anyone manages to reproduce this dance from these instructions, please do share!

Have a great weekend!

The Etiquette of Good Grooming, 1940.

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Today I’ve got a great page from the August 1940 issue of The Woman’s Home Companion.  This page gives a good peek back at etiquette of yesterday, complete with darling illustrations..  Today’s ladies might do well to keep it in mind, too, though I’m sure most of us are guilty of some of them!

Click on the image below to be taken to my Flickr stream for a larger image you can read.

 

A Fashionable 1930s Wedding

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The weekend before last we were fortunate to attend the wedding of our friends Robert and Ashley (of Miss1940sVintage).  They are quite the couple from the past- and totally immerse themselves in their chosen eras of the 1930s and 1940s.  When they announced that their wedding was “Garden Party Circa 1930s” themed, we were not in the least surprised.  Given the lovely and creative dressing of the vintage scene in Los Angeles and San Fransisco (as many of the guests came down for the wedding) , the guests relished in the chance to dress the part to celebrate the union of their friends.

The bride wore vintage, with a borrowed lucky veil which belongs to talented singer and pianist Sara, of Sara & Swingtime.  All of the bridesmaids are clad in gowns created by the talented custom couture dressmaker and Simplicity pattern designer Theresa LaQuey (whom I finally got to meet for the first time at the rehearsal dinner).  The bride and her bridesmaids were picture perfect and the setting at Forest Lawn looked like it was just right out of a real 1930s film!

The Bride looked gorgeous and her flowers were period perfect!  They were made by Sharlene of LA Deco Flora.  The bride’s makeup was done by the talented Katharina of GoForKat (who also did the makeup of several of my photo shoots for Wearing History patterns).

The groom and all his groomsmen looked impeccable in vintage morning suits.  The joy of the groom in this photo, taken just after the ceremony,  makes me happy.

And, of course, all the guests looked fabulous!

The talented up and coming music artist, Mary Simich.  Her outfit was created by her own personal couturier, Mr Tiny of Wacky Tacky.

All the old cars were parked in front of the church for a fabulous photo op.  Here’s my husband’s top hat he wore at our wedding is perched on top of our friend’s Packard.

Of course, when you get old cars together you sometimes get the…. unpredictable.  In this case, we watched some of the groomsmen and guests give a friend a push to get it started.

En route to the reception we had fun following our friend’s car and seeing two of the European visitors getting a kick out of riding in the rumble seat.

The reception was held at our friend, Nathan’s, beautiful Edwardian home.  Here’s some snapshots from the reception.

Guests listening to toasts.

My husband looking very distinguished in the library.

And hamming it up, as usual.

I wore a vintage 1930s dress I had held onto for several years, waiting for just the right occasion to wear it.  This fit the theme perfectly!  I made the hat to match by converting a horsehair hat I bought at the thrift store to a more 1930s style.

Many congratulations to the bride and groom!

Finished Project: Jenn’s Wedding Reception Dress

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I broke my usual code of not sewing for other people!

That’s right, I made another wedding dress.  I thought I’d be laid off for a month, and a lovely friend was getting married and could not find anyone to make her dress, so I volunteered.  Jenn wanted a 1930′s dance dress Ginger Rogers would be proud of.  We shared images, brainstormed, and finally came up with a design by cobbling together odds and ends of various vintage patterns to get together a dream dress for their 1930′s themed wedding on Catalina island in the glorious Art Deco ballroom.  Unfortunately I’m a big wuss and don’t like boat travel, so wasn’t able to attend.  Many thanks to Nicole of Paper Moon Vintage who took these photos and sent them to me of Jenn looking fabulous in her dress!  Jenn’s makeup was by the talented Katharina of GoForKat makeup.

Jenn’s reception dress was made of Italian imported silk organza and Italian imported Alencon lace.  We added horsehair to the hem to give it “swish” when dancing, and she’s wearing a vintage slip underneath.  Something old, something new.  The lace was appliqued on and cut away from behind on the bodice front and back to create a neat illusion of a lower front and back than the dress actually had.  The motifs were carried across onto the bottom of the skirt gores to tie it all in.

This dress just happened to be finished just in time to tie in with the schedule of the Sew Fortnightly “Embellish” project.  I know we’re supposed to say time, cost, etc for the Sew Fortnightly, but I don’t want to even think of how long it took.  Jenn’s mom bought the fabric for the dress, and I was paid for my estimated cost of time it would take to make the dress.  Part of the cost of the dress, since I grossly underestimated time, was a wedding and bridal shower gift for the happy newlyweds.  So it worked out for both of us.

Many congrats to Jenn and Benny! Yay!! Welcome to married bliss :)

Thus ends was my brief foray into custom dressmaking again.  Love my friends and “fans”, but I’ve got other eggs in my basket, so I’m passing the custom work so that those who are more talented at it, and love it more than I do.  I’m now retired from custom dressmaking… got enough between regular work and my patterns and life stuff to keep me busy!

Hope your week is much blessed!

Lauren

1940s Bra Sample Photos!

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It’s about time!  This was one of the first patterns I did as a “Resto-Vival”, back in 2010, and it’s finally time I actually sewed one up and took some photos!

At work recently, I had been given the task to create 1940s undergarments for stock (I’m currently working at a theatre), so I brought a printout of my handy dandy Wearing History digital bra pattern with me and set to work.

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Although the original vintage pattern was stated a 32 (no up size), reviewers had said that this bra ran large.  I found this to be the case as well.  The dress form is 35″ around the bust and about a B cup, and it fit very well.  I have edited the item description to note this.

A few little things I did for decoration that weren’t called for in the original pattern were the topstitching details.  I found it easiest to finish the seams with a bias binding on the inside, so decided to go with contrast thread and use it as accents, and then continue the motif on the bottom piece of the cups.  I also added real bra straps (not of ribbon or fabric as called for in the original  and added a little bow at center front.  The original pattern called for bias binding around the edges but I went with a bias facing instead, making it 1/2″ shorter at top and bottom than it would have been with facing.

All in all, I don’t know why I procrastinated on making vintage bras for so long!  It went together super easy and very quickly.  I’ve actually got a pale pink one partially constructed already, and can see making more.  It’s funny leaving a pattern review of my own pattern, but there you have it!

If you want to try out your own version, you can purchase the digital download on my website for this 1940′s Brassiere Pattern.