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Call for Pattern Testers for a 1910s skirt pattern!

It’s that time again!  Scroop Patterns has a lovely new 1910s skirt pattern ready to test.  So, that means I need testers to help make sure it’s absolutely perfect.

1915-18 Skirt Testers Wanted Skirt Pattern

If you’d like to help test the skirt, keep reading to learn more, and how to apply…

The Pattern:

A playful gathered skirt based on an original ca. 1916 garment. It features the Edwardian version of a ‘paper bag’ waist: a very high waist held in place with a boned internal waistband, with cord gathering and a small standing frill.

1915-18 Skirt Testers Wanted Skirt Pattern

The pattern goes from a 24”/61cm waist to a 50”/127cm waist.

The gathered shape means that the hip measurements are free: the finished garment measures more than 20”/50cm wider in the hips than in the waist.

1915-18 Skirt Testers Wanted Skirt Pattern

Testers:

This is an easy-intermediate pattern.  Prior historical sewing experience is not required, but testers should be comfortable with both machine and hand sewing.

The pattern features historically accurate construction details.  It’s been designed as a historical pattern, but could also work for historybounding.

I’m primarily looking for testers who want to wear this as a historical garment, and have the correct undergarments to wear it with.  As part of the application you’ll need to indicate if you plan to test this as a historical garment, or for historybounding.  If it’s the first you’ll need have a photo of yourself in a 1915-18 suitable corset (such as the Rilla Corset) that you can send a link for.

To be a tester you will need to:

  • Be able to print patterns in A4, A0, US Letter or US full sized Copyshop paper sizes
  • Have the time to sew up the item. You’ll have two week to make a finished skirt, photograph it, and provide feedback (for reference, I can make either view in under 6 hours from cut to finish)
  • Be able to photograph your make being worn, and be willing for us to share your photos on this blog and instagram.
  • Provide clear feedback
  • Agree to a confidentially agreement regarding the pattern

I would hugely appreciate it if testers would share their finished make once the pattern launches, but this is not mandatory.  I’m asking for TESTERS, not marketers.

As always I’m looking for a range of testers. I need a spread of geographical location, body type, sewing experience, and personal style.

Social Media

Having a social media presence helps your chances of being chosen as a tester, but isn’t necessarily a requirement.  I’m significantly more likely to choose testers who have an online social media presence, as that means I can really see and analyse their sewing, and how they think about sewing, when I’m choosing testers. I do occasionally choose testers who don’t have social media, especially if they fill a less common demographic.

The Timeline:

Materials:

If you’re selected to test I’ll let you know and send you the materials requirements, line drawings, and the full pattern description by  6pm NZ time on Sunday the 16th of May.   This is Sat the 15th for most of the rest of the world.

Patterns:

I will send out a digital copy of the pattern to testers before  10pm NZ time on Monday the 24th of May.

Testing & Reviewing:

This should be a fairly quick, easy sew.  Testing will go for two weeks.

Testers will have until  10pm NZ time on Monday the 7th of June  to finish their skirt and provide photos and feedback.

What you get:

Pattern testers will get a digital copy of the final pattern, lots of thanks, and features on my blog and IG.

To Apply:

Fill out the Application Form!

Hope to hear from you!

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse

It’s been too long since I did a Felicity post.  I don’t want to turn into the kind of blogger-becomes-patternmaker who only blogs about their patterns.  But… all my cute recent photos of Felicity are of her getting involved with making the Selina Blouse pattern and samples!

So I hope you’ll forgive another Selina post, as long as it involved Felicity adorableness.

Felicity helped with every bit of the Selina Blouse.

She had her paw in on the initial pattern development:

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

And applied her expertise to choosing fabric for the pattern samples, and making the models comfortable:

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

I only lie on the highest quality fabrics

And making sure I took cuddle breaks:

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Then she helped keep my blood pressure nice and elevated by sleeping on the in-progress samples whenever they were full of pins.

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Not stabby enough…

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Ah, perfect…

I guess she likes to live dangerously even while she sleeps!

She also agreed to sleep on non-pinny things, as long as it caused maximum inconvenience:

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Oh, were you cutting here?

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Or sewing these?

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

On this?  While sitting on this seat?

Finally she kept a close (closed) eye as I applied the last edit to the pattern instructions (in pyjamas on my laptop on the couch – sometimes work is really fabulous!).

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

Felicity helps with the Selina Blouse scrooppatterns.com

What a helpful kitty!

Dress, 1910-1919, silk?, wool? beads, Gift of Beryle Christesen, Goldstein Museum of Design, 1983.025.007

Rate the Dress: black, green, pink, and brightly beaded wartime daywear

This week’s Rate the Dress is mid-1910s themed, to celebrate the launch of the Selina Blouse.

Last Week:  an 1830s banyan and waistcoat of 1740s fabric

Apparently men need to go back to wearing beautifully fitted housecoats in lavish floral fabrics, because last week’s banyan and waistcoat were very popular.

The Total: 9.7 out of 10

In Rate the Dress that’s practically perfection!  And no surprise – fabulous fabric, fabulous fit, and so interesting.

This week: a 1910s day dress with touches of colour:

This dress is an excellent example of high-end mid-1910s day dress:

It’s got a simple, practical silhouette, enlivened by interesting details.

The black colour shows the trend towards black as a chic, practical, everyday colour which was had been championed by couturiers like Paquin  since the late 19th century.

Black was practical in more than one sense in the middle of WWI.  Germany had been the world’s largest dye producer prior to WWI.  The war cut off supply lines, even to countries not involved in the war.  One of the few dyes manufactured in large supply outside of Germany was black: so black clothes were in.

This dress uses touches of unexpected colour to relieve the black: the green collar edged with hot pink embroidery, and multicolour glass beads running up the front.

The grouping of the beads, rather than running them at regular intervals down the front, is a typical feature of mid 1910s design.

The dress is full of other classic war-year design features: quirky double collars, a loose sheath silhouette that anticipates the 1920s, but is pulled in with the two side sashes, layered skirts, and beautiful finishing details.

I’ve puzzled over the entry to this dress, and think I’ve figure it out.  It fastens down the centre front under the front panel.  The panel hooks or snaps under the collar on the proper left, and is caught with a hook under the proper left waist sash bead.

What do you think?  A good balance of practical, luxurious, elegant and fun?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment.  Phrase criticism as your opinion, rather than a flat fact. Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting.  It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.

As usual, nothing more complicated than a .5.  I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment.