All posts tagged: 1930s

HSF Challenge #24: Re-do: Evening violet tap pants

Published by The Dreamstress

In attempting to do ALL the challenges in one fortnight I’m having to be at least a teeny, tiny bit practical about some of my projects, which means not  everything  will be as elaborate as the Greek Key dress. Besides, one of the challenges was Starting Simple! So, a simple item: little silk tap pants: So what challenges do the tap pants cover? They aren’t quite as a multi-challenge as the Greek Key frock, but they get a few checked off the list: #0 (the bonus challenge): Starting Simple  – Such a simple practical garment #3: Under it all  — They are going to go under ALL my summer frocks! And oh, look, they could also count for: #25: One Metre  — 80cm of silk?  I’m in! And I’m feeling excessively celebratory about the Greek Key frock, so I guess I am doing all 26! I wanted to photograph them on Fanny, but I had a brain blip and forgot to press them before I put them on her.  Oops! The Challenge:  #24: Re-Do Fabric: …

HSF Challenge #23: the Ettie Mae Hooverette Dress

Published by The Dreamstress

When it came time for the HSF Challenge #23: Gratitude (make something utilises the tutorials, patterns and research that so many of the historical costuming community make available for free) I was in a bit of a quandary.  I’ve got a list of tutorials and patterns that I want to use that is a mile long, and kilometres of fabric and lace that have been gifted to me by generous people, but every one of these tutorials and patterns was would be a very involved project.  Stupidly I’d scheduled the ‘Generosity’ challenge right at the end of the university semester, and I was up to my neck in marking. What to do!?! I had a browse through the HSF photo albums and finished projects for inspiration, and was reminded again of the Hooverette dress that Jen did for the Robes & Robings challenge.  It’s simple, it’s sweet, I’m madly in love with it, and I want one!  Also, Jen did a bunch of awesome research on Hooverette and wrap dresses from the 20s-40s, making reproducing …

A 1930s/40s Canterbury Woollen Mills Swimsuit

Published by The Dreamstress

As a last treat for the Historical Sew-Fortnightly ‘By the Sea’ week, I thought you might enjoy seeing the one piece* of vintage swimwear in my collection: a late ’30s, or 1940s knit wool swimsuit from the Canterbury of New Zealand.   (*Actually, that’s not entirely true.  I do have a couple of late ’50s/early ’60s swimsuits – but this one might be as early as 1938, so replicating it would be within the HSF guidelines). NZ, as a major wool producer, had a number of its own woollen mills and manufacturers in the 19th and throughout the 20th century.  One of these was the Canterbury Woollen Mills, based in Ashburton, just south of Christchurch, in the  Canterbury region of the South Island.  The mill was actually known as the Ashburton Woollen Mills from its founding in 1885 until 1890.  I am relatively certain that it was this mill that produced Canterbury swimwear (just like the Roslyn Woollen Mill produced Roslyn swimwear) Protectionist laws throughout most of the 20th century made importing clothes prohibitively expensive, …