All posts filed under: 20th Century

Rate the Dress: Winnaretta Singer in checks

I anticipated that some of you wouldn’t love the paisley patterned 1860s swiss bodice outfit I posted last week, but was completely unprepared for the levels of dislike, and for what you objected to. I thought you might like the clean, graphic paisley shapes, in contrast to the usually fussy details associated with paisley, but instead you called them “black holes burnt in the skirt” and “amoebas” and “blobs”. And if the paisley didn’t kill it for you, the swiss bodice did. As a less-well endowed woman, I would achieve only the most modest swell above that style of swiss bodice in a corset, but many of you imagined the effect of a more boxom bust and were…distracted. Though some of you did like it, it still only managed a 5.7 out of 10. Since you objected to the overt girlishness of last weeks outfit, I thought I should post something a bit more reserved and masculine. This is Winnaretta Singer, Princess de Polignac, daughter of Isaac Singer (of Singer Sewing Machines fame), one of …

Cherries & Cherish: brooches in metal and wood

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m feeling a little panicked about the HSF, because I’m still behind on my #17 Robes & Robing challenge, and I have a big entry to the #18 Re-Make challenge still to enter (though I did enter two little items), and I’m behind on the 1860s elliptical hoopskirt I’m making for the #19 Wood, Metal, Bone challenge. So, to mollify myself I whipped up two super simple little items that qualify for ‘Wood, Metal, Bone’: The first, in metal, is a portrait brooch inspired by 18th century portrait brooches and bracelets. I printed out Ramsay’s Portrait of a Lady on parchment paper and cropped the face to the right dimensions. I really liked that she was an un-named woman, so that her face didn’t have any connotations other than sweet and appealing. Then I lacquered the paper to finish and preserve it, and when it was dry, inserted it into an old brooch back with extra layers of cardstock to further protect it. The brooch looked to plain as it was, so I …

Fashions for June and January 1906

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m currently dreaming of early 20th century fashions, with rather bad effects on my practical, reasonable sewing schedule. I’ve been naughty and gone off on a sewing tangent. I’ll give you a hint. It involves greek keys. Hmmmmm…. I’m also intrigued by all the diagonals in these 1906 fashion plates. What an interesting way to play with fabric. I’m not sure if I’d go as far as to say I want to make the black spotted chiffon and white satin frock number ‘admirable suited for a young matrons” (that’s me, right?) in this plate: I do like the advice on sales at the top of the article: Now is the time to pick up bargains in skirt lengths, and remnants for blouses and odd lengths in net and laces for making into chemisettes for house gowns. Sales really come as a boon and a bonus for those who must make a brave show on a really small dress allowance, but on the other hand they are often the cause of bitter disappointment and regret, for …