The Dreamstress

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Rate the Dress: Plaid for outdoor pursuits in the 1890s

Last week I showed you an 1860s ballgown in very large scale pale green plaid. Your opinions ranged from wholehearted approval, to feeling that the proportions between the plaid and the trim were just a little bit off, to one lonely unenthusiastic meh. While most of you did like it and felt it evoked lovely images of Little Women, Balmoral and Gone with the Wind, there was something about the dress that kept many voters from fully committing to a round number: I’ve never had such a swathe of score.5 ratings! The final tally was 8.7 out of 10.

This week we’re sticking with plaid, but moving on to the theme of The Great Outdoors, as I show you a walking suit in rust coloured wool with plaid silk taffeta. With it’s practical dark hues, menswear inspired false shirtfront and faux bolero, and restrained ornamentation it’s very different in mood to last week’s ballgown:

Walking Suit circa 1890-1895 United States Wool, silk taffeta Mint Museum, 1983.75.101A-B

The ensemble is described as a walking suit, but someone at the Mint Museum clearly had fun when they came to dress the mannequin for the photo. “Hmmm…walking is a bit boring, and we have those antique skates, what if we make it a skating suit? ” “Oooh, yes, and then she’s going to need that cute skirt-picky-upy gizmo that we have!” “And serious gloves.” “Of course! And then she should wear that little velvet toque with the funny puff too”. “But then it looks weird with no hair!” “Ummm…just wrap a scarf around it to hide that and hold it all on?” “Perfect!” “I don’t know…it’s missing something…” “Oooooh! I know! Those 19th century sunglasses!” “Yes! Just the thing! And then she can hang the silver sunglass case off her belt!”

(Is that even what that silver thing is? I don’t recognise it and am just guessing here).

What do you think? Does the whole thing say chic, cosy, elegant outerwear with a twist, or is it just wacky?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A checked 1910s blouse

Published by The Dreamstress

When I announced the Paisley & Plaid challenge someone commented that both patterns were lovely, as long as you didn’t wear them together.

Naturally, that was far too big of a challenge for me to pass up on!

And luckily, I had a length of checked cotton in my stash, just waiting to be made up into a 1910s blouse!

So, with some help from Felicity (at her most elegant!) and Wearing History’s amazing Edwardian blouse pattern, I made a 1910s blouse to be worn with my paisley skirt.

OK, so the blouse is a very subtle check/plaid indeed, but it does show that you can blend paisley & plaid!

I accumulated a whole pile of inspiration images to base my blouse on, and I settled on a front buttoning blouse with 3/4 length sleeves and the one piece wing collars that appear in fashion plates around 1914:

Les Modes ,1914, Robe d’apres-midi par Bulloz

Costume de serge fine garni de petits boutons de corail, plate 157 from Journal des Dames et des Modes, 1914, Collection of the MFA Boston

To achieve it, I altered the Wearing History pattern to have a front button opening, drafted the collar as an extension to the pattern (as it’s cut in one piece with the shirt front), and took the gathers out of the sleeves for a smoother, slimmer look in keeping with the 1910s silhouette. I debated altering the sleeves to cut-on kimono sleeves, and rather regret that I didn’t.

Still, I’m quite taken with the result.

I’m definitely going to make more versions, though I’ll tweak the pattern a bit. It’s got slight wrinkles around the collar because 1) my button placement is too high (easily fixed as they are false buttons), and 2) it’s a tiny bit too small across the bust and down from the shouers, because Wearing History patterns (unlike every other pattern ever) are actually the size they say on the packet, and I have a really long upper-shoulder to bust measure , but mostly because I forgot to add width for the button overlap (the perils of midnight pattern drafting)

Obviously the photos were taken as part of yesterday’s photoshoot with the 1913 paisley skirt. I’ll finish with one showing how pretty the interior decor and teacups at Floridita’s are (even if you can barely see their paisley wallpaper in this shot):

The Challenge: #14 — Paisley & Plaid

Fabric: 1.5m of lightweight cotton muslin with a loose, open weave and a woven in checked/plaid pattern – from the $5 bin at Fabric Warehouse.

Pattern: Wearing History’s 1900s-1910s blouse with significant pattern alterations.

Year: 1913-1916

Notions: Cotton thread, plastic buttons, twill tape, bias for the waist channel.

How historically accurate is it? The pattern is accurate, as is the fabric and the construction techniques. I don’t have a documented source for false button fastenings on blouses for this period, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t used (I didn’t look very hard). The blouse as it is is a bit too snug to be accurate on me, but it’s perfect for someone one size down, so I won’t take points off for that. There were early forms of plastics in use during the 1910s, so the buttons are only mildly anachronistic in the type of plastic. So 90%.

Hours to complete: 5, most of which was spent drafting that annoying collar.

First worn: On Friday for the photoshoot, and then to teach a sewing class, because it was just so comfortable (a modern version of this is going to be a wardrobe staple for me!).

Total Cost: $5 in fabric, less than $1 in notions as they were mostly inherited. $6 all up.

The 1913 paisley skirt

Published by The Dreamstress

All last week Miss Felicity was helping me with my sewing: making a 1913 skirt for the HSF Paisley & Plaid challenge.

We finished it last week Saturday, but my blouse wasn’t done and I couldn’t schedule time for a photoshoot. I took some quick documentary shots on Isabella:

For the Paisley & Plaid challenge I’d wanted to use an amazing paisley silk jacquard that I found at Fabric-a-brac a few months back, but I just couldn’t get my ideas to come together into the perfect design, and none of my wilder plaids were speaking to me either.

Then, a few weeks before the challenge, I found an amazing paisley twill at The Fabric Warehouse in Wellington. I loved the scattered woodblock inspired design, rather than the more common crowded, swirling Victorian paisley, and while orange isn’t usually a colour I gravitate towards, the dark blood-orange shade is really growing on me.

For the pattern I used the little diagram of the ‘Side fastening skirt’ from Thornton’s International System, 1913 which is reproduced in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion.

You can follow most of the construction along with Felicity’s help, but basically I drafted the pattern onto calico/muslin, made a toile, made some minor adjustments based on that, and then sewed the skirt up.

To break up the pattern and provide definition to the asymmetrical drape, I finished the edges with a silent piping made out of a wool cavalry twill I inherited from Nana. It’s the only piece of beige-y/brown fabric I have in my entire stash! The buttons are vintage tortoiseshell and mother of pearl buttons inherited from Grandma. I was really excited to find the perfect garment to showcase them on.

I did make a few changes from the pattern, as I only had a metre and a half of fabric to work with, so I omitted some of the overlap, and also managed not to notice that it is a ‘side fastening skirt’ and so mine fastens in back! (which is a real pain to hook up)

I finally had everything finished (and time for a photoshoot) this Friday. I tempted a friend who had the day free to help with photos in exchange for treats, and we explored the vicinity of Made on Marion for vintage-y locales.

I can’t decide if my favourite images are the ones taken against a blank black wall:

Or the ones taken in front of The Bake House, which would have been a brand new building when my skirt was en vogue:

The Bake House images do a great job of showing off the very clever patterning, with no side seams and the cunning addition of an angled back seam, which gives the skirt enough room for you to walk in, while keeping the front silhouette quite straight and slim.

My hat, if you are wondering, is a terrible last minute job where I bobby pinned a vintage feather to a reproduction ’30s hat for a quick and dirty 1910s look. I’m going to have to do a much better job next time!

After getting me thoroughly chilled in the brisk wind and slight drizzle (despite it being a very warm day for winter) we headed indoors to warm up with the promised treats at Floriditas, which serves tea in beautiful porcelain cups, and has the best cinnamon buns in New Zealand.

Floridita’s also has one other perk that made it just perfect for the event: paisley wallpaper!

By the way, have you noticed my blouse? Isn’t it pretty? Have you also noticed that it is very subtly checked? Oh yes! Paisley and plaid in one outfit! More about the blouse tomorrow…

The Challenge: #14 — Paisley & Plaid

Fabric: 1.5m of midweight paisley patterned cotton with a very fine twill weave ($18pm), scraps of wool cavalry twill (inherited).

Pattern: ‘Side fastening skirt’ from Thornton’s International System, 1913, reproduced in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion (only without a 22″ waist!).

Year: 1913, fashionable from about 1911-1915

Notions: Cotton thread, vintage tortoiseshell and mother of pearl buttons, buttonhole twist, bias tape (lots!), 13 hooks.

How historically accurate is it? Plausible as an avant garde designer item, but certainly not common or proven. The colour and small scattered prints were both extremely fashionable among the more exotic designers (such as Poiret), and there was a slight paisley revival in the 1910s, though all three elements were far more likely to be seen on soft, draping indoor and evening fabrics, not stiffer outdoor/suit costume fabrics. I had to alter the pattern slightly due to fabric constraints. Construction methods are spot on. So 85% at the best, and possibly not at all.

Hours to complete: 7ish, from drafting the pattern to the last hook and eye.

First worn: On Monday, to give my lectures at the local university (and no one noticed it was ‘period’) and then on Friday for the photoshoot.

Total Cost: $27 in fabric, less than $3 in trims = just under $30.