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A checked 1910s blouse

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.

Welcome to the castle: 110sqm of happiness

Published by The Dreamstress

As most of you* guessed from my hints about The Project, it is indeed a house!

Our first house!

And it’s wonderful and adorable and I love it sooooo much, even though I seem to spend all my time trying to get it to the state we want it at, and cleaning it!

Mr D and I house hunted for over 3 years. New Zealand has some of the most unafforable housing in the world, and while Wellington isn’t as expensive as Auckland, what you get for $400,000 (the average first home price in Wellington central) isn’t much. So we scrimped and saved and looked, and looked, and looked. We put offers on houses, and tenders (blind bids) and paid thousands for building reports and valuations, only to loose to higher bidders on tenders.

Then, in Mid-January, our landlords at the flat where we’d lived for over five years asked us to move out as they wanted to move in. Eeek! If we had to move and rent, we’d have to sign a year long lease, and it would be that long before we could buy and move into our own house.

So the house hunt went into overdrive, and I freaked out and burst into a rash all over with stress, and on the last day before we’d agreed we’d have to give up and rent somewhere else, a house came on the market that ticked most of our boxes.

And we managed to buy it!

We put in a tender offer on a Thursday, along with other bidders, and found out on Friday that we’d won. My knees gave out and I couldn’t stop shaking for three hours.

The next Thursday our offer went fully unconditional.

The Wednesday after that we took possession.

The Wednesday after that, we were fully moved in.

Yes: offer to in in under three weeks! Oh, and the day after we took possession, I drove up to Napier for Art Deco Weekend, because I’d already fully booked and paid for it. And the day after we moved in I flew up to Auckland to spend the weekend with a friend and see Bruce Springsteen, because once again, it was already booked and paid for! And in between taking possession and moving in, I completely repainted the master bedroom.

No wonder I was a bit busy and scattered and not good at posting for a time!

And ever since we moved in, I’ve been painting and fixing and cleaning and unpacking and rearranging, and the list of things that needs doing will never be done!

So it’s not perfect, but it’s still wonderful, and it gets better with every little thing I do to it (and now I can actually show them off!) and we are so happy with our little castle!

It’s a mid 1920s California Bungalow, 110sqm, in reasonably sound condition but in need of a new coat of paint everywhere, and general love and updating. It’s on a quiet road, so safe for Felicity (yes, that was a top consideration!), in a neighborhood we love, and (very important for Wellington!) gets good all-day sun.

Would you like the tour?

Felicity will lead it:

At the front of the house there is sunroom, where the Mommes sewing and me sleeping in the day happens. Next to it is the bedroom where the me sleeping at night happens.

Come in, come in! I like the entry, even if the cat door doesn’t work.

They usually keep the door from the lounge to the entry closed, which really annoys me, especially when I bat a toy and it shoots under the door into the entry and out of reach!

Mommes said something about replacing the icky black curtains with pale green damask ones, so I’m testing the fabric to make sure it’s strong enough. The heater is my favourite thing. I lie on the rug and worship it with my tummy. When I get too hot, I lie on the chest, but right now Mommes has her project spread all over it.

Next to the lounge is the bedroom – when they bought the house it was PURPLE, but I never saw it light that because Mommes painted it before I moved in, which is good, because even in photographs the colour makes my eyes hurt.

The windows aren’t done yet, because windows are hard and Mommes is painting them slowly. I try to help but Mommes says she doesn’t want white pawprints decorating the floor. Sometimes that woman has no taste!

Next to the bedroom is the bathroom – it really is just a bathroom, because a lot of old houses in New Zealand have separate rooms for the bath and toilet. I like to sit on the sink and watch people take baths, which Mommes says is cute but creepy. Well, duh, I’m a cat! That’s what we’re for!

Down the hall from the bedroom and bathroom is the guest bedroom, which is good, because guests means more people to give me cuddles and tell me how cute I am.

And across the hall is the kitchen, where people do boring stuff with people food. Not exciting.

The dining room is exciting though, because that’s where I get fed!

Also, it has a lovely shiny table for me to make pretty paw prints on, only Mommes is always wiping them off and muttering some nonsense about me being ‘a floor cat, not a table cat’. Seriously, no taste.

So the only thing left is the toilet, which I’m not going to show you (really, do you want to see my litterbox too?), and the laundry, which has enormous exciting cupboards full of fabric and boxes piled in all the corners and a window that I like to sit at while I tell Mommes about all the birds that I see.

So that’s it! As you can see, lots to do – Felicity will never be bored or lacking in new paint to sniff or bits of fabric to sit on while they get made up into cushions and headboards and chair covers.

Thanks for your patience with the big reveal! And I hope you’re looking forward to a little bit of home decor interspersed amongst the clothes sewing!

* Except for Laurie, who cheekily suggested that I’m pregnant – that would be quite some feat to hide for almost six months while continually posting photos of myself in corsets and fitted knit tops!