All posts tagged: 1932

Tutorial: How to make the ‘Deco Echo’ blouse

As promised, and per popular demand, a tutorial on my Deco Echo blouse! First, a caveat. This blouse best suits a figure with a small bust and less than 10″ bust/waist difference. If you have larger bust, you could try adding length and side-bust darts. It would also help to taper the side panels in at the bottom, and to add a opening (either buttons up the CB, or a side fastening with snaps or hooks). Fabric: I used the panels of silk crepe from the susomawashi (the lower lining) of a kimono for my blouse. I recommend lightweight silk or cotton fabrics. Silk crepes are particularly nice because of their drape. The blouse is made from 5 rectangles – two large ones, two narrow ones, and one really long and narrow one for the waist tie. To make a blouse to fit a 34″ bust you will need: 2x 21″ x 13.5″ (l x w) rectangles – these will be your front and back panels. 2x 10.75″ x 6.5″ (l x w) rectangles – …

The ‘Deco Echo’ blouse

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m madly sewing something new and exciting, and working on the tutorial for this blouse, so instead of spending a lot of time on writing a post for today, I’m concentrating on those, and instead you are getting (a slightly better and updated) version of my post for the Sew Weekly on my ‘Deco Echo’ blouse (I want to have a version on my blog…just in case): ______________ Planning my wardrobe for Art Deco Weekend in Napier, top of my list of things I really wanted to make was a pair or beach pajama pants made from fantastic Art Deco inspired fabric. Problem. The fabric is maroon and dark teal on white. And maroon and dark teal are not colours I usually buy — it’s just so hard to find fabrics in them that don’t look cheap (why is that that some colours always look cheap in most fabrics?). I don’t own any maroon and dark teal fabrics! What on earth was I going to do for a top? I completely turned over my stash, …

Art Deco Weekend roundup

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week I posted the tiniest bit about my wardrobe for Art Deco Weekend 2012, but I didn’t really tell you much about what it was about. Napier holds an annual Art Deco weekend because an earthquake (and resultant fire) on Feb 3 1931 devastated the city, killing 256 people in the greater Hawkes Bay area, and necessitating the rebuilding of the entire downtown business district. All the rebuilding was done in the Art Deco and Spanish Mission style. So every year Napier holds a festival to celebrate it’s Art Deco heritage, and commemorate the earthquake. Or so goes the official line. Sadly, my impression was that the festival was really just an excuse to sell stuff, wear silly clothes with only the barest veneer of historicism, and drink too much. There were a few tours about architecture, and a 20 minute ceremony about the earthquake, but I found the lack of history and recognition of why the event was held vastly disappointing. Also, the whole event puts a huge emphasis on the 1920s. The …