All posts tagged: 1950s

Early 1950s fashions and fabrics in Japan, Part I of 5

When I bought Murisaki the dress form, something exciting happened. The proprietor of the Asia Gallery said “Oh, you might like these as well” and showed me these: Ooooooh….. And then he gave them to me. For free! Squee! (They like me. I buy a lot of stuff). Now, my Japanese is limited to what I remember of high school Japanese after a dozen+ years. So what I know about these is based on what I can tell from the images. At first I thought it was a dress catalogue, and a packet with one commercial pattern and a homemade pattern for tabi socks. Then I looked at it closely and realised that the pattern has ALL the dresses – every single child and adult dress shown in the catalogue – all drawn over each other ready for you to break your brain over as you sort them out. Based on the style of the dresses I’d say the patterns are from 1951/52. There are dozens, and dozens of them, and even illustrations of fabrics. …

The little black dress-clips dress

Published by The Dreamstress

One of my sewing goals for this year is to make time to sew more for me. It’s a bit embarrassing to be a professional seamstress who never wears anything she makes! This goal is being helped by my newest obession: The Sew Weekly. Every week they set a challenge/theme, you complete it, and then get to post photos of it and brag about it. I love the inspiration of the theme – it helps me to sew in new directions. And I love their little wrap-up of the project (see my version at the end of this post) And the brag opportunities don’t hurt either 😉 This week’s theme was accessorize: sew a garment to go with an accessory you already own. It was the perfect theme for me. Mr Dreamy gave me the most gorgeous vintage marcasite dress clips for our anniversary, and I’ve been planning to make a dress to wear them with ever since. And I don’t really have a little-black-dress, so I got to kill two birds with one stone. …

A wedding dress to die for

Published by The Dreamstress

Mrs C is doing the costuming for a new musical, ‘Lonely Hearts’, which is based on Raymond Fernandez & Martha Beck, the original Lonely Hearts serial killers from the late 1940s/early 50s. The costuming is all being designed and sewn with as much historical accuracy as you can aspire to within the confines of the theatre (quick changes, actors playing multiple rolls etc.). I lent Mrs C all my 40s patterns and my mid-century fashion books and she’s been calling me up and asking about covered buckles and zips (yep, totally accurate for the 40s). And she asked if I would be able to help with the sewing – so I said I would do the wedding dress. I’m using one of Grandma’s 1940s patterns: Isn’t it gorgeous? Perfect early late 40s/early 50s styling with that sweetheart neckline and princess seamed front! The pattern still has my Grandmother’s alterations, so I know she made it up. I’m making it with longish sleeves, and in waltz length. The actress who will be wearing it isn’t a …