Tag Archives: 1920s

1920s Cozy Cardigan from Wearing History Pattern

Posted on May 9, 2020 by freshfrippery

Back in April we had some chilly weather so I made myself a soft cozy cardigan using a 1920s pattern from Wearing History.

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I had some gray and pumpkin-colored knit fabrics in my stash so when I saw that pattern I thought it was the perfect way to use up some fabric. This was a sewing pattern, no knitting knowledge required! Plus it has pockets! (I decided to color block my pockets. That is not in the pattern; if you like to keep things simple you may find it easier to make solid pockets as instructed). IMG_E7252

Because this is a pattern using stretch knit fabric I recommend that you have a serger. If you are very determined to make it you could probably zig-zag everything tightly. This pattern is meant for knit fabrics; I don’t know how it would look with woven fabrics.

This is a reproduction of an antique pattern from the 1920s so it came in only one size (42″ bust). This was not my size so I had to grade down from the pattern to make it fit me. I also found the sleeves too baggy on me so I also had to slim them down. The pattern does not have a lot of pieces (back, fronts, collar, sleeves, pockets, waist tie) so if you have knowledge of grading you can manage it just fine. I am 5’6″ and did not have to adjust the overall length. IMG_E7253

Depending on the width of your knit fabric and your size you’ll need about 2-3 yards to make this cardigan. (Please see the size chart on the pattern listing). The knits I was using were very thin and fine so I had to self-line and double my yardage. I used 2 yards of the pumpkin fabric, all lined with gray fabric. My collar, cuffs, ties, and pockets all used some gray as well. I had scraps left over from both colors; I would estimate I used almost all of the 2 yards of pumpkin and about 3 yards of gray. (If you are using a thicker knit you won’t need to line so your yardage would be half of what I used).

This pattern is listed as “expert difficulty.” My personal opinion is that the construction is not very difficult but the reason why this is not a beginner pattern is because it comes in one size (42″ bust) so you will have to know how to grade patterns if it is not your size. (Luckily it is an open front cardigan so it can run big and has room for error!) The other reasons why Wearing History lists her “Archive Couture” patterns as advanced or expert is because some of her patterns (plus the instructions) are reproductions from antique patterns, which assumed a certain level of sewing knowledge and did not do illustrated step-by-step instructions like modern patterns.

PROJECT COSTS:

Pattern from Wearing History: $5 from her Etsy; it is on sale for now
5 yards of rayon/poly/lycra rib knit: $26 plus $5 shipping from Fabric Mart.
Thread:~ $2

Total: ~$38

If you are looking for something comfortable to wear around the house I highly recommend this pattern! I’ve already been looking at my stash and thinking I can make another one for wearing at the office or with dresses.

Note: You may have noticed that my cardigan is used as an example on the Wearing History Etsy listing. The photos are used with my permission. I paid for the pattern myself, and was not paid to make this blog post. 4FB29124-FF35-45D2-BDBE-CB6683577E69

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Linen 1930s Beach Pajamas and a Vintage Robe for a Miss Fisher Tea Party

Posted on September 7, 2019 by freshfrippery

A group of friends and I had a Miss Fisher tea party at Pardee House, a historical home in Oakland, CA. We dressed in 1920s and 1930s clothing (or later decades if one preferred), and booked a tour of the home and a delicious tea afterwards. It was a lovely experience and I highly recommend Pardee for anyone in the area.

I wore a newly made set of linen beach pajamas using the “1930s Last Resort Beach PJs” pattern from Decades of Style, paired with a true vintage 1930s rayon robe. (Thank you Sara for all the outfit photos).

My green glass necklace is also vintage. My shoes are from Royal Vintage Shoes and my hat is from eBay.

I’ve used this pattern before and really liked it. (You can see my previous set of PJs and pattern review here).

I made the garment from some peach-colored linen that I had left over from another project. The trim on the neckline, back, hem and ties are orange “rococo” trim. There is a zipper in the lower back and two large pockets in the front.

I faked having short hair with this little clippy tool. You put your hair through the flexible center, roll it up, and then secure with the clips.

I felt like Miss Fisher exploring a mystery in this photo! 69457657_421578011804782_4825319839214075904_o

The food at the Pardee tea was so good and plentiful, and beautifully presented with all sorts of floral garnishes.

Here are a few of the beautifully dressed ladies who were there with me: Natalie, Kelsey, Mena, Sara, and Jessica!

Pardee Home is quite charming; I highly recommend a visit! 69368379_421579175137999_5823233556041695232_o

Beach PJs project costs:

5 yards trim: $6.60 from eBay (part of a larger order including shipping)
Pattern: $0 (used before)
2.5 yards linen fabric: $25.50 from fabricmart.com (part of a larger order including shipping)
Zipper: $0 (salvaged from another item)
Thread: ~$1 from stash

Total: ~$33.10 (cool, comfortable, chic, and cheap!)

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1920s Flapper Dress and Slip Patterns and Tutorial

Posted on February 25, 2018 by freshfrippery

My last projects of 2017 were a 1920s silk slip and a lace dress, made right before New Year’s eve. Neither of them are difficult to make, and I’ve made a pattern and tutorial for both. All the fabric for these two projects were kindly provided to me, free of charge, by Fabric Wholesale Direct.

The main dress is made from their mint iris guipure lace, and the slip and sash are made from their pink silk charmeuse. Thank you Fabric Wholesale Direct for the lovely materials!

1920s Slip

This pattern makes a basic 1920s slip. Choose a slinky fabric like silk charmeuse. You do not want to use anything thick!

1) You’ll need the following measurements:

B = your chest circumference, across the top of your bust, plus 4 inches

H = your hip circumference, plus 4 inches

L1 = the length from the top of your bust to your hip, plus 1 inch

L2 = the length from your hip to above your knee, plus 1 inch

(These measurements include ease and 1/2 inch seam allowance).

2) You are going to make a long, slightly trapezoidal shape using the measurements above. The top is B divided by 2, and the total length is going to be L1 + L2. Cut this all as one piece. (The middle line is not a seam; it’s just to make sure it’s wide enough for your hips). You can draw this on paper first, or directly onto the fabric using rulers.

3) Cut two of these trapezoids, place them right sides together, and sew the long edges together.

4) You should now have a long tube. Hem the bottom and top of the tube, and if you like, add lace to decorate the top and bottom edges.

5) Cut two long rectangular straps for the shoulder that are 3 inches x 15 inches. (These are extra long; you will cut off the excess in a later step). Fold each strap lengthwise (inside out) and pin and sew down the long edge, making a skinny tube.

6) Turn the long tubes right side out and iron flat. Add lace to the straps now if you wish.

7) Sew or pin one end of each strap to the BACK of the slip, where your shoulder blades would be.

8) Put the slip on and then pin the other end of the straps to the FRONT of your slip, over the top of your bust, and adjusted to the right length. Cut off the extra length. Sew the straps to the inside of the slip.

Now you are done!

1920s Dress

This tutorial is to make a simple 1920s dress. I used a lace fabric, but you can use anything with a nice drape, such as silk velvet or a thick satin.

1) For the top half of the dress, find a sleeveless tank top style to use as a pattern base. (This should be made of a non-stretchy fabric, and a little loose-fitting, otherwise your dress will be too tight). The ideal length for the tank top is to reach your hips; if it’s too long you can fold the bottom up before tracing.

2) Lay the tank top on your fabric and cut around it, leaving extra space for a seam allowance and extra fit room. Depending on how loose your tank top is, that extra space may be 1-2 inches. Don’t forget the shoulders!

3) Use that piece you cut out to trace a second piece, just slightly wider on the sides, to be the front piece of your dress. Sew the side seams and shoulders together.

4) Cut a rectangle panel for the skirt that is 2.5 times the circumference of your hips. The width will be the length of your hips to below your knee. (If you want a historically-accurate dress the hem should be below your knee, and if you want a more modern look cut the skirt shorter).

5) Sew the short edges of the skirt panel (right side) together, making a big skirt shape. Turn the skirt right side out. The top edge of the skirt will be gathered and sewn to the top part of the dress, and they meet at the hip.

6) If you have a fancy edge on your dress top, have your top/skirt seam overlap with the top showing.

7) Finish the neck and armholes by folding or rolling the raw edges of the fabric inside the dress and stitching them down.

8) Optional: You can cut a sash for the middle that consists of a long rectangle with pointed ends. (You can use the leftover fabric from making your slip). The length and width will depend on personal preference, but the length should be at least double your hips plus extra. (Here the one shown in the photo is 55 inches long and 7 inches wide, with the edges tucked in). Wrap the sash around the hip area of your dress, tucking in the raw edges and sewing them down. For texture and visual interest, you can “wrinkle” the fabric while pinning and sewing it down.

9) Optional: Embellish your sash with a shiny buckle and some little ribbon flowers. You can also put more silk charmeuse, ribbons, or flowers on the front of the dress to decorate it.

The finished dress should allow for a lot of movement and be fun to dance in.

Thanks again for the materials Fabric Wholesale Direct!

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Gatsby Summer Afternoon Picnic 2017

Posted on September 19, 2017 by freshfrippery

The annual “Gatsby Summer Afternoon” (casually known as the Gatsby Picnic) at the Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California, had another lovely event recently! I finally got a chance to wear my original 1930s cotton organza dress and had a great time socializing with an impeccably dressed and fun crowd.

Photo by John Carey Photographic Imagery

I love how this is a versatile dress! I can change up my look by wearing a different color slip (which is also vintage). My hat is a vintage one that I retrimmed. I am wearing the beautiful Lillian heels from Royal Vintage Shoes.

It was a hot and sunny day, and my sunglasses were definitely needed! (They are not quite right, but close enough for an Amazon find).

Kelsey is divine in 1930s ensemble she sewed using a Wearing History pattern.

Natalie is lovely in a vintage 1930s dress, the navy version of the Lillian, and a hat she crocheted herself!

Here we three are again with Jess and Abby.

The event was full of vintage cars, amid the backdrop of the wonderful Dunsmuir House mansion.

In years past we always had too much food and leftovers, so we scaled back the food. You can’t see from the photo, but I think we had more beverages (especially delightful cocktails!) instead of food.

As always, the table was organized by my friend Kim, shown here wearing a handmade dress and waiting patiently in line with David.

I made my boutonniere using some vintage flowers, floral tape, and silk taffeta that I cut into a ribbon.

I made the belt out of a broken half of a buckle, more vintage flowers, and some silk taffeta.

We had a great time! Elizabeth high-fiving with the American Duchess ladies included!

Can you count the number of Lillians in this post? They were definitely the hot new shoe people were sporting at the picnic! I can’t wait until next year!

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1930s Vintage Dress at the Gatsby Picnic

Posted on September 12, 2016 by freshfrippery

Yesterday was the annual Gatsby Summer Afternoon, hosted by the Art Deco Society at the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate. (This wonderful event is open to the public, but buy your tickets early because they sold out this year!) There is a live band, dancing, gorgeous antique automobiles, and many great costumes. I found a car that matched my dress!

The dress I wore is a vintage 1930s gown made of a very fine cotton or rayon net. It was such a lucky find in great condition! I am wearing the 23 Skidoos from American Duchess and a hat I trimmed myself.

I bought the hat base from Amazon and decorated with a scrap of green silk taffeta from my stash, and some pink blossoms from Michael’s.

A group of us reserved an umbrella table and organized a luncheon.

We also had delicious cocktails (that matched Samantha, winner of the fashion contest!)

For the first time I was invited to sit inside one of the vintage cars!

Bonus photo: I realized my dress matched the car so well it looked like I had extra “assets.” Hah!

Here is the brochure with the schedule if you are interested in the many activities and performances that happen at the picnic. Hope to see you next year!

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1920s Egyptian Revival and Poiret Cocoon Coat (Part 3) at the Rosicrucian Museum

Posted on February 21, 2016 by freshfrippery

Yesterday I wore my 1920s Egyptian Revival dress and my Poiret cocoon coat at the GBACG Egyptian Expedition at the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, CA.

You can read about the finished dress in my previous posts, but to summarize, both the dress and coat are made of silk velvet. I used the Decades of Style Zig-Zag dress pattern and the Folkwear Poiret coat pattern.

I am wearing a vintage fox fur collar and footwear from Royal Vintage Shoes. I felt so glamorous in this coat!

I found a place in the museum that had interesting lighting and gave things a slightly eerie glow.

You can see the double-layered silk chiffon sleeves in this photo.

I am wearing golden bee pins in my hair.

Outdoors in the sun the colors of the coat are more obvious.

Here’s a shot of those gorgeous shoes (I got so many people asking where I got them!) with my matching purse. My vintage-style stockings started to pool and slip just like the real ones.

I came in under budget for the dress, so I splurged a little on the coat materials.

5 yards of silk velvet burnout: $82.50 plus tax (from Fabric Depot in El Sobrante; I still have leftovers)
4 yards heavy blue satin: $12.77 plus tax (from Joann’s at 50% off, with an additional coupon!)
Folkwear pattern: $19.95 plus $2.75 shipping (from eBay)
Tassle: free! (The place where I bought the velvet threw that in for free)
Button, thread: from the stash

Total: $119.12

You can see more photos of our museum adventures on Flickr. My friend Kim also has a very nice photo album here.

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1920s Egyptian Revival (Part 2)

Posted on February 15, 2016 by freshfrippery

My 1920s Egyptian Revival dress is finished, in time for the event at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum!

I used Decades of Style’s zig zag dress pattern. It’s a great pattern that I’ve used before, although in retrospect silk velvet is not the best fabric for it. Velvet slips and stretches so much during cutting and sewing that needing lots of triangles to match up perfectly can be difficult. (After cutting, I had to fuss around with mine a lot to make everything fit, so it doesn’t line up as well as I wanted). I also used very sheer silk chiffon for the sleeves and collar binding. It was so sheer that I had to double up on layers. I originally ordered 1 meter of the navy blue silk, but the shop sent me 4 meters by accident (and told me to keep the rest!) so I’m glad I had the extra since I had to use twice as much as I was planning to.

Here is the dress with an Egyptian collar I purchased on eBay.

I found these really neat appliques on eBay as well! The seller didn’t have any information about them other than they are “vintage,” so I don’t know where they are from. They are a rather stiff, so the folds of the skirt drape a little funny, but I still find them an interesting touch to the project.

The neckline is bound with 2 layers of silk chiffon, and the shoulders are gathered.

The chiffon didn’t work out for binding the zigzags, so I found some fine rayon twill tape to do the job.

I need to iron flat some small details but it’s finished!

Stay tuned for next week, when I will take pictures of myself wearing it at the Egyptian museum, along with some accessories I am excited about (like new shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes!)

Final costs (lots of lucky bargains!):

3 meters white silk velvet and 4 meters navy silk chiffon : $58 including shipping from Halo Silk Shop
Appliques: $6 including shipping from eBay
10 yards twill tape: $4.50 plus tax (with extras left over)
Pattern: $0 (I already own it and used it before)
Collar: $10.80 including tax and shipping from eBay

Total: ~$79.30 (for a silk dress!)

Read Part 1 here.

Poiret Cocoon Coat (Part 2)

Posted on February 4, 2016 by freshfrippery

I’m currently hemming my 1920s Egyptian Revival dress, but have been working a little on the Poiret cocoon coat in between.

The Folkwear 503 is a very simple pattern, but the assembly is different than what I was expecting. I’m used to coats and most garments having seams in the shoulders and sides, but this pattern has a long seam down the center back, and then a horizontal seam across the front of the chest, with darts in the shoulder/neck region. It works, but took a little staring to get over the “you want me to do what?” feeling.

Here is a diagram from the inside of the pattern instructions:

The sleeves and coat body are cut as one huge piece for each side of the body. The top is folded down to make the sleeve (hence the horizontal seam). The pattern piece is very wide, and takes up most of the width of your fabric.

I’ve cut out the pieces and sewn them together, but I need to press the seams and attach the lining to the outer fabric, and add a closure. The width of the pattern piece makes pattern-matching on the fabric difficult. To match I would have had to line up my pattern piece about a foot in from the edge, and that wouldn’t have been wide enough. However, the busy pattern helps hide this a bit, and using a solid fabric would make the back and front seams very obvious.

At the moment I’m considering not using the collar pattern piece included with the pattern, and putting a fur collar on instead. I tucked this fur scarf I have into the coat to get a general idea of what it would look like, but I think I would rather have a chocolate brown fur that matches the fabric, or go for a fluffy cream collar for more contrast.

So far I would have to say that this pattern is very easy to use – there are definitely not a lot of pieces at least!

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Poiret Cocoon Coat (Part 1)

Posted on January 22, 2016 by freshfrippery

I am still working on my 1920s Egyptian Revival dress, but I am in the middle of tediously hand-stitching the trim, so there isn’t a lot for me to discuss about the progress of the dress. Meanwhile, let’s talk about cocoon coats! I have been wanting one of Paul Poiret’s luxuriously draped coats, and since the Egyptian event I am attending is during the winter, this is the perfect time to make one.

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Illustration by Paul Barbier. Check out that Egyptian print on the dress on the left!

I am using the Folkwear Poiret Cocoon Coat pattern, which seems quite easy and straightforward. Originally I planned to make one out of solid red velvet to highlight the red accents in my 1920s dress, but . . .

. . . a few weeks ago I was shopping for ribbon when I came across this incredibly beautiful silk velvet burnout fabric!

It has a beautiful blue, purple, and chocolate brown paisley pattern.

I later bought coordinating lining fabric to highlight the blue in the silk.

I’m looking forward to starting this project!

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1920s Egyptian Revival (Part 1): Silk! Embroidery! Flapper Shoes!

Posted on January 17, 2016 by freshfrippery

Next month the GBACG is hosting an event at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. To celebrate the Egyptomania surrounding Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922, I will be making a 20s dress with an Egyptian Revival theme.

I am using white silk velvet and navy blue silk chiffon. Here it is pinned together but still looking rather plain before its embellishments.

I am using Decades of Style’s zig zag dress pattern, which I used before to make my Daisy dress for the Gatsby Picnic.

I made a bunch of silk chiffon bias tape to trim the zig zags, but sadly they are really too sheer and delicate and the seams show through, so I will have to come up with another plan. (The fabric is so sheer the sleeves are 2 layers of chiffon).

I have 8 of these vintage appliques, one for each panel of the skirt. They might be a little weird, but I am hoping they are just weird enough.

I am excited to wear the dress with these shoes I got from Royal Vintage Shoes. They come in black/gold and navy/silver, but not navy/gold, so I went with the black/gold combination. They are really lovely and I’m glad I’ll have an excuse to wear them!