Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - A Smart Parisian Frock with Cascading Drape

I was watching Downton Abbey last night (oh my gosh - don't you just love the costumes for Edith and Mary?!) It makes me want to sew up a whole wardrobe of 1920s frocks. It is hard to believe there is only one episode left. :( At least we still have Miss Fisher of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries to get our Flapper Era fix.

To help you with your Downton Abbey or Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries frock envy, just turn to Ruth Wyeth Spears and her wonderful tips from the 1920s. In this tip for the home sewist, she covers the latest frock style from Paris with her usual simplicity. This frock, with a  unique neckline with offset jabot collar, and artful cascading drape below the waist, is designed for print fabric. Inspired?

Sewists Use Tip to Sew Lovely 1920s Dresses!

About a year ago, I posted this tip from Ruth Wyeth Spears and the 1920s:

This tip has inspired more than one sewist. I was thrilled to hear from Gabriela of the Pour La Victoire blog, who had recently created a 1920s frock and added a cascading drape using Ruth's tip. I think her results are absolutely wonderful and a fabulous testament to the 1920s. In the following images, borrowed from her blog, you can see how much the cascading drape adds to her evening frock. 

I   absolutely love the color of her frock, the beading is simply exquisite, and the total effect is simply elegant. I can't imagine the careful effort and amount of time it took to add the beautiful beading to the frock.

To read all the details of how Gabriela constructed this dress, check out her blog, Pour La Victoire. In her blog, Gabriela also mentions Lorna, who had also used this tip to accent her 1920s dress (along with a friend). Lorna kept in touch me when she was sewing her dress, so be sure to follow the links to her blog, Loran's World. Loran has sewn other wonderful 1920s dresses, and loves to knit too! So be sure to browse her blog and be inspired.

1946 Originator Sketch: Artful Gathers Create Beautiful Frocks

While I am tempted to call it smocking, I suspect these frocks illustrate the use of shirring to artfully gather fabric, for a front peplum in one case and a side cascading drape in the other. Regardless, such clever, creative ideas result in beautiful frocks. Delicious!

Seen in a Shop Window: Wedding Dresses at Luly Yang

Bridal gowns are beginning to appear in the windows of Luly Yang in downtown Seattle - what a delight!

I love this stunning strapless gown, with a snug, contoured drop-waist bodice and full flowing skirt with a sweep train.

This eye-catching gown is gorgeous, with a snug bustier bodice and full flowing skirt that swirls in a froth of cascading drapes.

1940s Originator Sketch - Cocktail Dresses

Ooooo la la! These stunning cocktail dresses feature cascading drapes topped with bows. Did you notice that both dresses dip lower in the back? Fabulous eye candy!

Look at the details carefully - intriguing!

Originator Sketch - Gowns That Drape and Dazzle

This Originator sketch from Spring 1946 features two beautiful concepts for evening wear, each featuring draping.

On the left is a full-skirted evening gown with a cowl-like drape just left of center front and below the knees in the skirt. A bit subtle, I think! The skirt is also accented with flowing sequins or bead embroidery.

On the right, a cascading drape on the right hip and small cowl-like drape above the right knee add elegance to this slim frock for dinner or afternoon wear. Sequins or bead embroidery add extra spark & dazzle.

Note that the full-skirted evening gown has a sheer yoke and sleeves, and a decollete under-bodice with sweetheart neckline. Gorgeous!

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - A Smart New Jabot

Looking at the drawing in this tip from Ruth Wyeth Spears and the 1920s, my first thought was, "That is a jabot?" So I rustled up a dictionary definition that would explain why Ruth used this term. Essentially, a jabot is an ornamental cascade of ruffles or frills that fall from the neckline. We more typically think of a froth of lacy tiers or lacy pleated tiers at the neckline, that sort of thing. But this ruffled cascade that Ruth evidently qualifies, and Ruth explains that jabots come in a variety of forms. ;)

Simple to make, "this season's jabot" is a great way to add a dramatic accent to a frock. Read on to learn all from dear Ruth!

For a look at different styles of jabots, check out these other posts I've made:

• A tip from Ruth for a quite different style of jabot.
• Another tip from Ruth for a different type of jabot.
• A jabot neckline from the early 1950s.

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Adding a Cascading Drape to a Frock

Starting with your basic "plain dress" pattern as the foundation, this tip from Ruth Wyeth Spears illustrates 3 specific changes that you can make to add dash and elegance to your frock:

1. Long sleeves are lightly bell-shaped, then fastened snug to the wrists with snaps.
2. A narrow slot at the neckline front, with a contrast-colored vestee underneath.
3. Square pieces that are cut in a slope are added to the front skirt, creating a cascading drape.

Such inspiring style!

Will you sew yours in a "soft deep rose" and cream?

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Updating a House Dress to an Afternoon Frock

Starting with a "straight dress pattern", Ruth Wyeth Spears walks you through easy steps to turn your simple house dress into a fashionable, flattering afternoon frock. She adds a bit of skirt fullness at the sides, cascading drapes, trailing fabric ribbons, and long sleeves. Just like that, an every-day frock is turned into a lovely one!

Note the fabric-covered buttons at the shoulders. Enjoy! And don't forget to click or tap the image to enlarge it for easier reading.

Spotted in a Shop Window - Exquisite Formal Gowns

How exquisite is this wine dark dress? It has a very 1940s glamour about it. I will let the details speak for themselves. These gowns were spotted in the window of Luly Yang in downtown Seattle.

This has a more 1950s influence - a flowing garden of roses. Love the strapless bodice with snug midriff.

kkkk

Spotted in a Shop Window: Deliciously Draped Dresses from Luly Yang

Look at these gorgeously draped dresses, seen in the shop window of Luly Yang in downtown Seattle. Such beautiful cascading drapes, artful gathers, and elegant design details!

I wish I could afford to shop in this store. Sigh.

Home Sewing Tips for the 1920s - A Draped Formal Gown

"Richness should be the keynote of the draped gown" Ruth Wyeth Spears says. In this home sewing tip, she describes how to create this evening gown with "metal cloth" - what we would call metallic fabric - brilliant, glittery, and dramatic! The skirt is wrapped to create drapes at back sides of center, with velvet flowers and foliage trimming the drop-waistline. Elegant!
 

 

Cascading Drapes - Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s & Spotted in Shop Window!

It's "Spotted in a Shop Window" and "Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s" in one post!

In this tip, Ruth Wyeth Spears describes how to add graceful drapes to the skirt of a charming frock (with frock construction illustrated as well). Note the interesting tucks in addition to the cascading drapes (I just love tucks).

While hardly identical, of course, this beautiful strapless formal gown I spotted in the shop window of Luly Yang in downtown Seattle just yesterday also shows the luscious effect of draping on the skirt of a dress. 

A close-up of the drapes shows construction that looks more similar to the draping in my post on Sunday. Regardless, whether a 1920s frock or a 2014 formal gown, I find draping on a dress so elegant and beautiful.

Enjoy!

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Adding Draping to Your Frocks

With the 4th season of Downton Abbey starting this evening (it's 1922!), it's time to resume the home sewing tips from the 1920s by Anne Wyeth Spears. In this article, Ruth writes about the use of a cascading drape to add a touch of elegance  and grace to clothing.

































Add a cascading drape to your favorite Parisian frock.  And doesn't the model look a bit like Lady Mary Crawley? ;)