Before and After Hit Parade: Groovy 1970s Caftan Goes Tropical!

Seamstress: Jem
Pattern: Simplicity 5900

This fab caftan from 1973 features an empire waist and beautiful, flowing style. It's a "Jiffy" to sew pattern that doesn't sacrifice great style. It's the sort of pattern that shows off fabric to great effect.

The Result: And here is Jem's great result, hand-sewn in a gorgeous tropical print, full of colorful parrots. Looks fabulous, doesn't it? And yes, that is not a typo, Jem did not use a sewing machine, she actually hand-sewed each seam. Amazing!

 

You can view Jem's blog post about this sewing effort here: Seven Minutes in Heaven. Be sure to also visit the Etsy shop that she runs with Nicki,  Seven Minutes in Heaven, where they sell groovy clothing items from the Mod era of the late 1960s and the 1970s. Girls after my own heart. :)

Scraps from the Past - Embroidered Eyelet to Edge a Slip

This is the scrap I found in a pattern envelope for fabulous 50s slips - classic embroidered eyelet.

 

And here is the pattern - a great collection of slips for every occasion. In the 1950s slips were simply required lingerie for wear under every dress and skirt. This particular pattern was cut for the half slip, so you can guess that the embroidered eyelet trimmed the hemline. :)