Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Hemline Advice

In this tip, Ruth discusses "a hemline for every figure" - a brief but honest discussion that we all don't have slender figures nor trim legs and ankles. :) The use of pleats, overskirts, and underskirts are all successful approaches "for the woman who does not wear short dresses well" ("short" being a relative term, here).

A very useful tip when sewing your 1920s costumes!

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.

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Add Overskirt with Knife Pleats to Your Frock

I love crisp pleats, so this tip from Ruth Wyeth Spears for home sewers in the 1920s is especially fun. Ruth describes how to add interest to a plain frock by adding groups of sharp knife pleats. She illustrates knife pleats in an "apron tunic" on the left and in the "flounces" that trim the frock on the right . Her directions are spot on, so let Ruth be your guide as you sew and let her drawings inspire you as you design your frock with pleats!

Spring 1952 - A Study in Crisp Black and White

A full skirt, a doll waist - it's a fabulous silk dress in crisp stripes. That cute boater hat sets it off to perfection.

Very wide, very striking shaped white collar and white wing cuffs for a dark dress.

A black sheer wool dress provides a straight silhouette, broken by a swing of contrasting white wool bolero.

This dress has an overskirt that flips back to reveal a pale, pretty lining.

Strange pose... is this a hallelujah moment? Dotted scarf collar is pulled through the bodice closing to create a large bow at the hip. Now that's dramatic fashion! Pouf!