Back to School Vintage Pattern Blitz!

Whether you are thinking of getting the kids ready for school (didn't summer just start?) or not, it's only a month away. Back to school supplies and a new set of clothes?  It's time to get ready!

And to help you get ready, the Pattern Patter team on Etsy is hosting a Back to School Blitz on Thursday, August 1st from Midnight to Midnight wherever you are! As a member of the team, I welcome all shoppers to pop in and browse the listings that will come rolling in, many with special back to school discounts. Just click the button on the right to view the items being posted in this Back to School Blitz event.

If you visit my shop during the Blitz, you'll receive a 20% discount on any child's pattern. Just use the coupon code "BTS2013"! Here's a preview of some of the children's clothing you'll see in my shop now and on the Back to School Blitz day:

Before and After Hit Parade: Cute 1940s Summer Frock

Seamstress: Emily in Australia
Pattern: Du Barry 5833

Here is the pattern, Du Barry 5833, from 1944 and the war years. Such a classic style, this frock has a swing skirt, square neckline, and a lightly bloused bodice with short sleeves and the option to go sleeveless:

The result:

Emily picked a gorgeous color for this frock, and is true to the short-sleeve version. Lovely flare and a perfect length. So flattering, and a lovely result! And I think I spy her cat (named Lamp) in the mirror! ;). Speaking of her cat, Emily has her own shop on Etsy, Lamp's Little Luxuries, where she sells beautiful hand-knitted accessories, so be sure to check it out!

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Trimming a Smart Frock with Fabric Disks

This tip reminds me of bottle cap covers - which this most definitely is not. Flat circles of bias fabric are sewn and them joined to create attractive trim for your "late spring and early summer frock" of flat crepe.

I like the effect on the sleeves, though I'm not sure if trimming the skirt has the same charm. Thoughts?

It's Radical - Fashion Protest over Hemlines in 1970!

In the late 1960s, the mini skirt reigned supreme, and did we young women ever love it! I remember it with such fondness. My father would often remark, as I was preparing to walk out the door in a mini-something "Well, you have a shirt on, when are you going to put on the rest of your clothes?" ;) In those days, I wore clothes with the high-thigh lengths you see in these photos. So sassy, so liberating!

 

Yes, we really wore our hemlines that short. Here are some patterns from 1969 that demonstrate the mini-length hemlines. There is short, and then there is really short:

 

(Note the bridesmaid's mini dress!)

 

Then, in 1970, the powers that be in fashion dictated a switch in skirt length from mini to midi. Not happy!! Life magazine, March 13, 1970 edition, captured this fashion hassle over hemlines.

 

 

Couture designers were quoted on their views about the hemline change, and they clearly had strong preferences:

In the sewing patterns of 1970 and on, we slowly start to see lower hemlines, including the midi and the maxi lengths. The ultimate compromise was moving the hemline up to just below the knee.

 

 

 

Women Protest Fashion Decrees - The Hemline Revolt of the late 1940s!

During the war years, hemlines were at the knee in order to accommodate war time rationing of fabric.

Then, in 1947, a hemline change occurred.  In that year, Paris decreed the "New Look" and and skirts dropped from knee length to tea length (mid-calf). This caused a serious protest - women did not like losing the freedom of those shorter hemlines.

News photo from 1947 of women's protest against new fashion skirt lengths

Patterns from the late 1940s demonstrate the return of hemlines to mid-calf lengths (tea-length).

 

Ultimately, the voice of women was heeded, and hemlines gradually rose closer to the knees in the 1950s. This won't be the only time women protested Paris designs. Next post, I'll talk about the hemline revolt of the 1970s. :)

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Sun Ray Pleats

This tip from Ruth Wyeth Spears and the 1920s focuses on accent pleats that fan out in sun rays. I particularly find the side godet interesting, and the use of the pleated fans at the hemlines of both the godet and the "scarf collar". Ruth's explanation and drawings (she drew all her own illustrations) are perfectly clear, as always.

Note the title in this article. Rue de la Paix was (and is) the fashionable shopping street in the center of Paris. Fifth Avenue in New York, of course, is lined with prestigious boutiques and flagship stores and is consistently ranked among the most expensive shopping streets in the world. So "sun ray plaitings" was a current trend that was evident in the leading fashion houses and shops of the day.

Celebrate Summer Solstice Day with Dresses from June 1950!

Whether you have some real sun or not on this longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, you can imagine yourself wrapped up in these delightful dresses, straight from June 1950 and Women's Home Companion. Wrap and button, double-breasted button, or tie!