Dress Like An Egyptian

Here is something REALLY vintage!  As in 5500 years old vintage.  And a FREE pattern.

The Tarkhan dress is made of fine linen, probably handkerchief linen or a little heavier blouse-weight linen.  It was apparently made to fit a young teen, but examples of the style have been seen in pictures of women.  There were, apparently, string ties to hold the v closed in front and in back.

If you want to try your hand at making a dress like this for lounging around the house, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaelogy staff have written some instructions for you.

It kind of looks like a Fortuny.

There are also instructions for a beaded netting dancing dress at the same site.  That one would probably look best over a catsuit.

How To Pull A Pattern

Back in the dim, distant past I worked for Past Patterns when they were located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I started out sewing test garments, did pattern grading, made corsets, and eventually was the Office Manager.  I was able to indulge my love of vintage clothing, old patterns, bookkeeping, and flea marketing during this period.

Here is an article that appeared in a magazine called handmade #17, in Jan/Feb 1985.  Click on the image to make it larger.

A Tale of Synthetic Silk

I found a sweet, simple 1920's dress I wanted to reproduce, but it was filthy.  I soaked it in gentle cleaner, like I do all my cottons and linens and silk georgette and chiffon clothing that has been worn and washed before.  What a surprise when I squeezed and gently unrolled the dress.  It was falling apart before my eyes!  What had looked like sturdy silk was some imitation silk.  I don't know what it's made of, but I've never seen this happen before.

Anyway, I had already done my measuring of the garment and figured out how it was constructed.  I never did reproduce it, but looked for georgette of that color for years

It is a very basic dress--no darts or tucks.  This one fits a 34 bust with 36 hips.  The top is a tube with the rayon lace pieces forming the straps.  The skirt portion is a 36" square with curved pieces of lace on each edge, forming a circle.  A 36" circle was cut out of the middle and sewn to the bodice.  A length of georgette was hand pleated and tacked together and tacked to the hipline.  The edges were bound with bias georgette and there were little sprays of ribbon flowers attached around the hip and on the front of the bodice.  That's it!  A matching basic slip would have been worn with this--probably pink.

Showing the skirt inset.

Detail of the belt.

If anyone is interested in purchasing this garment for study or reconstruction, let me know.  I will even dig out the ribbon flowers for you.

Cotton Netting and Silk Bibbed Early 1910' s Dress

 Here is another fashion orphan I rescued.  I believe it is nearer 1910-1911 than later owing to the length and breadth of the skirt, the natural waistline, and the set-in sleeves.  What is missing here is an under-bodice.  I believe the bib front and back were attached to a sash, and possibly a short peplum, as the dress is see-through.  The material is cotton netting and the cream-colored silk is beautiful.  It would also have been worn with a matching slip.

I have updated and added links to my Helpful Links page, above left.  Be sure and check them out for fashion history, construction, and fabric and notions articles.

Here is a detail of the waist fastening.  In this model the skirt fastens in center back, so the bodice has to snap around to center back from the left side front.  The lone snap you see is for the sash.  Once again, the dress is built on a well-fitting boned belt.  The underbodice was probably boned, also.  There may also have been a silk underskirt.

Beautiful detailing on the front bodice.

Here is the back bodice. 

Sleeve detail.

The belt closing.  Here I show it on the side, but it goes in the back.

You can see by the side seam that the opening goes in the back, not on the side.  The silk trim is still in beautiful condition, so not weighted silk.

If anyone is interested in purchasing this garment for study or reconstruction, please contact me.

A 1913 Lace Party Dress

I've run out of brassieres to feature, so am now moving on to clothing.  I buy bits and pieces of vintage clothing when I can find it to study and to keep it from being thrown away.  This dress was in the process of being renovated when the owner tired of it and put it away.  

Fashion in 1913 was changing rapidly and one just couldn't appear at two events in the same season wearing the same dress.

Look at the original fashion illustrations on this page to see the inspiration for this dress.  Waistlines had risen and hips were being given more emphasis with flounces and draping.  Long skirts were tapering at the ankle--the infamous hobble skirt.  All dresses of this time started out with a boned belt to which everything was attached.  This was snugly fitted and usually fastened on the left.  

Click on any picture to see the entire thing.

An underbodice, or guimpe, was attached first.  This one has the sleeves in one with the body, kinono-style, which was in fashion at the time.  Lace is attached where it will show, and the under fabric is pink silk georgette.  The bodice snaps down the left side front, hooks securely to the belt, then the snaps continue around to the side.  The rest of the bodice from the left front around the right and across the back to the left closure is attached to the belt.

Here is the back, showing the simple turned-under edge of the netting, which will not fray, and the georgette.  This is gathered to a cotton twill tape and stitched to the belt.

Over the bodice goes this beautiful silk lace cape, edged with rose weighted silk, which covers the unfinished edges of the netting and meets at the middle front at the beltline.  (I have it on inside out here, showing the seams.)  Note how the lace is gathered at the bottom to make a drape at the waist.  The other side has come unsewn.  Look at the dresses for October 1911 and July 1911 at the link I provided above to see similar construction. It has been cut away at the front, but I believe it had been attached to the belt at center front and center back.

The other piece of this beautiful dress that remains is the top overskirt.  The fronts are finished with the same rose weighted silk fabric.  The underskirt, which is missing, probably was made of the rose weighted silk, which you can see is splitting very badly.  This underskirt, like the bodice, would have been attached to the belt from the right side around the back to the side opening, and then finished with snaps to the front left.

To cover all the busyness at the waist, there would have been a boned sash, probably with long ends finished with lace or tassels.

Notice how the lace is gathered at center back for more draping.  This would have been a diaphanous floaty rustling party dress!  

The silk lace is still in excellent condition.  The only material that is crumbling is the weighted silk, which is to be expected.

If anyone is interested in purchasing this "dress" for study or reconstruction, please let me know.  I  would love to see it re-made using this beautiful lace.