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.

The Magic Reversible Kimono

Here's the last of the "magic" patterns I have from a 1930's edition of Fashion Service Magazine from The Women's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences.  Looks like I need to get into that closet and start photographing again!

Once again, if you make this, send me a picture.

The Magic Nightgown

I can't promise that this nightgown will make your nights magical, but it is attractive and relatively easy to make.  Look for a delicate, tightly-woven 100% cotton.  The back side of the lapels will show, so keep that in mind, or applique lace on them.

Originally published in a 1930's edition of Fashion Service Magazine, published by the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences.

The Magic Bed Jacket

I wouldn't call this especially magical when you have a lot of curve hemming to do, but it is relatively easy to make.  Originally published in a 1930's edition of Fashion Service magazine (I don't remember which one), published by the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences.

If you make one, let me see!

Mary Phelps Jacob, Inventor of the Modern Brassiere

So she is sometimes called.  You can read her story here.  A link to her invention is here.  A Wikipedia article says she was persuaded to sell her fledgling company to Warner Brothers Corset Company by her second husband and join him in debauchery in Europe. (He came to a bad end.)

Below are instructions for you to make your own brassiere, somewhat like the one she made and like the one in the early movie from a few posts ago.  These pages are from the Underwear and Lingerie volume of Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences series, Part 1, 1925, updated 1930.

If anybody makes one, let me see it!

Vintage Children's Patterns

I have another question for my followers:  Do you think there is a market for vintage children's sewing patterns?  Below are some of the patterns I had listed for several months on Etsy, of which I only ever sold one.  I know it's hard to get most little girls into something that looks decent these days, as opposed to the current style of Britney-wear, but infants and toddlers would have to wear whatever you put on them it seems to me.  Update 25 August 2015!  I have listed some children's patterns here.  Look for the tabs at the top of the blog.

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A Glorious Potpourri of Crafting

I am in the process of putting some new old manuals in my Etsy store and I'm giving you a preview in case there is something that you just have to have.

First up is one I know you'll want.

This is the original--not the repro I've seen on Amazon.  You can tell by the original price in the corner.  Very good manual for making hats circa 1944.

Another one that features hats is this Woman's Day Annual from 1947.

Lots of inspiration here, plus doilies, mittens, gloves, sweaters, etc.

From the Domestic Sewing Machine Company for making over and mending.  No date, but this was encouraged during WWII.

A pamphlet from 1943.

All about Talon products new in 1968.

Knitting for children and babies.

Don't let your babies eat yarn.

Frightening clowns.  Why was that little guy playing with elephant poo?

Beautiful doilies.

Ubiquitous Poodles!!

How-To Books.

This one from 1966 features lots of RED!

And more weird hats and weirder purses--perfect for all those made with love especially for you, faery wear, steampunk, burning man Etsy crafters. (Not saying any of you are like that!  I've been reading a lot of Regretsy posts lately.  Warning!  Not for the easily offended!)

Give me some time to get them all up.  If there are any that strike your fancy, let me know before I put them up and I will Reserve them for you.  I haven't set any prices yet, so bear with me.

Making Tailored Buttonholes and Other Things

I was curious as to who this Marjorie Eastman, who was clothing specialist for the Michigan State College Cooperative Extension Service, was.  I found a listing of all her published works here.  It seems she started publishing pamphlets and books on sewing in 1929.  Here is a newspaper article from 1951. 

According to the Minutes of the Meeting of the (Michigan) State Board of Agriculture, May 18, 1944, there was an annual meeting of the American Home Economics Association in Chicago, June 19-24.  The college sent 10 people from the Department of Foods and Nutrition with an allowance of $10.00 each and eight women, including Marjorie Eastman, department not specified, also with a generous allowance of $10.00 to be paid from Extension funds.  It should be noted that in this document there were many men going to other meetings and conferences with their way paid in full or mostly in full.  Another interesting tidbit is that two Physics Instructors were earning $224 and $225 per month.

Not finding a biography of her online I finally found mention of her as a surviving relative of Dr Lois Gannett in 1955.  She was still being called "Miss" Marjorie Eastman, and the way the obit was worded led me to believe she was a niece of the deceased.  I looked up Lois on the 1870 census and saw she had a brother named Seymour.  I looked up Seymour in 1900 and BINGO!  There he was with his wife Editha and children William, Margery, Rodger, and Helen.  Margery was 4.  So next I went to the Social Security Death Index and found this:

MARJORIE EASTMAN 13 Dec 1895 Apr 1991 (not specified) (none specified) 371-46-3588 Michigan

Then I went back to the 1930 census and found her vacationing with several other teachers in a hotel in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

See, now?  You've learned how to make buttonholes and also how to find someone using online resources.

More of Those Indispensable Notions

First up - for the non-sewer, Bee's Universal Button Fasteners, consisting of a sharp pointy staple and a metal backing plate.  Since this envelope is still sealed after all these decades, the mystery of how to curve those sharp points into the grooves on the plate will forever remain one.

Next up - from April 9, 1895, the Singer Safety Patent Garment Ready Opener Hook.  (Say that fast!)  The particular charms of this hook include being wringer-proof, a very real problem that vintage clothes buyers can attest to.