I can’t believe we are already at Thanksgiving! While I feel that the summer went by at a normal pace, this fall has simply flew!!
I have been very busy sewing these past days, not only getting ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday on my shop (click HERE to see all the deals), but also with some fun projects just for the heck of it! One such project, was this 1810’s day gown in such a fun shade of coral-ly pink.
I decided to bring back an old post favorite which I haven’t done in a while: On My Inspiration Board! For this post, I choose either a color, pattern, shape, or type of gown and collect my favorites to share from the years 1800-1950. For today’s version, I decided to choose gowns made out a of patterned fabric. Whether geometric, floral, or striped, these gowns are wonderful examples of fabric design and gown creation!
In my daily wardrobe, I don’t really wear a whole lot of patterns. Yet when it comes to my sewing, I adore using patterns. Any type of pattern using any type of colors. I simply love it. And based on all my research, I am not alone! From morning gowns, to tea gowns, to evening gowns, patterns have been a favorite for decades.
This particular painting shows how embroidery create a lovely pattern on this elegant 1810’s court dress. Perhaps not a gown to be worn by the average woman, bust still stunning!
Duchess Talleyrand-Périgord, Princess Dorothea by Joseph Chabord
This gown from the late 1800’s is a wonderful example of the striking impact a good pattern can create! Not only does the cut of the gown highlight the pattern, but the black and white stripe is absolutely eye catching!
While there are so many options out there, I did my best to select a variety of gowns from a variety of time periods. So, without further ado, here is this month’s Inspiration Board!
March is all about green in my opinion. It represents life, regrowth, and, of course, shamrock shakes from McDonalds. And even though I currently find myself engulfed in a rather large snow storm, I am all about any signs of green and spring!
I adore the light green color of this 1920’s gown. Everything about it is elegant and simple. Even the belt is perfectly place!
1920’s Green Dress – Ensemble by Paul Poiret (French, Paris 1879–1944 Paris) Date: 1925–26
Spring flowers belong in a spring vase. And this pitcher from Joann Fabrics is perfect!
If Dorothy had a emerald option in addition to her ruby slippers, I am most certain these beauties would be it!!
Gabriella Crystal Pumps by Royal Vintage Shoes
Two things about this painting strike me. One, I love the unique color of green in the gown. Second, I adore anything that uses the color combinations of green and pink. Lovely!
Portrait of Juliane Fürstin zu Schaumburg-Lippe c.1781 by Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder
If you are looking for the perfect vintage green fabric for your next project, I love this one from Reproduction Fabrics. Sweet and charming!
Vintage Green Fabric from Reproduction Fabrics
There just so many things that have been inspiring me lately. From baking, to art, to fashion and sewing, I just can’t get enough! I really had to work hard to trim down this month’s selection as I could have kept adding gown after gown and photo after photo. However, I stayed focused and am very excited to share with you the five images and ideas that get my creative and fashion juices flowing!
First off let’s start with this absolutely fabulous late 1850’s gown. I mean talk about a colorful, vibrant gown that is perfect for any holiday dinner or tea. I can’t imagine the amount of patience needed to attach all the trim to the skirt!
My next monthly favorite comes in the form of baking. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, everyone is busy creating the perfect fall pie! And wouldn’t it be fun to try some different decorations for the pie crust? I certainly think so! Martha Stewart has some fabulous options:
Decorative Pie Crusts from Martha Stewart
This painting is absolutely captivating. The deep purple of the velvet gown with matching hat and trim gives my little heart palpitations! I need that gown!!!
The Godmother’s Garden by Marie-Françoise Firmin-Girard 1875
This 1885 Swedish fashion plate is awesome for several reasons. One, the gowns are perfect for a crisp fall day, but second, just look at the chilly, gothic location where these well dressed ladies are placed! I get goosebumps just thinking about it. Just look at that spooky manor in the background!
My last November favorite comes in the form of this 1950’s sweater ensemble. I love how long, cozy, yet very stylish it is. I swear I saw this same sweater in a window at the mall not too long ago. I love when fashion repeats itself!
Between baking, vibrant colors, rich velvets, and warm knits, I am having a fabulous November so far!!
All the best!
Happy Veterans Day! A big thank you to all who have served!!
I have learned several things in preparation of today’s post.
Is it going out on a limb to say that camel looks good on everyone? I think that it does. In finding images for my board, I noticed that people of all ages and colors looked great in this warm tan tone. I personally love camel and have several pieces of it in my wardrobe. As neutral as navy, brown, or black, camel offers a more sophisticated look. And designers have made a fortune launching this color into high fashion.
But what about historical fashion? Well, this was a bit tricky. I was able to find a few examples of camel colored gowns, however there appeared to be a large gap from 1830-1860. In between these decades, brown seems to have been the more dominate color of choice. In addition, I noticed that what I think is the color camel, is not what other people make think is camel. Take a look at this gown from the late 1860’s. It is described as camel with brown trim, yet to me I see tan or butterscotch:
Hmmmm….I’m just not sure.
But, I suppose if one is looking for camel colored gowns, this one would certainly fit.
Anyways, whiles I was not able to find as many examples as I have in the past, I still found the choices available to be absolutely stunning. So, here is this month’s inspiration board of camel colored gowns:
As always, feel free to visit my Pinterest Page to see more gowns of this color.
Whenever I watch a Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte film, I always notice how many scenes have women sitting and embroidering. While embroidering has never been a skill I have any great comfort with, I so admire the patience that goes into creating such unique pieces. In addition to beauty, excellent embroidery (in the 18th and 19th century) was also a sign of your success at being a woman. From samplers, to large designs, to small decals on ribbons, creating lovely scenes through thread was a talent to be embraced and cultivated.
And when one looks back at gowns from the past two hundred years, the value placed upon such embroidered additions has not wavered. Even today, when I see an embroidered design, even on garments in modern department stores, I find it more beautiful and attractive…and often worth the extra penny it will cost to take it home. I am sure the same can be said of women a hundred years ago, as they painstakingly took the time to decorate their gowns with signs of accomplishment.
So what better way to honor these women, than to celebrate gowns with all types of embroidery and design. I had such a fun time looking and finding gowns, capes, and other accessories that it was very difficult to narrow the final selection down. I also noticed that certain time periods feature more embroidery than others. Notice the lack of 1850’s-1870’s gowns if you hop over to my Pinterest board. While there are so many to choose from in the early 1800’s and again at the end of the century and well into the 1950’s, the middle decades feature more fabric patterns than embroidered additions. Regardless, the design and appeal of these gowns can not be denied!
To see more, feel free to visit my Pinterest Board.
Alright, now onto the real stuff!
I am delving into a topic that may be a joyous thing for some women or a bad memory for others. I’m talking stripes. Those pesky little lines that could either create a sleek line or make one feel (as I have in the past) that they are as wide as a barn (forgive the horrible analogy…but I’m sure we have all been there.)
Yet, despite the riskiness that these little parallel lines can hold, designers and seamstresses alike have been creating garments featuring the stripe for centuries. Why? Well, amongst many reasons, it is visually striking, allows for fun color coordination, and if properly done, can be very flattering.
Stripes can also come a in variety of shapes, sizes, and directions. For example, this example of a diagonal, texture stripe as worn by actress Anna May Wong, is absolutely stunning and visually interesting.
Here this evening gown, worn by Lauren Becall, shows how stripes can vary in width.
Stripes can also be used in geometric patterns, like the fun sun dress worn by Dorothy Lamour.
So whether you like your stripes wide, narrow, colorful, or diagonal, wear them with confidence!
It is hard to believe that a fabric which evokes simplicity, homey-ness, and (if you are me) Little House on the Prairie, has a very fascinating and international history. Originating from Calicut, India, the fabric we know as calico gained popularity from it’s early 11th century birth and well into our modern age. Known for a sold color on which a simply design repeats all over, calico has become a much used piece of fabric.
An example of an early calico fabric
Long used for a variety of sewing projects which ranged from dresses to quilts to kitchen linens, calico is easily one of the most widely used and widely appreciated fabrics around. The other wonderful thing about calico is it’s very affordable price tag. I love picking up yards of happy calico, even if I don’t have a particular project in mind, because of its versatility. While not exactly known for it’s luxury, there are many examples of gowns constructed from calico. In fact, Hollywood has some wonderfully fun samples of calico dresses, even if they aren’t completely accurate:
Little House on the Prairie
Jane Eyre, 2014
So with all these wonderful choices, I had a very fun time creating this month’s inspiration board! I hope you enjoy!
Click HERE to visit my Pinterest Page for more examples.
Have a wonderful Monday,
