Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Sewing - Makeovers from 1947

 


For those of us with a set of Navy officer's whites and a need for a new summer suit, the "Found Money" column in the Woman's Day issue of June, 1947  (we've seen this column before), is just the ticket.



And everybody has a striped pique summer evening gown just hanging around the back of the closet, right?


I think that this last project - a top made from a large silk scarf - is within a modern maker's grasp, however. Instructions are on my Flickr page.

The same issue has instructions for no-pattern summer playclothes and a swimsuit that I'll post next week.

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5 comments:

  1. NicFebruary 3, 2021 at 2:53 PM

    I have two suits made from demob suits.My mother said it was quite common for wives to alter them for themselves,as the cloth was good,but the fit and design not so good for their husbands! I can't remember when clothes rationing and coupons ended in the U.K.,but I doubt it was before 1947. One of the "Make do and Mend" type books has suggestions now to make boys clothes from a suit no longer needed by the father,which I found terribly sad.

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  2. Lady AnneFebruary 4, 2021 at 5:03 AM

    When my dad got out of the Navy Mum cut his summer jumpers up the front to make beach jackets for herself. When I was in my teens and dating I sometimes wore one of these, with mixed results.

    One of my beaux was fairly jealous and was quite unhappy when fellows at the beach would yell "Hey, Boats" and whistle at me. "Take that thing OFF', be muttered. More wolf whistles ensued. He wasn't much happier then than he had been before.

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  3. SamFebruary 4, 2021 at 5:59 AM

    Good ideas for when I need to adapt a modern suit to look more period for when I can get back to costuming my High Schoolers. And my gran made the 4 granddaughters matching Easter Dresses, which annoyed my youngest sister. She knew she was wearing the same dress for years to come...

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  4. BunnykinsFebruary 4, 2021 at 10:13 AM

    My MIL made dresses from parachute silk. She worked in a parachute making factory during the war. The ladies got to take home flawed or left over fabric. With a little dye and ingenuity, she and her sisters got new dresses.
    I've seen that 'turn a scarf into a blouse' thing ever since I started sewing. Does anyone do that?

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  5. ShayFebruary 5, 2021 at 9:44 AM

    I actually have two identical silk scarves, 32" square, that I could easily make into a silk blouse....if I needed a silk blouse, that is.

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