A Garment A Week – Week 7 – 19/02/2016

It’s Art Deco Weekend in Hawkes Bay, NZ!
I will make it back again one year lol

I wanted to make a 1920’s lovely summer dress but the fabric I have in the right colours aren’t big enough pieces. But I did have a piece of wool crepe, which is historically correct for a winter dress 🙂
I really enjoyed researching this project. My design is a little mixed up, the top low V with drop waist is more early 20’s and the skirt with pleats and higher hem is later 20’s. The panel across the front unfortunately is polyester (which wasn’t around until the 50’s) but I’m working with what I have.

The bodice has no shaping at the sides and no darts. The 1920’s dresses are loose fitting, straight down tube style.

My sleeves are a little tight too, they would benefit from splits at the wrist with some little buttons. And my hem is a bit heavy. I think because of the fabric and maybe lots of tiny stitches would help hold it up, ooh and a really good steam, my iron isn’t the best.  I had to add tucks in the back at the neckline to get the dress to fit on my shoulders properly.  I really do need to work on fitting as I sew!

I didn’t have a cloche hat to go with the dress, I’d love to get a real vintage one.  I don’t have a hat block to stretch felt over, so I stitched strips of felt in increasing circles, trying it on each row, to get the right shape. A double fold of felt for the brim and two beaded felt flowers as trim.

It looks ok for a costume, you can tell what it should be lol.
Technically my tights should have been grey or a pastel colour. Black was reserved for evenings. And Mum’s navy gloves would have matched perfectly! but they’re so tiny I can’t put them on. But luckly I can get the orange ones on.
Mum’s pearls bring it all together.

I have seen on the Art Deco website that they have dates for a winter weekend too, I shall have to make a fur coat and try make it down to Napier!