Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Good to the Last Scrap - A 1940s Blouse

So this is a long over due post, please forgive me as I play catch up on sharing my projects. I finished this blouse back in February and wore it for Valentine's Day. I used a mail order pattern 2588 (first used here) and a piece of cotton fabric from the stash. This project gets ALL the CHECKS! :)

New Year's goal of Stash Busting - Check!


I call this the Be My Valentine Blouse because I finished it right before Valentine's Day. The blouse it suppose to have square pockets but I didn't have enough material left. I was literately piecing scraps together so I have enough to make this. Blaah, that's the down side to using fabric in your stash, you are often limited but what's there. The pattern called for around 1 1/2 yards and I had a little less then that.You can see in the layout below the amount of fabric I had to play with.


I had to get a little creative with my scraps but it seemed to work out! I used a bit of cardboard to make a heart template for my pockets. I trimmed the pockets and collar of the blouse with some tiny white rik rack. I even made a little heart with it on the back of the collar. :)




I don't have any pictures from the Valentine's Day party but I did manage to get some a few days later. These photos were taken in the middle of February when we still had tons of snow on the ground! Like 3 plus feet!! It was also a great opportunity to get some pictures of my new fur coat and winter boots.




Outfit Details
Fur Coat and Fur Trimmed Overshoes - Ebay
Blouse - Made by me
WAVE Uniform Skirt and Gloves - Thrifted

Summary of the Pattern
Fabric - Quilting weight cotton print
Pattern - Mail order pattern 2588, 2nd time used.
Year - 1940s
Notions - Buttons, thread, vintage rik rack trim
How historically accurate is it? - I'd give it an 8 or 9. My idea for the trim and heart shaped pockets are not based on any original garment but were inspired by the "Make Do and Mend" trend of the 1930s and 1940s.
Any tricky parts to the pattern? - The button holes. I dislike them but I'm getting better the more I do.
Changes - I made heart shaped pockets using small leftover bits. Had to piece center front facings and add a small piece to cover manufacture's mark on salvage edge. Collar lined with white cotton.
Time to Complete - 5 or 6 hours including the time it took to figure out how to sew buttons holes with my new machine and hand sewing the rik rack trim.
Total cost - All the materials were from the stash! Yeah! I think I don't think I paid any more then $10 for the pattern.
First worn - Valentine's Day party at my parents' house.
Notes - I really like the look and feel of this pattern. It's a touch longer then Hollywood 1530 so it stays tucked in much better. It also looks great un-tucked due to the darts. I'll be making more blouses using this pattern! I also need to make the jumper that goes with it.

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