To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3

Thursday, January 2, 2014

A New Year, A New Way of Thinking

I love the beginning of a new year.  Why?  It is a great starting point to do something new!  Oh, I know that you can start something new any time, but a new year is like a "ready, set, GO!!!" point in time.  A time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.  If you had something frustrating happen in the past year (ie...my Sailor Suit of Swear) you can leave it in the past and press on to new mistakes new adventures.  There is every expectation that something incredible will happen!  A new fabulous, blow your mind hat...a "Look Honey!!  I actually made this and it actually looks great!" moment.  My favorite moments in costuming are when I see a dress I want to recreate and I really have to put thought into how it will be constructed.  I love challenging my brain in this way.  Unfortunately, I always forget the process...probably because if I kept the process by which the garment was created, something important like my childrens' names would fall out of my brain...aaaaanyways....

I have decided, for now, that 2014 will be the year of the 1920s.  There are a couple of reasons for this decision...

1.  Last year, at 98% of the awesome events that We Wear History was asked to attend, I roasted.  I don't mean just "My goodness gracious, but I am a little warm, I need to fan my gently glistening face."  Oh no my lovelies.  I mean, "Cover the eyes of your innocent children folks!  This 'proper Victorian Lady' is about to go Soiled Dove on y'all!!!"  I think perhaps it has something to do with my age, and horrible-mones.  Whatever the cause, I was seriously uncomfortable.  Happily, the fashions from the 1920s required waaaay less foundation garments and the fabrics were very fine, flimsy, and flowing!  AAAAAND!!! The skirts and sleeves were shorter!  Huzzah!!!

2.  During late November/early December I discovered a most fabulous TV show out of Australia.
Oh  my giddy aunt!!!  How seriously fun!  I watched it on Netflix and finished the first season in two days.  I kid you not.  It is so delightful and fun and fresh and set in the 1920s!  I want every single one of Phryne's outfits!  I have a Pinterest board dedicated to her wardrobe...
Too seriously fun!  I am on my fourth go through of the season.  I soooo cannot wait for season two to come out on Netflix.

3.  Number 3 is an interesting point.  Unfortunately in my valley here, there is a great void of Victorian and Edwardian events to attend.  BUT!!  There are many car shows!!  Yeah!!  

4.  Time and fabric.  The time it takes to make a 1920s frock versus a Victorian gown...well, I don't think you can really compare the two.  The same can be said of the amount of fabric needed.  Therefore....for the amount of fabric needed to make one Victorian dress, I can make 2!!  Need I say more?

5.  To me, the 1920s is the last era of the "Golden Age".  Although things were more relaxed, there was still a lovely formality and decorum to life.  For some reason, after the roaring 20s, that shine seems to dim for me.

6.  My aweomse Grandparents were born in the 1920s and I have pictures of them and my Great-Grandparents in their fabulous outfits!  So there is a very tangible connection I have to these years.

Two years ago I started a Pinterest board while researching my dress for the Great Gatsby picnic I attended with my wonderful friends and have since been adding to it.  I think I have over 1,000 pins on it.  I think I have issues.


Anyways, research has been fun, and to enable my OCD, my sweet husband purchsed 4 books for me for Christmas!  They are below....

"1920s Fashion from B. Altman and Company"
 Great fashion plate images of dresses by year!

"Vintage Fashions for Women 1920s-1940s" by Kristina Harris
 Incredible extant dress collections!  You can see the color combinations and fabrics they used in this era!

"Fashions of the Roaring 20s" by Ellie Laubner
 Great information on all aspects of fashion:  day dress, evening dress, underwear, shoes, hats, accessories, etc.

"Millinery 1920s Hat Making Techniques"
A great reprint of a 1926!  Not a lot of pictures (my Mom said, and I quote..."Oh gross!  It doesn't have any pictures!!!")  but a wonderful selection of "words" and, well, techniques.

I have also grown my collection of 1980s patterns.  During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a renaissance of the roaring 20s look!  Huzzah for me!!!  Thrift stores and ebay/etsy have been my friends in this new endeavor!  In my next post, I will share the patterns that I have discovered that actually look so similar to 1920s extant dresses and fashion plates as to be eerie!!!

Again, I am so excited to start my new direction in sewing for this year!  That is not to say at all that I have abandoned my first live.  I have not.  But for now, the 1920s look really "cool"!

Blessings for the New Year my friends!

g

16 comments:

  1. I love it when something really sparks a fire in you and all you want to do is research it, find stuff, and make it! Its the joy of creating.
    Have fun, Val

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    1. I totally agree with you Val! I know I am going to have a great time!

      Blessings!
      gina

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  2. Ooh, I can't wait to see what you make!

    I love your 1920s Pinterest board. There is a 1922 photograph of my granny and great-aunt on my blog here http://blacktulipsewing.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/family-stories.html, you're very welcome to add it to your board if you'd like.

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  3. Hello Black Tulip!

    I just took a look at your post on your family! I love the stories and the photographs of the ladies in your family! What a wonderful heritage you have been given! I also posted the photos to my 1920s board...thank you so much for your permission to do so! I love them!

    Blessings!
    Gina

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    1. Thank you Gina! Obviously in one photograph my grandmother and great-aunt are in work clothes, but there is such a difference in clothing styles between the two photographs, taken only a few years apart.

      Elaine

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  4. I happened on your blog while looking for regency dress information. You do such beautiful work! I enjoyed seeing your creations. Happy new year from an occasional seamstress in California!

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    1. Hello Annmarie!

      I am so happy you found me! How fun! Thank you for your wonderful compliments! I hope you have a wonderful New Year as you occasionally sew!!!

      Blessings!
      Gina

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  6. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, really? I'm willing to finally watch it since like 1,5 year. Talked about it with my mom yesterday :) Still, I hesitate cause I'm afraid it would be worse than my favorite BBC Agatha Christie's Poirot. But I'm sure it's lovely if you liked it so!

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    1. Hi Eleonora!!

      Oh my yes, I adore Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries! I also really enjoy Mr. Poirot! I adore his mustache and the way he conducts himself...and his spats!! That show is a very wonderful one as well! It is a different sort of flavor of show as Miss Fisher would probably cause Mr. Poirot to raise his eyebrow in disbelief at times, but I do hope you like it!! Please let me know what you think!!

      Blessings!
      Gina

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    2. Haha, I wish they've met in some kind of a crossover episode! ;) I'll definitely share my thoughts with you after finishing it!

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    3. Ok, that is such a brilliant idea! I love it!!! I can't wait to hear what you think!!!

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  7. Happy new year! Glad you have a new project, too! Twenties fashion is divine! Earlier I didn't really think I could pull off 20s look, but after making the first dress and paying attention to undergarments, I converted :) I too love Miss Fisher! That series is fun, well made and those clothes! Also Downton has had some seriously beautiful 20s dresses lately, so there's no shortage of inspiration :) Can't wait to see what your dresses will look like!

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    1. Happy New Year to you too Nora! A 20s convert!!! Yeah!! I just love the whole look of that era and the undergarments are still so very fun! I need to watch seasons 2 and 3 before I start on season 4...I get irritated when the writers kill key characters off, so I have been very grudging about watching those two seasons....but I can't wait to see the 20s dresses in this season! Your yellow 20s dress is over the top fabulous!!! What great inspiration you are!!!

      Blessings!
      Gina

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  8. A little late, I wish you a wonderfull (costuming) year 2014. I'm so curius about the costumes you will make.

    Thalia

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    1. Thank you Thalia!! I wish you the same! I see you have some really beautiful gowns you are thinking about! I love the Natural Form Era....so very elegant!! I can't wait to see what YOU come up with!!

      Blessings!
      Gina

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