HSM 2025: March - black and white

March: Black and White (2014, 10th most popular): Draw on the opposite ends of the shade spectrum to create something in black, white, or both.

If there ever was a decade I didn't think I would wear it would probably be the 1930s. All I am thinking about with the 1930s are glamourous silk and slinky gowns, and a tall columnar shape, something I definitely don't have. Then I made the Ngaio blouse from Scroop patterns, and decided that I wanted to make a 1930s skirt.

I bought the 1930s day or evening skirt from Wearing History. It seemed simple enough, and I also liked that the period instructions called for a zipper. The pattern is from the later 1930s, when the skirts had started to get wider and less column like. Now the Wearing History patterns are cleaned up version of the originals and you need to know how to sew to use them. I wasn't too happy about this pattern, but I don't know if it's me or the pattern. First off I didn't measure my waist, but used my jeans size, and when I held up cut out paper pattern there were quite a lot of cm lacking for me to get it round my waist. I lengthened that pattern piece, and I also added to the skirt pieces, since I had also cut out them according to my jeans size. In the end the skirt pieces ended up too large, I had to gather them a bit to get them into the waistband. That is probably the reason why the skirt isn't quite as figure hugging over the hips as I would have liked it to be. 

Another thing with the pattern is the length of the skirt. I have short legs so I am used to having to shorten skirts, but for this I had to shorten it a lot. I cut out 12 cm from the paper pattern, before even laying it out on the fabric, and then i cut another 8 cm from the skirt before hemming it as well. All in all I cut out almost 20 cm to get the length I liked. It is a bit on the shorter side for the 1930s, but it is well below the knees. I maybe should have been a bit more conservative when cutting off the fabric before the hemming.

A belt and beret from a second hand store and my new 1930's shoes and I could pretend that I was out at a seaside resort.

What the item is: A late 1930s skirt
How it fits the challenge: Made in black, but with a white zipper
Material: 2,5 m of poly/viscose blend
Pattern: Wearing history 1930s day or evening skirt
Year: 1938
Notions: zipper, hook and eye, thread, interfacing for the waistband
How historically accurate is it? 75% the materials (fabric and interfacing) take it down
Hours to complete: 2 evenings
First worn: For a photo shoot Aprild 26th
Total cost: $40

And as a bonus - here is my original entry for the 2014 black and white challenge

A 1930's blouse for everyday wear

 This year I am trying to go a year without buying new casual clothes. It's not a promise or aim that is set in stone, I just want to see if I can size down my clothing consumption, due to a lot of reasons. Now I haven't been a huge shopper for clothes, but some new dresses for summer and winter and it adds up. I will buy outdoor and sports wear if I need it and underwear and stuff like that though. The idea came in the autumn when I made the Tara skirts, but I then realized that if I want to make more of my own clothes, then I need to step up from dresses and skirts and actually start making tops and things to wear on the upper body. I haven't done much of that kind of sewing , I don't think it's fun to make something that I could just as easily buy cheaper and that wouldn't look so homesewn. I started to look out for pattern that I could use and bought the Ngaio pattern from Scroop Patterns.

I liked that there are no closures, you just pull it over your head, the gathered front adds some interest to it that make it stand out from what you can buy in a store, and it had sleeves. It is inspired by the 1930s, which isn't my fashion decade at all, but I bought it to make clothes for everyday wear.

I had the pattern and then at our cosplay meet on Tuesday there was a box of fabric that said "take home and reuse". Most of the fabric pieces were too small to be able to use for any clothes but I found three larger pieces that I liked. Today I decided to make the Ngaio and discovered that there wasn't enough fabric. One of the fabrics was big enough to get everything but the sleeves, so I started with cutting out that, and then with some piecing I could also make two sleeve pieces.

When I had all the pieces cut out in the grey/floral I used them to start puzzling out on the other fabric, which I actually like even better and was more excited about. I realised I couldn't get the whole blouse out if, so I will have to make the back in another fabric, but that might be in another post.

I spent the rest of the day sewing up the grey/floral. As usual with Scroop Patterns the pattern went together so well, and the instructions were really clear. The sizing is also spot on, I am a size 42 with them, and I didn't do any adjustment for the fit. I made one small mistake in that I have actually cut out two right sleeves instead of one right and one left, but I don't think it's really visible.

The final result is a really comfy and casual blouse and now I feel the need for a nice 1930s skirt to go with it and the other blouse that I have cut out and only need to sew up.