HSM #4: Practicality: The Fa So La Dress

Ta-Da!  My Historical Sew Monthly submission for May!  This month's theme is Practicality, and I interpreted the theme on a number of levels. My first thought for this month was to make a Swirl dress, but as I said in my Watermelon Dress post, that just wasn't going to happen.  So then I thought I'd try my hand at a cobbler's apron, as there are extant examples of the style from at least the early 1930s, and I've kind of been wanting one since I bought Gertie's second book and there was a sketch of one with peddle pushers.

That was a disaster of epic proportions as the repro fabric I chose was too young for me, and the pattern ended up just miles too big, and the darts in the front look so weird.  Le sigh.  So it was back to the drawing board.  I think the most practical garment for me is a house dress, so I thought about various projects I had in mind, and the silhouettes I was hoping to achieve with them.

Then I happened across this etsy listing for nearly 4 yards of 1940s vintage fabric for $16!  It was in two 36" wide lengths and had some fading and one largeish brown age spot, but the selvages were included, and the seller noted that there was hemming on both ends.  I thought it was a little weird, but it looked like there was plenty of useable fabric, and for $16, I thought I could afford to experiment a little.

When the fabric arrived, I realized I had a pair of curtains on my hands!  Given the slightly juvenile nature of the novelty print, I think there were probably in a child's room at some point.  The fabric was very unevenly faded, however, as the edges were in nearly new condition, but the middle was faded and patchy.  I pondered my design for a week or so, because I did not want to do a lot of pattern matching with that lattice, and I didn't quite know how to work around the unevenness of the fabric.  I knew I wanted a late 1930s or early 1940s house dress, and decided in the end to work again with my Frankenpattern and modify it.

My solution to the faded fabric was to use the "wrong" side of the fabric as the right side.  I realized while I was cutting that the fabric was printed all the way through, and that the backside was much more even than the front, and so while it is a little lighter than the original fabric, it definitely looks better than using the "right" side would have. 

My main mods to this version were to do a sweetheart neckline and to move the zip to the side instead of the back.  I shortened the bodice by an inch as well.  I also made the skirt out of two rectangles of fabric that I cut to length and then pleated in the dart areas, much like the Watermelon dress.  This fabric is so light and airy though, that it hangs differently and feels much breezier.  I'd say the fabric has the texture of feedsack but the weight of lawn or even voile.  It is really a little too cold to be wearing it today, so I paired it with a cotton/wool blend cardigan and am considering putting on tights.  

I'm extremely pleased with this dress!  It fits loosely enough that I don't have to worry about how much my belly is bloating out (which is considerable, today), and yet it still looks fitted and correct for the period.  I normally don't go for white accessories, but this buckle and buttons seemed to look the best.

I even had a metal zip on hand to put into the side!  I figured out a different way to insert a side zip (based on how I do my back zips now) and I really like it.  I think I will probably do more side zips now, as my primary reason for avoiding them before was that I didn't like how I was inserting them (I made several dresses last summer that zipped up the side and the insertion was sloppy).

I'm calling this the Fa-So-La dress after one of my favorite movies of all time, The Sound of Music.  For those not familiar with the film, Maria uses the drapes in her room to make play clothes for the children.  (I've been to the lake where this scene was filmed, by the way--it is very pretty!)  I think this dress fits the theme not only as a practical garment (a house dress) but as a practical use of fabric--the fabric really was too shabby to hang as curtains any longer, but was plenty useable as a basic dress like this.  I think it is well in the spirit of Make Do and Mend of the war years.  The sweep of the skirt is CC41 regulation, and the overall fabric used is within parameters.  I still have about a yard left, but most of it isn't useable for garments as it is the part that had the big brown age spot.  It might work for a headscarf or some home decor item, though.

 I considered calling this the Scarlett O'Hara dress in honor of her curtain dress, but Fa So La seemed more appropriate to both the era and the style.  Plus, a nod to my favorite film is always a good thing!

The Challenge: Practicality

What is it: a housedress

Fabric: repurposed 1940s vintage curtain fabric, probably cotton lawn

Pattern: self-drafted using Frankenpattern base

Year: 1940

Notions: vintage buttons and belt buckle via etsy, bias binding (new)

How historically accurate is it?  8/10.  I used all-purpose poly thread, and the bias binding is a cotton/poly mix, but I wanted to use what I had on hand (as a practical measure!) instead of searching out 100% cotton boiltex binding.  Insides are finished with pinked seam allowances except for the selvage edges, which I left alone.  I sewed the belt by hand, but rest on machine.

Hours to complete: about 4

First worn: May 14, 2015

Total cost: ~$30 including notions

Other outfit details:

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Shoes: Clarks Unbound via ebay

Earrings: handed down from my mom

Brass Water Well Brooch: via etsy (lovevol)