Anne
Louise Bannon is an author and journalist who wrote her first novel at age 15.
Her journalistic work has appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country. She was a TV
critic for over 10 years, founded the YourFamilyViewer blog, and created the
OddBallGrape.com wine education blog with her
husband. She also writes the romantic fiction serial
WhiteHouseRhapsody.com. Learn more about Anne
and her books at her website. Today she stops by to discuss her passion for sewing and 1920s fashion.
SEWING THE 1920s
Oddly
enough, when I was researching my mystery novel, Fascinating Rhythm, it didn’t occur to me to make outfits based on
1920s clothing, even though I was making a fair amount of my own clothes at the
time. But the intervening years were not kind to my waistline, and I realized
fashions from the Roaring 20s were.
Who
knew this kind of “sewing retro” was actually quite stylish and hip? Granted,
most retro fans prefer outfits from the 1940s and ‘50s, but 1920s styles offer
some significant advantages.
The
styles are much more flattering to the fuller figure. The lines are generally a
lot simpler, and the clothes aren’t fitted as tightly, which if you’re new to pattern
drafting and adapting, makes life a lot easier. There are plenty of resources,
including the VintageDancer and DecadesofStyle websites. Past Patterns has a pretty nice collection of designs
from the 20s, as well.
However,
I would offer the following caution – if you’re new to sewing clothes, get some
practice in on simple, current patterns first. Most of the retro patterns
assume you already have basic knowledge of how clothes go together and, truth
be told, the instructions aren’t always written as clearly as they could be.
You’ll
also be better off with a commercial pattern for your first project or two,
unless you’ve got a fair amount of experience re-drawing and even drafting your
own patterns.
And
no matter how much experience you have, I also highly, highly recommend making
what’s called a muslin first. Find an old bed sheet and make your new outfit
out of that first. Or use some other really cheap, but similar fabric. That
way, you’ll know how the pattern goes together and whether it will fit before
you cut into that luscious $30-a-yard silk. And you may end up with a cute,
second outfit, as well.
But
go ahead and plunge in. Who knows? You may be cutting out The One-Hour Dress and following vintage instructions to drape your own dress.
Fascinating Rhythm
It's
New York City, 1924, and editor Frank Selby has been killed in
his
apartment. The primary suspect is his secretary Kathy Briscow,
because
Selby was known for that kind of behavior. And Kathy does have
a
motive, just not the one they think. She's been doing Selby's work
for
him, including editing The Old Money Story by wealthy socialite
Freddie
Little. Freddie, however, is pretty sure it wasn't Kathy who
killed
Selby. So the two team up to search the speakeasies and streets
of
the city to find a killer with an obsession.
Buy Links
No comments:
Post a Comment