New Molly and Felicity dresses

[schallerwoods]

I have been doing some work in Molly's time period recently and have listed two outfits for her. They would do equally as well for Kit.

I also have been researching more Felicity fashion details and have one gown up for her or even more appropriately Elizabeth as it is more English in style.

New Dresses

Nann

[Sakurako]

I like all three of them -- as usual, I enjoy seeing your ideas come to fruition! The colonial style gown reminds me of wallpaper I saw in the Governor's mansion in Colonial Williamsburg -- different scale but similar feeling.

One small point about Molly's gathered skirt: it would have been worn after WWII. There was strict fabric rationing during the war because all those resources went into making uniforms for the armed forces. That's why Molly's skirts are so short. The full skirt, especially with a second gathered tier, would have been extra special for Molly in the early 50's, after the rationing was over and the post-war boom had started.

[schallerwoods]

Thanks for the comments [img]smile.gif[/img]

I tossed and turned on the Molly skirt, for the very reasons you mentioned Cherry. If you look very closely in the inspiration image the model is wearing a bias cut a-line skirt and not one gathered to the waistband. However, it still displays a gathered ruffle. As did several other images both a-line and straight grain cuts.

This interested me, so I did some reasearch on fabric rationing and style cuts of the period. And although you are perfectly corect in your statement, I did read that childrens clothing, as it took so little material to begin with, was not always subject to the same style restrictions as adult or even young adult clothing.

This explains some of the images of young girls that I have seen in the sears catalogs from 1943ish through 1949ish. Ruffled blouses, hyper full sleeves etc.. Things that didnt line up with my notions of fabric rationing. It also explains the military styled coats and pantsuits that show up towards the end of the decade.

So, while gathered skirts with gathered tiers were everywhere after the war (as seen in the multiple petticoats of the 50's), it's not improbale that a child of Molly's age, in Molly's time would have worn a full skirt, as everyday wear, as well. Even more probable, as you state, if the family saved coupons for a special outfit or a party dress.

The whole idea of clothing coupons, rationing and style cuts fascinates me. Do you or any other members have any additional insight, as I hope to do more Molly outfits in the futre. Is there anything specific you would like to see for Molly, Cherry? I could use the inspiration and detail.


Edited to add a link to government garment restriction, which oddly enough says aprons are prohibited items?

http://www.costumes.org/history/20th...Byardstick.JPG

Nann

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ May 09, 2005 12:05 PM: Message edited by: Nann ]</font>

[rachie421]

Your outfits for Molly are very cute and the colonial dress is really beautiful. Great job! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[schallerwoods]

That is extremely funny about the toothpast tube. DH and I recently went to tour some old battleships and the old store display had tin looking tubes of toothpaste. They also had old candy boxes. It was neat to see the old logos for stuff that is still around.

You dont happen to have a picture of that rose colored dress do you? Perhaps a recreation could be in it's future.

Nann

[Sakurako]

Yes I do and no you don't! That is MY personal dress that my mother made just for me, and I have the perfect fabric to make it up in for Gina. Some year when I have the time. Sorry, Nann! Golly, I hope you can't read minds or you can pick that image right out of my head!

[schallerwoods]

LOL, I look forward to seeing it when it comes to fruition then [img]smile.gif[/img]

Nann

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ May 09, 2005 04:52 PM: Message edited by: Nann ]</font>

[Sakurako]

Oh dear, that means I'll have to clean off my sewing machine. When my folks came yesterday I took most of the stuff off the dining room table, dumped it in the sewing room and put a decorative screen in front of it. I hope to get back to sewing in June! When it's too hot to FIMO any more.

Thanks for understanding I didn't mean to be mean!

[Sakurako]

I keep thinking of all the comments made on PBS documentaries about the then Princess Elizabeth's wedding in 1953. The Brits were still rationing things then, I think, or were just coming off it. Her wedding gown and the gowns of her maids of honor were specifically designed to promise that good times really were coming back. One of the maids of honor said, in an interview, that she was so excited to have such a beautiful, FULL gown to wear because the clothes during the war had been so horrid.

I guess a child could have had a special full skirt if, as you say, everyone in the family gave up ration coupons for it. The other way would have been to cut down a dress or skirt that belonged to her mother -- which would have been true in Kit's time period also.

My favorite dress when I was 5 years old (1952) had a fairly straight skirt but there were rows of wide gathered ruffles going down it, and puffed sleeves. My mother made it from a very soft rose-colored cotton for Easter. After all these years, I can still feel the excitement of wearing that beautiful dress. And believe me, even though pants weren't allowed in school so I had to wear skirts, I was not a ruffly dress kind of kid! There was just something so thrilling about that dress but I can't remember anything except the feeling I had while I wore it.

On the topic of rationing in general, my mother shared a story about toothpaste tubes. During WWII, you could only buy a new tube of toothpaste if you had the proper ration coupons AND the old tube to turn in. Saving even the metal in a toothpaste tube was important.

[Grapedy1982]

I saw the dresses, Nann. Lovely work, especially on the Felicity one! And I love the striped fabric you picked for Molly.