This is one of those patterns that the moment I saw it I just knew I wanted to own it and to make it. It's a rare pattern to be sure. I just did another search for it and it doesn't show up anywhere that I can find. Simplicity are some of my favorite 1940s patterns (believe it or not my favorite pattern companies change throughout the eras - I'll have to write a blog post about that some day), and this pattern is no exception. Sometimes I fall in love with the pattern cover art more than the pattern itself, but this one is charming for both the style and the artwork. I love a tailored look and when you get an interchangeable two (or three or four) piece wardrobe out of it, then you can't go wrong!
As luck would have it, shortly after I purchased this pattern, I happened upon matching fabric for both the orange checked jerkin and skirt ensemble and for the orange print blouse! I also found a great deep green cotton for the skirt but later decided to go with a more kelly green as it matched the green in the orange print blouse better.
So I purchased all the fabric, cut it out . . . then it sat in my bin of "To Dos" for two whole years!!! I know all of you out there can relate to things just getting in the way of projects and I am no different. Life and work and starting a business and . . . well you get the idea. It took me a while to get back around to this one. But with DDay Ohio coming up I figured it was a good time to finish it up.
So I got started on it and of course had some changes of ideas along the way. Initially I thought I'd want to do the 3/4 length sleeve but decided that length just doesn't really suit me. So, chop-chop, I cut the sleeves down and just gathered them up into a short sleeved version (I didn't sue the pattern design at this point because I'd already created the sleeve and didn't have any of the fabric remaining.)
The second big change was the skirt. It just seemed a bit "off" for me to have just the skirt. So I played around with the idea of adding straps and making it into a jumper (also very popular in the 1940s). I took some quick snapshots and sent to friends to get opinions. . . Most of my friends were against the jumper idea (I think they're just not "jumper" people but I really am so I kept going back to the jumper). For SURE the yellow rickrack was a hard NO from everyone! hahaha
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Tucked in Blouse with Belt Option
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More Options . . .
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Okay so moving on, since the original pattern didn't have straps I was making that up as I went along. I don't know what my problem is with straps but I can never quite get them right when I am trying to do them for myself. It took some trial and error on the shape I wanted and if I wanted to add a little brace along the back . . . you'll see the final results in the last photos. I had to enlist my kids' help to get them exactly right but we got there eventually!
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| Trying out Strap Options |
Okay so now for some hard truths - I'm pretty sure most people did NOT like the kelly green and other bright colors of this outfit. It is pretty in your face - I'll admit it. I think you'd have to be feeling pretty peppy (or need to feel pretty peppy) in order to wear this. I even stared at it for a few days and thought "Yah . . . I don't think I can really pull this off. Maybe I'll just leave this at home this year." But in the end, once I had it finished I REALLY, REALLY loved it! And after all, I was making this for ME, not anyone else so really I'm the only one who has to like it, right? (Well that's what I'm telling myself at any rate.)
I still need to finish the Orange Check skirt and jerkin but worry not - that will be coming later. It's just too dang hot for a jerkin at DDay anyway!
So . . . here are the final pictures or the Orange Poplin Blouse and the Kelly Green Jumper! You can see them on my Instagram page as well as my finished projects on my website.
Oh and I almost forgot! I made a matching hat! It was the first time making this hat and I made it in a hurry so I have a lot of little things I learned along the way that I would put in place making any in the future but it was a fun pattern and pretty straight forward. The pattern, Simplicity #4777 was a gift from Vintage Pattern Lending Library (Thank you Deirdre!)
As always I welcome all your feedback and comments and questions! Hit me up and let me know your thoughts!
Rebecca
Just for fun . . . here are two shoe options - shoes by Bettie Page: I'm thinking yellow. What do you think?
