It’s only been a week since I signed up for this project, at the VPLL Titanic Sewing Project, but it feels like months!!!! I knew the wait would be a long one. Mostly because I am excited about this and am eager to see what’s in store for me!!! There is activity now! I’ve been contacted about pattern preferences and this confirms that a package will be here soon! I should’ve known not to run to the mailbox every day this week… You realize mail call will be eagerly anticipated next week!
I may be doing children’s clothing, even baby clothing! So I have started searching for pictures of children’s 1912 clothing, to immerse myself and get to know the styles better. I will be ready!!! Some of the outfits I have found are so outrageous for children!! Baby’s clothing from infancy, up to age 5 or 6, was rather unisex… Ruffled dresses and large balloon hats equally for boys and girls. I have a few pictures of my dad, in the mid 1920s, which show it was still happening then.
I notice that there are a lot of pintucks, lace and frills for the younger children: the ones who didn’t walk yet, just crawled or were still keeping close to their mothers and nannies. As they grew older, and bolder I guess, clothing became more appropriate for active playing and living. Up until about this time, children’s clothing had always been modelled on adult clothes: simply made smaller to fit the smaller frames of small humans. By this date, children’s clothing is starting to be designed for children, following the general styles of adults but developing into plainer clothes appropriate to young humans who still run and climb and play ball and get into many tight spots! Not as fussy as adult garments.
This is a slow period for me so to keep occupied I search and search and collect pictures. In this last week alone I am sure I collected over a 1000 pictures of various eras of fashion history… all in my search for 1912 items. And the things I found!!! The gowns! The minute embroidery and heavy beading!! And it was done mostly on net (or tulle) and draped over silk and satin. The well-to-do ladies in those days as in the hundred years before, still had so many classes of clothing: *visiting dresses* (in two style categories: either for receiving a visitor or being the visitor), dinner gowns, evening gowns, walking outfits, daydresses (in other words, staying at home) and of course nightwear. They must have been constantly changing clothes! Phew!Aristocracy also needed Court Outfits and riding suits. Men had a variety of suits as well: smoking jackets, dinner suits, work or day suits: just not as elaborate as the women’s. But as the First World War approached, clothing started becoming a little more humble, more practical and less “enormous”! But I will elaborate on adults’ clothing later.
Sewing The Titanic 