Last night Susette sent me a picture from facebook of a young girl in the 1900’s. She was apparently on her way to school because she was carrying a chalkboard and some books. It looked like she had a leather backpack on her back and it appears to be a purse on one shoulder. It’s an intriguing picture for me.
You see, earlier in the evening I had set Nellie on my cutting table and thought it was time to do a dress for her. I was looking at fabrics when the email from Susette with the school girls picture came. Well, it just so happens Susette sent that picture to Linda and Marilyn. Marilyn responded to me and said, “Okay, Jeanne, it’s time to get to work on this one!” I guess I was up for the challenge because my mind started thinking of how I could make it when I could barely see how it was made in the first place. I guess this is where my imagination will come into play.
So I started on it and have the sleeves finished and a few other pieces cut out…I guess we’ll see if they work…
I suppose I should show you that picture…study it and see how you think it is put together…
Since it’s black and white, and we have no idea what the actual color of the dress was, I had to just use something in my stash that would drape well and be lightweight for the tucks in the bodice. I would like to have used a pretty light blue, but this will do I think. I’ll try to make it pretty! :o)
Here are the sleeves so far… I know they look kind of big and balloon like, but they aren’t sewn in yet…they also look like they have some kind of tiny print for the cuff…so I added what I thought looked right…
Well, that’s it for today… I’ll try to do some more on the dress today…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a wonderful picture–and an interesting challenge for you! Perfect for Nellie, too.
To me, the fabric in the picture looks like it could be a cotton sateen or something like that. The sleeves seem to have a really skinny little ruffle, and then some darker trim on top. For the bodice, it looks like there are either some gathers or folds (forming vertical tucks). The cumberbund looks like it might be white, while the bodice fabric is a pastel color–soft gold, pale green, or that blue you mentioned.
I’m looking forward to seeing how this one progresses! Wouldn’t it have been nice to have had a couple of different poses of this photo, so you could make out more detail?! Happy detecting!
HI Charlotte,
Isn’t she just the sweetest little girl? I knew everyone would love that picture.
I changed the size of my ruffle to a smaller one… it looks better but now I wish I had made my sleeve a little less full… oh well…
I would LOVE to have seen this from the front and a full length picture, YES!
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh my goodness, Jeanne, you fell for it! Well, good for you, that is really a darling picture, and the dress is such a challenging one, for sure! i had mentioned that it would be a nightmare to iron, and I am sure it was! But when you iron as you go along like you do when sewing, things will stay pretty and crisp looking.
The sleeves look like they are dropped down in the picture, and yours are higher up, but maybe you had to place them there to keep them from falling to take the picture. I think the colors you picked are spot on, and will look very authentic. Looking closely, it looks like the skirt has a very faint print, but I could be wrong. It looks like the gathered waistband is a contrasting material.
She is such a pretty little girl, and I can see her wearing this with high button shoes! No saddle oxfords this time!! 😉
HI Linda,
I DID FALL FOR IT! Hook line and sinker! I had too!
I managed to get quite a bit accomplished today and think it will be sweet when I’m done. The sleeves were set off the shoulder somewhat but I wish I had taken some of the fullness out of the sleeve now… :o(
I do have a pair of boots that might work… I’ll just have to see…
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
This is going to be fun. At least to watch. All of us wondered how on earth it was pressed, especially with a flat iron. Your sleeves are beautiful. You reallyy are going to produce a pattern book.
HI Marilyn,
Aren’t you glad you asked? I am.. .it’s been fun and challenging to get this started. It won’t look exactly like the picture, but then again, we can’t really see what it looks like, do we? I hope I do it justice in the end… :o)
Thanks so much for the prompt…
Blessings, Jeanne
Great idea, I’m very curious how you will solve the problem of the bottom of the dress and the waist. I will add from myself that my old machine broke down for 30 years. And the husband took it to be repaired. Will be in a month. I only have overlock. I think I’m starting to think about a new one. What do you recommend?
Thanks Alina,
I don’t know how the skirt will look either! :o) I haven’t gotten that far yet!
I’m sorry that your machine conked out on you… that’s frustrating when you like to sew.
I have 4 different machines… New Home, Baby Lock Esante, Janome. Just get the one that meets your needs… the one that does what you like to do…
Blessings, Jeanne
That photo sets up an intriguing situation. Nellie is the perfect model.
On eBay perfect pleathers start at $50. I’m quite certain my pleats do not need to be THAT perfect. 😆
I didn’t get my cookies baked yesterday. Oops. But my dough is made and refrigerated so to day is the day.
We have had a string of days with absolutely beautiful weather. Fall is my favorite season.🍂🌾🍁
HI Julia,
I think it was perfectly timed that I set Nellie out on my table and then I got the email almost immediately…
I don’t know how much I paid for my Perfect Pleater, but I know it wasn’t $50! I like the meat fork idea! :o)
Oh, so I hope you got your cookies made today…
Fall is my favorite time of the year too.. I used to say I loved Sweater and knee sock weather.. now I just say I love Sweater weather… :o)
Thanks Julia,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a fun challenge. I like the beige look of the dress although I’m sure it was blue. From the photo, it looks to me like the sleeves are set way off of the shoulders and maybe lightly pleated rather than gathered. But that is just me. The whole inspiration dress is not perky and starched, but rather droopy which fits the look of the little girl carrying all of those heavy bags and school supplies. The fabric, whatever it is appears to be soft and easily draped with a lovely white waistband. And the length is important. Maybe just to her knees, not mid calf or longer and paired with stockings. Probably wool of which my grandmother told me were quite itchy. 🙂 It could be that the dress used to belong to an older sister as it appears to be a few sizes too big for the sweet girl.
Any idea of the photo date? Location? It looks like it may be European? Maybe the 1920’s as the hair looks to have that wave popular then.
So glad Susette sent the photo. Fun.
HI Joy,
I just have a feeling her dress was blue too.. it just looks like it had to be blue to me!
I did plan on dropping the sleeves down on the shoulders but had to pin them up high to show them. I did get the sleeves in today and even redid the ruffle and cuff at the bottom, making it smaller… but I wish I had taken some of the fullness out of the sleeve. I pleated them by hand, just kind of randomly, and thought the pleats would take up some of the fullness, but they are still a little too full compared to the picture, but I’m not redoing them again… this will just have to be the part where I veered off course from the picture just a bit.
I don’t have any idea about when or where the picture was taken. I looked all over the internet to try and find a similar picture of her maybe in a different pose, but found nothing.
I guess the bottom half of the dress will be totally up to my imagination…
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
If you look close, you can see the bottom of the dress which is about at the knees. 🙂
This will be interesting to see how you go about making this dress. Nellie is perfect for modeling it. I like your choice of material too. The added pleat at the end of the sleeve is unique.
The picture of this adorable child is so sweet and all her school items are something I’ve not seen in pictures from that era. I’d say she was a very lucky little girl.
HI Paula,
YES, it will be interesting as I’m just about ready to do the skirt and need to decide what and how to do it… yikes!
I changed up the ruffle on the sleeves to make it smaller.. I like it better…
I just LOVE that picture and so glad to take on this challenge…
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Charming photo, charming beginning of your dress….it’s so good to see you so busy in your “new” sewing room.
Blessings.
HI Becky,
It’s SO GOOD to hear from you too, Becky! Glad you chimed in today on this fun undertaking. I don’t know what I’m doing, but just pressing forward!
I’m loving my new sewing room.
Blessings, Jeanne
What a beautiful little girl! I wish her books and slate weren’t in front of her. I’m not getting a good idea of what is going on around the waist. So many little girls dresses back then were either dropped waist, had a yoke or dropped straight from the shoulder. No defined waistline. I guess so they would fit many shapes and sizes since hand-me-downs were a given. A sash around the waist would have added some definition if a little girl was so inclined. I love the start of your new creation and look forward to seeing it develop.
The mention of fabric back in the early 1900s made me curious. I found a website called Vintagedancer.com. I was looking at the Edwardian fabrics available (1900-1919). That would have included the time my grandmother was growing up. She was born in 1896. One among many of the things I love about this blog is it gives me knowledge I probably wouldn’t otherwise seek, since my girls all prefer either contemporary or au courant attire.
During these difficult times one needs to seek humor where one can find it. I found a little yesterday even though my son and daughter-in-law didn’t find it a bit funny. They dropped the kids off at school yesterday for the first in-person day in six months. Then they went back at noon and picked them up. They had a storm go through from Beta and the area where the school is located lost power. The school kept the kids for awhile to hand out uniforms, school-supplied masks, etc., but had to release them after that because with lessons still being done by computer they couldn’t hold classes or provide lunch.
I had a lovely surprise yesterday. There was a tiny but frantic knock on my door. I couldn’t imagine what it was. I opened the door but didn’t see anything. Then I looked down and saw the most beautiful green eyes staring up at me and pleading for me to let her in before it started raining again. Yes, Stella Rockstar arrived yesterday and she’s cute as a bug with her reddish hair and green eyes. And her outfit is totally adorable.
Congrats on Rockstar Stella. I love this one. I’ve been debating on getting another. I do like the cuties available only in Europe. Maybe they will eventually have them here too.
And my grandmother, well one of them, was born in 1894, so she was pretty close in age to yours. 🙂
Hi Barbara,
I too, wish there was different picture of her looking straight ahead with her books out of the way and her legs showing… that would really help, wouldn’t it? I’ll give it my best shot, though.
I wrote down that website… Vintagedancer.com and will check it out… thanks!
I hope they’ll get the school back in session and things back to normal quickly.. or your vacation might be short lived! :o)
Congratulations on your new Stella Rockstar… I don’t know anything about her, but I’ve seen pictures of her. I hope you’ve had fun playing with her today!
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the picture. We have one of those exact slates from the 1800-1900s. The slate even has the original owner’s name carved into it. The little girl in the picture is adorable. She reminds me a little of AG Ruthie.
I love the start of Nellie’s dress so far. The sleeves are gorgeous with their pleated cuffs and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
What a great find, Susette.
HI Laura,
How neat to have one of those slates from so long ago. I’m hoping to replicate the whole picture, (if I can even down to her slate…) :o)
I worked on the dress today and do have a few things to show you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeannie, you obviously love a challenge I look forward to seeing how you interpret the dress. Whatever you do I know it will be adorable.
Barbara I think your grandchildren’s school is jinxed! Lol
We all, except for Auckland, went back to Level 1 yesterday, Auckland have moved from level 2 and a half to 2. Yay. Life is back to normal or at least what passes for normal these days.
We had a Leaders debate on TV last night (the election is only 3 weeks away). I think it must be the first time ever (here in NZ) that the Leaders of both the main parties are women. We have come a long way, ladies since the little girl in the picture was going to school.
Alina, if you are going to get a new machine you need to decide what you want to do with it. If you are serious about wanting to do quilting then you need a machine that will help with that. It needs a wider bed and if funds run to it one with an integral walking foot. It will still do all your regular sewing but will be better for quilting too. I have an Elna Quilting Queen but there are similar machines under other brand names. I use my walking foot for almost all my sewing as well as quilting. It stops the top fabric from stretching.
Anne, thank you very much for your advice
Oh my what a fun challenge! Kudos for taking it on. I will be checking in to see what you come up with. I’m sure it will be lovely. The little girl in the picture is so beautiful—don’t you wonder who she is and what became of her?
HI Carolyn,
I’m not certain I know what I’m doing, taking this on, but I thought it would be a fun thing to give a try.
Yes, that little girl is very pretty and it would be interesting to know what her name was and what she was doing… was it a random picture or was it from a studio? Who knows?
Thanks Carolyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
HI Anne,
Well, I hope my interpretation is what everyone else sees… It may or may not be!
Thanks for taking time to answer Alina’s questions too… that was helpful…
I’m glad life is somewhat normal for you now… one of these days we’ll look back on this and realize we did make it! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
It is fun when someone suggests an idea that is a fun project. Working from that photo could only be done by you because of your pattern making talents. That photo has so much detail and that little face is mesmerizing. Do you think she is European?
Have fun deciding on the rest of the blouse and skirt and waist area….we’ll be watching😉🤗
HI Kathie,
I hope I can pull this project off… I made some progress today but that was the top part.. I don’t have a clue how I’ll do the skirt.. I guess I’ll just dive right in…
I don’t have a clue about her… except she’s a little cutie…
Thanks Kathie,
Blessings, Jeanne