HSF challenge; Brown

While I wear brown frequently I usually do not gravitate to it as a colour when choosing materials. In spite in of this I made several projects for this challenge!

My first is another sweater, knitted based on the stitch pattern in the Daffodil sweater from 1939 which I found here on Bex's awesome blog. I made up the pattern as I went along, working my pattern repeats as necessary. Like my last cardigan it is a cropped length with 3/4 length sleeves, this seems to be the best shape for me currently. I used my Blarney Spun yarn in the color oatmeal and some vintage faux wood grain buttons, the button bands are reinforced with beige bias tape. I am quite pleased with how it turned out, and have already worn it tonnes!



I also sewed a blouse using Hollywood pattern 1087 from the 1930s, Liberty of London fabric and vintage Costumaker buttons.



I think of this blouse as being more navy than blue, but every time that I wear it I am struck by it's browness. I made the short sleeved blouse, and I left off the collar because it simply did not work for me, I have very square shoulders and a sloping neck so I often have trouble with small collars. You can't really see much of the blouse in this picture, but it looks just like the picture on the envelope except collarless.



Here is a close up showing just how neat this fabric is.



Finally I sewed a blouse using Vogue pattern 5522 from 1945. I used a very thin mocha and black slubbed jersey fabric from my stash, but it was too thin on it's own. To make the blouse wearable I fully lined it in a black and white slubbed jersey which matched the mocha. As a bonus the blouse is now completely reversible! Since the fabric is jersey I left off the back opening, and bound the neckline with the black fabric, I left long tails to tie the neck opening closed.



I love the way that the blouse turned out, it looks very vintage when worn, and works without shoulder pads on my shoulders. My photos did not turn out though, I am a blur, and on Sally Stitch it looks simply terrible!





The Challenge: Brown

Fabric: 8 skeins of Blarney Spun in Oatmeal

Pattern: Stitch pattern is based on Daffodil by Patons & Baldwin from 1939

Year: 1940s

Notions: Six faux wood grain buttons, one yard of cotton bias tape

How historically accurate is it? Semi? The stitch pattern is good, as is the yarn type.

Hours to complete: 42 tops, it took around three weeks all told, working around an hour or two a night.

First worn: September 8th

Total cost: I think around 15$


The Challenge: Brown

Fabric: Liberty of London lawn

Pattern: Hollywood 1087

Year: 1930s

Notions: Three vintage Costumaker buttons, thread

How historically accurate is it? Very, lawn is the suggested fabric, and I used all vintage sewing techniques.

Hours to complete: Five

First worn: September 24th

Total cost: Around 25$


The Challenge: Brown

Fabric: Two yards of cotton slubbed jersey

Pattern: Vogue 5522

Year: 1945

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it? Semi, the fabric is just not accurate!

Hours to complete: Two

First worn: September 29th

Total cost: Free, all from stash!