Once I knew what the One Hour Dress was, I saw them everywhere.
http://theclosethistorian.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-one-hour-1920s-dress.html
Go search on 'one hour dress 1920s'. Go ahead, I'm here all week.
https://youtu.be/VImcfqrqWKQ is the You Tube ad for the book (original link is dead)
but here it is on Amazon.
There are a million variations on the One Hour Dress. I based my pattern on this image I found online, which turns out to be from a pretty nifty pattern on Etsy.
Give her your $3, you won't be sorry.
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| the alder shirtdress does it too |
It's a pullover design of the early 20s, a tube with a horizontal slash at the hip that gathers the side fabric extension into the main body as a skirt.
A one piece pattern that is easy to draft, uses fabric very efficiently.
Probably easy to make from flour sacks.
The versions out there are generally pretty dumpy, but if you look at the illustrations using this style, there's a lot of sweet details.
The slash goes from side to side, and is wrapped with the same white cotton on the vertical appliques
Another slash across the center front, with the red bias finish making either belt loops or something to pull your dishtowel through (seen it both ways).
In both of these examples, the seam is on the 'right side' and is covered with a different fabric trim.
The One Hour dress is on the upper left with the boatneck and the flowers
You're just laying the pattern over prepleated/tucked fabric here
Dear reader, of course I made one...
Yes, you are drafting your own pattern from a formula and measurements.
I should mention that the Superboard isn't the most accurate for cutting precise measurements; the grid gets shortened lengthwise with the folds in the board.
But it gets the job done
drew a neck hole based on my head
shoulder seam line
started drafting from the neckhole out. A plastic sword makes a good paper weight/spreading device
ripped to grain up the fabric, folded it crossgrain and doubled
The one pattern piece laid out
Marked a front and a back neckline; will cut both for the back and then one for the lowered front
I could have used the minimal scrap for a facing for the neck line, or pockets
I haven't added pockets.
Yet.
thread gathered the skirt extention to tack it to the bodice (seam G for those of you playing along at home)
I put black bias tape over the gathered seam G (sewed that with the seam allowance to the right side). Also finished the neckline with the stuff.
All the bits for this came from the stash, for once.
All the interior finishing was zig zag stitch over the seam allowance.
Period would have been pinked, but rayon can be ....capricious.
It is waaaaay too wide (the bodice should be your chest measurement plus 2", NOT plus 8". I also need to find a better place to take photos and find another face to make in those photos.
On the other hand, it's rayon so it's drapey and the finished object isn't out of scale for the period. Kinda a William Morris rose.
It's a sack dress, without darts or extra cuts. It's kinda sweet, kinda frumpy, and I plan on wearing it tomorrow night to the theater.
Not the theatre.
