Free Pattern Friday - Bedjackets and Bedsocks Patons 678

I don't know why but I have a fascination for bedjackets. Possibly because they call to my 'lady of leisure' side who would be brought breakfast in bed on a chilly winter's morning, possible by the maid. The fire not having quite warmed the room, means I need something to cover my upper body as my delicate silk negligee just isn't up to the job. But I think that it's also because they tell of the history of a rather chilly island.

They tell of houses with no central heating and austerity and form part of the 20th century (and earlier) social history of Britain. Most of the fancy old houses in Britain are still freezing as it costs a fortune to heat such a large space but it would be hasty to think that bedjackets are an item of clothing for the wealthy. Until recently most British homes were poorly heated. A small heater or open fire might warm the bedroom on the coldest nights and a fire in the living room but the rest of the house would be cold. A bedjacket was a practical solution to women of all classes to combat chilly times just before bed and first thing in the morning.

The patterns have their heyday in the 1940s and early 50s with just about every pattern company producing them. The light and airy nature of the bedjackets created a warm garment using larger than standard needles and would have also used less wool, which was rationed until the late 1940s. Many of the covers show quite a glamorous setting which I think was deliberate to give people a glimmer of pretty and feminine during a dark period of the world's history.

The patterns start to dwindle in the early 1950s which also ties into a boom in housing. Nye Bevan, the joint health and housing minister, insisted that there was a link between the health of the nation and housing. He insisted that good quality materials were used in new builds and that council built homes were linked to gas, water, and electric. Many of the council houses of this period were warmer due to better design, advancements in building technologies but also fuel prices had fallen so it was cheaper to heat the whole house for longer. The era of the bedjacket had passed and by the late 1960s they were seen as fuddy-duddy and only for old ladies.

I still have a soft spot for them though and hope that you do too.

Well that was longer than planned so here's your reward. This is a pattern from the very late 1940s or early 1950s judging from the hair styles. Click on the link below to get the pattern

Patons 578 - Bedjackets and Bedsocks