This lovely blouse has a lace yoke and can be worked with either long or short sleeves. The overall pattern is fully written out and easy to follow.
Date: late 1940s or early 1950s
Measurements: 34" bust; length 19"; sleeve seam 6 or 18"
Materials: 4-ply or fingering; 3.75mm US 5 and 3.25mm US 3 needles; 4 buttons
Original used 6 or 8 ozs Femina Crepespun
Tension: 7 stitches 1 inch
5 Pages
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| Orchid - 32" bust |
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| Eve - 38" bust |
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| Elegance - 30" bust |
This sweet, short sleeved bolero has an all over pattern and curved fronts
Date: estimated mid 1940s
Measurements: Bust 34; length 14"; sleeve seam 5"
Materials: 4 ply or fingering yarn; 3.75mm US 5 and 2.75mm US 2 needles
Originals used 6 ozs Emu Unshrinkable 3-ply Botany
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
I had a bit of a 30s splurge this week (it's probably my favourite era style wise). First was a great diagonal striped jumper with a stylish jabot (or decorative ruffle) from Munrospun from the mid 1930s. Munrospun was one of those companies that always produced high end patterns and was seen as being slightly more chic than many of the standard pattern companies. The pattern is for a 36" bust and uses a 4-ply so I think it could easily be resized by using larger needles and thicker wool. Then there is this wonderful lace blouse with a bust measurement of between 33" to 36" depending on how tight you like your clothes. The original was made from an artificial silk or rayon so if you want to match the drape, make sure that you choose something that slips.
This set of 5 jumpers, all different sizes that come from the Good Housekeeping Second Knitting Supplement. I found this tucked into a modern book and was so surprised to find it. The patterns are wonderful and probably date from the early 30s judging by the hair styles. My favourite is the diagonal striped jumper: I love the way they carry on through to the back and the way that one of the stripes coils down the arm. Each jumper has only one size but they are different, so a crafty use of different needles and yarn weights could get you a larger or smaller version. However, no tension is given so you really will just have to see how they feel.
On to the 1940s and there is this stunning cable and bobble twin set in a great petite size. To make this larger, just increase the number of repeats, but remember that you might also need to alter the arm scyth too so you could use a pattern in your size to work out that one.
My final 1940s pattern is this wonderful puff sleeve blouse or evening jacket with an all over shirred design. This one was designed by Munrospun and is, I think, extremely beautiful. I can just imagine it in a midnight blue yarn with a bit of glimmer to it and crystal buttons. The shirring is easy to achieve: it's just a matter of increasing and decreasing at the appropriate points to get the ripple effect.
