TUTORIAL How to make 4 styles of Childrens aprons from 1910's

This is a tutorial, that unlike others I have made does not require MATH! yes we will be using measurements, but there will not be multiplying, dividing, subtracting or even adding to make the patterns.

What you will need is: The child you wish to make the apron for, and a T shirt that fits the child. (plain shape, short sleeves is best.)
Tools include: Measuring tape, large sheet of paper, pencil and ruler. I like to use a square and a clear ruler. Also scissors for cutting the paper.

Overview of the FOUR styles

Left to right:

1. No. 4615 Advertised in Home Needlework Magazine, August/September 1910, Page 316 "Children's and Girls one Piece Apron. 4615 Five sizes 4 to 1 2 years. The 8 year size requires 1 4 yards 27 inches wide 14 yard contrasting material 27 inches wide."
2.  Farm Journal Patterns 4850 Advertised in Farm Journal, October 1912, page 550 Girls and Misses One-piece Aprons in 6 sizes; 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 years. "A useful apron, cut in one piece, but prettily shaped, is shown, in No. 4850. Girls do not object to wearing aprons if they are pretty, and this one can be made exceedingly so. While white crossbar muslin, madras, or cambric can be used, very pretty ones are made of pink or blue chambray, hemmed or faced with the old fashioned rick-rack braid sewed along the under edge, so that a row of points extends beyond." This one is different from the first in that it meets at center back, likely closing with buttons.
3. Advertised in Woman's Home Companion, February 1913, page 75 "No. 1439 One Piece Apron. 4 to 8 year sizes. Quantity of material required for medium size, or 6 years, eight yards of twenty seven inch material. The ease with which this attractive little school apron, which is suitable for any wash fabric, can be laundered is one of its practical features which will strongly appeal to every mother It is particularly attractive if made of a plain toned wash fabric with the edges scalloped in a darker shade or in a contrasting color."
4. No. 1230 Play Apron  was also advertised in Woman's Home Companion, February 1913, page 75, "Play Apron with Pocket 2 to 4 year sizes. Quantity of material required for 2 years three fourths of a yard of twenty two inch material. The large pocket is a special feature of this apron."

Now lets start making the patterns!

1910 Corset, First mock-up

Today I made the first mock up of my corset.
I used an old pair of pants from my husband as the mock up. I knew this would stretch, but that was okay for me. I was mainly interested in checking the length, and flap position.

I could not find my lacing strip. (I think a small child misplaced it for me) so I sewed the back closed and pined the front shut.

As I guess it stretched, as I was not very exact in cutting and sewing. I pined it all the way closed and my waist measurement was 27", which is normal for me.

But I did learn a thing or two about the pattern.
1. my guess on the waist was spot on! I know this because I put it on and tied a string around my waist and marked it.
2. It is way to high in the bust!
3. it is too large in the bust, as I guessed. I do not have that ratio.
4. the hips may be a bit large for me once I make it out of a non stretchy material.
5. I think the bust flaps are too big!

But all in all it was good enough for me to alter the pattern and put up a more usable one on the blog.

But anyways you want to see pictures don't you?! well then click ahead and see the ugly mirror shots of the mock up!

1910 Corset pattern

I thought others might like to have a better image of the 1910 corset pattern.

Once again this is a pattern from July 1910 "Corset for a slim Woman (easy to wash)

(If those links fail, try this one for the illustration, and this one for the pattern sheet)

The waist is 24 1/2"
The hip is maybe 36"
The bust is about  36"
Wasit to top of corset at front is 7.5"
Waist to bottom of front is also 7.5"
(click on image to view full size)

I found it to be rather high in the bust, but the bottom length looks about right for the period.

To use this pattern, print out so that the squares are 1"

No seam allowances have been given.

Waist and grain-lines are given. Also are small red lines to indicate where a seam intersects that panel.

Making the corset pattern

Well I went through my books and links, didn't find a corset pattern I thought would work for modifying into nursing.

So I went to DeGracieuse and looked through 1908-1912 for corset patterns.
Settled on a pattern from July 1910 "Corset for a slim Woman (easy to wash)

(If those links fail, try this one for the illustration, and this one for the pattern sheet)

I saved the image and pulled it into Rhino CAD, I have an approximation of the sheet size deciphered from an older page that had a scale on it. I traced around the pattern pieces.

Then moved the pieces (thus removing the confusing background)and aligned them with the grain markings (little arrows)

Then I cut them apart to make a nursing opening. Added 1/2" seam allowance, and printed that sucker out!

At this point I have printed the pattern out and cut out my mock up from an old pair of my husband's pants!
I expect I will have lots of alterations to make, but I want to check out where it hits me as waist line and such.
Supposedly it has a 24" waist, I am normally about a 27" waist, so that is a reasonable size, but then I expect the bust and hips to be larger than my measurements. I also need to check the flap position.

The CADing of the pattern was done in one day, I have gotten fairly quick at it!

UPDATE, I have put up a more usable image of the pattern

Teens era Nursing clothing

So like many costumers I will be embarking on a journey into the early 20th century for the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. A bit morbid? Sure, but also fun. I have never entered into this era.

I will need to make a nursing friendly outfit, just like all the ones I have made in the past 5 years....

I am quite pleased to be using Pintrest as well as some Facebook and Livejournal groups

First order of research was corsets, because let's face it they are my favorite!

My pintrest board for Maternity and Nursing Corsets through the ages  has helped me to organize things a bit.
But I decided to make a separate one for the maternity/nursing clothing, and I also found another board for historical maternity clothing. that readers may find of interest.

But back to what I plan on making.

First inspiration is the H&W maternity corset, that I have found advertised from 1909-16

In fact the name Marmo was trademarked in April 1909

Ladies Home Journal October 1910 on New York Public Library
An H&W booklet c. 1914 shows the Marmo

There are TWO surviving examples that I know of.
Antique Corset Gallery has the buttonfront version with what looks like a higher front

The Met's (formerly Brooklyn) 2009.300.2759a–g has a busk and nursing flaps. the front is lower. also it appears that the lacing only goes to the waist. (too bad there aren't more pictures!)

Standard mail order company advertisement of 1912? lower left shows a matternity and nursing corset like the H&W

Lara Corsets has a nursing corset that looks very similar to one advertised in 1915-16 Simpson's Catalogue as seen in Robert Doyle's Waisted Efforts, page 195

Spring Summer 1911 Macys catalog No. 16

Eatons of Canada 1913

But what about what goes over the corset?
Well a petticoat could have slits like this 1900-6 one from Bustledress.com

As for the dress itself, well there are two patents that show us what could be done
US patent 907,290  from 1908

and  US Patent 1,013,778 from 1912