One of the projects I'd like to get started on when I get back from Maine is to begin laying away some Christmas gifts for my nieces. My dream is to give them some lovely old-fashioned flannel or muslin nightgowns - matching, of course! I can picture just the thing in my mind... The problem: I'm no seamstress. And practically the only girls' nightgowns you see out there these days are those dreadful polyester gowns screenprinted with one character or another. I can crochet a mean trim, though, and have some vintage pattern books with trims that would look just darling around the cuffs or neckline of a little girl's nightgown. So I'd like to find some basic flannel gowns that could use a little embellishment. Lands' End offers a red flannel gown that might work and Vermont Country Store has a floral gown in stock with an eyelet trim. Have any of you eagle-eyed shoppers seen gorgeous girls' nightgowns out there lately? Kitten will be just a few days shy of three this Christmas and Poppet will be 19 months old. (Gotta catch 'em while they're young with these matching outfits!)
As for us grown up girls, here are some of the 1940s nightgowns I've been coveting for myself lately. Can you tell I'm longing for cold winter nights?
Marjorie:
You won't believe how wonderfully my prune whip turned out last night.
Helen:
It can't possibly be better than mine, dear. Bill can't get enough!
Even the pajamas are pretty! I adore the floor-length rayon nighties with the lacy trim and plunging necklines. And the cable-knit bed jacket looks so soft...
Mustn't let the milkman catch us in our night things! A robe (or two or three) should do the trick. Check out the military influence in the red piece below. It was offered by Ward's for Christmas 1944:
No vintage night ensemble is complete without a pair of slippers. Sears offered slippers in every shape imaginable. It looks like blues and plums, crimson and dusty rose were the colors of the season in 1947.
14 comments:
Those pajamas are so beautiful. I finally got a sewing machine and Ive been keeping those styles of nightgowns in mind. I also found a robe pattern but I really love that red one. Its the sytle of the buttons, I would love those buttons on socks! By the way, Bill REALLY does love prune whip!
Beautiful..love the red dressing gown..I have the floral one with fluffy sling back slipper's
oh, thanks for the reference images, that is just what i was looking for... i'm planning on making myself some flannel, plush or velvet robes and nightgowns with a 1930's/40's feel as soon as i catch up with my other chores... i'm tired of freezing at night and still looking like the crazy cat lady in my granny cardis.
I keep forgetting that in Brazil manual labor is so much cheaper than in other places.. I was just about to suggest finding a reasonable priced seamstress to make the nightgowns for your nieces.
The other day i found some 1940's portuguese magazines with the patterns in, and realized i have no idea how to use a ready made pattern... i always make my own. Odd.
xoxo
oh, and great... now thanks to you i got The Pajama Game stuck in my head...
Good Morning! I wanted to express to you how much I enjoy your blog, and admire you for taking on the 1940's way of home care! Your blog is one of my favorites and I wonder if you would consider adding the ability for it to be followed by Yahoo's 'My Yahoo' pages. It is a Gadget that can be added on Blogspot that makes it possible.
Anyway. . Thank you for the wonderful read, I look forward to your upcoming adventures!
~W~
Isn't funny how styles and colors come and go?
All these are so gorgeous. How could you choose just one? In my family (very practical and fairly poor) everything was homemade and servicable rather than pretty.
that is so funny, I have been coveting 30s adn 40s nightgowns for my birthday wishlist.
I want that simple joy of looking beautiful when going to bed!
haha.
I keep trying to get one for my birthday, but I keep getting *way* outbidded. :( c'et la vie.
"Can you tell I'm longing for cold winter nights?"
I hear you Jitterbug!
We've been having above average temps where I live. *If* the heat index/temperature gets below 80F, it doesn't happen until 2am or later.
I miss sleeping with the window open and I'm dreading the electric bill! *sighs*
we've got some mighty cold nights here right about now... and not looking forward to when we go up the mountains...
but DH did buy me a dressing gown for our anniversary so I may be warm as toast
Dolly, what fun you'll have with your new sewing machine!
Gingeyginge, the sky blue chenille robe with the wave pattern along the bottom is my favorite.
sweetie Bird, you're blessed to be able to create garments without a pattern. Kind of like one of those musicians who learns to play by ear! It occurred to me today that women in the '40s must have tickled pink in being to buy nightgowns with a silky feel to them for such a bargain. These were very different garments than their mothers wore to bed!
Wendy, WELCOME --- and what a lovely compliment! I'll look for that gadget so you can follow through Yahoo.
Packrat, I could happily go home with an armful of these gowns myself...
Atomic Mama, thank goodness the hunt is half the fun! Good luck. I bet that perfect nightgown is out there waiting for you. :)
Hairball, I hear ya. I can't even open my bedroom window in the a.m. to help air the room. The air just doesn't move around at all. It's still and thick and feels like a wall of heat during the day. I'm looking forward to escaping it for a week during my vacation!
weenie_elise, I'm jealous! Guess you'll get good use out of that anniversary gift.
Love love love those nighties! I had a collection my great aunt gave me but when I gained soooo much weight I passed them to a daughter in-law. Love the tap pants too. I resently bought a robe pattern like those and can not wait to sew it up. Maybe a fall project. Now to find a nightie pattern. I have looked every where for those felt type slippers but can not find any.
I live in amish country, Pa. and will look around here as flannel nighties for children are common place. Will let you know what I find out, as the sizes you are looking for are easy to find.
I love the bedroom slippers in the old catalogs/ads. Wish we could get these today.
Gosh their nightgowns were so feminine back then, better than the t-shirt nighties we have today.
Jeanne, it does stink when those pesky pounds get in the way of wearing our favorite clothes! Your great aunt must have taken such good care of her lingerie for it to have lasted so long in wearable condition... Let me know if you find any vendors in that neck of the woods that might sell nightgowns online. I've been taking a closer look at the Land's End red flannel gown and it might be just the thing.
Shay, some of those slippers are gorgeous. Some are a little strange --- look a little like winter boots to me!
Amy, not to mention those dreadful sleepshirts!!!
Post a Comment