Let's Make Lemonade! A 1940s Peasant Blouse and Border Print Skirt
"Let's Make Lemonade!" is an adorable and versatile peasant blouse and border print skirt pattern for your eighteen inch doll, inspired by the cover of Life Magazine from July 17 1944.
The pattern offers long and short sleeve options for the blouse, and two methods of gathering the neckline: one beginner and one more advanced. For the skirt,there are options for a beginner back closure and a more advanced and polished closure.
This 48-page pattern was developed for the Confident Beginner level doll sewist. Every step of the process is illustrated with instructions and photographs.
For fashion history lovers, in the pattern introduction, there is a discussion about the peasant look as street fashion in the 1940s, its cultural influences, and the effect that wartime fabric restrictions had on the 1944 version of the peasant blouse and skirt. I also delve into sourcing border print fabrics, and how to recreate the border print look for your 1944 peasant skirt, using trim and fabric applications.
Techniques includes in the pattern: gathering a skirt, applying a skirt placket, finishing a waistband by hand, inserting elastic in a neckline and sleeves, and making a buttonhole (optional). For fans of vintage sewing techniques, the pattern references a 1944 sewing pattern for instructions on finishing the bottom edge of the blouse.
This PDF sewing pattern, by Eighteen Cotton Lane, is designed to fit 18" dolls. This pattern will fit a variety of eighteen-inch dolls, including American Girl®,
Maplelea®, Our Generation®, My Life As®, and Götz Precious Day®.
Suggested Fabrics: Skirt: light-medium weight cotton, rayon, calico, gingham. Blouse: rayon, cotton voile, batiste, handkerchief linen, crepe de chine
Supplies Needed:
• Skirt: 1/3 yard of 44" wide light-medium weight cotton, rayon, calico, gingham
• Blouse: 1/2 yard of 44" wide rayon, cotton voile, batiste, handkerchief linen, crepe de chine
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Pins
• Marking method: disappearing pen, chalk, tailor's carbon paper, or light box
• Point tool or blunt needle for turning crisp corners
• Small safety pin for threading elastic
• Sewing thread that matches your fabrics
• Small piece of tearaway stabilizer for the buttonhole on the Option 2 blouse neck binding.
• Small piece of lightweight fusible interfacing for the skirt waistband (optional).
• Lace, rick rack or other trims if you are embellishing the blouse or skirt.
• 8” of narrow (1/8”-1/4”) ribbon or cord for making a front bow on Option A neckline.
• 1 yard of narrow (1/8”-1/4”) ribbon or cord for threading through Option B neckline.
• 3 snaps or buttons or soft ¼” hook and loop tape for closing the blouse.
• 1 snap or button for closing the skirt.
• 1 yard of 1/8” elastic
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
What You Get: One 48 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step instructions and full size pattern pieces. A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available.
Download, Print, Sew!
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Pixie Faire and the designers featured are not affiliated with American Girl®, Maplelea®, Our Generation®, My Life As®, or Götz Precious Day®.
