How do I make a 1920's dress?

angel-delight_5

I need to make a 1920's style flapper dress for my daughter for a school dance at Easter. I have a little curtain-making experience, but anything more complicated than a rectangle and I struggle a bit. Any ideas for inspiration?
PS daughter is 9 but wears age 11-12 clothes.

Lorian

Maybe simplicity have a pattern you could use.

tootles_2

You do not need a pattern, make a tube that fits her straight up and down, put shoulder straps on and use fringing in layers around the bottom...... hey presto.... done. It should finish above the knee, if it is tight you can leave slits in the sides to allow movement, but it should not be too closely fitted, they were quite loose and as bosoms were passe there was no shape around the boobs.

Joopin

When I was in little school I also had to have a flapper dress. My mums hopeless at art/craft things but did make a great dress by doing just what tootles said. It looked fantastic with all the fringing and had a feathered head band that matched the straps.
Good luck!

angel-delight_5

Can I buy feathers from somewhere as I've got to make a head band as well? Can't say that I've seen any around during walks in the park!

sarahluv

angel-delight wrote:

Can I buy feathers from somewhere as I've got to make a head band as well? Can't say that I've seen any around during walks in the park!

john lewis sell coloured feathers

nearlyrich

Local market has a craft stall where they sell feathers, maybe there is something similar near you?

Jay-Jay_4

Oooh, I had to wear a 20s dress for a tap dancing show I did (and look, I'm admitting this on here )... the worst thing was it was only about 10 years ago and I was 20


It was as suggested, a tube with straps but as fringeing is blummin expensive, the dressmaker just cut the bottom of the dress into thin strips. Our headbands were a piece of thick ribbon with a feather and brooch.

Hobbycraft sell feathers but those really cheap bookshops sell them too as they're in childrens craft packs.
Red lippy, a beauty spot and an old pair of tap shoes look great btw

nabowla

A really long string of beads around the neck (ideally dropping down to the waist) look really good too. I'd start by asking around to see whether any of your friends/relatives have something that you could borrow - you'd be surprised what people have lurking at the back of their cupboards! If you have no joy there, you should be able to pick up something cheap in a charity shop or jumble sale.

Have you thought about looking on Ebay for the headband and/or feathers? There might be a real bargain on there at the moment as not many people buy 'evening wear' immediately after Christmas.

Katgoddess

There is a picture of a dress someone made on craftster here:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=65973.0

Also a tutorial for a 1920's top I keep meaning to do here:

http://www.deborahmerlo.com/diy/archives/000139.html

I love 20's stuff.

DSmiffy

angel-delight wrote:

Can I buy feathers from somewhere as I've got to make a head band as well? Can't say that I've seen any around during walks in the park!

Anywhere that sells buttons and cotton etc should sell feathers, also you could try claires accessories.