Friday, November 10, 2006

Vintage Bed Jacket: McCall 1018

My recent creation from this pattern, McCall 1018, dated sometime in the 40's, is a bed jacket:


I made View A with lace only at the yoke seam and at the wrists. I used a crisp pale pink cotton which was nice and firm for the embroidery. The pattern offers several fabric choices, including "fine flannel or albatross." Sounds delicious.


I had so much fun doing the embroidery! The instructions called for some odd choices of stitches--all those tiny leaves were supposed to be done in outline stitch, which I tried unsuccessfully before deciding to do lazy-daisy loops. I think that whatever works is the best choice. Even the dots were supposed to be done in outline stitch--changing to French knots was a no-brainer and looks wonderful.


Now I am looking for a little bout with something not too uncomfortable that will call for a little bed rest while looking glamorous . . . .

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your work is lovely! The bedjacket is beautiful - wow :)

I do have a question - my Grandmother used to speak of 'dressing gowns', 'bedjackets' and 'housecoats'. I assume with your love and knowledge of vintage patterns that you will be able to answer this - could you please explain to me what they were and why, when and where these were worn? My Grandmother was very prim and proper and I was always too nervous to ask her.

Thank you! Mrs. Callard

Rebecca said...

Just BEAUTIFUL. It was gorgeous in the first photo. Before I even noticed the embroidery. Breathtaking.

Jenny said...

Beautiful work. You will have to have breakfast in bed once a week to get plenty of wear out of it.

Kelli said...

Just incredible! The embroidery is exquisite and the lace on the sleeves is so delicate. I love it.
Kelli

Jodi said...

Oh Anna -

It's beautiful! Lovely embroidery work, lovely colors. :o)

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love it. The embroidery work is beautiful. I really like that lace you used too. I feel inspired to make myself a bedjacket now. My husbands grandmother who passed away earlier this year at 97 years of age always wore one. It looked so comfortable to wear.
Happy sewing!

Anonymous said...

I love it! The color combination of light pink and brown is just perfect.

Anonymous said...

Wow! It looks storebought. Most of the things I've seen people make look homemade. This is impressive. Did it take a long time?

Isabella in the 21st Century said...

Wow! I remember my nana wearing dainty bedjackets. Your workmanship is divine, but it's your eye for colour that really made the piece beautiful.

Cindi said...

That is just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Wow!!! This is just beautiful, Anna. Well done!! My husband's grandmother, now a woman of 103, was known to wear the most beautiful bed jackets in the week she kept to her bed after childbirth. I'm told she received her female relatives for a visit with the new baby with her new baby freshly scrubbed and dressed in handmade cotton gowns, while she was always wearing a beautiful handmade bed jacket. Oh, and her hair was always neatly arranged as well!

"Now I am looking for a little bout with something not too uncomfortable that will call for a little bed rest while looking glamorous . . . ."

LOL!!! Hmmmmm.......I'm thinking taking breakfast in bed would be a much nicer alternative.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I remember as late as when my daughter was born (1977), women took bedjackets to the hospital with them and my mom liked them, too.

They were perfect for accepting visitors when one was staying in bed (and back then, after a C-section, you were in the hospital for five days to a week so lots of opportunity for visitors). :)

This is lovely, you are truly an artist with a needle. I do enjoy reading your blog.

Heather Anne said...

Hmmm ... how about a touch of the ague, or bed fever? Perhaps you could take the vapours or even a smattering of dropsy! I would never wish you ill, but a bit of play-acting might just set you up nicely for some time in your lovely bedjacket. As girls, my sister and I played dress up with a peach silk nightgown set that included a bedjacket so like yours I would say it could have been the self-same pattern! When my grandmother died, she left trunks of unworn fancy silk underthings and each was so delightful! I can't believe now that we used them for dress up, but we did and, of course, they were ruined. She made the mistake of not enjoying her treasures, but I am sure you will find many occasions to enjoy your elegant creation.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful work, Anna! After seeing your rendition, I can't imagine the embroidery would look half as pretty in the recommended stitches. The colors will suit you so well, too.

What a practical garment for post-partum this must be. It would hide all the little drops and stains that soon mar a nursing gown... and make a lovely backdrop for the baby. -grin- I must make one before we have another...

Poiema said...

I just gasped when I saw the beautiful, detailed embroidery. What a wonderful gift you have. Thank you for sharing the beauty and inspiring me.
Poiema

Anonymous said...

This is gorgeous and must have taken so much work.
I think bedjackets were used for reading in bed in unheated bedrooms. Certainly, there were plenty of cold, unheated bedrooms in rural England when I was a child and the adults always claimed that it used to be even colder! There were stories about ice on the inside of windows hence the need for bedjackets!
Annaelisabeth

elise said...

Oh my! What a amazing confection. You have such lovely ideas with combinations of fabrics,designs,details. Love it,Love it, Love it. I want one :) Just elegant

Anonymous said...

think your bed jacket is lovely,and would love to make one too, of course in my own color of yellow.would u consider sending me a copy of your pattern. or even a small fee. sinserly circlesprings@hotmail.com

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