It’s that time of year again when the search for creative Halloween costumes kicks into high gear with only a couple weeks to go before the big day. But who has time to run all over town to find just the perfect one, especially if you’re going to a period-themed party, the type that’s gaining popularity all the time? And the further back the decade for the theme, the harder it is I find to locate anything suitable off-the-rack or without spending a fortune. So if you want to go as a 1920′s Flapper, what are you to do?
Most books on period costume are expensive, give you hundreds of pages of complex patterns to use, ones that would take me weeks or months (or most likely never) to get the hang of, something my notoriously short attention span wouldn’t accommodate. And my sewing abilities are equally notorious for being almost non-existent. (You know you shouldn’t be allowed near a needle when you have to find a way to detach the jeans you were fixing from the couch cushion you just sewed them to…)
So I was very happy to find someone who has an eBook just my speed: The One Hour Dress
This book shows you how, in 1924, Mary Brooks Picken of the Woman’s Institute developed a plan by which an attractive dress could be made in one hour – a great, attractive, 1920′s Flapper style dress. In just a few steps, you can have a great period costume without taking a lot of time or money (both factors I love). In fact, as a demonstration, she was able to put one together in just 34 mins. (Of course, she had developed the technique and had had a bit of practice at that point so for you and me figure closer to the full hour, at least for the first one. LOL)
What I like about this eBook is that you can use it to create a variety of dresses based on the tips & tricks, varying them to suit your own tastes and style, adapting as you go along. If you’re a costume designer for plays or doing period re-enactments of any sort, this can give you a fast way to get the 1920′s women’s styles under your dress-making belt. And given how quickly these can be made, you could even offer to do them for friends and family, maybe making a bit of money while you do and having a fun Halloween party showing them all off…
