Hello everybody !
Lately I have been listenning to so much western swing / hillbilly I always have some tune playing in my head. And of course, very close in my mind are all the stage clothes. Although they were sometimes way too sparkly or « fringy » for me, and were perfect on stage, I love western 40s 50s charming outfits.
There’s an interesting post on Vintage dancer : http://vintagedancer.com/vintage/1930-1950s-western-wear-for-women-and-men/
So here is my last project, celebrating the not-very-hot-weather here in France : my first of many honky tonk shirt. A simple, first project, on which I could practice some of the tehnics I learned, such as embroidery, or « pistol cuffs ».
I wanted to get a result close to these loooovely 1940s honkytonk outfits, simple, easy to wear everyday.
They are often so expensive, and so rarely my size that I came to the idea of making my own too.
I used a pattern from a current Burda magazine, from the july of 2010. It proposed a country style chapter, in which appeared this lovely « blues shirt »
I chose a very classic combination of burgundy and beige gabardine for this. Although I am looking for a thinner gabardine, desperately seeking out rayon gabardine, recent or vintage. (if anyone has a good quality website to buy some on pleaaaaaaaase tell me !)
Aaaand the big new try : hand embroidery. It is not perfect, but let’s say I am satisfied with this first try, and I can’t wait to make others! I have so many ideas !
And another challenge was to build the « pistol cuff », as I didn’t have any pattern for it.This is the kind of shape (the wave) I wanted :
Did you / are you also sewing honky tonk / western clothes ? I’m dying to see it, leave the link in the comments !
Thanks for reading !
I leave you with one of the great classics about yummy yum honky tonk men by Mister Johnny Horton himself :
You did a wonderful job. You look like pictures of my mother when she was young. She is an authentic cowgirl of the era.