Sewing Simple Clothing

 

Allbert Lynch, 1851-1912  Peru, South America

Women Taking Tea

Giclee Print

Lynch, Albert


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A slideshow of Albert Lynch paintings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp-xdCk0nE8


More art from this artist http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/Search_Repeat.aspx?searchtype=IMAGES&artist=11141550

I have just attended a sewing day.  Women brought their unfinished sewing projects, sewing machines and iron boards, and helped each other complete their garments. One young woman had never used a pattern, and needed clothing right away. She took big squares of fabric and draped them around her, and then sewed them together at the shoulders and sides.  She then cut triangles of fabric from a burgundy curtain,  and inserted them in all the skirt. She made a wonderful dress that did not look at all unusual and yet was very long and elegant, and modest.  She is an active young woman who raises sheep and yet she wears these beautiful long dresses that she makes.. 

The dresses in the above painting, from the 1800's, look very simple, yet womanly and modest. Here again is an artists depiction of women's clothing, which shows the shorter length on the young girl, and the longer length on the older women.  Girls at that time wore short dresses and wore their hair down.  I have heard stories from my older relatives about girls begging their mothers to let them put their hair "up" and  let their hems down.  If mothers didn't want their girls to look too grown up too soon, they kept them in the girls clothing.  I think that is interesting, in contrast to the styles imposed on women today.



American women at home need clothing that does not catch on things. Pockets have to be placed so that they do not snag on the drawer handles in the kitchen or the door handles, as they walk past. Sleeves have to be roomy, but not too billowing that they snag on things in the home.  They work in the kitchen a lot, and cannot have ruffled cuffs that would get in the way.  Aprons over the dresses are a must.  American homemakers are hard workers. They do almost every thing themselves, and so their clothing has to be simple. Because embellishments and jewelry, scarves and accessories get in the way and cut down on efficiency, clothing worn for homemaking has to be beautiful in a different way. That is why the cottons in the fabric stores are so appealing. They come in endless colors and patterns. You can use a pattern that is very very plain, but use a wonderful color or print.

An American homemaker might plant a vegetable garden, water it by hand, weed it, and  pick the fruits of her labors to make a salad for lunch or a pie for dessert. These things take a lot of time and work, and the clothing has to be protective, as well as pretty. She does her own cleaning and often sews for the home. The American homemaker is trying to take care of her family and make a comfortable and peaceful home for them. Her clothing has to be something she really likes and enjoys wearing daily. If it is too fancy, she wont wear it every day at home. If it is too shoddy, she will not feel she can wear it outside the home. In this Painting-Inspired series, I have tried to show how a woman can work at home in a cotton dress and then go to the store or post office without changing. It looks good anywhere.

Clothing for the American homemaker has to be dignified and modest, yet a pleasure to wear. Beautiful dresses affect the mood.  If the day is cold and gloomy, the color of the clothes can make a difference.  If some jobs are difficult repetitive, having a variety of dresses to wear, can give her a lift. If there are great responsibilities, and monumental events in the family, the homemakers clothing can make every single day significant.  

That is one reason I am showing some of these beautiful paintings of the past centuries. Historically speaking, this clothing was not just an after- thought. The clothing was sewn by hand, with great care. One woman recently told me that stitches on the seams were done in a special way so that you could not see the seams on the outside of the garment.  That would require a lot of time.

The dresses in the paintings look like something that could be worn today. The garments in the painting would be good autumn dresses. The vivid leaves and the produce--pumpkins and squash in golds and browns and off-whites, and the burgundy colors, plus the darker greens, are good choices for autumn fabrics.