Dress with Bretelles for Bleuette

1907 #46 Robe a Bretelles Pour Bleuette – Dress with Bretelles for Bleuette

The whole costume is composed of a guimpe [blouse] which includes the patterns of the devant [front], the dos [back], the manche [sleeve] and the poignet [cuff], and of the dress with bretelles itself, which is composed of the pleated skirt, of the ceinture [high waistband] and the bretelles.

The blouse will be made out of very light silk, or lingerie muslin. One will trim it with these small pleats, known as lingerie tucks. The neck will be finely bordered. [Editor: A collar pattern is not included. I suggest the scalloped collar from 1910 #19 Chemise de Nuit.]

The dress could be made in wool or light velvet. The skirt must have 60 to 65cm of circumference so that, once pleated, it wraps Bleuette well. However, if the fabric is thick, one will decrease the length and one will replace the pleats with gathers.

The bretelles and the waistband are in the same fabric as that of the skirt. One can also – and the dress in it will be less fragile – make the sleeves in the same cloth.

[Editor: My understanding of this statement is that the blouse is made with sleeves; and then the sleeves are also made in the skirt fabric, to go over the blouse sleeves. If the sleeves were made in the skirt fabric alone and attached to the blouse bodice, how would one clean the garment? Your blouse would require two different cleaning treatments and therefore, possibly, separation for cleaning.]

All the indications being written on the engravings, we will not repeat them, only recommending to follow them well. The letters of the seams of the pattern, “dos” [back] of the blouse, must be joined with the same letters of the pattern, in front of the blouse. The letter f, with the small arrow which is at the armhole of the “devant” [front], indicates the place where the point f of the seam of the sleeve must be placed. (See the following page.)

The diagonally striped parts are those which, once the fabric is pleated, are underneath and, consequently, are not seen any more. You will understand this explanation while looking on the following page, the pleating intended to make the skirt. The latter must be hemmed before being pleated. It is assembled on a small braid being used as a waist ribbon. The waistband holds onto the bretelles as is placed on the skirt; the point l of the bretelles connects with the point l of the waistband and the point k with the point k. The closure is made with snaps.

It would be pretty to make the dress in brown velvet, and the blouse in light pink or pale blue silk or linen. Tartan wool or criss-cross patterns are also strong in fashion.