"Net Blouse" (Stitchcraft, January 1942)

Clothes rationing was introduced in Britain in 1941, but even before that goods in the shops were getting scarcer and more expensive.  As a result women turned to making their own, becoming expert in creating garments from bits and pieces and whatever unrationed materials they could get their hands on.  In January 1942 Stitchcraft published a pattern for this blouse that could be made up of coupon-free net and embroidery wool.

I'm transcribing the instructions below for anybody who wants to try making it!

MATERIALS: 1 yd. of 54-inch wide fine black hexagonal net (or 1½ yds. of 36-inch wide).  20 skiens of White Heather Embroidery Wool:—2 skeins each of turquoise, No. 42; pale pink, No. 280; pink, No. 5406; royal, No. 6430; cyclamen, No. 473; jade, No. 6430; pale blue, No. 5408; yellow-green, No. 5908; mauve, No. 7071.

Diagram 1

CUTTING OUT

To draw up actual size pattern from small draft (diag. 1), rule a piece of paper into 2-inch squares, then draw outlines of pieces in same relation to squares as lines on draft.  Cut out patterns and arrange on net, allowing 1/2-inch turnings and cutting the yokes and collars double. 

Diagram 1a

N.B.—Arrange all pieces exactly as shown on diag. 1 (or 1a) because of direction of mesh.  Join backs up centre to within 5 inches of top and press open seam.

EMBROIDERY

Diagram 2

This is best worked in a small hand frame with something white spread across your lap to show up holes.  Diag. 2 shows how to work one complete motif and arrangement of three rows of colour.  Take care to darn in ends securely and neatly.  Diag. 3 shows spacing of motifs and gives number of holes between each motif on diagonal.  Work motifs all over as shown in diag. 1, varying colour arrangements and direction of colour stripes.  Press very lightly on wrong side under a damp cloth.

Diagram 3

TO MAKE UP

Run two gathering threads across fronts (see dotted line on plan) and draw up to fit yokes.  Turn in ½-inch across bottom of double yoke and place gathered edge between; tack and machine.  Join shoulder and side seams with french seams and press, machine a narrow hem around bottom of blouse.  Gather top of sleeves (see dotted line on plan) and join seams.  Set in sleeves and machine round armholes twice.  Turn in outer edges of double collar and tack.  Work 3 lines of different coloured running stitches round edge, remove tackings and press.  Work a similar 3 rows round sleeve bottoms after turning a narrow hem, and also across yokes.  Turn in back opening down left side and crochet through double edge, making loops to fit over tiny beads for buttons, each on covered with a different shade of wool.  Tack collar round neck edge on right side.  Using a length of black silk bias bindings, bind right side of neck opening, then continue binding as a facing for collar; take it down left neck opening, behind crochet to strengthen, turn in facing round neck edge and slip-stitch.  Stitch buttons down back.  Run a length of narrow round black elastic round waist line (see dotted line on plan).