copy of a trademark swirl tag- original here
In the forties the Neat 'N Tidy pinafore apron made by L. Nachman & Son Company became the "Ty-Wrap By Swirl" dress we know as Swirl. Most of the info I could find was in this article.
In all my thrifting/estate sale adventures I've yet to find an authentic Swirl dress. (sigh)
I have followed and even occasionally bid on an ebay auction. These dresses are collectible. The ending price always reflected this fact.
Swirl dresses are wrap-around dresses that tie and fasten with a button. The sleeves and bodice are most often in one piece (unusual to see set in sleeves).
The more I thought about these dresses the more I wanted one. So...
This is what I came up with. The fabric is a thrifted sheet, I didn't want to cut into my vintage fabric on the first one in case it was a bust.
Pretty happy with this one, although I am going to change a couple of things before I make another.
Pattern: Self-drafted
Fabric: Thrifted sheet $2.00
Trim: Salvaged from a vintage dress in poor condition
Buttons: Mother-of-pearl from a tin I won at auction
3 comments:
OMG! I just bought one of these dresses at a junk shop/antique store ($15)! I love mine and thought the fabric was lovely; rayon cotton or silk cottom blend I think (its soooo soft, drapey, and doesn't wrinkle easily). Its a tad too big in the bust so I just moved the button over a little bit. It has patch pockets but not huge ones and the skirt is gathered just above pockets. The fabric is a reddish pink with small flora prints and has a runched section running down the middle. I had no idea they were collectible or that there were more of them around. I was going to rub a pattern off it since I loved it so much. Let me know if you need help with your patterning!
I've never heard of the Swirl dress before, but I am a devotee now! Your dress is perfect,with the retro green color and adorable rick rack.
I'm so glad I found your blog, you have great style and your projects are really inspiring.
I too had never heard of a swirl dress before, love your design .
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