A child's chest protector

Ann Budd updated the pattern for this child's chest protector from vol.7 of Weldon's Practical Needlework -- her version is published free on the "Piecework" magazine blog.

Budd's version is whip-stitched together at the sides, probably more practical for a modern child than the tabard-like original -- presumably it tied so that it would fit over however many layers in which the Victorian child was dressed that particular day, before being sent outdoors!

"London Eyre Shawl"

 

(There may have been two shawls used in the film, as this one looks considerably smaller than the one in the photos below.)

The London Eyre Shawl free pattern by Donna Strom recreates the shawl worn by Mia Wasikowska as the title character in "Jane Eyre" (2011).  Strom notes,

The London Eyre Shawl pattern was created and named solely by me as a replication/copy of a shawl which appears briefly in the 2011 Focus Features film production of "Jane Eyre" -- costume design by Michael O'Connor. According to Focus Features the original shawl was free-knitted by the owner of a company near London, England which produces custom pieces for period films. The name of the pattern is my way of paying tribute to the talented original knitter -- whose name is not known to me. To the best of my knowledge, no written pattern exists for the original shawl.

Note that Charlotte Brontë's novel was published in 1847, though is set somewhat earlier. Most film adaptations tend to use fashions of the 1840s for the main part of the story.

Short rows contribute to much of the shaping in this shawl.

"Meg's Hug-Me-Tight"

In a deft little touch by the filmmakers of "Little Women" (1994), some of the clothes are worn by one sister in an early scene and then handed-down to a younger one later, surely just what would have happened in a not-very-well-off family in any period, and even more so in wartime when clothing was scarce.  Meg and Amy each wear a gray hug-me-tight with black or dark-brown trim, though I'm not quite sure if it's the same one or if both have their own version of this useful garment.

 Note also the piece of crocheted lace tacked onto the edge of the shelf!

There isn't (yet!) a known historical source for this particular garment, though as far as I know no one has yet asked the film's costume designer, Colleen Atwood. That said, it is clearly well-rooted in period garments -- only a short step from the V-shaped sontag, with a side piece added to fully enclose the wearer's torso -- and we might even say, "If it isn't a period garment, it should be!"

Inspired by the garment, Michele DuNaier developed a pattern for it, now available for purchase via Ravelry.

(DuNaier wonders aloud, "Was it a shrug? A pelerine? A fichu? Or perhaps a sontag (AKA 'Bosom Buddy')? We finally called it a 'Hug-Me-Tight,' defined by Merriam-Webster as 'a woman’s short usually knitted sleeveless close-fitting jacket -- first known use 1860', which fits right in with the Civil War era Little Women.")

"Polka Jacket Trimmed with Imitation Ermine" (1856)

The term "polka jacket" is rarely defined in period sources, but derives not from the dance but from the military jacket of the same name.

The General Regulations for the Military Forces of the State of New York (1870) describes their version, one of the two "Uniform Coat[s] for the Non-Commissioned Officers, Musicians and Privates of the National Guard Infantry" as "differing from the chasseur jacket [described meticulously in the article's previous paragraph], in being without skirt, but extending without seam five inches below the hip; without opening or buttons behind, and round edge in front" (p.252).  Women's knitted polka jackets seem to be fairly consistent in their details -- a single-breasted close-fitting jacket, usually collarless, with long sleeves and smooth skirt with rounded fronts, often trimmed, as this one is, in faux ermine, and apparently always worked in brioche stitch, possibly because brioche's inherent stretchiness made it easier to fit smoothly.

Here is the full pattern from the January-June 1856 issue of "Godey's Lady's Magazine" --

 A similar polka jacket from an 1849 issue of "Family Friend" was transcribed by Carol Rhodes and appears in modern-pattern format in Helen Bonney's article in the January/February 2013 issue of "PieceWork" magazine.