UPDATE - Help with French-English Translation

Laura

Laura

Alumni
I have this French pattern from 1908:

vfl_120.jpg


I apologize for the large file, but I wanted you to be able to read the French as clearly as possible.

I can read enough French here and there to get the gist of what it means, but I could use help with a formal translation. Here is what I have so far:

Pre-Cut Pattern in Full Size
for a
Hood

Paragraph #1: For evening parties, nothing could replace the hood, which is why, dear readers, we give you a good pattern for the model seen here.

Paragraph #2: The pelerine...

Paragraph #3: Our model is...

Paragraph #4:

YARDAGE – To make this, you will need 9.75 meters of velour and 1.5 meters of satin or silk; “ouatine et ouate”.

TO CUT –

“COIFFE” --
 
I can translate about 70%, but I'll get DH to look at it tonight if no one else comes along. It's older French as well; so having a francophone look at it will be a lot better than this ol' anglo's translation - lol.
 
Yeah, I was hoping someone would come along. I can get most of it if I work on it a while. If you don't have an answer soon from a "frenchy" I'll work my way through it.... its been a long time since I've needed to remember that stuff
 
l'll emial it to my mum and ask her or my dada tot ranslate it.. for you..

sara x
 
Thank you for the replies! Yes, it is old French and the jargon is somewhat technical, since it is a pattern and uses sewing terms. A native speaker would probably be able to translate it best. I knew that we had at least one person here who knows French. Any help is greatly appreciated. I can probably read about 40% of it, so you're ahead of me, Deborah! And my French-English dictionary is packed away somewhere. We still have boxes of books that we haven't unpacked from our move last year.

Thanks, guys!

Laura
 
One francophone who is not familiar with sewing terminology and one vintage seller lacking in terminology put this together - lol!

If you need anything double-checked, don't be shy. But I'm sure with your superior sewing knowledge you'll most likely be able to figure out the holes. The "Cutting" portion was quite difficult for us to figure out.

The last line in the French version was referring to the ties as if they had already been introduced, but that was the first mention of them in the text and we translated accordingly.

A full-size (or one size?), pre-cut pattern of a hood

For a night out nothing can replace the hood, and that's why, dear readers, we are giving you a pattern of this model.

The cape falls like a elegant stole and, depending on the trim you choose, it will appear even richer.

Our example is done in velvet and lined in a light satin; the trim is made from a silk fabric (material?) frill that is gathered along the edge very tightly.

The velvet measures 1"10 wide and costs 5 to 10 francs depending on the quality.

Yardage (?): To make it you will need 9"75 of velvet and 1"5 of satin or silk; wadding.

Our pattern comes in two pieces; fig. 1, headdress fig. 2, half stole (cape?)

Cutting: place the pattern on the cloth, the headdress in the (corner?) and afterwards the two sides of the stole; using the first side cut the second side, right side to right side (front to front or face to face ???); the lining is cut in the same fashion as above.

Headdress - If you choose to use wadding, sew it on the lining and fit it together with the top. Take the middle and, from each side, make a few flat creases (pleats?) in order to reduce the length of the circumference to that of your head.

The fullness at the back is lessened by making round creases (pleats, folds?), using a measurement from notch to notch.

The stole is wadded thickly; it is doubled and built up on the head piece; the ribbon circles the neckline and serves as the sash (bow).
 
my mum has come back to me with this

hope it helps


Para#2 The pelerine or cape that falls like a shooting star is very elegant and it will be an advantage if the decoration [garniture] is very rich.
Para#2 Our model is in velvet [velours] muslin [mousseline] lined with soft satin edged[au bord] with a flounce [volant] of silk muslin, very tightly gathered [froncee] edged with another ruffle of the same muslin, tied in a great bow [noeud]on the head.

To cut: this simply explains how to lay out a pattern, pin the material and cut it out.

Coiffe
Headdress:Take the quilting and lining and place under the muslin. Take the middle and at each end make small pleats until it is the size of your head. The fullness [ampleur] depends on the size required.

L'etoile is quilted a little less and is basted to the cape, it is the ribbon that tightens the bonnet around the face


ahhhh!!!

sara x
 
Thank you guys! I'm going to take a look at both translations and come up with an English version for the pattern. :)
 
Here is my translation, using a combination of both the translations offered here. I have a couple of questions, though.

1. When the pattern says "Yardage (?): To make it you will need 9"75 of velvet and 1"5 of satin or silk; wadding." - Is it 9.75 meters (9 3/4) or is it 9 meters and another unit, like centimeters? I want to make sure I do the conversion correctly.

FYI - I reversed the piece labeling in "Our pattern comes in two pieces: piece 1, stole; piece 2, headdress." simply because piece 1 is actually the stole and piece 2 is the headdress, though the pattern says the opposite.


The Translation:

For a night out nothing can replace the hood, and that's why, dear readers, we are giving you a pattern of this model.

The cape falls like an elegant stole and, depending on the trim you choose, it will appear to even better advantage.

Our example is done in velvet and is lined in a soft satin; edged with a flounce of silk muslin, very tightly gathered and edged with another ruffle of the same muslin, and tied in a large bow on the head.

The velvet measures 1 meter 10 wide and costs 5 to 10 francs depending on the quality.

Yardage: To make it you will need 9 meters 75 of velvet and 1 meter 5 of satin or silk; wadding.

Our pattern comes in two pieces: piece 1, stole; piece 2, headdress.

Cutting: Place the pattern on the cloth, the headdress in the corner and then place the two sides of the stole; using the first side cut the second side, right sides together; the lining is cut in the same fashion as above.

Headdress - If you choose to use wadding, sew it on the lining and fit it together with the top. Take the middle and, on each side, make a few small pleats until it fits your head. The fullness depends on the size required.

The fullness at the back is reduced with pleating between the notches.

The ribbon circles the neckline and serves as the tie.
Click to expand...

Please let me know if I have made any errors in my compilation. I made a few changes based on my sewing knowledge, and I hope I didn't change the meaning in doing so.

Laura
 
Great job, Laura!

I'm not too sure about the measurements - 9 meters is almost 30 feet and that sounds like a lot, but perhaps that's what it is as in centimeters it is far too small. The French, as most European countries work on the metric system. It's hard to make out what the symbol is after the number 9 and the 1.
 
The original is slightly clearer, though not much, and it looks like an m. But, after taking another look, I'm thinking it's actually 0m75, not 9m75. That would be a much more reasonable length.

What do you think?

Laura
 
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