My oft-repurposed silk

Despite this fabric's tendency to get horribly, uncleanably stained, I really do love it.  And that's why I took apart my 1840s dress to use the skirt for something that I would actually, you know, wear once in a while.

I like that this picture makes me look a lil' bit like Laura Linney as Abigail Adams.

Once again, as I can't seem to grasp the schematics of hooks and eyes on a 1770s dress, this one closes with pins.  Which probably explains the occasional and grotesque wrinkles.

But it's smooth in this one!

Just the facts:

Pattern: JP Ryan's English/round gown, approximately 1776

Fabric: Silk-faced satin for the dress, linen lining, and a silk brocade for the petticoat.

Time:  An awful long.  I forgot how terrible it is to hand-sew fabric that's this stiff (look at the seeve ruffles stickin' up like icicles.)  Probably 2-3 weeks for both the dress and the petticoat, but I also had loads and loads of APs and finals and recitals to do.

Cost: About $25 for the silk brocade, but the rest is all stash.

Ultimate Prognosis: I really like this dress!  I'm never going to wear it outside, though.  It gets way too dirty way to easily. Just getting it onto my body in a decently clean condition was a trial.  Next time, I am definitely going to summon the courage to do hooks and eyes, and also try to fit the back better.

And I also have a choice photo from the english project that C and I did for our senior final, not only because I made the dress but because I think all of the pictures we took are comedy gold.

(HE'S WEARING NEON BLUE BASKETBALL SHORTS.)

My next project will be an underbodice for my sheer, because graduation is literally next week and I still haven't done that yet.  Until then, friends!
(Also, poll: does that brocade 'look' correct?  I might buy more of it but, you know, not if the pattern is off.)

And some more general exciting news!  The lovely Adi from Basically Creative Me has awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award.  I am so honored to be recognized by such a talented seamstress!  I promise that I'll have the requisite questions, responses and nominations up within the week.

Selfies in interesting headware

Taking pictures of onesself with a handheld is pretty difficult.  I apologize for the orangeish tint.

I decided I needed some more forms of headwear besides my straw plate hat, so I made a silk capote for my camp impression.  It was a quick, easy project, and I made another cap to go with it out of cotton organdy left over from my graduation dress.

       I generally went along Samantha McCarty's guidelines on how to make it, though I winged it a considerable amount.  The silk was left over from my black dress, the brim is cut from the back of my sister's watercolor paper pad, and the pattern is self drafted.  Took approximately two days to make, and the cap took about two days as well.

The brim was the trickiest part and I'm not thrilled with how it turned out, but it's a cute and passable little project to suck up some of my stash.

Speaking of stash taming, I'm doing a little project with my silk duchess satin 1840s dress that I have only worn once.  Let's just say that It's not going to be 1840s for very much longer.
Toodles!