On the eve of embarking

Well... Tomorrow I finally hit the road to get to the place I've been preparing to go to for a year.  It's been a wild scramble on my part, ironing, sewing and buttonholing, reading up and saving up.  And with luck it'll all come to fruition next week!
I've seen the preview videos of Southern Belle, and as a northern Illi girl (heck, we have Abe Lincoln on our license plates) I can't say that I'm particularly endeared to the underlying racist/misogynistic undertones that the documentary implies the Rectory has.  I suppose that I'll just have to bear that in mind when I go... Yes, Lincoln was racist (but he still did more than 99% of the population to end the horrors of slavery) and yes, free blacks did own slaves (almost always for the purpose of manumission or reuniting families,) and the list continues.  Just got to keep that in mind and keep my mouth shut.
I've been doing a bit of research, on my part, as to the revisionist nature of the 'southern belle' image.  Even the very wealthiest plantation women didn't sit around drinking tea - they, by most accounts, ended up being the plantation manager in their husband's frequent absences.  It was hard work, and many women were miserable and lonely.  And above all, southern women showed a remarkable LACK of the so-called 'virtues' - they spoke their mind, took control and did other such 'unbecoming' things that the instructors were telling the students not to do.
But maybe I'm just overthinking this, you know.  I watched half of GWTW on a 9 hour layover and it sickened me (and bored me near to tears,) but there are those that want to reenact that sort of life, that gentility that never existed.  And hey, who am I to tell the kid at Disneyland that Mickey Mouse is just some guy in a suit?  So I'll have their tea and eat their crumpets and do their bowing (I'm gonna have calves of steel by the end of the week) and try not to think too deeply about the 1890s revisionist lense.
Gnar.
In the interem, HAPPY 4TH!

 Ian found this vintage linen 40s dress and got it with me in mind.  And it fits like a glove!  Paired it with very farby stockings, flats, my straw boater and my pin from Fashion, Impressionism and Modernity (which I went to with C! Twice! And if you look on page 13 of the catolog you'll see my name mentioned in the credits! :D)

Have a happy Independence day and don't put your eye out with a sparkler!
P.S: expect the mother of all picture posts once I get back..

Exciting developments, my friends!

Firstly and most importantly, APortfolio will be done by the end of the month!  Huzzah!  Not to say that I haven't loved the journey, but lordy lordy it's been quite a slog.
Another thing: I finished the corded corset!  Yay!  And I got pictures taken of most of my things! Double yay!
And most importantly, I MET STEPHEN DOUGLAS!  TRIPLE YAY! (and Lincoln but you know you can meet Lincoln practically at every street corner in Illi)

First off, the corded corset.  I'll try to get some better pictures of the finished thing, but here are some in medeas res shots.

all hand done... *twitches*

I did all of the cording using a straight stitch, and once I sewed all of the pieces together I whipped on the lining as proscribed by Koshka the Cat.  The pattern is loosely based on Corsets and Crinoline's 30s stays, made out of three layers of strongly woven cotton.  This better last me a frickin' lifetime is all that I have to say.

The Doom Bolero, as I call it, is done.  But I won't post any pictures because I am so thoroughly Bed Bath and Beyond done with it.  It's far, far far to small at the bust for anybody that I know, except for C when she wears the Bosom Wrangler corset, which is a shame because it's actually pretty cool looking when it's on.  It's bright red wool gaberdine with pom-poms in all the seams and trimming it all over.  And it took me such, such a long time to make.  Oh well.
On the upside I got legit photos of the white organdy ballgown!  (all pictures credited to Olivia and the OPRF photo studio c: )

As everyone seems to be fixated on cartridge pleats who doesn't do historical sewing..

Mary Todd Lincolning it

It gets a bit chaotic in the photo studio.

And the very very VERY best thing that's happened.... DOUGLAS DAY!  C and I drove up to Grayslake IL to see an excllent presentation of the Lincoln-Douglas debates with Buss and Connors as the men themselves.  If you didn't know, Douglas is possibly my favorite historical figure at the moment, and as nobody interprets Clay or Fillmore he's the most accessible.  And... and we made him a heart shaped cake with his initials... and we gave Lincoln an apple turnover (wouldn't want to be preferential, ey?) and Douglas called me 'dear' and they made sex jokes and I GOT A PICTURE WITH HIM AHHHH

I found a picture of a Douglas campaign ribbon online and cleaned it up on photoshop, made it on spoonflower, ordered it, cut it out, hemmed it and viola! Douglas campaign ribbons!  In a becoming shade of pink!  I only got enough pink ones for two to be made, but..

there were plenty enough little crepe de chine ones to go around!  We even foisted a couple on Senator Douglas, though he was very accomodating.

I hold that I wasn't this terrified looking the whole time.  LET ME BE YOUR ADELE!

Post-debate burgers

The curator said that we really added to the ambiance, and we had loads of fun educating the people there about women's agency during the 1858 and 1860 campaign.  And they invited us to next month's 1860 baseball game, which promises to be most diverting.  And we also made the newspaper!  Go us!  They failed to mention how I called Andrew Jackson a hot hot tater tot, though.

In sewing news, uh, I started a new dress.  I took out my italian fabric and discovered, to my horror, that it's dupioni.  For sentimental and cost reasons I'm still using it; after all, I can probably sell it once this all is done.  That's coming along swimmingly, anyways, I'm mostly done with the bodice and need to hem the skirt.  Also, I need to make ties and bavolet for my yellow bonnet, and finish a fancy silk apron I started on the college tour.
PS: If anybody wants a little Douglas pin, send me your address and one will be in your hands prontissimo!

A quick update

School's been mad lately, so I haven't had an opportunity to work a lot.  I did, however, teach myself how to box-pleat an entire skirt, which I'll post pictures of later.. /plots/  April 14, Chicagoland people - C and I are going up to a Douglas/Lincoln debate reenactment with Tim Connors as Douglas *look him up on youtube) and we're going in period attire and maybe having a picnic at his memorial beforehand.  If you come, I'll give you one of my custom printed silk Douglas campaign ribbons...
And now I'm doing my Grand Tour of the East Coast for purposes of College stuff, so that's not making the problem any better.  Traveling always turns me into a nervy spaz and I have panic attacks and get sleep-deprived and that's never fun.  I also have to miss a couple of days of school, which is hard on me because, considering my physics grade at the moment, I need every minute of tutelage that I can get.
But every cloud has a silver lining!  Driving from New York to Virginia to North of New York has given me some great opportunities.  As well as seeing some gorgey college campuses (Princeton, Swarthmore, Haverford, WILLIAM AND MARY) I got to see some tourist attractions - I saw the capitol building for about 3 seconds and I got to stop off at Gettysburg for a few minutes on the way back up.  No pictures, though, unfortunately.  I'm rally dropping the ball on that count, aren't I?
I also cajoled my parents into letting me spend the morning in Williamsburg and, I'll say again, I'm in love.  I hope I get into William and Mary SO BADLY - I can sew, I can dance, I can learn quickly, I think I'd be a shoo-in if I wanted to intern in some capacity there. I also sat in on an American history class where we were learning about John Tyler and Jackson's federal policies, which is my absolute forte in American history.  I was the only one answering questions in a room of college students. c:
As well as getting a large collection of stockings in Williamsburg, my mum also made (and I mean made) me accept a pair of Fugawee shoes that happened to be in my size.  And after 2 days of wearing them I can say for sure that they're the comfiest shoes that I've EVER worn, modern or otherwise.  Even at 5'7, the heels don't make me a giant, and they're slip-on!

To accentuate my shapely calves, of course

Worst picture ever.  Casually sidewards - entirely hand sewn chemisette with a ruched strip, and matching undersleeves.  It's sooper fancy.

 

And then I found a store in Providence selling Silk Duchesse Satin for $10 a yard - I'm not crazy for the feel of it, but considering that it retails for $70 on vogue, I decided that beggars can't be choosers.  Besides, it's beauts - 1840s wedding dress, anybody?

yes yesyesyesyesyesyes

Chilling with bros, circa 1920s.