Picture post

Just to give a couple updates on what I have been sewing instead of studying for my Euro AP next week (and my English one this week, but who really cares about English APs?  Not me, evidently.)

 So to flatter my ego here are finished!shots of what I've been posting about:

The original dress (on the right...)

And my version!  (a bit simpler, but hey, I had a time limit)

 Or, the Epic Saga in which what was Supposed to be an Early 1860's Dress becomes a Distinctly Late 1860's Dress.
This is the dress I made with the gold silk from Italy.  I hope that from far away you can't notice that it's actually dupioni.  You can, however, notice that the weight of the fabric and my own inability to fit the back makes the back hang strangely, and the waist is far too long.  And, due to the amount of space I put at the front that's unpleated (which does fit with the painting I based it on...) the dress ended up looking much more 1865-67 than 1860-65.  Oh wellsies..

My waistband was doing... weird things...

Paired with a silly silk apron I whipped up with silk left over from my 1820's ballgown, which I cartridge pleated and whipped to a cord I found lying around.  The straw bonnet form is from C, and I trimmed it with hemmed strips of silk taffeta I had in my stash.  Yay stash!  Yay ridiculous technicolor color combinations!

And the black Christmas fabric dress I wore to Douglas day - I found out that I misfit the bodice and that it could, indeed, close at the top!  I did so hate having a v-neck - they seemed quite out of style by the 60s. 
It's silk taff., decorated with velvet ribbon around the wrists, with no collar (shame!) and dobby viole undersleeves.  The skirt is double box pleated, as was frequently seen, and the bodice pattern is from an original pattern (which does explain why it's so high waisted on 5'7 me.)

With a silk shawl I grabbed last-minute form my armoire

Tulips everywhere!

Once I'm done with my surprise post APortfolio project, I'll start on my sporty straw 1860's hat a la these pictures:

And also a working-class RevWar impression.  And also learn how to use my mother's lap-loom to make my own homsepun.

One more round..

I know I post a lot of these pictures here.  I really can't help it, though, this is my first experience with extant garments!  I'm having so much fun and by the end of the month, fingers crossed, I'll have my own little show at the historical society.  So here's a beautiful piece that I found tossed inamongst the Edwardians on the clothes rack in a garment bag that I quickly rescued and brought down - it's in rather poor condition, though stable - almost all the lining of the back is torn off, though it seems sound otherwise.  The accession tag read '1870s,' but I read it more as a late 60's, especially with the sleeve jockeys.

 So here's the inside.  It's a crisp, thin silk taffeta in a lovely chocolate brown color.  You can see the buttons - silk covered, with little rhinsetone?-ey bits.

 Closure always fascinates me, no pun intended.  Little hooks and eyes went halfway up the bodice - maybe the buttons were later additions?

 Aaaand here are the eyes. 

The adorbs sleeve jockeys trimmed with velvet ribbon and lace.

 Sleeve details

 The sleeves are wide coat sleeves and are fully lined.

 Boning on the bust darts - the boning is individually bound and sewn into the slashed-open bust dart.

 Attaching the pleats to the lined bodice.

 The skirt is a mixture of knife pleats, at the front, and cartridge pleats at the back.

 Roughly 10" hem facing.

Most of the 60's dresses I've seen here have self-fabric stand up collars, not replacable white ones.  Here you can also see the piecing- there's a lot lot lot of piecing going on here, not just at the neck (which is a strange place, I'd think) but also on the side pieces and at the top of the skirt, to name a few.

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.

Rolling up my sleeves

Well, I've certainly been putting off a lot of costume work lately.  Which sucks, because I still have to do an awful lot for my concentration.  But... I DID do SOME work, don't think that I've been slacking off in my duties as a costumer.
I finally finished the black sheer for good until I can get some black buttons, but I might just have the upper layer pin closed.  Haven't decided yet.
And the reason for most of my problems - Cosette's wedding dress!... Which I got really bad pictures of.  I apologize - it looks much, much better on Cosette.  Our production was marvy, if I may say so myself, and I quite forgot to snap a few of it in action.  It didn't fall apart on stage, though, and that's all that matters. c:

Classily sidewards.

The front!  The back looks similar to this.

The sleeves!

My very first time pleating sans pattern.
So, this was my first experience draping.  It was... interesting.  I ended up using a pillow as a dress form in lieu of an actual one.  Somehow I don't think she'd be flattered by seeing that I compared her body type to that of a decorative throw cushion.  (I did give it tissue paper boobs, though, so.)

See maniacal grin.

I'm also starting my very second foray into millinery.  I'm making a bonnet for my dearie dear and long suffering C!  I'm using the same pattern I used for the pink one, but I'm making a plainer style.  And then, of course, comes the trimming.

The frame

The inner frame, with the wires.

I used fusable interfacing instead of crinoline to cover the frame so that I could fuse it to the buckram and make a smoother line.  I highly doubt that the bonnet will be otherwise exposed to iron heat.. I hope..
Also, when I made the first bonnet, I used wire that I found lying around, which was about coat hanger consistency, and it took me all night to bend the wires.  I actually used 20 gauge millinery wire this time, and it works like a dream.  I make things so hard for myself sometimes. /sigh/

 The fabric that I'm using is a pale gold-yellow silk taffeta that I got for Christmas.  It'll go wonderfully with my dark-haired friend.  Unfortunately it also shows marks well, and the art room isn't necessarily the cleanest place.  Gnar.

  

With the brim fabric put on - I'm going to line it at the very end.  Most bonnets weren't lined, but I prefer having a finished look.

And where I am now!

My mother, being the saint that she is, is letting us go down to VA on our spring break college trip.  William and Mary is my dream school, but I'm from out-of-state so my chances are fairly low despite my good academic standing.  But of course the main reason I'm excited is so that I can see W-burg again!  I went last summer with my marvelously farby 1770 polonaise.  Now, I have several excuses to make a real 1770 working class dress!  And I have fabric and a pattern!  /glee
That's my next project, anyways.  That, a black 1860 sporting hat, and an 1830's corded corset/sleeve plumper combo (you can see the pattern in a couple of the pics.)
Gnar, I have a lot of work to do. 

Gnar

So, I promised myself that I wouldn't make a new post until I actually had something finished to share.
Well... I'm breaking my own promise.  I have an excuse, though!  I'm making Cosette's wedding dress for our school production of Les Mis. So in a week or two, I'll have real, substantial progress to show to you, in finished form!  I'm excited not just to make it, but to not have to pay for the fabric.  *cackling*
So first up on the list of projects is my black sheer dress.  I used the TV pattern, with alterations, and.. um.. I don't think it's designed for ladies as endowed in the bust area as I am.  The lining is getting pulled to full capacity, and because I know so little about alterations, I don't know how to fix it.  GNAR.  Well, here it is, without closure.  It's entirely hand sewn except for the skirt seams, and yes, that means the pintucks too.  

Ignore the obvious pinning... and strange bodice pooching..

Lookin' like Russel Crowe.

You can almost see the half-lining here

Looking a bit miffed here.  Probably because I just impaled my hand on the pin holding the skirt closed.

I also hemmed a fichu I made from leftover Garibaldi blouse.  I do believe you can see my rolled hem improving in stages around its perimeter!  I also made a pair of batiste undersleeves from ballgown scraps, because honestly, you can never have too many pairs of undersleeves.

Note the classy presidential pez dispensers in the background.  Quincy, Jackson, Van Buren.. the whole gang.

I also got around to taking pictures of the finished Palm Sunday bodice.  I'm debating putting pleated velvet ribbon around the neckline.  Hm.

You can see, about 3/4 inch too big at the waist... Gnar.

Scri wants to help c:

 In getting fabric for Cosette's wedding dress, I also found the BEST FABRIC EVER, for $15 - that's 54" silk taffeta right there.

 And of course, reenactorfest.  I could only go for a couple of hours, but I had gobs of fun and bought a couple of necessities from a vendor who looked VERY much like Henry Clay, and I might have engaged in a bit of flirting tactics.

But really, who would be able to resist?