Greeting the New Year

With the new year under way, I am assembling the list of things I should like to get completed for my "historical selves" as much as for my contemporary self.

After having decided that we would like to attend Waterloo 2015, I realized that I am going to have to really get started on that regency wardrobe I've been hedging about for the last few years. I started my 1812 corset in February of 2012 (via a phenomenal Burnley and Trowbridge workshop in Nashville, TN) and have been cording away on it since. Technically, it is wearable... I just want to cord the heck out of it to make it sturdy and pretty.

I've also been collecting (not hoarding as some might think) fabric for some lovely regency gowns. I'll need to make a few petticoats for this period and a few shifts, also. I'll be doing all of this by hand with period techniques.

The problems posed: I can't easily drape to form on myself, neither do I have someone able to drape on me who can keep the same hectic schedule I do and is available whenever I have the odd hour or so to work on a project. Thus, in order to facilitate the large quantity of items desired in the most expedient of fashions, I believe I'm going to have to create a body double.

I've been contemplating this for quite some time now, as it is, but have simply been procrastinating. I've seen quite a number of women who have made a variety of doubles for themselves out of all manner of materials. As my husband says, I am not a woman of half measures. I have decided on plaster casting myself to create a mold and then filling said mold with a polyurethane foam. The resulting form will be finished with a cover and voila. I have read many successful attempts at this from women who sew their 21st century clothing. It is my hope that it will lend itself well to the art of mantua-making.

Ideally, while I will attempt this first with my 1812 shape, I would like to create a form of myself for each time period I portray (1760-75, 1780-90, 1800-20, 1870-80's, etc.) Why the number of different forms, you ask? Why not simply make one and then just put on the variety of different undergarments? Well, if you look at the bust shape of 1765 vs 1812 you'll see there is quite a bit of difference. With a hard form that does not mold like flesh does, it would be almost impossible to take my natural body shape, cast it in hard foam, and then reshape it with the undergarments of the period. So, instead, I will cast each mold in the appropriate set of undergarments (namely the appropriate stays/corset- panniers, crinolines, bustles, etc. can all be added to the form post casting) and be able to drape my gowns to their appropriate period's form. It may sound like a lot of work (and it will be) but I firmly believe the benefits of being able to drape on "myself" will far outweigh the initial amount of work required. It will save me time in the long run and allow me to make better use of the time I have to sew.

18th c. Stays in Progress from B&T Workshop

Probably a form for my husband should be in the works, as well. He is lucky in that we will just need one form for him, but we'll need legs on his!

So the form is my big goal to have done by Feb. I'd like to start draping an 1812/14 gown to have done by June.

At another B&T workshop I attended this last November, I drafted and fit a pair of 1760's stays. I am in love with them! I cannot wait to get them all finished (they are my guilty pleasure stays- that teal! Delicious!). I've got to start channeling them soon and then need to order the baleen to fill them with.

While I am still in the process of making my specific garment list, the 1812 body form will be the first order of business. I'll sort the rest out from there!

Stay tuned for what 2013 has in store!

Marseilles Under-petticoat

As promised, this is an update of the sew-a-thon prior to Macktown. I completed many, many things in a very short period of time, and just haven't put them up yet. So, here is the under-petticoat I made to try to help keep me warm and add some puff without the weight.

It was put together fairly quickly, and because of that has one or two areas with some cosmetic flaws that do not affect the functionality. It is shown to the left with over a false rump with an apron over it and to the right without apron.

Construction was fairly straightforward, much like a normal petticoat, but I documented it below if you're interested.

I used a loom quilted Marseilles (diaper cloth) from from 96 District Storehouse. It is very reasonably priced at $5 per yard and we have always had great service.

Since this was going to be an underpetticoat, I cut two 30'' lengths off of my yardage. I took the two pieces and sewed them together up the side seams.



Now, here I deviate a bit from a regular petticoat. Because I am only using this as an underpetticoat, I sewed one side all the way up to the top, and left an 8'' slit from the top open on the other side.Thus my petticoat ties on the side. This will alleviate the bulkiness of the petticoat overlapping at the sides and  of my ties being all in the front. My pocket will be worn between this petticoat and the one on top of it, so the side slit is only to put the petticoat on and will not function as a pocket slit.

Next, was to pleat the petticoat down to my waistband. As you can see below, I started by pinning the petticoat to my big ironing table at the center. I then used my lines to make pleats that mirror each other radiating from center. You can't see it in the pictures, but I actually used my chalk to mark where the waistband would start and stop so I would know how much to pleat down. I'm not a mathematical pleater on a good day. I like to use my intuitive sense of pleating to tell me when to overlap pleats or not,but I admit to usually sitting down and figuring out with my formula how big each pleat should be and how much to overlap so that they all look pretty and even . I just didn't have that much time this go-around, so I relied on my special powers instead.

After finishing one side of pleating (see right), I continued to pleat the other side using the same method. The only difference this time was since I was pleating the front, I left a three inch flat portion in the center before I started the pleats so that I don't get a poofy belly look. I like to look nice in period clothes, not preggers. =P

I measured a piece of twill tape  by wrapping around my waist the desired number of times, tying, and cutting ends. Taking what I wanted to be the right side of the twill tape, I put that on the right side of the petticoat, aligning it so that when I flipped the tape back it would reach to cover the raw edge and sewed it down.

I turned the tape back, ironed  flat and sewed another line holding the bottom edge of the tape to the petticoat, encasing the raw edges of the pleats within the tape.  Finished front waistband at right.

I wore the petticoat all weekend at Macktown, and the only thing I noticed was how much shorter it made my other petticoats. I anticipated it lifting my hem, but didn't think it would lift quite so much (about two inches.) I'll need to start making my petticoats longer because I felt a little French!

Ahhh.... the end of the school year, the beginnings of the hoop skirt...

So, next week is the last few days of our school year, meaning I will have a little more free time on my hands to sew =)  The materials came in today for my 1856 walking cage crinoline (I'm using TV142 as the base). I've already decided to make some minor alterations because a) school isn't over yet- so I'm still slightly crunched for time, but want to start making it now since everything is here! and b) I'm lazy right now and feel like taking shortcuts.

So deal.

Anyway, I've got the hoop boning in, the hoop casing, and the fabric ready to go. I've cut the bone casing (took about five min.), and just need to cut the twill tape verticle strips and the bottom bag and waistband and then we are ready to go. I'm trying to time myself on this to see how many hours I'll need to add in when I make these for the business. I'm hoping not a ton, since the cost of materials alone (if you get good stuff) is fairly high. But, I refuse to go the "four bone Civil War hoop skirt" route. I want a nice, well shaped hoop that will look elegant and authentic. I refuse to make the same obvious mistakes with new time period that I did when I was a noob to the 18th century. I have lived, learned, and hopefully can now apply it...

P.S. Pictures coming soon!

P.P.S. Should also have updates on stomacher front stays and our other pieces from the 18th century kit soon with pictures also! Yay summer!

A disaster of magnificent proportion (or so much to sew, so little time...)

Okay, some time back at the end of the last event season, my dutiful husband thought to show his love and affection by washing our event clothes. Sweet, right? Until he switched loads, and then came upstairs to tell me, "Umm... so there was a little bit of a problem..."

He had basically washed everything that would fit into one load (thinking to economize on water/detergent/energy, I understand this since I am constantly reminding him to only run full loads on regular laundry to be a good environmental steward) and happened to put my brand new red wool riding habit, his brand new black wool sleeved waistcoat, my fine bleached linen apron, etc. all in the hot/cold setting (well, they were pretty dirty, he says.)

So, after a lovely cycle in the wash the red and black wool bled over everything, making my linen apron tie dye (not to mention the shifts, shirts, and underpetticoats in there!) and shrunk to high heaven, leaving us with very few items left unscathed.

I cried. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it. Apart from stockings and shoes I have made every single historical garment that we own and while I machine many seams, the hand sewing time from finishing alone made me weep. Now, I knew in November that I would need to replace each item by April 30th. However, I teach during the year and time is scarce.

April 30th is fast approaching, and I have been sewing like a madwoman, but I still feel like I'm so behind schedule. I've finished a serviceable apron, a false rump, an almost finished apron, one and a half shifts, half a quilted underpetticoat, and the channels on 2/3rds of my stays so far.

I have gotten cut and ready to sew: one man's shirt, one boy's shirt, three wool petticoats, and one girl's shift.

I have fabric washed and ironed for: one linen petticoat, one linen gown, one linen jacket, and two caps.

I have fabric bought and waiting for: one linen petticoat, one linen bed jacket, one shift, two pairs of boy's fall front breeches, one pair cream wool man's fall front breeches, one hunter green waistcoat, one chocolate brown man's frock coat, and Good Lord, please let me now be forgetting anything.

All to be done (we hope) by April 30th. This isn't all for me, mind you. I'm sewing for myself, my husband, my sister, and two friends and their two chidlren. I obviously won't be able to post pics until after next weekend, but I hope to update when I'm taking a break (such as now) from my forced slave labor. =)

The White Period Dress at the Museum

So, Alix and I went to the museum Saturday for a lovely day of volunteering at the Mansion. Our morning was a little slow on tours, so when we had an empty tour slot we went outside to get a photo of the dress in use =)

It was very comfy to wear, and we really liked that we were representing two very different, but common, styles of the period (Alix in a shirtwaist and skirt, myself in a day gown). We had a lot of compliments from patrons on the clothing, which was cool. We also has some cool new toys to play with in the Mansion, which I think gave us a whole new level to add to the tour, since now there were things people could actually hold/touch.

After the tour day was over, we visited our good friends at Spring Valley Lodges on our way home to peek at a few treadle machines Jim had. Overall, a good day.

The White Period Dress on the side porch of the Mansion.
 It was a beautifully sunny morning!

Trying to look stern like a Victorian. Didn't work =/

You down with DPP?

The Double Period Project- oooh... should I?

So, I joined YWU/FR today (I think I'm addicted- I also joined ALFHAM earlier this week) and I happened across the Double Period Project. (See above link for description of contest.) I've been meaning to make a Regency kit for some time now, and there are a few events in the area that are 1812 events... so I'm wondering if this might not be the kick in the butt that I need to get some 1812 clothing in my wardrobe.

I haven't started looking at plates yet for inspiration, but I already can tell you that if I do this I'll be going for historical accuracy more so than "inspired by". Ah, how I wish I was able to costume all of the time.

Sources, Please?

Looking for sources for 18th c. (1760-70's primarily) inns/public houses. Have a few, but want some more to compare/contrast. Getting "the Inn" as a physical space ready and need to start digging deeper for the atmosphere. Any suggestions?