The Met: Death Becomes Her mourning clothes and accessories exhibit

Beth and I share a birthday and Judy's was the 1st, so what better way to celebrate than with a trip to see the mourning exhibit at The Met.  Wow.  I mean WOW.  This exhibit was truly amazing! We descended into the Costume Exhibit...



Well, I now know how I want to paint my living room one of these days.  Love this!

Then we entered the exhibit room itself.  

I want to set the scene for you:  It was very dimly lit.  Not only to protect the fabrics from light exposure, but I suppose to enhance the mourning experience.  Projections of sound bites from 19th c. publications on mourning attire appeared and slowly faded away on the walls while Gabriel Faure's Requiem op. 48, played by the London Symphony Orchestra, played in the background.  The mannequins were placed on plain white platforms with floor to ceiling curtains behind with an ombre effect going from black at the top to white at the bottom.

Now go play that music while you look at my photos of the exhibit.

18th c. Hunting Luncheon

I was invited to an 18th c. Hunting/Traveling themed luncheon in late October, and the hostess requested appropriate hunting/traveling attire.  I grabbed the Nehelenia Redingote pattern, some heavy teal cotton, and got to work!

Since I had, um, expanded a little since I bought the pattern, I had to alter it for a slightly larger figure, which meant I had to alter the collars, too.  I copied the front piece onto craft paper, slashed it in the center of the collar area, spread it to the desired amount, added paper there, and I had my new pattern size.  I also added a tiny amount to a few other seam allowances.  I found the sleeves to be a bit tight in the bicep area, so I added 1/2" there, too.

I also made a Gainsborough hat, a big fichu, and a huuuge cap of doom.  I made up both patterns after looking around the internet for ideas on shape and size.

Downton Dress Re-do

Back in January I made a pink teens evening dress for the Downton Abbey themed birthday party at my house.  The dress was ok, but really plain.  I wanted to wear it again to a Downton Abbey themed cocktail party at a local house museum, and it needed to be spruced up!

I grabbed more of that black lace, some beaded netting, and a rhinestone buckle I had in the stash.

 

There was a costume contest and I won first prize!  So if you have a dress you made that you don't wear because you just don't love it, try re-trimming it.

Regency Tea: Dress from a blue sari

My friend Beth was hosting a Regency Tea to celebrate the end of her Spring Semester in Nursing school.  Laughing Moon had put out a new bib front gown (Laughing Moon #126), and I had a pretty blue sari in my stash, so I set to work!

Problem was there wasn't quite enough yardage in the sari for what the pattern called for, so I asked my friends over on Live Journal what to do.  Bauhausfrau said to cut off the border (including all the border rows at the end there) and lengthen the fabric.  Genius!

Another suggestion was the make the back pieces less full, which I did as well.  I squeaked by!

I flatlined the sleeves in cotton organdy so that they would retain nice pouf all day, but failed to take any more mannequin photos.

I wanted a "double pie frill" chemisette since it was a daytime event, so between the chemisette in the Simplicity 4052, and the collar instructions in Janet Arnold Patterns of Fashion 1, I came up with this

The gown was done!  Now as a middle aged married woman (omg when did THAT happen?!), I needed a cap.  All the fashionable married ladies (and unmarried ladies of a certain age) wore caps (see more examples here) 

so I picked up the Country Wives Caps of the Upper Crust and made View B "Marjorie".  It made up really fast!  I used some cotton swiss scraps (Shabby Chic sheer embroidered curtains from Target) I had left over from a previous project as I liked the look of the sheer, embroidered caps.

Here's the outfit in action

May I pass you a cup of tea?

Cameo swag necklace by In The Long Run Designs

Fini!

Make your own printed fabric

I might be late to the game, but I just saw these print blocks for sale on Ebay.  What a great way to get our own fabric in just the right color and print!

http://www.ebay.com/sch/curio.collectible/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=