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=

Tudor dress: Inspired by Katherine Howard

The Tudor Dress

What a labor of love!

Cotton damask, cotton brocade, faux fur
beads for hood and neckline by Style Linkx (Joann.com)
pearled by hand for HOURS

Blackwork cuffs by Thistlebees.com

Simplicity 2589 for the underthings, gown, and hood

Photos by Jubileel:

New Exhibit coming to The Met this Fall!!

"For the first time in 7 years, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will host a fall exhibition, which will be on view this October (through February 2015) at the Anna Wintour Costume Center. Today the museum announced the exhibition—called Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire—noting that it "will explore the aesthetic development and cultural implications of mourning fashions of the 19th and early 20th centuries."

The collection is made up of approximately 30 ensembles, some never before exhibited, which will "reveal the impact of high-fashion standards on the sartorial dictates of bereavement rituals as they evolved over a century."

http://gothamist.com/2014/07/01/this_beautiful_mourning_attire_is_c.php

Can you see me vibrating from excitement?  CAN YOU???

Victorian Party/10-Year Wedding Anniversary Vow Renewal Dress

Over the weekend I had a Victorian Party.  Since it coincided with our 10 year wedding anniversary, we thought it was a great time to renew our vows!  I needed a pretty epic dress, and I found the perfect inspiration fashion plate...dress on the right

But first I needed a new petticoat!  I used Truly Victorian 170, view 1

On to the dress!  I found a lovely white cotton organdy and a pretty lavender cotton at Jomar.  I already had tons of embroidered eyelet trim I'd gotten at Jomar a while ago, so I was ready to start!  The bodice is a combination of the following Truly Victorian patterns: 400 and 403 with a touch of drafting (Frankenpatterning at it's best!), the overskirt is a combo of TV 305 and a bit of drafting (and cursing) to make the shirred side panels, and the underskirt is plain old TV 201.

All party photos by http://inthelongrun.wordpress.com/

Since it was a Victorian wedding theme, I wanted some classic waxed orange blossoms like I see in vintage photos.  Etsy to the rescue!  I found a 3-piece set and pinned one piece to my bodice and another to my hair.  I was going to pin the 3rd piece somewhere, but it felt complete so I left it off.

I got the super long flowing veil from China on Ebay, and it came with a free purple terry cloth SARS mask.  LOL!!  SO random, right?  I threw that out and just wore the veil.  Hope I made the right choice.

  

Custom cake by the local supermarket curtesy of Judy and her family connections!  I couldn't find anyone who would make a small round wedding cake, so she really saved the day.  Topper by https://www.etsy.com/transaction/204033693

All party photos by http://inthelongrun.wordpress.com/

Here are all the photos so far...some by me and some taken from guests:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/14941369@N07/sets/72157644771414919/

Reproduction tiaras

Those of you who know me know I love tiaras.  They just make me so happy!  Not surprisingly, I have a few.  A while ago I came across a seller on Ebay who periodically sells reproductions of authentic tiaras.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland:

Available at Seperwar

or in a smaller version:

Prussian Diamond Tiara of 1913

Available at Seperwar

Diamond and pearl tiara of Queen Maud of Norway:

Available at Seperwar

1910 Cartier tiara:

Available at Seperwar

The Swedish Nine Prong Diamond Tiara:

Available at Seperwar

And they also have come out with popular antique tiaras, like these original star tiaras

Available at Seperwar

and even pieces inspired by films, like the Great Gatsby bandeau tiara

A similar design available at Seperwar

They have many more reproduction tiaras that I have not shared here, including the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara, the Belgium Scroll Tiara and Queen Victoria's Oriental Circlet Tiara.  If you do not see them for sale today,  just wait...they reappear for sale!

(Disclaimer:  I am not in any way affiliated with Seperwar of Ebay.   I do not get kickbacks of any sort.  In fact, they probably wish I would stop emailing them with wishes for tiara designs.)

Downton Abbey Costume Exhibit

The Downton Abbey Costume Exhibit is currently in a close neighboring state, so my friends and I made plans to go see it.  Of course I needed a new afternoon outfit to do honor to the collection!

I was inspired by the red, black, and white suit ensemble from 1913

The Jacket:

I remembered seeing a cool suit in the Edwardian Modiste that had a cutaway jacket that I liked, so I used that as my pattern.  I cheated, and the sleeves/cuffs were from the Simplicity 2581.  Red cotton, black poly lining, black soutache trim on collars and cuffs.

The Blouse:  I decided I wanted a blouse instead of a vest.  I used the Laughing Moon #104 guimpe blouse pattern with a striped cotton gauze from Fashion Fabrics Club and some cotton crochet lace on the neck and cuffs.  Underneath the blouse is a nightgown from JC Penny.  Perfect cheat for an edwardian sleeveless chemise!

The Skirt:  I had a cool variated stripe in black and white in my Fabric Stash which was perfect.  I used the Butterick 4092 and added some black linen covered buttons.  I made a belt from wide black grosgrain ribbon and an antique buckle I had on hand.

The cuffs are a combo of soutache I sewed down in a pattern I drew out, and a roll of vintage zig-zag soutache I got at a local "opera house" sale.  I also edged the collar in the vintage soutache:

Posing with a fan in costume

How to hold a fan when posing for photos in costume

How to hold a fan when someone is taking a photo of the dress you spent weeks making. This way, the fan doesn't cover up your bodice or skirt trim someone is trying to see.

Using The Edwardian Modiste pattern book

Many of us have the beautiful Edwardian Modiste book by Frances Grimble.  It's filled with dozens and dozens of lovely patterns...that I had no idea how to enlarge.

Thankfully, when you Google it, a wonderful tutorial by Festive Attyre pops up!  She posted a two-part video series explaining how the rulers work and how to draw the patterns.

Here it is:

The Glorious Tutorial by Festive Attyre

So I got out a big roll of brown paper, a clear ruler, a French curve, my carefully chosen rulers (I needed three of them) and set to work.

Ahh, look!  I did it!!  I made the front piece!

BUT WAIT!  

I moved on to the side front piece and noticed something I didn't understand.  One seam allowance said "1/2 space" and another said "E-space".  I assumed 1/2 space meant half an inch (it didn't...more on that later), but what the heck does "E-space" mean??

I knew the author was a regular over on a FB Edwardian costume community, so I posted my query there.  Turns out I wasn't the only one who didn't know, and that made me feel better.  But finally someone DID know: Heather McNaughton of the most wonderful patterns I've ever used, Truly Victorian (if you like Victorian costume and haven't used her patterns, buy them all now.  You'll save buying in bulk LOL).  She explained that "1/2 space" didn't mean 1/2", it meant the first "1/2" marked space on the ruler you are using from the book, not a regular ruler.  E-space meant to use the first "E" marked on that same ruler.  OOOOOOOOH!!!  Now, which ruler??  I needed three for this garment.  She said to use the horizontal ruler (bust measure) because my garment uses that for ALL horizontal measurements even though it continues to the floor.

Eventually all the information pertaining to how to use these patterns will be in one place.

So wish me luck!

Costuming Books

A friend just turned me on to this book by Rachel Pollack called "Sticks In Petticoats".  It's all about modern parasol construction and design.  Whoo hoo!

"Written as a resource for costumers and propbuilders in the performing arts industry, this reference volume contains a range of in-depth information on the design, construction, and repair of parasols. Chapters include a brief history of the parasol, step-by-step instructions on different patterning methods for parasol canopies, and suggestions for making material and trim choices. Numerous illustrations, diagrams, and photographs augment the text, and appendices include a thorough glossary of parasol component terms. Sticks in Petticoats is an invaluable addition to any costumer or propbuilder's professional library. This edition contains over a dozen full-color interior photographs by Ryan Jones."

http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/rachel-e-pollock/sticks-in-petticoatsparasol-manufacture-for-the-modern-costumer-full-color/paperback/product-2138316.html