18th Century Baby

No Leave For Me

2010-01-14T23:56:00.001-08:00

Well my leave was not approved and I will not have another opportunity to apply for leave until April & May now. So no sewing for a while still. I'm only getting single and double days off in which I need to clean my apartment and set everything right before I go away again.

I may get a promotion at work, I'd rather have leave though.

The Career Change Has Begun

2010-01-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a career change for a while now except I always knew this one was going to take some time to germinate. My long term desire is to be a full time writer of fantasy fiction. And I'm one step closer to that dream. I've finished a manuscript and it has been accepted for representation by a literary agent. Now don't get all excited because that doesn't mean it will be published. But it's a lot closer to being published than before.

I'm onto my second novel now. I have this wonderful idea (well of course I think it's wonderful) and my characters are developing nicely. The sad news is that all of this creativity in print and a full time job means I rarely get time to think about sewing these days.

I miss my sewing adventures a great deal and hopefully the approval of some leave in Feb this year will see me creating a new corset or something similar. I've still got those hat patterns and all that silk and a myriad of ideas for pretty, pretty things. Not to mention pounds of red wool which really needs to find it's way into a lovely coat for winter which will be upon me all too soon.

Sometimes things just suck

2009-12-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

Well wouldn't you know it, another 2 months have passed and I'm not here to post about a sewing project. On Christmas eve this year I said goodbye to my last surviving grandparent. She was 91.

I'm back to work tomorrow and it hardly feels like another year has passed. If there is one thing I have taken away from the funeral it's not to just watch the world slip by, we are not here forever.

Yes I'm Still Alive

2009-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Being back at work always makes me feel as if I have zero time for anything except work. Before I know it another month has slipped by. So I've been terrible and haven't even touched a scrap of fabric since my last break. Being away from home so much always puts other things in my mind when I get home. Like cuddling kitties and doing my washing. Not half as exciting as making corsets but I'll find some balance soon.

Back To Work, tomorrow

2009-09-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

As much as I've enjoyed 5 straight weeks of sitting on my butt and enjoying myself all good things...

How ironic that I go back to work on a weekend. Seriously though I'm not crying about this because to be honest I've missed the buzz. The rush of things, the meet several hundred people a day and yes even the whingers that sometimes find their way into my experience. I guess paradise loses all meaning without the pain that precedes it.

I've also decided to start working on my next career change, since all careers have expiry dates on them. Mine usually last between 2-5 years before I have to do something new. Now's as good a time as any to think about the next step.

Getting the bug...again

2009-09-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

A time away from sewing is always great for me. But I can feel a new pair of stays coming on in the next day or so. Just a few details to sort out in my mind first.

My Perfume Fantasy

2009-09-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't been sewing for the past few days. I've been taking a well deserved break. When I get interested in something I tend to do it to the exclusion of all else then I have to walk away from it for a little while once I'm done. If I don't, I end up hating my passion. So sewing is off the cards until at least the end of this week.

In it's place though I've been going sick on perfumery. Not creating it, just buying it. Which is much, much more fun for me. I have for the past year since I've been creating body creme's wishing for someone, skilled in perfumery, to make scents I could put in them. I've been getting by with mixing my own little stash of essential oils but have not succeeded in creating anything I'd call a "scent". More just vague hints of pleasantness. I'm a big believer in paying for the skill of someone who can do it better than you in some things. Perfume definately falls into that category for me. So on my wishlist was a large array of masterfully blended oils I could put into my cremes and enjoy. They had to be natural, they must be beautiful and they must be elegant.

Luckily Isis came along and dropped a little crumb on the Historical Costuming Board. The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab link. Not only do they fit the bill for my cremes (I do not sell my cremes, they are for me alone) but they might also have something I could enjoy wearing as an actual perfume. It's been a year since my gifted bottle of Jadore went sour and I haven't been inspired to buy anything else since.

So I've spent countless hours reading their fan forum and getting a feel for scents I might enjoy and at length ordered seven samples from my family of favourite scents. But I also wanted something a little 18th C or at least my imaginings of 18th C perfumes. Something that evoked formal rose gardens, herbal drawer sachets, floral toilette waters and just a hint of exotic spices.

Here are my choices....

Rapture - a classic floral oriental perfume. Light soft florals combine with musk. Similar to my floral choices in commercial perfumes.

The Caterpillar - this appeals to my sense of humour. I kind of like the idea of a perfume named after an opium smoking grub. Besides it's supposedly a greener version of rapture. So still very much a floral scent with a hint of earthiness. If I smell hippy though, this one will hit the bin.

The Marquis De Merteuil - well honestly I'd be an idiot not to order a perfume created on an 18th century, fictional, aristocrat now wouldn't I? One has to at least try on that shoe to see if it fits. Apparently peaches and flowers with a sting in the tail. A femme fatale scent.

Queen Mab - I truly believe that no perfume experience can be complete without a touch of faery. A dark floral and otherwordly undertones. Nothing to do with 18th C but then I'm hoping for a scentual trip to the summer country with this one.

Kubla Khan - despite never having found a pure oriental scent I can wear I couldn't resist the opportunity to at least try. I always love the way they smell on other people. This one is apparently warm with floral overtones so here goes nothing.

Lyonesse - having already ordered up enough flower gardens to drown all of europe I decided to take a trip somwhere else with this one. A hint of sea salt, warm summery glow and about a hundred other things I can't describe. This is a favourite scent on that site which means I will either love it too or completely hate it.

Death On A Pale Horse - I can't even imagine a magazine ad for this one. Despite it's name though, the notes in it are decidedly less ominous. More of a mossy aquatic which people either love or hate. Since I love aquatics I had to try it and part of me really wants to love it to pieces. I mean can you imagine anything more cool than telling people your lovely perfume is the Grim Reaper...?

Now the hard part. I have to wait about a month for them to arrive. Apparently this perfumery is a make to order kind of place and that slows things down a bit. Sigh...but I look forward to testing them out though.

Recipe For Soft Skin

2009-09-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

One of my other hobbies includes creating my own cosmetics from scratch. Partly its a frugality thing because you can make a huge jar of cream for cents. And partly it's a I want to know what I'm putting on my skin thing. So here is a basic body lotion recipe for you to enjoy. It's cheap to make, unscented and you can add whatever you want to it. Even zinc oxide if you want to use it as a sunscreen. I find it soaks into my skin very quickly and use it over my whole body after showering. If you live in a hot climate this recipe will be more liquid than solid. In cold weather it will become a light creme.

Ingredients - makes approx 100gms of body cream

Quantities listed are approximate (for shopping purposes) as I don't use very scientific measuring methods but still seem to have consistent results.

80mls Sweet Almond Oil - obtainable from any health food store

40mls Virgin Coconut Oil - should have a strong coconut scent otherwise it's been bleached and processed. Best to buy it from a good health food store as the cheap stuff in Asian food stores has been processed. Of course if you hate the smell of coconut oil then use a processed one by all means. It still behaves the same way in the creme.

50gms Unprocessed Bees Wax - should be a deep yellow colour and smell of honey

100mls Floral Hydrosol - don't pay a fortune for this in a cosmetics store, head to a middle eastern food store and buy it there for next to nothing. Be sure to check the label, it should say pure distilled floral water. Otherwise it's a mix of tap water and artificial essence. I buy mine from my local Supermarket and use Cortas brand. It's pure floral water and costs about $4 per bottle.

Vegetable based emulsifying wax - this is a specialty item and you'll need to buy it from a cosmetics supplier. Be sure to purchase the more expensive olive-derived version rather than the cheaper stuff. It does make a difference and a small amount lasts forever. You'll only need about half a teaspoon of this for a big tub of creme so buy it in as small a quantity as you can find. It's possible to make a creme using beeswax and borax. But from what I've heard it's difficult to get the quantities right. You also have to buy specially pure borax, the supermarket variety shouldn't be used because of chemical impurities. And it just seems like a lot of hassle to me. Emulsifying wax is very easy to use by comparison and hard to make a mistake with.

Tools

Kettle for boiling water
Some plastic mixing bowls and containers for storing your creme in. I use small tupperware, works just fine for storage.
Teaspoon and a desertspoon
Whisk
Cheese grater
Small saucepan for using as a bain marie

Method

Grate up 1 and 3/4 heaped desertspoons of bees wax. I heap my spoonfuls quite high, there's a lot of air in grated wax. Melt the wax in a plastic bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of emulsifying wax, 8 desertspoons of sweet almond oil, and 4 level desertspoons of coconut oil. Be careful not to go overboard with the coconut oil, in the right quantity it makes your creme lush and creamy, too much and you get an oil slick. I melt the wax by placing the bowl in a saucepan of boiling water over a medium heat setting on the stove.

Caution Always heat waxes and oils in a saucepan of water and never in the pan over direct heat. Cosmetic waxes and oils have low flashpoints and you could end up with a fire very easily.

It should take between 5-8mins to completely melt and fully combine. Use a spoon to lift a bit of the mixture out and examine it. The emulsifying wax is usually the last thing to melt and you could still have tiny unmelted chips of it in your mixture. Once it's fully combined remove the saucepan from the stove and place it on a chopping board, leave your melted mixture in the saucepan for the time being. Begin stirring the mixture with a whisk. One spoonful at a time add the floral water (8 desertspoons worth) mixing in between to ensure it fully combines. Your mixture will begin to turn opaque and white. It will take a few minutes to add all the floral water.

Remove from the saucepan and let it cool to room temperature continuing to stir while it cools. If you don't keep stirring it there's a chance the oil and water will partially separate as it cools. So you'll get a thick creme with a lot of water in the bottom that will not emulsify again. The creme cools rapidly and you can stop mixing it when it takes on a thick custardy texture. At this stage add any essential oils or additives then put into your storage container.

This creme has no preservatives in it and I'd had no problem with any of my cremes being stored at room temperature for up to 2 months without spoiling. Generally I use it all up before it gets that old anyway. You will read advice to store such cremes in the fridge, out of direct sunlight etc. Sweet Almond and Coconut oils are both very stable oils that keep a long time without going rancid. Yet the possibility of bacteria growing in the creme is present with anything containing water. If you do store it in the fridge it will become more solid and probably similar to cold creme, which incidentally is ideal for cooling down on hot summer days.

For scenting one of my favourite essential oils is Rose Geranium. It's very cheap to buy, has a floral and leafy scent all in one and is non-sensitising for most skins. Smells very pretty. Just be careful not to put any photo-toxic essential oils in your creme (like Bergamot), which may cause your skin to hyperpigmentate.

The initial outlay for supplies seems like a lot of money to make a creme at home, yet a small amount of these ingredients make a large amount of creme so it does work out economically especially for things like body cremes and butters which are expensive to buy and you use them in quantity. Plus I get satisfaction from making my own.

Enjoy.

It's official, I am done!

2009-09-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

It's official the petti is now complete including all handstitching and so forth. It's a real garment. So what are my thoughts on that project....

Best Beginners Project- No pattern involved just pleat two large rectangles of fabric onto two long strips of fabric, sew up the side seams and you're done. Wish I'd made this first. All in all a full length petticoat including miles of trim took 2.5m of 140cm wide fabric. Use the full width of your fabric and cut it as long as you need it. If your fabric is only 112cm wide then you may need to make panels to get the necessary fullness. Total cost $24, made with silk voile and lined with rayon.

Comfort Rating - 5 Stars Although it's quite heavy to hang and handle (which surprised me given how light the fabrics were) it's supremely comfortable to wear. Unlike wrap around skirts which constantly need retying and adjusting, this skirt goes on and sits where it's supposed to. I like wearing it and would definately make more of these little babies, another one has just been added to my project list. I won't be wearing 18th C pockets so only left a 4" gap at the sides for getting the petti on and off and it doesn't gape there at all.

Usability- There is no end to the uses for this item. I think it's got to be the quickest and easiest way to extend an 18th C wardrobe, just make more of them in various colours to co-ordinate with existing pieces. Simple. I got quite a lot of poof with this petti even though the fabric has practically no body and a very soft drape. If I wanted to go full-on 1780's I think only the addition of a slightly stiffer petti underneath would do the trick.

Caution- Do not make one if you intend to have small looking hips, this skirt will not do that for you. But on the plus side, it automatically reduces the relative size of your waist.

Cheats- Because we all love a good shortcut. If you plan on putting a flounce on your petti and your petti will either be lined like mine or you will wear another petti underneath, then just cut one [flounce] twice the desired width, fold it in half and sew that to bottom of your hem. It will save you from having to hem the petti, which I have to say could wipe days off your project. But the caveat here is that you will need a liner in the petti so the flounce sits out rather than hanging limply and looking like a refugee from a bed valance.

If time is an issue do not trim the petti at all. Many cotton pettis were not trimmed, rather leaning towards the simpler style which would soon come into vogue. Instead choose a beautiful self strip or patterned fabric and make it plain. The trim added 3 full days of sewing onto this project because of the huge-mongous hems which had to be handsewn.

Spring Is In Full Swing

2009-09-04T02:14:00.000-07:00

Oh! The sweet smell of neroli. Two things in life I rely on to tell me about the seasons. The first is the scent of jasmine as it lines many roads in Sydney and you can smell it from miles away. When the jasmine is abound spring has come. The second blush of spring is signalled by the heady scent of orange blossoms, also a garden favourite in the Edwardian homes of my area.

Jasmine reminds me of being young and alive, whenever I smell it I am instantly 15 again and walking home from school. Neroli is the scent of summer as far as I'm concerned. Together they are my personal nirvana. I love this time of year.

Consolidation, The Project List

2009-09-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

So in taking a break from my projects, I've managed to get my head into a space conducive to sewing. So here's the projects in order of completion...

1780s Jacket - completed, awaiting petticoat
Floaty Petticoat - awaiting waistband straps and side seams, expect to complete very soon. Hems, pleating & trims are all done.
New Stays - draft a pattern, sew a mockup, start on stays.
Hat- either wide brimmed or tall hat style. Think that after my stays I'll need a break from the sewing machine for a while. So hat is a good option even though it's not priority garment.
Caraco a la polonaisee - made to go with existing petti and depending on how I feel may also make a white self-stripe floaty petti.
Redingote - still having conceptional design issues with this and it's not needed until next June anyway. Start around April 2010.

So far that's the project list and I'm happy to stop looking for inspiration until I get some of this ticked off. Phew!

Sewing Credo

2009-09-02T21:39:00.001-07:00

If you are going to invest your time in something as impractical as sewing historical costume then it really pays to have a method to your madness. Every inspiration source I look at gives me that ooooh, I want to make that too feeling. If I put every bit of costume eye-candy on my project list I'd never do anything except costume for my next 3 incarnations. I had to have a way to tame the fabric lust, the knee jerk reactions and stupid projects that I know I'll get bored of before I even cut the cloth.

I've done some thinking today and come up with some hard and fast rules for culling the "list" to a manageable level...

Invest In The Best

If I don't love it I leave it. Any fabric I feel ambivalent about never gets purchased no matter how useful I might find it later on or what a great deal it is. If I can't pick that fabric up and instantly know what I'll make out of it then it's not for me. And I have to admit there have been times when I've wanted to bring fabric home that I had a feeling would be great for "something" but I've left it behind. And it's usually only a few hours before I feel that was the right decision to make. My current fabric hoard is decidely lean, it all fits into one square foot box. Every item in there is earmarked for a particular project. There's no fabric just lying around without a project to call home.

One Garment, Multiple Uses

I like to mix and match my wardrobe, even my historical wardrobe. I won't invest a week or two of my spare time on a standalone item unless it's very, very special. So far there's no project in that category. My fabric choices have to cross-dress. One petti, multiple jackets that co-ordinate, one jacket multi petti's that go. I actually think this is very 18th century of me. There's a reason why many 18th century ensembles are seperate pieces. Aside from a lack of fastening choices I also think it has a lot to do with frugality. When your clothes chew as much fabric as these ones do it really pays to get as many outfits as possible out of each piece. Only the very rich could afford an endless wardrobe, and even then there's evidence clothes were recycled with recuts as well. Since I don't fall into the very rich category I'll stick with mixing and matching as much as possible.

Take My Time

I'd much rather own one beautifully tailored ensemble than five that reminded me of how much I rushed them to completion. I like to chew over design and trim choices weeks in advance of beginning the project. I like to ensure my fabrics co-ordinate with existing pieces. I enjoy taking the time to handsew trims and finishes. I'd be proud of a piece that took me weeks to create because I know how nicely finished it is. And most of all, this take my time process allows me to eliminate projects which won't entertain me for long. If I get bored of it in the planning stages then it's really unlikely I'll finish it, so why start it? Besides planning a project is really more than half the fun of it.

God I Hate Sewing Right Now

2009-09-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

Ironic isn't it? I just post about a new project, yet another project, even while I am still working on my first project, and I hate sewing already. Just having a suckful day I guess. It's taken about half of my life just to hem and affix trim to my floaty petti, what should have been a simple and quick project. But oh no, I have to go and have these "brilliant" trim ideas that take forever to do and frankly I'm not convinced they were worth it.

I can only pray that sewing a couple of ties onto the tops of my petti is a hell of a lot easier than the freakin hems. If I had any rope handy I would have necked myself already. Good thing all I've got is miles of tangled thread.

Refuse to even look at sewing machine tomorrow....going out scooter riding instead.

The Know It When I See It Fabric

2009-09-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Since I've been accused of keeping you all in suspense here's the fabric which spells my doom....It's silk dupioni and yes, yes dupioni is not an historically correct fabric. And in my own way, history be stuffed because I'm using it anyway and the only reason it wasn't used back then is because no-one made it. It's too darn cute not to use.

Oh Pooh! Now I Have To Make A Polonaise....sigh

2009-09-02T03:16:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling rather smug in that despite a rampant desire for a complete 18th century wardrobe and matching shoes I have thus far managed to resist the pull of the polonaise. In fact I was just thinking this very afternoon that my jacket and petti (when I do finally finish them) may well satisfy my creative urge for the next month or so. What with new stays on the project list as well it was beginning to look as if I might achieve all that then be free to daydream.

After all my polonaise was awaiting the discovery of the "perfect polonaise" fabric. You know that fictious fabric that you have in your head. You have no idea what it looks like, can't describe it, it doesn't even have a colour yet. But when you see it, you'll know it. It's a masterfully convenient way to put the brakes on costuming projects especially when you already have enough on your plate. Oh I can't even think about that until I find the perfect fabric

Well it is masterful until that fictious perfect fabric just so happens to find it's way onto your computer screen. You see it, say Oooh! Which kidney don't I need.. and before you know it both your fabric hoard and your never ending project list have expanded and there's nothing you can do about it. The only question now, am I making a polonaise robe or caraco? One will require a slightly smaller mortgage than the other....decisions, decisions.

And The Petti Goes Slowly

2009-09-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

I thought I was on a roll tonight with the trim on my petti (why is it always the trim that I balls up?) when no, I had gone about it the wrong way and had to backtrack a bit. No great loss just a feeling that this seemingly simple thing is never ending, on with it tomorrow again.

18th Century Stays - Redux

2009-09-01T01:48:00.000-07:00

As I'm now quite close to finishing my first ensemble I'm naturally turning my attention to the next project. And as much I'd love that project to be a hat, I have a terrible feeling it's going to be stays instead. One of the great disappointments of costuming is that the more you wear the underwear the more acutely you realise just what's wrong with it. Every time I put my current stays on I'm reminded why I want to make a new pair. Prettiness and ease of wearing.

So now I'm clear as to what it is I'll be making I'd better make a list so I don't run off into the bushes on a wild goose chase. Trust me, stays are painful enough to make without flailing about with fabric and no clue as to where you are going.

Diderot Style Why? Two reasons, they are cute and they are vastly simpler to sew than the 10 piece set I tried earlier. Diderot stays are usually 4 pieces, partially boned and many costumers whack them together in a weekend. And the best part is I can modify my existing bodice pattern to make them.

Front lacing with stomacher Experience tells me that front lacing is a must if you are not in possession of household servants. But I really like the idea of front lacing with adjustment even better. Hence the stomacher which allows you to lace your stays as open or closed as your mood takes you. Plus pretty ribbon lacing across the front is sooo theatrically cute.

All silk construction I have amazingly managed to find some very stiff and heavy weight silk drill which has the heft in it to make full silk stays. I'll cover it with the dupion I also scored in the same shopping trip. Hopefully it will be less "thermal" than my current pair.

Permanent straps this timeActually there's no comfort or fit reason for this, I just like the look of strapped stays better and since my pattern already has straps why not?

And now that I look at that list I have to warn you. There is not one single pair of extant 18th century stays that actually looks like that. So I will definately be making 18th century "inspired stays" and stray very far from the realms of historical costuming.

Hamlet, I love You But You Make My Life So Hard

2009-08-31T20:01:00.000-07:00

Must be time for lunch because Hamlet has definately decided it's time to put that darn sewing away!

Just Wow!

2009-08-31T02:01:00.000-07:00

Ok so it's no secret I'm not fond of my current pair of stays and will shortly design and make my own version of 18th century stays from scratch. Designed with ease of wearing and prettiness in mind. And when I do such things I like to scour the net for anything I haven't seen before, even other costumers renditions of comfortable stays because you know why reinvent the wheel?

In my journey I came across this...

It looks very modern. In fact if I didn't know better I'd swear it was Victorian or even someone's interesting current creation. It certainly does not look almost 400 years old. I almost fell off my chair to discover it's dated around 1640! The hip gores in particular are interesting to me because those historical little tabs on 18th century stays are pure evil to bind. I'm also loving the huge eyelets which are apparently handsewn and the whole silhouette is rather interesting. I just wish there were side and back views.

You can find this little gem at the Manchester Art Gallery here

More Trim Ideas

2009-08-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

From the School of Snip-n-Rip. I wanted some silk ribbon for my petticoat and am using my *ahem* faux silk (aka rayon) and looky what I discovered. Torn rayon once ironed flat is ready frayed and has a lovely lustrous edging that seems just perfect to me as is. It also doesn't appear to want to ravel much more which is even better.

No Need To Tell Me. I Am Insane

2009-08-30T18:22:00.001-07:00

Why else would you knife pleat a flounce on an enormous petticoat when you could simply gather it and be done? Oh, and that's not all the detailing yet.

Perfect In Its Simplicity

2009-08-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

It's always difficult to recreate a portrait dress, mostly because the artist finds it so much easier to make a gown becoming with paint then we do with fabric. But if ever I were inspired to reproduce a portrait outfit it would have to be this little cutie...

I've always had a thing for 18th century shepherdesses and even more so faux 18th century shepherdesses. I mean honestly, would you trample through a muddy paddock in those shoes? That aside this ensemble looks not only delightful but it's simplicity is perfection as well. It looks as if she might get out once in a while (in between languishing upon overstuffed chaises). I suppose in 18th Century terms this could be sportswear.

Hems Are Done!

2009-08-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Glee! Glee! Glee! I have completed all the handsewn hems and pretty much the rest of it is machine sewing again. Oh how wonderful life is. I'm off to enjoy the beauty of the day and get my exercise at the same time. The only time I don't enjoy my sewing is when I'm wasting fine weather.

Almost There

2009-08-29T06:32:00.001-07:00

Just 3 meters of hemming to go.

The Quintessential Robe

2009-08-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

Nothing says the 18th Century more to me than this little gown. As much I look at more spectacular gowns elsewhere this is the one I always come back to. I love it for several reasons. The shape and proportions are just perfect, it's polonaised, hello! it's got bows on the front and I just love the deep yellow plain fabric which is a nice relief to the fussy patterned gowns of the same period.

This is most definately the robe I will be modelling my own one on. Most striking to me about this robe is all the self-trim. It just goes on and on and on. Yep a lot of handsewing in this one. I doubt though I will make it in yellow as it's just a no-go with my skin tone. Perhaps a madder pink or gorgeous stripe.

If you're into patterns then there is none lovelier than these deep pink roses on a duck-egg blue ground. A silk brocade, half your luck to finding anything remotely similar these days. I also think the stomacher decoration below is brilliant, 18th century without miles of fuss. Definately is a lovely way to go.

But then again if fuss is your thing, and why would you be into the 18th century if you didn't like fuss?, then perhaps the treatment on this 1780's robe a la turque is more your style.

The only problem with my own robe project is that I haven't found a fabric I absolutely adore yet, and I can't settle on the level of fuss I want. I am also torn between a robe a la anglaise (with fitted back) over the robe a la francaise (the sacque back). I like the anglaise better I will honestly say but part of me thinks I will always feel incomplete if I don't make a francaise.

If I'd Just Done My Research

2009-08-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

I would have discovered (before I cut my lengths and locked in my hem allowance) that most hems from this era were done either one of two ways. Embroidered if it were a plain muslin or hemmed with a half inch hem allowance. Instead I made life hard on myself and jumped right into our modern treatment of such fabrics, the rolled edge. Which I have to say is probably lovely if you have a machine do it for you and a real bitch if you are doing it by hand.

But I did get the skirt hem completed today which only leaves the miles and miles of flounce hems to go. My consolation is that I will marvel at my rolled hems every time I wear this petticoat. I am also now unusually motivated to hand wash this garment, not wanting to wear the fabric out too soon.

Cat Toys, Why Do I Persist?

2009-08-28T01:49:00.000-07:00

Yes another shameless distraction post to cover up the fact I've only sewn one of the 18 meters of hems I've got to do. But I did flush $5 down the toilet today so I feel justified in at least posting about it.

My kitties have consistently ignored anything I have brought into the home for the purposes of being a "cat toy", it's almost as if they are making a stand. "What? You think we are pets? Here for your amusement? Sorry Missy but it's time you realised the truth about this relationship".

6 cloth mice with catnip now live permanently under the couch. A perfectly good plush cat tunnel, binned after I failed to find a new home for it. A $200 carpeted and custom made cat log, sits idly and pristine in my loungeroom only being sniffed at if I look like I might put it up on eBay.

Yet two cats who happily screw up the flokati rug and deposit it in the kitchen in a big heap overnight. Apparently it's an oversized bunny which needs to be taught a lesson. Any piece of cut up cable tie is an absolute winner and lets not forget the perenial favourite, the tape measure, especially while I'm using it. And I will relate the one time I had a cat swinging off the back of my stays chasing the loose lacing. Oh and when I used to use tracing paper (you'll understand why I don't now) that was an absolute scream to jump in the middle of it and rip it to bits. It also causes no end of trouble to want to stick our paws in the scissors while the household slave is cutting out fabric...

So the question and point of my post? Why on earths sake do I still get suckered into buying a cat toy such as the useless and unamusing piece of crap I purchased today? I could just as easily throw some tracing paper on the floor or use the tape measure? What's wrong with me?

Maybe I can give it to my nephew and pretend it's a kiddy toy instead.

Hemming, my new career

2009-08-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Only 18 meters of handstitched rolled hems to go...someone tell me again why I "love" silk voile?

Floaty Petti Grinds To A Halt

2009-08-27T04:23:00.000-07:00

And a curse be upon you if you disturb the comfortable cat. I somehow think that more costuming projects have been held up by a sleeping kitty than anything else. I ask you, can any of you toss a cat off your fabric when she looks so darned happy? I didn't think so.

Some thoughts on working with silk voile

Tis a lovely fabric thats extremely easy to tear. Just cut a 1cm nick in the fabric and rip that sucker all the way across. Tears in a perfectly straight line and you are saved the inconvenience of having to cut with scissors. Not only that, you also have a perfectly true edge for hemming. Although you could equally use the selvedge for a hem since it's not very noticeable on the fabric and has no holes in it. Yes loving silk voile on that account.

Easy to sew although lightweight so you need to change the machine technique. It requires you to apply some tension each side of the machine foot to avoid the fabric getting caught in the teeth. If you have flatlined the fabric then no such special consideration is required. You must though use a new machine needle or the threads will catch on the burr and cause pulling.

Lining the voile with my crimes-against-historical-costuming-rayon was actually a smart move in terms of volume and drape. The rayon has an extremely fluid drape so it allows the voile to do what it does best, be floaty. Yet it also has just enough body to it to provide some bulk to the petti. I like the way it falls alone but I can easily bulk it out to 1780's standards with a cotton under petti and perhaps a bumroll.

Awards Night!

2009-08-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Although decidedly less glamorous than a red carpet affair I still celebrated my dubbing with a new haircut and hair-free legs..Whoo hoo! Both Lady D (aka The Dreamstress) & Madame Berg (of the Historical Sewing Forum fame) bestowed upon me this fabulous blog award. And I've got to say, it's always a humbling experience when someone else decides your stuff is worthwhile and deserves a bit of decoration. So here is my 18th Century trim for my 18th Century blog.

Most humbly and gratefully received.

The Floaty Petticoat Begins, 1780's style

2009-08-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the jacket is only 2 buttonholes and few button swaps away from being officially finished I've started on the matching petticoat to give myself a break from satin stitch tedium. Plus it's been such an epic journey to sew one jacket that I really feel due for some very simple sewing.

So here's the inspiration, the white self-striped floaty petti worn by the lady in the blue jacket. I suppose I should mention also that "petticoat" in the 18th century meant both a skirt worn under another and the visible skirt. Ok so pop history lesson over with.

I could wax lyrical about this petti. I love sheer self-stripes for a start and the airyness of this one also tells the tale of evolving fashion. Muslins and other sheer and light fabrics would soon become the mainstay of fashion and eventually bring in the empire fashions. I'm a sucker for transition-wear.

Unable to find a suitably floaty self-stripe I've instead opted for a sheer silk voile with loads of floatiness and something else besides, colour. The gorgeous colour of melons, coral and peaches all wrapped up into one. What could say summer more?

Isn't it delicious? Couldn't you just eat this up like sorbet? It could only be more beautiful if it had a satin self-stripe in it. If it did, I would have bought the whole roll.

So today I've cut the pieces out, basted them to the lining and am just about to pleat up. I've done a quick test on the bottom flounce and all looks good there and will shortly be testing a secondary trim which is only a slight departure from that pictured. I can't help myself, I can never just replicate anything, always my own little variation has to go on it.

Buttons & Their Enormous 18th Century Proportions

2009-08-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

You cannot sew items inspired by the 1780s and 1790s without discovering that these decades did indeed see the height of ridiculousness when it came to button proportions. Buttons are on everything and they are huge. Check out the copious massive buttons on the green jacket above. Mostly they are also self-covered or carved wood or handworked metal. Sounds expensive and it is.

Yesterday I came across Gail's fabulous tutorial on how to make authentic self covered buttons...

http://artbeautyandwell-orderedchaos.blogspot.com/2009/08/covered-buttons-using-wooden-blanks.html (sorry I can't get to work as a link cut and paste instead)

Perfect, and if you are a pure historical costumer then I really recommend that you make the buttons in exactly the way she describes, with wood blanks. I however am not totally authentic and do like a bit of hidden modernity in my clothes if it makes laundering them that much easier.

So...I am using plastic shank buttons as the base instead of wood blocks but will otherwise handsew the fabric onto the buttons. And the best source of oversized plastic shank buttons? Ebay! I bought over 100 of them in various large sizes from 14mm right up to over 3cm in matching sets from a wonderful button merchant on there. And all of that for about $10. Couldn't be better in my book.

The Art Of Costuming Without An Overdraft

2009-08-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

When one becomes inspired by gorgeous 18th Century clothes one does not take into the sheer expense involved in doing so. The average big puffy (panniered) gown takes around 10 meters of fabric. If you're historically minded that gown will need to be made of silk and lined with linen. If you're really historically bent you'll have to source your fabric from one of the few specialists in 18th century prints. One can easily deduce that your credit card will sustain serious damage in doing so.

What to do? There are options....

1. Become a fan of working class clothing and lower your meterage
2. Become a fan of late century clothing and sing the praises of cotton
3. Become a career trophy wife and marry a millionaire..or two

Or you can be like me and decide that costuming is a necessary living expense and budget for it. Every month all of my base pay is accounted for, every last cent and it doesn't involve big hats or fancy shoes, unfortunately. But I do also have an additional variable income and allow myself to use that alone for costuming and having fun. Next month I will net an extra $800 in spending money. Oh, the mind is doing cartwheels deciding what to buy next...

The Jacket Monster

2009-08-25T00:19:00.001-07:00

Well I gave into the lure of the sewing machine after too many hours of not being to handsew a buttonhole that resembled a buttonhole. And while I'm ecstatic about how my jacket looks with stays, fully done up and heaps of cute buttons, the buttonholes still leave something to be desired. In fact they are so embarassing that I simply refuse to post pics of them. I'm confident they are salvagable just not today and in my present mood. I will take the The Dreamstress' idea of oversewing them by hand to give a better look.

Why is it that a project looks like finishing then comes to a grinding halt? Sigh....I have decided now to put the jacket aside and move onto the rest of the ensemble trusting that inspiration will strike soon enough and the buttonholes will resolve themselves in good time.

Hat Patterns Have Arrived

2009-08-25T00:09:00.000-07:00

Today I received the hat patterns I ordered from Lynn McMasters and so far I'm impressed. The patterns themselves are full sized, professionally printed on good quality paper. The equal of any commercial pattern. Each comes with a list of notions and supplies detailed instructions including illustrations and suggestions for how to make alterations for various types of hats. I ordered the Universal Round Brimmed Hat (tricorn, gainsborough) and a 1600-1800s Tall Hat (riding hat, french revolution 1790s hat) which now seems far more useful to me now than I first thought. The crown height and brim variations have my mind reeling with all the gorgeous hats I can now make.

As always I can't wait to start these new projects but also as always they are well down my list of things to make. For now though I will amuse myself with wistful daydreaming while reading the instructions. Kudos to Lynne for having these patterns out to me, halfway across the world is just over a week.

I Found It! At Last Pics With Focus

2009-08-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

Nothing can disturb my glee at finally locating the batteries for my camera and now having access to decent pics. No more fuzzies (so sharp you can even see the cat hair which covers everything in my apartment), no more ridiculously dark photos owing to a lack of flash. Proper colour rendition, and most importantly I have both wide angle and macro. Happy dance ensuing...

Rosettes, Something More To Add...

2009-08-24T01:22:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when you've made a lovely garment which is perfection except for that one tiny mistake you know is there? Even though no-one else will spot it, if you have to look at it one more time you'll want to unpick the whole garment. The answer is easy, do what the 18th century seamstresses did, put some trim on top of it.

So here begins my first tutorial on 18th century trims. Not that I think anyone needs to be shown how to gather a strip of fabric. It's just that when you're doing it for the first time it's nice to have a step by step to follow. Plus I need to update my blog to cover up the fact I still haven't finished the button holes on my jacket.

Rosettes start with a strip of fabric. A good rule of thumb for sizing is thus....

1. The finished rosette will be slightly wider than your beginning strip.
2. The length should be 4 and half times the width
3. The heaviest fabric you can easily use is medium weight such as the denim featured (about the same weight as jeans).

I began with a strip of denim 8cm wide and 36cm long. First of all sew the short ends together to create a ring.

Then fold your ring lengthwise with the right sides out and press. Do two rows of a running stitch about 1.5cm from the raw edge. Remember to line up the stitches on the first and second rows to get even gathering.

Pull the gathering threads until the fabric forms a tight flat circle. If your rosette doesn't sit flat it means your beginning strip wasn't long enough. Using matching thread sew the pleats together to make the shape permanent. You'll leave the gathering stitches in, but with stiff fabric like denim your rosette will have a tendency to pull out again so oversewing in this way is necessary. With lighter fabrics and smaller rosettes you can get away with just tying the threads.

Place either a button or a smaller rosette over the hole in the middle. I used a smaller rosette since the hole was quite large then a self covered button in the middle of that. Sew onto your garment in desired position.

Apart from looking presidential, rosettes are very french revolutionary too. Stick them on hats, shoes, bodices, hair decorations et al...

Today's a great day for....

2009-08-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Trims! I'm getting that jacket done come hell or high water. Will post pics of my gorgeous new trims on jacket this afternoon. Watch this space.

And here's why I rarely give myself a deadline...

It ensures I never finish anything. Procrastination is not my problem. No, no, my problem is as soon as I decide something has to be finished by a certain date, then all hell breaks loose and my sewing meets one disaster after another. Sigh...yes my lovely supposedly simple 18th C trims are taking an ice age to create. And once I do post pics you'll wonder why, there's not that much of it. Hope I can get a wriggle-on today.

Bonus! Annual leave extended by a week...

2009-08-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

I am so overjoyed about this. I'm on 4 weeks leave but as a work a variable shift roster my days off are always different month to month. It just so happens that in Sept my roster begins with 5 straight days off, extending my annual leave to a whopping 5 weeks! Oh yeah I know I have to then work the next two weeks with only 2 days off but still...pretty good.

The Silk Motherlode

2009-08-22T14:43:00.001-07:00

Yes I promised pics of the gorgeous new fabrics I bought the other day. So here they are in all their glory...

The ultra strong silk drill in palest cream. Beautiful luster, lovely weave and most importantly strong enough to use on stays.

The silk duchess satin in the palest silvery blue. This fabric is so gorgeous I am almost afraid to ever cut it. 3 meters of this lovely cloth so it's not enough for a whole gown but rest assured I will find a use for every last scrap.

Finally! A Table To Sew On

2009-08-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well I can't explain how interesting it's been to be sewing with my machine balanced on a milk crate while I sit on the floor one hand on the fabric and the other on the machine pedal. While that certainly proves I may have some affinity for circus tricks it's not a comfortable way to sew. So I splurged and bought an Ikea dining table which will now serve as my sewing table as well. My back is thanking me for it already and I'm sure my knees will too.

I love Ikea and it's dolls house sized furniture which fits perfectly in my dolls house sized apartment. This 1 square meter space in front of my kitchen is my entire dining room and now also my sewing room.

I'm A Sucker For Silk

2009-08-21T04:05:00.000-07:00

So today I visited the fabric store with my mum (since she is visiting) and really intended to just browse while she selected some nice fabrics. Truly, honestly I mean it I did not intend to purchase anything. BUT....

I found some poly duchess satin in the bargain bin and thought it would make a nice hat since it is that lovely icy pale blue seen in so many georgian garment costumes. I then just happened to ask the assistant if it were possible to buy 100% silk duchess satin and she said it's rarely seen here but, she just happened to have a single roll of the stuff in guess what colour? Yes you guessed it, pale blue. Intrigued I wanted to see it and touch it, it was amazing. So much body, such a subtle luster and the feel was magnificent. There wasn't much left on the roll, just 3 meters, and she was selling it for $13 per meter....Now would it have been sane for me to leave it there? Of course not! I took the lot and will post pics tomorrow when it's daylight and I can get a good rendition of the hue.

And while I was at it I dug out another interesting roll tucked away in the silks section. It looked like canvas, but had a herringbone weave. It was heavy and had the most amazing luster. It was 100% silk drill in cream. I bought 2 meters of it at just $8 per meter for my next set of stays to use in place of coutil. It's certainly strong enough and will be much less hot to wear in summer than my 4 layer stays.

Pics of that also coming tomorrow....and I promise I will not shop for another scrap of fabric for at least a month.

Le Jacket Sans Buttons & Trims

2009-08-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

So I've done all the handsewing and she is finished except for the buttons down the centre front and the trims I have decided to add. Apart from that I'm proud as punch. It's by far the nicest bit of sewing I've ever done and I didn't want to slit my wrists making it either.

Ahem! So if it's finished what are those pins doing there? Well the centre pieces are removable in case I get sick of that fabric, want plain denim or just want to wear it without the front. I'm still working the buttonholes out, and until then I wont attach the fronts as it will be easier to sew the buttonholes off jacket than on.

Excuse my dress form, she's fatter than me. The jacket does actually button up the front on me. The contrast fabric you see on the front is actually the lining fabric and peeks out from various hems on the jacket as I wear it. You can also see it on the back of the cuffs, just not in these photos.

Don't you love these super-cute cuffs?

And the back pleating detail. If it wasn't for the back pleats you could actually wear this jacket fully reversible. But since the pleats look weird inside out it's a no go. Still I'm not complaining. I kept the jean seams to just the back parts of the jacket as I didn't want things to look too busy with the trims I'm going to add to the front.

The Jacket Nears Completion...

2009-08-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

I sat down this afternoon and did all those irritating little fiddly bits on my jacket that only happen when the finish line is in sight. So now all I've got to go is hand finishing the lining on two long seams and the cuffs, sew eight button holes (I'm definately doing these by hand) and stitch on my little self cover buttons. Then the jacket is done. Hopefully I will complete all that tomorrow and can post pics of my new favourite garment.

Beware The Call Of Buttons

2009-08-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am so close to finishing my jacket but had to nip out and get two things, extra long cable ties and buttons. Easy enough expedition right? Yeah, well not when you're still cashed up from payday and inspired! Kudo's to the Remnants Warehouse for once again having a fabulous selection of remnants and rolls and extra kudo's for having these delicious summer fabrics on sale...in spring!

I got cottons, silks (yes silks!) in 4 meter lots all for less than $70....oh yeah I got buttons too. Ok so I know you're dying to see it all so without further ado, the lastest additions to my fabric hoard and by extension my 18th century projects. Warning, graphic intensive content follows....

Here is Jamaica, requiring an explanation for why there is yet more fabric in the house but STILL no Hills Science Diet bickies...are you kidding me? I believe is the caption here.

Who can resist 1 meter of hot pink silk dupion shot with blue for a mere $6? Especially when one has plans for new stays.

Does this medium weight 100% cotton seersucker in candy stripes, no less, not scream Robe Anglaise? Pet-en-l'air..??? I ask you. But since this is a mere 2m remnant I shall be making a Pierrot from it. Later on I will go back where they have a HUGE roll of this fabric and stock up for the aforementioned garments. A mere $12 for that lot.

In an earlier post I did say if I ever found buttercup linen I would be all over like a fly at a BBQ. Well I have at least kept that promise. Another lovely weight 100% linen in the most delightful yellow one can imagine. $7.50 for over 1.5 meters.

And for my floaty petti I didn't find a self stripe but did find this wonderful melon coloured 100% silk voile for just $6 per meter. It's gorgeous and I snapped up 4 meters of it. My petti btw is only going to be knee length, more on that later. I am soooo making my Gainsborough hat in this exact colour, in dupion if I can find it, with white feathers and green ribbons.

No not the same fabric again. The silk voile is sheer and I needed a lining fabric that would not take away from the loveliness of it. Ok this is rayon and nothing to write home about but kudo's on finding the exact same colour in a lining fabric.

Can you not see the loveliness of this particular combination? My striped pierrot lined with buttercup linen and linen collar and cuffs matched with my divine floaty petti? Yes I thought so too...

And in the mysterious ways of the universe my floaty melon petti just so happens to go perfectly with the very jacket I bought it for...my current project. Two whole outfits from the one petti? The genius of that is astounding...

Another use for twill (linen) tape

2009-08-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

I trimmed my stays with this flesh pink twill tape which frankly wasn't really that good for that. Imagine then my disdain to discover I had purchased a couple of meters too much. What the heck was I going to use this stuff for now? Well today it came in handy. Twill tape makes fabulous boning channels, especially when you've forgotten to sew them into a garment and now need to add them invisibly.

I hand sewed the channels on so that the stitching would be invisible from the outside. Very quick and easy and I will definately use this method again. BTW putting the boning on the seams fixed 90% of the problems with the jacket. It was bunching up under the armpits and wouldn't take it's beautifully tailored form. Once the seams were boned it sits perfectly on my body without any adjusting and pulling. The only thing now is, I can't throw it in the washing machine. But who cares! Beautifully tailored clothes have a price. I already handwash quite a few of my garments anyway. No big deal.

Why 18th Century Sewing is So Great

2009-08-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

For someone who hates sewing I sure do seem to be doing a lot of it right now. But somehow historical sewing is much more dignified than modern sewing. Lets have a look at all the reasons why historical sewing is so fabulous....

1. Piecing - No longer embarassing testament to my inability to properly plan my cutting layout, it's now charming period detail. The more piecing, the more historical I become.
2. Frugality - I increasingly find uses for all those odd little bits and pieces I've been procrastinating on when it comes to throwing them out. Odd buttons, useless lengths of trim, fabric that's been in my stash since 1974. All of it has a use.
3. Handsewing - Legitimate and extremely period. Instead of slavishly trying to sew every tiny detail with a machine and botching it up, I now have good reason to settle down in front of the tele and set a sleeve or eyelets.
4. Embellishments - No longer a slave to the exceedingly boring minimalist chic I can embroider, buy ribbon, and put bows on things no-one dares to put a bow on these days. Lets face it, with the 18th century you can go sick on the trims and feathers and it's really hard to over do it.
5. Collars, Cuffs & Hats are back! - I haven't had this much fun with oversized things on clothing since the early 1980's.

Inspiration strikes

2009-08-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

Ok so the jacket just looked bleh....every which way with the front as originally conceived. Don't ask me why because I really don't know I just hated what I saw in the mirror. I put it down primarily to one thing.....I'm not Kirsten Dunst. $88 dollars in groceries later I came upon an idea that just might save the jacket, and a lot of unpicking. And if I was really lucky I wouldn't even need to buy more fabric. Since a picture is worth a thousand words I'll save my thousand and just post a pic when the new front is done. Keep you posted.

Jacket Continues....

2009-08-17T00:01:00.001-07:00

The lining went in today and I had to pull the peplum off and line it before attaching it. Didn't mind the work but it took a while. Now that the denim is lined, it sits very differently. Thankfully a lot more structured and beautiful and oh! I just love the way the contrast lining peeks out at various points adding visual interest to the garment. I also made the cuffs but have yet to attach them and yes I definately need bones at the front opening at a minimum but also one down the centre back would make it look really polished.

Put it on and while it fits beautifully I guess I'm just not a fan of what 18th C clothes do to the front of me. My cleavage is massive and makes me feel frumpy and the peplum really makes my torso look short. I love this jacket from the back however, I think it's perfect. Sorry no pics of me in it, I can't take photos when I'm feeling frustrated.

What to do? What to do? The answer will come as always after a cup of tea and good nights rest.

Hats on their way

2009-08-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

I went ahead and ordered the hat patterns from Lynn. Yes I know I could just buy buckram hat frames but where would be the fun in that? I really want the experience of saying "I made my own hat". Whether or not I can source the required millinery items from within Australia will be another matter entirely. It's not so much that we don't have such things here, it's more that they are still hidden within the realms of the theatre industry and not generally locatable by the general public. Of course there must be millinery supplies somewhere in this country, finding them is another matter entirely.

If all else fails I will do what I always do. Import them from somewhere else.

The Jacket In Progress

2009-08-14T23:25:00.001-07:00

Well today I did a mammoth effort and got the main shell of the jacket complete. The decorative wheat jean seams look really nice and I've decided I love this jacket already. As always some things were discovered as well.

1. To get this one to sit wrinkle free I probably need to run bones down the centre back seam and the front seams if not also the side seams. The demin has a tendency to creep up which my other fabric didn't do so much.
2. This jacket really needs cuffs of some sort. Plain sleeves are just too plain with this fabric.
3. I'm hoping the front will look a lot nicer with some trim, right now it's got all the style of a potato sack, hence why there is no front photo at the moment.
4. If I don't get my real camera up and running soon I'm going to hang myself. Hate, hate, hate poor photos

Historical, costuming cats

2009-08-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

Like many costumers, I have cats. Two in fact. Both are weird. One eats thai red and green curry and usually loves to lap up the sauce and eat the beans out of it. The other one decides exactly what time I get out of bed in the morning. If I am not out of bed by her timing them she will walk across my hair (ouch, think individually pulled strands) and yowl shockingly until I get up. Too bad if my idea of sleeping in is getting up at the ridiculously late hour of 8am.

Just like my costumes one of my cats is historically incorrect. She is definately a modern cat, her breed wasn't even invented until recently. I don't as a whole support the cat fancier community. In fact I am all for the humble domestic. But she was out of luck and in need of a home so I gave her mine. My boy was living it large on the streets until he got impounded by the RSPCA and that's where I got him from.

Both my cats are stunningly gorgeous, and I'm so glad they both chose me. Here's HRH Jamaica...

And the ever lovable Hamlet...

Although these pics both show them happy in the garden, moving to a city apartment now makes them indoor kitties. I just haven't got as cute photos of them indoors. Both cats are expert pattern drafters as evidenced by their desire to sit on top of every pattern I am ever working on. They also like to hatch scissors, scraps of fabric and especially love coating all newly purchased fabric in their mohair additions.

Spring is most definately here

2009-08-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

The jasmine is in full bloom which can only mean one thing, spring has already happened. I guess I'd better start planning those summer robes now or else they'll be like my redingote, something so completely out of season I will have no reason to make them.

The Jacket Pattern

2009-08-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Well after all my toiling with a mockup I finally picked it all apart and laid the pattern pieces out flat to see how they compare with the ones in Janet Arnold's book. It's strange to me that such a tailored jacket boils down to surprisingly few and basic shapes. When I alter this to make my robe anglaise I will have to section the back piece to follow the lines of the dress seams, but otherwise it's pretty much there. I am only now waiting for my fabric to dry on the line before I cut my new jacket out.

Synchronicity, a beautiful surprise

2009-08-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Or maybe I just had this costume always in my head rattling around somewhere because I remember loving it in the film. I have at last found some "evidence" for my jacket's existence, well it's movie costume evidence but still...Can you not see the similarity between this....

And this?

Albeit, one is decidedly more beautiful than the other, but the lines are very much the same. I have unwittingly and subconsciously drafted myself a pattern for one of my favourite movie costumes. A tiny bit of tweaking and I could very easily make this exact outfit. Which I may well do..

Fabric Hoard Update

2009-08-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, sorry for the horrible pics. I still haven't found the batteries for my real camera and must use my phone instead...

I visted the Remnants Warehouse yesterday and fell upon a bonanza. In my totally unhistorical ways I decided I would make the first version of my new jacket out of denim, complete with modern wheat coloured decorative seams. Yes I know, I know. What has that got to do with the 18th century? Well it's only a trial jacket, it's for fun blah, blah, blah. The denim in the exact amount I needed for the jacket was in the remnants box for a mere $7.50, perfect! I wanted it lined and found the most gorgeous perfect fabric ever!

It's so lovely and sweet and most importantly me, that I'm also going to be making my robe anglaise out of it too. Can't you just see it? Well I can. 100% cotton and in my favourite colour combination of chocolate, pink and maroon. I adore this fabric and want to buy the whole roll just so no-one else can have it. Thankfully my bank balance won't allow me to do that. But for the time being this is the lining for my 18th century inspired denim jacket and the fabric for my future robe anglaise.

And just because I never got around to it. Here is the beautiful worsted in raspberry I picked up from the same store and very nearly picked up the apple green version yesterday out of the remnants box. And the lawn I have had for several years which will become the lining. What a combination? You can tell I'm really hot on red, pink and brown together can't you? My future redingote.

On the subject of historic armscyes

2009-08-11T03:26:00.000-07:00

Basting in my sleeves led me to two important conclusions about historic armscyes....

1. They are tiny and fiddly compared to modern armscyes.
2. They are best handsewn.

Although I'm not one to just do handsewing for the historical sake of it, I won't be bothering to put this part of my clothing near a machine. It's a case of saving yourself a mountain of aggravation by doing it right the first time. To handstitch these will take only a few minutes longer than wrestling with a machine anyway and the chances of needing to unpick and redo is much reduced.
Half the enjoyment of sewing, I've discovered, is learning which way is the easy way. It's not always apparent.

And the sleeves are in...

2009-08-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today I set myself the task of fitting the sleeves in. Ignore their length, that has more to do with how much toile fabric I had left than anything else. I've also trimmed the neckline to it's approximate position just to see what this is going to look like.

Not bad, if I do say so myself. I'm still not ready to cut my brocade so I think I'll take a trip to the fabric shop and get some cheap and cheerful stuff to make a practise one on.

The Fabulous Hat Work Of Lynn McMasters - Yes! I'm tempted

2009-08-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well no 1780's/90's outfit would be complete without an absolutely enormous and ridiculously proportioned hat....a la the Gainsborough hat. See inspiration pic.

And I just would not be satisfied unless I attempted one myself. I'm not a stranger to hat wearing by any means. My entire goth years saw me wearing a rather special Victorian black felt riding hat every chance I got and I have to say I'm embarrassed that I now cannot recall what happened to that fabulous hat. No matter....

Because the very talented and rather famous historical hat diva Lynn McMasters has created not only a pattern for a Gainsborough style hat, but she also has one for my beloved lost hat style as well. Yes I know considering a hat before I've even finished a petticoat is topsy, turvy and a bit screwed by my defence is....we don't get to choose what we love.

I'm purchasing her pattern for the 1790's silk covered riding hat. Gorgeous and very similar to the hat I used to own, so I know it looks fetching on me. And the Early 20th century round brimmed hat, Edwardian but almost identical to the Gainsborough hat above. It's a style that's been recycled a few times in history. I'm thinking about making my enormous hat out of Duchess Satin in a sage green to match my new jacket. With blue and white Ostrich feathers....yummo!

There's a link to Lynns Hat Patterns under my Sewing Resources links on the right, since I can't get URL links to work in my posts.

Progress at last! The 17-something jacket

2009-08-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

Like all good costuming projects I started out with one thing in mind, changed my mind when I bought fabric I wasn't really looking for, then returned to the original concept. Originally I wanted to create a short 1780's jacket, much like the one on the Kyoto Institute web. But then found a big fat wad of red worsted which would be wasted if I made a short jacket out of it. So I upgraded my project to a Redingote. I then sat on that idea for several weeks trying to envision all the pattern pieces I would need to draft. Yeah, the short 1780's jacket was looking a lot better.

Not that I'm a coward mind you, it's just that this will be the very first garment I ever draft a pattern from scratch for, so do I really need to make it so complex? Surely I can cut my teeth on something simpler and create that Redingote when I have a little experience. So I drafted up a collar-less jacket pattern with pleated peplum 1740's style except this one will have full length narrow sleeves and button up the front. Making it more 1780's. Lets face it, this jacket is by no means a truly "historical" piece but it's a first piece of 18th century inspired clothing. Yay for me!

The photo's show my progress to date. Note the loud 80's curtain fabric, hideous isn't it? I got 4m of it in a junk store for $2 so who's complaining. No I won't be wearing this little number, it's my toile and will be ripped apart and used as a pattern for the real jacket. Not to put too finer point on it I'm chuffed. I mean this is my first ever self drafted pattern and the fit is pretty special as far as I'm concerned.

Those big strips of white down the front are just the excess fabric I've pinned back and will eventually cut off. Apparently my tape measure thinks I'm fatter than I really am. I've yet to widen the neckline to it's proper place, I'm hestitant to use scissors in case I ruin all my (so far) successful work.

The peplum is stupidly long at the moment, following my tradition of cutting everything too big as I can always make it smaller but not the other way around. It will be shortened to a more period length. The peplum starts at my natural waist but for some reason it feels way too high. I figured out why today. Modern clothing places the waist line closer to the hips and that's what I'm used to. But photos and drawings of these types of jackets all point to it sitting on the natural waist. So I'll leave it there and just get over it.

Now I know why jeans were not worn in the 18th Century, this jacket makes my (size 8) backside look enormous! My trunk looks tiny in this jacket, (magic of the clothes and stays) which only goes to emphasize the ample-ness of my rump. Yep! skirts needed.

Now for the exciting bit, since my red worsted is now earmarked for a Redingote, I've gone and bought something else. An ebay find actually, this lovely brocade. The ground is a soft sage green which doesn't show well in this photo. I have 2m of this fabric (140cm wide) so that should be plenty to do this jacket. Burn testing the fibre points to a natural rather than polyester, what kind of natural I have no idea.

The brocade pattern is quite small, for an upholstery fabric anyway. The flower heads are about the size of an Aussie 20 cent piece. With each bouquet being about the size of my palm. Certainly a good size for a jacket. The hand of the fabric is acutally quite soft and it drapes nicely. Should be perfect for this jacket.

Just make the darn thing already!

2009-08-07T01:49:00.000-07:00

Today after work I finally got the gumption up to cut the pieces for my redingote. So I sewed a toile for the bodice part and so far, so good. I used my pattern blocks to trace the basic shape, then restyled the neckline and centerfront seam. Pinned it together, put it on and low and behold.....it actually fit. A few adjustments at the seams and it fits like a secondskin. Surely making a pattern from scratch couldn't be this easy? Well yes it is except....when you keep changing your mind about the style of coat you are making.

Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion book for this era has many coats, and all of them have peplums. Not a problem, I like the way they look anyway so there I go. Well not exactly....For one, drafting the pieces for the peplums is new to me. And I'm fundamentally lazy and it looks tricky and I'd really like to just get it done..and...you get the drift. Then I go back to my blog and the coats there all have cartridge pleated skirts which I also like and possibly like even more because it's a technique I'm more confident with ...excuses...excuses....excuses.

In the meantime I'm getting another decade older.

So what's a Redingote anyway?

2009-07-16T04:03:00.000-07:00

To put it simply it's a form of everyday dress that took it's style from riding jackets. It only came into popularity in the very late 18th century, when all things "simple" and "pastoral" were in style. Just which shepardesses attended their flocks in hats adorned with ostrich feathers we will never know. Don't you love rich people's idea of simplicity?

From the scant Google search I've performed I've come across two primary styles of Redingote. The open and closed styles. While the open style which proudly displays the lady's petticoats is infinately easier to find pics of, I'm preferring to go for the latter. Here's a very close approximation of one...

And here is a cute little fashion plate of the times proudly showing the lady's Redingote buttoned up to the floor.

Call me lazy but I kind of see a closed style Redingote as a precursor to a full gown and perhaps even something I could get away with wearing as a dress. While most Redingote recreations are made in the obligatory navy or forest green I've decided to really push the boundaries and lash out in raspberry worsted. It will be lined in a further outburst of outrageousness with a brown, pink and raspberry paisley lawn. I know what you're thinking....whoa! Hold back a little the world just isn't ready for this.

Dress forms are cheaper at....

2009-07-16T03:27:00.000-07:00

I've wanted a dress form for a little while, well actually ever since I blew the cobwebs off my sewing machine. But the desire to do so became acute when I spent a day freezing to death in my underwear and a few scraps of fabric known as a toile. Yes, yes alterations and fittings in the dead of winter in a cold little apartment are not fun. So being a bit of a Law Of Attraction practitioner I put it out there and then forgot about it. About a week later one turned up on the sidewalk outside Vinnies. A quick look and I also discovered it was exactly my size. So I bought it, for $50.

The pattern blocks are done

2009-07-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

Well I've spent the best part of my day completing pattern blocks for both a corsetted 18th century body and my natural one. Interesting to note that the only difference between the two is a lower bustline on the natural one, and bigger darts. I got sidetracked and began drafting a 19th century corset pattern from scratch, just because. After a toile and a few cable ties later I decided that my redingote with a decidely more amusing project.

Plus spring will be here soon and I really want to make a lovely late 1780's round gown a la anglaise for then. I've still yet to find a suitable floral print but I will. I always do especially when it's going to cost me money. If all else fails I will do what many have done before me and buy the Ikea Alvine flora quilt cover. I can't count how many 18th century outfits have been enabled by the genius of Ikea.

Buying a quality sewing machine

2009-06-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, well it's a universal fact (in my mind anyway), new sewing machines aren't worth the plastic they are made from. When it comes to sewing save yourself some mental torture and don't buy any machine made after 1970. Around this time there was a severe decline in the quality of sewing machines. Both of my machines are ancient, I have a 1930's Singer which has never needed servicing in the 20yrs I've owned it and a 1960's Singer which runs rings around anything you'll find in a shop today.

The 1930's Singer was purchased from an opportunity store for $50 in the late 80's. It came complete with wooden cover, keys and every conceivable attachment you can think of. It worked straight out of the box and I've never even oiled it in all the time I've used it. It's made from good quality cast iron, weighs a tonne and can sew awning canvas easily. It's the equal of any modern industrial machine. The only downside is that it sews only a straight stitch in forward and reverse. If you can find one of these beauties don't hesitate buy it!

My upgrade, the 1960's machine also sews a zigzag stitch. It's decidedly less pretty than my black beauty but cost me a mere $15 in 2006 at the local tip shop in Hobart. My mother didn't want to give me this one back since it sews more smoothly and effortlessly than her $800 specialist quilting machine. Also never been serviced or had a problem and is cast iron.

Sadly the Singer brand went downhill once they started making plastic machines. The older machines however are pure gold and will probably outlast you. The best part though is they can be found readily all around the country in junk stores for a few dollars in perfect working order. If it plugs in and runs smoothly, you've found a winner. Buy it and you'll be glad you did for decades to come.

I did make the mistake of once purchasing a brand new Janome. Needless to say it was pure junk right out of the box. Couldn't sew a straight stitch much less a button hole. I put it out on the street in disgust, it was so bad I couldn't even be bothered returning it to the shop.

The beauty of your own bed

2009-06-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

You have no appreciation for your own home until you spend a good amount of time sleeping in someone elses. Hotels have a unique ability to make you yearn for your own pillow.

At last I made it home and my head hurts from maintaining a plastered smile all day. I decided today that amoung a lot of things I lack the talent to project a beauty queen grin for hours on end. It must surely be the reason why I don't hold the Miss Universe title, that and the fact I've got cellulite.

I've got the next two days off but right now feel so fatigued I can't imagine sewing anything. Ask me again tomorrow though and the answer may change

The fabric hoard beckons

2009-06-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm dying to start next month. This month has taken me away from home for most of the month. I've scarcely slept in my own bed let alone done any sewing. But next month I will be home for all except 2 days, heaven. I have a pile of fabric and weather that is fast approaching spring. I didn't buy the cashmere but did splash out for some raspberry worsted which will not only make me a lovely redingote but also happens to perfectly co-ordinate with some printed lawn I had and was hard pressed to find a use for. Lining for my redingote.

Life on the really tiny screen

2009-06-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

So my computer died last week and in my desperate attempt to get back online asap (I am addicted to the net) I rushed out and bought an iPod touch. $200 and back online, cheapest option available although my backside may expand from spending too much time at Maccas using free wifi. Such are the sacrifices I am willing to make.

What's it like to blog fingertyping on a 3" screen? Not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. The downside? Without a pc to plug an iPod into it's pretty limiting. You can't upload photos or upgrade the software on your pod. You can't even charge the battery! A cheap iphone wall charger will fix that though. Every website you visit loads as a crappy "mobile" version, so I can't see full item listings on ebay for example, just a photo and a bidding option. I don't think its likely my pod will be my sole source of digital fix but it's useful for the money and I'll no longer need to cart a laptop around the country with me when I fly. Worth the money if you buy a cheaper model but I wouldn't be shelling out $500 for one of the top spec models.
The typing function is surprisingly good with an accurate auto corrector and a nice doubleclick zoom function so you won't go blind reading text. I'm happy to be back online even if in a reduced capacity.

Where have the quality fabrics gone?

2009-06-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

Not only is it difficult to find an independant fabric store, but increasingly rarer still is a straight natural fibre cloth. I'm all for modern inventions and progress but when you live in a humid city which is warm 9 months of the year, polyester is never going to be your friend. I'm not searching for a rare animal here just your straight cottons, linens and wools. Yet find it increasingly difficult to locate anything not involving spandex of some kind.

For a country which grows wool as a major product it's embarassing not to be able to find a plethora of fine wool fabrics, let alone even one that is not some horrible mix of wool and plastic. Aren't we also a major cotton producer? Yet I can't find anything of that fibre which doesn't have lambs or ragdolls printed on it.

It's with great sadness that the majority of independant and fine fabric merchants have disappeared off the streets of Sydney, leaving those behind struggling to keep their doors open. Even sadder is to see the great disappearance of fabric choice from those stores as well. Economics dictating that they maintain very small amounts of fashionable colours and otherwise stock their shelves with white, black and grey. The one exception seems to be patchwork fabrics which now take up the major portion of most fabric stores.

Fabric Fever Strikes Again

2009-06-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Anyone who sews knows the terrible lure of fabric. I have personally purchased enough fabric to fit out a small army, and their sleeping bags yet I have a dearth of wearable clothes. So it's with great resistance that I go looking for fabric at all. But this jacket project has me thinking, and looking. Of course one would imagine that I'd just use the fabric I've got on any new project and only go shopping for more when it's gone. One would imagine that. And one would be wrong.

Every new project is different and none of the existing fabric in ones hoard is ever right for the next project. New fabric by definition must be purchased! So what am I getting at here? Well I'm looking for a justification to buy this lovely (did I mention, lovely?) red wool for my new jacket. It's Italian, cashmere blend and extremely fine cloth. It's a veritable bargain at just $25 per meter. And yes I know, it's also worth nothing as a piece of cloth, uncut and unsewn into something useful. But me wants it.

Back To The Jacket

2009-06-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

The fact that it's winter here right now naturally leads me to believe a jacket might be a good first clothing project. At first I thought a mid century jacket would be nice. But after doing some research I realised that earlier century jackets, just like the gowns, were all built around a stomacher.

For those not in the know, a stomacher was a boned piece of fabric that was fastened in the front of clothing to cover the gap left by the side pieces. And if you're thinking it sounds complicated and a bit s**t, then you're on my page.

As much as I love history I also love clothing that's a little easier to wear than that. Fast forward to 1780's and beyond where 18th century folk learned the joys of clothing which buttons up the front. So now I'm making a 1780's jacket complete with side panels that meet in the middle, just like the cutie above. It's sweet, it's a classic and I may even be able to wear it outside of the realms of a costume convention.

I'm loving the buttercup yellow and if I can find buttercup linen, wool or heavy weight silk I'll be on it like a fly at a bbq. Failing that I have one other idea that's best to remain a secret for the time being. To be honest I'm not quite sure yet whether my idea is pure genius or a terrible mistake so I'd rather not own up to it until I know for sure.

Myth busting 18th century stays (corsets)

2009-06-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ok so here's a bit of myth busting for anyone considering making a set of stays of this era. It may change your mind about making one, so pay attention pls....

They make your waist smaller...Nope! In fact a properly fitting pair will enlarge your waist by about 2cm. They were created to give a long conical torso, not accentuate the natural curves. Stays do that by compressing the bust and then creating a straight diagonal line down to the hips. If you have a small waist the sad news is that your stays will likely not even fit tightly around that area. How small the waist goes depends upon the size of your bust, ribcage and your hips. The tiny waist effect is a result of creating a strong vertical line with the stays and pairing that with an enormous hipline created artificially with petticoats and paniers. The torso looks longer than it is because the bodice comes to a point far below the hips. It's all smoke and mirrors.

They act like a superbra...Sadly, no this is not true. If you are small busted it's very likely your already tiny bust will be flattened and become non-existant with this set of stays. It's a bust compressor. So whatever you have will be flattened first, and only the top half will peek over the top of the stays. I'm a DD cup naturally and reduce to about a largish C cup with my stays on. If you are small chested then I'd suggest cutting the top of your stays down low so your bust has a chance to peek over the edge. Otherwise you will end up looking like a 10yr old. If you are large busted you may have to raise the top considerably to prevent spillage. I had to raise mine by about an inch.

They will make you look slim...Well one would think so, but it's not actually true. Especially if you stand side-on. These stays simply smooth out the bumps and ditches in your natural body so you will lose quite a lot of the slimming aspects of your frame, like the hollow above and below your bust, your natural waist etc...To be replaced by a very straight-lined silhouette. It will give you a neater form but not necessarily a slimmer one.

You don't need these stays to wear 18th century clothes...if you want to look like they did in the 18th century you will. It's all about the silhouette baby! You need a strongly vertical body with flat planes to look the way they did back them. Authentically cut 18th century clothes have almost no shaping in the front of the bodice because that part of the body should be flat. All the shaping's in the back. You can recut the style to fit a natural body shape but then you'll end up with something that doesn't sit right, has wrinkles where there shouldn't be any and the whole thing will look saggy and rubbish. They call the underwear, "underpinnings" for a reason. The rigidity of it was like a scaffold for hanging heavy loads of cloth from and have it sit right.

Creating An 18th Century Jacket

2009-06-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

So now the underwear is done, time to create something wearable outside my apartment. Of course I want to create a Pompadour dress one day. But for now I'll settle for something a little less daunting and little more practical. Enter the 18th century jacket. A dowdy little number most ladies never wore outside the home. Considered an "undress" item, one would lounge around the drawing room in it until it became time to properly dress for the receiving of visitors or to go out for the evening. The exception was if you were a working class woman, in which case you'd wear it anywhere.

The problem I now have is this. I can either choose to use the very limited commercial patterns out there and spend half my life altering them until they fit (or put up with a poor fit). Or I can choose to learn pattern drafting. I've chosen the latter. If I'm going to spend my every weekend making clothes I cannot wear in the normal course of life they had better be the finest clothes on the planet. A great fit is a must. And since I have anything except a standard body I will learn to draft my own patterns.

Pattern Drafting 101

So I spent this past weekend doing just that. The first step is to create a basic pattern. This is a garment of no real style. It has a back, a front and arms. It fits the body closely and the purpose is to find the pattern shape which perfectly fits your body. You will use this basic pattern to create actual clothing patterns from. I managed to finish my toile, of this generic bodice and draw up my basic patterns based on this garment.

And as usual I discovered some things about sewing along the way...

It is possible to create your own basic pattern and fit the toile on yourself alone.
It is not fun to do it this way. If you have the choice have someone help you. But if not, rest assured it can be done. All the fittings except the back can be done by looking in a mirror and pinning yourself carefully, rechecking the fit as you go. The back I did by eyeballing the excess, removing the garment, pinning it, then placing it back on and checking the fit. Working incrementally until I got the perfect fit.
Although it's a royal pain to spend two days of your life making up a generic bodice which will never be worn. It's worth every moment to save yourself hours of alterations on a commercial pattern.
Pattern drafting is not difficult and learning it has increased my understanding of sewing, as basic as it is.
I'm really looking forward to creating my own patterns instead of trying to find a commercial pattern I can chop to pieces.

JP Ryan Stay Pattern Review

2009-06-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

So would I now recommend the 18th century stays pattern by JP Ryan? On some grounds definately...

The pattern is well drafted.
The instructions are clear
It is a simple garment to make, just time consuming. All seams are straight and everything fits together easily.
It's a good price, and the maker sends the pattern out quickly
It does make an authentic set of working stays, 18th century era. You will get the correct silhouette for the working class.

But I have some reservations too...

The pattern is good for someone without a deep natural waist. If your figure isn't very curvaceous then this pattern will be good for your body shape without alterations. If you have a large bust and tiny waist (like me) the number of alterations will drive you insane as you try and make this tube fit you. Consider drafting a pattern from scratch if you have the expertise.
Although not a difficult garment it could be easier. Many pretty 18th century stays you see on the web are not based on this type of stays but upon one called "Diderot" stays. They are made from just 3 pieces and are partially boned making construction a simpler and less time consuming process. If it were possible to actually buy a diderot style pattern I would have done so. Unfortunately the only pattern is in Norah Waughs Corsets and Crinolines, which requires you know how to do pattern drafting. Why no-one has made a commercial pattern on this simpler stay variety I do not know. Edited to now add that the Butterick Historical Stays 4484 pattern appears to be a Diderot style stays pattern and from what I've heard is a good choice.
Stays which are back lacing only are period correct as many of them were so in the 18th century. But then many people also had household maids who would help them get dressed. You really need front lacing on this type of garment so you'll have to add it to this stays pattern.
The maker advises using a mix of steel and plastic bones. To be honest I think steel is a big waste of money in this garment. Steel is only necessary when the stays are partially boned. With a fully boned corset cable ties provide incredible hold.
While this type of stays are authentic they are not really what I had in mind. They didn't provide me with the desired conical silhouette without serious alterations. And the finished item as per the pattern isn't that attractive. I really wanted a set of fancy high fashion stays 18th century style. The diderot style stays are more what I desired.

To sum up. If you are a die-hard historical costumer, this pattern is the ants pants. You can bone it with reed and handsew the whole thing knowing you are creating a reproduction of actual stays from the period. The instructions and pattern are high quality. If on the otherhand you are into costuming in the spirit of the era. Meaning you want the look, and it's ok if you have a bit of modernity here and there as long as the overall look is true to the era, then go with the diderot style stays. They are late century but much prettier and more satisfying to our (movie inspired) ideas of what the 18th century was all about.

At Last! A Finished Corset

2009-06-12T03:15:00.000-07:00

So by the third attempt I was pretty annoyed with the whole deal. I had cotton canvas left over and decided I would just make a simple and plain corset in the name of actually finishing something wearable. I also wasn't really jazzed with the silhouette of the last one I made. It didn't give me the conical shape of the era and and all over just looked a bit crap.

So I spent an entire weekend once again revising a pattern that never had a chance in hell of fitting me properly or providing me with the corset I had in mind. But if nothing else I'm tenancious. And tada....

As you can see the finished corset, stays, whatever, look nothing like the original pattern. But in my philosophical ways I say who cares! It does give me an era appropriate shape, it's comfortable and I like it more than the other two disasters. So far it's the only thing I've created which is mildly successful so I'm sticking with it for the time being.

You can see I changed the location of the boning channels which was a brilliant idea. Not only is it easier and less time consuming to sew, but it also supports my large bust much better than vertical bones do.

And here's what the back looks like.

Second Corset Attempt

2009-06-12T02:21:00.000-07:00

So my hot pink twill mockup was never destined to be a completed corset. I realised after much altering and fussing around with it a few pertinent things...

I had no lacing gap in the back. And creating one would necessitate me doing a lot of boring and tedious things. Even more boring and tedious than simply making a whole new corset.
Now that I had altered it to fit my body, I no longer had any seam allowance in some sections leading me to believe that someday the threads would pull on the seams and the whole thing would fall off me at an inopportune moment.
A rear lacing corset takes an age to get on and off by yourself and the chances of dislocating a shoulder while doing so where high.

So I decided to just make a whole new one. And why not buy some really pretty fabric while I was at it? Off I went and spent almost $100 on fabric which would later prove to be a gross waste of money.

My second attempt at the 18th century corset...

Note the very pretty 18th century style cotton fabric print. The print that wasted 6hrs of my life in pattern matching. Oh well, another thing I had never done before and a new feather in my seamstress cap.

The shift was something I made up inbetween mockups on the fly (it's made from raime out of my scrap box). I followed some hazy internet instructions on how to make an elizabethan shift and rounded out the neckline to suit my style. It worked marvelously well. So well in fact I have been unable to make another one as nice as it. I even went to town and handstitched all the seam allowances flat on the inside. What was I thinking?

Cable ties, the costumers best friend. You can see them poking over the top of the corset.

I had handsewn all the eyelets on this one. By the 56th eyelet I finally figured out how to make the holes big enough to pass a regular shoelace through.

As much as I love the fit on this one it also wasn't destined to become a completed item owing once again to the lack of lacing gap. Although it looks like I've got one inch in these photos by the third try on I had none at all the corset was starting to feel a bit loose. Cry....I couldn't just take it in at the seams without unpicking all those bone casings and if there is one thing I hate more than sewing bone casings it's unpicking them. So this one hit the bin too.

First Costuming Disaster

2009-06-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

I've always been a little unconventional and back then (the early middle ages) being a goth was about the only unconventional subculture to be in. I didn't particularly love black, or red, or purple but since there was no such thing as a pastel goth I had to make do. Now I'm all grown up I can legitimately wear costumes and not give a hoot what anyone else thinks about. Hence I am now turning my eccentric side to my first love of fashion the 18th century. I mean who doesn't love frilly dresses and satin shoes and wild excess?

So at the risk of boring the pants off you. I'll just get on with it and explain my first costume disaster, the corset mockup. Well after reading costuming net sites for about 6 and half years I got the jist that any costume starts with underwear. So off I went in search of a corset pattern. My woefully inadequate sewing skills did not allow me to contemplate making my own at that stage. And you'll be thankful I didn't attempt it either.

Yes, yes corsets back in the 18th century were not called corsets. They were called stays, which just goes to prove one thing. I suck as a historical costumer. If you follow my blog for any period of time my ability to suck in a historical sense will become apparent. At the risk of riling the pure historians out there I will continue to call my "stays" a corset, through pure laziness and nothing else.

So due research led me to believe that the only decent corset pattern out there for the 18th century was the one by JP Ryan. It was drafted from actual surviving corsets and a lot of other people had used it. Please note that the latter fact was the bigger driving force behind my decision to purchase. So I did. And I kept it in it's pristine packet in my bedroom for the next 2 years.

March 2009 - yes I finally got the courage to unzip the ziplock bag containing the holy grail of corset patterns and start this project.

I had some super historic hot pink twill in my sewing box, a spool of hot pink cotton and a pattern. Despite the fact that everything I had ever sewn had been horribly disfigured and unwearable I wrongly assumed I'd just bang this one up in a weekend. Well I wasn't entirely wrong because I did get the mockup done in two days. And doesn't it just look it too.

There are several things I learned from my mockup...

I liked the idea of a corset in hot pink twill, pity then that I could not buy anymore of it when making my proper one.
A straight tubular corset will never fit an hourglass figure and look like anything except a sausage shoved into a toilet roll.
Cable ties (the black things sticking out of the mockup) are just as good as steel when it comes to this style of corset.
I would have to learn how to do alterations if I was going to make myself one of these.
OMG! My nipples would spill out of this thing in an instant.