In Which Maleficent Wins Halloween

Happy Halloween! Well technically the day after Halloween. But I wasn't ready to write the blog post until today - so - Happy Halloween!

I trust by now we have all unlaced our stays from the delights of chocolate and other sugary delicacies. Or are realizing that was one short cut on the costume we should not have take. I fall in the later camp since I didn't actually get to my costume until Monday, roughly 5 days before Halloween, and finished it five minutes before I was due out to an event. (Sound familiar?) It was to be really simple, I was going to wear my pirate from last faire season and my new cutlass, but then I bruised a couple ribs and couldn't wear a corset, so out came Maleficent.

It is truly terrifying to go dig out a half finished costume (half may be putting it lightly) after the influence of several glasses of wine. Insert freak out here. And then to realize there needs to be accessories and a fabric store run. And then next day led to two runs to the hardware store. (For headpiece and staff)

To begin we have the accessories.

PVC pipe with watering orb on top as orb on Maleficent's staff. I wrapped the pipe in painters tape to give it texture and grip for the paint. 

The Staff with the added pieces at the top. I cut down the swirls on the right because it didn't look evil enough. At this point the orb was wrapped in tinfoil and out to the backyard with the spray paint!

The paper mache layer over the headpiece. Yes my head form is a can of tomatoes over a wine bottle. I have no shame. And no head form. 

There wasn't sufficient time to paper mache the headpiece all together so I just used more painters tape. This shows the painted staff too. I believe this was Wednesday. So far no robe...

Required Feline Assistance. You can see the base of the horn to the left of the picture. The right picture shows the horn form and a completed horn. This was Monday? Or maybe Sunday. I can't remember. The kitty is Sylvester. He likes to help.

The lefr shows the spray painted headpiece and the right with some of the purple decorations I believe the left was the "OMG It fits!" moment.

Sylvester assists again. "I'm so bored, why are you playing with my bed?" He had spent the last few days on the fabric. 

In progress shots of the robe. I love the color contrast. And the sleeves are amazing! There will definitely be more on this. And we can also see the train. There is just something about a fabulous train that puts a girl in character. 

And now the finished robe! More pictures coming I swear.

Happy Halloween!

Cheers!

Merlina

A Tudor Gentleman and Lady

So we plotted and planned for Faire, then life got in the way. However I got part of the plot done, and then it go adapted. And I still need to do something about these sleeves.

Close up showing the white fabric with the subtle design

Quilting the canvas interlining. I wanted to experiment with minimal boning for Tudor Dress

 Fitting. This is just two layers of cotton canvas quilted together with vertical lines as if for boning. The canvas and quilting gives quite a good shape. I added two strips of flat reed to the center front and a pair on either side of the lacing. The fashion fabric was mounted on the top of the lining. I also like how smooth the sides and front are. The only seams is the side back.

Handsewn partlet, because after wicked sunburn it is 110% necessary. 

Trims on the left: silver cord, fancy silvery trim and black velvet ribbon. And then the way they were sewn on to the right. I love using simple trim to build up the design. Just one would not be enough. And ironically the trim was the cheapest part of the gown. 

If I remember correctly this was shortly after I stitched on the last of the trim, Had to see what it looked like! This is just over my handsewn shift (because we must brag about that) and a prequilted fabric turned petticoat. 

Cheap paper fan decorated to accompany the gown. Fans in summer are very important. 

AND *drum roll* Pictures from faire!

Lover having fun!

Lover's attire as a proper abet still roguish gentleman for the day. All save the hat and bracers are from previous years. I made the hat the night before. Along with my hood. 

My gown! It actually came together really well. I lined the sleeve turn backs in net a la Jane Seymour. I also had black velvet under sleeves. Which are currently tucked in my pockets because they were too hot. I also have my French hood. I made it based off the information here: http://www.modehistorique.com/research/ReconstructingTheFrenchHood_06-2009.pdf

I did cheat a little, I do not like coifs. So my pleated ribbon is stitched on a band like a medieval veil. I also have a muslin braid beneath my hood for the braid that would have been worn of one's own hair. (Previous pictures show I do not possess sufficient hair.) Everything is then pinned together. So many pins! My neck and shoulders hurt for days after. This is quite a heavy gown and headdress. 

And a quasi close up/cute picture.

There should be more on Nefertari soon and the Celt Warrior and his Queen. As well as a head first off the high dive jump into TWO, read that TWO new eras which have previously only been dabbled in!

Cheers!

Merlina

She for Whom the Sun Shines

This is the photo heavy photo shoot for my full Ancient Egyptian gown. I still want the vulture crown and my bracelets were not dry, but we took advantage of the weather. And now for the gown and all the context. And so we know, by far I am no Egypt expect. In this post, I'm the author painting a picture of a world gone by.

It is 1280 BCE, Ramses II is newly upon the throne of Egypt, a superpower of the Ancient World. Later to be known as Ramses the Great for his military and political prowess as well as the numerous monuments he erected all over Egypt. It is the carvings we see another side to Ramses, he was a man deeply in love with Nefertari, his queen.

http://euler.slu.edu/~bart/egyptianhtml/kings%20and%20Queens/Queen_Nefertari.html

It is upon the walls of Nefertari's tomb we see how deeply Ramses loved his queen. We also get the poetry which I used as the basis to this challenge.

Real Quick, The Challenge Facts:

The Challenge: #18 Poetry in Motion 

The Item: Ancient Egyptian Overdress, dated to the New Kingdom, more or less
The Fabric: 3 yards White Linen, gauze weight
Pattern: Looked at the pretty paintings, went from there
Year: Reign of Ramesses II, 1279 BCE to 1213 BCE
Notions: Linen thread, hook and eye
How Historically Accurate is it? Um. It’s linen, which Egyptians used, it looks like the pictures but there's not much evidence to show how to make this. It's more theatrical. But is hand sewn too. Also the train is not accurate as far as is known but I really wanted the train, looks fancy. I'd say 40-50% because of linen, hand sewn and looking the part.
Hours to Complete: Roughly 24 hours total
First Worn: For the photo shoot and some quick pictures
How is this Poetry? I took my influence from the poetry in Nefertari's tomb. It was written by Ramesses to honor her. He called her "she who makes the sun shine, just in her passing she has stolen my heart."

In the pictures I am wearing the gown from Pretty Pretty Princesses last year, my belt from an earlier challenge which name is escaping me, the robe for this challenge, my beautiful jeweled sandals, a black wig cut short, a wide collar from Egypt, and my crescent moon headpiece because it works. 

And now for all the pretty pictures. 

 Walk like an Egyptian!

 We are a tomb carving!

 At this point I gave up on the wig. Red hair is period anyway. Ramses had red hair 

Close up of the makeup

And there you have it! Nefertari! Up next we have the making of the pieces as well as the Tudor Lady. Then tis on to Halloween and two new eras well not new but new requiring full wardrobes! 

Cheers, 

Merlina

Forward into the 1770s!

So here we go. Severe lack of sewing desire for the faire stuff has led to a venturing out back into the 1770s. As mentioned previously; Lover, Friendy, and I are going American Revolution reenacting. I being me and recently in the possession of Patterns of Fashion has led to much plotting.

The new printer led to a stay pattern that might actually work. Yay!

And I found fabric to use:

It's a lovely silver blue I found on Fabrics-Store. They also have a lovely linen canvas. It's also not softened! Yay! I have round reed to use for boning. I bought a pound and have since made two Elizabethan Stays from it with plenty left over. It's about 1/8" which means two pieces for each 1/4" channel. I intend to bind the stays with the binding from Burnley and Trowbridge. Which Lover has offered to help me with. My hands have never been particularly strong. 

Okay. I bragged about my plots and now I'm supposed to go work on the Celts so they can be photographed for the Plaid and Paisley challenge. Which is probably what I should have been doing from the beginning. 

Cheers!

Merlina