How I Will Lose My Mind

Arrr! And welcome to more Pirate Insanity! Last year 'twas Once Upon a Time pirates, this year 'tis rather more insane than last! To begin we decided to go to faire (New York Renaissance Faire) as pirates, specifically Captain Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Reed. Pretty easy when you think about it. I am to be Anne Bonny. That doesn't change we (Lover and I) just decided we needed to go to the Blackbeard Pirate Festival in Hampton VA too.

Now here's where the insanity strikes. There is a grand ball Friday night of the event. Ergo one must be dressed appropriately.......and what better reason for a robe a la francaise! (I know, I'm nuts.) Originally I thought I'd finally make the curtain along dress, but calculated out I'd need four panels, rough $100! I don't exactly have $100 lying around to spare. If I did there would be shoes. So Stash Shopping it is. Stash then grants this:

Actually 5 yards of this. The tag still stuck on it read that it was an Upholstery/Slipcover fabric and original retail was $4.79 a yard. The tag was written by a typewriter so this fabric has been around for awhile. It has a nice shine to it and a heavy-ish hand. The edge claims it was made for Concord Fabrics by Joan Kessler. A quick Google search turns up several similar fabrics. All are polished cotton from the 1980s. So it works. plus the print is almost identical from this example found in Patterns for Theatrical Costumes by Katherine Strand Hokeboer:

Pg 231

I feel pretty happy with myself. I know cotton isn't fully period but so far one of the biggest pieces I've ever made has cost me absolutely nothing! Which is always an awesome feeling.

I intend to use these two patterns from Norah Waugh's The Cut of Women's Clothes as inspiration along with Katherine's tutorial from The Fashionable Past (link goes to the start of the tutorial. With the fabric amount I have, I feel the second is better for conservation of fabric, but I love the cuffs on the first. 

Now if only I could have stays that actually fit and no fear of hoops........

More on Lover's clothes later!

Cheers,

Merlina

Arrrr! And other 18th Century Things

Wow! It's January 2013! So weird getting used to that. Anyway, I am back, having successfully survived the holidays. (There were a couple questionable points there but alas...) Which means we shall be attempting to blog more often. I made that one of my New Year's Resolutions. Hehe. Well clearly I'm not off to a good start.

To begin we have more pictures of the Colonial Dress. It has since been finished, I just don't have finished pictures. Since these were taken, the trim has been stitched down and hooks/eyes have been added to the center front, I find I dislike pins for closure.

This shows the pinned box pleated self trim and the ribbon down the center. I know it's probably not completely historically accurate, deal with it or unpick the trim and do it yourself. ;) 

Larger picture of the dress, Showing the sleeve and the other petticoat. 

Full shot of the dress.  

Sleeve Ruffle Thingy. Double layered, pleated to the sleeve with the same ribbon as the neckline. 

Now with a completed dress, with hems and closures (big deal for me), there is one less thing to do on the list. And I can take pictures with the cat! (Once cap and neck kerchief are finished). Although that kind of back-fired because in trying on this dress, I learned I need new stays.....doesn't that always happen?

Anyways! In an effort to accomplish many things, and not be sewing right before upcoming events, things have been started early. And those things that have been started early are Top Secret Projects, yes with capital letters. I can show you some pictures but cannot tell you what they are.

This is my corset, I have since fixed the binding on it so the fashion fabric lays flat. The corset is four layers; lining, interlining, interlining, fashion fabric. The "boning" is 1/2'' cable ties sandwiched in the interlining layers. I used my corset block pattern, same as I did for my Marian costume, just the full length version. 

This last picture is this gorgeous tooled faux leather. I found it on Ebay and it will be a key part of my costume. Soon. 

Lastly we have the first part of lover's Top Secret Project costume. It still requires buttons, and its proper collar. The fabric was horrid to stitch. 

Feel free to guess. I ain't saying a word!

Cheers!

Merlina

It's a Dress! Or Finally Finished

Semester ends! Yay! And I catch the sewing bug. But with money tied up in Christmas Gifts, I must dive into the UPB or Unfinished Project Box. We all have one, they're usually that box tucked away in the sewing room of things no one wants to see, where a couple tweaks and maybe an hour and there'd be a finished project.

Anyways....

This is my first colonial dress. I made the stays, shift and pockets a few years back. As with the small bumroll and the three petticoats underneath. (Said petticoats and bumroll are used for everything requiring petticoats.) There are pictures of the underthings, somewhere. And I know I need new stays. The ones I'm wearing are from when I first started sewing and not really comfortable. (had yet to learn of tabs. OMG! I love tabs.) Pretty much they're boring white with blue thread. I'm debating new ones with an actual pattern and possible that goregous curtain fabric......

So here is the dress (excuse the cell phone):

It is a very pretty quilter's cotton I found in Joann's. The pattern looks very colonial to me, but I cannot swear to accuracy. I'm a costumer not a historian, Jim! (Sorry, couldn't resist). The back is quartered and the front fastens down the front with pins, which are currently pulling because I'm not laced right. (My assistant was over the river, literally) The pattern is a combination of the Simplicty pirate gown and historical stuff I found/looked at online. I drafted it from the information myself! I doubt it's together historically acurate but alas. Partially machine partially by hand.

You can see the pattern of the fabric well here and how full I got my skirts. Plus the shape provided by the stays.

The yellow skirt is not the right one for this gown. I made a very full, teal petticoat that looks gorgeous under the gown and adds even more fullness. But it and I are not on speaking terms (long story.) So I am using possibly the first skirt I made. It too is of quilter's cotton and has a matching blouse and corset to go with it. (technically it belongs to the Padme outfit...)

The neck-kerchief is not the right one. I have one somewhere but I don't know where. So its a muslin square. And a little bit of self fabric trim is not on yet. I ran out of fabric. But there are sleeve flounces that had to be removed to adjust the sleeves. Hey! There's a hem and a closure, to me that means finished!

Happy New Year!
Merlina