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The Spirit of Autumn Dress Project

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A damsel in this dress:

it is that time of year again…

Originally posted on A Damsel in This Dress:

Image Autumn Spirit dress

Well, that was something different.  One week I have an idea, next week the outfit is ready….   absolutely loving the  result of the friendly/professional cooperation on this project – it looks like the other seasons will be represented by organic, ephemeral dresses as well.

But – the Autumn. A detailed  article on how to make the outfit will soon appear on the Foundations Revealed website, but in the meantime a few pictures and a bare bones here…

The original sketch

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 A week on, the leaves and other autumnal bits were gathered…

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Image naughty Merlin kept dive bombing the leaf pile…

the dress base was made up of cotton  and the fun begins…

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 The leaves are first stapled on ( only the first layer/ and then glued with copious amount of glue…   a few hours later, having run out of glue and the leaves,  the skirt…

View original 529 more words


Filed under: Uncategorized

My Big Fat Victorian Wedding – St. Audries Park, West Quantoxhead, Somerset. 17th October 2011

The Gold Gown, market and a Regency Ball 2015

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 Last year we had a lovely time at out first Regency ball, part of the annual Jane Austen celebration in Bath (see post on that here). This year the dates were changed a bit, which meant that the Ball was on the first Saturday of the festival, and there was a market earlier on in the day too. So, two  birds with one stone – we could go and trade to earn our living in the day, and in the evening we could go and have a good dance at the ball!

 The usual dilemma ocurred – What to wear? I had my old evening gown, but it would be nice to make something new. As I had only 5 days to prepare regency dresses for sale, I decided to get the stock items sorted first and to work on my own frock if I had some time spare.

 I already knew what I would be using as an inspiration  – this gown from the Met museum

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 I already had some lovely gold semi-transparent silk in my stash, so all I needed to get was lace, decoration and the silk satin for the base of the dress. I didnt really like the pearl trim on the original, so decided on an alternative, but all of the components were ready and waiting, just in case I managed to make time for it!

 In the end I finished all the stock dresses on Friday moring – and we were to leave Friday night. I had about 8 hours. Well, you know that I do like challenges….

 One thing has to be said – working on the stock meant that whilst handstitching other frocks I had time to think about the gold gown construction even before I started to work on it. I must admit, it did take me some time – mostly because I simply couldn’t see how it closed! Yes, you can see the sheer overgown ties in front, but what about the satin gown?  You can zoom in quite a lot on the Met site so you can see clearly that there are no rows of buttons or ties at the back under the sheer, nothing at the side or front, no button closures, no bib closure, no tie closures… A mystery!

 I started  zooming in to maximum and checking every detail – and finally I found it! On the back, right of centre-back, you can just about see something on the satin layer that could be called a button and a loop, at the neck egde.

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I new that must be it – After thinking a little more, and analysing the cut I arrived at a very simple pattern idea – basically a sack with fitted neckline. I tried the idea on a mock-up first, making the top part of the gown in calic; it worked. I actually didn’t even need the button, the thing just slips ovehead and a simple tie does the rest.

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 So on the day I cut the gown in silk satin, sewed it, hemmed it, lined the bodice, etc – in other words it was ready for the overgown and the sleeves.

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Merlin was happy as for once he was allowed on the silk. normally it is off-limits but since it was my own stuff, I did not mind – and he did enjoy overseeing the work.

  That was the easy part…. the overgown was next – and whereas it is basically a loose robe, it took the most time due to all the finishing – cutting precise facings in flimsy sheer fabric is not my idea of fun! But the facings were cut, sewn, handstitched and metallic lace attached – then they were just awaiting the posh trim I wanted to use in place of the pearls.

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 Sleeves were next – and they were the most time-consuming…

 Cutting up the base and the satin layer first –

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 Then preparing the space for the gathering and placing the gathers in suitable places so that that they formed ‘pulling-outs’ –  just as in Tudor sleeves.

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Sleeve gathered on both sides

Once the gathers were positioned, I was able to add the overlay with the cut out holes and the gold metallic trim

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I was getting excited by this stage… All that now remained was getting the sleeves together, lining them, sewing into the armbands and then into the armhole, (both the satin and the  sheer layers of the dress).

And it was almost ready – just a little belt to add, made from the sheer (I tried to  attach it to pregathered sheer underneath like in the original, but after speding an hour I decided I didnt like it – so outside it went.  Only the posh trim remained, and that could be done before the ball next day.

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We packed up, drove to Bath (3 hours), checked into the hotel and collapsed…

Next day saw us setting up the stall at the market in the Guildhall – and we had 4 jolly hours of trading there…

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The stall, ready!

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Farthingale Hats stall. Yes, I did get a new hat….

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Amy’s (Costume Shop) stand where Lucas purcahsed his replacement hose; clocked, no less!

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I was sporting the redingote which I made last year – more on making that here. I still love it!

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Hair Story with their wonderfull wigs and hairpieces… And yes, I have commissioned some hair from them since…

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A dashing young fellow!

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The silhouette cutter was super popular!

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My Customers were sporting their Prior Attire bling – Janet picked up two new hats from me, and it was the first outing of the military style spencer… David’s finery was made a year ago – more on its making here.

After the market  we packed up the remaining goods, drove back to the hotel and collapsed (again). But we had a ball to go to! I was so tired, that honestly, if it hadnt been for the fact that there was food on offer I probably wouldnt have gone… But we knew Searcy’s would deliver a great meal (we were not disappointed as it turned out), so after a power nap I got my act together and sorted out the braid on the dress:-). Then it was time to get dressed…

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    do love my regency long stays, the are comfortable and provide anazing ahem, lift…. here shown with a petticoat

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    You can see here how the layers worked

    And so, off to the ball we went – armed with a big camera too!  We had an amazing time, despite being so tired (I danced every other dance to conserve my energy), and the meal was superb… pictures below!

    The gold dress first – I am rather happy with it – the design worked surprisingly well :-) Will probably sell it at some point,  as I simply cannot go to the ball next year in the same frock, can I ? :-)

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    We snatched this one at the break as everybody rushed to grab some food…

    and more generic photos of the dancing  etc :-)

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Loved the blue gown!

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Zack from Pinsent Tailoring, in the tightest breaches ever – check out his work, very good!

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I admit that we did leave ‘just’ before the ball ended – I was falling asleep! As it turned out, combining a working day with an evening of fun doesnt really work for me :-(

Still, we had a good night’s rest, a good brekkie and were on our way home  soon.  Once back home we decided to take the opportunity to photograph the remaining dresses  – they are now available in the shop – click  on the links to see the listing :-)  I look tired but the gowns looked well, and that is enough for the shop :-)

Regency Outfits Sept 15-35

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A tiny bit too big, otherwse I think I would be keeping it to myself!

this is my favourite – super smooth cotton, with removable long sleeves:-)

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Undersleeves removed

We even made a short video about how to put on a regency brassiere: – enjoy!

Many thanks to PItcheresque Imagery for the photos!


Filed under: Dressmaking, Events, Georgian, re-enactment, Regency Tagged: ball gown, Bath, historical dressmaking, Jane Austen, regency, Regency Ball, regency dress

Mid Victorian Undergarments: chemise, drawers and a petticoat

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Since  our next Victorian Ball has a Crinoline theme, I have promised a few tutorials and pattern reviews for the folks who are making their own kit. Sew Curvy joined the fun and now offers very attractively priced patterns and crinoline kits from the era ( just a few left in stock…), so I took advantage of the offer and grabbed a few patterns too.

Normally I don’t bother with commercial patterns much, underwear included as I draft my own, and for Victorian Era the patterns in Francis Grimble’s books are of a great help – so this was a bit of an adventure, trying to actually follow instructions. Which I did, to some extent… ;-)  And so, below, a short tutorial on making a set of mid-victorian open drawers, a chemise and a petticoat.

The pattern:

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Fabrics: cotton lawn (but any lightweight cotton or linen will do) and cotton lace, 3 buttons.

Finish –  I went for modern finish as was squeezing the project in between commissions and stock-making, but it doesnt mean that you have to follow me and use the same techniques – if you have time, do go for a hand finish :-)

Drawers.

1. find your size on the chart, trace the  pattern. I traced it onto paper once, so that I dont have to cut the pattern itself.

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2. trace the pattern onto the fabric – fold the lawn in half and you will only have to cut once!

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3.  once cut, I overlocked the side seams and the facing for the size. I decided to save time and forego front and back facings – not really needed, though they would give a nicer finish! Instead of a self ruffle I used cotton broderie anglaise lace.

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4. Follow the directions for working the side openings/facings – they are explained fairly clrealy.

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Pin and stitch as indicated on the pattern

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Cut between the stitching

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Flip the facing onto the left side. Press. I usually run a stitch just next to the edge too.

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Fold the edges ( if overloced they dont actually need to be folded!) , pn and handstitch ( or machine stitch) around

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Ready! Repeat on the other side

5. Fold the overlocked edges of the crotch opening (or follow instructions for facings there)

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6. Gather the legs and top – I gathered mine using a ruffle attachment, but you can pleat or gather on a string, too (lower the thread tension, use the long stitch setting and sew – then just pull the thread to gather)

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7. Gather the ruffle – again, several methods are possible, I gathered mine on an overlocker

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8. Sew each leg

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One leg done – not the gathered bits!

9. Prepare the leg bands and attach lace to them – the instructions are quite clear about how to do it.

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Leg band ready

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Lace attached

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Sandwich the gathered drawer-leg between the band and the lining of the band

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Attached!

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Fold and pin the inside band; hand stitch in place. Repeat for the other leg!

10. Attach the waistbands – again, the instructions are clear!

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Both waistbands ready

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Pinning the waistbands to the gathered edge

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Sewn!

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Fold the inside bit, pin and stitch in place

11. Make buttonholes and attach buttons. Fot this project I used buttons from my secret stash of antique buttons :-)

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Buttonhole made on a machine

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Ready! it took me just over 2 hours to complete the project – it would be about 3 – 4 if I wasn’t using an overlocker.

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I found them just a bit too big at the waist – if I make them again, I will choose the waistband one size smaller. Apart from that tiny detail, the pattern worked well!

Chemise

  1. Trace and cut the pattern according to your size (again, I found it runs a tad too big for my liking – but it is not a huge issue at all – and it is always easier to end up with a chemise an inch or two too big rather than one too small!)

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2. Overlock the sides and sew together; (or sew the sides together and finish the seam by hand if you prefer.)

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3. Add the shouler strap reinforcement bits. I admit the instructions here were not too clear so I did it my way…  I supose as long as the edges are strong enough for a button, etc, that is all that matters

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4.Overlock the sleeve (or hand finish) and attach to the armhole. You will need to gather a bit; I did it as I sewed.

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Sleeve ready

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Sewing sleeve onto the body of the chemise

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Sleeve ready, but the edges of the seam need to be secured

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…and the seam gets overlocked !

5. Prepare the neckline and hem edge (overlock and fold, or hand stitch – up to you)

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Neckline edge finish

6. Add lace – I used a narrow broderie anglaise, as I had enough to use on the sleeves, neck and hem!

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7. Add buttons and work buttonholes

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The chemise is now ready!

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I have also made another version of the chemise, too – the same pattern, just with no sleeves, and no buttoned-up staps – I simply sewed the straps together instead. The neckline is finished with an eyelet lace with the ribbon, which controls the neckline as it can be pulled tighter, if needs be.

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Next stage was to put one of my corsets on (a suitable corset kit can be bought here: corset kit – the pattern is later but the style works for mid-victorian silhouette and is much easier to make – I have made a mid-victorian corset using a commercial pattern and it wasn’t exactly a success – you can read about it here).

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lacing on!

Crinoline cage on – not made by me, but by a friend – and using this pattern –  crinoline kit.

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All we need now is a petticoat.

Petticpats are very easy to make – so easy that there is little point in providing an actual pattern. Even ‘Truly Victorian’ provides a diagram and instructions for free – petticoat instructions

I basically used a length of cotton sheeting – a rectangular piece. The length was the circumference of the crinoline cage plus 1m, the lengh –  measured on the crinoline, from waist to the ground. If you do not plan flounces, pintucks etc, but a basic one, keep it a bit above the ground. If you want lots of pintucks, make it longer.

This particular one has been made with 5 rows of big pintucks

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(A short video of how to make them fast using your finger as a gauge can be found on my instagram account. ( here)

I also opted for a flounce, also with pintucks and  lace :)

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Once the pintucks and the flounce were on, I simply gathered the wasit (there will be lots of fabric to gather – about 4.5-5m) using the ruffler attachment

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Then attach the waistband, buttons, etc, and you are done!

If you are wondering why pintucks and flounces instead of a simple petticoat, well, they do have a function! PIntucks were used a lot on children’s clothing – as they grew up, the tucks were released and garment lengthened, here however the tucks are not only a decorative feature, but a practical one – they  hide the shape of the cage and they stiffen the edge a bit more, hanging better; the flounce has  the same function – this fills in the empty space between the cage’s end and the ground, preventing the ‘lampshade effect :-)

There are a few beautiful petticoats still surving – you can fing some on my pinterest page

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Now you are ready for a skirt and a bodice – or a gown. I have already written a post on a day dress – here.

Shortly I will be making a ball bodice (again, using a TV pattern) – so, there’s more to come! I hope you found this little tutorial useful
:-) chemises, petticoats, corsets and whole outfirs are going to be available  in our online shop soon!  There is already a nice dress there, but more undergarments will be added shortly

Oh, and if you dont sew, dont worry,

And a few outtakes:-) i knew the chamber put would come in useful!

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hmm, what do we have in here….

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eughrr! Wish I hadnt looked!


Filed under: Dressmaking, tutorial, Victorian Tagged: crinoline era, historical, historical undergarments, how to make a chemise, Victorian, Victorian chemise, Victorian petticoat

Bath Victorian Ball 2015 – and what a ball it was!

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 Amazing memories from the evening – and not only evening, the whole weekend was  a whirl of activities, pretty frocks and splendid food, all in even more splendid company!

 We started on Saturday afternoon arriving in Bath a tad later than expected ( the traffic on the slip road was very bad and many of us were stuck there – in fact, so many that we were considering a picnic on the roadside….), but unpacked, changed and  walked over to the Crescent for  a few relaxing hours of picnicking…. The weather was perfect, food lovely, and  as a perk we got to witness the balloon take off…. and  of course we took photos….

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lovely original napkins were used..

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I wore my reversible Ripple Jacket and Ripple skirt:-) perfect for the picnic!

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 The next day saw us making last minute preparations, strolling around the town and slowly getting ready,,,

 The workshop started at 3 –  and we  practiced our quadrilles, lancers and waltzes for good 90 minutes – the practice was fun, but also cane in handy at the ball –  you not only know the basics of the dances, but you recognize the people, so you are able to relax in a more familiar environment.  our Dance master, Stuart Marsden,  kindly provided Carnet de Ball tickets – beautifully made, and very practical – at the end of the practice people were   making arrangements which dances they were to dance with who – really cuts on the chaos on finding a partner in the evening!

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 We will be using them next year as well, an excellent idea!.

 After the practice there was time to go and have a cuppa and a rest ( and for us organizers to get the photographers, musicians etc set up and ready), and then time to change into the evening’s finery….

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Steaming my frock. Alas, I didn’t manage to get a new gown sorted due to an avalanche of orders, so had to make do with my old on – more on its creation here

Then it was time! The doors opened at & and the  guests started to arrive, dazzling us with their lovely creations. Drinks, chatting and photos made for a relaxed atmosphere – and since almost all the ball participants had been at the practice, people relaxed and chatted with their old and new dance partners. Traditionally, we started with a polonaise… It was a bit crowded, once all the people filled the  Grand Ballroom, but  Stuart managed to direct the dance nicely ! 150524-iz-001 150524-iz-003   And from then on, it was all dancing….. Spanish waltz was great to  get everybody  relaxed as you change partners a lot and get to know people, and then it was the amazing Lancers,  Quadrilles and Waltzes galore…. My personal favourite was the Cotillion waltz – simple, yet amazingly romantic, danced the the sweet notes of the waltz from the Merry Widow. Dimmed lights, romantic music, swaying on the dance floor in flowing silky gown – breathtaking.   10403574_10205243045328810_8612198867552845143_n 10641181_964655256900145_6214035122686672646_n 10404446_964657950233209_4098195498982672898_n 11329879_964655373566800_1271788064380533355_n 11350509_964655706900100_8438738575796585017_n 11351265_10205243045928825_6327791906229480019_n   150524-iz-014   11329879_964655373566800_1271788064380533355_n The  buffet break arrived  just in time to rest our weary feet and  get some sustenance for more dancing. And food, provided by Searcy’s was glorious –  beautifully presented, abundant ( and there was lots left!) and yummy – I must admit loved the desserts particularly… Then more dancing followed –  with a few  spontaneous waltzing breaks when folks just kicked their shoes off and took to whirling Viennese waltz at a moment notice ( our own Sissy here was the main culprit – though quite a lot removed their shoes at that point, myself included…). The evening ended with a Flirtation finale – lots of fun! And all that fun was mostly due to the  utterly amazing musicians – Alexis Bennett and the Liberty Belles, and our talented Dance Master, Stuart Marsden ( yes, the same one who has worked with BBC on Poldark, and many other projects…). The event would not have been the success it was without theses guys – so a huge thank you! musicians 11168031_10155795156300643_4697889363761570401_n   And while all the dancing was taking place, our photographers, Mockford Photography, were busy taking photos…. 10828141_10152878200577592_7286730915004478194_o 150524-iz-018 150524-iz-017 150524-iz-015   And did I not mention that there were some spectacular frocks  and very dashing gentlemen around?

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Yes, we had Sissi too…

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And a Dark Sissi too…

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oh yes, and, rather surprisingly, a 4 month old baby. That slept ( like a baby) all the way through…

11145192_10152878091267592_8419642355183554815_n     150524-iz-006   11219086_10152878091177592_446625806833074319_n bath-15-0952   Needless to say, by the end of it I could hardly walk ( need better shoes for next year….). but somehow I made it to the hotel, and although exhausted, I was still buzzing with the excitement – the night  was so much better than I had hoped for! there was just enough time to have a mini after party for the staff ( amazing how many people you can squeeze into a single Travelodge bedroom) and then it was time for sleep. IMG_20150525_010756 IMG_20150525_010807 And about 4 hours later we were up again and getting ready for our breakfast at the Pump Rooms….. IMG_20150525_103357 Victorian Ball and Picnic-117 Victorian Ball and Picnic-122 Victorian Ball and Picnic-124 The yummy breakfast ( and live music too!) was followed bu a short wander around town and some photos…. Victorian Ball and Picnic-128 Victorian Ball and Picnic-130 Victorian Ball and Picnic-136   Then it was time to go home and  tend the very sore feet….   Altogether, I must say the event fr surpassed my expectations. Music was delightful, fool glorious, venue splendid and the people – well, let me just say that you were all such a friendly and polite bunch of folks!  Everybody was relaxed and yet on their best behaviour – and that makes such a difference! it was also a good call to go for historical rather than an eclectic affair like the previous one –  since most of the dances were called, the dance floor was always busy, only clearing  up a bit at the end, as the pure exhaustion took over (  it was quite an exercise , especially the few more energetic dances…).  So thank you all, staff and guests alike for making it such a wonderful occasion! Also, many thanks to all the people who sent their photos:-)   And, guess what – we are having another Ball next year! The venue and caterers have already been booked and the tickets are on sale ( early bird  prices valid till September), so put the date in your diary – 7th May. We have the same set of musicians and Stuart booked too – and next year  we have an optional  dress sub theme – Crinoline.  We are already working on different offers  for the ticket holders ( discounted rates from dressmakers and product suppliers, or, for those who make stuff themselves, special offers on corset, crinoline and Victorian patterns and kits from one of our providers too). You can follow the news  on the facebook pages:

The event per se – Victorian Ball 2016

Page : Prior Attire Victorian Ball 

 Tickets and more info here  – Victorian ball tickets

 and the previous ball  Spectacular!

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Filed under: Events, Living History, re-enactment, Victorian, Victorian Ball Tagged: assembly rooms, Bath, bustle, costume ball, crinoline, Historical dancing, Victorian, Victorian Ball, Victorian dance

Symington corset pattern 1907-07 experiment

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When, earlier on this year, the scans of Symington corset patterns were released, (by Leicester County council, link to the patterns, etc: Leicestershire symington patterns), a lot of corsetmakers  stormed the site and bought the images they wanted to use as an experiment in pattern-making. Well, I was one of the horde who grabbed an image (or two…) but it was only recently that I had time enough to have a go at one of the patterns.

I chose 2 complex patterns and up till the last moment I couldn’t decide on which one to make first – but  in the end the decision fell on one with a lot of gores. I know, a masochistic choice, but well… I just couldn’t resist it, as the ‘gore within a gore’ concept worked for me on a variety of levels –  historically accurate and yet with styling  that would not look amiss in a modern or steampunk corset.

So ‘Gore Galore Corset’ it was – and it turned out be be even more gore-tastic than I had imagined….

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But,  let us start at the beginning.

 

The moment I measured the printed out pattern, I knew there would be serious issues with the fit – it just wasn’t very curvy! There were just a few inches of difference between the  hip, waist, and bust, and my bod calls for more than just a few. Still, I worked out (read: husband  did the calculations) how much the  pattern has to be enlarged, and blew it up in the local photocopying place.

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Then, I took the sheet, components and lunch and drove over to Sew Curvy for our usual Stitch and Bitch session – the corset was to be constructed there –  good company and nice space make it easy for me to focus, and having an accomplished corsetiere on hand to help with the fitting can only help… :-)

The work could then begin.

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tracing the seam lines on the blown up copy

 

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calico on the pattern and could trace the pieces next…

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Pieces traced

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and pieces cut out….

 

At that point I was cleverly distracted by Julia who dug out 2 lovely antique corsets and I stopped to drool over  them… A teaser here, no doubt Julia will put more info and pictures of them on the Sew Curvy blog at some point…

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Then it was back to work – I wanted to assemble the mock up before lunch…

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The pieces assembled….. outside view

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and inside, below…

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The moment of truth! How does it look on the body..?

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Pretty straight – as expected to be  honest.  As the proportions, length etc worked, I just needed an inch more reduction at the waist – and  to add a few inches at the hip and bust to accommodate my curves…

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And the easiest way to do that was just to cut inside the gores and use bits of calico to cover the areas that needed more expansion… and a bit more boning in front for support…

 

IMG_0308   The hip spring already looks much better, (and feels more comfy too)

 Then it was lunch time!

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well, we had soup first…..

After lunch I amended the pattern to accommodate the changes – all that needed to be done was to enlarge the inside gores….  and since the incisions were sort of already there, I decided to let them remain split – and just get another gore in…. A gore within a gore within a gore! A bit mad, but it just seemed to work better than simply making the inside gore bigger – and it resulted in a much more interesting look too…..

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Corset pieces cut out in black and blue sateen

Alas, it also meant I had 12 gores to sew in…. ouch….

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seam allowances pressed and ready for assembly

but with help of coffee I persevered…

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the corset will be boned with internal boning – but since back looked a bit boring in comparison with the front, I decided to make a casting for double bones in contrasting fabric there to balance the design

The rest of the evening was spent flossing the gores…..

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And next morning saw me with the gores flossed (is it only me, or does that sound a bit weird? ), and I was ready for some boning. (Seriously, take that sentence out of context and it sounds damned indecent! Corsetry nomenclature joys…)

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I marked the channels as close to the original as possible, and added a few more to support my boobage a bit better too…) The tape was applied over a waist stay.

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and done!

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It was time to try it on – if anything needs changing, there is still some scope for reshaping things, if needs be, before the lining comes in and covers all the inside…

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verdict – not too bad!

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a tiny bit too loose at the back hip, but easy to amend. very comfortable too!

At that stage I  said goodbye to Julia and Sew Curvy studio and drove back home, where I finished the corset the next day – black cotton lining was added and the bones were flossed in black. Then it was binding time and it was done!  If needs be, suspenders can be added at the front center and sides, but that can be done later once I decide whether to use it as an undergarment – or a modern top layer corset…

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As it turned out, it was over a month later that we were able to get any decent photos – and  surprise, surprise, my overindulgence in MMA and other martial activities  at the club meant that I lost some inches… The corset still fitted, but was a bit on a loose side. :-(
Even with the corset a tad too big, we got to shoot it and ended up with some interesting images.

First we shot in in the historical style – with black lawn chemise and drawers, with a matching blue ribbon.

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And later on in the evening,  on the way back from the movies, I  changed into leggings, black top and a wig – and we shot it with a cyber punk/comic/ Tron convention  in mind – the results below….

 

Black and Blue SciFiAngel Underlight Neon

 

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As you can see, it turned out to be a pretty versatile piece –  just a shame it is a tad too big now….   And as it is a bit too big, it has already been sold to a friend  who plans to use it for some steampunk events – so it is bound to lead an interesting life….

But I am not saying goodbye to the pattern per se – indeed I liked the gores so much, I have now purchased black and yellow lacquered leather – it will be made into a Hornet Corset:-)

 

 

 

 


Filed under: corsetry, Dressmaking, Edwardian, fantasy, photoshoots, re-enactment Tagged: corset, corsetmaking, corsetry, Cyberpunk corset, Edwardian, edwardian corsetry, historical costume, Steampunk, symington corset

Dressing Queen Victoria

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This one was a very exciting commission – a friend who often works as Queen Vic needed a new corset.. and a  new bodice and a train to go with the skirt she already had.

After a session of looking at different portraits and photographs of the Queen, with Eve pointing out which features she’d like to include in her bodice or train, we got some sketching done…

Fabric was next – and here we were lucky as got a length of beautiful silk brocade from Quartermasterie – all that i need to grab was silk taffeta for lining and pleats and some lace and buttons….

The corsets was made first –  and it is a rather jazzy affair,  so wont be shown here to preserve the dignity of the monarch, but i bet now a few people who’d meet Eve at work would be wondering what  lingerie secrets her clothes hide ;-0

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Bodice was a lovely blend of the 1880ties and earlier fashions – sporting a version of pagoda sleeves, apparently quite a favourite of the queen. we also added detachable under sleeves, for colder days .

The lace was simply lush, though applying it took some time, and the underside of the pagoda sleeves was also trimmed with lace, a  more modest version.

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The train was just fun.  The construction was simple – a slightly shaped rectangular fabric, plasted and with tapes and buttons to allow the wearer to bustle to up if needs be. But it was  recreatingthe pleated trim from one of the original photos that was interesting….

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The train has a baleyeuse ( the dust ruffle) made of black cotton lace  buttoned up  – they were  a truly delightful frilly affairs that made life so much easier –  you wash only the ruffle as your skirts are protected.

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The pick up day was also a shoot day as we offered Eve a mini session –  the results below! Hope you like the final result:-)

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train bustled up, no undersleeves

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Train flowing loosely, under sleeves attached

Eve’s  page is here – enjoy browsing!  Queen Victoria


Filed under: Dressmaking, Living History, Victorian Tagged: 19th century, bodice, bustle dress, Bustle gown, corset, historical dressmaking, Queen Victoria, Victorian

Medieval Glamping at Sudeley Castle

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After last year’s success at Sudeley castle , the Black Knight Historical team were invited once more – and that meant we were hired to entertain the visitors. The theme changed however – whereas last year we were inside the castle, doing 17th century stuff ( lace making, apothecary/early science), this time it was all about Richard III.

Which meant Lucas was one of the Richard’s cronies, Ratcliffe, and I was his wife Agnes. Which meant – posh stuff, posh tent, poshness galore, even more so since Eleanor (as Cecille Neville, Duchess of York, mother to the king) was to reside in our tent too.

And all of which meant that I needed to update my wardrobe. I had one posh frock but needed another one, plus a new kirtle, posher than the woollen ones I already had.

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Because one posh frock is never enough…

And as it happened I just managed to grab some lovely silks at the last market. They were supposed to go towards stock items, but I just couldn’t resist… not only that, I simply couldn’t afford much mid-season ( we had spent a bit on updating the tent’s interior), so I simply had to make do with whatever I had in my silk stash.

So, for a late 15th century I decided on a kirtle in this style, from the Marie of Burgundy portrait – especially since the silk  I had, from Watts&CO, was almost exactly the same ..

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I did not have time for the trim, belt and a new henin, but since it wasn’t meant to be an exact copy, the rest of the details could wait their turn ( I wonder how long will that be..). The rest however worked well.

The style is almost a transition gown, when the flat fronted kirtle started improving in cut and began to fit nicely, slowly transitioning into the kirtles of the early Tudor style.

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Working on the back of the bodice, attaching lining

Mine is lined with  brown silk ( gold/orange for the sleeves), and the bodice section is strengthened with one layer of fine linen canvas – more than enough to keep one’s assets in place; Indeed I quickly discovered that it was giving me much more of a cleavage than I had reckoned for! At the event, for modesty’s sake, I covered the bosom with a placard or a linen neckerchief, but the frock will need to be adjusted so that  the neckline will go up a bit. Heaving bosoms are not exactly the way to go in high medieval fashion… (more on silhouettes across the ages here)

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The sleeves are funky. I laced up mine with lovely points made by Lucy the Tudor; the dress fastens at the back with a longer lace too.

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 The kirtle worked wonderfully – I wore it on its own ( that is with a chemise, hose, headgear, etc) when inside the tent. The tent represented my household so it was still proper to be on a slightly more relaxed footing, without the overgown. I was at home, weaving, while my important and recently-made-very-wealthy husband was discussing important business with the king. And the queen mother just happened to pay a visit…

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So a great compromise, posh enough to be seen indoors – and, for one day at least, it was a blessing since it was incredibly hot!  3 layers is not much, but  it just wasn’t too nice to be sweating!

I was mostly sitting in the shade, and demonstrating weaving – both on a rigid heddle and on tablets, and both styles proved to be very popular with the visitors. I enjoyed long and detailed chats about the history of weaving narrow wares, textiles etc, and  it was a pleasure to exchange views and information with a very polite and well informed public. A few  ladies  had actually had a go at the weaving themselves :-)

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Threading the little loom with linen threads in preparation for tablet weaving

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Tablet weaving in action

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Eleanor talking to the visitors – wearing a Prior Attire gown in gold metallic silk too!

As far as the gown was concerned, I had a length of black damask and was hoping it would be just enough…

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After some serious calculations ( yes! maths happened!), measurements, and drafting, trying to plan how much of the fabric I could use, and still match the pattern, it transpired that it was just enough for a voluminous gown with a modest train. I didn’t mind the modest train, my other frock has a long one, so a variety is there – plus I planned to posh this frock up with some fur…

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The first lady in the black was my generic inspiration – again, the fabric seems almost exactly the same style!

The fur was purchased from GH leathers  – 2 plates of white rabbit ( oh, and one of black for Lucas – didn’t I mention he was getting a new robe too?)

The gown was cut and made, lined with red silk and then the purfells  were prepared – fur was cut to shape for the hem, collar and cuffs, and the borders were secured with tape.

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Then they were studiously attached to the garment, by hand – it takes some time, but the whole process of preparing and attaching the purfells was worth it – the fur lies flat and neat!

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I put on the gown next morning and we had a mini photo-shoot in the castle grounds before the public stormed in :-)

I must admit that I like the comfortable, shorter gown without a huge train to lug behind, and the basic colours looked elegant – with just a hint of clashing reds and vibrant greens from the kirtle:-)

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Flashing the greens, matching the foliage around!

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The back view

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We found some nice windows for an atmospheric shot…

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…but the wind was playing up with my veil a lot – so had to swap sides!

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The grounds of Sudeley Castle are breathtaking, and the event went well the next day too – it was cooler, so I got to wear the dress most of the day, but it also rained rather a lot. However, Brits  are used to this weather so we still had lots of visitors, though instead of sun hats and sandals they came armed with wellies and umbrellas:-)

The king ( Jason Kingsley)  was around on both days, taking part at ceremonies, public dinners, shows and also entertaining the public while giving short demonstrations of exquisite horsemanship on ‘White Surrey’ (actually Warlord)

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A sneaky picture from the tent…

There were a lot of  things to see – soldiers, kitchens, craftsmen, camp followers, storytelling, a whole bunch of Richard’s many cronies, a fashion show  – in short enough to occupy a family for a day ( plus  for the visitors nice food, the castle, medieval market, ice cream, and beautiful gardens to roam around).

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In short, an exquisite event, probably the most enjoyable tented event of the year – and indeed staying in a posh medieval tent was very much like glamping…  all the things we have accumulated over the years, fur covers, woven mats, tables, tapestries, lanterns, etc – it was all worth every penny; not only to see the pleasant surprise on the  public’s faces – but for our own comfort!

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Despite the rain, the tent was dry, and the mats got  lightly wet at the edges only.  The bed with its layers of sheepskin and wool bedding, with coverings made in wool and fur was not only warm but comfy ( Lucas may have a different opinion, as I got the bed before I knew him – so it is a tad too short for him). Me, I enjoy sleeping under the canvas, especially in the rain – so I loved every minute!

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Tapestries made a real difference too, as well as all the paraphernalia – lots to talk about to the visitors. Some of the items were provided by Eleanor (the games table, religious items, a chair, etc. Still, there’s an ever growing list of what we need for the tent – more chests, more wall coverings, more chairs.. I now want a standing loom too… So, it looks as if we may need a trailer… or a van….

Oh, and did I mention that Lucas got a new robe? There it is, in  the same silk as my kirtle, so we were matching :-) I still have enough of it to make another short robe, I may  yet make a stock item after all…

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reading from Chaucer…:-)

And the usual  facts and credits…….

Green kirtle – fabric – 4m of green silk, £115 per metre from the website if I remember well, but I managed to grab a roll at the market at a £80 per metre:-)

4m of taffeta for lining, £25 per metre

silk laces, £25

overall cost of materials –  £450

The gown:

Black damask – 7m @ £60 per metre,

Red taffeta for lining  – £6m @ £25

Fur – £150

Overall cost of materials: –  £650

…and the article on  how to make Burgundian dress and a kirtle here...

With more medieval inspiration here

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Clothes – Prior Attire

Lovely bling (I got a hat gem specially for the event) – as always, by Gemmeus

Belt –  Bayley Heritage Castings

Shoes and pattens – NP Historical shoes

Photography – Pitcheresque Imagery

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And the good news is – it looks like the event  will be back next August, 20/21st!! :-)  a new page has been created for the event, so keep your eyes peeled! :-)

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Filed under: Events, Living History, medieval, Medieval clothing Tagged: 15th century, burgundian gown, Medieval, medieval dress, re-enactment, Richard III, Sudeley Castle

Dear customer….

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This will be a little bit different from my usual posts, and possibly a little controversial, but I feel some things simply have to be said. Running a business has its ups and downs, pros and cons , its challenges and its rewards. I love running mine – and the only thing that sometimes makes me pause is the interaction with some of my potential clients. Usually online, sometimes at trading events. I feel I have been very lucky in general, and my customers at least 90% lovely people (I became friends with many of them), but over the years there have been enough of the less-than-perfect kind to make up that the 10%.

To be honest,  in most cases people simply behave in a particular way because they are oblivious to certain facts about the way of that life people in my line of work lead. They simply do not realize how rude they can sound – I believe if they did, they would be mortified! True, some people are dicks and nothing can change that,  but most of them are simply unaware that their behaviour can cause offence.

This is not simply my own opinion – quite a few folks  running small craft & art related businesses have experienced similar treatment, and probably for the same reason; I suppose that other small business may have been on the receiving end, too.

Below I am going to list the most common ‘faux pas‘  that I have personally come across. Usually small things, but small things do accumulate and can lead to a very negative client experience. And, hopefully, small things are also easy to amend. Some of the interactions mentioned my only be perceived as less than pleasant  from my personal perspective – as a very happy introvert I tend to  have a very specific perception I suppose – things that make me want to turn around and run away may make another costumer jump for joy, for example – but I think some of the  situations are relevant no matter what your personal traits may be.

So without further ado, this is my private list of ‘issues’ – and how they may be avoided!

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 Email/online interactions:

*Being polite matters!

Polite clients are a pleasure to deal with, and as a result I am willing to go the extra mile for them. I either offer a discount, or a free postage, or do additional high quality finishing work, just because they have been a joy to work with. If you are rude to start with, I am unlikely to accept your commission in the first place – despite what everybody seems to think, people in the creative industry rarely do sit around twiddling their thumbs, waiting for some work to miraculously happen to them, and are not therefore simply happy to accept anything from anyone – and so:

*Remember that written word can come across much more harshly than when spoken.

*I understand that nowadays formality tends to be often forgotten, but please when writing to me try to address me by my proper name, and not diminutives or ‘ huni’, ‘sweetie’ etc.  This is a personal pet hate – I understand that some people just use  endearments  automatically, but neither my family, my friends nor even my husband call me ‘sweetie’ . For a complete stranger, in a strictly professional situation, it is simply off-putting,  at least for me. My name is Izabela – please use it and we will all be happy.

*Please do not ask me to copy the work of another designer; Especially if you want it at a fraction of the original price, (more on the cost of bespoke, art items and pricing in the industry can be read about in the this post – A Queen on a Budget, please.) Also, do not  be offended if I cannot take your order because it is something that we do not make – in such cases I will attempt to provide links to other people who specialise in that area, (shoes, fantasy and fancy-dress costume, etc), I simply know my limits and if I decline to accept an order, it is for a good reason. We specialise in historically accurate clothing – if you need a fancy-dress Victorian costume with medieval sleeves and Regency silhouette, in lycra, we may not be the best choice – but we probably know people who can make it for you, so we will endeavour to provide you with an alternative solution if we can!

*Book well ahead – I tend to be booked up to 6 months or more in advance. Yes, I can sometimes have an emergency slot  available, but often I simply cannot provide you with a full Regency finery for ‘next week’ – it is nothing personal, there are simply not enough hours in the day for me to do the work – especially since those rare emergency slots are already digging into my personal time and rest.

9. planning - in the calendar and working out components and time necessary for an order

*Be prepared to sign a contract and don’t be offended when we ask for a deposit; It is simply a part of running a business in a proper and effective manner, and avoiding running at a loss. More on running a business here – and even more, especially on contracts, here.

*Do not be offended if I do not accept your friend request on Facebook. I may be old fashioned, but I keep my personal account  for family and friends – which means people I have met, interacted with, liked, and deal in person often. Having an item made does not make you a friend – yet. Over the time if we meet often enough and find we like each other that may change, (and often does), but since we are starting from a professional footing, simply keep in touch through my page until such a time comes when we may change the status quo.

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Fittings/home visits.

Dear customer, when you are coming to me for a fitting, please remember that I work from home, not from a studio, and so work and life are intertwined here – this may not be so common for many in the industry, but that does cause a few awkward situations.  And so, please:

*Do tell me how many people are coming along – unless otherwise specified I expect only you. I need to know if there are more people as there are problems of space as well my personal issues. To me, the sudden invasion of 5 people when I was expecting 1 is just like a punch to the face. Suddenly instead of the controlled, serene environment  I am used to working in, the situation is changed into chaos, when everybody is everywhere, all talking very politely no doubt, but nevertheless very distracting. I do need to concentrate when I am fitting toiles, taking measurements and discussing designs with the client. Loud chatter, however amicable, is not helping.

*Ditto children –  my house is not at all child friendly – there are lots of sharp objects around, lots of antique stuff, lots of weaponry, and a pond, too –  so unless you can keep your offspring under control (which means another person to do so while you are busy working with me), preserving any Health and Safety rules will cetainly be tricky – in which case I would have to decline the commission.  Please let me know beforehand so that we can come up with appropriate solution to the situation.

*Do not ‘pop by’  without an appointment. Not only may I not be in, but I may be busy, either working on urgent stuff or working with another customer, (who may be in a state of dishabille), so I would have to turn you away from the door. Again, nothing personal, but it may feel like rejection, so please always ask when is a good time if you need to see me in person.

*Try not to be late.  I usually have 2, 3 appointments on any fitting day, usually, for efficiency’s sake, one after another. If you arrive late, it may impact on another appointment, so please call to let me know if you are running late. If you want me to put aside a whole day, or afternoon just for you, that is fine – but my time comes at a cost. You don’t pop round to your lawyer, doctor or dentist more or less at the time that suits you, so please extend me the same courtesy; working from home doesn’t mean that I am any less busy!

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At markets

*I am always delighted when people who follow me on social media come to have a chat at the markets. However, please remember that  unless you comment/like/interact with the page, I will not know your name. And even if I do, I may not recognize you, if your profile picture features a fluffy kitten or happy puppy.  Please introduce yourself and then everything will be fine – I know who I am talking to and will try to remember for the future :-)

*Also, the mere fact that you follow me on facebookPA/twitter, etc, does not make you eligible for a discount at the stall…. or in the online shop. Sorry…

* Please remember that at markets,  I am working. You may be visiting for your leisure or for business – though for majority of people the former is the case.  You may want to come and have a good time, chat and exchange experiences tips etc – it is all fine, but , as I said, I am at work and need to treat everybody the same – which generally leaves very little time for idle chatting, am afraid. There are a few relaxed moments but usually the markets we attend tend to be heaving with public, and we have little time for lunch, let alone relaxed talk. So however much I might love to do so, I need to earn my living and serve paying customers instead :-(

Talking of lunch – please, let the stall holders have their lunch in peace! Trying to answer your questions with a mouth full of bagel is not a nice experience for anyone! We usually have one of us or a helper to front the shop when one person is eating – but people still manage to dodge them and sneak in at the back of the stall to talk to the person who is currently enjoying their lunch.

Do not ask me to work for free.  Whatever tips and advice on costuming I can give I will, and a great deal of information is on the blog here anyway, but do not ask me to provide an ad hoc workshop/lecture for your benefit, for free. This happens quite a lot – a recent one was in Bath, during the market there; let me quote it for you..

-Two women were spending quite some time looking at the stays/corsets and other items, and by looking I mean taking off the hangers, turning upside down, inside out etc. After about 5 minutes of them discussing how the things go together (and meanwhile blocking access for other interested customers) I asked politely if there was anything I could help them with. The answer was:
Yeah, actually, we make stuff like that ourselves, for us and sometimes for sale, and we tried these styles before and they didn’t really work well, so we are just trying to work out the construction details – could you please explain to us how you put these together? Oh and these ones too? (at that point one of them took a notebook and a pencil out).
I looked at her and asked – ‘What do you do for a living madam?
‘Why, I teach the flute’.
‘Could you please explain to me how you play the flute? Could you teach me now, just the basics?
She looked at me, completely taken aback.
‘Why, well, I could, but I charge for my lessons!
My response? ‘So do I’….

She actually saw the point and was rather embarrassed, and apologized, but it sort of sums up the fact that a lot of people do not take what I do for a living seriously and assume it is ‘just ‘ a hobby – I suppose other people running craft or art based businesses are often faced by a similar situation.

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*Another point – you don’t generally go to let’s say, a baker, or a carpenter, have a look around, finger the goods, sneer and announce that you can do it better than they, and/or possibly cheaper. So please refrain from doing it to stallholders at the markets.  Even if you indeed, can make the items better and at a lesser cost. Just incredibly rude.

And finally, some interactions from the online shop.

To start with, let me quote some of the messages/emails directly

* am interested in the blue dress, but it is not my size, can you re-model it so that is 3 sizes bigger?
* am interested in the blue riding habit, I clicked on the link but it takes me to the shop based in the UK. Can you please post the link to your USA branch? Otherwise I would be unable to purchase as shipping and customs duty are expensive.
* am interested in the grey skirt, i clicked on the link to the shop but it gives price in pounds. Why is there no Euro? I don’t like working out the conversion rates myself.
* are the measurements American? How many centimeters in an inch?
* I like your corsets! I want one but in different colour, and in my size – can you make me one for this Saturday? Would the price be the same?
* I love the pink Victorian gown in silk, but is too expensive! I can spend max £150 on a thing like that, would you consider selling it for £150 (postage included), or making me a bespoke one for that price?
* the riding habits are lovely, but why are there only 2 available? and why not in a range of sizes, and colours?
* am interested in the medieval Burgundian gown, but can purchase it in July only – can you keep it for me? I am not saying I will buy it, just considering and would like to know it is still available in July.
* I want a bespoke one, when are you able to make me one? (my answer – am now booked till October) – whaaaatttt!!!! October??? this is ridiculous, I need one for June! how can you run a business like that! Can you not shift other people so that mine can be made first?

Well…

Here I feel  the very fact that  we have an online shop may be put to blame – people simply assume that we are a much bigger business than we are – and flattering as that may be, it often causes  awkward situations.

Also, people assume that our ideology is the same as that of big chain stores and find it difficult to understand that we do not carry a huge stock of the same items in a range of colours and sizes.  Our field is quite  narrow, and I like to think that I specialise in unique and individual items – so our  stock items, though usually in ‘generic’ sizes are still unique. I have no desire to create the same dress in 6 different sizes and 3 different colours – this would not only kills the joy of making an individual item to me, but poses a question of stock control, space, cost, etc. We are a small business, and I have no particular desire to grow into a huge one. Might happen – might not. At the moment I take pleasure in making items unique – even our stock corsets have individual touches that make them unique. Nowadays,  many people are motivated by finance alone – and whereas, as a business you have to be, to some extent, I am in the happy situation where I can make what I want to make and enjoy it – and I treasure the enjoyment coming from creating one specific item much higher than profits coming from mass producing shirts.

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Well, that’s about it, I think – a bit of a rant, maybe, but as I have said, a lot of the problems stems from misunderstanding of the industry, and not malice. I do not wish to offend anyone and I think there are few people who go out of their way to offend others, especially if they want to develop a professional relationship, so I think maybe this post help both parts to understand each other a bit better.

And if you run a home/craft based business and you have experiences similar situations, or have something to add – please comment!


Filed under: business, corsetry, Dressmaking, Events Tagged: bespoke costumes, business, costume business, costuming, customer relations, online shop online costumes, professional costumier

The Spirit of Autumn Dress Project

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A damsel in this dress:

it is that time of year again…

Originally posted on A Damsel in This Dress:

Image Autumn Spirit dress

Well, that was something different.  One week I have an idea, next week the outfit is ready….   absolutely loving the  result of the friendly/professional cooperation on this project – it looks like the other seasons will be represented by organic, ephemeral dresses as well.

But – the Autumn. A detailed  article on how to make the outfit will soon appear on the Foundations Revealed website, but in the meantime a few pictures and a bare bones here…

The original sketch

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 A week on, the leaves and other autumnal bits were gathered…

Image conkers!!

Image naughty Merlin kept dive bombing the leaf pile…

the dress base was made up of cotton  and the fun begins…

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 The leaves are first stapled on ( only the first layer/ and then glued with copious amount of glue…   a few hours later, having run out of glue and the leaves,  the skirt…

View original 529 more words


Filed under: Uncategorized

My Big Fat Victorian Wedding – St. Audries Park, West Quantoxhead, Somerset. 17th October 2011

The Gold Gown, market and a Regency Ball 2015

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 Last year we had a lovely time at out first Regency ball, part of the annual Jane Austen celebration in Bath (see post on that here). This year the dates were changed a bit, which meant that the Ball was on the first Saturday of the festival, and there was a market earlier on in the day too. So, two  birds with one stone – we could go and trade to earn our living in the day, and in the evening we could go and have a good dance at the ball!

 The usual dilemma ocurred – What to wear? I had my old evening gown, but it would be nice to make something new. As I had only 5 days to prepare regency dresses for sale, I decided to get the stock items sorted first and to work on my own frock if I had some time spare.

 I already knew what I would be using as an inspiration  – this gown from the Met museum

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 I already had some lovely gold semi-transparent silk in my stash, so all I needed to get was lace, decoration and the silk satin for the base of the dress. I didnt really like the pearl trim on the original, so decided on an alternative, but all of the components were ready and waiting, just in case I managed to make time for it!

 In the end I finished all the stock dresses on Friday moring – and we were to leave Friday night. I had about 8 hours. Well, you know that I do like challenges….

 One thing has to be said – working on the stock meant that whilst handstitching other frocks I had time to think about the gold gown construction even before I started to work on it. I must admit, it did take me some time – mostly because I simply couldn’t see how it closed! Yes, you can see the sheer overgown ties in front, but what about the satin gown?  You can zoom in quite a lot on the Met site so you can see clearly that there are no rows of buttons or ties at the back under the sheer, nothing at the side or front, no button closures, no bib closure, no tie closures… A mystery!

 I started  zooming in to maximum and checking every detail – and finally I found it! On the back, right of centre-back, you can just about see something on the satin layer that could be called a button and a loop, at the neck egde.

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I new that must be it – After thinking a little more, and analysing the cut I arrived at a very simple pattern idea – basically a sack with fitted neckline. I tried the idea on a mock-up first, making the top part of the gown in calic; it worked. I actually didn’t even need the button, the thing just slips ovehead and a simple tie does the rest.

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 So on the day I cut the gown in silk satin, sewed it, hemmed it, lined the bodice, etc – in other words it was ready for the overgown and the sleeves.

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Merlin was happy as for once he was allowed on the silk. normally it is off-limits but since it was my own stuff, I did not mind – and he did enjoy overseeing the work.

  That was the easy part…. the overgown was next – and whereas it is basically a loose robe, it took the most time due to all the finishing – cutting precise facings in flimsy sheer fabric is not my idea of fun! But the facings were cut, sewn, handstitched and metallic lace attached – then they were just awaiting the posh trim I wanted to use in place of the pearls.

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 Sleeves were next – and they were the most time-consuming…

 Cutting up the base and the satin layer first –

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 Then preparing the space for the gathering and placing the gathers in suitable places so that that they formed ‘pulling-outs’ –  just as in Tudor sleeves.

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Sleeve gathered on both sides

Once the gathers were positioned, I was able to add the overlay with the cut out holes and the gold metallic trim

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I was getting excited by this stage… All that now remained was getting the sleeves together, lining them, sewing into the armbands and then into the armhole, (both the satin and the  sheer layers of the dress).

And it was almost ready – just a little belt to add, made from the sheer (I tried to  attach it to pregathered sheer underneath like in the original, but after speding an hour I decided I didnt like it – so outside it went.  Only the posh trim remained, and that could be done before the ball next day.

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We packed up, drove to Bath (3 hours), checked into the hotel and collapsed…

Next day saw us setting up the stall at the market in the Guildhall – and we had 4 jolly hours of trading there…

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The stall, ready!

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Farthingale Hats stall. Yes, I did get a new hat….

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Amy’s (Costume Shop) stand where Lucas purcahsed his replacement hose; clocked, no less!

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I was sporting the redingote which I made last year – more on making that here. I still love it!

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Hair Story with their wonderfull wigs and hairpieces… And yes, I have commissioned some hair from them since…

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A dashing young fellow!

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The silhouette cutter was super popular!

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My Customers were sporting their Prior Attire bling – Janet picked up two new hats from me, and it was the first outing of the military style spencer… David’s finery was made a year ago – more on its making here.

After the market  we packed up the remaining goods, drove back to the hotel and collapsed (again). But we had a ball to go to! I was so tired, that honestly, if it hadnt been for the fact that there was food on offer I probably wouldnt have gone… But we knew Searcy’s would deliver a great meal (we were not disappointed as it turned out), so after a power nap I got my act together and sorted out the braid on the dress:-). Then it was time to get dressed…

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    do love my regency long stays, the are comfortable and provide anazing ahem, lift…. here shown with a petticoat

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    You can see here how the layers worked

    And so, off to the ball we went – armed with a big camera too!  We had an amazing time, despite being so tired (I danced every other dance to conserve my energy), and the meal was superb… pictures below!

    The gold dress first – I am rather happy with it – the design worked surprisingly well :-) Will probably sell it at some point,  as I simply cannot go to the ball next year in the same frock, can I ? :-)

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    We snatched this one at the break as everybody rushed to grab some food…

    and more generic photos of the dancing  etc :-)

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Loved the blue gown!

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Zack from Pinsent Tailoring, in the tightest breaches ever – check out his work, very good!

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I admit that we did leave ‘just’ before the ball ended – I was falling asleep! As it turned out, combining a working day with an evening of fun doesnt really work for me :-(

Still, we had a good night’s rest, a good brekkie and were on our way home  soon.  Once back home we decided to take the opportunity to photograph the remaining dresses  – they are now available in the shop – click  on the links to see the listing :-)  I look tired but the gowns looked well, and that is enough for the shop :-)

Regency Outfits Sept 15-35

front

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A tiny bit too big, otherwse I think I would be keeping it to myself!

this is my favourite – super smooth cotton, with removable long sleeves:-)

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Undersleeves removed

We even made a short video about how to put on a regency brassiere: – enjoy!

Many thanks to PItcheresque Imagery for the photos!


Filed under: Dressmaking, Events, Georgian, re-enactment, Regency Tagged: ball gown, Bath, historical dressmaking, Jane Austen, regency, Regency Ball, regency dress

Mid Victorian Undergarments: chemise, drawers and a petticoat

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Since  our next Victorian Ball has a Crinoline theme, I have promised a few tutorials and pattern reviews for the folks who are making their own kit. Sew Curvy joined the fun and now offers very attractively priced patterns and crinoline kits from the era ( just a few left in stock…), so I took advantage of the offer and grabbed a few patterns too.

Normally I don’t bother with commercial patterns much, underwear included as I draft my own, and for Victorian Era the patterns in Francis Grimble’s books are of a great help – so this was a bit of an adventure, trying to actually follow instructions. Which I did, to some extent… ;-)  And so, below, a short tutorial on making a set of mid-victorian open drawers, a chemise and a petticoat.

The pattern:

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Fabrics: cotton lawn (but any lightweight cotton or linen will do) and cotton lace, 3 buttons.

Finish –  I went for modern finish as was squeezing the project in between commissions and stock-making, but it doesnt mean that you have to follow me and use the same techniques – if you have time, do go for a hand finish :-)

Drawers.

1. find your size on the chart, trace the  pattern. I traced it onto paper once, so that I dont have to cut the pattern itself.

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2. trace the pattern onto the fabric – fold the lawn in half and you will only have to cut once!

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3.  once cut, I overlocked the side seams and the facing for the size. I decided to save time and forego front and back facings – not really needed, though they would give a nicer finish! Instead of a self ruffle I used cotton broderie anglaise lace.

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4. Follow the directions for working the side openings/facings – they are explained fairly clrealy.

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Pin and stitch as indicated on the pattern

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Cut between the stitching

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Flip the facing onto the left side. Press. I usually run a stitch just next to the edge too.

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Fold the edges ( if overloced they dont actually need to be folded!) , pn and handstitch ( or machine stitch) around

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Ready! Repeat on the other side

5. Fold the overlocked edges of the crotch opening (or follow instructions for facings there)

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6. Gather the legs and top – I gathered mine using a ruffle attachment, but you can pleat or gather on a string, too (lower the thread tension, use the long stitch setting and sew – then just pull the thread to gather)

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7. Gather the ruffle – again, several methods are possible, I gathered mine on an overlocker

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8. Sew each leg

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One leg done – not the gathered bits!

9. Prepare the leg bands and attach lace to them – the instructions are quite clear about how to do it.

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Leg band ready

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Lace attached

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Sandwich the gathered drawer-leg between the band and the lining of the band

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Attached!

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Fold and pin the inside band; hand stitch in place. Repeat for the other leg!

10. Attach the waistbands – again, the instructions are clear!

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Both waistbands ready

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Pinning the waistbands to the gathered edge

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Sewn!

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Fold the inside bit, pin and stitch in place

11. Make buttonholes and attach buttons. Fot this project I used buttons from my secret stash of antique buttons :-)

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Buttonhole made on a machine

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Ready! it took me just over 2 hours to complete the project – it would be about 3 – 4 if I wasn’t using an overlocker.

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I found them just a bit too big at the waist – if I make them again, I will choose the waistband one size smaller. Apart from that tiny detail, the pattern worked well!

Chemise

  1. Trace and cut the pattern according to your size (again, I found it runs a tad too big for my liking – but it is not a huge issue at all – and it is always easier to end up with a chemise an inch or two too big rather than one too small!)

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2. Overlock the sides and sew together; (or sew the sides together and finish the seam by hand if you prefer.)

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3. Add the shouler strap reinforcement bits. I admit the instructions here were not too clear so I did it my way…  I supose as long as the edges are strong enough for a button, etc, that is all that matters

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4.Overlock the sleeve (or hand finish) and attach to the armhole. You will need to gather a bit; I did it as I sewed.

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Sleeve ready

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Sewing sleeve onto the body of the chemise

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Sleeve ready, but the edges of the seam need to be secured

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…and the seam gets overlocked !

5. Prepare the neckline and hem edge (overlock and fold, or hand stitch – up to you)

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Neckline edge finish

6. Add lace – I used a narrow broderie anglaise, as I had enough to use on the sleeves, neck and hem!

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7. Add buttons and work buttonholes

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The chemise is now ready!

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I have also made another version of the chemise, too – the same pattern, just with no sleeves, and no buttoned-up staps – I simply sewed the straps together instead. The neckline is finished with an eyelet lace with the ribbon, which controls the neckline as it can be pulled tighter, if needs be.

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Next stage was to put one of my corsets on (a suitable corset kit can be bought here: corset kit – the pattern is later but the style works for mid-victorian silhouette and is much easier to make – I have made a mid-victorian corset using a commercial pattern and it wasn’t exactly a success – you can read about it here).

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lacing on!

Crinoline cage on – not made by me, but by a friend – and using this pattern –  crinoline kit.

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All we need now is a petticoat.

Petticoats are very easy to make – so easy that there is little point in providing an actual pattern. Even ‘Truly Victorian’ provides a diagram and instructions for free – petticoat instructions

I basically used a length of cotton sheeting – a rectangular piece. The length was the circumference of the crinoline cage plus 1m, the lengh –  measured on the crinoline, from waist to the ground. If you do not plan flounces, pintucks etc, but a basic one, keep it a bit above the ground. If you want lots of pintucks, make it longer.

This particular one has been made with 5 rows of big pintucks

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a few tips:

  • dont wast time measuring and cutton your cotton. i usually just ,ark how long i want the piece to be , nicj the fabric  and simply tear it. it tears easily and along the grain, you you have a straight line with no hassle. disadvantage – you will get a few hanging thread to deal with. I use the same metod for cutting the flounce
  •  pintucks – for small, decorarice pintucks you see on chemises etc, I use a seam gauge and a pintuck foot etc – the detail is important. for the petticoats however, where i want my pintucks bigger, and where it doent matter too much if the pintuck is 2mm longer at one side, I save time by not marking them at all – i simply use my finger as a gauge.
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for the tucks on the flounce i used my firt knuckle as a measurement of the folded bit – – and the depth of the tuck is measured against the grid on the needle plate

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flouce ready and pressed

(A short video of how to make them fast using your finger as a gauge can be found on my instagram account. ( here)

I also opted for a flounce, also with pintucks and  lace :)

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Once the pintucks and the flounce were on, I simply gathered the wasit (there will be lots of fabric to gather – about 4.5-5m) using the ruffler attachment

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Then attach the waistband, buttons, etc, and you are done!

If you are wondering why pintucks and flounces instead of a simple petticoat, well, they do have a function! PIntucks were used a lot on children’s clothing – as they grew up, the tucks were released and garment lengthened, here however the tucks are not only a decorative feature, but a practical one – they  hide the shape of the cage and they stiffen the edge a bit more, hanging better; the flounce has  the same function – this fills in the empty space between the cage’s end and the ground, preventing the ‘lampshade effect :-)

There are a few beautiful petticoats still surving – you can fing some on my pinterest page

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Now you are ready for a skirt and a bodice – or a gown. I have already written a post on a day dress – here.

Shortly I will be making a ball bodice (again, using a TV pattern) – so, there’s more to come! I hope you found this little tutorial useful
:-) chemises, petticoats, corsets and whole outfirs are going to be available  in our online shop soon!  There is already a nice dress there, but more undergarments will be added shortly

Oh, and if you dont sew, dont worry,

And a few outtakes:-) i knew the chamber put would come in useful!

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hmm, what do we have in here….

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eughrr! Wish I hadnt looked!


Filed under: Dressmaking, tutorial, Victorian Tagged: crinoline era, historical, historical undergarments, how to make a chemise, Victorian, Victorian chemise, Victorian petticoat

Making a Mid Victorian Ball Gown

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1860 Gown Orange (1)

In the last tutorial we dealt with undergarments (drawers, chemise and a petticoat). So, it is now time to tackle the gown itself!

Again, since this series is mostly dedicated to the guests of our Victorian ball who are making their own costumes,  I used a pattern that is widely available, from Truly Victorian. If you are in the UK, Sew Curvy are stocking a very limited amount at a very attractive price, as a special offer for the ball-goers. Get yours here!

I normaly draft my own patterns, although I have used commercial ones a few times, ( often customers bring one and insist that they want their stuff made up according to it), so I expected the usual faffing about, anything from various anticipated adjustments to recutting the entire thing, (I found the ‘Reconstructing History’ patterns particularly troublesome – like this one: WWI suit; Corset-wise I have tried a commercial pattern too, and the results and a review are here).

Well, I am happy to say thet Truly Victorian was one of the best patterns I have used – it worked a treat!

Anyway, let us go step by step.

 The pattern

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Materials

silk in lovley gold/orange tones, ( 1.5)

cotton lawn for lining- 1.5m

lace and velvet ribbon for decoration

synthetic whalebone

tubular tape for boning

eyelets ( optional)

Making:

  • Read  and follow the sizing instructions very carefully – they do differ from modern ones! Also, remember that you will be wearing the bodice on a corset, so take that into the consideration too.
  • Once you’ve sorted out which size actually applies to you ( in my case it was between sizes, since my corsetted form has quite a dramatic difference between the chest and waist. I opted to unlace my corset a bit and choose a slightly bigger size, since the dress will be a stock item for sale, a more generic sizing may make it easier to sell, I think. I followed the E pattern)
  • Trace your pattern onto paper and cut out ( I tend not to cut into patterns, as that way they last longer and I don’t have to worry that a part has been lost. If the cut-out version gets damaged or loses bits, I can always refer to the master copy!)
  • Trace and cut out the pattern in cheap fabric – this will be yout mock up. DO NOTskip this step!

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1 side cut out

  • Sew the pieces together as instructed. I usually add bones and make proper lacing at the back on a mock up too – itdoesn’t  take much time and enables you to really get the fit right! If you plan to use hooks and eyes instead, simply skip this step and follow the instructions supplied with the pattern.
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Preparing the back pieces for the lacing – folding as instructed and making a channel for the bone at the edge

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Marking the holes

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Holes made!

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Back panel sewn with the side panel

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Front panels sewn together

* Time to put on your corset and try the fit of the mock up… ( it helps if you hace someone to help you to lace up!)

…and a very pleasant surprise! My mockup fitted perfectly, with only very slight adjustments to be made!

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  • Make whatever adjustments you need, and copy them onto the paper pieces. Then it is time to get started on the proper stuff.
  •  Cut out the pieces in silk and your lining fabric (although the pattern recomends interlining and then lining, I decided to go  the way most extant clothing from the era is made – just flatlining the silk is usually enough. (You can see examples  of that on my pinterest board). Also, although the pattern recommends ‘sturdy and thick interlining’, I went light – again, from personal experience –  my corset is boned heavily, plus I didnt want to have yet another heavy layer to hold the heat in – and since we are talking a gown for a ball here, I wanted to make it as light as I could.

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*Pin each piece of the top fabric with the lining. You can baste them together, or just pin securely and sew –  since it is a stock item, I went the fast-and-cheap way and overlocked the edges. if you want to go  for an authentic finish, you will simply have to pink and stitch down the seam allowances (more on how the authentic inside would look in this article on making a 1860 day gown)

  • Follow the intructions for assembling the bodice.
  • I started by preparing the back pieces
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  •  You can use metal eyelets or stitch the eyelets by hand
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Assembling the bodice

Once you have the basic bits together, try it on. At this stage you can still fiddle with the seams and adjust the fit.

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  • Once the fit is where you want it to be, it is time to add the sleeves…
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    I gathered my sleeve using the 2:1 ratio on my overlocker

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    Sleeves gathered

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    Pinning in the lining

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    Sleeve ready, very funky!

  • Pin the sleeves into the armholes and sew. Bind the seam with a tape (the period correct version) or overlock it.  You can add shields too, if you want, (tese are pieces of heavier fabric in the armhole, to absorb sweat and protect the silk from staining)
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sSeeve pinned in

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Sleeve in, overlock finish

* Time to finish the edges. I dealt with the hem first – you can pipe it, use a facing or a binding. I cut a bias binding and bound the edges with it.

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Finish on the inside

*Bertha next.  There are two options available in the pattern, I chose the flat one – it simply goes better with the lace decoration that I planned to use. TBH i would probably go wiht a model that is not discussed on the pattern, one that closes over the shoulder,  but decded to stick to the pattern in the end. Cut the pieces in silk and lining fabric, put together according to the instructions, sew, flip onto the right side and press.

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*Decorate with lace, ribbons etc (I added mine later, but both ways will work)

*Pin into the bodice and sew, then bind the edge

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Once in place, I decorated mine with lace and ribbon

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  • Add  bows etc as needed
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  • Boning  – again the instructions for adding boning are clear and easy to follow. To save on time and on making the channels I went for a more expensive tubular tape – it simply saves time. Cut the bones (synthetic whalebone here), insert into the channels and secure the edges. Original bodices have their bones flossed, and it is worth doing so too, as it not only prolongs the life of the channels, it also secures the bones more firmly – and as a bonus, looks rather nice, too!
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The bodice is finished!

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…and the inside

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  The skirts.

No pattern here, as the skirt was rather simple. 4 gores and a waistband!

Materials – 6m of silk ( plus lining if ou plan to line yours. MIne isint lines, wanted to keep it light!

Lace, etc, to decorate

Dress hooks, etc, to close

Making

Cut out your pieces of fabric. In my case, a completely basic skirt – no train, as that would impede dancing, so all of the pieces are the same.

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The first piece cut out (here shown folded). Remember to measure the length on your crinoline!

* Overlock the edges of flatlining, deal with the pieces in exactly the same way as the bodice.

*Stitch together. Leave an opening for a placard at one side.

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Cut and insert the plackard

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Hem it – on a machine or by hand. Add decoration.

 *  Pleat the skirt to fit into the waistband. you can use knife pleats, box pleats, or cartridge pleats – all were used!. I opted for knife pleats. Once the pleats are pinned, put the skirt onto the crinoline cage to see if you like the distribution of the fabric – and arrange accordingly.

  • If all looks OK, sew the waistband in place.

IMG_3218 IMG_3219* Secure the waistband, add closure – hooks and eyes, button, dress hooks; your choice – I went for dress hooks and pop studs on the plackard

It is ready!

I even made a little headdresss with the same lace and bows :-)

1860 Gown Orange (15) 1860 Gown Orange (13) 1860 Gown Orange (9) 1860 Gown Orange (7) 1860 Gown Orange (3)

 For auditory bonus, the whole thing rustles amazingly – a short video of it  in movement here

 The dress is now for sale too – the listing can be seen in our online shop


Filed under: American Civil War, Dressmaking, tutorial, Victorian, Victorian Ball Tagged: 19th century, ball, ball gown, bodice, crinoline, Evening gown, historical dressmaking, history, how to make a crinoline gown, midVictorian gown, Victorian

Making a round Crinoline Cage

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IMG_3425Welcome to another of our tutorials aimed at the folk getting their gear ready for the Victorian Ball.  In this one I am going to provide a step by step  guide on how to make the iconic round crinoline cage, perfect for 1855-65 period.

The other tutorials below:

The undergarments  ( chemise, drawers and petticoat)

 Ball bodice and a skirt

 Day dress

I already have a cage, made by a friend, Denise Piggin, but to help folks who are  getting their own, I have decided to get the pattern and play with it, documenting  the stages – and then to sell it on. Again, as I don’t usually use commercial patterns, this was quite a challenge – especially when you realise that things can be done in a simpler way than in the instructions. Still, I preservered and got the thing working….

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The pattern was a Truly Victorian one, availbel from Sew Curvy – get yours here. They also do kits,  which make  work simpler, but you can always buy your supplier separately, especially if you want different colours etc

Materials:

Fabric – I used cotton twill, but any cotton or other sturdy fabric will do. It doesn’t have to be  white either – colours were used too ( check the pinterest board on skirt supports, including crinnolines). amount – 1.5m ( if 150cm wide)

Tape/ribbon: for the vertical  elements ( reffered to as ribbons) in the pattern –   11- 12m,

Tape for the boning channels – if using tubular, follow the directions for the length on the pattern. If  making channels of herringbone tape, double the required amount.  I used 28m of 25mm herringbone tape for the large size option

Tubular tape is good, but rarely comes in the required width suitable for the cage. Also, it is pricey. Herringbone tape works great, is cheap and comes in different widths and colours.  To be honest, you can use any strong tape – including cotton ribbons,  velvet or grosgrain ribbons, jaquarded ones – just be aware that you will need a lot.

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Boning: again, as reqired on the pattern.  both 11mm steal  boning and 13mm work great. I used 28m of 13mm

Making.

  • trace the pattern ( not much here, so easy!)

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* trace the pieces onto the fabric  and cut. Mark the channels carefully on all pieces

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tracing

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1 piece cut out, 2 to go!

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tracing the lines for the boning

  • Sew the pieces together into one long piece.  Open the seams and stitch them down – either on one side or on both. I opted for both, looked better on the right side:-)

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From now on, follow the insructions very carefully – they are  a bit tricky at this point!

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sewing along the top – remember to leave the 6 inches gap at both sides!

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turn the long tube inside out

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press, if necessary…

The tricky part – the last seam to make the tube into a closed circle – carefully sew the pieces, righr sides together. The top opening allows for that. I overlocked my edges a bit first, but this is not necessary

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you can even flatten the seam out – a bit tricky, but can be done

Time to stitch the channels. Do not panic if your markings are not aligned perfectly at the seams – you may need to round them up a bit anyway, and the channels are big enough for several bones, let alone one – so no disaster there.

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Your bag is now basically ready.

Time to work on the vertical supports – the ribbons. They are very straighforward, as are the instructions. Trace the required length, cut 8, fold and mark the channel slots. If you are using a diffrent width channels, make sure the slots are big enough ( but not too big) for them!

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If you are short on tape, or want the cage to be lighter,  you can simply form little loops for the boning channels, without having to double the entire length of the tape.

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I tested both of these – I have 6 double taped and 2 single ones :-)

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tapes ready to be sewn

Sew the tapes. then attach to the bag as instructed – the seam allowance is enough to sew on both sides of the top channel in the bag

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Boning channels.

cut the desired length of the tape.

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I used double herringone tape – lots of long seams,  so make sure you clp the tape when you double it, otherwise it starts having Mobius ideas… I secured the edges and checked where i need to sew. the pattern of the tape is great – for 10mmboning use the inside groves, for 13mm the middle of the outside ones.

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sew on both sides. I left one end folded, and the other one opened a bit – once the boning is in it, it will be easier to sandwich them together and connect.

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You can also use double width tape –  simply fold it in half, lengthwise and run the stitches.  i ran a trial below – on a 4cm tape. with careful stitching, it is wide wnough for both  11 and 13mm boning

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Once the tapes are ready, measure up and cut the boning, for both the bag and the tape channels. I used 13mm bones. Make sure you number the boning.

File the edges ( or protect using caps or tape) after filing i  used plumbers tape to make sure there are no sharp edges.

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Insert the bones into the bag, starting from the bottom. once the whole bone is in, overlap a bit and tape – i used a plain masking tape here.

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inserting the bone

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taped bone joint

Repeat for all the bag bones – then sew the bag opening shut. You can also complete the sewing on the channels if you want – but not necessary. Be careful not to sew over a bone – if in doubt use a zipper foot.

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You are almost there! so far you have the bag with tapes.

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Now it is time to get the horizontal support sorted.

* insert the boning into the tapes

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Follow the instruction on the inserting boning into the slots in the vertial ribbons.

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The instructions do not say much about connecting the horizontal channels – i simply carried on with my sandwich method, sloting one end of the tape into the open end of another and stitching them shut.

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you can hide the seam in one of the slots too,  anchoring the tape there

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The last thing is to sort out the waistband. I decided to use  the same herringbone tape ( in cream, ran out of white at that point). Since this cage will be for sale, the flexible  waistband is a plus as it will suit a variety of sizes. You can also  use busles, dress hooks, ooks and eyes – p to you. Be aware that if you choose ties, the waistban will roll a bit – and sit slightly below the waist. This is not a problem – actualy works very well and you don’t create additional bulk at the waist.  If you use buckes  etc, in fact any  closure that keeps the tension actoss the width of the waistband, the wasitband should stay put, snuggly against the waist

The cage is ready now – a tad too big for the  dummy, but works fine:-)

 

This cage is now available in our shop, offered as an experimental piece at a reduce rate! Here

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the front

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the back. depening on the size, you might want to moce the tapes aroud a bit.

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close up

and my own cage, made in grossgrain ribbon troughout,  with 11mm boning, and the bag with two layers ( with a fancy fashion fabric)

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Late Victorian Stock Undergarments - October 25, 2015 - 23

A trick: if you are lost  making the bag, simply cut one layer of fabric ( so cut along the line where the old bag would be folded lenghtwise.   Sew into a circle, hem and use tapes  to provide the channels – in the same way as the bustle cages are made  ( tutorial on Bustle cages). It saves time, and weight – and quite a lot of worry if you have trouble puzzling the bag out:-). Bear in mind, you will need more tape though.

Happy sewing!


Filed under: American Civil War, Dressmaking, tutorial, Victorian Tagged: 19th century, American civil war era, ball gown, crinoline, crinoline cage, hoop skirt, Victorian

Victorian Winter warmers

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a lovely write up about our little shoot yesterday!

Happening History

Victorian snow 4With next weeks big freeze in mind, here’s some very seasonal Victorian photos taken for us by Lucas & Izabela Pitcher of Prior Attire.  We had a wonderful afternoon yesterday visiting them.

I had a late realisation at the end of last year that I was working outside during February half term 2016 at Audley End House in Essex and that I had no warm clothes to wear, apart from buying lots of thermal underwear, I was straight on the phone (or rather e-mail to Izabela, who fortunately had some pre made clothing in stock that matched the dress she had made me beautifully.  When I walked in her house and saw them on the chair I immediately fell in love with them.  It’s not very often in life that the thing we’re expecting is far better than you had imagined it to be but this was certainly the case.  I…

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Running a Costuming Business, part 3:The Art of Objectivity

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A short follow up on my earlier posts, ( part 1 and 2), dealing with running a creative business – not only a costuming one I suppose, but applying to many art- and craft-related business as well.

This point has come up recently, but in quite a few places, and so I though it was worth discussing it here. I have mentioned ‘constant learning’ and pointed out how important it is if you want your  business to succeed, but  I neglected to mention one important thing:

MISTAKES.

…and believe me, ladies and gentlemen, mistakes are  your friend.  They show  you clearly in which areas you need to improve, they make you aware that there is yet more research todo/ techniques to study, and  as a result, you get better! The thing is, everybody makes mistakes- but not everybody learns from them.

I am often asked by  folks for an opinion on their creations – and they all ask me for an honest opinion. And an honest opinion I give, highlighting both the points of excellency, and  stating what areas could do with some improvement (as a college teacher I have had decades of practice on how to do this, at least now it comes  handy for my own business too!); and guessed what?  A few folks are happy,  a few take the comments on board and apply in their future work, a few listen, thank me and ignore whatever was suggested – and that is all fine. However, quite a significant  percentage are angry and actually resort to abuse,  (“how dare you criticise my gown! I spent months working on it!” ; “You are just  jealous, you must hate my work –  all my friends are saying this piece is perfect!”; and even “go fuck yourself, you ‘know- it-all’,  my work is faultless; afraid of competition, huh?”).  They do make for an interesting read sometimes, and sometimes they leave me puzzled – so after some thinking and a few discussions with friends,  I realised  an important thing:

Very few people are able to view their work objectively.

It works in both directions. Some  people create amazing things  but in their own eyes they are nothing special, just ‘something I made’ . The are the perfectionists, never satisfied with the end result, and sometimes suffering from ‘impostor syndrome’. As a result they do put their own work down, and either under-price it or, if making things for themselves, they get disappointed with the lack of perfection. Usually  they just need a bit of a boost, usually from another person whose opinion they feel they can trust, to start looking at their creations in a different light. Sometimes their sense of underachievement may come from comparing their own work to other artists to whom they look up – and that issue can be dealt with as well.

If you think you might be one of these folks, there are a few things you may do, to try to look at your own work in a more realistic light:

  • Read up on the Impostor Syndrome and ways to overcome it; (a good start here)
  • Set yourself realistic goals. Aim high, yes – but in small steps rather than one huge leap.  Take small steps, each bringing you closer to your ideal.
  • Identify the issues that you think your work has, write them down and then discuss  – ideally with a specialist in the area, an outsider who will be objective, but if you have friends who are able to tell you what they really think, that can work, too. Seek out a few good, informed opinions – if none of them perceive the same issues as yourself, there is a high probability that the issue is really only in your own head! If they agree and state that there is something upon which you can improve, don’t despair. Simply note the advice and plan for how to deal with it. This is one of your targets, and gives you something tangible to work on, whilst on your way to ‘perfection’.
  •  Talking about perfection – well, it means something different to  everybody.  I  usually assume absolute perfection is unattainable, but one can damn well try to get as close as possible! Do not over-obsess though – that one, tiny, skipped stitch you found on the inside or that one buttonhole 0.2mm out of alignment?  It will most likely not be noticed by 99.9% of the population…
  • Know your limits: everybody has different strengths and different weaknesses – use your strengths to your advantage.  You can make a great piece of clothing with a commercial pattern, but when trying to pattern things yourself you end up in a mess?- either take lessons or a course in patterning, or just concentrate on doing what you are good at! Or, if you cannot follow a pattern at all and get lost in calculations, but can free-hand them with ease and the end result is amazing – well, ditch the patterns! There are may ways leading to the same result, all of them equally good.

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  • Don’t always compare yourself to the top of your profession. Yes, look up to them and learn from them, but also take time to compare yourself to your peers, and also to those who are just starting out.  This is crucial – and works for many walks of life.  I  had a similar experience in Mixed Martial Arts quite recently –   for the last year or so I have been trying to spar with the best fighters, thinking that these guys are the ones to learn from. I was right, but only partially.  I was learning, but couldn’t see it, and the fact that I was having my arse handed to me again, and again, and again, wasn’t particularly motivating. I did some sparring with the beginners, and enjoyed the teaching and coaching part, but it was only when I came across somebody who was my peer, more or less,  when I understood how much I had learnt. These guys were not the cage fighters I usually worked with, but blokes who had been coming for the last year or so – fit, young and looking quite formidable. I sparred with them a few times half a year ago or so  and was just about able to handle it.  So now I expected something similar – but it turned out much better. Suddenly all the moves that I wasn’t able to pull with the ‘pros’ now worked! I seemed faster and more agile – although obviously I wasn’t – they were just a bit slower than my usual sparring partners. My ego soared! At least until the next round when  I was ground to dust by one of our pros…  it is a lengthy example but I hope it shows how working with all, levels, higher and lower can help you understand your own capabilities: Working with the best can provide you with inspiration and will make you learn; working with peers will help you assess your own work better and you learn from each other a lot too; working with beginners will help you realise how far you have come – and will help them to improve as well.
a brief victory - before being tied into one very sweaty pretzel

 

* Take photos of you work and if you are feeling particularly low, have a look at the old ones.  more often than not, you will see how far you have come!

 

Now, let us have a look at the other end of the scale.

Some people are not able to see their own mistakes – and the reasons may be  numerous, ranging from a case of Dunning- Kruger Syndrome  to the fact that your family and friends may be pumping you full lies so that you stay happy. Or maybe  you are starting  on a long road and are so ecstatic about the first step as a whole, that you cannot see the details which could be improved (been there, done that, got the tee shirt. I now cringe when I look at those ‘masterpieces’ I used to be so proud of!)

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one of my early corsets…. essentially a tube. but gosh, i was so ecstatic about it!

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4 years and about 60 corsets later…. getting better!

Most often, the apparent confidence in one’s own brilliance comes not from an over-abundance of self esteem – but rather a lack of it. Often, people are bought up in the belief that mistakes are bad and to be avoided at all cost – and that admitting to one is just as bad. Years of self delusion, denying all possibility of any fault, usually re-enforced  by the white lies that family and friends feed you, and you somehow loose the ability to see your mistakes – and most importantly, to learn from them.

Now, if you are making things for yourself, and love what you doing – that is really all that matters – especially when  you are happy about your results. You are happy and that’s the end of it – enjoy it, and what everybody  else is thinking does not matter at all.

However, if  your professional career depends upon it, and you are making things for other people, this can be detrimental to the development of your business and indeed can stop you from fully realising your creative potential. It will also make you very unhappy – you are producing fantastic things, but nobody wants to buy them – why?  If you want to succeed, you need to understand how to adjust your perception – even though your mind is telling you clearly that there is no fault with the product, it is just that all of those other people are wrong, and being awkward! ;-0).
There are a few techniques that may help:

  •  It is very difficult to judge your own work accurately – so seek the opinions of outsiders, just as mentioned above. Try not to get upset when critical advice is offered, but do take notes and decide which parts need more work. Make sure the ‘experts’ you are asking for advice are indeed knowledgeable folks with experience and not just a friend of a friend who once made a hankie….
  • Assume from the start that what you have just made may have faults. Although lots of art is deeply subjective, at least in costuming things can be made easy – you cannot  ‘objectively’ state how pretty something is, but there are measurable quantities and aspects – below are two of my check-lists, for corsetry and off-the-peg  Victorian dresses. Lists like that are  great, and you will soon find that in time they become mental check-lists, and that you are  noticing a mistake as you work  along and correcting it as you go – much easier than doing so after the garment is finished!
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  •  Seam ripper is your best friend –  it is frustrating, dull and infuriating, but it is really worth it to rip and redo a wonky seam!
  • …as is the tape measure. You may not see that the collar is uneven, but you cannot argue with the tape informing you kindly that one edge is half an inch higher than the other….  These may be details – but oh, so often they do make a difference between a mediocre dress and a superb outfit!
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Your Best Friend

  • Get some distance – after you make a garment,  put it away overnight, or at least for a few hours and go for a walk, or do something different. Then look at it with fresh eyes and try to asses it as somebody else’s work. I once spent a whole day working on a replica bolero jacket for a museum. I was battling with a lurgy and not feeling great, but decided to soldier through.  I shouldn’t have. I felt better the next day and one look at the garment made me go: “Oh, crap, I need to do the blasted thing again”.   There was nothing inherently wrong with it, but it just did not seem right, I went through my checks with a tape measure etc, and realised what was the problem : the bias bits were not done well enough, the trim was a bit uneven, buttons just a notch out of alignment… I spent the whole day remaking it from scratch. As it turned out, the client liked both –  but I felt better knowing that I had made an item better suited for public viewing
  •  As in the opposite spectrum, perform frequent ‘reality checks’. Seek advice from people you admire, compare your work to your peers’ and study together, help beginners –  a few times, I have realised my own mistakes only after seeing them on a student’s work. And the occasional bitch-and-stitch sessions can be not only educational, but fun :-)
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  • As before, do take pictures. Compare your old work with new pieces; if you are learning and improving, there will  be clear evidence of it, and it will sharpen your ‘mistake hunting’ senses. By the same token, if you look at the skirts you made over the last 3 years and they all feature an uneven hem – well, you know precisely your next personal improvement goal!
  •  Having said all that, don’t go over the top trying to find out the slightest faults in every single item. Improving is one thing – loosing your joy in making things is quite another, and it is never a good thing trying to make a living doing things you don’t enjoy any more…

 

Well, that is it – I believe my first blog ever with more text than pictures, a rarity!  I hope my musings were not too hard a read and that they may help some people. If you have any ideas on other techniques people can use to learn how to assess  their own work (more or less objectively), please share in the comments!

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Filed under: business, Dressmaking Tagged: creative business Impostor syndrome, dressmaking, improve your sewing, objectivity, re-enactment, realistic goals, running a costuming business, sewing

Georgian Adventures in Stamford 2015

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There is a Georgian Festival in Stamford every other year – and this year we were contracted for a couple of jobs there ( thanks to Black Knight Historical).

The festivities lasted 3 full days with lots of lectures, meetings, Georgian market  and  living history – but our adventure started on Friday night –  at the Georgian ball!

We arrived in plenty of time , and were led to a proper  theatre style dressing room – and it turned out we were sharing it with Dr. Lucy Worsley, who dropped in for a moment of respite between her  talks, book signing and other public duties. Not often do we get to share a dressing room with a celebrity – and I felt a bit overdressed on the occasion :-)

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although, as you can see, we clearly had the same colour scheme  in mind :-)

At the ball we danced, we chatted – and then provided some entertaining background during the buffet break as the folks were queuing for  some lovely food –  there was chatting, playing cards and some sketching  taking place….

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I was the one doing some sketching. ..

After the break ( and after eating rather a lot of left over cake) there was more dancing and frivolities – until it was time to drive back home….

Saturday was a day off,  and Sunday we were taking part in the fashion show, so with a day off in between, I decided to make myself a new outfit – just  because I have always wanted a jacket, and because i had the fabric for ages!

I made the skirt in a lovely quilted cotton, with a fringe, and   then worked the rest of the day on a 1790 pierrot jacket.

I quickly drafted the pattern and then fitted it – mock up first and then playing with the real thing, in silk and linen

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IMG_2462Sunday morning saw the jacket finished – but i had a few hours left before we had to make a move. so time to make a new hat! a gigantic one! Not the best of my creations, admittedly, but it  did the job.

 

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Then it was packing the gear and setting off.

The fashion show went down a treat – there was a huge variety of costumes, from different decades and different walks of life, and the commentary was super as well…  a few behind the scenes shots..

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men looking splendid….

 

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I was modelling a 1790 redingote, and Eleanor was wearing her lovely francaise ( more on making it and more pictures  in the Georgian Ball post

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Amy fro the Period Costume Shop in a stunning polonaise  ( love the fabric!), me in the redingote and Kelly in her anglaise!

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some unspeakable and unmentionable things happened too….

 After the show, I could change into my new bits and have a stroll around Stamford – and take a few pictures

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But I was not exactly happy – I felt the wig did not work very well with the colours of the walking outfit. So when we got back home, I changed  wigs and we went on to snatch some autumnal pictures at the local Nature Reserve…. much  happier with these!

 

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we even had a go at some heavy machinery….

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all together, a cracking weekend  was had!

credits:

photography –  Lucas from Timelight Photographic

costuming – Prior Attire ( the  walking outfit is now available for sale – here)

shoes – American Duchess, naturellment!


Filed under: Dressmaking, Events, Georgian, photoshoots, projects, re-enactment, Uncategorized Tagged: dressmaking, Georgian, georgian dress, georgian fashion show, Georgian Stamford, historical costuming, Lucy Worsley, pierrot jacket, Prior Attire

That Bespoke Thang…

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Over the last 20 years of sewing for other people this is one of the more often-asked  questions – “Why is bespoke more expensive than ready to wear, off-the-peg garments?”  And this request accounts for about 80% of the email I am getting nowadays too:
“I saw your off the peg riding habit/gown/corset and I love it –  I would like it made bespoke for me, in a different fabric and colour and with more decoration – will the price be the same?”

 

 

The reason for the difference in price is simple – as already stated in one of my previous blogs,  ( A Queen on a budget, please), nowadays ordering bespoke is very rare thing. People are used to all the cheap, ready made clothing they see in the shops, and  even with specialised items such as corsetry and historical  clothing,  a lot of people do not realise the difference between the ‘off-the-peg’ and ‘bespoke’, especially when made by he same person or company.

So,to make things simpler let us have a look at what you are actually paying for – at least  as far as my own merchandise is concerned..

  Off the Peg items:

* Fabric

* Labour –   a generically sized pattern is used to cut out the fabric, followed by assembly and decoration: the price will depend upon the complexity of the garment and time needed to execute it

*Notions – decorations, buttons, thread, embroidery, etc

*Packing/postage/delivery if required

*My professional expertise, knowledge and experience!

 

 Bespoke items.

  • Fabric

 

  •  Labour –
    • initial measuring  session with a client
    • drafting their specific pattern
    • making up a mock-up ( toile)
    • fitting the mock up on the client (with second client visit)
    • cutting out fabric based on final pattern from re-fitted toile
    •  assembling  the garment proper,
    •  fitting session with a client – these stages may be repeated several times depending upon how many items are to be made or how complex the garments may be)
    •  final assembly of the garment(s)
    •  adding decoration, finishing touches, etc
    • pick up session  with finished garments – although rarely needed, there is usually time assigned for any last minute corrections, as well. In my case you are likely to get a free photoshoot  with TimeLight  Photographic too, if you wish ;-)
    • after-care –  small repairs or minor adjustments are generally provided for free; bigger ones may be provided at a reduced hourly rate. People usually come back to resize a garment if they have lost or gained significant weight,  or to add more decoration, reapply a hem guard if the  original one is worn out, etc.
  • time  (apart from actual making of the garment)-
    • fitting sessions, measuring sessions have to be scheduled in.
    • consultation, either in person, on the phone or by email, giving advice on style,  fabric choices, historical accuracy, etc.  For a relatively simple garments emails and message exchange may take several hours to write, research, etc. In the most extreme case I received over 250 emails from one person in one week about her commission…
    • research. Lots of research.
    • sourcing the fabrics, embellishments and other providers for items we do not supply direct (blackwork, embroidery, shoes, etc)
    • writing up contracts, quotes and invoices
    • chasing up clients  to settle on fitting dates, etc. Fortunately, a good contract means we don’t have to chase folks for the payment! (more on contracts for businesses running a business – contracts)

 

  • notions – decorations, buttons, thread, etc
  •  

    packing/postage/delivery if needed

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    my professional expertise, knowledge and experience.

 

  • stress!  I am an introvert and dealing with people, however lovely, and no matter how enjoyable it is for me, (and make no mistake, I love my work and so far all of my bespoke clients have been amazing – to such an extent that we often develop friendly relations afterwards and stay in touch socially), this stress still takes its toll. After a few ours of fittings I feel as if I have run a marathon and all I want to do is sleep:-)

 

See the difference?  A riding habit that looks the same  will take 3 times as long  if made bespoke – and that is usually  true for every other item.

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Above – a bespoke habit  worth over £1000 in quality cloth, fittings, handmade and hand applied braiding and an off the peg habit from our online shop – £370

 

Another thing to consider is  the fact that I make off-the-peg garments largely to satisfy my own insane desire to create pretty things – I make them in the size I want, in a fabric I like and have available currently and in a style I feel inclined to – I don’t have to  consult a client on what they would like. If I change my mind half way through – that is fine. If I feel tired and don’t fancy pushing myself to finish by a certain deadline – that is fine too. Full creative freedom.

Bespoke work is much more complex, since I have to adhere to the client’s ideas, body type, etc, so it provides quite a different feeling. Taking someone else’s ideas and making a fully functional garment, looking the way they want it too look, and fitting them well is immensely satisfying. All the hours of research, fittings, handstitching etc are worth it not only in terms of the financial reward-  the look on the client’s faces when they see themselves in the mirror wearing  their new clothing for the first time is a great reward too – and, I won’t lie, I love  to see my work worn and admired. The last session when a final outfit is tried on is always stressful – no matter how experienced you are, you are always worried that maybe this button is a tad too tight, or maybe the skirt is 0.5″ too big. Paltry things, easy to sort out within minutes, but irrationally, I still always worry!

But when it all comes together – well, the moment is magic. And  I don’t charge for that! ;-)

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Filed under: business, Dressmaking, re-enactment Tagged: bespoke, creative business, dressmaking, historical costuming, re-enactment, running a costuming business

1893 Braided Jacket

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1890s Winter Plate and Outfit

It is finished at last!!!!

I have loved this plate from ‘Harper’s Bazaar’ for years, and planned to make the jacket almost 2 years ago – now am happy to say that it is complete (well, almost…)

I got the fabrics, etc. last winter and made the matching skirt to go with this jacket, (as well as with my 1895 coat), but it was only in November 2015 that I was able to start work on it, stitching  away in the evenings after  I had finished with all of the commissioned work for the day. Below is my journey, step by step – enjoy! (warning – picture heavy post!)

 

Materials:

Wool – 3m

Lining – wool twill for the body – 2m and linen for the sleeves – 2m

Soutache ( Russia braid) – 120m!!!!!

Picot braid – 25m

One vintage jacket…

Thread, boning, grosgrain ribbon, hooks-and-eyes and similar notions

 

Pattern – that was easy, I adapted one of my earlier bodice pattern and simply drafted the skirts longer and fuller and fitted the front with just a single dart.

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I made a mock up to make sure it fitted OK :-)

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Then it was time to cut out the pieces in proper fabric –  and a dilemma!

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Should I put the braid on each piece separately or assemble the jacket first and then decorate later? Both  routes are fine and would work, but it was simpler to decorate each piece first. Not only easier to move each piece around as the braid is applied, but also as the stitching would not show on the lining… and so I set to working on the pattern for each piece.

The bottom parts were relatively simple, the sleeve and the upper back needed some creative work and lots of drawing… The front part – well, it was not shown in the Bazaar, so I had to rely on a similar jacket from ‘Mode Illustree‘ and invent my own design that would fit in with the general look of the coat…

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I then made a template for the decorations, traced it and set to stitching… I admit that I was hoping I could apply the soutache on a machine, but after running a sample I realised that the amount of braid manipulation was just too much for my machine – and it looked much tidier when hand-stitched; oh joy..!

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Machine stitching at the top, hand-stitching at the bottom…. notice the sticking out thread – for the braid to lay flat on the curve you need to pull out one of the braid’s cords…

…and so I started. Side pieces first…

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I managed to do the side pieces and sleeves over the month of December…

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For the upper back I stitched the two back pieces together first and then applied the braid, together with the picot braid for the top part. In the original the loops seem to be in soutache as well, but I admit the thought of doing even more defeated me – so got some lovely picot braid instead, and it did finish off the look rather nicely. The back  was done in January/February

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The fronts were a challenge – first, quite a lot of braiding was needed (my own fault as I designed the front bits myself – what can I say, am a sucker for punishment…), but also the pieces were bigger. Since I had to stitch the dart with the lining as well, it was a bit awkward to handle. I was still finishing the front pieces on our way to Finland for our annual holiday – and indeed was still stitching at Muotka Lodge itself when we got there! Before we left on holiday I assembled the rest of the jacket, leaving only the front parts and sleeves to be hand-stitched later on…

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Pieces pinned  together with the lining, ready for assembly.

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…and sewn together. Any irregularity at the seam would be covered with the picot braid.

 

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…stitching on  a plane

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adding the picot braid…

Once the body was completed, I boned the heads of thesleeves, box pleated them and inserted them into the armscythes.

Next step was to add the fur trimming – the plate states that the jacket was trimmed with Persian lamb – nowadays either next to impossible to purchase or way over my budget – but I was lucky enough to find a vintage jacket made from panels of alternating Persian lamb and knitted wool. Perfect! All I had to do was to cut alongside the knitted bits – and the wool made it so much easier to attach to the jacket as well!

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The jacket

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Pinning and hand-stitching  the trim

Almost there! The collar was next – It was decorated with the braid, pad stitched with buckram and added to the coat.

All that remained was to add the hooks to close the jacket and then to finish the seams.

The inside seams were laid flat, overcast with cotton thread and then a waiststay (velvet ribbon here), was added on top of the ribbon. Bones were fitted in grosgrain castings with silk thread flossing.

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The armscythe was bound in more grosgrain ribbon

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And then, ‘suddenly’, after  about 95 hours of work, it was done! (almost, as I mentioned earlier on – I ran out of the picot braid whilst in Finland so the bottom edge of the coat  doesn’t feature it in the photos – the rest was added when I came back home:-) )

 

The hat was again a very fortunate vintage find in matching Persian lamb – I added a velvet bow and ostrich feather as a decoration :-)

The setting in Muotkan Maja was perfect (you can see the photos from our last shoot there a year ago here). Finnish Lapland does offer a rather amazing photographic conditions!

As it was a tad chilly (on the day of the shoot it was -15 degrees – not the coldest by any means, but not summer temperatures either), so I wore the outfit over a mixture of modern and historical attire, (alas, baggage allowance over the plane meant no fancy shoes, etc, either). I wore a thermal vest, petticoat and pantaloons, corset, and a black cotton petticoat, (in the same style as this one from our stock). See the results below!

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And with the staff of Muotka lodge!

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The secrets underneath….

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I must say it was all very different to what I wore there on everyday basis – a few holiday snaps below…

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Altogether – I love my new jacket!!!!   Also, I have already another braided one planned; braid is addictive…

I wore the jacket for the market last weekend, this time over all the correct undergarments, and with my lovely Tavistock boots from American Duchess!

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Hope you enjoyed the post and the pictures!

Credits:

dressmaking thang – Prior Attire

photogrpahy – Timelight Photographic

location – Muotkanmaja Wilderness lodge

 

 

…now, what to make for our next visit to the Arctic??? :-)

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Filed under: Dressmaking, photoshoots, projects, re-enactment, tutorial, Victorian Tagged: 1890s, belle epoque, braided jacket, corset, re-enactment, soutache, Victorian
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