New pair of stays in the making...

Since I'm not completely happy about the fit of my old pair of stays, I've started on a new pair.

My first plan was to make them fully hand sewn and use taffeta for the outer layer and stiff linen twill for inner layer with a soft linen fabric for lining. But then I decided that I don't want to make a hand sewn pair until I find a pattern that I know works for me.

So the new plan is to make a fully boned pair that have the boning channels machined but all the assembly, lacing holes and bounding of the edges made by hand.

Here are the outer fabric, the bounding tape and the string I'll use for lacing:

The fabric is a lovely silk dupion from my stash. It's got a subtle sheen that's almost metallic which I think comes from the fact that the warp in it is black and the weft is a very light grey. The bounding ribbon is a synthetic duchess satin tape, I totally fell in love with the color that matches the string I plan to use perfectly. The later is a gift from Isiswardrobe, I think it's made of viscose.

The two inner layers that holds the boning will be made of  a stiff linen twill I got in my stash. It's an old bed sheet that I scored on Tradera (the swedish ebay) and it's big enough for several garments.

I'll use some leftovers from my chemise for the lining and the hole thing will be boned with synthetic whalebone except for the center front, center back and the horisontal bones, there I'll use flat steel.

Here are my mock up sans the boning:

I got the pattern from Isiswardrobe, we have similar body type but she is bustier than me and have higher waist that me so I had to do a few alterations to the pattern. It was still better than my old pattern because that has a totally too low waist.. The stays will lace up fully in the back and partly in the front. I choose to make them this way so I can get in and out of them myself. If I remember it correctly this pattern is from around the 1780's but I don't remember Isis' source right now.


I hope to get some fitting help after my fashion show is over in the middle of september. I'm itichng to have my stays done, I have some many garments to go over it I want ot make...

/L

Captured in the Linnegardens

Isis over at isiswardrobe snapped some pictures of me at the Linné garden event:


Admiring the hollyhocks


"What a naughty hollyhock bud"


"Close up of the hollyhock bud" (taken by me)


"Wow,that's a huge shrubbery of flowers"


"Admiring a pretty flower"


"The whole she bang in front view"


Me and Johannaelisabet in front of one of the tree's at the entrance of the garden
(and me doing the "framing my uterus" gesture. I have no idea why I always do that pose with my hands :P)

You can see some of the linen cap I wrote about yesterday. I'm wearing the only 18th century outfit that I own, my pet en l'air that still are a work in progress ;)

For this event I managed to get all three sleeve cuffs on. Now I need to finish my new stays, then I can make the stomacher to close with hooks and yes (with buttons for show) and properly attach the pet en l'air to the sides of the stomacher instead of pinning it on. I've also decided to add the pleated self trim on the robings and the stomacher. I feel that this garment need all the flair it can get because I'm all in it for the bling ;)

/L

The second finished item of the year...

...is a little hand sewn pinner cap made of linen (left overs from my chemise) and the same cotton lace I used on my chemise. Here it is adorning a big stone in our garden:

I wore it yesterday to an event in the Linné gardens in Uppsala. I didn't manage to be captured on my own camera but Isis took several photos of me so hopefully I can show you action shots soon.

It felt good to work with my 18th century wardrobe again. I hope to be finished with my new stays this side of new year, because I can't make any new garments until it's done.

/L

A serious case of the "bleh"

Sorry for my disappearance. This early spring has been a little heavy for me. First I had economy problems. Then I got ill a couple of times (nothing dangerous only colds and a upset tummy). When ever I started making something from my costume list, something immediately went wrong.

To show one example, I happily started decorating my wide brimmed hat with silk. It looked terrific. When I was about to sew the first pleated panel down on the brim, my millinery needles were nowhere to be found...I still haven't found them...

But last night I had a very whimsical dream, I was in a 18th century kitchen (a big one, must have been a castle or something) making cookies. They were some kind of shortbread cookies spiced with orangepeel, cinnamon and coriander. The Swedish 18th century poet/singer/satirist Bellman was with me in the kitchen making big mischief and amusing me at the same time. When I woke up I was feeling were giddy and inspired to start over with my 18th century wardrobe. So I hope I'll get back to you soon with the first project, a new pair of stays.


Carl Michael Bellman
Source: Svenska Familj-Journalen/Wikipedia Commons

/L

Pink damask jacket - Part 1-- Just a little teaser

It will take a while before I can truly start on this jacket, I need to make a new pair of stays first, but I will show you a quick sketch of it:

The jacket is from PoF 1, but I have changed the front from a stomacher closing to a closed front with hooks and eyes, like a caraco. I think that with that alteration this jacket will be dated somewhere between 1770-1780, which means that I can wear it with both hoops and bumroll.

The trims will be made of a gathered strip of striped cotton voile with a gathered ribbon stitched on top on both sides. I have not decided yet what color the ribbon will be, maybe a dusty green? Or a matching pink?

The lining will be a pink cotton satin from my stash, it's actually ripped out curtain linings ;)

Now back to the things I was supposed to do :P
/L

The first finished item of the year...

*drumroll*
...is my pocket:

It's a bit wrinkly from being carried around in my purse while I worked on it. Most of the work was done while I was traveling by bus and trains. I live in the country side so it's a 40 min trip if I want to go to Uppsala or a 2,5 hour trip if I want to go to Stockholm.

I'm quite satisfied with it since it's my first serious try ever at embroidery :)
It's made of two layers of linen and are embroidered with silk button hole twist and bound with silksatin ribbon. The embriodery stitches used are bouillon knots for the leaves and stem stitch for the rest.

Now I better get back to the male corset and the uniform jacket I'm working on for some customers. I'll be back with a finished frou frou hat soon :)

/L

A completely diffrent era - Part five - The final result

Just a quick post to show you how it all looked. It's a rather poor picture (my phone cam) but I was photographed by a photographer too so there will be better pictures as soon as I get them.



/L

Costume plans for 2010

As you saw earlier I started my costuming year with a sewing marathon that was a bit to much work in too little time. I did not like it. My fantastic M did not like it. So now I'm giving myself and M a late new years resolution:

NO COSTUMING ON DEADLINE THIS YEAR!

With that taken care of, here are my "list" for 2010:

1. Started projects that needs to be finished or things that needs to be mended
Pet en l'air - Needs to have the gown properly fastened to the comperes front and hooks & eyes sewn in. It also needs to have some raw edges on the front sewn in.
My pocket - I have finished all the embroidery and the supporting lining is cut. It only needs to be assembled.
Under petticoat - I did a poor job around the pocket opening on one side so the side seam are rewinding itself.
A wide brimmed hat - I have made the base after this great instructions, it only needs covering and decoration.

2. New projects

A jacket made of pink cotton damask that I bought before christmas. I will use one out of PoF 1 for inspiration but I will make it without stomacher. I want ot make it so I can use it both with pocket hoops for an earlier style and with a false rump for a later style.

The damask are really hard to photograph, the color varies between different light sources. The picture above is in artificial light in my studio. The picture below is taken outside on a cloudy day. The real color is something in between them...


A false rump - I have the outer material and I'm planning to make it a bit like the wingeo style (but I will make the pattern myself). I have not decided what to fill it with yet...I might slaughter an old pillow for this since my budget is a bit tight.

A floaty petticoat inspired by The Duchess movie. I've found a perfect, satin striped cotton voile over at B.R Export for this project.

An under petticoat to go with the floaty one

A 1780,s pierrot from "Kvinnligt mode under två sekel" (a swedish book about 18th and 19th century fashion). When I saw this garment the first time I thought "OMG the red cotton velvet in my stash!" and I have been in love with it since then. I will line it with the infamous ANNELI fabric in black and white.

And I need a Gainsborough hat to go with my new later wardrobe. I have all materials for this one at home already. It will be covered with some black velvet I have in my stash and I will make a sash out of the floaty petticoat fabric. And black feathers. I have two great, fluffy ostrich plumes that have been living with me forever :P
(Yes I got inspired by The Duchess movie again)

3. Long term project

A new pair of stays. I want them to have front and back lacing and be suitable for late 18th century and be fully boned in the front. I have the foundation layer fabric already. I scored a really stiff, tightly weawed linen twill sheet on Tradera. The outer layer will probably be a candy pink silk taffeta and I will use ANNELI in black and withe for the lining. I have not decided on the binding trim yet but it will probably be bias tape cut from the outer fabric.

4. Projects on hold

Remember the pretty pink striped fabric I scored earlier?



I have decided on a project for it. It will become a real polonaise with inspiration from Galerie des Modes, mainly this one:

But I will change the petticoat a bit, I'm not very pleased with the strange fold that are above the white frill. This project are put on hold until my economy allows me to splurge on the mother load of silk organza that are needed for all the trims.

Well that's all folks. I hope to get back soon with some pictures of a finished pocket ;)

/L

Pet en l'air - Part six - Premiere at th 12th night ball

Believe me, dear readers I really had the intention to share my sewing process on the pet en l'air with you but due to poor planning I just couldn't manage due to time constraints. For some strange reason I thought that 12th night was next week. I discovered that this was not the case 2 days before New years eve and then panic kind of struck...

So two days before New years eve I cut out all the parts for the outer shell and I dearly thanked the gods that the lining and the front was already finished. And that the petticoat only needed the back waist finished. Then I started a sewing maraton race that I never want to do again. But I did manage and I had something to wear at 12th night ball. It was a great evening and I had so much fun!

On with the pictures, shall we (they are all taken by Isiswardrobe, who also did my hair):


I have no idea why I always make so strange faces in photographs...this time I really manged to do a "you're so below me" face :P

When I realized my time was running out I omitted the ruched and pinked decorations that I planned to have running down the robings and on the stomacher piece. I also sewed the comperes front shut to create a plain stomacher instead. And I only put on the biggest of the three sleeve cuffs. I was a bit irritated at first that I had no decorations, but now when I look at it I think I will keep it like it is. (But make some minor alterations so the inside looks a bit better). And maybe add another row of lace to peek out in the sleeves?


I'm quite satisfied with the back, but the weight of the fabric really pulls it down at the neck. I have no idea how to solve it though :/

I think what I like the most with the whole ensemble is the petticoat. I love the stripes, the rustle, the shine. I originally planned for it to have a pinked ruffle of plain light blue fabric at the bottom. There was no time for it for 12th night but I can always add it later. But a part of me likes it the way it is too...
What do you all think, pinked ruffle or no ruffle?


I like this photo even though I manage to do a strange face here too ;)

Here you can see more of my make up.I went for super pale but not stark white. I first covered up my very red nose (it was almost -20 degrees Celsius that night) and other red areas with a green concealer. Then I covered my dark circles under the eye with a pink one and finally I applied a quite generous amount of white mineral foundation. On top of that I put a thin layer of a pearly white eyeshadow to give that fashionable and polished, shiny look. The rouge is a really pigmented pink mineral one and I brushed it quite generously on the apple of my cheeks and dabbed it sparingly above my eyes.I have a wine colored lipstick on but on this picture most of it is gone.

The good thing with not having any decorations on this outfit is that I now have 3 yards of light blue silk taffeta that needs a project. I think I will use some for a matching wide brimmed hat and the rest for a jacket....we'll see what I come up with.

/L