I'm so excited! girliegirl32786 and her husband will be here this evening!!! I think I'm all ready for them - my costume is finished (except trim , I'll do that for next time) the sitting room is set for the party, the house is clean and tidy and we have food coming out of our ears! Now I just have to wait :)
Hopefully we'll get lots of super photos tomorrow at Kedleston, and at the card party afterwards. I'm just so excited, I get to play dress up with Aubry!

My stripy jacket is coming along nicely. By the time I get home from work tomorrow night (about 9pm I think) I should hopefully have sewn in the sleeves, covered the linen shoulder straps in the silk, and hemmed the 'skirt'. After all, there is one up side to the amount of time I have to spend in school doing nothing during a performance week - lot's of sewing time!
Knowing how much time 'll have to kill at school, I don't want to do any of the hand sewing at home, so this evening I started cutting out a capelet. I'm making it from a very pretty sage green silk taffeta I bought in Paris, lined with dark cream wool left over from my 1860s bathing suit. Unfortunately I only have enough wool for the body of the capelet, and I wanted to make a hood.
My question is, do you think I could have an unlined taffeta hood on a lined capelet? I'm planning to bind the edges in cream silk taffeta, like the little girl in 'The morning toilet' here: http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-baptiste-simeon-chardin/the-morning-toilet But it's so hard to tell what's going on at the neck of her capelet!
If I DO make a hood, how would I finish it to match the rest of the capelet? with the same wide binding round the face? or if I don't make a hood, how would a small cape collar look? It would certainly work with the binding style at least.
Ugh! I don't know what to do now. Help!!

So, when I made the blue bonnet last month, I was looking at the rest of the fabric, wondering what it wanted to be, when I realised, it needs to be a pierrot jacket, with a fluffy white muslin petticoat and big hat. So, this is where I've got to:



The petticoat is an old one, I need to take it off the waist band, re-pleat it and shorten it quite a bit, I'm going for the lovely almost ankle length you see a lot with these jackets.

I will be wearing it next weekend when girliegirl32786 comes to stay. We're going to Kedleston for the day, and I imagine the weather will be just as bad as it is now! The perfect excuse to make something I've wanted for a long time, mitts!



They're made from the scraps of blue wool left over from the spencer I wore with the bonnet, the scraps were so small the mitts had to be pieced, but I forgot to get a photo. They're lined in white china silk, with white taffeta point linings. I stitched the short seams on the thumbs in the lining and wool, then turned in the seam allowances and put the lining inside the wool and did a running stitch around the openings. The main pieces were put together right sides facing, and I stitched around the thumb openings, clipped the seam allowance and turned them through. I pressed under the edges and did a running stitch at the wrist edge, and slip stitched the hand edge ( so the blue stitches didn't show on the white point). Then I attached the finished thumb to the finished thumb opening with herringbone stitch ( the same as the decorative lines on the back of the hand) I joined the mitts together with a herringbone stitch too, but pinned the seam to paper with a few mm gap to make a stretchy faggoted seam.



I don't why I keep saying 'them' I've only made one so far!!!! hopefully I can finish the other one tomorrow while I'm working at the shop.

When we go to Bath for the Bath Minuet Company ball, we like to organise a day trip the next day, in kit, to a local National Trust place or something. This year we decided to go to the American Museum, which is housed in a beautiful Georgian mansion just outside Bath. The main reason for the visit though, being the quilt exhibition! There were dozens and dozens of gorgeous quilts, all in hanging glass cases that moved the like pages of a book :)
I was sensible and decided not to try to make anything new, we both have plenty of clothes in our Regency wardrobes! But I was feeling a bit burnt out 2 weeks before the ball, it seemed like the hand sewing of sack backs would never end, so I decided to treat myself to a bit of millinery therapy :) So, if you want to see pics of my new bonnet and the most fantastically amazing quilt I've ever seen, ( pop on under the cut. )
Since reviewing the quilt photos I'm itching to do some embroidery or piece some patchwork blocks!

Our dinner party on Saturday was such fun! Everyone made a real effort, we all looked super, and the food was awesome! There were 9 of us, so we each made one course, and they were all scrummy!

I didn't get many very good photos, and totally forgot to leave time when I was getting dressed to snap some shots of getting into my dress, with it's crazy complicated fastening! I was planning to take some when I got undressed instead, but my corset suddenly became terribly uncomfortable as we were clearing up. I have what's known as a pigeon chest - the ends of my ribs between my breasts stick forward, instead of being nicely in line with my breastbone. This means that if a corset busk hits at just the wrong point at the top, ie. is too low or too high, and comes low enough for my belly to push it forward at the bottom when I sit down, the top of the busk digs in and becomes unbearable. It was so bad when we were clearing up I had to strip off, and still could hardly move without it hurting. I'm hoping I might be able to re-cut the 2 centre front pannels to make the top edge higher, and use a long busk.

Anyway, I do have lots photos to show you, and ( they can all be found under the cut .... )

I've spent the last couple of days pottering about with a bit of modern sewing - I've made a pink apron and have half made a dress. Once the dress is finished I will be starting on my outfit for our Georgian trip to Keddleston while Aubry girliegirl32786 is here. I'm so beyond excited that one of my costuming friends is going to be here with me! So excited in fact, that I am completely failing at finalising a design! I know I want a jacket, but keep wiffling back and forth between ideas! I can't even decide on a fabric!!!!

So little time! I'm frantically plodding away on my Titanic dress for our party this Saturday, it's going nicely now, after a long struggle with the undies. I have no idea why, but the corset took forever to finish, and instead of staring from scratch and making a new chemise and petticoat I decided to re-make the combinations and bodiced petticoat I made for Edwardian last year. I'm sure stating from scratch would have been easier, not to mention quicker! but I never wear the petticoat, preferring a waist petticoat for Edwardian, and the combinations ended up about 4" too short in the waist, so desperately needed re-doing!
Anyway, all this crazy sewing means that I'm behind on photo posting again :( I have lots to share, but here are the ones from the Bath Minuet Ball, Mummy in my re-fitted old sunflower sack back, and me in my new spotted silk, ( under the cut...... )
I still have photos from the 18th Century ball my dance group put on in February, our trip in Regency kit to the American museum in Bath the day after the ball, and a couple from a dress up dance party on Sunday, when I wore my new bustle ball gown to get some better photos! but before that, more Titanic sewing! I can't tell you how inspiring my FList has been in the last couple of days :D

My sack back only needs trimming and a stomacher now, so I've started working on Titanic sewing! I'm going to finish all the endless hemming and adding lace to strips of trim during breaks at work and while watching TV, and I don't have the energy to face making my undies, so I'm putting off the evil hour by making Mummy's dress. Also, this way I get to have a practice run! I can make all the first time mistakes on mummy's dress ;)
So far, I've pulled out all the fabrics - black net with white embroidery - flowers all over and a deep border; black striped sheer; black crepe and black velvet. I might put some more white in there some where, if I find something I like, maybe some kind of pearl trim?
We did the first fitting of the bodice tonight. It's based on her 1860s bodice block, and I think I'm going to have to bone the seams and darts, she's not wearing it with a corset, and because of her tummy it doesn't lie right. Hopefully it'll work though, and at least she'll be comfy during dinner without the full compliment of underwear!
Oh, I think I forgot to say what the Teens sewing is for! Our dance group have decided to hold a 'Welcome Home Maggie Brown' dinner party during the Easter holidays, I couldn't bear to be left out of the Titanic sewing party this year! I'm going to be taking mine to CosCol too, so hopefully it works out the way I imagine it in my head :)

Just popping in to say, I'm a bad and useless LJ-er and have no progress photos to share :( I have made progress though! My petticoat is done, I just need to finish the front waist band; and the dress is structurally done, just needs trim, which I am plugging away at while at work!
I'm doing quite a bit of work this week at Gemma's new village shop that she opened at the weekend. It's a lovely quaint little place, with local vegetables, home made food from the pub kitchen, home baked cakes (from me!) basic groceries, and sweeties for the children. Quite a few ladies are already popping in to buy home made soup for their lunch :) I did a full day yesterday, and am doing mornings today and tomorrow, (as well as school the rest of the day and evening of Thursday) luckily, I can sew while not serving, so I got loads done yesterday, and should today as well!
I just can't wait to finish my Bath ball dress so I can get on to Titanic sewing! Seeing all the gorgeous creations popping up on my Flist is torture!

Our first Elizabethan demo was on Saturday, and it was fantastic! We all looked great, the dances went off without a hitch and the museum was filled with punters! We had so many children joining in, and loving every minute of it :)
I've got some great videos of us dancing that I need to edit and get up on youtube, and I took so many photos!



The rest can be found ( under the cut )

Now that the demo is over, I can finally get on to sewing my dress for the Bath Minuet Co Ball at the end of March! I need to get a wriggle on with it though, because I also need to make Titanic evening dresses for both of us for the middle of April ( and I need a full compliment of undies for it too! EEK!!!)

But not quite as pink as I'd hoped.



It's poly organza ribbon, so doesn't photograph well at the best of times, I tried photos with and without flash, and the pink is very washed out in both. Also, the hoops are wider in person, I think it's something to do with the angle?

While I'm at it, here are the fabrics and trims for my new sack. I won't be starting it till after my Elizabethan is done, but I just had to get everything out and have a play!
With flash:


Without flash:


I don't have a final trim plan yet, but I do know it will involve strips edged with the lace, laid on in puffs, like the ones on mummy's, but larger and stuffed. I'm not quite sure how I'll use the gold braid yet, and I may scrap it entirely, but we'll see :)

Also, I've realised I've not given any hints about my Elizabethan yet!



The dark brown at the top is my loose gown, the red is silk taffeta for sleeves, (I have stupid plans to do with the brown Russia braid and a chisel, we'll see if they pan out!) and I have a sari (poly I think, but looks like silk) in the exact shade of red that will be a forepart/underskirt. The goldish colour is actually a camel/caramel coloured wool melton that will be a doublet and over-skirt, trimmed with the wide gold braid (I'm not using the narrow gold/brown braid any more). I also need to make a shirt, ruffs, and a farthingale; and then shoes for both of us. Oh, and a hat for Mummy.

By the end of February.

I agree, I am insane.

I keep meaning to post about my progress, but I also keep forgetting to take the necessary photos at fittings, so have nothing to show you! I've decided not to let that stop me any more, so you get a photo-less post this time :)
The yellow sack I've been altering for mummy is now done! All I have left to do for her for the Bath ball at the end of March is stitch the trim onto her stomacher (it's pinned ATM) and make some sleeve flounces, both of which I will do when we go to Scotland for a week's holiday in Feb.
More importantly, her Elizabethan is finally almost done! The trunk hose just need points; the sleeves need hemming and buttons for attaching to the doublet; and the doublet shoulder wings are ready to stitch up, trim and attach, then the armholes need finishing, button loops for the sleeves and buttons at the centre front and it's done. I'm going to do the shoulder wings and finish the armholes tomorrow, then the rest (all hand sewing) I will leave till we go away.
All this means I've been much quicker than I expected, so I'll hopefully have time for my Elizabethan stuff too! However, tomorrow, after I've done Mummy's bits, I need to replace the back of my crossbared silk petticoat (that I stole for my pink plaid bustle dress last Summer) because I think I'm going to wear it to our dance group's Georgian ball on Feb 11th.
I also think I might make my new hoops now. I need to make another set anyway, because we can't both wear the same ones in Bath, and Mummy has to wear the blue ones under the yellow because bigger ones won't fit. I rather like the idea of bigger hoops, and the way the crossbared is made, I think they'll fit fine. Then I'll have lovely big hoops for the new sack that I'm making for me for Bath :) These ones will be ruffly too, and made of pale pink organza ribbon that I just happen to have a roll of in the stash :)

I had a dodgy start to the week, caused by grumpiness brought on by making new costumes for Mummy and not me, mixed with the monthlies, not a pleasant combination! I'm over it now though, mostly because I've rummaged through the stash and think I have a plan to make myself a new Elizabethan after all!

Anyway, the finished object in question is ( mummy's refitted sack! )

I must make myself an Elizabethan shirt, (I wore mummy's before) but I'm planning to machine it, which hopefully shouldn't take too long, and then, once mummy's kit is done, I'm going to see if I can't make a new dress for me :)

I've actually been busy sewing, and not only have I made progress, I've even managed to get picture proof - and I'm posting them!!!!
Our first event this year is a Georgian ball our dance group is holding the weekend of Valentine's day. Mummy has said, that, while she loves wearing boys clothes, (and most of the time prefers them because they're so much more comfy) she does miss being a girl at balls, because she doesn't get to dance with the other boys ;) So I decided to re-fit my old sunflower sack for her. She helped me unpick all the trimming the other day, and the day before yesterday we did a fitting:



I unpicked the back pleats and undid the centre back seam in the lining, adding in a 3" piece at the top, above the eyelets, to let out the back shoulders. I've since re-pleated the back (only lightly pressing out my old pleats, I rather like the idea of the re-model being visible!) it's just waiting for me to sew them down.



She's wearing my hoops and under-petticoat, so I need to make new ones for her, but it's nice to know the petticoat or gown skirts won't need altering. The sleeves are much too tight for her though, and I had to make the arm holes larger. So I cut a sleeve mockup the same size as the old sleeves, with lots of extra seam allowance, and fitted them to her, noting the new seam line. I will unpick the old sleeves and piece in the missing width.

I've not quite decided how I want to trim it yet. I know I need to utilise the old trimming (but not the sunflower braid, that's gone back into the stash) but don't want to do the same style, so I'll have to do some playing to see what I can come up with. What I do know though, is she will be wearing black lace with it! I was thinking of putting black lace on the dress, instead of white, but I haven't found any examples of that, so the sleeve ruffles will be white, and she will have black lace in her hair, and a black lace fichu round her shoulders and woven through her stomacher (like the examples in the Kyoto book)

I'm probably going to wear my cross bared sack because I don't think I'll have time to finish my new sack in time, on top of all the other sewing I have to get done, namely, Elizabethan kit for a demo at the end of February.

I'm probably going to just wear what I made last year for Tolethorp, with a new shirt (I was wearing mummy's) although I do plan to actually get around to making some sleeves for my kirtle! Mummy, however, has nothing. Or rather, she had nothing until this evening ;)

We bought black wool melton and pink and silver silk brocade at the re-enactor's market in the autumn, for a black doublet with brocade sleeves, and some kind of breeches. They mellowed in the stash and I've since decided on paned wool trunkhose lined with plain pink silk taffeta from the stash (which just happens to be the most perfect match!) with wool cannions, and I'm planning to trim the doublet with silver braid and pink thread covered buttons. I think she's going to look pretty splendid!

As of this afternoon I had this:



Now all they need is a waist band, cuffs, and a finished front fly. Who knows, I might even get onto mocking up the doublet tomorrow :)

I promise!!!!!!

This year's demo had a 19thC Russian theme, I didn't really fancy going all out with Russian traditional dress, so went for a 'Winter Palace' theme instead :)

Now, step under the cut ( for fluffy white frosting... )

I think I'm all caught up with the back log now, at long last. Just in time to start thinking about 2012's costumes...

This time, of my new bustle ball gown. These photos are so bad I wasn't going to bother posting them, and meant to get dressed again to take new photos, but that hasn't happened, and it's New Year's Eve, if I don't post these now I'll probably never get around to it!

So, at long last, ( here are the photos from the Cotillion ball. )

Oh dear, those photos are so awful :( And the ones of the blue plaid bustle outfit from the demo are almost as bad, I'm posting them next, hopefully before the end of the year, I've a few hours left anyway :)

It seems like all I ever do is apologise for never posting! This time it's because we went to Paris for a week just before Christmas, coming home the day before Christmas Eve just in time for me to get really really sick! I've either got a cold or flu, and it's only been in the last day or so that I've actually felt relatively human again!
Any way, in an effort to put off starting on the new year's very VERY long to-do-list I bring you photos I should have posted months ago, this time from the ball Mummy and I went to in Hampshire. In sorting out photos to post I've realised why I'm such a slacker when it comes to posting event photos - it's because I never seem to manage to get decent enough photos to share! I think that will be my New Year's Resolution, to try to take decent photos and actually POST THEM!!

So, ( pop under the cut to see some Regency goodies... )

I still have photos of my new bustle dress from the Cotillion ball, and our outfits from the Russian Dance Demo, but once I've posted them, I think I'm up to date! There's only one costume I've made this year that I don't have any photos of, Mummy's 18thC kit, I made her a shift and stays and a bedgown, she wore them with some of my petticoats the day after our dance group's Regency ball (no photos, because we both wore the dresses from Hampshire) when we had a house full of guests so had an afternoon card party, and she looked lovely, but I don't have any photos :(

Well, the last few weeks have been completely insane! Getting ready for a play is always a busy time at work, but this time we have 2 sets of yr10 instead of one, so 2 plays! And this year group is a truly dreadful group, so some of them were impossible to work with. But, it's all over now, the last performance was last night, so I struck the set today, and now everything is put away I can breathe again!
To make things even harder, right in the middle of the work stress we had our winter dance demo. The performances were on Saturday, Monday and yesterday, and the demo was on Sunday! I didn't have time to do everything I wanted to for my outfit, but Mummy's turned out exactly as I hoped it would, and I managed to fit enough thermal vests and a wooly cardigan under my bodice, so I wasn't too cold without my planned coat!
My next costuming deadline isn't till Febraury, so I'm planning to enjoy having a rest and making Christmas presents for a while!

I've not got as much done on my demo outfit as I'd like, I'm stupidly busy at work at the moment, and I've been so exhausted all week. Then yesterday we were helping Gemma at a village event she organises, and today we went to a re-enacting market and then dancing, so I'm even more tired and have had hardly any time to sew!
Anyway, in lieu of progress pictures, I bring you Bath pictures instead, not me nekid having a wash, but ( Jane Austen Festival goodies! )
I have made the skirt for my demo outfit, and I did manage to cut out a toile for my bodice last night in between getting home from Gemma's and going to bed, so once I've fit that tomorrow morning, hopefully I should get quite a bit done - I get the day off, hooray!

After taking the last 2 weeks off, staying out of my sewing room completely! I'm about to start on my next project, a dress for our winter dance demos.
This year we're doing 19thC Russian dances, so I'm making Mummy a Cossack outfit! With a warm woolen tunic, trimmed with braid and an asymetric fastening. I'm going to use the bloomers from my first, 1860s, bathing dress, for her trousers. They're incredibly voluminous, ankle length red wool, and when tucked into my new knee high boots very much look the part! The best bit is she can wear as many pairs of long-johns underneath as she likes ;)
Today I'm going to start on my outfit. I've got rather bored of the 1860s, and am having a bit of a love affair with bustle :) So bustle it is! I'm trying to limit myself to stash fabric this year, or at least, use as much as possible, to save for CosCol, so I hunted through to see what I've got. I found some blue and gold plaid, left over from the Regency things I made for the ball we went to in Scotland last year, and some powder blue cotton velvet I bought last year to make an Elizabethan jacket. Trimmed with some white 'swansdown' I think it should look very wintery, and will hopefully be nice and warm! I only have a vague plan for the bodice, so will be starting with the skirt.
I will be posting more photos soon, I promise ;)

Finally, 2 months later, I have photos from Llandod to share! I can't believe it's been this long! But then again, the fact that it's been a month since my last LJ post just shows how crazy busy I've been.
Anyway, without further ado, ( for many, many, MANY photos, step this way! )

I'm going to post the photos from Bath, Hampshire and the Cotillion in separate posts, sorry for the ridiculous number you had to trawl through this time :D