Update New Dress: Neo-Victorian Royalty

                                               (excuse my ROYAL mess of a sewing room)

So I didn't like the blue fabric I was planning to use for the bustle on this....too thin and too shiny. I wore the skirt to a steampunk musical evening and decided to also wear it for a steampunk ball coming up the first weekend of October.... I will be going in Royal Regalia (as my steampunk character is Royalty ;)  hehe)

This month I am also planning to finish a military looking blue jacket (a darker royal blue...so still close to the original concept but I like the fabric better). It will be royal blue and gold (gold silk trim like the sash pictured above). I will enter the ball with it on and take it off as the evening goes on. I also want to wear the jacket, if I can finish it in time, to the Victorian Show on the Sept 17th...crossing my fingers on that one...I did finish the top of the dress and sash (which is partially hand stitched) this weekend..so maybe I'm on a roll... I have the jacket draped and lining cut so wish me luck.

Anywho the weather was in the 80s today!!! OMGOSH it was great!!!! so I didnt get much sewing done but I'm not kicking myself because its be 110+ over the last 3months (no lie)

Hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoys the short week!

Victorian Eye Candy

Neo-Victorian Eye Candy

While I have a ton of 18th century ideas on my plate, and mind, non have really got me inspired to sew lately.  That and I have been uber busy with work. Lately my late night internet browsing has been filled with victorian/neo-victorian/steampunk fashion. Not usually my go to eye candy but I came across a few fashion illustrations and I have had this insane burst of costume creativity ever since. Observe the middle illustration with the red and white striped underskirt and blue polonaise. I have the skirt almost finished....I've had a red and white stripe fabric for a while and was going to do an 18th century English gown for Christmas but I couldn't help myself. The top will be a bit different...over all it will be a bit different but same color palette. Hoping to wear this to Antique Elegance in September and some other steampunk/victorian outings. It has me eyeing some of my other fabrics for other victorian wear...I do love the bustle look. Will try to post pictures of what I've done so far later this week if I get a chance.

18th Century Catch Up Time!

(from KCI)

Ok I have been UBER busy over the last few months.  My goal the next few months is mucho more costuming.  See the fabulous dress above.  I want.  I want, I want, I want.  I will try to make.  I have a billion other dresses on my agenda but I think I have to make this first.  I have some plain light blue taffeta that I plan to use.  I am also still working on doing as much by hand as possible.  I almost tossed my machine all together the other day but stopped myself.  I need it for other household projects and "just in case."  I did inherit a treadle machine that could quickly be in working condition and I would love to use that instead.  I will post more on that later.

I also have been working on my white corded riding habit which is very close to being done.  Though it, again, is on hold as it won't be used probably for a long time due to the weather quickly warming to high 80s the last few days :(  ...I lengthened the sleeves and changed the fur collar, cuffs and pockets.  Instead of fur they will be green velvet and there will be green velvet self covered buttons for front closure.  Have you seen the BBC Tom Jones?  Sofia wears a VERY similar riding habit when Tom breaks his arm.... btw I am also making this same habit in a full green velvet jacket with a green wool skirt.  The green velvet jacket has been cut but again... it is shelfed :(

Remember the Pink Picnic Caraco?  That's back also.... The pink is changing to a purple/pink taffeta and I remade the skirt to match the top.  Hoping I have enough of the taffeta for a skirt trim.

Then there is some new silk that I picked up....an english gown? circa 1780s? I think so :)
The embroidered fabric will be the gown...solid cream silk petticoat...burgandy silk sash with rhinestone buckle? Yes. I do think so :)

Oh and all my other fabric just waiting for a some prettiness....time?  where are you?

I also had a few people from my 18th century group over for tea last Saturday morning.  We discussed future events and fun stuff that we will be doing...Which means fun photo ops for you :) 

I leave you with my dress from All-Con I wore for a few hrs on Sunday...the theme was steampunk and you might recognize the dress...it used to be more of a hoop skirt when I started it...it turned into a bustle :)

The Suffragette Picnic

Ok this wasn't the dress/outfit I had originally blogged about.  I found this fabulous vintage gauze tea dress on eBay the week before..and prayed it would get to me by the Friday before, and it did!!!!  It was a little short so I made a quick petticoat from some cotton voile I had to help with the length but otherwise the measurements were perfect.

The DFW Costumer's Guild spent Memorial Day Saturday honoring the suffragette movement.  Thank you Jen for the AWESOME sashes and the gorgeous hand painted poster!!! (see Jen below with her sign in the back)

Edwardian Hat Making

My attempts at an Edwardian hat:

Ok so this was a quickie hat for the suffragette picnic last weekend

1.  Plain hat found at good will.  It's sort of a flexible plastic feel...not real straw or anything

2.  I only had some thin wire so I used three pieces the length of the circumference of the brim

3.  I twisted these three wires and then pinned them to the edge of the brim.  The hat actually had a standing edge around the brim so I folded the wire into that.

4.  I used the zipper foot for my machine to sew the wire into the fold....being very careful not to hit the wire!! (which I did a few times)

5.  Using some scrap black satin I cut two pieces the size and shape of the hat (for the top and under part of the brim)

6.  I cut a hole in the center of both pieces and made tabs to better fit the satin around the top and inside of hat.  I also sewed the black satin pieces to the hat along the edge of the brim (folding the top piece under and the tucking it in the satin piece underneath) *the stitch was on the inner edge of the wire*

7.  I then cut a circle piece of the same black satin fabric a few inches larger that the crown of the hat *which was pretty shallow*  I put a gather stitch along the edge of this circle and pinned it to the crown

8.  Using my zipper foot again I sewed the black satin crown piece to the hat

9.  I used a piece of white satin and sewed a simple strip of fabric the size of the circumference of the crown (with seam allowance)

10.  Uh...that's hot glue my friends.....attaching the white fabric and lace to the hat

11.  My own personal opinion it looked a little too much like a pimp hat....sooo.....

12.  I picked up a white feather boa and safety pinned it for the final wear!

19th Century on Hold

Due to working my *real job* till much too late at night, I was unable to finish the dress for the event on Dec 12th...Which unfortunately worked out for the best because something else came up a few days before that I couldn't get out of either. It was actually coming along nicely. In this pic the skirt panels are just pinned up there. I also have the sleeves ready to go. I was waiting on trim which I purchased last Saturday (along with a green velvet for a riding habit (as I stare at the shelves of unused fabrics)) Anywho, I will finish this lady of a dress *soon* for any other 19th century/civil war events. Won't hurt to have it handy.