Early Victorian Stays

Last year I made myself a set of historically correct Victorian stays. Stays were popular from around 1800 thru the 1840s, at which point they were replaced by corsets. These are made from a pattern by Laughing Moon. I have made the theatrical ones before so I kinda knew what I was getting into. However these took what felt like forever. All the cording channels and hand basting all the gussets. I also added a little embroidery around the middle. All the time though was worth it. They fit well, and they look awesome. I did add elastic at the ends of the straps to aid in dressing. This is actually also a historically correct detail. Elastic was invented in the 1830s and became a popular item to add into garments. I wear these for the 1850s impression that I do at Fort Nisqually in Tacoma, WA.

Read Full Post »

Midsummer Faire 2014

The banner flying over camp.

My new Elizabethan gown. It is based off of Northern Italian style dresses. It is super comfy and I got lots of compliments. The fabric is a small pin stripe.

A masked man and his lady.

A side view of the new dress.

 

The sword.

A bunch of hooligans.

Taking the Queen by force.

  

Being Taken to Prison.

 

Fresh picked flowers.

 

First batch of spinning.

 

Wood fire bread oven.

Wooly sheep.

 

Read Full Post »

Theatrical Stays

For the Victorian Festival I needed a pair of stays for the event. I do have a historic pair of stays in the works but I knew I wouldn’t have time to finish them. So I went with a set of theatrical stays. I used fabric from my stash. It is a white cotton with blue print roses. It is made with plastic boning and a paint stick for support. I actually really like these stays. They are super comfortable and still gave me the proper shape. I wore them for hours at a time and never was uncomfortable. They are made from the Laughing Moon Pattern #115.

Read Full Post »

Elizabethan Garb

So last month I was doing quite a bit of stress sewing. First there was the Victorian Festival I needed to make clothes for and then an Elizabethan reenactment just a few weeks after. I made lots of new things for the Elizabethan event. I made a green kirtle out of linen. It is a back lacing gown and I corded the bodice for support. The sleeves are detachable. In the first picture you can see it with a white partlet that I made as well.

To go with my outfit I made a pink linen jacket. I love this jacket. It is super comfortable to wear. I think it would be even more comfortable if you just wore it with a skirt and not a full kirtle. The next outfit I made for the event was a whole set of clothes for my boyfriend. I made him new Venetian breeches in blue hemp canvas. That stuff seems indestructible. Then I made a blue linen doublet with tie on sleeves. This is his first doublet in years of reenacting. I have more in the work basket.

Read Full Post »

Lavender 1840s Gown

 This dress is an 1840s round dress made from Laughing Moons pattern. I like this pattern a lot. It fits well and I’ve made up the pattern twice. It is made with a lavender and cream print cotton. There is lace around the sleeve edges and around the neck. I hope to make a collar eventually. The buttons are shelf covered and I cut them so there was a flower in the center of each. The top picture is me wearing the dress with a great shawl I got as a present. The second picture is at the evening dance, so the lighting is not that great but shows the entire dress.

Read Full Post »

New Undies!

So with my move all my costumes are in storage. I didn’t think this was going to be a problem. However, after I moved I found out I had a whole range of events coming up. So since it isn’t feasible to get to my storage unit at the moment new costumes were in order. The first is a Victorian ensemble. As I normally do I started from the inside out. I made a new chemise, drawers, and petticoat. First is the chemise and drawers made from Simplicity 2890. I added crochet trim on both of them. It is hard to tell in my bad pictures but there is a small picot trim around the neckline.

On the drawers I added a fan crochet trim on the bottom. The waist yoke has a point in the front, which is something I haven’t had before. However I think it will work well with the dress I’m making as it has a pointed front.

Lastly is the petticoat. I feel one can never have enough of these things. This one has three bands of lace around the bottom. It was a great stash buster project as I’ve had that lace for several years. It looks flat in the picture but I plan to starch it before wearing to help give it body.

Read Full Post »

2013 52 Week Project #36 Picking Roses

Read Full Post »

Elizabethan Underpinnings

I needed an Elizabethan outfit this year for the reenacting season. So I started from the inside. I made two different smocks, a petticoat and finished my embroidered pocket. The first smock is the square neckline style. It was too wide so I gathered it into the neckline in the Italian Renaissance style.

I flat felled all my seams, which I really like doing because then nothing unravels after washing. 🙂

The last image is all the underpinnings together. I made a high neck style smock in the English Elizabethan style. I added ruffle into the collar. The pocket I embroidered in 2010 with linen thread. I finally finished it for this outfit by binding it with pink cotton.

Read Full Post »

Viking Underdress

So here is my first Viking dress, at least that I made myself. This was really a test sewing. I wasn’t sure if I could get the pattern to work for me. I like how the dress turned out but it has the same problem as last time; where it rides up as you wear it eventually choking you. I was unsure of this color until I had it made up and now I really like it. It is 100% linen fabric. It was really fast to sew though. It took me 8 hrs, maybe. What I like about Viking dress is that there is a large amount of variation in style. Hopefully I can make a few more dresses before next years reenacting season. The second picture is it with the Apron Dress I was given. I think that it works, which is good because it means I don’t have to make a second Apron Dress.

Read Full Post »

52 Week Project #33

“You should make a woman angry if you wish her to love.” ~Pubilius Syrus

Roman Author, 1st Century B.C.

Read Full Post »