A Dedicated Follower of Fashion

I finished the pink petticoat yesterday; today I hope to get all the pieces for the half-robe cut out. Except for the sleeves, because those I will actually need to mock up. A bit pathetic that it took me so long to make a petticoat, but then I remind myself it was Christmas week, and I didn't have much sewing time! I have faith that I can crank out the half-robe in time for this coming weekend. Hopefully. Here's the petticoat, for your viewing (dis)pleasure. Mabel's bust is a bit too low to wear it in the right place, but I didn't have time to get all trussed up to take a photo on me. It is a wee bit on the short side, but as its main function is actually going to be an under-petticoat for warmth purposes, that was on purpose. Nothing more annoying than having a petticoat that's just a tiny bit too long!

Well, my big exciting post was on Friday, so nothing much to see here! I have decided to make that outfit to wear the morning after the Regency 12th Night party...just a simple half-robe over a petticoat. The half-robe will be made of the green printed cotton, and the petticoat of the wool/cotton blend twill. The pink side is technically the wrong side, but that's the one I'm using for this petticoat because I like it better! (The purple side will be used for an 18thc under-petticoat at some point, when I get around to it.) Yesterday I ripped the panels for the petticoat, and today I sewed the side seams. Hopefully next week I'll be able to post about a finished petticoat and a partially sewn half-robe, but with the holidays who knows how much time I'll have for sewing...

I just realized that I never posted about this...our planned Regency Christmas party for this past Saturday had to be postponed because of the weather. Many attendees were driving in from out of state, and no one was sure how safe the roads would be. (To be fair, I'm from out of state too...but just across the river, and I drove over earlier than most people would have, before the roads might've got bad.) We've rescheduled it to be a Twelfth Night party the first weekend in January - and are hoping the weather cooperates! I admit I was very disappointed, but I did finish my sleeves (actually, I just put the last stitches on them this morning!), and today got some pictures. Important disclaimer: there is not supposed to be that much dangly fringe on the turban - I didn't know it had untucked itself! Same for the escaping shift sleeves.

I would love to say I've been sewing too much to post - but that wouldn't be true! Bit of a sewing slump post-Gettysburg, I have to admit. I have a Regency Christmas party to go to this coming Saturday, and I'm going to wear my green and gold Regency dress. I'm in the process of fixing up the sleeves, and that's the only sewing I really have to do for it (though I may whip up a matching reticule if I'm feeling so inclined). Which is good because I'm responsible for helping out with food, drinks, and decoration!

A great weekend! I'm glad so many of my friends agreed to play along with me in the 1860s; it was a lot of fun. The only time we got a picture of the whole group was at the ball on Friday night, so here you go: Besides the bonnets, I didn't really have anything new for the weekend, though I did manage a few bits and pieces, most of which I mentioned here already. I wore the dress of 1000 triangles to the ball Friday, and my grey wool day dress on Saturday, with my oh-so-out-of-date 1840s mantle; thus, did not try very hard to get pictures of myself. But here are some without me!

The short of it is, I've majorly scaled down my plans for Gettysburg sewing! Have decided to prioritize finishing the odds and ends on the pieces I already have, rather than attempting to make some more half-finished things. I did make and finish the World's Ugliest Nightgown this week, but I don't think I want to post a picture of it! It's really that ugly. Also, I'm glad I tried on the Dress of a Thousand Triangles today, because I'm going to have to put a placket in, which is, uh, putting it generously. To say "it almost doesn't fit any more" would be sadder yet more appropriate. Thank goodness I decided to have it lace shut rather than use hooks and eyes. Well, it has been a year and a half since I last wore it... If this trend continues, I may need to make a new ballgown for Remembrance Day weekend 2014! Bonnet No.1 bonnet is this close to done, I just need to put flowers and crap on it. I was going to bang out all the machine se...

And what did I accomplish this week for Gettysburg? Mostly little things, but I think I have sewn every day, and that's good. I'm still just about on track with my Overly Ambitious sewing schedule, anyway...so there's that. - First, I trimmed my bonnet. I made it TWO YEARS ago, so it's about time! And weren't those flowers just so much fun to sew on.

I've been working on a few different things for Gettysburg this week (started putting together a chemise to wear with my ballgown, got the construction of Not-For-Me Bonnet No.1 underway), but mainly sewed stripes on my paletot. Endless, endless stripes. But hey! I finished sewing the last stripe today, so now I can think about doing...the pockets. Or the collar. Or the front closures. Or the piping. OH, THE PIPING. Anywho. Pictures!

Not that I got any great amount of sewing done between yesterday and today - though I did sew a stripe and a half onto the paletot sleeves - but I did go to an 18thc Field Day at Red Bank Battlefield today, with a friend (we were a small group today, sadly!). I wore the striped jacket that I made a year and a half ago, and which I hadn't had a chance to wear since; most non-fancypants 18thc events I go to are held in cold weather, so I wear my wool gown! It was warm enough today for cotton (at least in the sun!), so my poor little neglected jacket finally got a real wearing. I wore it with my small roll, and I like how the skirt of the jacket looks with it much more than without.

Apologies for not posting last week about my sewing progress - but I felt like I hadn't made any, so it was hardly worth a post. Was much more productive this week; I made most of an 1810s bonnet and finally finished the pompom spencer! I'm not going to the usual fall Regency event, so, since I don't know when I'll have an opportunity to actually wear it out, I got pictures of it this morning. Which required getting up much earlier than I like. Be impressed with my dedication to this blog. :P

This week, I bring you...outerwear! Not finished outerwear. I hope no one got too excited. First, I'll just note that the pompom spencer now has two sleeves, and they are attached. And that is good! Now I just have to sew more pompoms all over it... In the interests of time (and never finishing anything ever), I thought I'd start work on the things I need for Gettysburg - starting with the paletot (aka coat). I think I found about six paletots I wanted to make...but finally chose this one, not least because everything I need to make it can be found in the Stash. (Except the button forms. Gotta remember to buy those.)

I mentioned that you all had permission to kick me if I'd not finished the spencer by the time of my next post, and, well...just don't kick me too hard, okay? I finally got round to mocking up, fitting, and cutting out the sleeves Thursday, and currently one sleeve's attached. Other sewing: I had jury duty Tuesday, and wanted some hand-sewing occupation that didn't involve explaining why on earth I was sewing pompoms to a tiny bolero jacket to any curious members of the public! Not that the pieces of an 18th century cap look any less odd, but they're smaller...and at least there are no pompoms . So I cut out an 18thc cap the night before. Since I was at the courthouse from 8 to 3.30, I did manage to get a good amount done (in between sitting in court, where I don't think they'd have appreciated my little project) - I hemmed two-and-a-half out of three pieces, and put some gathering stitches in. And then it seemed silly to put the cap in the UFO bin, s...

Time is really getting away from me - this spencer really is such a simple little garment, it should have been completed the beginning of this week, at the latest. But the early fall weather has just been so enjoyable these last two weeks, that every time I have a good chunk of time to devote to sewing, I've been going outside for a walk in local parks and nature preserves instead! I'm terribly not -outdoorsy, so be impressed. I still have to make and fit a sleeve mockup, but since I'll always put off sleeves as long as I possibly can, I'm working on the trim now. Pompoms!! So far I've only got it sewn to the bottom edge of the spencer, but, you know, better than nothing, right? Dangly pompom bits. Hee.

Alliteration, heh heh. First things first; yesterday was my friend Robin's birthday party - it was a Victorian picnic in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, and it was lovely! She made a really beautiful new dress for the occasion - check it out ! I didn't make anything new for the occasion, though I'll have to next time - this dress is two years old and it's now a bit too tight! Not unwearable, obviously...but not terribly comfortable, especially if there's a picnic involved. And there was indeed a picnic. And - what I've been sewing this week. Gettysburg sewing needs to start soon, but I have a Regency event in November as well, and I'm making the pompom spencer to go over the jumper I made last year . I worked very hard on fitting the mockup on Wednesday, and have made reasonable progress: Lightened a bit so you can *sort* of see the collar. And the inside. Pieced linen from the scrap bin!

First and foremost, I'm shelving the natural form dress for now. I have the striped early bustle dress, and that is eminently wearable if boring. It's mainly my own fault, though also due to things outside of my control conspiring against me. All in all, though, I'd really like to sleep more than a few hours this week! It's not about what I wear, anyway - it's not my birthday party! :) The underskirt did get finished this week, though, and it did come out rather nicely, despite being kind of a PITA to get all those pleats pinned in... So I suppose that means I'm free to work on Gettysburg stuff now. Huh. So where do I start?? So many options!

And I really have been sewing today (for hours and hours, oy), so it's a proper Sewing Sunday! I did do some work on the blue corset during the week, and got most of the boning in - when I realized I really need to put some more in, in certain strategic places. Argh. Let's move on for now, shall we? Plus I met up with a few friends this afternoon for a sewing day, so I wanted something I could work on by hand (so much easier than lugging the machine around!) So yesterday I put together the foundation for the underskirt - blue polished cotton - and sewed together the Big Green Panel that gets box pleated over it and tacked down. Simple enough, right? Well, I got a quarter of the skirt finished this afternoon, so, yes, simple, but time-consuming! It's fiddly work getting the pleats pinned just right. Also possible I'm just slow. Woo.

I forgot to do my weekly "what I've sewn" post yesterday - oops! Well, it's the last day of my weekend today , so we'll still count it, okay? Not that I've done much. I made a couple of little dresses for a good friend's new baby (although I made them in a larger size so she can hopefully wear them next spring/summer), and did some boring boring alterations that at least made me a bit of money. And banged a few grommets on my natural form corset, woo. A very few. And then yesterday I went to see Austenland with some friends. In costume, naturally! Philly's just full of nice old brick walls for costume picture-taking! It doesn't seem to have gotten the best reviews, but I think I can speak for the group in saying we thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a chick flick and it's silly, but every once in a while I do like a silly movie, you know? And it was so funny! I think our little group might've laughed slightly louder due to knowing a...

Been sadly slacking off with my sewing this week - and I'm not sure I'll have a new dress for the event on Sept. 21st, after all, but I'm going to try! Anyway, I did manage to finish my natural form petticoat, based on TV170 but, er, adapted by me (in avoidance of tucks and inability to read directions). Although you may notice the random tuck I did have to take because I made it too long. Like always.

I was hoping I could post about more finished things, but I want to get this post in before I go to work tonight, so it is what it is. This week's been the week of underwear sewing! I didn't get much more done on the corset, because I still need some of the supplies, so I decided to work on the other undies.

First off, one of the costumer blogs I follow recently posted that she's going to try and do a weekly post, even if there hasn't been any major sewing - and if I could remember who that was I would credit you, because I think that's genius. (Aha! Danielle of L.M. Sewing ! Thank you!) Anyway, I'll do my weekly post on Sundays because when I work, I still get out early. Anyway. Been very busy over the past few weeks, although until the past week it's not been with sewing! But I'm remedying that now. I've got a couple of Victorian events coming up in September, and since my Victorian wardrobe is sadly lacking - especially post-1860s - I've decided to remedy that. Hopefully. If I don't run out of time. I have an early 1870s dress, but since that doesn't thrill me, I'm going to start from scratch in the natural form style. I have some half-finished combinations in the UFO bin and a bunch of Truly Victorian patterns in the mail, but what I...

So - the few of us that were going to Fort Mifflin's Civil War Saturday changed our minds somewhere around Tuesday, after much checking of the weather forecast and deciding nobody really  wanted to fall over from heat exhaustion. Didn't want to waste all that work on our sheer dresses, so we decided to have tea (INSIDE) instead, and extended the invite to some more of our friends, making it a Victorian tea in a Victorian tea house in Riverton. Which had delicious food, by the way. I had the rose tea, which I really enjoyed and should've bought from the gift shop! I love this group shot!

I have one day left...now let's hope I don't screw anything up! Still have to finish the neckline trim, gather the skirt, and attach it to the bodice - and whatever odds & ends are left over that I've forgotten but still have to be finished. Anyway, this is a bit of the finished skirt (the hem facing is now tacked up as well). I'll be wearing this Saturday (hopefully...), so pictures after that!

I've budgeted out my time and remaining tasks to do on this dress, and I should be able to put it all together in a week if I stay on schedule! Which, thanks to hours and hours worth of work on it today, I am. ...although I'll be in trouble if my 25-more-yards-of-silk-ribbon doesn't ship quickly! *chews nails* 40 yards apparently isn't nearly enough! Anyway, where we are now. Two more flounces to go on the skirt, and then attach the skirt and bodice. Doable. (Also that's a 21-yard ruche. I felt you all needed to know that - because it was horrible .)

I'm really the WORST at updating here, I'm sorry! And I even have a few more followers than last time I checked...guess my lack of Doing Anything Interesting here hasn't deterred you. That's nice, I like you already. Currently in the works is a sheer dress, based on a fashion plate from 1862. (The one on the left is mine, though my hat's based on the other two.) In an attempt to stop buying fabric , I decided to use something from the Stash - white self-striped cotton organdy. (We won't talk about how I bought voile, then decided on this particular dress, attempted to buy morefor the billion yards of flounces, and despite having 200+ yards "in stock when I ordered it, the site was sold out! I was...displeased.) This has led to more of a giant marshmallow effect than I'm usually comfortable with...but you gotta step out of your comfort zone sometimes, right? (And I did buy 40 yards of blue silk ribbon to trim it with, but we won't discuss t...

Well, all right. The turque/open robe fought me tooth and nail on the sleeves, and Friday afternoon I decided I'd rather retain my sanity and have better sleeves at a later date - so I ended up wearing the chemise gown. Which, of course, I already took pictures of. Well, here are some more! A friend had a lovely little 18th century picnic on Saturday - perfect weather, great food, decorations, and company too! (All these photos are from SewLoud and Learning to Costume , because, as usual, I took no pictures!)

(Or, the snausage dress.) (I wore it once, for ten minutes to take pictures in the back yard, and have already gotten a mud mark on the hem and snagged the hem thread. I'm good.) I'm making an open-robe-turque-thing to wear over it to an event on the 15th, so I did want to get a few pics of it sans robe-thing! I think the clotheslines next to my head really make it, don't you? (I was pressed for time so couldn't get to one of my nice parks, but wanted to get it out of the way!)

I wore this dress, you may remember, to a holiday event at a local late-19thc estate, and have been working on the beading off-and-on since then. This past Saturday was a good friend's bachelorette party, which we celebrated by going to see the new Gatsby film in costume. Didn't get any good pictures then (hey, it wasn't about me!), but I made an effort to get some this week! The front of the skirt is now beaded, so it was quite presentable. Very cool "film noir" shot, fixed up by Robin of SewLoud 's hubby! We keep him around to make us look good.

Well, all right, that was probably the shortest sewing hiatus in the history of...ever. I really did think it was going to be longer! Anyway, Madame Modiste gave a Regency-themed tea for the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride & Prejudice, which was yesterday, and I needed a new dress! Well, "needed." I've been itching to expand my Regency-era wardrobe, and this was a good excuse. I thought the fabric looked just like something out of the 1995 P&P movie, so I called it the Lizzie Bennett dress. :)

Do want! Yet another pre-sale from American Duchess - this time more Regency shoes. That I ZOMG WANT. I'm still waffling over whether I can really afford them (I don't think I can, woe!), but you never know, I could win them! Highly unlikely, considering the popularity of these giveaways, but hey, somebody's got to win 'em.

So, if you read any blogs besides mine or follow costume-y things on Facebook, you've probably seen Colonial Williamsburg's Dress in a Day videos. If not, go! Watch! Be impressed! A couple of local friends and costumers and I were impressed - and intrigued. Could the three of us make a dress in a day, too? In our own little amateur style, of course; none of us have any pretensions of being professional! In short? Yes, we can!

Or, well, they like the stuff I put on this blog, anyway. I'm tickled, I promise you, to have been given the Very Inspiring Blogger Award by no less than four people over the past few days! Haha, I'm cool! *happy wriggle* And thank you to Chelsea , Maggie , Judy , and Trystan ! (If I'm so cool I should probably get back to sewing, so I have things to write about here, yeah? Working on it! Been taking a little break, but break time's been going on long enough, I think.) Oh, and I've got some more followers now. Hiii!!!! *waves* The Laws of The Award, Which I Am Going To Proceed to Break: 1. Display the award and link back to the person who nominated you. 2. State 7 facts about yourself. 3. Nominate 15 bloggers for the award. 4. Notify the winners. Seven facts about me? Okay, I can do that. Um. - I have never pumped my own gas. Shut up, I've lived in New Jersey my entire life! - I've always loved reading for pleasure - I can currently see 91 boo...

Finally finished and wore my 1913 outfit! I went to the Titanic exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philly yesterday with a group of friends - of course we had to wear our 19-teens outfits! It was a very well-put together exhibit; if it's ever in your town I highly recommend it! Photography wasn't allowed in the exhibit, so there aren't many pictures, but I did make sure to get a couple of my new outfit!

The second annual Francaise Dinner was held this past Saturday night; it was an absolutely wonderful time, and if you're somewhere in the Philadelphia area next year (or can get to it!), do join us! Lots of fun, lots of punch, lots of excellent costumes. I'll post a few pictures of the dinner in a little while - I didn't end up taking any myself, so I've got to do a bit of collecting from those who did! I ended up driving home in my breakfast outfit on Sunday, because it's so comfy and I like it so much - and then it was such good weather, I recruited Lil' Sis to come with me to Red Bank Battlefield Park and get some nice pictures of it.

I'm very pleased I managed to finish this in time to make the Historical Sew Fortnightly deadline! I needed it finished anyway, so this "embellish" challenge gave me a perfect deadline at the perfect time. This almost completes my "breakfast outfit" - just the accessories left to do now!

I'm counting this as an undergarment for the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge...even though the reason behind its creation is to be a top petticoat (y'know, the one you see!). But I do have every intention of wearing this under things for warmth as well, now that I've got it...so it counts! It's made to be part of a 1760s(ish) "lounging" outfit, that will sooner or later (hopefully sooner) consist of the petticoat, a cream taffeta sack jacket, and cream jumps. There's a Second Annual Francaise Dinner coming up in my neck of the woods, and many of us staying overnight at the Inn are going to dress for breakfast as well. So I want a fancy but comfy outfit!

I wore this new dress to a Regency Card Party this past Saturday night. It's not finished to my satisfaction, as I left the sleeves til last-minute, and ended up having some Issues with them. I have to take them off and do some piecing, both to the sleeve you see and the oversleeve that never made it onto the dress! But the party itself was a wonderful time! Since I forgot my camera, I didn't bother getting anyone to take full-length shots of the dress this time (since I'm not happy with the sleeves anyway). But here are a few shots from others, that I happen to be in. Just so you can have an idea of the dress!

I was hoping to get the dress to go with the coat & hat done as well, but no dice - I was pretty sick a lot of last week, and it really wiped me out! Slowed down the sewing considerably as well. It's okay; I don't need it til the end of the month. I can do that! Hopefully. So, since I have no dress, you just get the coat modeled on Mabel the dummy for now. Not as exciting, but I'll put up pictures of the coat on me after the event.

It's covered in velveteen, which is why it's linty. I really need to get a lint roller. Or tape. Or something. This is what I've been working on the past few days. I'm completely out of buckram but still have a bunch of straw braid from cheap hats, so I had to sew it back together in the shape I wanted, then cover it. Still needs to be trimmed, but I have to buy feathers so I can do that! It's going to be worn with my as-yet-still-unmade red wool 1913 dress at the end of this month, when a group of friends and I are going to see the Titanic exhibit while it's at our local museum. Apologies for bad lighting and bad pictures - but it's not really finished yet, so that's my excuse. Lint, lint everywhere!

Forgot to actually do this before the end of the year, whoops! And I've been sick (still am), so I didn't manage to get any sewing done. No Historical Sew Fortnightly bonus challenge for me! Sigh. Bad start to the sewing year! Well, I did get a bit of hand sewing done today that didn't require much thinking - hemming my linen 18thc fichu (that I've only been wearing unhemmed for over a year!). So that's not too bad. Anyway, on to the year in review!