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.