Miss F’s Dress on location – Waterloo 2015

Tags

19th century clothing, hand sewing, Miss F's Dress 1815, Regency, sewing projects, Waterloo 200

The dress made its debut in Brussels on June 19 2015 for the Inferno Opening Spectacle at Waterloo 200. My sister was a really great sport about running through the downtown Brussels train stations in period clothing.

Here are a smattering of photos from that day and then a few from our hotel in Bruges. (The more artistic photos are on her camera, so those will be posted later).

 

The hotel, Hotel Patritius, is an 1830s house right near the Grot Markt in Bruges. It was the perfect hotel for our architectural souls. Though the house is a later date than our dresses, it made a gorgeous backdrop for our little photo shoot!

Here are some random photos at the Battle of Waterloo site.

 

Obligatory selfie

Right as I took this photo, a huge gust of wind poofed her dress. Bahahaha.

 

 

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Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Tags

Awards, Reflections

Although I have not been blogging for as long as some people, I am honored and excited to receive my first award from Nessa, of Sewing Empire. Thank you so much!!! It’s wonderful to know that others view my work and enjoy it and are possibly inspired by it. Her creations are beautiful as well so everyone should check out her blog. 🙂

Here are the award rules:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site
2. Put the Award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions sent to you.
4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer
5. Nominate ten blogs.

My 10 nominations are:

1. Lily of Mode de Lis

2. Christina of On Living History (who is currently in Colonial Williamsburg for an internship at the Margaret Hunter Millinery Shop!)  Or see her facebook page.

3. Asa of Fashion Through History

4. Susan aka Lady Constance of Threading Through Time

5. Caroline of Dressed in Time

6. Taylor of Dames a la Mode

7. Katherine of The Fashionable Past

8. Jen of Festive Attyre

9. Erin of Beyond the Hourglass

10. Jessi of Artemisia Tridentata

 

Here are the questions I would like all of you to answer:

1. What type of music and/or movies do you like to have on while you work (work = sewing/creating art).

2. What gives you the most satisfaction while working on a new project?

3. What inspires you the most when you are mulling over what to create next?

4. Does it bother you if your pet lays on your fabric, paper etc while you are trying to work? And what are your pet(s) names?

5. How long ago did you get involved in your hobby?

6. What is the ultimate garment that you yearn to create?

7. What has been the mistake that taught you the most?

8. If you have any advice for someone just starting out in the hobby, what would it be?

9. Who has been the biggest inspiration and/or mentor when working on projects and/or keeping you motivated?

10. If you could attend any event (historical or otherwise) what would it be and why?

 

My answers to Nessa’s questions:

1. How long have you been blogging? I have been blogging only a short while: since 2012. It’s not very long, but I like having a place to “store” my project documentation and blogging is quite different from writing in a journal/diary. Because people are looking what what I write, it’s motivating to keep updating an choosing the best quality photos and proofreading my work.

2. What is / are your favorite topics to blog about? I remember being in college and researching 1890s and 1920s clothing for a costumed interpretation program for a historic site that I worked at. I stumbled upon The Fashionable Past’s original website with the documentation of her projects. I was literally in awe. Complete and utter astonishment. I had no idea people were sewing in this way. It took many years for me to finally jump in with both feet, but I’m glad I did. That brings me to this blog. Originally my title was because of my profession and hobby: teaching and reenacting. However, I’ve strayed away from blogging about teaching because of all the political crap that surrounds it. Teaching brings me a great deal of joy; I love my children to the moon and back. However, my living history hobby is *my* time. It’s my escape from a very intense week of lesson planning, grading, and playing mom essentially. Therefore, this blog helps me focus on the hobby aspect of my life. I enjoy documenting my sewing projects, but I especially love attending an event, taking pictures, editing them and then seeing what story emerges and figuring out how to tell the story of the event on my blog.

3. Do you have a favorite book and or author? And what do you love the most about them? My favorite author is Libba Bray. She writes the most awesome young adult novels ever. Seriously. I randomly stumbled upon her books in 2005 when I graduated college, but her writing is excellent and I was not bored one bit even though her audience is geared more for high school girls. Her blog is pretty damn funny too. Next favorite is hands down Isabel Allende. Her historical fiction is to die for. It is so poetic it’s divine.

4. Which is / are your favorite historical (sewing) periods? I LOVE the 18th and early 19th century clothing. I much prefer simple garments and gowns without a lot of fluff. Simple lines is where it’s at. Currently, I’ve only sewn garments for the 18th century, Napoleonic era, and one dress for 1830s. Maybe because I’m still new, I feel like the other time periods are a bit more complicated. Maybe I just need to jump in and do it once to see how it goes. I wore a bustle dress when I worked at Old World Wisconsin and *loved* it!!! Bustles rock. I need to own one.

5. Do you have a piece of clothing in your wardrobe that you really love? Historical clothing: my rose colored worsted wool 18th century gown. It is comfy and is tailored to fit me like a glove. Modern clothing: my Great Gatsby t-shirt with skinny jeans. My students think I’m a cool nerd.

6. Which sewing technique would you love to learn? There is a fancy 18th century way to sew the sleeve to the lining and you flip it inside out or something? I’m not sure. I’ve only been shown, not actually tried it myself. But I feel it would go a long way to making the sleeve sewing process better.

7. If a time traveler offered to take you anywhere in time and space where would you go? I can’t choose just one, so top three: 1) 18th cent, 2) Edwardian in a house like on the Downton Abbey show (I just can’t decide if I’d want to live upstairs or downstairs), and 3) 1920s when F. Scott Fitzgerald was alive. I want to go to a party at Gatsby’s house!

8. Describe your ideal dress fabric. Linen. I love it.

9. Which is the most important sewing or crafting tool? I love my wax for waxing my linen thread. I smell it every time I use it. Haha.

10. Are you more of a lace person or a ruffle person? Neither. Haha. I like pleats.

 

DIY 19th Century Shoes Hack

Tags

19th century clothing, Costuming Hacks, shoes

For those of you who read and follow, you know I’m hard core authentic, natural hand sewn everything. However because of time and lack of knowledge and money and guts, I will not be wearing authentic-historically accurate-period appropriate shoes at the Battle of Waterloo Reenactment. I can’t bear to bring my new American Duchess Nankeen boots with me for fear that if it is muddy, they will get ruined. I just can’t. I had considered covering some old shoes in scrap fabric because I’ve seen other bloggers do that. But I was all, oh geeze, that requires gluing and waiting and cutting and measuring and possibly messing it up. (Though I still intend to make them at some point).

A few years back, of all places, I found a pair of oxfords at Urban Outfitters that had a striking resemblance to 19th century shoes. I bought them for $60.00, wore them to work a lot and loved them. They are all leather and have a leader bottom. They are one of the comfiest and easiest shoes to wear. Some of my living history friends said they could “pass” for 19th century shoes, but I’d have to cut off the ties with tassels on the end.

 

I really did not want to cut off the tassels just yet. My plan is/was to use ribbon to tie them closed, but I’m worried the ribbon will be too slippery and won’t hold them closed very well. I left the tassels, purchased ribbon (not silk like I wanted, but it *kind of* looks like it. It’s just black satin stuff).

And now my 19th century shoe hack tutorial. (I was too lazy/excited to put stockings on).

1. Cut ribbon to desired length. Thread through holes behind original laces.

 

 

 

2. Tie original laces first.

 

 

3. Tuck laces behind flaps.

 

 

4. Tie ribbon laces.

 

 

When I make one bow (single knot), they look like the above photo.

5. Make a double knot/bow for extra holding power. Then the bow flips.

 

6. TA-DA!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Although I’m not keen on wearing black and brown together, I figure wearing it this way once will help me decide what color silk ribbon I should buy. Not bad self. Not bad.

Challenge #6 Out of my Comfort Zone

Tags

1830s, 19th century clothing, Historical Sew Monthly, living history, sewing projects

Normally, I’ve been sewing 18th century and early 19th century, but nothing past 1815. This was a perfect challenge for me because I literally did not have to think super hard about what to make because the plans had been laid for this dress.

Here is me at Apple River Fort! (You can tell it’s a fort because of the wooden palisade behind me).

1830s Dress

Underneath: 2 petticoats: 1 plain and my new corded one. I think the corded one gave it the perfect poof! While I feel pretty girly in my 1780 – 1815 wardrobes because I portray women, I’m usually ripping meat apart with my hands and my apron is super dirty. But at this event, I did not have any cooking duties, so that, combined with my poofy skirt, made me feel ultra girly!!! Or maybe it was the sleeves? Or the brand new first worn American Duchess Gettysburg boots?!!!! Yeah it could have been those! (I totally forgot to take a picture at this event where I showed them off. Will need to do so in a photo shoot soon).

I really like this style of dress. It was extremely comfortable. The only part that felt a little odd were the shoulder/arm holes. I’m not exactly sure if they were too small or what. When I made the mock up, it fit perfectly. I was like oh yes, this is comfortable. Swell. Then when I actually attached the sleeves, I was like hmmm. Well too late now. I do have an extra one or one and a half yards left of the fabric. If needed to, I could redo the sleeves or add another panel to the skirt. I can’t decide which, if either of those, needs to be done.

Because I was on a huge time crunch to get this thing done (literally cranked it out in two weekends) I did not make a tutorial or anything. There are enough of those online already. Also if I were truly a lady of the 1830s, I don’t think I would have been showing my arms/wrists, however, I did not put on the cuffs on the sleeves because I did not have time. Woops!! But no one asked me why I had them rolled up, which I found odd because it’s not like I was scrubbing floors or anything.

What the item is (and why it was out of your comfort zone): early 1830s Day Dress. It is out of my comfort zone because I have never made anything in this time period that involves piping. I drool over the creations on other people’s blogs who produce gorgeous pelisse’s or spencers etc with perfect piping. Jealousy was a good motivator and I figured if they can do it, I can do it! I sewed the piping by hand and then found when I constructed the bodice, it was easier to feel where I should place stitches along the piping to get it to lay neatly and be uniform in how much of the piping is seen.

The Challenge: Out of my comfort zone

Fabric: 100% cotton with brown background a peachy/pinky/coral vine-y pattern to it. Up close I love it. Far away, it just looks brown like so much of my “day dresses” in my historic clothing wardrobe.

Here is a picture from Andoverfabrics.com Jo Morton’s collection:

Pattern: Period Impressions 1828 Day Dress

Year: 1828 (officially), but I dropped the waist line about 2 inches because I needed the dress to work for 1830s also and the waists dropped a bit.

Notions: Hooks and eyes from my friend’s stash

How historically accurate is it? 92% I think the neckline is supposed to be piped (it’s not); and I’m not exactly sure about the waistband. I know it’s how “it’s supposed to look,” but I would like to know the proper historical construction so I can do it correctly the second time around. Oh and I machine stitched all the seams you can’t see because I did not have that much time. But for the record, my piping was all made by hand – I did not use the machine for that.

Hours to complete: Several weekends – two of which were 8+ hrs of sewing both Sat and Sun. I had the pattern drafted in Feb, but did not get around to it until later.

First worn: A few weekends ago for a new event where I *needed* to be in 1830s!!

Total cost: $50.00 for the fabric (I think).

 

The other thing I want to make to go with this outfit is a pretty white collar – one that is just coming into fashion in the 1830s. I also want to try my hand at white embroidery work for this project. I think it would really dress up the ensemble a lot. While I love my fichu that I have thrown over my shoulders, I feel like it hides the waist part of my dress and some of the sleeves. The next thing I’m debating about making are the under sleeve poufs of obnoxiousness. That may be one of those projects that looks simple but turns out to be a bit more complicated. We shall see.

Oh and the next 1830s dress I make will be pink. And maybe a green one. I don’t have anything green in my historic clothing wardrobe.