Curtain call - finished masquerade costume

And... It's posted!  Sewing has taken a back seat lately due to long work days and plenty of classwork on top of that.  But at least this was done in time for the Desolation of Smaug premiere (not that I went to it, but it's the thought that counts), even if it waited until two weeks later to be posted.

So, since I gave a ton of background in my previous post, this one will just contain a few updates.  I did reference the Rivendell musicians' gowns in construction initially, but in the end I more closely followed Thranduil's silver robe (especially in terms of fabrics, colors, and silhouette) with an Arwen/feminine interpretation (from FOTR, the farewell dress).  So it's a touch "Oriental" (stretching it a bit there), (more than) a touch "fantasy", and really not remotely historical at all except for the en fourreau back and the front pleating; but it's masquerade, so that covers it just fine.

Here's the fabric (the outside will be the side that reflects lighter; the other was too dramatic):

Here's the final outfit:

Just the facts…

The Challenge: 2013 HSF #22: Masquerade

Fabric: 4-ish yards 44" sage-silver brocade (poly-something); 1-ish yd 44" crepe-back satin (yellowish sage); 1930s green dress (HSF #21)

Pattern:  My favorite kind: sketch out a rough drawing, then make it up as you go along, draping and pinning as you go until it looks right-ish.

Year:  Um… fantasy.

Notions: Sage green polyester thread, a few pins (for the final photos)

How historically accurate is it? Not really at all; borrows from several eras, pure fantasy, really.

Hours to complete:  14-16 (sewing all those pleats was FUN)

First worn:  For these photos

Total cost:  Stash project.

And the making of…

Finally and fashionably (heh) late... HSF #21 - Green '30s glamour

Ok, finishing this gown took longer than I thought, and posting even more delayed than that... but it's done, so it deserves a post.

A little backstory on this dress, as it kinda happened as a result of another project/challenge that's in the works...  A while ago (June), I'd posted about the upcoming projects I wanted to do...  On that list, at the very bottom, is a "Mirkwood elf gown" in - you called it - green.  Lo and behold, more recently, an HSF challenge was announced for a Masquerade costume.  And an idea was born... I decided that the Masquerade costume would be the elf gown, but have some historical origins (1920s or '30s, due to the fabrics).  

Since the whole thing would be a bit much to make in two weeks, I decided to split it into two projects: the underdress (which could be historically accurate to an era) and the overdress (which could be pure fantasy with historical references/techniques such as an en fourreau back, and some sewn down pleats like the dresses from The Hobbit).  

So, I needed to find an appropriately historical gown to make (in green) for the undergown.  Initially, I thought this would have to be a '20s gown (or a purely medieval gown) due to the typical "elven" silhouette of long lines and draping from the shoulders, which I wasn't too happy about since '20s doesn't work well for me and I have plenty of medieval stuff already.  But... watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey again, I paid special attention to the elves' gowns to see what the undergowns looked like, and had a pleasant surprise.  My original recollections were mistaken - the undergowns (female elven musicians, in that Rivendell dinner scene) were closer to the '30s in their silhouette/gown draping than medieval (barring the overrobes).  And if there's one "modern" historical era that I like the clothes for (and that the clothes actually look good on me for), it's the '30s.  So, now I just had to find an appropriate designer whose necklines and drapings were sufficiently "LOTR"/"fantasy"/"medieval"-ish that could pull off being the undergown for a (completely fabricated, since I haven't seen any previews of elven finery for H2) Hobbit-era elven gown from Mirkwood (assuming they all don't dress in leather and fighting gear all the time). 

And in my searches, I stumbled across Madeleine Vionnet, one of the designers known for bias-cut, bias-draping, and the more simple, elegant styles (with a mix/match of grecian and A-line silhouettes).  So, found two dresses that I'll be combining together into one: a 1936 gown that will be the chiffon overdress, and a 1936-38 gown that will be the model for the underdress (slight modification to the neckline of the bodice). 

I also found (on sale/clearance) a taffeta curtain of just the right shade of green to match the metallic leaf fabric for the Mirkwood dress.  The only issue: it was sewn into one of those valences that were all folds, so I had to take all of the stitches out.  Thankfully, it was all one sheet of fabric (instead of a bunch of strips, which would have stopped this project cold), and was a good size, too.  I also had some sage green chiffon in my stash that was originally intended for a reproduction Arwen coronation gown (yes, I was that LOTR-crazy at one point) but thankfully never got around to using.  So, that'll be the overdress for this and sewn in the style of the peach chiffon 1936 gown, while the underdress will be a halter top and bodice shape like the white-black 1936-38 gown but not covered with chiffon (and with a slightly different neckline due to how the fabric gathers).  I also happened to have in my stash this gorgeously heavy satin ribbon that was (I kid you not) the EXACT shade of pale green as the taffeta curtain.  I seriously could not have found the same shade had I gone out and searched for it, or dyed it myself.

So, here is the final product:  (taffeta pinned / taffeta sewn )

(full ensemble)

Just the facts!

Challenge: #21 - Color Challenge Green - 1936-38 evening gown, à la Madeleine Vionnet

Fabric: green taffeta valence curtain from Wal-mart red-tag clearance section (2yd by 2yd); sage green chiffon (stash) - 2yd of 54" fabric

Pattern: none; draped based on photos of extant gowns (linked above), with a few modifications for fit

Year: 1936-38

Notions: sage green polyester thread (from stash); 3yd satin ribbon (for taffeta dress sash, chiffon dress halter strap and edge binding on sides/back, and chiffon dress belt); silver florists' wire artistically twirled for the belt "buckle" of the chiffon overdress.

How historically accurate is it: hand-sewn (not that accurate for the '30s), polyester taffeta (pushing it), chiffon (ok, that works); based on a plausible combination of two actual dresses (could pull it off).  Overall, accurate enough to pass muster.  

Hours to complete: All told: 11-12 hours spaced over multiple weeks:
... the taffeta underdress took about 1.5 hours to drape/pin/sew, once the fabric was no longer a curtain (that prep work took another hour and a half), so total 3 hours;
... the taffeta bodice took about 3 hours (mostly draping and pinning to get it to fit right);
... the chiffon overdress took 5 hours (hemming chiffon, that is frustration), and then I hemmed the rectangle left over for a "wrap" like the matching one in the photo.
... the satin ribbon was too wide for both the tie at the neck and to edge the chiffon, so I cut it in half (width) and hemmed an entire side of it (for the tie) and sewed it onto the chiffon (as a border), which took a couple hours.

First worn: for these photos

Total cost: $10 for the curtain.  The rest came from my stash, thus "free" for this project.  But, in actuality... the chiffon was probably $3/yard (red-tag at Joann's years ago), and the thread was probably $3; the ribbon was a 3yd spool for about $3 (clearance); so, $12.  Not bad. 

And the making of...

HSF #19 - adventures with metal

My original project for this challenge was going to be remaking (recovering) an oriental parasol with a cloth cover instead of paper (which was badly ripped/split) and by strengthening the ribs and the lines securing them.  But... that's rather ambitious for a short timeline, so it'll have to stay on the "to-do" list.

Instead, I made shoe buckles.

Back when I photographed the final product for my "flora, fauna" HSF entry - the indienne anglaise - I wore the correct shoes, but at the time didn't have anything (other than ribbon) to secure them with (and for the photoshoot didn't even bother with that).  Seeing American Duchess' beautiful buckles gave me an idea to make my own - functional and not nearly as delicate, but will do in a pinch (and from afar).  First attempt came out rather well, actually, and the next time I'll make them a bit smaller, and probably in a circle instead of rectangle.

Without further ado, here they are (on American Duchess' Kensingtons, with totally period-incorrect socks):

Just the facts...!

The Challenge: HSF #19 - Wood, metal, bone... 18th century metal shoe buckles

Fabric: none

Pattern: none; self-drafted (somewhat on the fly - aka, as I was making it and finding out what worked and what doesn't) based on images of period buckles

Year: 1770s

Notions: main material is florists' wire (I forget what gauge, but approx. 3/32" thick); maybe 1 yard total for both?  I didn't measure it out.

How historically accurate is it: I highly doubt that anyone in the 18th century made the buckles like I did, out of two pieces of wire twisted around each other into a buckle shape and compressed using pliers to stay together.  However, from a distance (as in, from eye height, or when walking around) they look accurate enough.  Close inspection would render them creatively inaccurate in construction though they have all of the requisite parts and fasten in the same way that historical buckles do (see pictures below for details).

Hours to complete: ok, so this one now takes the cake for fastest project.  Excluding research time, actual construction was about an hour for both (about 40 minutes for the first one, and then the second went much faster).

First worn: only for the photos here

Total cost: stash strikes again!  Made from wire I'd gotten to do some other project with, and had plenty extra left over.  So, free. :-)

The making of...

The shoes, prior to buckles:

 The wire:

Close-ups of the final product.  I can walk in it and it stays on my foot (and the strap doesn't loosen, either).

Here's the buckle attached to the under-strap.  Yes, it does go through holes in the strap like period buckles should.

The underside (you can see the wire going through the strap).  The strap goes between two "bars" of wire that are very, very tight together, which - along with the prongs - holds it in place. You can kinda see how the original bar has a gap between the longer prong going over the top of the buckle; this was the first buckle I made.  The second doesn't have the extra bar since I realized I could make it better without it.

Hit the saque! ...beginning HSF #17: Robes and Robings

...ok, bad pun.  Remember when I said that the 1865 evening gown was going to be the most ambitious thing I did?  Well, as it turns out, this robe will probably take the cake for that - mostly due to the shape of the skirt.  It's gone well so far, only a couple snafus (granted they were big ones, but thankfully easily fixed), so the robe part is done (stomacher will be finished Tuesday, and hopefully lower sleeves, too).  Granted - it won't be trimmed, and it won't have a proper self-fabric petticoat (yet), but the basic dress will be there.

Here's the dress as it was this weekend: no sleeve flounces or engageants, no trim, a pinned-in piece of fabric temporarily used as the stomacher (actually the square 'sample' piece that the stores have for ordering in bulk, it was on sale for a dollar so I grabbed it one day), and the bodice waist pinned to the correct height...

I rather like it so far, especially the back, though the front needs finishing at the time of these photos.

... Without further ado, here's how it got to the above photos.

Inspiration (and historical reference/"proof" for the existence of printed/indienne cotton saques) came from this Pinterest page of cotton saques put together by Katherine of Koshka-the-Cat (thank you!!).  And MAJOR props also to Katherine for her tutorials on making a saque (this project really fits nicely under the "Gratitude" HSF, too, I realized); I used those as my "making-of" guide, though I did a few things differently (so far it's come out ok though).  The silhouette I'm going for is not a "court" silhouette, but narrower, more everyday one like that of the "block print francaise (c.1770)".  Wide isn't the most flattering for me, anyway, and right now I'm making do with a rather extended hip roll padding (with quilted petticoat on top) in place of panniers, so I doubt I'd've been able to get that trapezoid shape perfectly right (I know, I know, shame on me.  Pocket hoops are on my to-do-list).

And the construction...

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date! (well, HSF date at least!)

I actually finished the HSF #15, White, in time to submit it (almost a month ago), and even took pictures - but it's not a spectacular project nor a perfectly accurate one so didn't really feel it was worthy of an HSF entry... plus, what with work, class, and church stuff I've had a hard time finding time to do a blog post.  Much as I love to write in general, that's somewhat ironic but true.  I have done a lot of sewing, though... stay tuned over the next few days (I'll finish uploading pictures for the posts and get them up).

In the mean time, here's a very short post (for me at least!) with a few pictures of the fichu.

The original (unhemmed) version (kinda puffy and slipped a lot so it hung on my neck rather ungracefully) / the new version (pardon the modern skirt-posing-as-a-petticoat and complete lack of the proper silhouette):

Front / back / side views:

And, for consistency's sake, HSF info:

The Challenge: HSF #15 - White... a basic (probably oversimplified) late 18th century fichu

Fabric: white/translucent crushed organza (poly something, probably), 1/2 yard (ended up being too narrow, but it'll do in a pinch)

Pattern: My own, based on how fichus look in various paintings from the 1770s- 1790s

Year: 1770s-1790s

Notions: white thread (hemming), 6 inches of thin red ribbon (totally anachronistic; will replace later) for a tie

How historically accurate is it?: Overall look is accurate, either tied or tucked in. Material is not. Pattern could be significantly better. It's more costume-y, I think, then accurate (I probably wouldn't wear it to a reenactment, but for pictures it has the right 'look'). But I like it anyway. :-)

Hours to complete: Two at most. I had done a quick cut-out for the Independence Day shoot, but then reworked it a bit and took the time to hem it after that.

First worn: Independence Day shoot in a previous post (I'll post one of the actual fichu-shots here, they weren't very flattering so the only shot of it in the other post is where it's wadded up in my hand); then for pictures once it was fully completed Total cost: Essentially free, since it came from my stash. Originally, it was part of 3-4 yards of that organza which I'd bought on super-discount clearance for another project (and then haven't used)


And a couple photos for the 'making of'... not much, really, it was pretty straightforward.

Originally, it was a rectangle of fabric with a point in the center back (same shape as below left with more of a back), and a slit down the middle.  That left some rather obnoxious front edges to deal with, and was way too much fabric when worn (got into my face very easily), so I cut out the neck a bit, and then hemmed it by folding it over itself twice so the raw edges were held inside.  As I said, simple, and not the best - I really should have made it a diamond instead of a trapezoid (realized that *after* I cut it out) - but it does the trick in a pinch.  I'll have to make a better one soon.

Making progress on HSF #12, the "princess" dress...

This is going a lot slower than I had hoped; I'd wanted to have the bodice fully sewn, boned, and lined by now so that I could pin on the trim.  Ah well, will have to make to with a few teasers... :-)

Here's the sizing version of the bodice (the lining) (front, back) - the two piece version (technically three, since the front is one, the back is two because I measured it and then cut it in half) with sleeve strips.  I placed pins how I'm going to do the boning/seams for front and back on the actual outside of the bodice.

And here's the sizing version worn and (partially) pinned closed in the back, with the skirt and appropriate hoops, stays, and chemise.  Will also need to make a bit of padding around the hips to make the skirt lie properly, but that can wait.

I have the front of the bodice pinned together with bones, but am not going to post pictures of it until the whole thing is done.  It looks more than a little weird right now, doesn't lie flat (due to the rigilene, grr), and since it's only the front I can't wear it, so it's hard to visualize what the full bodice will look like.  It's a bit longer than the lining, with a definite 'V' to the front of the bodice (like the peach silk gown), so we'll see how that bit of creativity goes... Here's hoping I can finish it this weekend.

For now, here's the HSF info, for the progress so far (will update it when I'm done, in the final post):


The Challenge: HSF #12: Pretty, Pretty Princess (a gown for Princess Victoria Adelaide in 1865)

Fabric: midnight blue poly-something satin (light weight) - 5 yards total, is my estimate, once the bodice is complete; will also have a black voile (polyester, sorry) overskirt held up in drapes, with a black voile berthe and black undersleeves (have 5 yards of the fabric, doubt I'll need half that since the voile overskirt will essentially be a long rectangle gathered at the top into a waistband under the bodice)

Pattern: self-designed based on the peach evening gown from the Met; bodice construction guided by the 1861-1864 bodice of the evening dress in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion (modified the bodice point and ignored the sleeves; mostly for construction ideas and what the back looked like); and the 1867 skirt of the walking gown also in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion (essentially as-is, since making one square per inch resulted in the measurements I needed)

Year: 1865; American Civil War

Notions: thread (so far); will have satin ribbon for some trim, and also a thinner satin ribbon for the lacing

How historically accurate is it?  The dress pattern and silhouette (midnight satin) is 90% accurate (slight modification of the bodice front so far, and the front panel was a single width instead of two with a center seam).  The fabric, being synthetic, is entirely inaccurate, but the satin weave is accurate to a degree.  The coloring is also accurate for someone of my age; and there were overskirts of black voile for a lighter gown, if not a darker one.  It's entirely hand-sewn.  The boning is rigilene (also inaccurate), and (to my knowledge) construction of the skirt is 100% accurate, while the bodice is maybe 60% accurate since I'm not lining each piece separately.

Hours to complete: so far about 10

First worn: only for the above photos and fittings

Total cost: at present, I'm using stuff only from my stash, except for the voile which I didn't have enough of, so bought a Wal-mart "sash" curtain (taking a page from the curtain-along book) in black voile for all of $15 - 6 yards, 56" wide.  When I got the fabric, it was about $5-6 for the entire 5 yards.  So far, $20 for a (fabric-ly historically inaccurate) ball gown.  Not bad.

Running a bit behind on posting HSF #11

I finished the 1860s chemise for  HSF #11 right before the deadline, but have been utterly swamped with work and class and, well, life that it's taken a while to post about it.  Sorry!

It came out really well, actually, and looks like a chemise of that period should (thank you gathering techniques), even though I only used a few rectangles and a couple triangles to make it.  It was harder to do it that way than to cut it to size/shape, but I think I might like it better.

The final chemise (front / back)... Sleeve position is not accurate for an evening gown (see picture below), but it can also be worn this way.

 

The Challenge: HSF #11: Squares, rectangles, triangles

Fabric: unbleached cotton, 2 yds

Pattern: self-designed based on photographs of extant garments and drawings from the period

Year: 1860s

Notions: thread

How historically accurate is it?  Since I couldn't find an exact match for it, but since it uses correct fabric and has the right neckline and body shape, I'd have to say 50%.

Hours to complete: about 5

First worn: only for photos

Total cost: maybe $3?  I bought the remainder of a bolt for $5, and there were 4 yards on it... plus a good portion of a spool of thread

And the final result, worn with corset (bought via etsy) and hoops (from costume "stash" / inherited in the 90s):

Here's a few close-ups of the outside (front / back) of the chemise:

...and of the gathering I did on the inside (front / back - the back is pleated):

HSF #11 - squares, triangles, rectangles... an 1860s chemise

In my previous post, I mentioned that I had found an 1860s chemise that (with a couple very minor - yet reasonable - alterations) could fit the requirements for making a project with (at most) one curved edge and whose fabric pieces are only squares, rectangles, and triangles.

Here is a real chemise that is closest to what I want to do, it's at the Met Museum: click here.

Here is an almost exact rendition (minus the small sleeves) of my chemise (no, I did not use this pattern, I used the picture of it as a visual reference): click here (it's the top one).

Another reference (1850s, but not unreasonable that a lady could have used the same style chemise for the 1860s and removed the sleeves): http://demodecouture.com/projects/eugenie/research.html

I do understand that this won't be an "exact" replication (in pattern/style) as an actual chemise that I found an image of, but given the silhouette, neckline, and construction style, it's not unreasonable.  I studied a variety of chemises from the 1850s-1870s (mostly through YWU articles on Victorian clothing/layers that I had downloaded a while ago, and also the Met Museum, as well as various bloggers' photos - such as Démodé Couture's, Katherine C-G's 1865 chemise, and one the Dreamstress had posted about).  In that study, I found a lot of commonalities in the 'body' of the chemise, and definite variety in the necklines and how they were added to the body - especially for evening gown chemises.  Since I won't be wearing it by itself, and it shouldn't be visible under the gown, it'll do.

I'm also making a short pair of drawers out of the same material.  I'll trim the legs with ruffles for weight and to extend the length.

Without further ado...

HSF #12 - 1865 midnight evening gown - the skirt

One good thing about a three-day weekend: there was more time than a typical weekend to not only get everything you need to get done accomplished (cleaning, laundry, homework), but also to get ahead on some sewing. (Though of course it's a couple days later before I can actually post about it...)

I'm almost done with the skirt for the 1865 midnight evening gown (except for hemming and the waistband fastening) - pictures below.

The next part will be to measure and cut/pin the bodice after I make an 1865 cotton chemise so I get the bodice neckline right (for the HSF #11 - squares, etc. challenge.  I have found a way to make a Victorian chemise without using curved edges and to still have it look like a chemise from 1865 that I found via the Met Museum's web site... and that is also based on a historical pattern... I've started on it and so far it looks reasonable).

Skirt pictures below...

Goldberry's dress - new and improved and FINISHED

After the disappointment of the darker green dress, the lighter (silvery-green) version went very smoothly.  I am quite happy with the overall look and the construction.

To start, I did a Google Image-search for cotehardies and 14th century fashion to determine silhouette, lacing styles, gore numbers/placement, and (most tricky) sleeve styles (since, once again, I had an idea of what I wanted to do and I wanted to see if it was even remotely historical - lo and behold, I found not one but several examples of sleeves that had the same 'look' - how it would be translated into a painting - as mine).  I used RomanticHistory's post about the construction of her cotehardie as a model for mine (except for the sleeves, since I wanted to do sleeves like on the darker green gown - not the super-narrow tippet-strips that are the most popular).  

So, without further ado, here is the final ensemble, the HSF information, and then (below the break) construction notes).

...yes, the curtain behind me to my closet has water lilies on it.  ...no, that was actually NOT intentional/deliberate to match the scene in the book of Goldberry surrounded by lilies (that just happens to be the curtain closing off my closet).

The darkest photo is most true to the fabric color.

The Challenge:  HSF#10: Literature.  Goldberry, from The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkein, as reimagined through a 14th century lens.
(Technically, due to the shapes used - purely rectangles and triangles - this also counts for the HSF#11: Squares, Rectangles & Triangles since at this rate if I want to make a 'princess'-inspired dress I will have to start on that now because I think it'll take a month.)

Fabric: poly-something that looks like a very thin fake silk, silver-green in color (like new white oak leaves); existing yellow linen hand-sewn long-sleeved shirt (1yd 54" wide fabric); existing ivory poly-something (same fabric as green) long shift (3 yd fabric)

Pattern: based on observations of historical artwork, combined with a basic pattern found on the internet, heavily influenced by RomanticHistory's construction of her linen cotehardie (except for the sleeves)

Year: later 14th century

Notions: thread to match the fabric, no trim; 24" of thin (5/8" width) ivory satin ribbon for lacing; 3yd modern gold floral ribbon for 'belt'; 1yd (three strands) golden florists' wire and thin red ribbom for circlet; (not really a notion, but... hand-carved white onyx goblet from Ten Thousand Villages - second favorite store ever, so have to put in a plug for them)

How historically accurate is it?  The look/silhouette is relatively accurate (though I'm not a fan of body-hugging clothes, so it's a tad looser than most of the paintings portrayed it), the fabric most certainly is not though it could pass for silk at a distance (both shift and overdress); linen shirt would be accurate.  Construction is accurate (hand sewn).  So, I'd give it a 40% with adding in accessories (circlet, ribbon strip 'belt', cup), shirt, and shift.

Hours to complete: 12-14 (that's hand-sewing for you)

First worn:  Only for photos; not yet for anything else.

Total cost:  Everything came from my stash (or else already made), so technically 'free' for this project.  I had bought the fabric for $2/yard a couple years ago (yay for red tag!), plus thread for $3 = $11.  With accessories... the gold ribbon was $4/yd, the wire was $5/roll, the ivory poly was $1/yd (best deal ever), the linen was $3/yd remnant, so add in $18 - $29 total for the entire ensemble.

Some more "in character" shots, and details of the final product, below.

The shirt and shift:

"Medieval" (non-accessorized" version:

Sleeves and skirt:

And a few more shots because this came out so well...:

And now, for the construction...