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.

HSF #18, or, the challenge completed by accident

In my last post about the saque, I let slip that I had just made the gown of a française without doing it over panniers (but using rather inconsequential padding instead)... and then wished I had had panniers because the gown felt so... unfinished and the silhouette was leaving a lot to be desired.  (Not to mention the minor embarrassment of having made a gown essentially blindly.)

So, while in the middle of something completely unrelated (schoolwork) - I suddenly had a brainwave: I have three or four more old ('80s) bridal hoops just sitting in my closet that can't be worn unless some wear and tears are fixed, and that no longer have that perfect conical circumfrance (from being shoved into garbage bags and stored - squashed - in any which place/box/hanger over the years): why not take one of them and mold it somehow into full panniers using ribbons underneath and creative gathering/sewing at the waistband.

And, as sometimes my crazy ideas do: it worked, and in less than two hours I had historical-looking (when worn under something) panniers of the trapezoid variety (with another hour or two to sew everything in place).

(Sidenote: I tried the saque on over it - and wouldn't you know - it looks great now, PHEW!  Major shout-out there to Katherine's tutorial skills - proof that one can make an accurate saque sans panniers to drape it over.  Only problem is that before I can take pictures wearing the saque over panniers, I need to make the petticoat, since the other I was using has a significantly narrower hemline and won't fit over the panniers, and the gown with only the panniers looks very bizarre.  Always one more thing to complete...)

Mind you, it was a completely spur-of-the-moment thing (well, procrastination played a little hand in it - there's only so much reading about budgeting and budgeting systems that one can take at a time; six hours is enough to send anyone loopy).   Only after it was done did I think, "wait, wasn't there an HSF related to re-making something?  I hope it covers making something newer into something older - going the reverse of what is usually done in history."  And, sure enough: HSF #18: Re-make, Re-use, Re-fashion - and, even better, it's only due in less than a week!  Very timely.

So, without further ado, the finished panniers (collapsed top / collapsed bottom / front / side):

Before (collapsed / front / side):

Just the facts!

The Challenge: HSF #18: Re-make, Re-use, Re-fashion... modern hoops into 18th century panniers

Fabric: the hoops are a polyester/nylon blend base fabric with plastic boning in channels (3); also used scraps of a quilted cotton for part of the waistband and to secure some of the "molding" (you'll see in the photos below)

Pattern: None. Silhouette based on images of gowns in museums from 1760s-1770s, and from browsing of others' pannier projects (theirs are significantly more authentically made than mine).

Year: time machine'd from 1980s to 1760s-1770s

Notions: all-purpose thread; 56" of 5/8" black satin ribbon (leftover from another project); safety pins (to close it, for now - eventually I'll sew on a ribbon tie)

How historically accurate is it? Shape-wise, when you can't see the panniers themselves, it'll pass for accurate since it mirrors the more trapezoidal/gradual/flared panniers rather than the "block" ones. Materials-wise, not remotely. Construction, passable.

Hours to complete: 2 hours for pinning/shaping for finished 'product'; another 1-2 hours to sew in place.

First worn: Only once with the saque gown, but no pictures of it (except on its own) have been taken.

Total cost: It's FREEEEE! The hoops were from my costume stash (hand-me-downs I played with as a kid, so must have been from at least the '80s or early '90s); random pieces of fabric leftovers in my stash (as were the ribbons); and thread was just generic white polyester all-purpose from the thread stash.


And the making of... trial and error style... :-)

Summer dress (non-historical)

Several months ago I had shown a teaser of the fabric I was going to use to create a tropical sundress, Regency-style... well, a few weeks ago I finally started and finished it, and wore it the Sunday before last (and then promptly forgot to post about it until now).

And, here it is (with and without the sweater).  I wore it with a wide dark blue ribbon as a belt tied in the back (it would be mostly hidden under the sweater's edge), it made it look better.

Fabric: I used just over a yard and change of 44" wide thin/loosely-woven cotton fabric.  The underdress/lining is a compilation of a polyester remnant and several large (and oddly-shaped, trapezoidal) scraps pieced together from a previous project (the teal chiffon dress from a year and change ago).  

Pattern: None.  It gives a nod to Regency/empire-waisted silhouette, but is essentially one piece of fabric folded in half and cut with a back on the diagonal and two strips of fabric used as sleeve straps.  

Making of: Basically pinned it on to determine how it would look, noted measurements, pinned it together on the floor inside out, tried it on again (right side out), cut it, sewed it, tried it on again and made some adjustments, cut out/pinned on the sleeve straps, tried it on for placement, made adjustments, sewed the top edge and sleeves, and voilá, done.  

Accessories: I'd made a circle/A-line bias-cut skirt out of another woven poly-cotton earlier this year and used the rest of that fabric to make a loose shrug/sweater.  The color was perfect for this sundress, but... it was a bit too loose across the back (it gapped rather outrageously at the top and didn't stay in place), so I used a box pleat at the top to pull it together for a few inches and let the rest hang as usual.  In these pictures, I've tied it in a knot in front like a Regency spenser.

Construction details below...

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.

A little bit of organization... or, because I like lists (whether I always follow them or not is a different story)

The Dreamstress' "halfway-point" post prompted me to do a bit of reflection myself (and planning, mostly planning)...   No photos this time, sorry :-)

Summer is halfway over, and I've done more sewing these six months than I think I've ever done in even a year - primarily due to HSF - and at a much higher level (since it's not just measurements and draping and creative designing, but getting the pieces/shapes/trim/fabric/drape/etc. right for historical garments).
Even with how crazy life has been (somehow work and school doesn't slow down, but that's the fun and interesting part of it: balancing it all, and deepening my faith as a result), it's been nice to be able to exercise my creative side... and to do something that increases the art in this world, when so often art and an appreciation for the past (learning about it, not just using it as a setting for a modern-plotline/interpretation mode of entertainment) is being cut out of it.
On a closer-to-home note, doing something like this - sewing or just designing projects, even working furiously to complete an HSF challenge in time (or close to it) - is almost therapeutic, even with those deadlines.

So, because I like seeing what I can achieve... here's a few more self-imposed(ish) deadlines for me - or, perhaps, here's my "wouldn't it be nice" list between now and September.

• HSF 14: Eastern influence (due tomorrow) - remaking of a wood-and-paper Japanese parasol into a early 20th century / late 19th century cloth Japanese parasol.  The reason the parasol was so cheap ($4) was because the paper got torn all the way from the edge to the center along one rib, rendering it useless.  But the frame is sound (for now - I'll probably re-string it with stronger twine later), and it would be a fun project.  And, well, if I can't finish it for this one (aka, get it done by the end of the week), it might apply to the upcoming "Wood, Metal, Bone" challenge.
• HSF 15: White (due July 29) - recutting and then hemming the 18th century plain fichu that I quickly cut out for the Independence Day photoshoot.  Shouldn't take more than a few hours - though the hemming will be... fun.  Tiny stitches, yay, lol.
• Finishing the 1865 evening gown (this, I fear, will be my major-project-of-the-year-that-takes-forever-to-complete)... I have all of the fabric, all of the trimmings (unless I get very ambitious and decide to add beadwork) - I just need to make the time (perhaps this will be my in-between-courses-two-week-break project in August?).
• HSF 17: Robes & Robings (due August 26) - ok, this will probably be the second-most crazy project of the year (the first being the 1865 gown).  After going back and forth a lot about it, I decided that in fact I will try my hand at a saque using that blue-on-white floral indienne fabric, after all.  I have the fabric, I don't need another anglaise, and even if print cotton saques were rare, I have found two examples in museums - so they did exist.  Hopefully I'm not biting off more than I can chew with this one... hopefully. :-)
• HSF 18: Re-make, Re-use, Re-fashion (due September 9) - knowing where in the year this one falls, and that I might be either not quite finished with (or else worn out from) the previous adventures, I might skip this... Else, I'll remake an Elizabethan-esque shirt into a doublet/jacket; or find something else historical that I'm not so happy with and make a few needed changes/updates.
• HSF 19: Wood, Metal, Bone (due September 23) - so, either I'll finish the parasol for this one (if life intervenes yet again), or I'll make those metal shoe buckles for the Kensingtons that I hinted about in my Independence Day post.  Either way, at this point I'm probably (read: definitely) going to need a break from making clothing.  

Yes, I'm crazy (and too challenge-happy for my own good sometimes).  Moving on.

After that set, I'm guessing with the course I'm planning to take this fall, that I'll probably just stick with finishing some of my LOTR costumes (aka, sewing trim, hemming, re-doing the fit) for my "sewing therapy", instead of embarking on new projects for the fall-winter.  Of course, I say that now - and then in a month probably find out the new HSF themes and that expectation goes out the window.  

Some of those unfinished (or even not started) projects - just to get them on the list whether they get worked on or not...

• finish my golden Arwen/LOTR dress (essentially just needs hemming/trim)
• hem and redo the top for an evening dress I got on sale six months ago for a gala I didn't end up going to... but the dress should still be redone anyway (else it's useless if I can't wear it)
• 1880s/90s bustle dress (got the fabric last year, just have to make it - and a bustle to wear with it)
• Padmé's Tattooine light blue outfit (fabric from stash) and (perhaps, if I can find the right chiffon next year) a blue version of her Lake Dress
• and, since the Hobbit Part 2 is coming out in December, in homage to that, make a "Mirkwood elf" gown in similar style to the Hobbit Elven dress... again, this is all designed and the fabric is bits and pieces (a remnant here, some clearance yardage there) from my stash... just need to actually make it.  And this will probably be the last of my LOTR outfits, unless I'm inspired to make a Galadriel-esque white dress for some reason (haven't been particularly inspired by the ones I've seen so far in the LOTR or Hobbit movies).

For something to check off the list... I did manage to finish my version of Eowyn's golden/ROTK coronation dress (it badly needed some refitting, some hemming, and trim), so will (eventually) get some pictures of it to put up.  

I'd say I have my work cut out for me.  No pressure or anything... :-)  

Independence Day! The culmination of several projects

This post initially was going to be about HSF #13 - Lace and Lacing, but at the last minute I decided not to use lace to create sleeve engageantes or a fichu and instead use crushed voile, so my project no longer applied to that challenge.  Oh well.

The good news is that I was able to finish (mostly - for wearing once at least) the fichu (still needs hemming - that'll be my "White" challenge entry) and the engageantes - and trim a hat - in time for the Fourth of July.  Definitely was productive over my vacation: I even cut and pinned the rest of the 1865 evening bodice (more on that in a separate post).

I had also purchased a pair of American Duchess' historically clocked stockings (white with black) to go with the Kensingtons I'd gotten last year.  So, with the addition of the finished sleeves, a hat, and a fichu, my 1775 ensemble was pretty much complete (minus shoe buckles; I'll make those later - I have some ideas for making them using a wider florist's wire (so the wire itself is easy to work with yet holds its shape) and "forging" the twisted-together pieces together using flat pliers... not a good description, but you'll see later).

Without further ado... the full ensemble (hairstyle is NOT accurate to 1775; it was hot and I didn't want to fuss with it and then have it collapse in the humidity as it tends to do for anything fancy):

And, of course, no costume ensemble is complete without a cat's seal of approval (aka, cat fuzz over everything)... or showing off the shoes and stockings :-)  I'll have to take the stockings in a little, because I have small feet, but otherwise they are a dream to wear - even on a 90-degree day.

Here's the "making-of" part about the engageants, fichu, hat, and "padding" (not used/worn in the pictures)...