An Award!

 A huge thank you to Åsa, at Fashion Through History, for the Sisterhood Of The World Bloggers Award!

Here are my answers to the questions given, and with the exception of the final question, I've supplied links to sources for the requested images.
Included is my list of nominees for the award, or at least an 'additional mention'. Many on my list have already been nominated for the award recently.
xoxo!

1. How did you start sewing Historical/or other costumes?
    A medieval fair and Halloween! Between age 10 and 15, I began to really attack the sewing and costuming process. I'd see historically themed films and feel an insatiable need to wear all those amazing gowns and costumes. I began with clothing my dollhouse dolls in resplendent 18th century ensembles, but I wanted to wear them too. a couple years later with mom's help and partnering with a friend who was working on the same thing, at age 12 I made my first 11th century gown for a local 'faire'. My 1st year of high school, I recreated the Catwoman costume worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, for Halloween. By pop culture terms, that was my first true cosplay. The rest is history ;-)

2. What other things do you do than sewing/creating?
    Mermaiding, burlesque, cosplay and living history events.

3. What item/project that you made are you the most proud of? (may we see pictures?)
    Currently, that would be my reproduction of a winter velveteen and fur ensemble worn by the Empress Elisabeth Of Austria (Sisi).

4. Do you have a secret shame item/project that you will share? (Pictures?)
    Nope ;-) I'm never in the least bit ashamed at anything I have made, or want to make. There have been times when I knew I could have done a better job, but it's often when trying something for the first time. I use it as a learning experience! I even created a blog for what some might call a 'guilty pleasure' for a historical costumer; Happiness Is A Warm Ray Gun.
I'm never guilty or ashamed, I'm well versed ;-)

5. Do you prefer Books, You-Tube videos or other, for sewing reference? And which are your favorite one/s?
    It's hard to choose just one. My preferences change depending on what I'm working on. If it's historical, I pour over all the material I can find; Youtube videos for techniques & tutorials, hi res images of extant garments in museums and personal collections, books from my vast & growing collection, and other costumers processes and experience shared in blogs. For the sci-fi and fantasy cosplay, I try to find as many stills of the actor or character in the costume as I can, in addition to watching the film or the show a few times over.

6. Whats your best sewing tip/trick?
    Clipping curved seam allowances!! Even if it's a really subtle curve going in either direction. This is a step that may not be new, but it creates a smoother seamline and fit for bodices, necklines and sleeves.

7. What’s your biggest sewing cheat that you do but you know that you shouldn’t?
    Using pinking shears instead of basting to finish the seam edges on the inside of garments. While still historically appropriate for some eras, most times I do this instead of hand basting my seam edges. I know I need to baste them, but when I'm in a hurry to get to the ball, I just don't have time!
I do go back later and at least baste my bodice seams ;-)

8. What’s your biggest inspiration in deciding on up-coming projects?
    Hehe, right now it's Dragon Con or Dragon Con. It sort of takes over my life sewing-wise 6 to 8 months out of the year. Between that, work and Dickens fair, I really should reevaluate what I give my time to if I ever want to sew anything that isn't related to either of those events. like a new burlesque costume.

9. Do you have a favorite era/style that you do?
    I do but don't often, if ever, get to sew for it. The 18th century is probably my ultimate pre-20th century favorite, with a close second being the mid to late 1870s. My 20th century favorite is the 1930s.

10. What is your dream project? (Picture/s please)
     Currently, something similar to these 18th century items:

The much needed pair of stays!

My nominees are:

1. Loren & Isabella - Two Nerdy History Girls
2. Caroline – Anno 1776
3. Isabella – All the Pretty Dresses
4. Merja – The Aristocat
5. Caroline – Dressed in Time
6. Cathrin – Katafalk
7. Elisa – Isis Wardrobe
8. Nora – The Shadow of My Hand
9. Cassidy - A Most Beguiling Accomplishment
10. Lauren - The American Duchess

A Fabulous Antique Clothing Reference

Scrolling through Pinterest during lunch today, I stumbled across a great website chronicling a vast collection of historical clothing between the 18th to 20th centuries. Some of you may have already known about this little corner of the web, but it's new to me.
It's all in Italian but navigation is pretty straightforward, especially after you learn a few of the words via Google Translate ;-)
The photos are not the greatest quality and some of the dates on a few items seem off a bit, but it's still a great resource for ideas and inspiration.

Abiti del Passato:  http://www.abitidelpassato.it/contents.aspx

One of the beauties found on the site:

*Gasping For Air* Too Much Cosplay!

I need a small mental break from the cartoon and Sci-fi costuming, so here's something to appease my historical leanings.

With Summer nearly upon us, and my closet still devoid of 18th century items (save for one, very old one), here are some of the things in no particular order, that I absolutely need to get done. With examples in pictures, I will attack these after the Dragon Con madness is over.

Absolute #1 on the list: 18th century/Georgian Stays

I can't even begin to tell you how badly I need these right now. They are the one thing I need to start very nearly my entire 18th century wardrobe. Perhaps not this particular set with the strap arrangement, but the cut of these is what I'm after for most of the Georgian period items I want to make. I wouldn't mind a slightly earlier pair of stays either, for doing earlier decades.

With that said, I could add a huge rundown of all the 18th century things I want to make to this list below, but I'll hold off for now. This single pair of stays is what will make it possible, and without that, the rest is a moot point. These are all the things that I *need* to do first.

The 1830s froufy, poofy fabulousness.

I'm toying with the idea of not taking part in Dickens Fair this year, instead opting to attend as a patron or at least go part time on a Pickwick pass. We shall see, but if anything, the above will happen and will make appearances at Dickens along with two others ;-) We have plans. I'm thinking a lilac or a pale blue. And a current Victorian corset of mine will work for this too, however...

A mid-century Victorian corset, cut similarly to this one here.

Again with the undergarment that is needed to create further projects. I have plans to make an early/mid bustle era gown, and the bodice requires one that is meant to be worn underneath clothing. As many of my corsets are meant to be seen and give a nice silhouette, the thicker fashion fabric binding tends to create a ridge at the bust line that shows on the outside of my bodices. I want to wear this under 1850s to early 1870s ensembles that are sleeker, and don't have a bunch of trim going on around the bust to hide such a ridge.

An 1850s ballgown for the Twelfth Night and Gaskell's Ball

It seems I am always off by a decade or two outside Dickens Fair when it comes to the more fancy events involving the same era. I have plenty of day wear, but nothing fancy for the Twelfth Night Ball held as our post-Dickens Fair cast party! So I end up in bustle era ensembles, and while pretty, I feel out of place. I think I want something in a pale blue organdy, perhaps with metallic gold brush trim. The neckline and sleeve on the pink one is appealing.

A bustle (for an 1874 two-tone tailored gown).

Yes, I need the corset mentioned above first, but I have a Victorian corset I can currently use to at least do the fitting. Yet here I am again, needing the proper undergarment first. The gown style I speak of is inspired by one above from the V&A; I adore the buttoned revers on the skirt and the men's suit look of the bodice. Sure, I don't "need" this particular bustle to get the effect, but it's just such a fantastic shape that I want to try my hand at it. Plus, I saw another seamstress use this Laughing Moon version under an early bustle gown with fabulous effect.

So, that's my final list of more realistic proportions.
Time wise, I'm going to need to start the 1830s ensemble by early October if I want to wear it to Dickens.
I'll need to work on the 1850s ballgown during Dickens Fair so I have it for Gaskell's and Twelfth Night.
I'm sewing on various items for Dragon Con right up until the con itself at the end of August. So that doesn't leave much room for the 18th century stays, or anything else on this list.
If I can focus and bust my butt on getting the DCon stuff done sooner than August, that leaves me a good chunk of extra sewing time. On one hand I might burn myself out, but on the other, when I sew on varying projects that are nothing like each other, it can also open up the floodgates and make me want to just keep going.

A Grand Ball And Red Rooms

This past week has been a whirlwind of preparation for this year's Edwardian Ball in San Francisco.
I had the pleasure of modeling once again for one of my all-time favorite couturiers; Dark Garden Unique Corsetry. Under the direction of Dark Garden's Caitlin Amaton and Euphrates Dahout, we performed a unique fashion show on both Friday and Saturday night, inspired by a classic Edward Gorey tale; The Curious Sofa. 
I also had the honor of meeting, and doing an impromptu photo shoot, with the Amazingly talented photographer, Joel Aron. When it comes to the use of light, this man is a modern-day George Hurrell. Hopefully I will have a few shots from that shoot, plus a few more to post here soon.

Meanwhile, here are a couple from Friday night:

 Toward the end of Friday evening, resting my feet in a most regal 'chair'.

This is my own Dark Garden custom couture corset, made just for me. I love it so much.

Ideas Considered: Color Combo Suggestions Anyone?

The V&A 1874 gown, also the same one from Janet Arnold's 'Patterns Of Fashion II', is one I'd like to take a stab at this year.
This also falls into the Early Bustle category on my 2013 Project list.

Augustintytär's version over at 'Before The Automobile', is stunning in pale blue and navy.
So, as to not be a copycat, I'd like to use different shades than the ones on hers and on the original.
I think that I may have already made my decision on what solid colors I'd like to use for my own version, but I'd love to hear any ideas you all might have.
My current thoughts for a color combo that may just win; a rich creamy ivory to light taupe with black trim, both in silk taffeta.
I'm going for a light color for the major portion of the dress, and darker for the details.

The original at the V&A

Like many others out there I'm sure, this dress is one that has inspired me since I was a kid. Probably one of the only early bustle gowns I ever really loved.
The combination of higher waistlines with larger bustles, paired with endless trimmings, ruffles, pleats and lace (just as much on the upper half as on the lower in some cases) gave me the impression that the dresses were wearing the women. In many of the fashion plates between 1870 to 1874, I swear they resemble escaped wedding cakes as they glide along the promenade.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE ruffles and pleats. But this one is sleek, elegant and non-frivolous, yet still so feminine within the details.
Seeing it brought to life by the expert skills of Augustintytär and the wondrous 'Green Acres' project by Lauren of American Duchess, gave me all the more reason to finally give in and try an early bustle ensemble.

I love the green gown! You can actually see the lady's figure.

Again, directly from my list of things to make, I'll need that new Victorian corset and the LM trained bustle for this project. The plus side is that after I make this corset, I can also use it for Dickens Fair next year and all the other mid Victorian or early bustle events that may occur.

1873 corset From Nora Waugh's, 'Corsets And Crinolines' book.

 The Laughing Moon trained bustle, or as I like to call it; a place to hide your Dalek.

Wearable Favorites; What's Your Decade?

Of all the eras of fashion I adore, there are some styles which I yearn to wear all the time. This would never be practical however, considering what my daily activities require of me at work. Even at home.

How I long to flounce about in 18th century splendor, decked out in a striped silk Georgian ensemble.
Or glide along the sidewalk in a 1877 promenade gown.



*Le sigh* there are days where these ensembles would be appropriate, but they are sadly few in number.
This is where my love of the 1930s comes in.





As far as "Modern" 20th century fashion is concerned Deco era fashion is still, to this day, ultimately wearable.
While I do love the 1920s, I also love having a defined waistline ;-)
The 40s are great, but my heart really skips a beat then races for the 1930s.
Sure, the 1950s rockabilly retro look is in full swing with some folks these days, who want to capture vintage style. But I'll be honest, it's so "Done". What we see today is a plasticized version of it, thrown in with a more modern tattoo/rock n' roll culture. It's not what it was, although some truly wear it well.

This is why the 1930s styles remain uniquely vintage and a step above the 1950s regurgitation we see today. Designers are constantly drawing inspiration from cuts invented by the likes of Vionnet and Lelong. The idea of sportswear for women may have been invented in the last decade of the 19th century, but it was perfected during the 20s and 30s. And we still return to these concepts today.

But back to the literal wearing of these 30s styles;
If I had to pick a span of 3 years from which I would draw my daily wardrobe, from everyday wear to evening, it would be 1934 to 1937.

For casual cocktails or dinner with friends...


For those blustery days this winter...


For a night at the theater or formal party...

Dickens Fair Sewing - My Dress

I've finished other items that need photos, but here are a few progress shots of the 1850 dress I'm currently working on. Hopefully I will finish it by next weekend.
Please excuse the poor photo quality and messy sewing area, it's been stitching mayhem for the last month and a half.

The fabric is a pale lavender/black shot taffeta. Not the greatest quality (it's a silk blend of some kind) but it's what I had plenty of in a pinch, and it has a nice body to it. I did flat line the skirt with a fine cotton.
Unlike the photos, it looks like a pretty rose grey in person.
I'll not be wearing a hoop with this, since hoops weren't generally worn until after about 1855. I'll be relying on crinoline petticoats for fullness, as ladies would have done during the first half of the 1850s. Corded petticoats were also worn, but I don't have time to make one :-}
If the neckline of the bodice seems too open for daytime, it's going to get a detachable collar, in a kind of fichu style. Something like the one in the image below (pink, top center):



Here is the bodice with the sleeves finally on. I decided to do a bell sleeve. The shoulder seam will get some hand pleated trim...


Here's a (horrible) shot with the skirt nearly complete, the bodice edge will also get piping, and the shoulder trim will get a little more treatment into what is fast becoming a signature trimming style of mine...