DragonCon: Lagertha Part I

Anders and I not only had a successful DragonCon, but an insanely fun experience, too!
While this was not our first rodeo when it comes to cons, this was very likely the largest with a record-breaking crowd that topped out at somewhere around 62,000 attendees. That's the last number I heard, but it may have been more. The following posts on Dragon Con are in no particular order, but posts will most likely go up depending on what, and how many photos I have of each costume.
Above: One of my favorite shots from the main floor of me as Lagertha and Anders as Floki; we literally bumped into a guy that had a perfect Ragnar impression. His lady friend also had a pretty awesome first season Lagertha look going. The four of us spent the rest of the evening together raiding various con parties. (and yes, I know my sword is on the wrong side)

I don't have a lot of professional shots where you can see details of the Lagertha battledress, but there are possibly a few in the works.
I also didn't have time to really do my hair the way I wanted. It needed more oomph and while the knot work on top and the braids look ok, the rest looked a bit flat. However, we were dealing with Atlanta humidity and LOTS of people making it even warmer indoors, which is no help to hairdos. I added the little chains too, but next time I'm going to try the softer braided look for the 'fauxhawk' top as seen in this screencap from the show....

I went with this look instead, and added the chains to the side braids that hang down:

Mine. Not perfect, but I haven't mastered doing the tiny french braids on the sides yet:

 I plan to don this ensemble again soon to get more photos, but here are a few of my favorites so far:

Once again, I'm noticing how blue(!) the leather dress looks in some of the photos. particularly the outdoor shots taken in the shade. In person and indoors it looks more muted, and I did indeed weather the surface with a deep tint. In the outdoor shot below the color looks more accurate:

Earlier in the day with Laura as Astrid from "How To Train Your Dragon"

Photo: Mary Anne Butler

Floki and Lagertha taking a rest before the madness of the evenings festivities begin.

Photo: Mary Anne Butler

Floki had to take a time-out in the Ball Pit...

And then Floki made a friend....

And so did I!

So as you can see, the indoor lighting isn't very kind but we all had a blast regardless.
More photos are on the way xoxo

Rococo Reading: A New 18th Century Hair Manual

During time off for the holidays (and recovery from the flu) I stumbled upon what could be a very useful find during my online wandering.
Hairstyles are one of the more difficult aspects of 18th century costuming, and getting your look perfected can often seem more stressful than sewing the actual wardrobe.
Kendra Van Cleave of Demodecouture.com, comes to our rescue.
She has created a book detailing 18th century hairstyles and techniques, and is slated to be released this spring. Price; $45 ($5 discount if you pre-order the book) according to the Facebook page.
Pre-orders begin Jan 1st, 2014!

http://18thcenturyhair.com/

Overall, this looks like something I will most definitely be purchasing as soon as pre-orders start. While I've had some experience with wigs and creating historic hairstyles with my own hair, the 18th century is something I have rarely delved into, and really wouldn't mind having a go-to guide for. I've done the more simple mid-1700s look; the chignon with a pinner cap or a well-propped-up plume. But I yearn for the somewhat taller and fuller styles between the 1770s and 1780s.

Be sure to visit and 'like' the Facebook page for updates and more info:
https://www.facebook.com/18thCenturyHairstyling

Here is a small sampling from the table of contents (draft), and some techniques that will be covered;

"...Working with human hair: 

• Curling
• Straightening

Working with synthetic hair & wigs:

• Purchasing
• Different kinds of wigs & hairpieces
• Making hairpieces (ponytails, ringlets, buns, braids, etc.)

Wigs: 

• Adding extra hair
• Changing the hairline
• Enlarging a wig
• How to make it all look smooth
• Masking an obvious wig line
• Wig care, storage, & travel

Powdering
Section 3:  Finished Styles

• Women:  22 styles spanning 1700-1799
• Men:  3 styles spanning 1740-1799

Both with step by step instructions illustrated with color photos, and lots of ideas for variations."

Holiday At The Villa; Empress Elisabeth In Velvet And Mink

My reproduction of Empress Elisabeth of Austria's velvet and mink ensemble is complete, and now I have some glorious photos to share. I had also just gotten over the flu, so it was nice to get outside for some fresh air and a walk.
My friend, Anders was generous enough to take the photos at a favorite location. Villa Montalvo is practically in my backyard.
It's stunningly beautiful and not only reminds me of some of the smaller summer palaces in Austria, but even a few villas located in the more southern areas of Europe. Places Sisi may have often escaped to on her many travels.
This creation is by no means perfect, and there are some things that I would have fixed if I'd had the time. Here are a few notes on the costume for the nit-pickers like myself:

- Yes, the skirt isn't as long, wide or voluminous as Sisi's was in the original photographs. This costume was intended to be, and was, worn for a role played at Dickens Fair. It needed to be a true walking style skirt, and hoops were required to be under a maximum circumference of 110 inches. No more. And no elliptical hoops were allowed either, so I was forced to make this skirt a more 1850s shape
- Indeed, I'm not wearing gloves. Neither was Sisi in the photos and even though I'm outside, I'm not sure Sisi would have cared much either ;-)
- The hat is a bit different than hers. I decided that since I did not have the time or the materials to create an exact replica of the one she wears in the photos, this other historically accurate version would do. It's also a style I think she would have appreciated, wit the cute little mink pom-poms in back.
- I'm glad we did the shoot when we did, since the deep chestnut color I put on my tresses is already fading quite rapidly. It's now officially a dark blonde, yet closer to what Sisi's color was like. While my own hair has gotten quite long, it's nowhere near as long as hers was. So, the braids you see are actually hairpieces I added to my own. These are a much lighter shade than the darker ones I wore for Dickens. I knew my color would fade quickly since it's a semi permanent. By chance, these ended up a surprisingly good color match.

I will be breaking this up into two entries, as there are a lot of images. There are just so many pretty areas to shoot in at this location, and the late-day light was beautiful.
Without further ado, and a happy Christmas to you: the photos.

 

Part II coming soon!

Flight Of The Valkyrie + Sewing Area To-Do

Whew!
After at least one all-night rhinestone session, the burlesque costume for my new Valkyrie act is complete. The performance was a success, and it looked amazing on stage from what I heard. Photos are slowly trickling in from last night's "Heaven and Hell" show with The Hubba Hubba Review. Here's one image so far, thanks to the talented Rj Johnson:

In a way, I'm glad it's over! Not the performance aspect, I can't wait to do this one again, but the crazed (and somewhat last minute) costume engineering that has taken over the household for the last 3 weeks. We DO NOT have the space for this, lol! Yet somehow I still manage to create some pretty fabulous stuff. While I built the actual antlers using Celluclay over a wire frame, the final antler headdress would not have been possible without his help and insane abilities in the use of Bondo as a costuming aid.
If I had tried mixing this two-part coating myself, we would have had an epic, sticky, antler fail mess on our hands. But now I know how ;-)

Much ado about creative space...

Noting the subject of the lack of space; I'm also finally able to do the big sewing area switch.
Currently, the sewing area is in a rather busy pathway in the house, and shoved into a corner.
I often...well, always find myself tearing apart and digging through all the stuff, no matter how organized, just to get to one item I might need. Tool and material accessibility is very low.
It also seems as though it's dark no matter what time of day it is. There is only one window, the sliding door to the backyard, and the light truly sucks.
More of this space could be utilized, but due to this busy pathway, that can never be. It is traversed by an excitable dog, is the path to the backyard, is near the dining area, and is the first thing people see and end up congregating in, instead of the living room area, when they enter the house :-\ It's usually a bit messy, if not at full apocalyptic levels like this last week.
Not only do I not want this to be the first thing people see when they drop by, I no longer want some project I'm working on at the mercy of food, drink, freshly bathed or dirtied dog, etc.
Especially if I'm about to be working on the 18th century ensembles involving lots of rare or rather high end silks and cottons I have collected over the years

However; the living area is adjacent to this. It has three (3!) surrounding windows and is about the same size in volume to the current sewing area but is it's own, more contained, space with more room to spread out...giving us absolute access to materials etc.
I actually fantasize about simply walking up to my fabric shelf or drawers of trim, taking what I need, and going back to my sewing. Instead, it's nearly an all-day affair of rearranging that half of the house to get a scrap of fabric or even a bit of millinery wire.
Plus, the lighting is 100% better, both natural from the windows and and from installed fixtures.

After taking a bunch of measurements, I discovered that everything in the living room could fit on the other side, and in effect, turn that whole half of the house into a much more welcoming environment. Plus, by trading areas, it would create a protected and exclusive area for sewing that is a little more low profile within the actual 'living area'.
In essence, it would keep the monster contained.

Wow...That Actually Worked!

Dyeing is no easy process, especially when dealing with lots of fabric.
My past experience with using dye to color fabrics has been on a much smaller scale, so I was a bit intimidated at first. Not for the solid color pieces, but the two-tone effect I was after on the largest piece. This process is also known as Ombré.

Luckily for this newbie, I was just using one color; a lovely blood red onto the hem of a white silk 'cape'.
During the process, it looked as though I'd just prepared the neighbors for dinner..muwaha.
(Don't worry, those are just mannequin arms in the background. Part of an old Halloween zombie prop of Anders').

I had discovered there was a tiny hole in my glove. Oops.

Really, it's not what it looks like.

Success! So far.

If you're curious, the red hem is supposed to be as if it were dragged through a battlefield, so I wasn't going for a perfect gradient to the color.
The surprising ease in which the projects of the day transpired, also involved my search for some fake hair for the headdress portion of this costume. I ended up finding a great local place, just minutes form my house. I found exactly what I needed and fast. A rare thing for a last minute adventure on a Saturday evening, let alone finding the closest shade of blonde I need.

Super long, and each pack was only $5

As for the headdress, more to come on that subject soon ;-)

Future dress project that I MUST DO...

Ok, something just occurred to me.
Week before last, I had the pleasure of finally seeing my favorite film, Amadeus on the big screen.
I was too much of a wee thing to have seen it, or even remember it, in theaters when it came out.
ANYway, I digress;



"It's Turkish. My hairdresser says that everything this year is going to be Turkish".

;-)

Yes indeed, I want to make this dress and hat......or at least my version of it.
Admittedly while the costumes in Amadeus are great but highly questionable in historical accuracy (the women's in particular, there are zippers up the backs of the dresses for crying out loud!), this one isn't so bad.
BUT, there are issues with it. I can see her panniers poking through, the bodice is cut wrong, are there stays under there?
And if she were that fashion and trend conscious she wouldn't be wearing the old style panniers with it, she'd likely have a bum roll and the skirts might even be hitched up into a "Polonaise" if she were in the city.
I could go on and on, but it's a really fun costume and that is what carries though in the scene. The dress *is* Katerina.
One thing I do love, is that they used the Robe a la Turk concept for the dress. Note the little cap sleeves over long fitted sleeves.

So what would I do with my version?
I would keep the Robe a la Turk concept, but make it more accurate.
The front would be a zone front, as most original engravings and illustrations of this style suggest. The film version has a faux "V" front and I really don't like the way it's done. It looks like part of a high school play stage costume. As though it's just pulled tight around her torso and has built in boning rather than a separate pair of stays. Considering the rest of the costumes in the film with zippers, that is likely the case.



I do love the striped fabrics used, and the way they use them here is pretty spot on. During the late 1770s and early 80s, the more you could pile on your dress and head, the better. I've seen original fashion illustrations that support the same use of drapes and sashes on her skirt. As well, the gold bullion tassels and fringe.
And I really want a walking staff. Perhaps an easy project after a trip to Home Depot?
Hers is a little short, but perhaps that was personal preferance back then?



As for her hat and her hair style; pretty darn near perfect.
I may do a slightly different style in both hat and hair to suit my own tastes, but I'll keep the general concept and materials.

While I must be realistic, this likely won't come to fruition anytime soon. I have my gent's wardrobe to sew first, then mine, then the fun crazy stuff such as the above project.
...meanwhile I'll be hunting for the perfect wide red and white stripe silk.
If that ends up a bust, I could just buy some light ivory silk duchess satin, dye some of it red, and sew strips of each color together, making my own striped fabric. This is doable, since it's trimming and not a whole dress that needs to be striped.

Images care of Costume Dramas Obsession.

Rococo-inspired hairdo continued; A Few Tips

In regard to hair and my last post, here are a few tips for those who may be curious...

1. When it comes to styling one's hair, particularly when it comes to curling, take note of your hair type and it's condition. Un-colored/processed hair that is straight is not going to hold a curl as well as naturally wavy or chemically processed hair will.

2. Heat is your friend, but a curling iron will do nothing for you.
invest in hot rollers. skinny ones are the best for historical styles involving ringlets. I have the best luck with my set of Conair Hotstix; discontinued, but they keep re-releasing it in different colors, etc. They are bendy rubber rollers that have a metal coil inside that heats up. Hotter than your average hot roller, but not as hot as a curling iron.

3. Utilize hair pieces and/or wigs as much as possible, mix them into your own styling to create illusion.
This is especially true for 18th to 19th century styles, and hair pieces were used widely. Now that I'm not dying my hair black, it's been difficult to find a match for my natural color that varies from a light to medium blonde.
Human hair pieces can solve this, since you can dye them to match, heat style them and they last longer, unlike synthetics.
And they look less "plastic", for lack of a better term.
I don't have any extra pieces in my hair in the previous photo, but I wish I'd had some on hand.

More info soon!...

xoxo

Rococo-inspired hairdo...

I had to get a photo, and the light at my dressing table was just right ;-)



I used to document and share how-to's more often, but lately if I've taken the time to do a "do", I'm rushing out the door to a performance or evening out. I'm going to try to at least get one snapshot from now on.
My gent tried to get one out in the sunlight, but there was too much glare, so I used my phone to take this one indoors.

We were headed to a showing of my favorite film, Amadeus (director's cut) at a local theater called The Retro Dome. They had a Mozart jam session before the film started, it was great.

For the gents....

Since the next couple of posts here will likely be about sewing a frock coat and breeches  I'll also be posting info and resources on men's fashion and haberdashery. Including wigs :-)

Fortunately for we historically appropriate types, and the men who are willing, Lacy Wigs has finally released a pretty decent men's 18th century wig.
Like mine in this post, it comes in a "Discount" version...which actually ends up looking better and more realistic than their more expensive "Deluxe" versions.

This one also comes in the same natural hair colors as mine, not just in the overly costumey and synthetic looking white ("White" wigs in the 18th century were a light blonde powdered to a lighter almost white shade).

Here's the link! The wig pictured is their more expensive version, hence the shinier texture of the hair, but the colors are the same:
http://www.maxwigs.com/discount-colonial-man-by-lacey-costume-wigs-p1336.html

Alonge Wig

I've had a few people ask me where I found the wig I'm wearing a few posts down.
It's the Alonge style by Lacy, in the "discount" version.
Amazingly, the texture of this version is much better for an accurate late 18th century wig, and doesn't look so shiny like most synthetic wigs do.
Here's the link:
http://www.maxwigs.com/discount-alonge-by-lacey-costume-wigs-p1317.html

Mine is in the Blonde shade, but it comes in many other natural colors.
Not sure if the wig in their photo is the same quality, but it is shown un-brushed.

The Wig Arrived...

And I think I can make it work.
I've worked with this style before, but in black, as mentioned in an earlier post.
The only thing that shocked me as I took this one out of the package, was the texture of the hair.
I know this wig comes in various qualities, but instead of having silky hair like my last one, the hair on this blonde one is rather odd.
The texture is a bit crimped, but I think this will actually work to my benefit.
my only worry is that it will look too frizzy, but I think the right styling can fix that. Besides, historically I think the texture of wigs and hair due to all the styling and types of hair used (not all of it was human), caused hair to be a little frizzy anyway back then.

My only gripe; the long ringlets are a bit smooshed, so I may need to moisten them and reset them on some foam rollers...as much as can be done with synthetic hair. A day or two on those should do it.

The below photo is yours truly ;-) wearing the wig in question, right out of the package and brushed out a little. There are a lot of long ringlets that fall from the lower back, but I hid those and draped a few of the shorter ones over my shoulder.

overall, I really like the color. It's close to my own hair color, and if I decide to powder it, the texture should take it nicely.

Modern wigs and making them work for 18th C. styles

The hair.
In some cases, it's all about the hair.
And it has to be right, otherwise you run the risk of looking "costumey".
We've all seen it, or had to deal with it ourselves; that Halloween costume wig at an historical event, its synthetic fibers gleaming with a blinding sheen from any light source that hits it. Worst of all, from the camera flash.
Synthetic hair shine can be tamed down, and a little shine is ok. It's when the hair *looks* plastic, and that's a common problem.
Victorian style hair falls, braids and pieces are one thing, but the 18th century dos from the last third of the century are particularly difficult.
All the piling, winding, smoothing, bouffanting(is that even a word?), bunting, pomading, gluing, curling and balancing.
In some cases, such as wig and hair styles of the 1770s, the less 'natural' the better. Again, just don't let it look too shiny, gods forbid.
Here is an early experiment of mine, using a costume wig and stuffing from an old pillow (Obviously shiny, before I applied powder).



Then in the 1780s and 90s, hair became this kind of large, free flowing teased halo of waves, curls or frizz, often with tendrils of long ringlets cascading from the neck down the back, or caressing a shoulder.
I did this style once with a costume wig called the Alonge, made by a wig co. called Lacey.
I wish I had photos of this wig after my alterations to it. My only problem was that the wig I had was black, and I wanted blonde.
I just bought a blonde one via Ebay, and it's on the way to me now.
Many people think that everyone had white wigs during the 18th c., but most of those were actually a medium to light blonde, then powdered. Red and deep auburn/brown was also popular, powdered or not.
This is the Alonge wig in blonde, un-brushed:

But with the previous one I had in black; by brushing out the curls on top and trimming/teasing as needed, it created the perfect Georgian era hairstyle. I ended up trimming away some of the long ringlets that hung down from the lower back of the wig, only keeping about 4 or 5 at the center back. I brushed up and styled the trimmed ringlets into the rest of the wig.
It looked amazing, but again, it was a random experiment I did while bored. I thought about powdering it, but didn't really want a black wig powdered. It just made me think I would end up with an 'old lady with grey hair' look.

When I get the blonde wig, I will post my progress with tips and photos, so you can see how I do it. I'm going for a look similar to the styles in these portraits:




Oh! Tip of the day in regard to making powdered wigs; Instead of using powder then hairspray, or vice-versa; Use hairspray to do most of your setting, then spray lightly with that temporary hair color spray in white. Or even pink or blue, popular 18th c. "costumey" colors for wigs ;-)
Start light for lightly powdered look, then add more coats for a more heavily powdered look.
Kryolan is the best, and used by theater and film professionals:
http://www.alconeco.com/products/character/temporary_hair_color/kryolan_color_spray
If you don't want a powdered look, but want to cut the shine of a synthetic wig, use a spray color that matches your wig color.

xoxox,
~Vienna