A Polonaise Continued

As another little escape from the cosplay side of things here, I finally caved and purchased 3 yards of luscious ruby red silk taffeta. This will become the petticoat for the 1770s polonaise I've had on the sidelines (for AFTER I get the stays built), mentioned here and here. I finally found the right red to accompany the color of the print on the cotton I will use for the polonaise. I found plenty of 'OMG that's red' reds, muddy burgundy and way-too-dark/pink wine shades to be of any use. Renaissance Fabrics had this lovely Ruby Red that, I think, will work perfectly or at least darn close:

The back of my dress in the red & ivory stripe cotton.

I won't be making the entirety of the petticoat out of this silk, choosing instead to make the parts covered by the polonaise out of a fine burgundy or neutral cotton. This is an historically accurate way to save on silk, and was done by even the upper classes. 3 yards should be plenty to cover the front and lower hem around the back in silk over the red cotton lining, leaving the remaining silk to make a flounce or a lot of ruched trim.

I'm going for something between the very late 1770s, to around 1780. Something like this:

As you can see above, the trim on the contrasting petticoat only decorates the front, something I find interesting and as a bit of a relief. I don't *need* to try and trim the entire circumference, and it's still historically appropriate. I also know I won't have enough of the printed polonaise fabric left over to make trim from. So, the use of a sheer ivory silk organdy I have stashed away should make for a nice contrast trim, similar to the gown in this plate:

Of course, the trimmings on the polonaise will be different, but I wouldn't mind experimenting with that ivory silk organza I have. Some of the textures on the body and sleeves are stunning, and I'd like to try doing some Hertzenruch (heart ruching) style trims in that sheer ivory. Below uses a similar technique as what we see on the gown above, only done on a single ribbon:

You can find a tutorial on how to do this style of trim here at Threads.

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."