A Jacket from Costume Close-Up and the Beginnings of a Sack-Back Gown!

I have been sewing, really. I just completed my sixth (6th!!) project of the year so far and I am starting on the seventh! Anyway, number 6 was the cotton print jacket from Costume Close-Up. I had seen pictures of it online and was thrilled to see it in person and get some good pictures when I was in Williamsburg. I made a few alterations to the orginal pattern so that it would close over a stomacher and added the ribbons as you see in the last picture. I'm not sure I'm happy with them though- I may replace them with real silk ribbons or make eyelets for lacing. Also, the jacket is reversible to a blue cotton floral print that I bought at the ever-excellent Wal Mart! Overall, I am very happy with this project. It was a huge learning experience (my first time sizing up a period pattern from a book!) and I feel proud of sewing it all by hand using techniques that are new to me.

Here you can see my current project- a 1760-70ish cotton sack-back gown for the Spring Ball. The fabric is from Reproduction Fabrics. This was my first time ordering from them, and I am impressed with their selection and service! Anyway, the pattern is by me based on the Costume Close-Up francaise and it is going together surprisingly/worryingly well. I have wanted to make a sacque ever since I started making historical clothes so this is scary and exciting!

Anyway, I am sewing the whole thing by hand using period methods I've read about and seen in clothing at Williamsburg. It's going to have a matching petticoat and stomacher with gathered and puffed trim, as you can kind of see on one of the robings and the detail of the sleeve. There at the top you can see a pic of the lining, which I decided to make with ties instead of lacings. (After making my new stays, which will be in the next post, I don't feel like making any more eyelets!!)

Leave comments and feel free to give me advice and your opinions on the jacket! :)

Courtney's Dress!

Courtney's dress is finally done, except for the hemming! Construction-wise, it's accurate, however, the gown material is 100% cotton, but the petticoat and the bows on the stomacher are synthetic. Her stays, which I'll get pics of later, are hand sewn with hand sewn eyelets and are made out of thick cotton. Her shift is muslin and is machine sewn and hand-finished. On her pocket, which I'll also get pics of later, I hand embroidered then finished up with the machine; the ties on it are grosgrain ribbon. Her petticoat is synthetic taffeta, and is totally hand sewn as well. The gown itself was hand finished, and I put the lining in by hand. The stomacher is totally handsewn and pins to the stays and gown... we might add hooks and eyes later. Overall, I'm really happy with how everything turned out!

Free Corset Patterns!

I dug this up the other day on Clare's blog and I thought I'd share it on here too! There are some very nice corset patterns here, including two patterns for 18th c. stays!

Meanwhile, I've finished Courtney's stays, shift, and the embrioidery for a pocket, and yesterday I spent working on her gown! Pics will soon follow, I promise!

18th Century Clothes for Courtney

Or, my first full 18th c wardrobe commission.

This is my friend Courtney, who asked me to make an 18th century gown and underpinnings for the upcoming home school week at Colonial Williamsburg in September. Last week we met up at the fabric store and plotted out exactly what she wanted! I'm making stays, pockets, a shift, a petticoat and a robe a la anglaise with a stomacher for her. I'm very excited because this is the largest commission I've done so far!

Starting with the stays seemed like the most logical course of action, as they are absolutely necessary before I can take proper measurements for the gown. Courtney asked for back-lacing, half-boned, strapless stays with horizontal boning across the front, similar to the Period Impressions pattern here. In my humble personal opinion, I have found this style of stays to provide a bit more flexibility, which is what Courtney wanted! She chose a thick, natural cotton duck for her stays, and I'll be binding the edges with a blue cotton blend I have in my stash. The pattern was custom drafted to fit her measurements, leaving a gap of 3-4 inches in the back after she laces in. I expect the stays to be finished, except for binding the edges, by Tuesday, and I'll take pictures then so you all can see what I've been working on!

How to make a chemise gown that won't make you want to hurt people/won't look like the mumu from hades!

The chemise gown is a tricky thing. So I decided to post a little how-to with tips for making a totally awesome one! If my dear readers have any tricks of their own, I'd love if you left them in the comments below!

• Step 1: In my humble personal opinion, the key to making your chemise gown look less like a mighty poof of material/your grandmother's curtains is a fitted back. No matter how little or big you are, a little fitting goes a long way. For my gown, I used my standard quarter back pattern that I drafted for my gold polonaise. I lined the back but not the front.
  
• Step 2: Next, I cut two panels the width of my fabric and stitched them together, then sewed a channel and the top and, using a cord, gathered them to fit the back of my gown. I think that the gathering added just enough poof, which I don't suppose I'd get from pleating. These panels were cut with a slanty hem so I'd have a little train for the skirt.

• Step 3: I attached shoulder pieces to the back, which also formed the arm holes and attached to the front of the gown.
  
• Step 4: The front is actually just a single, 1-piece panel of material! I stitched a channel in the top, which the blue ribbon is threaded through and comes out through an eyelet I put in the middle. The top of the panel was attached to the shoulder pieces, and the rest of the arm holes were cut out of the first panel. The front and the back were then attached together.

• Step 5: To form the waist, I sewed a channel down the center of my fabric using bias tape and ran cord through it, then made a buttonhole for the cord to come out in the center front. The channel starts at the 'waist' of the back and continues up to the center front waist, arching up just slightly, as you can see from the picture.
  
• Step 6: Add your sleeves of choice! Instead of a more fitted sleeve, I made poofy ones, similar to the ones on my shift.

• Step 7: Use the cord and the ribbon to gather the front! :D

• Step 7: Hem it, trim it, and wear it! A sash and a GREAT hat (with feathers, ribbons, etc.) complete the awesomeness.

Coming Soon

How to make a chemise gown that won't make you want to hurt people/won't look like the mumu from hades!

Coming very, very soon, and with pictures!

My 1790s Chemise Gown and Blue Silk Open Robe

Or, the biggest pain in the rear ever. ever. Who knew it would take so many tries to figure out the draping of the open robe?! That being said, this is one of my favorite gowns, and the flow-y train (which I pinned up for the dance) and the thin chemise gown are just lovely to wear. I'm wearing over it my regency short stays (pics to come) and my regency petticoat. I debated on selling it, but i don't know if I can bear to part with it now! I'll definately be wearing it again, possibly for my senior pictures. :D

The Red and White Gown

I know, I know. I'm a horrible blogger. I ramble and my posts are few and far between. So I am updating now!

I've started a new pair of stays that just need the eyelets stitched and the edges bound. Hooray! Plus, I've made a red and white striped gown to wear to our trip to Williamsburg this September, and I'm very, very happy with it!

My next project will probably be a chemise/gaulle gown. :D

the ball and future projects- yay!

come with us, through time and space, to the land of the mighty POOF.

part of my group-- and you thought homeschoolers didn't have friends!

aren't they lovely?


yay!

It's about time I posted pics from the ball/the finished polonaise gown, considering it was a month ago!

The ball was lovely, and the gown was pretty close to perfect. I had only minimal trouble with the front closure (two pins came out whilst getting in/out of the limo) and I ended up taking off my fichu and putting it in one of my pockets during some of the dancing because it kept coming halfway off (grr!). My stays were surprisingly comfortable, although the worst part was not being able to slouch... bad posture, I know.

Anyway, two weeks ago I had major surgery on my hip joint-- long story. I got hurt in soccer two years ago and I'm just now getting it repaired. Needless to say, I've been sitting around doing very little because of it. Even though I have completely neglected posting any pictures , I've been working on a blue linen gown for a possible Williamsburg trip next December/next summer. It's a late 1770s- early 80s polonaise, with a mock zone-front and rutched trim. It's nearly done, except for the trimming and the evil evil evil sleeves... ughhh.... but it's been something to keep me busy whilst I sit.

As far as other projects, I've been meaning to make a jacket out of some white and blue cotton I have, which I'll probably start when I finish the blue gown. It shouldn't be too complicated! Also, I'd really love to make my brothers outfits for the Williamsburg trip, but then I would have to make the frightening venture into the daunting realm of man clothes! (*screams*) It can't be that bad, and I've started some of the research, but the biggest problem most people seem to be having is patterns for breeches. This worries me! Any advice??

Another more current project is making accurate 18th c. clothes for my cousin, Kate. I've been wanting to make some clothes for kids, because they just look easier and hopefully won't take as long to make, and she was the perfect guinea pig, so I'm working on a gown, a few petticoats, a fichu and a shift for her. She already has some of my old gowns from when I was little and a few mob caps that belonged to me! Recycling is awesome. :)

well, that's it for the time being!