JennyLaFleur @ Blogspot

Ides of March Tea

2012-03-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Ides of march tea yesterday was great fun! Good company, good food, lovely frocks and the perfect weather! Thanks again for organizing the day for us Isabella!

Also a reminder that I really do need to break down and make a Spencer! :> I din't take too many pictures - I was too busy having a good time - but I do have a little stealth video...

Pictures of the event:Jenny-Rose
Gloria
Maggie
Stephanie

bands of velvet & turning the corner

2012-03-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

The Flying Wrap is going well. For a pretty simple garment it's been a time-eater though. Of course I'm not sure why it is that when I pick the most difficult fabrics known to the sewing world to work with I expect to breeze through a project! Silly Jenny!

Putting on the velvet bands was simple but meticulous work. All the bias strips had to be pieced together then seams pressed open (using a needle-board so as not to crush the velvet). For the sleeves I had to sew the strip into a circle to go around the sleeve edge - you can bet I triple and quadrupled my measurements on that one! Then the band had to be pinned onto the edge – so time consuming! Luckily this velvet wasn’t too finicky and I didn't have to hand-baste it as well. I then sewed the band on as well as sewed a basting stitch along the other edge.

The bands were then carefully pressed, first on the underside (to create a sharp edge at the stitching line) then on the "right" side (creating the finished edge.)

I then carefully smoothed out the taffeta and using the basting stich on the raw edge turned the remaining raw edge under to create the hem. That was pinned and later stitched down by hand.

The skirt band was slightly more challenging as I decided to do an interlining of cotton twill to weigh-down the garment. I took the further precaution of stay-stitching the hem edge and used the basting stitch on the opposite side of the band to slightly gather the top to adjust for the curve of the hem. Finicky but so worth the effort!

The twill interlining did the trick, adding just enough weight to help the wrap turn the corner and look lovely and elegant. No more Stay Puft woman!

I've also worked a little on the embellishment. I stitched a mixture of bugle and seed beads to the edge of the sleeve to add some sparkle and weight there. I’ve also been making beaded tassels - but that is the subject of another post...

I still have the neckline/front and belt to finish/hem/attach and the rest of the beaded tassels to make. So it's all hand work at this stage, which is the perfect sort of work for headache and travel days. So while the wrap isn't quite done I'm moving on to other things.

Oh and I'm so excited I don't have to make anything to go under the wrap because I realized last week that I already have the perfect Edwardian nightgown - my 18th century chemise gown! It looks perfect under the wrap and is of course really comfortable. Yay!

Wearing History Giveaway

2012-03-10T05:43:00.002-08:00

,
What is better than a lovely new Edwardian blouse pattern being available? Getting it for free!

Info on the giveaway can be found here, while more info about the pattern can be found here.

I love that Wearing History is branching out into the Edwardian period now; there just aren't enough good patterns from that era out!

need some faith on this one

2012-02-25T06:29:00.001-08:00

Progress has been made on the Flying robe/wrap! Finally got around to working on it again yesterday. It's been sitting in a pile on my ironing board since my last post. Opps!

So first I basted down the velvet band along the neckline. Last time I made this kimono I added long darts in the back to take up the excess fabric there (silly Butterick!), this time I opted for a box pleat at the top of the center back.

When I tried it on it was hard not to feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow woman. I know it's because there is nothing to weigh down the silk taffeta and it's not exactly a fitted garment so there is a lot to pouf. Sewing down the velvet bands should solve the problem but still... it took some serious faith to believe that this was going to turn into the pretty garment I want in the end. :>

Stay-Puft issues aside I decided that I did need some kind of fitting - loose full garments are just not cute on curvy girls. So I experimented with adding a belt, pleats and drafting out some of the fullness in the front. The pictures are crappy but it was much better - believe me! While I had it on Mom marked the hem for me.

With all the walking around and moving the garment I had a lot of the pins and markings fall out of the front (opps!) so rather than put it back on as is and try to fit it again I decided to work on the velvet bands on the sleeves and trim the hem so I could double check those when I tried it on again.

The sleeve bands went fine, if slow. This is velvet after all. I almost got one sleeve finished before my bed sang it's siren song...

the titanic doctoral gown

2012-02-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

Lookie - actual sewing being done at Chez Jenny-Rose! Shocking I know!

This week, in between headaches and general ickyness, I've been working on my 1912 loungewear. I've really been struggling with getting started on the evening gown for some reason. I think part of it is being overwhelmed with everything else in my sewing /real life and feeling little confidence about being able to actually pull the project off. (The ghosts of all those failed 1912 dresses are haunting me these days.) So I decided that I needed to get something off my list and get some costuming success under my belt. The "Flying Wrap" requires little fitting, no mock-ups and should be fairly straightforward to construct so it fit the bill perfectly.

I decided that, tempting as the other options were, I wanted to go with an Oriental-inspired silhouette for my wrap. So I started by pulling out my old black Titanic Kimono and the pattern I used for it (Butterick 6698). Thank goodness I keep dress diaries! I was able, with the help of my website, to go back and figure out all the changes I made to the Butterick pattern. I then traced out a new pattern, incorporating some new changes as well as the old.

The biggest change was to flare out the skirt. Kimonos are basically tubes, which is awesome if you want the traditional Japanese look and/or have no hips. I wanted something more loose and flowy so I drafted in a bit more fullness in the skirt, paying close attention to the hip area.

Then I cut my silk taffeta. When I started laying out the pattern pieces I paniced that I wouldn't have enough fabric. So I turned the sleeve pattern 180°, which meant I lost some length but I decided it wasn’t a big deal. With the sleeve pattern turned I laid out the other pieces just to make sure I had enough fabric and I ended up with ¼" to spare - dude it doesn't get any closer than that!

After the silk was cut I whipped up all the seams and attached the sleeves, using dreaded French seams. They aren’t hard just not my favorite! But I didn't want to line the wrap so I had no choice. Once the basic shell was together I measured the neckline, hem and sleeve hem so I could cut the velvet bands. My velvet was a great deal and a lovely color but to be honest it's not a great quality stuff. So to give it a better hand, help with the shredding issue and hopefully make it look more expensive I decided to cut all the bands on the bias. I shouldn't have worried about not having enough fabric this time around I had plenty to spare. I might even have enough to make a Flying Dress jacket out of it after all! Or maybe a Gainsbourgh hat, in navy blue instead of the traditional black. *ponders*

So that is where I left it last night. To be honest at the moment it looks (and when I wear it feels) like academic dress. Once I draped some of the velvet bias bands on it really has the feel of a doctoral gown but Mom assures me that once I get all the velvet and beads on and add my 1912 nightgown and accessories I won't look like I need a mortarboard with a tassel.

Golly I hope she is right! :P

The Française Dinner

2012-02-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

The Française Dinner this weekend was great fun! Aubry arrived at my house Friday night. Shockingly we were good little girls and didn't stay up into the wee hours of the morning talking, as usual. The fact that we knew we had a 3.5 hour drive to PA ahead of us with to do nothing but chit-chat helped.

Our drive up to Kat's house was uneventful if long. Lindsey was at the house too and the four of us proceeded to do our hair, laced up our stays and help each other get dressed. Somehow we left the house not only looking fabulous but on time - when does that ever happen?!

The evening was really wonderful! The venue was lovely, the staff and guests so welcoming and flattering, the food excellent and the company was quite fabulous!

I wore my Diva dress with some new jewelry and what have been dubbed my "caricature feathers". They were ridiculously fun to wear, although I need to come up with a clever way to keep them facing forward like they should rather than move all over the place like they did. *ponders* I so enjoyed wearing my Diva again - I do love it so!

Photos of the evening!
Jenny-Rose (mine and my favorites from the others)
Isabella
Gloria
Maggie
Maggie's videos (locked)
Kat
Robin
Taylor

Videos!Dinner conversation #1

Dinner conversation #2

photo shoot

back to normal & a funny

2012-02-02T05:43:00.000-08:00

I'm just about done with the process of stitching over my website to the new host. It took so long due to operator errors, I kept forgetting steps in the set up - can you tell I haven't done this in a while?

Anyway all my emails are up and running once again, as is my website. I'm just now finishing up the site up-loading process (geez I have a lot of files on my site!). So my internet presence is pretty much back to normal - yay!

In lieu of an interesting post and actual costuming content (because real life continues to kick my butt so there is nothing to talk about) I offer a funny... it made me laugh anyway. :>

1914 - an excellent example of what not to wear or how important it is to dress for your body type. I couldn't help it I laughed out loud when I found this! Poor thing, she obviously thinks she is hot stuff.

the joys of the internet

2012-01-31T05:44:00.000-08:00

My website hosting plan switched over today (away from the evil Powweb) - of course there are hiccups with my email and site so please excuse the broken links everywhere. I’m getting it sorted out but the internet moves slower than I like sometimes... For the time being if you need to get a hold of me post here, or on my Live Journal. :>

the rest of the plan: Flying Dress with a twist

2012-01-04T21:51:00.001-08:00

Of course my 1912-in-2012 plans include more than just an evening gown. I wouldn't be that rational!

Dinner is but the first half of the Epic Titanic Dinner that I'm hosting in April. Well maybe 2/3rds. After dinner the plan is to change into something a bit more comfortable for a more relaxed absinthe themed after-party... while still looking fabulous and period appropriate while we sip our absinthe of course.

The dress code for the Absinthe Party is 1912 artistic dress or "undress", informal garments worn by around the house or with intimate friends. Figuring out what that means in reality has been interesting to research. Several of my guests are going in the Poiret harem pant direction (which I think it awesome), but I'm drawn to more of a negligée & wrap look.

This first image (from the S&S site) is the one that has really captured my imagination - I just love the whole look and feel. I like the vibe of the outfit from the Met too but it's the S&S pic I keep coming back too...

Then I got to thinking. I have the perfect fabrics for the robe; my Flying Dress silk taffeta and velvet. Then remembered my neglected Mr. Butterfly (seen here with other fabrics intended for the a crash-and-burn 1911 evening gown project that created him). He is based on the comb Rose wears with the Flying Dress and he contains beads the exact shade of blue of the Flying Dress. Brilliant! So this will be my non-Flying Dress, Flying Dress! I love it! I'm not sure if I'll put Mr. Butterfly in the front or back but he will look great on the wrap somewhere.

I'm still waffling on what to make for underneath the robe. My original idea was to make a copy of this Liberty dress (also used as a nightgown in Finding Neverland) out of a sea foam light-weight wool that also matches Mr. Butterfly.

Now I'm leaning more toward a period negligée of cream voile & lace nightgown.In my research I found that historically a "negligée", which from the French literally means "neglected", is a sheer (usually long) dressing gown. According to the dictionary "it is a form of nightgown intended for wear at night and in the bedroom." After World War II negligées changed from being primarily utilitarian to being primarily sensual or even erotic, negligées then emerging as a form of lingerie. One source said the negligée was first introduced in France in the 18th-century, which I guess makes it either a mother or cousin of the Chemise gown. A relation anyway.

Or I could always just wear the Flying Dress wrap over my undies if they turn out pretty. I'm still pondering which one to go with...

My 1912 plans don’t stop there. I also have a chemise and princess petticoat to make. And of course that is just the plan for me. I have a corset to make for Mom (promised long ago!), two maid's outfits (dress, apron and cap) for my non-costumer servants, linen napkins and a surprise or two for my guests. All before March 15th, which is when I need to stop sewing so I can concentrate on things like house cleaning, grocery shopping, furniture rearranging and food prep.

Oh and throw in the Française and pannier I'm planning on making before Feb 4th.

You can say it, I'm crazy! I honestly don't know how all this is going to happen in the next 14½ weeks but I'm trusting it will work out in the end somehow. I’ve prioritized the to-do list and if things have go for sanity’s sake, I’ll let them go. I've learned a long time ago where my stress breaking point is and it's never been worth it to cross that line.

I’ve also committed to staying up a little later and getting up a little earlier than I am normally accustomed to. I’ve also place a restriction of how much TV I can watch a week. Basically I’ve started my Costume College finial push 6 months early. At the moment I'm feeling optimistic and determined to make it work. Hey I've pulled off crazier things! Well maybe *just* as crazy - this is pretty crazy even for me...

Dress U

2012-01-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

It's official - I'm attending Dress U in June! Finally got around to getting my membership last week, along with tickets to the Tiara & Jampange Party and the Titanic Dinner. I'm still pondering the tea...

I'm also teaching two classes:

Survival of the Fittest: fitting yourself by yourself
Don’t have a local sewing buddy to help you with fittings? Want beautifully fitted bodices but don’t have 4 arms or eyes in the back of your head? Learn basic principles for how to fit mock-ups and garments on yourself, with/without the aid of a dressmaker’s dummy in this demonstration class.

Taming the Stash
Is your sewing space a mess? Do you spend half your sewing time searching for misplaced supplies and patterns rather than sewing? Or are you a naturally organized person who loves hearing interesting ideas for keeping things tidy? This class will demonstrate budget-friendly, spacing-saving ways to organize & store your costuming research, fabric, trims, patterns & sewing gadgets.

Yay!

1912: texture, layering & drape

2012-01-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

It has taken months of pondering, researching and plastering my sewing board with images to ponder but I finally have a design for my Epic Titanic Dinner Dress - yay!

I started with the fabrics. One of the keys to this period seems to be the fabrics. Everything is soft and drapey (little taffeta is used and even the rare velvets are drapey silk ones). There is also an emphasis on varying textures (textured vs. smooth, shiny vs. dull, solid vs. sheer) and layering those textures. Most evening gowns have three fabrics in the gown, some more, fewer less. I don't have many fabrics of this description so my choices were narrow, but that isn't always a bad thing when there are SO many gowns of this period I love!

My finial choices are these two dresses. I love the multiple layers and added texture on the chiffon (beads & sequins) of the first but I also adore the simple asymmetrical lines of the second. So mine will be a hybrid of the two.

While I love the rows of black seed beads that cover the chiffon above I knew that was not achievable in 3 months. Besides I loathe sewing beads on chiffon - very fiddly! Then I found photos of the original and Jordan Bentley's spot-on repro of the Lady Maude Warrender gown found in Arnold's Patterns of Fashion. Wow! I've always loved this gown in Janet Arnold's book, have seen some lovely versions of it and even planned to make a version myself at one point but I never pictured it properly it was until I saw those pics.

What particularly struck me was the loveliness of the sequin's sparkle and how similarly dense the black net and my black chiffon are over their cream base fabrics. One of the great advantages of sequins is their light weight and the fact that they can be glued on. I know, I know! But I only have three months and really gluing that many sequins is no small task!

So here are my fabrics. The base is poly cream damask, then a layer of gold lace, topped with black silk chiffon. The cream crinkle silk chiffon will be used in the layers of the bodice.

The black chiffon will be covered in small gun-metal sequins. For the "border" at the bottom of the chiffon I'm going to over-bead lace and trims (I don't have time to do a beaded border from scratch) with glass beads, sequins and pearls.

The sequins. Originally I was drawn, not only to the scattered grid of the Lady Maude gown but also the lines of sequins/beads on the gowns above. So how to choose? I layered my fabrics, pulled out my teasers and started laying out sequins. I used the pattern on the gold lace below as a guide for the scattered sections, doing two versions, while I had to rely on a ruler for the rows.

After taking pics (none of which really do the combination of fabrics and sequins justice - this is going to be a beast to photograph!) and pondering which one I liked, I took measurements. I counted the sequins by a 6x6 square. The top scatter count was 22; the denser scatter was 40; the rows were 96. Yeah that definitely helped me make my decision! The dense scatter of 40 sequins it is!

I've since ordered some 3mm and 2.5mm sequins (I used 4mm in the testing) from Cartwright's Sequins and can't wait for them to come in! But I'm not allowed to play with them until I've worked on the foundation of the dress. First things first!

the exhausting mental exercise of 1912

2012-01-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

A 1912 Evening Dress. I have a very love-hate relationship with the idea of this garment. It's what got me serious about becoming a proficient seamstress and turned me into costumer in high school and it remains my Mt Everest of costuming. A Mt Everest that I have never gotten past base camp with.

I've tried to make my ultimate Titanic Evening dress a couple of times over the years, all ending in failure and defeat - the latest being the Peacock Dress. Even my day-wear forays into this period have left me feeling "eh" if not in complete despair. I mean they were pretty but they weren't "right". I was missing the mark in some way.

Why does this style (theoretically a flattering one on my body type) and period construction (that I find so fascinating), cause me so much frustration, heartache and exhausting mental exercise? I don't know. What I do know is that the definition of insanity to doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results when what you want are different results. It is time to change not the Mt I want to climb but how I prepare for and approach it.

So as I've been waffling back and forth the last 6 months about what to do with the Peacock (start over from scratch, carry on and fix all the problems (about the same amount of work), salvage the pieces for another project, burn it), I've been doing lots of research and re-thinking how I *think* about this period.

My conclusions?

1.) My heart is not in the Peacock anymore and I'm ready to let it go. I still want a "Peacock" themed costume someday and while it may have some of the supplies or ideas from this one it will be a vastly different project next time around. It's okay. I learned a lot from this project and I thoroughly enjoyed all the hours of beading, it was my happy place for a very long time. A huge lesson I've learned here is that sometimes the dress doesn’t need to be finished to be a success.

2.) I'm not going to make my Ultimate Titanic Dress on the first try. How do I know this? Because I'm never completely happy with any garment/style until the second or third go. It took a while but I'm finally okay with the idea of not having my "Ultimate" dress for the 100th anniversary year. It was the finial death-nail in the Peacock's coffin - it needs to be an "Ultimate" dress. Instead for the various 1912-2012 events this year I'm opting for pretty and achievable (I hope!), a building block to get me on my way up that mountain. This a marathon, not a sprint.

3.) So a new dress! I have to use fabrics from the stash. For my Ultimate dress I can buy new "special" stuff but for this go I need to use what I have.

4.) I need to build my Evening gown from the inside-out. I think the inner structure of this gown is the key and examining a few extant examples from the period up close (thanks !) seems to confirm that they were built from the inside out. Most of you probably figured this out ages ago but you see I get too excited about the PRETTY and want to rush off and start beading/draping/cutting pretty fabric right now! One of my big mistakes with the Peacock was rushing the important stuff so I could start on the fun stuff. I just assumed everything would magically work out in the end. It didn't.

And so I begin... again...

St Nickolas Tea

2011-12-06T06:49:00.001-08:00

Our costumers St Nickolas Tea on Saturday was really delightful. Many thanks again to Isabella for organizing it for us! The Reynolds Tavern in Annapolis was cozy and beautifully decorated, the tea food very tasty indeed and the company was wonderful! I hope we make this an annual event!

I finally wore my green striped robe à l'Anglaise round gown. You know the one I started for UTR in June (that wasn’t finished in time) and didn't wear at Costume College because I got food poisoning the night before I was supposed to wear it. That one.

Technically I have worn it once, to a Constitution Day thingy for a friend's homeschool group but I'm not counting it since I have no pictures and no costumers were present. Anyway i had great fun wear it to the tea (driving 1.75 hours in it was a different story!) - I think it's my new favorite 18th century outfit. It helps of course that it looks great with fur and it was the perfect day to wear some of my vintage fur collection. It's all about the accessories you know! :>

More pics from the event:
Jenny-Rose (me!)
Maggie
Gloria
Isabella

MD Ren Faire

2011-10-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely day at the Maryland Renaissance Festival last weekend. There was a fair amount of drama and stress getting there (I was seriously thinking about just staying home at one point!) but I had a good time once everyone got there.

Mom and Dad came this year (Dad's first ever Ren Faire) along with my friend Rachel, who is home from England for a few months, in her fun historical Snow White costume. She got a lot of attention and made many little girls happy throughout the day. If you ever want to be treated like a rock star at a Ren Faire dress like a Disney Princess! :> We met up with Isabella and her Mom at the Faire as well and had great fun (as always) doing the Faire together. The day was gorgeous, the perfect weather for Ren Faire - crisp and cool, with a dry ground and blue sky. I was fine temperature-wise in my frock until the end of the day when I was wishing for a muff. :> There weren't many stellar costumes but there were some pretty awesome furs walking around! I love going to a Ren Faire in the Autumn!

I was a good little girl and didn't try to make anything new the week before. I wore my Pink Italian dress yet again and limited myself to two new accessories, a caul/hair net and a drawstring purse. I needed the purse for my new SLR camera (none of my reticules are big enough!) and I thought a thought a new hair net would be fun. I made the net by weaving together about 20 yards of organza ribbon. It turned out to be a much more complicated and time consuming project than I anticipated and I'm not sure how much I really like it in my hair but it was new and shiny!

Umm… so yeah good news is my new camera takes great pics, bad news it takes longer to upload them to Flickr now! :0
more photos @ Flickr

bad blogger

2011-10-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

*hangs head in shame*

Yes I know I have dreadfully neglected this blog lately but well life has not been horribly friendly lately and while I've been dealing with illness, poison oak and other dramas plus everyday life not much has been going on in the costuming department. And so nothing to blog about. *sigh*

I feel like I'm getting my feet back under me though and am finally getting back to some fun sewing. The break was nice in some ways but I really have missed it. Costuming is my happy place...

I do have a new toy for costuming events though - an SRL camera! I came home from Costume College determined to move on from a point and click - my little p&c is fine but very limiting and I found myself using the SRLs of my costuming buddies more than my own camera throughout the weekend. So I took the plunge into SRL land.

So far I'm really happy with it (it even takes video!) although at some point I'll need to get another lens for better low-lighting shots. I'm really excited to learn more and lucky for me one of my best friends is a professional photographer who wants to learn how to sew. So we are trading photography lessons for sewing lessons - bartering rocks! :>

strange but special

2011-08-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fairytales and Disney films I'm really excited to be finally making a Belle costume!

I've been seriously thinking about it for months and decided that if I could find the right fabrics while in LA for CosCol I would make it in 2012. I was able to find some great supplies so a project was born!

Since then I’ve been waffling about what kind of Belle ball gown to make. There are so many fun options! There is classic Disney Belle, Broadway musical Belle, historically accurate Belle, designer doll Belle... really I could go on and on.

Originally I was going to go for a classic Belle, that iconic look I've loved since I was a little girl. *gets sentimental* However as I researched I was reminded of the stubborn fact that I dislike making straight reproductions. It's just not fun for me for whatever reason.

So I settled on doing a more historically accurate (than the Disney version) version. To be a recognizable Belle all I really need is an off the shoulder bodice, a full ruched skirt, long gloves and the right gold color, right?. So what era/style to choose? 17th century (the century I generally associate with the fairytale), 18th century (the century the story was first published and what Disney seems to be going for) or mid-19th century (Belle's dress is very 1850-60s in the film and that is where the Broadway version went)? The Disney design could arguably be inspired by/interpreted into any of those silhouettes. So I pondered.

I'm still pondering actually, waffling really between the 17th century (I'm not in the mood to wear pannier again anytime soon) and the mid-19th century (Victorian corsets are so comfy and princess!). Last week i was leaning more toward the 19th but now I'm really feeling the pull of the 17th. Last night posted this picture from the new Three Musketeers film. Maybe I'm crazy but I thought of Belle right away when I saw it. I'm now falling in love with the idea of a Belle costume along these lines. Not that it's much more historically accurate than Disney (do not get me started on the accuracy of this film!) but I'm really loving the idea of a more 17th century vibe.

Continues to ponder...

Disney Princess

2011-08-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

So for some reason the stars have finially aligned for me to make a Belle costume... along with a good chunk of the costuming world it seems! Already 2012 is shaping up to be the year of Titanic frocks & Disney Princesses. It’s funny how every so often these things happen spontaneously - have we all been drinking the same water or what?!

I think it's awesome that other costumers are making Disney Princesses to wear at various events in 2012. (I'll be at Dress U (maybe the tea?) & Costume College (Ice Cream Social I think)). The more the merrier I say - I love it when costumers make the same thing because, in fact, it's never the same. Even with the same inspiration (an illustration, an extent gown, a fashion plate) we always end up putting our own personalities in our work (that combination of talent, taste, skill, fabric finding-fu and budget will always make your costume scream "you"). I think it's great fun to see the variation and different twists on the same theme.

Sadly there is already some walking on egg-shells going on with the various groups that are forming. Having to fear the potential of people being petty and proprietary (the "it was my idea to copy that first!" syndrome) is a such a shame. No drama has actually erupted, just the fear of it, and I hope it stays that way. Seriously people, the costuming/cosplay world is plenty big enough for all of us to be Disney Princesses in 2012 if we want to.

In that spirit has created a community for us the share and cheer each other on - come join the fun! What Disney or Fairytale Princess costume have you always wanted to make?

elephants on parade

2011-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

So what have I been up to on the sewing front? Well not much, hence the lack of posting. Mostly I've been cleaning, cooking, un-packing, and generally catching up on all the Real Life (TM) I ignored in the pre CosCol madness & post CosCol illness. Honestly it's been nice to take a bit of a break and re-charge my seamstress batteries a bit.

I did tap into my inner craftiness to work on a fun little project though - my very first stuffed animal. He was made for a baby boy due in September. I, of course, made a few changes to the pattern. I shortened his arms by an inch (so he looked more proportional), rounded off his head a little (originally it had an odd peak) and did embroidered eyes rather than felt or safety ones.

I'm supper pleased with how this little elephant came out - he definitely won't be my last stuffed animal! (I've already spent way too much time online looking for cute plushie patterns... bad Jenny!)

CosCol piccies!

2011-08-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

I'm still recovering from my post Costume College cold but I managed to get my CosCol pictures online - still working on the videos and the re-cap but I didn't want you to have to wait any longer...

edited to add: Pics from others:
Aubry
Katherine
Katherine - Prohibition shoot
Sara
Loren
Jen
Kendra
Ginger
Sarah
Lauren
Trystan
Noelle
Rebecca (picassa)
Meilin
Lady Rebecca (facebook)

card party Regency style

2011-07-17T13:17:00.001-07:00

I'm pleased to say that my first Costumed Card Party last night was great fun!

The evening was filled with lively games (Cribbage, Whist & Speculation), yummy but simple-to-prepare food (I should have bought more cream puffs!), and tasty beverages (including port, apple brandy & sparkling cider). For the first time I used all of what has become a very respectable collection of candelabras, and candlesticks for a total of 33 lit candles (thank goodness for Trader Joes dripless candles!). The result was magical - there is nothing like a room filled with the glow of candlelight. *le sigh*

Of course my guests looked amazing in all their finery and I had way too much fun wearing my new Candy Cane dress and pearl tiara (from seperwar on Ebay). There were many lively discussions and laughter to be heard as well - I hope to have an evening like this again soon!

Pictures of the evening can be found here:
Jenny-Rose (me!) - with a few of my favorites from others *wink*
Gloria
Maggie

Videos!

Stealth video of the shoe shot

Card Party: stealth video #1

Card Party: stealth video #2

the annual CosCol panic

2011-07-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

So I after I sat down and made a list of everything I want/need to make and/or finish for CosCol and looked at the calendar I had a nice little panic attack. Since then I've been trying my best to cross things off that very long list!

First to finish was the Candy Cane dress! Yay something to cross of my list! My dress form Narcissa dosen't do anything for this dress so no more pics until my card party on Saturday.

I'm really happy with the way this came out. It's simple but I like that. Because of the fabric and the color I can easily dress it up (like I will this weekend) or dress it down for more everyday occasions (it looks really cute with my Mela hat). Versatility is a fun thing!

Next up was my Green/Rust Anglaise. It lived up to it's repuation continued to be un-friendly. When I tried it on to mark the hem I discovered that it was on the verge of being too short on the sides without doing anything. (Actually this happened on my Bellini too - Note to self when making a roundgown cut the front panels longer than usual.)

*sigh*

I ended up piecing the front of the hem to fix the length issue. (I love that piecing is period!) It took quite a bit of brain wattage to get the fabric I needed out of the small baggie of scraps I had left from this project. So glad I haden't thrown anything away yet! Luckily I was able to use some of the pieces I had to cut off the back section of the hem to shape it correctly. Whew!

After all that piecing the hem is a bit of a mess up close/underneath (so nobody gets to see it!) but with the "3 foot rule" applied it's fine. Eventually I'll finish the inside with bias tape and add some ribbon or trim to the hem to cover the horizontal piecing seam but that is a project for after CosCol. I have many other time-consuming and more important fish to fry in the next 15 days!

With another dress moved to the "done" list I'm feeling much less panicky and stressed, although I know I can't slow my pace at this point. So I've officially started my pre-CosCol television fast - no more TV until I get home from LA! I miss it already but I get SO much more done without it to distract and waylay me. And with my to-do list I need all the time I can get!

pleats & plan "d" dresses

2011-07-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Despite my radio silence I have been sewing in-between Real Life (TM), holidays and commission work.

So I spoke a little too soon with the olive/rust anglaise pleats. When I went to properly pin them down, in preparation to stitching them, there was some weird bunching and odd angles at the point. Merh. I decided the fact that I was trying to use a straight length of fabric for a dramatic point might be the culprit so I took out the pleats, cut a point in my fabric and carried on. I ended up having to make multiple cuts to get it right but in the end I got it to where I was content. (Did I mention my perfectionism has a very love/hate relationship with tiny pleats?)

So the back pleats are now stitched down and the front pleats pinned. A waistband & hem and I have a wearable dress but I needed to switch focus for a couple of days...

I'm hosting a Regency card party on the 16th and despite having a closet full of lovely things I could wear I want something new. Silly Jenny.

Thanks to various fabric issues I'm now on plan "D" with this outfit. Oy! So I'm using my Lizzie Dress pattern and some red striped poly (shh!) chiffon to make what I've lovingly dubbed the " Candy Cane Dress". It's not the dress I originally wanted to make but I’m trying to use the stash and I had less fabric than I thought. So I'm crossing fingers that I will like it when it's done. I'm a bit skeptical to be honest but at least the construction is going really fast. In fact I'm hoping to have it finished today!

I love tiny pleats

2011-07-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the round-gown skirt pleating the last couple of evening and finally got the back done last night.

I went from skimpy to almost-too-much-fabric so it took me a little bit to adjust! Now the back skirt is super full, even fuller than the Diva and the Bellini - fun!

Now I just need to stitch it down...

blog FYI

2011-06-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

I know this won't really rock your world but FYI - I decided to ditch Disqus as my comment widget - I just wasn’t happy with it.

I couldn't figure out how to export the comments to Blogger before I deleted it so those comments are off in the ether somewhere. There weren't too many and I have email copies of everything though so no big really. Ahh back to plain old Blogger-land now

that was easy

2011-06-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

So the debate with myself over what to do about my olive/rust anglaise fabric shortage issue is over - a round gown it is! All it took was some draping on Narcissa and I was sold.

The coordinating brown petticoat is no where as nifty looking. So what if you can't polonaise a roundgown. It's a compromise in design I can SO live with when the alternative is that pretty.

*sigh*

It's going to totally need some huge headwear though. I'm thinking a frilly cap inspired by Sarah & Kendra (those tow have so much to answer for!). I really want a ginormous black Gainsbourgh but I'm not sure I'm feeling up to the challenge of getting it to LA. We'll see.

UTR 2011

2011-06-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Under the Redcoat (UTR) was great fun, despite not getting my dress finished - oh well it was a valiant effort! Sometimes sleep is more import than a new frock and I had just as much fun in my "this old thing".

Sunday was hot but not unbearably so, thanks to low humidity (until the evening), cloudy skies and the occasional breeze. We had a laid back day of promenading around town, taking pics at the Governor’s Palace, a carriage ride and then dinner and a candlelight concert... *sigh* Such fun with good friends

My pictures can be found here (supplemented with favorite photos from others!):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennylafleur/sets/72157627068447990/

More photos of the day:
Gloria
Isabella
Katherine

seamstress gone wild

2011-06-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog lately I know. *hangs head in shame* Life has been insane lately making my online & costuming life scattered and fragmented. Not a good combination for coherent and interesting blogging - merh!

Anyway I'm throwing caution to the wind today and starting a new frock to wear to UTR on Sunday!! I do know better than to do these things but I can't help myself! To make things even more crazy I have a packed schedule most of tomorrow so I basically have today to make it. Bring on the padded cell!

I'm making my version of this stripey robe à l'Anglaise from Jefferson in Paris. Isn't it pretty? My fabric is a 1" stripe of olive green and rust. Yum!

Technically this won't be a one day wonder. I have been working on the mock-ups on and off (mostly off) for a couple of weeks now, tweaking my basic pattern a bit to accommodate the stripes and a separately cut bodice (a oppesed to an en fourreau). So today I start at the fabric cutting stage.

Wish me luck!

help me be a bag lady

2011-06-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

My interweb researching skills have failed me so I'm turning to you dear readers!

The Victorian picnic made it clear that I need to make a coordinating purse/reticule/bag for my 1873 Picnic Gown. I made do with a Regency reticule from my stash but it's falling apart and the black tassels it's decorated with were not working for the Picnic.

So I grabbed my favorite Civil War re-enacting days ridicule to take a pattern for a new bag when I wondered if it was really accurate for my dress (or for the CW for that matter, we were only so worried about historical accuracy in those days). I'm not having much luck researching 1860-1875 bags, except to find crocheted and knitted bags which I can't/don’t want to make and metal frame purses, which might be later 1870s (?) but are definitely out of my budget right now.

So is this old CW bag an okay shape? Is a plain fabric bag okay for this period? Help!

picnic fun

2011-06-12T07:16:00.001-07:00

I had a fabulous time at Kat's Victorian Picnic yesterday!

The day was not without it's hiccups (running late, loads of traffic, not eating enough, the brutality of 9 hours round-trip in the car) but the weather was nice, the food yummy, the company lovely & entertaining and my outfit so fun to wear! I'm so glad went!

I'm super pleased with the way the Picnic Dress came out. It was worth the frustration, alteration and hassle the dress caused me - the ruffles make me so happy! I need to adjust the bustle ties in the back a bit before CosCol but it's an easy fix. I didn't take many construction pics (not wanting to think too much about it at the time 'cause that made me not want to work on it!) but I'll try to write a decent write-up in the next week or so for you guys.

I can't wait to wear it again!

The rest of my photots from the day are on Flickr

off to party

2011-06-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Madame Kat's Victorian Picnic today - yay!

I'm so looking forward to it! My Picnic Bustle Dress has finially come together. It's been a grueling process, what with Real Life (TM) rearing it's ugly head, endless pleating and having to take large parts of it completly apart to redo/alter but it was all worth it - the outfit looks as lovely, cool, flouffy and fun as I originally envisioned it! *happy butt wiggle*

More pics after the party!

18th century rouge review

2011-06-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

While I was at Costume Con my roomie Katherine was kind enough to let me try her 18th century Rouge from Ageless Artifice.

I was super excited when I tried it. Easy to apply and blend, the results were really great. It gave the perfect shade of red for the 18th century (on me anyway) and stayed all day. Actually it stained, leaving some color the next day even after washing my face twice. It was a pretty color though so even if I hadn’t been at a 4 day costume event that wouldn't have concerned me.

Now for the bad news. It smells awful. The ingredients list brandy, which I normally like the smell of. This, not so much. The scent dissipates once applied but still it’s a bit of a turn off first thing in the morning.

Now for the really bad news. I used it (generously) two days in a row and the second day I noticed that my skin was a little irritated. I'd been warned that the rouge would dry out my skin a bit so I didn't worry too much. As I washed my face that night I realized that my cheeks were not just dry or slightly irritated but I'd started to develop a rash, complete with warmth, redness, red bumps and slightly swollen skin. Luckily I had packed an array of soothing, moisturizing Mary Kay products (I slathered on anything I thought would help!) and by the morning the warmth & bumps were gone while the swelling and redness were greatly reduced. Mary Kay again to the rescue!

Normally I have only mildly sensitive skin but I've had equally dramatic reactions to other natural/organic cosmetics & skin care products so I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised.

So if you have sensitive skin I would be wary of the rouge for sure and potentially the whole line (I probably won’t be trying anything else in the future). For those of you who don't have sensitive skin, I'm jealous. It was pretty.

As for me I'll be sticking to my pomegrante MK cream cheek color. It's got a slight berry undertone versus the very orange undertone of AA but it's fine for 18th century, perfect for Regency, and it doesn't make me look like I have rosacea!

Virginia Ren Faire

2011-05-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

My outing to the Virginia Ren Faire Saturday was hot but fun!

I wore the 1560s Florentine dress that I made last fall (aka the Pink Italian). I replaced the lacing rings with hand bound eyelets, which made a huge difference in how it fit. Eyelets are definitely the way to go, especially if you don't want your foundation garment to show. I also changed my under garment from the reed stiffened Effigy Stays to the hemp stiffened corded bodice. Despite the gown being fitted over the Effigy stays it actually fits better and is more flattering over the hemp cored bodice. Who knew?

I hadn’t been to the VA Faire in 5-6 years and it has definitely grown! Isabella and I had no particular plan, other than a goal to not come home with a sunburn, so we wondered about, nibbled on goodies, browsed the shops, listened to great music, did the wine tasting (the Faire is on the Lake Anna Winery property) and people-watch('cause Ren faires are all about the people watching) - it was fun!

The best part of the day was when Isabella decided to get her hair braided, the hair braiding tent being right next to the Winery booth. There was a bit of a wait so I got a glass of wine and we settled back for people watching and entertainment (from the stage across the path). We got lots of compliments on our frocks - my two favorites being told that we "were so pretty and well wholesome!" (at a Ren Faire I'll take that as a compliment!) and being told by the decked-out-in-pink Elizabethan fop that I looked better in pink than he did (I think he was right!). Hee. We also had a quick summer rain shower, which was actually rather nice. Getting wet on such a hot day was a good thing and it cooled things off for a bit.

So all in all a fun day - thanks for suggesting it Isabella!! I didn't take many pics at the faire but they are here along with some pictures I took in my yard.

VA Ren Faire Album

Wild Mushroom Ragoût in Puff Pastry Shells

2011-05-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

In lieu of costuming content (since I am still on my sewing hiatus) here is the recipe I promised months ago for the Wild Mushroom Ragoût that I served at my Victoriana Luncheon. This is a combination of 4 different recipes as I wanted to create something tasty and that would flow with the rest of our meal. We couldn't find crème fraiche at the time so we used the Greek yogurt instead.

Wild Mushroom Ragoût in Puff Pastry Shells

2 tbsp butter
½ cup shallots or red onions, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
4 cups assorted wild mushrooms (cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster), quartered
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup crème fraiche, or greek yogurt
2 puff pastry shells
salt & pepper, to taste

Prepare the pastry shells according to the package directions.

In a large pan over low heat, melt butter and add onions.
Sauté until onions are translucent and soft.
Add mushrooms, garlic, rosemary and thyme.
Cook until the mushrooms are tender, stirring often.

Deglaze the pan with vinegar.
Allow vinegar to reduced by half.
Stir in crème fraiche and salt & pepper.
Let cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the mixture has thickened slightly and is no longer runny.

Spoon the mushroom mixture into the pastry shells. Serve immediately.

Download a .pdf version

back from CosCon29

2011-05-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the radio silence here! Yes did indeed make it back from Costume Con 29 - my pictures can be found on Flickr, my videos on YouTube!

It was an interesting costume event (lets just say I won't be going to another CosCon in the near future if ever again) but overall I had a good time, thanks to my amazing friends.

I'm afraid a more coherent explanation and longer CosCon report will have to wait though. I haven't been feeling well since I got back. I think I may have caught the cold that my roomie Katherine had at CosCol. Or perhaps it's just all the exhaustion and stress of the past few weeks catching up with me.

I've also been having issues with my wrists so I've been trying to stay off the computer. I really abused my bad wrists at CosCon, doing things I know better than to do like carrying sewing machines for long distances. Computer work, particularly typing, seems to be setting them off so that CosCon report will have to wait a while...

I'm also taking a little hiatus from sewing. As much as I love this hobby I need a mental break from it and a time to regroup before starting my CosCol wardrobe in earnest. It will also give me a chance to do some spring cleaning, filing and organizing - I'm so behind and it's been driving me insane!

progress of a sort

2011-04-27T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Picnic Dress is progressing but slowly. I didn't get nearly as much done as I needed to yesterday, thanks to real life and my inability to focus. *sigh*

The bodice is all together, the sleeves all but attached and hemmed and skirts of the polanise in various stages of being prepped for attachment. I need to put it all together and trim it. I was hoping to get away with not having a belt but I don't think that is going to work so that is added to my list.

I also have ruffles to attach to the skirt, the hat to trim and fastenings to add to everything. Oh and I have no idea what else I'm wearing this weekend. It's all coming out of the closet but still I useally have a plan at this point. I am SO overwhelmed but it's too late to stop and say oh well. Thank goodness I'll have some down time Thrusday night... I'm going to need it!

baby got bustle

2011-04-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

It was a long hard slog but I in the end I fitted the polonaise to my satisfaction. Thanks so much for your encouragement and advice. You guys are the best!

Dude I am getting to old for projects like this! After 2 days of multiple mock-ups and fittings I was getting nowhere. I dubbed the project the Hydra bodice - every time I would get one area looking good I'd be back to square one with another. It's not as bad as three problems for every one fixed but somehow it's worse that it's the same heads coming back again and again. It was a vicious cycle and I was left feeling stupid and pathetic. By Saturday night I was really in the depths of despair over this dress, questioning everything about my life and generally wanting to crawl into a hole and give up costuming forever. Luckily I have some awesome friends and I’m rather stubborn.

I got lot of great advice from my amazing friends/family including the encouragement to relax, have a martini, put my dress in a corner to let it think about how naughty it was, and to stop panicking and think about what I really wanted. Was my goal a dress I was willing to go through anything to make spot-on or was it a dress I was willing to compromise along the way on as long as the final result was pretty?

In the end I took all the above advice starting with making a Lemon Drop martini, putting my feet up and really thinking about what I wanted to accomplish here instead of how to fix the mess that was my dress. Somehow that thought process helped to clear my mind and I was able to let go of the vision I had in my head but was without the skills to execute. As Mom graciously reminded me - while I’m been a costumer for 10+ years this is only the second bustle era dress I’ve ever made, and only my 3rd Victorian era dress. Apparently I picked one of the hardest combinations of styles to fit on MY body. Just my luck. So after my ponderings I set aside my original design/vision to be picked up later on when I have more experience, reference materials and knowledge of fitting from this era. I decided will master this dress (see the stubbornness!) but it doesn’t have to be this week.

So with another Lemon Drop martini in hand (sewing is much better with alcohol I decided), I set to work Sunday night (after all the family Easter obligations were over) packing away all the mock-ups I’d done up to that point and started over. I decided to make life easier by first changing the neckline (to a square rather that the high “V” that was giving me so many gray hairs) and adding the polonaise skirt separately so I could focus my energies on just fitting the bodice. (thanks to Katherine & Loren for that suggestion!)

So I did something I probably should have done in the beginning and pulled out the master patterns from my fitted B&W bodice and compared them to TV410. The patterns must use the same base because they were identical, only my personal tweaks and the front being different of course (the B&W has an inset). This gave me a starting point for the back and sides and in the end made fitting the sleeve way easier (since I could use my corrected B&W sleeve as a starting point).

So I was left with only the front section to worry about. I was helped by some great notes on fitting Victorian bodices from Pinkdiamond - The CF seam on this period is all curvy and wonky looking for a reason and modern patterns never feature it (basically because you can't pattern it as it is a consequence of fitting). Leave the sides as they are and unpin the shoulders- if you look at Patterns of Fashion and extant (stripy) garments you'll see just how differently they are shaped through there. If you follow a stripe from side bust it winds up mid shoulder or even higher. Another feature modern patterns don't have. You fit from sides up through the shoulder and sides through to centre pinching out the excess fabric-- quite the opposite of modern fitting where we smooth from CF to sides.

This got me experimenting during the fitting, moving the front section around to see what got rid of the most wrinkles. I found that by angling the front down and towards the side the gaping at the neckline disappeared and the excess fabric could be caught up in a large dart. I have not idea if this is historically viable or if I'm breaking some cardinal rule of grain lines but honestly I don't care – Jenny Got Her Groove Back!

Despite the late hour the blind panic had gone and with a bodice had stopped being a "Hydra" I could work calmly and efficiently, further tweaking and perfecting the darts and fitting. I got as far as the first sleeve mock-up before I collapsed into bed.

I spent this morning on sleeve mock-ups. In the general range of sleevil-ness it wasn’t too bad. The hardest thing was getting the front (where the sleeve attaches to the front bodice) right. I had to drastically re shape that area to get it comfortable and not pull-y (that is a technical term) but it is a slight drop shoulder so I guess a strange shape to the sleeve head makes sense. I’m just not used to drop shoulders!

The finial mock-ups were then taken apart and a master pattern traced. I’m now in the process of cutting out the bodice. I'm feeling emotional and mentally exhausted from the weekend (sewing + family stuff) but I'm quietly confident I can get this outfit finished before I leave for CosCon on Thursday. I just need to decide what color the hat should be... :>

Victorian fitting fail

2011-04-23T07:06:00.001-07:00

The Victorian polonaise is not playing nice. *gives piles of mock-ups the evil eye* It's really my fault, I'm just not used to fitting a Victorian shape and I don't know the construction of the period well enough to make good guesses of how to get the results I want and still make it period correct (like I can with the 18th century). But I'm blaming the Polonaise anyway 'cause it shouldn't always be about me right?

I really don't have time for this. If I can't get it sorted out today I'm going to have to ditch my design and drastically change what I'm doing. It would be pretty easy if I went really early 1870s, made the front skirt separate (covered with a belt and peplum) and made the neckline square. That would get rid of all my difficult areas. But I'm feeling stubborn about making the TV pattern work for me. I'm not sure why...

polonaise, Victorian style, here I come

2011-04-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing to be wishy-washy about the trimming on the skirt so I turned my attention to the Picnic bodice. I got the first mock-up cut, sewn and fitted. Due to my unfortunate DNA I did as much re-designing/drafting as fitting. I just can't leave a pattern alone, especially one that has been made up as-is as much as TV410. I was going to use this as the example for my Fitting class at CosCol but now I'm thinking not, too confusing I think.

(The first pic is the orginial pattern without any changes, the next two are after I finished futzing)

The fitting went well, mostly tweaking the things that are standard tweaks on TV patterns for me. The front fit relatively well but the back was way too short. Even factoring in a slightly high waist the back pleat was way too high for me. Weird. That whole sort-of-dart-instead-of-side-seam thing didn't work well for me either (didn't think it would, being so hippy) so lots of futzing there. Probably the biggest change was to shift the angle of the bottom front. I decided I wanted it to button to the waist then angle back slightly. I’m hoping to adjust the darts for a prettier sweep back and to avoid awkward bunching at the hips. Frankly I'm hoping to make it more like the illistration than the actual pattern...

maintenance work

2011-04-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

In other news...

I've added a widget to this blog so commenting can be in "thread" form (provided by Disqus). I'm not sure how I like it yet, what do you think?

I've also finished updating my website - everything should be up to date now, including mention and links to this blog! I'm still working on consolidating and making consistent all my little corners of the 'net but that will have to wait until after the mad rush of CosCol prep... :>

Houston we have ruffle!

2011-04-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

Houston we have ruffle! One down, two to go!

I forgot to post this yesterday... thank goodness all the measuring and cutting is behind me!

bias ruffles

2011-04-17T17:20:00.001-07:00

The skirt to the Summer Bustle is looking like a skirt - yay! I still need to sew on the fastenings and add some ties to bustle up the back but I got it hemmed - all important so I could do the calculations on the ruffles.

So I am now in the tedious and seemingly endless process of ruffle making. *sigh* Remind me again why I had to cut these on the bias? Oh yeah, 'cause they will look AMESOME! Hee.

making it work

2011-04-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when you order a fabric online and it’s not quite the color you wanted? Make it the color you want! At least that is what I did with the fabric for my Picnic dress.

As always, my budget was very limited for this project so when I found yellow cotton lawn for a great price I took the gamble and ordered it. I was hoping for a buttery, sunny yellow. What I got was more of an egg yolk yellow, darker and slightly orangey. Um no. So I started experimenting.

I tried Rit color remover, which did remove some color but nowhere near what I was looking for. So I followed some links from a post on the Elegant Musing’s blog. First I visited The Cupcake Goddesswhich lead me to Wisecraft. Yes, yes, I know bleaching is harsh on fabrics, breaking down the actual fibers. But this is a costume, it’s not like I’m going to wear it more than 3 times a year if that. So I tried bleach was thrilled with the results.

Today I finally got around to bleaching my full 7yds of fabric. First I got the fabric thoroughly wet before I put it in the bleach solution (put it through a rinse cycle of the washing machine). For the bleaching I used a ratio of ½ cup bleach to 1 quart water (48 quarts = 24 cups bleach). My test piece was in the solution for 30 minutes but I thought I wanted my fabric a tad paler so I left it in for 40 minutes . I stirred pretty constantly, not to vigoriously, just keeping the fabric moving, and when my time was up I drained the tub sink and transferred the fabric to a bathroom sink filled with white vinegar (thank goodness for Costco sized bottles!).

**A word for the wise – don’t do the vinegar rinse the way I did! There was definitely a chemical reaction, which unfortunately I breathed in. I’m fine but it was very uncomfortable and my throat is still a little irritated! My suggestion would be to rinse the fabric a bit in water first and fill a bucket or something with the vinegar and do the rinse outdoors (a well-ventilated room wasn’t good enough). A mask might not be a bad idea too. **

I then threw the fabric in the washer for a rinse cycle and another vinegar rinse before tossing it in the dryer to finish the job.

The color came out paler than I intended – opps! It’s pretty and I think I can live with it but I’m a bit disappointed. Repeat after me, this is why we test! Silly Jenny. I’m going to let it sit for a couple of days to ponder if I’m still unhappy maybe I’ll see what a little yellow fabric dye can do for it… my poor cotton lawn, so abused!

the vast well of blogland

2011-04-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

So LJ is down yet again today. As I scramble to the universal blogland for refuge, inspriation and updates from friends I can't help but wonder whom I'm missing on my blogroll.

The "follower" feature has helped me find some friendly faces but with so many blog providers and unconnected ways to view blogs (like my favorite Google Reader) it's easy to miss old friends and great blogs.

Friendly faces from LJ:
demode: Démodé
jenthompson: Festive Attyre
fancyfrocks: Wearing History
isabelladangelo
koshka_the_cat: The Fashionable Past
bauhausfrau: Loren's Closet
modehistorique
silkfrocks
padawansguide: Maggie's Costumes
madamemodiste
sarahlizzie
isiswardrobe: Isis Wardrobe
chloeandrudy: Time Traveling
lmcbeth
joysdaughter: Sister Suzi
stitcher baby
Katie Jacobs
idlewild_grey
quincy134
Costume Diva
bellamissella
ithilwyn

Who am I missing? I've found lots of other great blogs for my Google Reader but I can't help but wonder if I'm missing any great ones. What are you favorites, what other blogs should I be following?

a summer bustle is begun

2011-04-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

After the fun I had wearing my B&W bustle gown earlier this year I decided I needed more bustle in my life. In particular I needed a lightweight outfit that I wouldn't die in during a hot/humid summer event, which the B&W does NOT qualify for. (I will never line a bodice in twill again no matter what the pattern says!)

So the Picnic Bustle Dress was born. I'm using a lightweight silk taffeta aqua check for the skirt and a sunny yellow cotton lawn for the top. I could have made the whole thing out of the silk but frankly cotton is cooler so the top had to be cotton. The bodice will be based on TV410 (1873 Polonaise).

My main inspiration comes from a fashion plate found on Ebay. I’m going to simplify the decoration on the bottom of the skirt a bit but I’m determined to have rows and rows of bias cut ruffles down there. I’ve been dying for a taffeta skirt with bias-cut ruffles ever since I put some on a 1860s commission last year. *be still my beating heart* I'm found lots of polonaise tops with ruffled underskirts too which is nice.

I not really in the mood to deal with mock-ups so I went straight to the skirt. I’m using the same basic skirt from my B&W (based on TV201 70s Underskirt) 'cause why mess with a good thing. The skirt has been seamed, the top and bottom edges zig-zagged (this check frays like heck!). I’ve also cut out and prepped the waistband. Next up the hem and some ruffles!

Blogging vs Journaling

2011-03-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

Lots of great new costuming blogs have been created today. Why? I think the timing is all about the online blogging discussion started at the Williamsburg Symposium and because Katherine did it. She is a pioneering rockstar after all. :> All the privacy issues with LJ last year and a large bailing to Dreamwith probably haven't helped either.

I'm most definitely not leaving LJ. However I firmly believe blogging is the wave of the future in the costuming world, just as forums were more or less replaced with online journals/dress diaries. I think LJ still has a place (it still provides the best format for commenting, discussion, conversation, networking and relationship building) But there are advantages to the blog format too. It especially good for keeping an online record of costumes, especially as people move away from time consuming static websites. I think there is room for both, at least that is my hope.

the wave of the future

2011-03-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

Blogging - it's the wave of the future isn't it? Well at least in the costume community it seems. I love my little sandbox on Live Journal but I was starting to feel a little left out over there so here I am.

I'm still exploring how best to use this little slice of the blogging world. No fear though, my LJ isn't going away anytime soon (ever if I can help it!) nor is my website. I'm a firm believer in the free-flow of costuming information - I just need to figure out exactly how best to all these different tools...