Trouble In Curtain Land

August 28, 2013August 28, 2013 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 10 Comments

A few weeks ago, I was super excited and motivated that I had time to work on my Curtain Along jacket. I made the changes I had deemed necessary from my last fitting and was feeling good about getting it done and how much I liked it… but then I tried it on again to determine center front and decide about trim… and there were new problems, and I was so discouraged!

The problems sum up in the following way:

Problem #1- The sleeves that go with the jacket in Janet Arnold just do not work for me without serious alteration. The crown isn’t large enough for me to be able to move or be comfortable, and the sleeve is at least 4 inches too short. With the sleeves set in the jacket was pulled all over the place and was so unbearably uncomfortable! And the annoying thing is that in the mockup the sleeve worked!

After ripping the sleeves out, and being thankful that, at least, they were what was causing the bodice to do all sorts of wonky things, I bounced back and came up with a solution. I’ll use the sleeve pattern from my 1780s Robe A La Anglaise and recut the sleeves. I’ve got extra Mineral Felicite fabric, so that’s no problem. On the other hand, I have only tiny matching linen scraps left. Of course, it would be totally period correct to use a different linen to line the sleeves than what I used to line the bodice. But piecing is also period correct, and I decided to use all my tiny matching linen scraps to piece together pieces big enough to cut out the new sleeve pattern.

Extreme piecing. I’m amused by it at this point. This sleeve is only partially completed (there is more piecing to be done!) but you can see the original pattern shape.

I haven’t finished piecing, or cut out the new Mineral Felicite sleeve, or sewn the new sleeves in… but I think that my solution will work, so we’ll call that problem solved. Whew!

Problem #2- After my initial fittings, I had to add an extension to my center front pieces to get the jacket to close comfortably and without wrinkles. It barely closed in my mockup and I thought it would be enough, but in the real fabric it just wasn’t. So I pieced on extensions. Piecing is totally period correct, but this piecing is so… obvious and symmetrical.

Center front piecing. The yellow headed pins are my center front line. I haven’t done anything about center front since I put those pins in!

This problem is still unresolved. Plus, I can’t decide how I want the jacket to close, anyway. Pins? Hooks and loops? If you have any thoughts about the piecing problem or the closure indecision, please do share!

Problem #3- Trim! I was going to trim the jacket with box pleated blue silk ribbon around the neck, front, hem, and cuffs. I thought I had enough ribbon (6yds), but in the end I think I have not quite enough to trim all of those edges. AND, the blue didn’t seem to pick up the blue in the print as much as I originally thought it did, and I’m worried that even if I do less pleated trim (say, not the sleeves, or something) the trim will look super costume-y and not 18th century. I also have a gold silk ribbon (5 yds). Not enough to trim the whole jacket, but what if I scrap the idea of trimming the edges and instead do some sort of center front bow trim/something of some sort to hide the piecing using the gold? I think the gold looks nice… but what sort of trim would I do that wouldn’t look made-up and costume-y???

Blue silk ribbon. There’s blue in the flowers, but perhaps not enough blue to make the blue ribbon make sense???

I have no idea what I’m going to do about the ribbon issue. Bows at center front seem to be used on stomacher front jackets, and stomacher front jackets seem to be exclusively pet en l’air styles. This jacket is not a pet en l’air, though it could be altered to have a stomacher front (thus eliminating the piecing issue). Sigh. I just think myself around in circles. So again, I appeal to you! If you have any thoughts, please share!

Help! I’d really appreciate it!

A Refreshing Apron

August 24, 2013 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 4 Comments

Rather more often than I would like, there are trying times in my well dressed historic life when I volunteer/am obliged to help with refreshments at an event after already being dressed in a fabulous ball gown. “Danger! Danger!” is the cry that should be shouted high and low, but, alas, in the past I have had to hope for the best without protection for my dress.

Granted, I’ve never had an awful accident happen. And though it’s possible I sound disgruntled, I’m quite willing to help with refreshments, even if I’m already dressed. There was a single incident a few months ago, however, when a small bit of unwanted refreshment related stain-age made its sneaky way onto my dress. I was super, super grumpy!!! And I decided, at that point, that I needed protection going forward!

I’ve finally acted upon my decision and sewed up a Refreshing Apron to wear over my dress when helping with refreshments! I’m quite pleased with it and excited to put it to use at some point in the future. I’ll have to get a picture when I’m wearing it over a dress, but for now, I’ve got pictures of the apron on Squishy.

I wanted the apron to meet the following conditions: have a full skirt so it can work over everything from Regency to Civil War with maximum coverage, be easy to pattern and easy to sew, and be cute–I really wanted the crossed back. The apron is machine sewn everywhere, except for the ends of the ties and the buttonholes. Yes, the buttons and buttonholes are functional! Perfect for getting the apron on or off with large or elaborately styled hair!

Hand sewn buttonholes and a close-up of the print.

The entire apron is made of rectangles. The skirt is 3 rectangles seamed together, the bib is a rectangle, and each tie and strap is a rectangle. I used about 2 1/4 yds of printed cotton from my stash, and now I can’t seem to remember the width. 45″ sounds pretty plausible for a printed cotton.

The print is rather red up close, but from a distance it blends with the white background and looks more pinkish. I rather like the grown up pink look! I’m guessing I’ll have opportunities to wear this in October or November…

Surrender!

August 18, 2013August 18, 2013 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 2 Comments

…to the costuming peer pressure…

The short explanation of the crazy is that Kendra, of Demode Couture, has started an 18th Century Court Ensemble Sew-Along. The longer explanation of the crazy is written by Kendra herself, here on her blog.

I’m talking about it on my blog because I’ve submitted to the indirect costuming peer pressure and joined in! (You should too…) I’ve got my fears about my participation (I spent about two days debating my decision to join in!): I’m unlikely to have a relevant event to wear a court gown to (unless I make one!), I’m not super confident in my ability to get 18th century “right” yet, and I don’t want to spend mounds of money on this project (which you could so easily do!).But… I want to participate! So, I’ve found some cures for my fears and committed, in a thoughtful and careful way, to the crazy.

This is the gown I’ve decided on. It was a hard choice! But it’s a good choice for me, because I’ve already got pink silk in the stash that I bought back in January with the intent of making “an 18th century something” perhaps, so that takes care of the bulk of the materials (and the cost). So I’ve just got to procure the trim materials and accessories. I’ve already found the things I want, but I’m going to wait a bit to purchase them and get started on the sewing, so stay tuned for more posts about that in a few months!

e97cee6a74d1756827c28213e6397915 — Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna by Roslin, wearing the Star and Badge of the Order in 1770. (I’ve also seen this dated as 1777.)

c628b97dc89626f6577689f549884f42 — Slightly different version of same painting. Included in an article about Women’s Imperial Court Costume In Imperial Russia.

I also considered these other gowns, but decided against them in the end.

2b3135733bdb0420963a1a7c04afd51a — Robe de cour from Les Arts Decoratifs

I love this robe de cour! It looks more like fancy dress than a court gown to me. I can imagine it as “Snowflake” or “Winter” or “Snow Queen.” I seriously considered this one… but I don’t have any of the appropriate materials in my stash right now, and the cost of the materials I wanted to use was more than I wanted to spend on this project. So I’ve added this to my list of “things I eventually want to sew.” I can even envision it as fancy dress in the 19th century with a different skirt shape… a bustle gown, perhaps? I just love that the triangles look like icicles, and the diagonal trim looks like snowflakes… It’s pretty ridiculous!

4af7326884f958d2409f5320c53b6e7b — 1795 – Caroline, Princess of Wales

Then there’s this absurd looking court gown from the very end of the 18th century. I love the periwinkle color, the tassels, and what looks like chain (wouldn’t that be fun to figure out!) edging the poofs. It’s pretty silly. But again, I don’t have any appropriate fabrics in my stash…

25e7c98dcf6e7807e2e4806bdbfd1107 — Robe de cour from Les Arts Decoratifs

I like this last one, too, although not as much as the first two. I feel like this would be a great use of an iridescent shot silk, at least for the green part. I like the fur trim, and the gold, but I’m just not overwhelmed by awesome-ness.

The choice was made more difficult by the fact that other people have already “claimed” certain court gowns they want to make, and the idea is that no two dresses are the same. (So I might have had more options, but they’d already been claimed!) You can see what other people have picked and keep track of all the court ensembles being made on Kendra’s blog: Demode Couture. There are at least 30 people participating so far and lots of pretties have been chosen! These are my favorite gowns from among the ones that are already claimed.

ef20e9a8894c14ec10b57fac190c75fc — 18th century robe de cour. How to achieve those fantastic waves? But I do love this one!

183fec6f65f70eced493dc859b7a9326 — 18th century robe de cour. This one has great waves as well! Lovely.

Kendra already did a post on 18th Century Court Gown Basics that’s a great introduction to this oddly specifc class of garments, and I’m sure more information will be coming over the next year from all of the participants.

More 20s! (Prohibition Ball 2013)

August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 4 Comments

Only one week after I attended the 1920s Lawn Party, I was immersed in the 1920s again, this time at a Prohibition Ball in Chelmsford, MA. I would guess the attendance at maybe 40-50 people total, though I’m not sure we were ever all in the ballroom at the same time. It was a nice, social group of people and I saw everyone meeting and greeting new people, dancing with a variety of people, and generally being social and having a good time with everyone around. It was also nice to see some of the new people we had met at the 1920s Lawn Party at the ball. The venue, the Chelmsford Center for the Arts, was a lovely place I’d never seen before.

I wore my 1925 beaded dress and accessorized with a long string of pearls and jeweled/feather hair decoration.

I tried a new style with my hair! I did my now usual 20s thing, where I gel the front sections and use a fine tooth comb to create waves in front while my hair is wet. Then I secure it to my head and let it dry. Usually, I’ve taken the back and put it in a tight bun at the base of my head (like when I’ve worn my not-quite-sailor dress). The idea in doing that is that it makes my hair close to my head and thus, maybe, more bob-like (I know, I’m kidding myself, it does not actually look like a bob!). This time however, I did something totally different with the back. It seems counter-intuitive, so be prepared… I took my curly hair, and curled it with a curling iron. Yup. Actually, the curling iron eliminates all my usual frizz (that alone is amazing!), but it also creates nice, even, wide curls. I was in a super hurry to get my hair done, so I just did some rather messy curling iron curls then pinned them up in a mass at the back and added my jeweled/feather clip. I love the defined curly mass (different than my normal frizzy, curly mass)! I’m excited to try out curling ironed styles for other events, too!

IMG_4164-001 — Defined curls coiffure surmounted by feathers and jewels.

The other cool thing about the feather/jeweled clip is that from the front I have a small halo of feathers showing. I like that it is visible from the front and packs a big punch in the back! Success!

IMG_4199-001 — Glamour shot! I often make really silly 20s faces, but I think this one works! I love the defined eyelashes, the red lips, the feathers, the pearls…

IMG_4202 close-001 — More glamour! I’d call this a more sultry shot than mine, which is more playful. It’s got those same fun elements, though, eyelashes, lips, sequins, jewels…

I did mention that this was all for a ball, right? And the ball did include dancing! In addition to normal couple dancing, and large group Charelstons (you can dance the Charleston in a circle like you used to dance in high school!), there were also a lot of mixer-type dances, where participants changed partners, or danced with unknown partners…

Attendees chatting with each other and looking great.

Dancing… A foxtrot or one step, perhaps?

One of the mixers with a name like “Paul Jones” or something similar.

The dancing couples trying to escape the gentlemen with umbrellas.

Another mixer. See the hand over the sheet? Neither gentleman nor lady knows who his or her partner will be.

There was also a slightly unplanned performance of our five lady Charleston (the same one we performed at the Great Gatsby in May). People really enjoyed it, and it’s always a pleasure to dance a Charleston to the song Egyptian Ella. The Great Gatsby performance post includes a video you can listen to that has the song we performed to, if you’re curious. It’s a fun song!

We sort of look like penguins in this shot… At least we’re on the same feet!

There are little bits where we do solos: here I am washing the windows.

Then I turn and back up. There really isn’t a good way to describe it… looks fun though, right?

Another solo (well, duo, I suppose). I don’t actually know what this figure is called, but it’s super fun to watch.

Starting to do the shimmy! (I think it’s the shimmy… It’s really just wiggling, it’s not as shimmy-like as you’re probably imagining!) It was super scandalous in the 20s!

And of course, there was silly-ness. That’s to be expected when I’m around.

I had the added bonus of my parents being available to experience, in person, their first vintage dance event. They’ve seen thousands of pictures but have never been able to attend. It was fun to share the experience with them and to Charleston with them! I sure had fun, I hope that you’ve had fun reading about it!

1920s Lawn Party

August 10, 2013March 25, 2018 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 2 Comments

I had the opportunity to attend a 1920s Lawn Party at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA, the day right after I participated in the George’s Island Vintage Dance Performance. Luckily, the weather wasn’t so hot. In fact, when we first arrived we were thinking sweaters would have been nice, given the sea breeze, but that thought didn’t last for long as the day heated up.

The lawn party was hosted by Boston Swing Central and included live music by the Baby Soda Jazz Band. The music was lovely and the venue was lovely, as you’ll soon see, but I have to say that I wished for more 20s dancing and less swing… of course, that’s because I’m biased towards older styles of dancing, but I did feel that the event had a vague “I’m not sure what decade I’m in” feel to it rather than strictly as 20s as I had hoped. Ah well, we made our own fun 20s atmosphere.

I wore my 1926 cotton not-quite sailor dress and American Duchess Gibsons, and it was nice to see friends with new 1920s day dresses! I think I had the most fun just walking around the lovely estate and taking pictures, so that’s what most of these pictures are.

Practicing our 20s poses with the Crane Estate behind us.

The view from the house looking out towards the ocean. Those lovely rolling hills don’t look that big, but I promise you they are!

Did you happen to notice the statues along the edges of the grass?

Well you know silly-ness often happens when I’m around…

So we each took turns imitating the statues.

When you’ve walked all the way to end of the hills, this is the view that greets you.

Looking back at the house from the farthest point with the grounds full of people.

Looking over the Italian garden tucked away from the main house.

While in the garden we took the opportunity for fun photos: telling secrets…

And playing with accessories and wrought iron gates!

There were vendors of vintage items, which were fun to look through. I especially like this dress!

And we met some well dressed new people!

We also took part in the dancing, especially when there was a song to which we could dance a Charleston!

By the end of the day I was feeling pretty tired along with everyone else I was with. We took the opportunity to explore the side of the house that had parking space rather than dancing action, which was quiet and relaxing. This side of the house looks out over marshes.

Not long after that the event was over and it was time to return home, feeling like I needed a weekend to unwind from my weekend!

Product links in this post contain an affiliate code, which provides a small benefit to my shoe fund. This does not affect my impressions and reviews of this product.

SaveSave

Georgina’s Island Exploration

August 6, 2013 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 4 Comments

After our vintage dance performance on George’s Island, we had time to explore the island and express our silly-ness. Most of the island is occupied by Fort Warren. We were joined on our ramblings by someone with exceptional knowledge of the fort and stories of reenactments that have taken place there, so we basically got an insider’s tour, which was really fun and interesting.

Oh no, don’t blow away! Silly-ness started before we even made it into the fort!

Aside from the wrong-era clothing, doesn’t this look like a Jane Austen type scene?

Lovely historic cotton print dresses along the water before entering the fort.

There was also a jungle gym fort with a slide outside the main entrance to the actual fort. No one actually slid down, but this is what would have happened if one of us had tried it!

After walking through the initial gate house, you have to pass through an outer courtyard area, two sides of which are walled with openings through which you could be shot at when the fort was active. Luckily for us no shots were fired!

Apparently there was also a moat to the right, which could only be crossed by a drawbridge. Now there’s a solid bridge, but when the fort was in use there was a portcullis in addition to the drawbridge!

After passing through the drawbridge/portcullis entry, you emerge into the main part of the fort (that large grassy area on the right of this photo). There are ramparts all around which overlook the ocean and originally were home to many large guns.

The view looking out over the ocean-facing side of the fort.

The view looking back towards Boston. That’s the Boston skyline.

Historic cotton print dresses! The two dresses on the right are fabrics that I bought at the same time I bought the fabric for Georgina. The white dress is similar reproduction fabric. I think all of these dresses are variations on Past Patterns #701 and #702.

Looking out over the main grassy area of the fort.

Despite the sign’s warning, there was nothing behind it except grass…

Interior room in the fort. There are lots of these dark spaces that you can walk and look through, though they all start to look the same if you don’t have someone there to explain the differences to you. Luckily, we did have someone to explain, which made the exploration a lot more interesting.

We exited the fort in a different way than we entered and found new opportunities for silly-ness. Here, I’m aiming along a large inoperable gun.

The gun was right at the top of a hill… You can see the sparkle in my eye as I thought “Let’s run down the hill!”

And we’re off! The normal island visitors looked a little shocked to see four hoop-skirted ladies hurtling down a hill with hats and arms flying!

But we had fun! Indeed, there were some shoes that got left behind part way down the hill!

Thankfully, there were storms that night (we were beginning to see lightening before we even left the island!). The intense heat broke and the weather became much more manageable, which is good for us, because the very next day we were at it again, this time at a 1920s lawn party. More on that soon!

George’s Island Vintage Dance Performance

August 4, 2013 ~ TheQuintessentialClothesPen ~ 5 Comments

You’ll remember that I introduced you to Georgina in my last post? Georgina’s first outing was for at a mid-19th century vintage dancer performance on George’s Island in the Boston Harbor. It was a super toasty day and we were dancing mostly on asphalt or an uneven wood dock, but we all survived and looked lovely and dashing.

Members of the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers who performed on George’s Island. Look at all those awesome dress fabrics! Sheers and historic cotton prints galore!

We were dancing right in front of the visitor center where visitors were being dropped off by the harbor ferries.

Due to the heat and dance surface (a kind way to say “asphalt”) we did a lot of walking dances.

Part way through the afternoon a strong breeze picked up. It didn’t alleviate the heat much, but it was nice, and certainly swung our hoops and skirts around a lot!

After the performance we had some time to explore the island, most of which is occupied by Fort Warren. We had lots of fun and took lots of pictures. So next post, look forward to Georgina’s Island Explorations!