50's style Snowflake dress

Here is a picture of my 50's style dress in blue chinese "silk" with white and violet snowflakes.



Better picture of the dress but a lot less christmassy...


The pattern I used was M5292 by McCall's.



detail of fabric.



My favorite picture of this christmas, is by far this one, of my son and me.

The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;...

Well actually I am working on finishing my dress for Christmas!
Luckily, it's not christmas eve yet.
And hopefully it will be finished before dinner.

I couldn't find a dress that I liked, and could afford, in the stores.
And complained to my husband about having nothing to wear. He then pointed to my fabric stash and my clothing patterns. So I decided to make something myself.
It a 50's style dress in blue chinese "silk" with white snowflakes.
Pictures of the dress will follow on December the 27th.


Merry Christmas everyone!

Anton Pieck Parade 2010

Last Saturday we attended, one of our favorite events, de Anton Pieck Parade, a small victorian/edwardian event, in Haarlem. Here are some images.



They make for good christmas cards! So I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all: A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Our crafts for this day where...


Drawing.



Sewing.
I actually nearly finished the inside of my long woollen victorian coat.


















Anton Pieck Parade on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFalSNbnCck

Saint Nicolas is almost gone...

With my sons birthdaypartymarathon, we always seem to end up celebrating it about three or four times. And with Saint Nicolas almost gone, it is high time to start working on the final preprations for the Anton Pieck Parade on the 11th of December in Haarlem.

The Anton Pieck Parade is a Victorian/Edwardian event, much like the better known Dickensevents, but not based upon the stories by Dickens but on the drawings of Anton Pieck. Who lived and worked in Haarlem, the Netherlands. As he also made the illustrations for, a version of, A Christmas Carol well known and popular Dickens characters, like Scrooge, also attend the event.

In a week's time I have to make:

* my husband a new silk tie, and when I am on it, a spiffy silk Edwardian tie for myself as well.
* Finally(!), finish the inside of the long black wool victorian coat I made and wore last year. Which means covering the seams with bias band, the bais bands have to be sewn in by hand. Next year I intend to wear my purple Edwardian ouft, so knowing me, if I don't finish the coat this year it will never be finished...
* (re-)braid my fake hairbun. A job that I really hate, because I am really bad at it. Last time a friend did it for me.
* sew a few small roses on my overskirt
and
* re-decorate my top hat.

So my current project, my Edwardian hat, has to wait, at least, untill next week! I had made some pictures of the various stages the buckram hatbase has gone to up untill now, but I seem to have deleted them from my computer. And I have already erased them from my photocamera. So you will have to wait a little bit longer for pictures.

We celebrated Sint Nicolaseve yesterday, instead of today, with three small childeren in the family we didn't feel we had a choice. And I got this really magnificent book Men's Clothing & Fabrics, in the 1890's.




Thank you, Saint Nicolas!

Adventures in hat making: Edwardian hat, part 4, Fantasy vs Authenticity

First of all the ironing and flat drying of the buckram didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. The buckram has large bubbles now, instead of sharp folds. Needless to say that I am not really happy.

My design idea for my hat was; black wool crown and upperside of the brim and a purple silk underside of the brim. Maybe with a black lace overlay over the purple silk. And the top of the hat decorated with purple and black details.

Much like the Edwardian theatrical reproduction hat here.



I really love the way it looks! But I have been unable to find periode examples with a two different colors/materials fabric on the brim. Usually the brim (upper- and underside) and crown was made from the same material, often velvet or fur for winterhats. A wool hat was far more less common that I had expected.

The overall look of the reproduction hat that I liked so much, is that of an early clouche hat. Which was worn around 1918, too late to be suitable to be worn with my 1909's costume.

This leaves me deliberating my options, it all boils down to my fantasy vs authenticity.

Some images of authentic Edwardian hats for inspiration:


Mata Hari





Actress Lily Elsie in the role of the Merry Widow.

Adventures in hat making: Edwardian hat, part 3

I have flattend the buckram by putting it between two damp cloths ironing it and allowing it to dry flat. The end result isn't perfect and all the glue in the buckram fabric has disapeared, but I am hoping that it will be good enough to work with any way.

Currently I am sewing the wire to the cut buckram pieces.

And Rosy, thank you for the link. It had nog information about flattening the buckram, but I think it will be extremly useful for the rest of the hatmaking proces.

Adventures in hatmaking: Edwardian hat, part 2, Buckram question

I have never worked with buckram before and now I am faced with this, probably ridiculusly easy, question; "How do I flatten it?". The buckram I bought was send to me by mail, in order to fit in an envelope it has been folded... Before I can work with it, it needs to be flat! And I have really no clue at all whether or not I can iron it. I feel really silly...

So fellow costume - and hatmakers help me out! How can I flatten buckram.

Adventures in hat making: Edwardian hat

Just some of the supplies and this is supposed to become a hat one day...


Today I cut the pattern pieces for my Edwardian hat and put aside the things I need to make the basic hat. Although I have a pattern for the hat, Universal Round Brimmed, Straight Sided Crown, Hatpattern by Lynn Mc Masters I felt a little overwhelmed while reading the instructions for the first time.

I have used one of her patterns before and the hat turned out just fine.
http://costumediaries.blogspot.com/2009/02/adventures-in-victorian-hat-making.html

I made a cardboard mock-up in the size required for the version I intended to make, but decided that it is too big for me. Even if Edwardian hat are supposed to be HUGE. I would like to be able to wear it without feeling ridiculous and without straining my neck, so I will make the brim smaller.


This is me, feeling rather silly



The idea is to make a black hat with purple details and black and purple decorations.


Some examples from the period, proving that an Edwardian hat is supposed to be HUGE.






But the size of the brim did vary a lot, so I guess I can make the brim a little bit smaller without the hat losing to much of it's character.

Edwardian Coat Suit; Historical Costume Inspiration Festival Entry

Historical Costume Inspiration Festival



Inspiration:
Purple, Liberty&Co, wool and silk shantung walking costume, dated ca. 1906-1907, part of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag collection. Here on display during the exhibition Haagse Hofmode.



My version of the skirt is made from purple wool, with a detached corselette aka swiss waist.The original skirt was a corset skirt with the corselette attached. I made it with a detached corselette to make the costume more versatile.

Corselette







Embriodery made after an Self Transferable Embroidery Pattern, from May of 1908 out of McCall’s Magazine.








The skirt worn with the matching coat. The coat has big black glass buttons which are vintage and probably date back to 1910-1920 and silk details.

On page 78 of Haute Couture & Prêt-à-Porter, fashion 1750-2000, by Ietse Meij you can find an image of the coat that went with the original skirt. I am not allowed to publish the image here, due to copyright.

Although the coat has Edwardian features it is not typical for a Edwardian Costume, which ofcourse is logical, as it is a Liberty& Co costume. So again I decided not to try and copy the coat but make a, more recognizable for the period, Edwardian coat. Like the ones depicted here in an ad from Grands Magasins Du Printemps, Paris, 1909.



Coat and skirt are made with the Edwardian Coat Suit pattern by Rocking Horse Farm. The white cotton blouse is an altered version of The Gibson Girl Blouse from Folkwear. And the Corselette is made with Truly Victorian #492, 1890's Corselets.

The costume is worn with the correct underpinnings, for more information go to A Victorian Wardrobe and click on Edwardian Walking Costume.

Next stop will be a BIG Edwardian hat!

Edwardian Coat Suit

Today I tried on my Edwardian Coat Suit, with all the other costume parts (blouse, underwear etc.), underneath it. And to my great delight discovered that the only thing that has to be altered is the armhole. Hurraaaaaayyyy!!! And then it can be finished!

The picture doesn't do the suit justice: it is made from purple wool. The collar and the decorative strip, on bottom, the sleeves are from purple silk.

Website Update

Being sick and tired of being sick and tired, since the last event, and not getting any costuming done. I updated the picture gallery of our Muninn and Huginn website. So everything has it's upside I guess !

I hope I'll be able to do some costuming soon, because I am getting really frustrated.

Vikingdays at the Viking Information Center at Wieringen

Heavy rain and a lot of wind, not much to do, but gather under the shelters and chat.Ofcourse, most of us are really good at that!



Aud comparing notes with a fellow re-enactor.


Me showing off something to dear viking friends, and newly weds, Jan-Simon and Chantal. My wedding gift was, ofcourse, a plant dyed silk veil.


Again a wet event, it rained all day. We weren't motivated to make any pictures. Luckily enough a kind viking lady named Hester Schmeitz did make pictures. So at least we can prove we attended the event!

Flashback!

Today I was looking through our old photo's and I found these...


October 1997

Our first attempt of something medievalisch.




March 2002

Looking very tired!
Authenticity was still not my main concern back then.



March 2002

A better picture of my son in his very first tunic.

Vikingmarket Archeon

The vikingmarket in the Archeon was wet so there where not much visitors. Nevertheless we did have a really good time, cathing up with friends, most of them I only see at events. And usually there is not much time to chat during the openinghours. So I took advantage, and made the best of, the situation. After this weekend I became ill from being cold and wet, my fibromyalgie was acting up again big time. And everything was muddy and wet, all the clothes had to be washed. The tent was hung to dry in our living room and he rain shelter in the basement. Hence I didn't have time or energy to write this post earlier.

To be honest I am not looking forward, to what promises to be another wet event, this coming weekend. We will be attending a small vikingevent then, at the viking information center, on Sunday.

Now for something completly different..

The purple Edwardian coat is hanging untouched, since the previous post, in the closet. I am quite fed up with the whole Edwardian Costume project at this moment. I'll see if I have time tonight to fit the whole outfit, or at least the (semi)finished part of it. To see if it are just the armholes that need adjustment or that the entire coat turned out to wide. I am afraid that it will be the latter.

Grmbl

I have sewn in the sleeves yesterday and I am happy with the overall look of the coat, but the coat turned out to wide in the shoulders. The schoulders seams are at least an inch too low.



Ofcourse this can be fixed. Either by taking the coat, which might give problems at the hips, and would mean removing the collar. Or by altering the armscye. For best results a combination of both is probably the best solution. But at this moment I just don't have the time, I have to start packing for the vikingmarket this weekend at the Archeon. Or the energy, to think or do, something about it. My fibromyalgie is acting up, big time, which isn't surprising, as autumn deciced to come early in the Netherlands.

All in all I am getting quite frustrated but I always knew this costume would be a long-term project. My current mantra is: it's the end result that counts.

Newspaper article, Museum Dorestad Demo

For more pictures of Audrey and me working click here:
http://www.ditiswijk.nl/fotoalbum/category/392.html