From Night to Day

With the wonderful soirée over and done. It became time to direct my attention to turning my Belle Epoque evening outfit into suitable daywear for the next event.

I started of by making the top of Angela Clayton's McCalls #7732 pattern.

I would have like to make the jacket as well. As I am not really happy with the fit and look of my green velvet bodice. For now I'll try some quick (and modern) fixes and hope that it will these will do the trick.

The top; the base or lining fabric is cotton organdy, the top fabric swiss dot netting and the waistband silk.

As this was not dressed it enough, I added sleeves turning the top into an underbodice or underblouse. I cut of the ties at the bottom and added an extra set of hooks and eyes.

Then I turned my attention to my headwear, however lovely my tiara might be. It doesn't seem to be regarded a proper headwear for daytime. I think that should be because I think their absolutely fabulous! With no time to make a completly new hat I decided to redecorate on of my old hats. Which is coincidentally also a very "period" solution. I am quite pleased with the result.

With the deadline in only two weeks I've decided to also wear one of my old coats and start working on the jacket next January. This in an effort to keep my stress levels beareble not only for myself but also for those around me! 

Full Circle (part 4)

2006

2017

This year I not only decided to make a new version of my first Victorian dress but also updated the old version. 

I used Simplicity #4400, Misses Civil War Costume by Martha McCain The Fashion Historian. 

Both have the sleeves from the larger picture but in the first version I left out the poufs. The biggest difference in both outfits are not in the bodice and skirt but in the crinoline beneath it. I re-made my old Truly Victorian # 141, 1858 Round Cage Crinoline into a Truly Victorian #142, 1856 Walking Cage Crinoline and because I am quite short I made it an even smaller size than the 110" inch circumference from the pattern.

The first time around making this pattern I left out the bust padding and boning because of time and money constraints and not understanding how important these elements are for the period correct silhouet. As my old costume is still worn by me and a friend I not only added bust padding to the new costume but also to the old. As well as a internal waist band in to the bodice and skirt hooks and eyes. The latter keeps the bodice in place and the chemise out of skirt while moving your arms. 

Sewing in the boning

Making the bust pads.

Ofcourse nothing would even be done without the invaluable 

help of my cat!

Working on three projects since September, no wonder I didn't have time

to blog! The Victorian brimless hat was finished only three days before the event!

 The yellow vest is my son his first real sewing project. 

More on that and the hat later... 

To read more about my husbands Chesterfield Top Coat read my back(b)log here.

To read more about my son his Fantastic beast vest read my back(b)log here and to see the entire costume here.

To read more about the Victorian Brimless hat read my back(b)log here.

The Street of Queen Emma ('t Straatje van Emma), A Christmas in the 19th century.

Wow, it has been a very long time since I have been able to write a blog. Time really flies when you're having fun (or extremely busy).

I saw that my last blog post was in September this year. A lot has happend since then and a lot has been made by me since then but first let me share pictures of last Saturday Victorian themed event.

In the garden of the house we called "home" for the day.

Our favourite couple drinking tea. 

Our artist

Two fine gentlemen having a chat.

(And look the Chesterfield coat got finished in time!)

One of the other artists entertaining the childeren.

Doing some sewing and having a nice chat.

Christmas gifts

Bringing around the Christmas gifts.

The hat was made in the week before the event!

It's a brimless victorian hat aka a pillbox or pork pie hat 

made with this pattern by Lynn McMasters

This is all I have time for right now. Hopefully I'll have to time again, to tell you all the other things I have done in the last months, soon. 

Back(b)log; Victorian brimless hat

As I am not a big fan bonnet I currently have I decided it was easier to make a new Victorian style hat than updating the bonnet. Starting fresh in my opinion is always easier and quicker than correcting a mistake or updating a project.

source: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003654030/

As the coat I am planning to wear on Saturday is inspired by this Winter image dating to 1874. The choice for a brimless hat aka pork pie or pillbox was easy. Especially when I found Lynn McMasters pattern on https://outofaportrait.com/.

I had been meaning to make this hat for a while, so I had already purchased the pattern. I had also some scraps red wool fabric and some fake fur from the coat left. And a piece of buckram from another hat project some years ago. So I was good to go! I traced the pattern, cut the pieces of fabric, lining etc. but found out that I didn't have enough strength in my hands to sew the buckram. Luckily enough my husband was sweet enough to help me out.

The buckram hat frame taking shape.

the buckram frame covered with mull and fabric.

Gathering my stuff. 

The finished hat with (most) of the costume.

Now where is my corset!

The choice for the brimless hat wasn't just inspired by the image from 1874. This style of hat was actually quite popular a little earlier in the Victorian era and had a very famous fan, Empress Elisabeth of Austria aka Sissi or Sisi.

Redecorating hats.

I've been really busy with altering my costumes and accessories. Two of my latest projects are my 1840's bonnet and my 1880's hat.

One of my friends is borrowing my 1840's working class costume. This was a very good reason for me to give my old green velvet bonnet an update. I removed the cotton lace and ribbon flowers and added 6 inch pleated crinoline instead. I also removed the wide velvet ties, which where really hard to tie, and replaced it with petersham ribbon. No matter who wore the bonnet it kept falling of so I decided to cheat and stitched a small clear plastic comb in.

front

right side

Back 

Still not to happy with the curtain.

left side

A while ago a friend gave me a lot of flowers to decorate my hats with. I had intended to make a new 1880's hat but didn't have the time or the money. So I just added colored flowers and now it looks completly different! My hat pins can't get through the hat so again I decided to cheat and stitched in hat elastic to keep in place.

front

right side 

This was the inspiration for the hat. Rachel McAdams as "The Woman" Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes. Can't wait to wear it!

1880's Mourning Hat

When I wore my black Victorian bustle costume last December. I was asked a lot by the public if it was mourning costume, others just assumed it was. Although it is completly black it was not intended to be a mourning costume. If it had been I would have done more research into the etiquette of mourning dress. Also I wasn't in mourning at that moment.

This hat however is exactly what it looks like, a mourning hat. When I started working on it the only idea behind it was to make a hat for my black bustle costume. I stopped working on it when I found out that my mother was terminally ill and dying of cancer. This was also the reason why I stopped working on most, if not all, of my projects. My mother has passed away on the 11th of June and for me the best way to express and deal with my emotions always has been though my creativity. So making this mourning hat in her honor was kinda like therapy for me.

Projects on hold

I am still working on various project, here is an update on some of them.

The 1840's - 1860's coat project is on hold. The sceond mock-up model I made showed that I still needed a lot of changes to the pattern to make it work. I am putting aside for now.

The 1880's hat has been finished and I have found some really nice hat decorations, some antique, some new. 

Hat decoration front idea

Hat decoration back idea

Nevertheless the hat still hasn't been decorated ! I still have to make a decorative band before I can sew on the rest of the decorations. The problem is that I am not fully satisfied with the hat. It sit on top of my head, which is the way they where worn in the 1880's, but I really really dislike the feeling. So the my internal debate is now: authenticity vs comfort. Also I would like the crown a little higher and the brim a little wider. Maybe it would be best to make a new hat and consider this a mock-up version but with no money for supplies this means this project is also on hold for now.

For now I have decided to concentrate on making things I need on a short notice. My son needs a new pair of nalebound viking socks as he has outgrown his old pairs. We already made him a new linen undertunic. The rest of his viking costume just needs to be let out.

And I want to make myself a new summerdress Burda #7179

I have traced the pattern on to paper weeks ago but only got around to shortening it today. Due to lack of time and energy progress is slow but it's still better than doing nothing at all I guess.

A while ago we went to the international collectors fair in Utrecht. We have been going there for the last 15 years and to our great sadness it keeps getting smaller every year. It has become so bad that we have decided not to go anymore, it's simply not worth the high entrance fee. Still there where some nice items, so I made some pictures for you to enjoy.

I've been kinda down lately so one of my sisters gave me a very early birthday present to cheer me up. It's the blue version of the Sheila apple daisy print dress by Hell Bunny. I wore it to the wedding of one of my husbands cousins last friday. Thanks Sis!

As you can see I messed up the settings of the photo camera but it gives the photo a vintage feel, don't you agree?

1880's hat

One of the bigger project I am currently working on is a 1880's hat. I have been wearing my top hat for years now with my bustle costume and I am actually quite fed up with! Time for a new hat.

The intial inspiration was the hat worn by Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes (2009) directed by Guy Ritchie.

Here are some hats in the same style from the 1870's-1880's.

Hat made with fur, wool and silk ca, 1885, French 

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/156128

Straw hat, ca. 1886, America

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/113332

 1870's-1880's hat pattern by Wingeo

I have bought the 1870's - 1880's hat pattern by Wingeo. I don't think that the pattern is bad but the description is really very minimalistic. If you want to make a hat like this I would reccomend buying the Womens Victorian tall hat by Lyn McMasters or the 1880's buckram hat frame pattern by Truly Victorian. I am actually using the description from a Lyn McMasters hat pattern to make my hat.

Cutting the buckram

Buckram frame for the brim and top

Both sides of the brim have been covered with outer fabric.

Now putting ribbon on the brim to finish the edge.

The top has also been covered with the outer fabric.

There a lot of things going on in my life at this moment. Working on this hat and my other projects helps me unwind.