1920's garden party dress

What do you do when friends ask you to attend their 1920's themed wedding? First of all I was very touched that we were welcome. Second came excitement for a wonderfull reason to dress up in a nice historical outfit. Third came with doing research and a bit of aprehension. When hearing the 1920's my mind went to Great gatsby style flapper evening wear but the happy couple was looking for a Downton Abbey style garden party. I never watched Downton Abbey, hangs head in shame. Please understand that I live in a male dominated household both of them bored out of their skulls when I only mention costume drama tv series.  So I had to start from scratch, luckily for me the bride had made a mood board on pinterest, so that was an easy start.

Mmmh, I must admit it looks really nice on those ladies but I am not that young anymore nor that thin...

When my first inspiration is from a television or movie I always try to translate it to authentic dresses and costumes or fashion plates from the era.

The dress on the far right in the second image is my favorite.

Being short on time, these two complete outfits where added to my already full costume for-2018-list. I thought it would be wise to buy myself a pattern to save time. Butterick B6399 looked a lot like the look I am going for so I decided to order it.

While I was waiting for my pattern to come in, I made the slip dress in off-white dupoin silk, the top of the dress is decorated with a broad band of antique lace. I used the instructions for a 1920's slip dress on the Fresh Frippery blog.

When it came in I immediately looked at the pattern pieces and the description and decided that both were really to complicated for a dress that was basically a t-tunic. So I used the instructions I found on the Closet Historian blog for the one hour 1920's dress instead. 

I had found some lovely aqua blue batist fabric for the overdress, the color is a little brighter than I would have liked but I am not in the mood for pink or peach this time. So it will have to do!

I am not a big fan of the gathering of fabric on my hip so I decided to make a separate bodice and skirt version with a v-neckline to make my torso look a little longer.

To add some visual interest to the dress I added some vintage lace insertions. 

Without it I am afraid the dress will look suspiciously much like a blue bin liner (just sayin').

Than we had a sort of poll on instagram, (synthetic) lace overlay or no overlay.

The votes weren't unanimous, so I made a compromis, the overlay will be (semi) detachable.

More lace!

It's al fun and games, that is until your modern sewing machine breaks down and has to be taken to the repair shop. Luckily for me my old Singer 99k came to the rescue!

Voilà, the finished dress!Still think this is a dress style for younger and thinner women! Not really certain how I feel about wearing it. 

Medieval Tournament at the Ruïn of Brederode.

When a friend asked if we could join her at the Castle tower of the Ruïn of Brederode. We just couldn't say no. This is the place where we started doing re-enactment almost 15 years ago! In fact she was the one who gave us our first chance and after that magical event we were hooked.

If you look very closely you can see 

my Lady and me on the field.

As you can see there are not a lot of photographs with us in it. This is because we try to keep the camera out of sight of visitors and it was a really busy day!

And this is us at the Ruïn in November 2003

Vlaardingen 1018

This was by far the largest event we ever attended!

As the number or participants was also very large we got to see friends we hadn't seen

in a long time. So it felt like a reunion party and I had such a great time that I now

suffer from the post event blues.

Well at least we still have the photographs:

In a slightly different outfit than normal.

As the saying goes when in Rome do as the Romans.

When in Holland in the year 1018, dress as a Dutch lady from 1018.

Although we love my oak raven chair it is really heavy.

So my husband made a chair based upon the 11th century chair from Lund, Sweden.

My son working on a sheath for leather working tools.

Chatting with our neighbours.

Photo by Paul Meuldijk

Photo by Vlaardingen1018

Photo by Paul Meuldijk

Photo by Paul Meuldijk

Still from a video made by a reporter of the AD.

https://www.ad.nl/video/production/slag-bij-vlaardingen-nagespeeld~vp40227

Day at the Parc, Capelle aan de IJssel.

We've been going to this event since 2010. 

It's always well organized and it's a great way to meet some of our late medieval friends.

Most of them we only see here, so I always look forward to it.

fingerloop braiding.

Learning to spin on a drop spindle; discussing the technique

(photo Jan Trouwborst)

Learning to spin on a drop spindle; actual action!

Viking/Early Medieval, Whitsun Market at Archeon

Again we had a great time at the Whitsun Market at the Archeon. 

Here I am working on a linen undertunic for a next event in June

and my son is relaxing after a long week at school. 

My husband his woodcarving always attracts a lot of attention.

After all those years it's still a form of magic to me,

 to see those figurines appear out of blocks of wood.

Finally a photo with the three of us in it!

The fire pit was from the museum but we were very grateful for it in the evenings.

A chip of the old block. my son woodcarving an arrow display stand.

(yes, proud mom speaking here)

Ofcourse a weekend at the Archeon isn't complete

without us taking up the bow and arrow.

Stuck somewhere between the 1890's, 1920's en 1018!

You probably all know this meme... (or a variation off it)

Being a self proclaimed costume addict this is true for most, if not all, of the time! Usually I don't mind but this time all three of the projects have deadlines around the same time and my every day life is kinda full, even without the costuming! 

Here is the overview:

I am still working on the Belle Epoque Evening dress, which is due in October this year. I already have given up the idea of making a day bodice to go with it , which would have been due December this year. The evening ensemble is almost finished, it just needs two hook and eyes and decoration.

I think I'm going with a version of the left version because frankly the lace option has been out voted by a good costuming friend, my husband and my son! And to be honest I wasn't too sure about it myself otherwise I wouldn't have asked them.

My husband and I will be attending a 1920's Downton Abbey garden party themed wedding. The bride and groom are both re-enactors so I don't think I will get away with converted thrift store finds or rental costumes. A dress and a suit for my husband, due this September.

Last but not least, we've have been wanting non-Scandinavian early medieval clothing for quite a while. This year we will be attending the Vlaardingen 1018 event, a commemoration of the battle at the dutch town of Vlaardingen in 1018, in June...

Commence costume stress! 

Belle Epoque Ensemble, part 2.

 I have been down with the flu for several days now and my frustration levels are going up. The bodice for my Belle Epoque ensemble is nearly done it just needs to be finished. If you follow me on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/medievalwitch74/) you have been able to see the progress I have made but I will share the pictures here as well.

back of the bodice

When you have to piece together a bodice from leftover scraps of velvet the chances of making a mistake with the pile is higher. I have been sewing for years and this still happens! Fortunately there is still enough fabric left.

Front of the bodice

Putting in the boning and playing around with 

decorating ideas.

The boning is in, now I just need to finish the hems and sew in the sleeves. Sewing in the lace was all I could do while having the flu. The rest really will have to wait until I feel well enough. I really love the combination of the green with the white. Still not sure if I am bold enough to decorate the dress. I'm not a frilly kinda girl, bit strange maybe when you are into Victorian costuming, and I love the clean lines of my inspiration pieces.

(l) Posthumous portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria

 attribute to Joszi Arpad Koppay ca.1898 

(m)Maria Feodorovna wearing a fur-trimmed red dress

 by François Flameng in 1894. 

(r)Edith Kingdon Gould in her red Worth dress, 

portrait by Théobald Chartran, 1898

I am still thinking of adding satin ribbon flowers or maybe some white fur to the heads of the sleeves though much like the brown fur in the portrait of Maria Feodorovna.