Black bustle skirt aka the Frankensteins bride skirt.

A friend nicknamed this skirt the Frankensteins bride skirt because it is made with pieces of leftover fabric from my fabric stash. Usually I buy the fabric I need for a costume but this time I challenged myself to make a costume from my stash.

The pattern I used was one of my favorites TV 261, 1885 Four gore underskirt. I have had it for several years so I have the old version of the pattern not the revised version.

I didn't have enough fabric for the wide ruffle like in the old version so I made the ruffle smaller, like in the new version.

I used four different types of fabric; velvet, wool, small pieces taffeta with velvet flock print  same as my bodice and plain taffeta.

front

For a marriage of so many fabrics I am quite happy with the result. If I had had more fabric I would have made the knife pleats smaller and closer together. 

back

And I would have added an extra row of decoration to the back. The fabric is easy to come by and it's cheap. So I might consider adding a row next year.

 I am done working on Victorian costumes for the moment because I have to get started on  St. Nicolas poems and surprises (funny way to pack presents).  They have to be done for St.Nicholas evening on the 5th of December. Also there is my son his thirteenth birthday this sunday!

I am really looking forward to this years Anton Pieck Parade in Haarlem!

Progress report on my black bustle costume.

I see that it is a month since my last blog. I apologize for neglecting you my dear readers but I've been incredibly busy. Not only with working on my costume but also doing volunteerwork, studying and household chores. A day often just doesn't have enough hours to do all the things I want and need to do.

A project is always more work than you think when you start. This time it is no different. The problems started when I decided to work with the fabric left over from last years bustle overskirt. The original plan had been to make a tail bodice from this fabric but when I ran out of time I decided to make an overskirt instead. I thought I would be able to get more of this fabric but unfortanetly this ended up not being the case.

As I didn't have enough fabric to make a long tail bodice I decided to make the short version instead. Unfortanetly I had the old version of the Truly Victorian pattern without the short tail and different neckline options. This meant making quite a lot of alterations to the pattern, Something I hadn't really done before. The upside was that I could adapt the pattern to fit the amount of fabric I had left!

After sewing the pattern pieces together and hand sewing all the seams allowances flat. I found out that my seams where weak and falling apart. My sewing machine went to the repair shop for some tlc. Unwilling to start all over again I reinforced all the seams by hand and ended up with numb fingers. The fabric is satin with a velvet flock print and the flock print was very hard to get through. When I was done reinforcing the seams my machine still wasn't back from the shop. So I started work on sewing my boning in. 

When my machine came home I could finally set in the sleeves and work on the button closure. The antique (victorian?) black faceted glass buttons where purchased a couple of years earlier on Ebay.

In the picture you can also see my black chemisette. 

Getting the neckline to fit properly and the black satin piping in neatly in place was a real challenge. Lucky for me my husband was here to help! 

The final step was sewing the collar and the chinese frog closure on. I am really happy with how the bodice turned out! I already started work on the skirt to go with it. It has been nicknamed the frankenstein's bride skirt because it has been made from several pieces of fabric from my stash as well. 

I try to spend as little money as possible on this costume and make it with thing from my stash.

Black bustle tail bodice inspiration.

I am working really hard on my tail bodice and I could use some inspiration!

A tail bodice from 1883,

 owned by the Metropolitan Museum

1885's dress designed by Emile Pingat,

 owned by Philadelphia Museum of Art

1888's dress designed by Emile Pingat.

found the image on Pinterest, original source unknown.

1880's black silk and cut velvet dress,

at AntiqueDress.com

Black 1883's Bustle Tail Bodice

I have been busy making repairs and alterations, not only to costumes but also to our everyday clothes. Most of it was quite boring work but necessary.

Replacing my velvet collar with a fur collar and adding fur cuffs was a lot of work. But I am really happy with the end result so it was rewarding. The fur was donated by one of my husbands aunts and came from one of her old coats. 

You can find more information and pictures of the coat here.http://historicalcostumes.nl/

I also started with a new bustle bodice. I fell in love with the Truly Victorian pattern #462, the 1883 tail bodice after it was revised.

Unfortunately I didn't pay enough attention when I ordered it on-line, not at the Truly Victorian website. And ended up with the old version of the pattern! 

:Lucky for me that my pattern drafting skills are good enough to make the necessary adjustments to achieve the look I want. A short tailed bodice with 3/4 sleeves and a keyhole or diamond shaped neckline. 

Yesterday I made the mock-up and this morning I tried it on over my victorian underwear and corset.

And started with my corset training for this year by keeping it on for 30 minutes.

The two main inspirations for this project are:

 this dress from 1887,

owned by the Metropolitan Museum

And this dress sold by Augusta Actions

I love the strict look of the neckline and I am thinking about keeping the decorations on this costume to a minimum, but we'll see how it evolves. 

Wikingertage 2014 at the Archäologisches Freilichtmuseum Oerlinghausen.

Normally re-enactment events are a family affair but my husband and son decided they needed a rest. And I really wanted to take a look at the museum. Lucky for me, I got the chance to join two of my friends from the Yggdrasil Vikings. 

And the museum is lovely, not too big, not too small, just right!

The location is truly breathtaking, the museum is located on the side of the mountain near a forest. 

It doesn't get much more "real" than this.

Here I am reinforcing the seams of one of my dresses.

Somehow I never get around to it at home.

The employees of the museum took very good care of us, Vikings. 

The public was interested and polite.

And the food provided by the museum was very good!

(That is such a Dutch thing to say ;-) )

Well, I just might go again next year!

With our without husband and son.

You can find the website of the museum http://www.afm-oerlinghausen.de/

They also have a facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/afm.oerlinghausen

Book presentation of the Taste of the Middle Ages

Instead of taking a much needed weekend off, like we had initailly planned. We went to the book presentation of our friend Marrie Niemantsverdriet and Lena Mariiesdochter last Sunday. Not only was it a chance to visit the open air museum in Eindhoven in medieval costume. But also the chance to pick up a signed copy of the book, have some delicious medieval food and chat we other friends who where there as well. The added bonus was that we where there as visitors and as such not obligated to entertain or educate visitors. So we decided that technically it still counted as a day off for!

One of the authors with a copy of the book

Signing books is hard work

The co-authors has to sign as well, ofcourse!

Eindhoven Museum has always been a magical place for us.

To be there again felt like coming home.

Here I am sitting beside a late medieval Noble Lady.

The company of friends and good food.

Could life be any better?

When we did demonstrations in the museum,

we never got around to take pictures in the 15th century Inn.

So this time as visitors we took our chance!

Unfortanetly the book is only available in Dutch (for now). If you can read dutch it's definitely worth to buy it. Although the recipes and obtained flavours are authentic, they are simple and clear. And without the hard-to-find ingredients most other medieval recipes have.

You can find the book ; De Smaak van de middeleeuwen, bourgondisch banquette voor beginners, here.

Small projects

I have a lot of small projects of projects that need finishing. Here are some of the things I've done.

This broomstick lace scarf has been finished and blocked for quite a while now, I just hadn't gotten around to making a picture.

And I finally made a black velvet belt to with my antique silver plated belt buckle. I am quite happy with the end result.

It will be a nice finishing touch when I wear it with my 1840's -1860's wrapper I made last year.

Here are some examples of victorian ladies with belts over there dresses.

I am sure the dress in the first picture is a wrapper. 

I am not about the dress in the second picture.

I found these pictures on pinterest and

couldn't trace the source.