Veteran's Day Parade

Ah, sunnier, warmer times... 

Last month (and forgive me for the major delay in posting) it was surprisingly warm for the Veterans' Day Parade. The Southern Nevada Living History Association walked in the parade. The men were soldiers from different eras and the ladies spanned a good 80 years.

I was the earliest, in my natural form dress (that still isn't finished). I've worn it twice now and it still has basting stitches. Haha oh well.

For the parade, I left my snazzy trained skirt at home, and instead wore an old black costumey skirt I bought ages ago. But only about a foot showed, so it worked out great. And I didn't bring a ton of asphalt and grease home with me :)

So why wear an unfinished dress with the wrong skirt, you ask? Well, an excuse to wear the bonnet of course!

I got a new bonnet recently, from Mrs. Parker's Mercantile, and I was super stoked to have an excuse to wear it :) Yay!

In other news, I did a lot of sewing in October and November. Unfortunately I didn't get great photos of any of it, so I haven't posted about it. I made up an 1860's paletot and hood, an "ermine" muff and a early 1900's petticoat. Oh! And I knit a sontag, which I love. So, hopefully soon I will have an excuse to wear them and I can get some good photos to share.

Next up... more regency bits for the Jane Austen Evening in Pasadena next month. Anyone else going?

An almost finished dress, a ruffly petticoat and a helpful balayeuse.

A petticoat and an almost dress.

I made the mistake of wearing an unfinished dress to something... and now I'm sick of looking at it. 

I also made the mistake of not taking one picture. Not one! I have never done that. I'm usually surgically attached to my camera.

There was a tea last weekend and so I got this dress wearable, so I could enjoy it. I actually attended with lots of basting stitches still in place, lots of hidden pins and no collar! I slapped on a whitework collar and cuffs and machine stitched the button holes. I also managed to get a bone into the CB of the dress. 

It worked and no one really knew but me, so this wouldn't be a bad thing, except now that I've worn it, I've lost all motivation on actually finishing it. Hmph. I'm so mad at myself because this dress was really looking good... It even has a snazzy watch pocket :) 

Not too shabby for a days work...

Ignore the million pins. I love pins, ps.

Oh, don't you just love when a new project takes enough shape to actually look like what you're supposed to be making? It's so exciting.

Yesterday, because of crap fortune, I had the good fortune to be stuck at home all day, which, to me, means sew day. So, get this, my husband's car had the carborator? catalytic converter? (I know zip about cars - something important with a "c") removed (ahem stolen) off the bottom of his car! How crazy is that? Since his was getting fixed, he took my car and that's how I ended up stuck at home.

Poor me, I know, all day long with nothing to do but sew... :D

So, I started working on a base skirt for my next project, the red and black, Tissot inspired dress. After lots of pinning and brainstorming and deciding which direction I wanted to go in, I've come to envision the dress as a late 70's, natural form, kind of casual ensemble.

The elder sister, by Tissot.

In the painting, the woman is sitting on an outside step, which obscures the details on the dress, but also leads me to believe this is a more casual dress. Day, afternoon, house - whatever you want to call it.

I browsed my patterns and settled on Truly Victorian's TV225, TV326 and TV420. Personally, I really like to work off a pattern and go from there. I sometimes drape, but I like to make it easy on myself. I started with TV225, the 1878 Fantail skirt. There was some debate over using TV 221 (the tie-back underskirt from the same year), but that fabulous fantail train won out.

Who isn't a sucker for a bit of train?

Testing out the length and style with pattern paper.
I love using this stuff!

I traced and cut the patterns, tested them out and then went for the black cotton I had. I picked out a red and black print cotton for the bodice and overskirt, so I wanted black cotton for the skirt underneath. Unfortunately, after washing it, I'm 99.9% sure it's not 100% cotton. It just feels, well, weird.

The perils of buying online.

I was pouting and kicking myself until I went to iron it post wash. The wrinkles came out like a dream! I think I can live with a little poly in it... but shhh! Don't tell!

I will have to find some actual, for sure, without a doubt, 100% cotton for the trim, though, so it will hold the pleats without a battle.

Here she is, inside out, to show the lining and seams. It is lined with polished cotton (hence all the pins in that top pic). At the back of the knees, there is a channel of self, single fold bias, for a drawstring. I just love the shape of that skirt!

Oooo now picture that with ruffles... yum!

However, I have hit a wall. In order to fit the darts, gathers and pleats, I realized a really need a properly shaped petticoat. So, I will be waiting to finish this until after I make up a petticoat or two. Next up I will also be facing the hem with a serious layer of crinoline and lots of pleated ruffles. Something along the line of this hem...

From Full Color Victorian Fashions: 1870-1893,
 edited by Joanne Olian

Now, enough typing. Off to go make a petticoat!