No fabric in sight...

So, something just pretty for today. Because it's monday and everyone needs something pretty on a monday :)

This was pretty cool. The other night, at the Cosmopolitan, there was a fashion show of gowns made entirely of paper and plastic. No fabric in sight. The gowns were designed by artist Jennifer Henry. The exhibit/collection was called Flock Flock Flock.

The creations were really fabulous to see. Huge, fluffy dresses, wafting and sparkly, glittery ones slinking down the runway. My personal favorite was a cinderella confection of clear cellophane that caught the light and practically luminesced. Too pretty! There was also a really dramatic pouf of black paper that made quite an impression.

Take a peak at the video below and catch the end of the show, when all the models came back out together. Pretty, pretty!

Working with wardrobe (or costuming as a job). I got a taste and it was fun!

I had a very interesting week. 

My friend, Jose, called me up and I ended up going on a job with him. He is a professional stylist/wardrober. He was styling for a music video and it was all very short notice, so the models/actors didn't bring enough looks. I raided my closet and headed over. 

I ended up working with him for two days, not only supplying clothes, but helping style the actors and musicians and work with the wardrobe (aka costuming!). It was a blast. A lot of waiting around and picking lint and threads off of people, but definitely a blast.  

The best was being able to get creative with the clothes and making them work for the characters. The look of the video was, "electro rock... post apocalyptic black futuristic... leather pants, jacket, rocker heels, anything with spikes," (not my words, by the way). Lots of layers, lots of metal and leather, lots of edgy. We filmed in dusty, dirty alleys and tunnels and a condemned warehouse. Way different than what I usually do with costumes. 

Filming down a dusty alley...
On a windy day. Messy!

The most fun part was taking a new leather jacket, well fake leather, and distressing it to make it look less, well, new (and fake). When I was at the V&A for their last costume exhibit, I read about how the costume designer distressed and destroyed Indiana Jones' famous leather jacket for the movie. Made it look like he'd worn it a million times. I think they even ran over it.

Distressing a jacket. Took the "new" right out of it!

I didn't go that far, but I did get down and dirty with it out in the parking lot. I stomped on it and rubbed the edges along the asphalt. It worked like dirty sandpaper. Perfect! I paid close attention to wear spots, like the elbows and wrists and pockets. The pictures here were midway through the process. Unfortunately I didn't get a good one when it was done (or before I started). I was busy :(

By the time the actor put it on, the jacket looked night and day from where we started. The distressing took away the shiny fake look. This made me think, how excellent a little wear on the hem etc might make a historical costume look. Perhaps just that much better, or more authentic. 

I always find, after a wear or two, a little dust on the skirt and wrinkles make my costumes feel a little more real. That being said, you don't want to go crazy with any artificial distressing. What I've seen on extant garments is a lot of patching and piecing (signs of wear and alterations) and maybe a little roughness or a few thread bare spots on the hem. Nothing crazy, since things like hem facing and hem braid were used to protect against such wear. Maybe the best option, for the historical side, is to just wear your costumes and see how they naturally age...

Mexican Embroidery

Hey folks! So I just got back from a vacation in Mexico and it was amazing! I'm so bummed to be home :( 

Well, I did miss my dogs...

But anyway, while I was there I picked up some souvenirs I thought I would share. They had the most darling embroidered tea towels, locally made. I absolutely fell in love.

Each scene is a little different. So charming!

Thanks you's! (And some turn of the century bloomers, too!)

Hi folks!

I've totally disappeared this month. I had so many sewing plans, but you know what they say about best laid plans and all that...

I haven't had a mo to blog, let alone to stitch, but when I checked my email this morning and saw that I had been given the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, I absolutely had to get on the computer and say thank you!

So thank you, thank you, thank you, to the two lovely ladies, Cait, from Curse Words and Crinolines, and The Choll, from Thread-Headed Snippet. It is really so wonderful for me to know that I have passed on something inspiring. I mean, that's what my motivation for blogging is: sharing pretty things and sharing the love :)

Aside from being downright flattered, I am also so grateful you both bestowed me with this award since it inspired me to get back to stitching. I'm so behind!

So, where did I go?

I was so darn busy! My husband and I renovated a house, which was very satisfying, but much more work than HGTV lets on...

Before...

After!

Also, not only have I been riding my horse, I started riding western, too. And then promptly dislocated my knee cap. Yay!

But its all good. I was back in the saddle in like a week. Cowgirl up!

I think the brace adds a nice pop of color, or not.

Getting out of an arena is great. Look at the views!

Wayyy up high!

And where has sewing been in all this?

Well, I started a pair of 1900ish bloomers. I was super inspired by the western riding and I pinned a whole mass of early cowgirls. Check it out here. 

I started the pants and got pretty far along, but they came to a screeching halt a couple weeks back and I really need to get back up to the sewing room. Hopefully, I'll be posting a finished pair soon!

Wool riding bloomers, waiting patiently to be finished.

In other news, my birthday was last week, and my fabulous mom made me the cutest cake! And the table was so pretty. She knows what I like!

I love plates. And silver. And linens. I just love it all!

Bonfire! Don't count them, please ;)

So, thank you so much, again, to Cait and The Choll, for thinking of me. Seriously, so thrilled!

Hope everyone's had a lovely month! Cheers!

HSF #4: Embellish - Tucks

The Challenge: #4: Embellish

Fabric: 15+ yards of striped, white on white, sheer cotton for the fashion fabric. The lining used under a yard of pima cotton broadcloth and the hem used a yard or two of plain ol white calico.

Pattern: Truly Victorian TV447. The 1863 Sheer dress (modified).

Year: The pattern says 1863, so I'm thinking give or take a few years.

Notions: I used thin, cotton cord for piping, cotton twill for the hem, cotton thread for everything, little buttons on the inner bodice and reed for boning the darts.

How historically accurate is it? To the best of my knowledge, pretty darn. It is machine sewn, and I shortened the thread length to better represent the small stitches present on extant examples. The dress is based on examples from the era, most notably this dress, which obviously inspired the tucks on the skirt. Check out more examples here. The dress is hand finished. The main, glaring inaccuracy is I used plastic buttons on the inside, since that's what I had (I also used my sewing machine for the button holes and I am so bummed I did that. It was fast, but it doesn't come with the same satisfaction and beauty as hand sewn. Boo pout). Also, the twill used on the hem is probably not the exact same as what was used, but the use and application of it is consistent with originals.

Hours to complete: On and off sewing since January.

First worn: Not yet. Just for fitting. Hopefully soon... like when it warms up...

Total cost: Stash project! So I consider it a freebie. Yay! But the fabric cost like $15 a yard a year or two ago when I originally purchased it.

So, on to the notes and pictures...

A Tea Cup Started It All

The other day, one of my oldest and closest friends, Jose, text me and suggested Downton and tea.

Um, of course. 

Naturally the Titanic tea cups had to come out. I should mention that Jose and I used to sit in fourth grade together and squeal about the movie. I squealed about the dresses and he squealed about more manly things, like turbines and smoke stacks lol. But anyway, Titanic related squealing goes way back for us. When I bought the teacups, he was the first person I texted. 

So, if you give a mouse a cookie, or rather, if you give a costumer a tea cup, she's going to get inspired... The tea cup lead to a whole afternoon of finding Edwardian bits in my closet and roping in Jose for an impromptu photo shoot. Jose just got back from dressing back stage at fashion week, so I felt very privileged. Squeal, again. 

I love using Pinterest to get my thoughts together, so check out my board of Edwardian eye candy that inspired us for the shoot. Lots of Lilly Elsie...

The dress is an eBay find and it has been patiently waiting it's turn to be reintroduced to the world. It's a beautiful dress of ivory silk and lace. It looks early teens to me, for sure. Amazingly, it fits me, and luckily, it is in strong enough condition to try on. Unfortunately, though, it's too fragile to actually wear anywhere.

It's has surprisingly simple construction for an Edwardian gown, with no boning or inner bodice, so I would love to recreate it one day. Scroll on down for a bunch of pictures of the inside.

I wore it with vintage kidskin gloves, my Astoria shoes, some pearls my Grandmother gave me and a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous fan I picked up on my last trip to England. Underneath, I have some Edwardian era slips and a corset I got a while back from Period Corsets. And I must say, long line Edwardian corsets are not so comfortable. Something about how they constrict the hips. It took some getting used to.

The Historical Sew Fortnightly #3 - Under It All

Ah, I finally got something done for the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge. Yay! And I finally got something out of the UFO pile. Three somethings, actually.

For this challenge, I finished up my 18th century half boned stays and two petticoats, one linen and the other wool. I originally started making them for a Burnley and Trowbrige workshop I was going to back in November, but Hurricane Sandy foiled my plans.

So, to begin, the stays.

The Challenge: #3, Under It All

Fabric: Worsted wool, different kinds of linen, leather for the binding.

Pattern: J.P. Ryan's half boned stays, as well as the stays in Costume Close Up.

Year: Later 18th century

Notions: Linen thread in various weights, linen tape for lacing, silk ribbon for trim, reed boning. 

How historically accurate is it? As best as I could get. I can't speak for the pattern, but I think it's pretty good. The stitching and materials used were as close to accurate as I could possibly get. I used the same fabrics and thread (materials and weight) as was listed in Costume Close Up. Same stitches, too. It's completely hand done. For sure what's not accurate is that it was not draped for me. Also, the silk ribbon lace across the front was just for fun. No exact examples to support it historically, though I have seen similar designs on the front, like this one. Also, there is a very similar pair of shoes... 

Hours to complete: I really don't know. I started them some time last year and picked them up here and there.

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: I bought a yard or so of the wool from Burnley and Trowbridge for like $15 or $20. Everything else I had on hand.

On to some notes... All in all, I like how the pattern came together. It was interesting to put together the stays in a very historically accurate way. I must say the leather binding was a nightmare, though. Ugh. The stays fit very well on my body, but on headless they look a little sad, since she has no squish. Next time I decide to make stays, I think I will try a fully boned style. The half boned is nice for later 18th century, but it doesn't have the rigidity for earlier in the century.

Next, the petticoats... Pretty straightforward in their construction. Pretty period correct. I made the linen coat shorter to wear as an under petticoat. The wool can be either under or to wear on the outside.

Fabric: One in white linen and one in blue plain weave wool.

Pattern: None really. Draped by me.

Year: 18th century

Notions: Linen thread and tape for the linen coat. Wool thread and tape for the wool coat.

How historically accurate is it? Pretty darn. I used, to the best of my knowledge, period correct fabrics and stitches. I think the only questionable bit is the width of the selvages. 

Hours to complete: Not too bad. Maybe a few hours or more per coat.

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: I had the linen on hand. The wool I bought from William Booth for about $20 per yard.