My $1 Paisley Georgian Stays

My $1 Dollar Paisley Georgian Stays... 

Okay, so all the materials didn't cost $1 buck but the main material was a $1 find at our local Goodwill!

Lovely Paisley- Do you see the riding crops and gloves??

J.P. Ryan Stays Pattern laid out and partially cut.
I used 2 layers of linen, the fashion fabric and a layer of muslin for the lining. 

Almost completed stays (I added the straps).


Instead of using reeds for boning in the channels; as was customary at the time I used zip ties specially two - 15' inch fifty count packages from Big Lots for a total of $5 dollars.  I also purchased the grosgrain ribbon for the edges and some maroon roping, spent about $3 on those items. 

Grand Total = $9.

The lining was some stash fabric.

Don't mind my chemise... I couldn't find my Georgian chemise so I put on my regency chemise...

The eyelets are handbound. 

 I like it but I think I need to make another pair and add a inch or two to the waist. I also will probably make them front lacing cause 'dear hubby' does not like spiral lacing and I almost had a 'fit' trying to get out of them!!



Until later Toodles!! 

My Lil Bit Gets Costumed!

I've made a to do list for my 'lil bit' as well! 

Whether I get to them all who knows...

I do have to say that patterns for infants/toddlers (other than animals & flowers) is rather limited. 

That being said this necessitates that my patterns be self made and or from larger adult patterns I've worked with and have been able to scale down.

So to prepare I've been doing a lot of searching on Pinterest and created a board called Children's Historical Garb

And this is My 'Lil Bit's' Costume To Do List:

• Late Victorian jacket (possibly a matching dress)
  
  

  

  I have several options for black trim but they are packed away! I'll provide an update soon! Gotta work out a pattern...

  
  

  
  

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  Augusta Auctions 1810's Regency Dress

  
  

Such cute inspiration dresses! 

I picked up the above 100% Cotton Prints from Walmart for $2 dollars a yard!!! 

$4 bucks for each of her little dresses! 

Can't beat those prices.. 

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As a side point I've also have seen some of the most adorable child's boots ever! 

I don't know if it will be possible to make but these boots are Precious!!

Maybe if I find the leather and a website on shoe making....?

We shall see!

Ta ta till later ....

A 'Lil Red Riding Hood' for 'Lil Bit'

So, after completing a Ladies Jacket and Anglaise Gown for myself I had some yardage left over. 

What to do! 

Make 'lil bit' a outfit!!!! 

So I started searching the MET, Pinterest and one of my Colonial Williamsburg books. 

And I found these pictures...

Embroidered Linen Dress 18th C. Front

Back of Embroidered Linen Dress

 

Glazed Cotton Dress 18th C. 

 After finagling the remaining pieces of fabric I was able to work out the shape needed. 

What pattern did I use??? 

Why my 'Lil Bit', of course!!! When she woke up this morning after hugs, kisses, and some juice to start her day; she gladly obliged to my request to lay down on mommy's fabric. I simply traced her body out making sure to keep her arms straight out. 

From studying and enlarging the pictures researched, several things became apparent; 1) there were no front princess or waist seams, 2) the sleeves were not separate pieces, 3) there were only side seams, a somewhat pleated side and back at the waist area. 

Unfortunately,  I did not have enough fabric to make all the pleats in the skirt so I simplified my dress. I cut the back a tad too wide and made a box pleat at the top neck and ended it about waist length.

I rolled the neck hem and slip stitched it down.
The front and hem are folded twice and slip stitched as well. I wanted to be able to simply un-hem the front or hem to add extra width/length if she needed it.

On the extant dress and the descriptions provided with them, no obvious closures are discussed. Since I do want to be able to let out the gown I don't want anything to permanent and I didn't want to use pins. (Too dangerous for a toddler). So I will probably be adding some type of threaded loops with ribbon to laced down and close it at center front. 

With the dress 90% done I couldn't leave her with out her outerwear!

So I quickly cut a cape out of some red wool remnants.

Again, fabric was limited so the front panels are a little skinny.

The hood is lined with some white taffeta I found in my scrap bin.

The casing for the ribbon ties is bias tape, which has been stitched to the top inside selvage edge and slip stitched down.

I also used bias tape to hem the bottom. 

Here's a picture of 'lil bit' running away cause she didn't want to try on the cape.....

She's quick!! 

Hopefully, I can find some linen in my stash to make a bonnet and a petticoat or chemise to go with the outfit. 

Then we can take a picture of it all together!!

Costume College 14 ! A Longish Picture Friendly Post

How much fun did I have?!?!? 

Loads!!

The amazing Val Labore from Time Traveling in Costume created a group called the Murder of Crows. Mourning (funeral) wear from any era was to be worn on Friday for the Ice Cream Social.

Here's a group shot!

 

My Close Up w/ Jerry

It was great seeing the many different variations of the dress in the same era.  We had over five talented ladies who created bustle gowns from the 1870s-1880's. This picture isn't even the whole group!

On Saturday I had classes in which I had to be fitted so to have ease of fitting (and breastfeeding) I opted to wear street clothes to my class called '1860's and Still Handsewn!". 

Here's a sneak peek of the gown bodice in progress and my fabric!

Saturday Night was the Red Carpet and Gala

Here's a pic of my gown and my hubby and 'lil bit', they walked the red carpet with me!

 

 A lovely Edwardian lady named Tisha

Vanessa and her matching purple gown.
How gorgeous is that purple velvet!

And finally Sundays Fantasy Tea

Bathroom Not So Selfie Selfie

Me and the Time Traveling Val LaBore

Maegan (Our CGW Hotel Liaison for CoCo), Myself and Rebecca (Current Dean for 2015 CoCo)

Me and the Broker Costumer herself Ms.Cindy Piselli

 There's so much more about Costume College but I will save that for another post!

Keep It Together Woman!!! My To-Do/Create List for 2014

Keep It Together Woman!

To keep sane with all the projects you plan on completing, follow this very important tip...

In between the big projects create small mini projects so you feel like you have completed something. Or you can break up a large detailed project into several small sections. i.e. the trim or ruffles on a skirt, petticoat, cockades for a hat, kid leather gloves, etc...

Working on too many large projects at one time will cause unneeded anxiety and self doubt. 

Below are some links to mini projects I've done or want to create. 

Patterns for Gorgeous Gloves

18th Century Cockades

An Easy, Authentic Eighteenth Century Petticoat

These are relatively simple sewing projects.

To Do Lists
I have a list of outfits I would like to make and I typically section it by era and type.

 
I also have a running list for my UFO's (unfinished objects). I try to list what the object or project is and what needs to be completed.

i.e

1905 Trumpet Skirt

• add hook and eyes to waist
• hem skirt 

1903 Shirtwaist

• add buttons
• complete collar
• attach waistband
• attach cuffs

When I check anything off of my list I feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I think that has to do with having an infant and my time being limited (but this is a tip I've always used... )

I'm a list maker! 

Sewing time is usually late at night or at most a hour during the day if my little tyke is accommodating. 

That being said this is my list (ambitious I know)!

Costume To-Do List (2014)

Victorian

Blue Floral Brocade Natural Form Outfit w/Two Bodices

Navy Blue Bustle Visiting Outfit

Navy Talma Jacket/Wrap

Two Chemises 
Two Corset Covers
Corset

All of the above outfits will be made with Truly Victorian patterns. 
My go to pattern company for my slightly dyslexic reading style on typical patterns.  

Edwardian/Belle Epoque
Tan Belle Epoque Traveling Suit (inspiration photo)

Purple Seersucker Trumpet Skirt and White Voile Shirtwaist
Edwardian Underwear

All of the above outfits will be made with Truly Victorian patterns.

Georgian/Colonial

Red and Beige Floral Robe à l’anglaise” Gown 

Blue Flower Robe à la Française 
Bold Red Caraco Jacket
Powder Blue Short Jacket
Chemise

I will be using J.P. Ryan Patterns for the above dresses.

Regency
Blue Floral Day (long sleeve) Dress
Yellow Floral (short sleeve) Dress
Black & White Plaid Day Dress (w/detachable long sleeve) 
Work Apron
Chemise
White Petticoat Dress

I will be using a combination of my Folkwear, Sense & Sensibility Patterns with references to Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 1

 

If I have the fabric I name it with the fabric (as seen above), if I have the patterns I write that down as well.

Somewhere in the midst of all those projects I plan to make a Renaissance outfit for the Ren Faire here in Arizona.

Whew....

Btw- this list was made way back in February!!! I apparently never schedule it to go out.... So here it is :)

My next post will be an updated list and status on completed items...

Cya soon! 

 

Colonial America for The First Africans

Colonial America

 

Some of my earliest memories in social studies or American history class are about the 13 colonies and the several major Native American Indian tribes located in the areas colonized by the newly arriving European settlers. One of the major and only African American names mentioned is Phillis Wheatley. Born in 1753, Phillis was a young Senegalese girl of 7 or 8 when she was kidnapped and shipped to the colonies; she was eventually sold to the Wheatley family in Boston. Purchased to be a companion or slave to Susanna the wife of John Wheatley, Phillis was given various opportunities that were not offered to many of her counterparts. Phillis apparently suffered from ailments (which kept her mistress Susanna from training her as a house servant) and prompted Susanna to teach Phillis reading, writing, theology, Greek and Latin. 

Phillis eventually published her first and only book of poems and was able to travel to England to promote them. Unfortunately, soon after her return to the colonies both Susanna and John died. Phillis was given her freedom upon John's death in 1778 and eventually married a freed black man. Tragically all three children they would have died in infancy and her husband spent time in prison for debt. Phillis would later take a job as a maid and eventually die herself in 1784 at the seemingly tender age of 31. 

 
Phillis Wheatley Monument in Boston 

Phillis obviously seems to be an exception to the rule (for not only black Americans of the time but also women) but many people do not know that most early Africans transported to the colonies arrived as indentured servants not slaves. In 1619 the first black Africans came to Virginia. With no slave laws in place, they were initially treated as indentured servants, and given the same opportunities for freedom dues as whites. "However, slave laws were soon passed – in Massachusetts in 1641 and Virginia in 1661 –and any small freedoms that might have existed for blacks were taken away. As demands for labor grew, so did the cost of indentured servants. Many landowners also felt threatened by newly freed servants demand for land." Phillis's abduction in 1753 coincided with the turn in ideology and treatment of Africans in the colonies. 

Still, freed blacks did live in the colonies and although they wouldn't have had the gorgeous robe a la francaise or anglaise we adore and see in museums across the world, a short jacket or a  caraco (passed down or of a plain fabric) would have been worn (made of linens or possibly cotton) as cotton production was getting under way in the south. 

Some Examples of Ladies  Jackets:

Pattern Used: J.P. Ryan

A Fine Collection of
Ladies' Jackets
for Undress Wear

This very special J. P. Ryan pattern contains 10 pattern pieces which may be combined to create an entire wardrobe of 18th century jackets.  Four views are given, each for a different time period.    Because all the pattern pieces, i.e. sleeves, cuffs, backs and front, were designed to fit together, you may create additional styles, based on your own personal research.

 

My work in progress: 

I still need to create a hem for the fichu and a cap for my hair. 
Items still on my to-do list.

Which reminds me I need to post my Costume To-Do List for 2014 and possibly The Historical Fortnightly Sew Along Details. 

Till Later.. ta ta!  

Source Material

Phillis Wheatley. [Internet]. 2014. The Biography Channel website. Available from:http://www.biography.com/people/phillis-wheatley-9528784 [Accessed 08 Feb 2014].

www.pbs.org