Historical Sew Monthly #5: Practicality

So . . . I fell off the radar for a couple of months. Again.

I actually had challenge number three done in time, but kept putting off photos until it became entirely too late to worry about it. #4 I skipped because I was sick and busy. A few weeks ago I realized I still had time for #5, and got to work. I decided to stick with the bustle era since I already had undergarments, thus saving me quite a lot of effort. After pouring over Pinterest I decided to make something similar to the plaid one on the right:

Or this:

From Museum of London

I picked up a nice red plaid, created a pattern (by laying out my bustle bodice pattern and taping the skirt pattern to it to remove the waist seam) and cut pieces. That's when the thought occurred to me: These look comfortable and practical, like you could get stuff done in them, but with no waist seam they take a lot of fabric. What if this is some high class thing and not the comfy robe I make them out to be?

Luckily, a few google searches later and I realized that they were wrappers, to be worn in the morning for breakfast, and completely acceptable to do housework in. Hussah! The dress came together quickly, and worked well with the trim I got when I bought the fabric. I tried to correct the armsyce using the notes I had jotted down previously, but they still need work. The shoulder point is good, but the front needs to be cut down and the back needs more fabric. I had to piece it to get a better fit, but it still needs to come closer to my arm. Anywhoo . . .

I found one wrapper with a v-neckline, which I copied for my own comfort. There will be frog closures down the front, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.

The wrapper is designed to be worn over my corset and bustle.

There is a pouf in the back to give it some interest, and some trim over the seam for the extra fabric.

My favorite part: pockets! There are two pockets, one on either side of the front. They have matching trim and are deep enough to eat my hands up past the wrist! BTW, close up of the trim:

The swoopy one is cotton eyelet and is on the pockets, neckline, back, and all the way around the skirt about 6 inches up from the hem. The bottom one is a satin polyester pleated ribbon with velvet strip right in the middle. That covers the machine stitched hem on the skirt and the cuffs of the sleeves. All in all I am satisfied with how it turned out. The perfect amount of the fancy and plain to be a proper wrapper.

The Challenge: #5 Practicality 

Fabric: Red plaid cotton quilting fabric

Pattern: The bustle bodice and skirt pattern from my Victorian Femme Supernatural Cosplay

Year: 1884ish

Notions: Cotton thread in red and brown, brown cotton eyelet trim, brown polyester ribbon trim, poly-cotton bias binding, brown cording for frog closures (not shown)

How historically accurate is it? Pretty close. I put too much fabric into the bustle portion, but all of the trim ideas came directly from existent pieces. Say 80% for the polyester content.

Hours to complete: 15ish? I didn't keep track.

First worn:  Right now, for because.

Total cost: $50 or so, but there's quite a bit of fabric and trim left over.

Historical Sew Monthly #2 Blue

So Saturday the 28th the only item I hadn't finished for this challenge was my 1915 jacket, which needed buttons and buttonholes. When I got off work I put on the outfit in order to figure out placement, but I was too tired to actually sew. And considering that the Dreamstress is in New Zealand and I'm in California, completing the challenge the day it's due makes it a day late anyways. So I decide to put it off till Sunday.

Sunday goes fine . . . until about 5pm. I'm at work, and I start feeling sick. Just all over weak and crappy. So when I get home, instead of sewing or hanging with friends, I go to bed. I have a fever so I bundle up in blankets with the plan to burn off whatever this bug is. (My husband tells me this is a bad idea, but I do it anyways.)

Monday I am more sick than I have been in YEARS. No real fever, but the kind of weakness and blood pressure drop that means there is a very real possibility of passing out from simply going to the bathroom because it requires me to be upright for a couple of minutes. I am home alone for most of the day, and have to fight to get downstairs to get water and such. I sleep for most of the day. When roommates do get home I get some soup in me, and some Ibuprofen, and start feeling better. Well enough to go to work Tuesday, but not well enough to make it through my whole shift. I spend the day doing some self care.

Today I'm not totally better and am planning on seeing a doctor. But I also realized maybe I should just make my HSM post and not worry about the damn buttons!

tl;dr: I was sick, so here's a post with the jacket still unfinished.

First up, a Renaissance doublet for a Lady Knight! Front

And back. I decided on sleeveless for movement, time, and heat reasons.

Close-up of the front. Her colors are blue and silver, so the doublet is a blue brocade with silver/grey piping and trim. The patterned band is actually a light blue with silver, gold, and black accents. The closures are metal.

Close-up of back. The trims didn't meet perfectly between the upper and the skirt, but it's not super noticeable in person. The whole thing is interlined in canvas, with some wool padding at the shoulders, upper chest, and back. The skirt and shoulder bits are lined in self fabric and the rest is lined in linen.

Inside of doublet.

The breeches are grey wool with black, blue, and silver trims. The patterned band from the doublet makes it's appearance around the legs.

There is braiding at the lower edge of the waistband, and they lace closed. My "points" are bead caps from Michaels, gently folded around the cord with pliers.

Ground photo of the whole outfit. Flash is angry she isn't really in the picture.

Now Flash is just angry cause she has to stand around in a saddle.

And, of course, a mounted photo. The front of the doublet has a tendency to buckle while seated, so I'll be adding some metal bones to it to keep it smooth. Otherwise, a lap around the ranch showed no issues with the outfit.

The Challenge: #2 Blue

Fabric: Upholstery cotton brocade, cotton duck, wool blend scraps, linen

Pattern: Alter Simplicity 4059

Year: late 16th century

Notions: grey piping, grey braid, light blue patterned ribbon, cotton thread, six metal clasps

How historically accurate is it? Probably more Ren Faire than true Renaissance, but I tried to base the design off of surviving pieces. It is machine sewed and the fabric isn't right. Let's say 20%.

Hours to complete: 25?

First worn: Feb 17, when the photos were taken.

Total cost: Some of this was stash, some was purchase. For just the doublet, probably in the realm of $40

Next up, my 1915 skirt. 

When I decided to make a 1915 outfit I knew I had some fabric I could use for a skirt.

The background floral motif isn't super obvious in person, but the stripes are. I drafted a pattern from a guide from 1912, made up the skirt, and voila!

(The stripes are hard to see in the photo, but picture more stripes, less floral). The skirt has a false crossover front, darted waist, side opening, and these buttons:

They're La Mode Vintage buttons, based off a design used from 1900 - 1919.

The Challenge: #2 Blue

Fabric: Striped, floral, blue cotton (possibly a blend)

Pattern: "Side-Fastening" Skirt, from Thornton's International System of Ladies Garment Cutting (1912)

Year: 1912, but the wider skirts hadn't completely replaced the slim ones, and thus should work for 1915

Notions: Cotton thread, four buttons, hook and eye closures.

How historically accurate is it? The pattern of the fabric doesn't work, stripes are fine but not with the floral added, but otherwise it's solid. 85%

Hours to complete: 6-8, from drafting to complete

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: $10? I had to buy buttons and thread, and I think the fabric was a dollar or two a yard when I got it.

And the jacket. When you see the skirt, you think blue. A grey/blue, but blue none the less. But when you're in downtown L.A. trying to match colors for a jacket, you realize that the fabric is too grey to be blue, too brown to be grey, and too blue to be brown. What I finally found was this:

A greyish blue that is the same dusty hue as the skirt, if not a perfect match to the color. I pulled together resources for making the jacket as the instructions are few, but the sew-along was almost no help either (the steps available are 1: marking, 2: pockets, and 4: the pleated collar. And in case you think I misnumbered, step 3 (which I think is the simple collar, the one I was making) was gone. It was frustrating as one of the reasons I close to purchase the pattern was the extra help the sew-along would provide.) My result:

The striped fabric is used for the tops of the pockets, the collar, the cuffs, and the center of the belt.

Side view for awesome sailor collar

The Challenge: #2 Blue

Fabric: Blue-grey quilting cotton, blue striped floral from the skirt

Pattern: Wearing history's 1916 suit jacket 

Year: 1916, but similar jackets were worn a year eariler

Notions: Cotton thread, 7 buttons, hymo interfacing, linen bias tape to bind the seam allowances.

How historically accurate is it? Except for the stripey floral print and the use of hymo as interfacing, I'd say pretty dang. 90%

Hours to complete: Still not completed, needs button and buttonholes

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: $50, including pattern

When not even tea will restore motivation

With the new monthly format of the Historical Sew, I've been using it as an opportunity to make bigger things. Better things. More things. And this month's challenge lined up perfectly with other things I needed to get done. Both a Renaissance doublet and my 1915 outfit were planned to be in blue, so I wanted to finish all of them this month. I knocked the doublet out of the park (and matching breeches), and made my purple Renaissance dress to boot since it'll be needed first week of March. Then my petticoat/corset cover combo was made so I could then make my skirt, which is awesome. Now my jacket, which I've been hitting consistently, just needs to be finished in the next couple of days and I'll have a whole mess of blue outfits to show off!

Except . . .

Except, I'm tired of working on that jacket, which is ridiculous. The collar has been pad stitched, the facings have been applied, and seams have been sewn AND bias bound, and the sleeves have been set. What's left? Slip stitching the cuff facings, hand stitching the hem (not the whole hem mind, just the parts under the pockets), making the belt, and buttons and buttonholes. There's only a couple hours of work on this thing and then my ENTIRE 1915 outfit is completed (minus hat). But Idontwanna. And that's stupid.

Hopefully tomorrow I can muster a bit of enthusiasm and cross this ONE FINAL THING off the list.

Money Spent vs. Sleeve Drafting

My petticoat-corset cover combination is finished. I used my skirt pattern, minus the detail bits, to make the petticoat. Then I used this pattern for a corset cover, and then combined the two.

I added an 8 inch deep ruffle with lace on the hem to the bottom of the petticoat.

Close up of lacy ruffle.

I left off the bust holder part of the corset cover, and instead darted it to fit.

Close up of darts in the fitting stage.

Full length image. Yes I am standing on the edge of the bath tub and grabbing the curtain rod for balance.

Side view.

I stitched down the darts, added lace along the neck and armhole edges, and added a lace yoke around the neck.

Then plackets, buttons, and buttonholes. The result:

I almost have the skirt finished as well, just need to add closures, so I decided last night to start drafting the jacket. Both the skirt and the jacket were to come from here, a tailoring guide from 1912. The skirt was a bit difficult; it didn't state that when it said waist or hip measurement it meant half waist and half hip, so I got about a quarter of the way in when I realized it was too big. Plus, the steps weren't in order, so sometimes it'd tell you to connect dots you haven't drawn yet. Frustrating, but not insurmountable. The jacket, however . . .

The Norfolk Jacket is an exercise in hair pulling. Some of the lines have no measurements, some of the measurements don't correspond to any part of the body as I understand it, and a solid third of the English instructions were cut off so I'm doing my best to guess the French. I was about to sit down and untangle more of the pattern when I remembered, Doesn't Wearing History have a Norfolk-style teens jacket? Yes, yes she does. I was debating the pros and cons of just buying a pattern when it occurred to me that the 1912 Thornton pattern doesn't have sleeves with it. I would need to find and draft sleeves to fit. $10 pattern versus drafting a sleeve pattern for a jacket that'll probably need more mock-ups than it's worth?

Take my money. NOW.

Squire for hire

My friend is going to be doing a jousting demonstration in Los Angeles next month, and I am going to be her squire. Since she decided on a German nationality for her persona, I decided to make a middle class German outfit for myself.

I made my costume using Katafalk's Trossfrau tutorial and pattern, including non-period use of steel bones in the front for lacing. Since I didn't have any fabric that would be appropriate for a mock-up, I altered the bodice to my measurements and then cut it with 3/4 inch seam allowances. I planned to use the extra for any changes that might be needed, but luckily the bodice fit in one go.

The fabric is a purple wool I got for $5 or $6 a yard a couple of years ago. The guards are black wool and the lining is linen. I cheated and machine sewed the thing, except for stitching down seam allowances, attaching the guards, making the lacing strips, and attaching the skirt.

The shift is one I made three years ago from a medium weight linen.

Please ignore the face I'm making, I'm looking into the sun and my cat cannot be trusted.

The skirt is two widths of fabric carriage pleated to the bodice so it gives me a nice hip flair. I had wanted to do three widths, but I ran out of fabric.

The skirt has a single guard near the bottom, and I plan to add a second, narrower guard above it. My only problem with the dress is that since the front of the bodice has a slight point to it, the skirt is slightly too long in the front since I didn't take that into account. Also I made my lacing strips and bones a bit too long, so I could only fold up the bottom seam allowance 1/4 of an inch instead of a 1/2. That really doesn't make much of a difference, but it was annoying.

All in all I love it. It gives me a good shape, is super comfortable, and I don't feel restricted in any way. Photos of my knight will be posted later, as her outfit qualifies for the Historical Sew Monthly challenge.

Thou Shall Not Tempt The Sewing Gods

I haven't really been posting much lately, but this is not due to a lack of sewing; in fact, just the opposite. I've been sewing so much I haven't had much opportunity to take photos of the finished projects. Remember how I posted my plans for 2015, and since I didn't have a lot planned I was going to relax into it and add more as the desire struck me? That is to be considered 'tempting the sewing gods' and I will never do it again.

So a few weeks ago my friend Samifer (still keeping with the names from last year's costumes), told me that a school in L.A. is holding a Renaissance event and that she is the only jouster in a few counties that is willing and able to do a horse demonstration. They already have the insurance and licensing, but for the event she is going to need a Renaissance outfit. And also she wants me to be her squire and I'm going to need an outfit too. The event is the first week of March.

Since she is getting certified with the SCA and plans on having a persona and doing events, I didn't want to make a throw together outfit that she'll wear once and then never again. I wanted the pieces to be simple items that can to added to and become pieces of her Renaissance wardrobe. Which means we have to decide on a nationality. After a long look into different areas, their costumes and ease of wear, and other such things, she decided on German.

I made her a simple shift, with a little bit of decoration at the neckline, a sleeveless doublet (which will have tie on sleeves later), and I'm currently working on wool breeches. For myself I made a middle class dress, and plan on wearing a shift I made a couple of years ago.

Plus I'm still working on my 1915 outfit. I drafted the skirt pattern and made a mock-up out of stiff muslin. The actual skirt is going to have a nifty overlap-and-button bit, but I left it off of the mock-up and instead added a ruffle and some lace for a petticoat. It isn't finished yet, since I'm going to need a corset cover and am planning on making it all in one with the petticoat. Photos will hopefully be coming soon, but for now I have to get back to my sewing machine.

Important

Attention:

This post is being written on my brand new laptop, a Toshiba Chromebook 2.

That is all