Afternoon Petticoat and Rump

Funny how some things really start to go together quickly after you've made similar projects. Today, I managed to cut out and complete the false rump and petticoat for my Chemise a la Reine. The first try at the rump was HUGE and practically stuck straight out from the back like a bustle. That's probably because the tutorial I found was intended for Elizabethan use instead of 18th century. I managed to cut it down a few times, and I think I have found the gentle sloping 'poof' at the back that I was looking for. It might still be a bit big...I don't know. There's still time to change my mind and make it smaller.The side shot below shows a different angle of the rump, as well as a good shot of the petticoat I made. I used my bolt-o-muslin (best purchase ever!) to make the easiest petticoat ever. I cut 4 lengths 45 inches long, sewed them into a tube, gathered them, and put a waistband on top. There are instructions on how I made them here. I'm not going to hem the petticoat until I finish the dress. I want to make sure that I'm happy with the size of the rump under the dress before hemming anything. Full steam ahead - I'm cutting out my dress next!!

Chemise a La Reine Gameplan

Here is my inspiration for my next project. This is going to have to be one of the quickest ensembles I've ever put together. I'm going to the "Under The Redcoats" event in historic Williamsburg in a week and a half. In that time, I need to make a false rump, a petticoat, the dress, sash, and my Gainsborough hat. The good news is I have most of the supplies I need, and sewing is already underway.

Here's the pattern I will be using, and below is the beautiful sheer voile I found at Dharma trading co. I'm amazed at how finely woven it is!

This pretty blue taffeta will be the sash and bows for the decor on both the Chemise and the hat. The black silk taffeta will be the hat covering and lining.

Here is my hat inspiration. This is Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, painted by Gainsborough (yes, that's why the hats are called 'Gainsborough' hats). There's a movie coming out about her in August starting Kiera Knightly...most know for her infamous menage-a-trois living arrangement. Fascinating historical person who directly imported the Chemise a la Reine from France (she was friends with Marie Antoinette), and also happens to be a direct ancestor of the late Princess Diana.
And here is the hat pattern. I've never made a hat, so this should be an interesting project (hold your breath that all goes well). It might not be done before next weekend. The millinery wire I need is stuck in the mail (tornadoes and such in the middle of the country are causing a lot of flight delays). I've already cut out the buckram frame, but can't assemble it any further until the wire arrives. Here's a gist of the shape:

I made this false rump pattern from instructions I found on the internet. Now we'll see how it looks. I always find that bum rolls/false rumps are pretty tricky. They can make you look like a plateau at the waist if you're not careful, and of course, they are supposed to be proportional to your body (the smaller you are, the larger the rump...the larger you are, the smaller the rump). It's almost a science trying to find the right rump to body ratio. We'll see how that goes.

Gravity Suspended

I have completed my regency chemise and corset. I think the chemise is one of the finest items I've made the date. By this, I don't mean my favorite, I just mean that it is high quality fabric that was painstakingly put together until I don't think there's a thing I would have done differently. The fit is perfect, and the drawstring neckline is really going to come in handy with some of my outfits.Next up: the completed Regency short stays (ie corset). As usual, I had fitting issues in the bust area. I even used the gusset inserts for my bra size, the but the cups were left bulging out from the corset. I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture of it. They pointed straight out like a Madonna corset gone all wrong. I solved the problem by running a drawstring along the neckline of corset, and drawing the excess fabric up (I'm not saying the cups were too big...in fact they were too small...I'm saying the cleavage was going everywhere except where they were supposed to). So the fit isn't perfect...the gussets shouldn't be gathered up like that, but it works. I'm now have bodice-busting Regency cleavage. Oh my.
The back of the corset really has an amazing fit - like a glove! If I can only covert the fit of the back of this corset to the longer Mantua Maker Regency stays, fix the shoulder straps (again...worked nicely on this pattern, but not at all on the long corset), and then add a neckline drawstring, perhaps I can finally fix my long Regency Stays.

Regency Corset

The nice thing about sewing, is that eventually you start to build up a nice stockpile of extra fabric. Thanks to my corset stash, I realized that I actually had everything I needed to make the regency short corset included in the Simplicity Pattern.Here are my selected fabrics for the corset: A white cotton coutil for the outer layer of the corset (leftover from my full Regency Corset), a stiff cotton duck for the interlining (leftover from my 18th century stays), and white cotton from my bolt-o-muslin for the lining.Here are the pattern pieces all cut out. It was surprising how little fabric this corset required. Despite the three layers, the corset is only designed to come to just under the bust: I like to think of it as a cross between a corset and a Wonder Bra.Here are all three layers of the corset, assembled and ready to be sewn together. That was plenty for one night, so the assembling, finishing with bias tape, eyelets, and boning will wait for another night.
As usual with this style of corset, the bust gussets were the most labor intensive part of the activity. Each layer had 4 gussets that needed to be inserted into the corset. The gussets can be very fussy, and they like to wiggle around as you try and sew them in place. I got a bit of a gusset factory line set up, which helped speed the process along.Here's what the outer layer looks like on it's own. This picture is a bit pink, but the corset is actually white. I didn't realize it when I took this shot, but the corset kind of has a bit of a Madonna/Material Girl look to it from this angle. That isn't what it will look like when it is done.

Regency Chemise

We're finally pretty much moved into our new place, and I caught the sewing bug this weekend. I had the Simplicity Regency Underthings pattern, courtesy of JoAnne's .99 cent pattern sale, and I also had some batiste fabric I picked up at the Fort Frederick Sutler's event. So...The pattern went together surprisingly quickly. Frankly, I thought I'd just get it cut out, but instead I'm almost finished. Check out how nicely the sleeve gussets went in:I've done a project with sleeve gussets before (check out my Tudor Chemise) but it was a bit of a disaster. I couldn't figure out how to make all the flat-felled seams work out around the diamond the gusset forms. Luckily, with a bit of patience and meticulous ironing, this one turned out great! See how neat and tidy my seams are?
The only thing that kept me from finishing is that I don't have any single fold bias tape. I even hemmed the sleeves and bottom already. I thought for sure I'd have some bias tape lying around in my notions box, but no such luck. As soon as I get the tape all that's left to do is sew it around the neckline and then thread a cord through the casing it will form. Then I can lace up the neckline to the exactly the right spot, and voila! One Regency chemise (which will also double quite nicely for my 18th century outfits...no more cheating by wearing tanks under my corset).

I now am highly motivated to get my Regency gowns and undies finished, because I have an event to go to! Gatsby's Tavern is hosting a Jane Austen Ball in August, and I fully intend to be there sporting a fabulous Regency ball gown.

Costume Con 2008

I wish I could say that I was able to attend Costume Con in San Jose, California, but it didn't happen. However, Kendra of Demode (my favorite costume website) DID attend, and was in the group that won best in show. She and a group of her friends dressed up as the ladies in this famous portrait of Empress Eugenie of France and her ladies in waiting:Check out their YouTube presentation here. Simply amazing. This is exactly the kind of thing I would love to do. I just wish I had a readily available group of historical costumers. Clearly, I need to move to the Greater Bay Area and join their guild.

The good news is I just might have a chance to meet some of the ladies from GBACG next year, because Costume Con 2009 is going to be held in Baltimore, MD. WOHOOOOO!!!! I finally have a shot at attending THE costuming event of the year, and meeting some people who share my quirky hobby. Now I just need to find a friend to drag along so I don't go all shy since I don't know anyone there. I definitely not taking part in the historical competition my first time around. I feel like you really need to go see what's expected before putting yourself up on stage. Still, there will be plenty of other competitions, workshops, socials, and balls to go around. Plus, what a fun and exciting theme: Vampires, Villains, and Vixens. So...who wants to go with me??

Fort Frederick 18 Century Market

I'm still waiting on my sewing stuff to show up, but my husband was really great and packed an outfit for me when I heard about the Fort Frederick 18th century fair. That was a really funny international call - my poor husband overseas, digging through my costume bins, trying to figure out what on earth I meant by 'curacao.' He did a beautiful job, and I had everything I needed to be period from head to toe (I got to wear my new silk stockings, silk kerchief, and shoes).
I was happy that everything still fit. I haven't worn it since I sewed it way back in 2004. It was about time this costume had an outing! I love the picture (above) that shows off how I'm wearing my hat turned up.
My friend Missy from college came with me to the fair (along with poor Dave who was a very good sport the entire day...though we did find some powder horns and bows that struck his interest). It turns out that Missy is a big history buff, and a blossoming period fashion enthusiast (I think her preferred eras are medieval and civil war). It was wonderful to have someone with me to ooh and aah over the craftsmanship that we saw.
The fair was an enormous gathering of 18th century vendors, known as 'sutlers.' It was hosted on the grounds of Fort Frederick. The Fort was open, and we really intended to see the fort as well, but frankly there were so many tents to see that we didn't get a chance. There were some amazing dresses, accessories, fabrics, and patterns. It was a bit overwhelming at times. Above, I'm admiring hand quilted petticoats and pockets.
The really neat event of the day was meeting the Silly Sisters. I have admired their work and website for many years. I always look at websites when I'm looking for ideas, and they always had wonderful 18th century clothing. I was standing in line for drinks when I noticed the amazing quality and workmanship of the woman's gown, in line ahead of me. I told her how wonderful it was, and asked if she had made it. It turned out she was one of the Silly Sisters. I promptly tracked down their tent so that I could be photographed with both of the sisters. There business was hopping, but they were very kind and even answered a few questions I had about costuming for business instead of pleasure.
Finally, I just had to put up a few of the neat things we saw during the day. There were quite a few little ones in costume (one as young as three months). It was adorable seeing them toddle around in their long gowns, but I thought this shot was priceless. What a neat way to ride around and keep the sun off.
This woman was selling pottery, but it was her spinning that drew us to her tent. She was spinning a very fine grey wool, and then showed us a finished pair of thick wool socks she had made from the yarn. She had a partially knitted pair of socks sitting next to her as well. There's something very soothing about sitting and watching spinning.

I managed, for the most part, to contain myself and avoid purchasing everything is site (no easy feat...a lot of the period organdy coifs were very tempting). I came home with a pattern I'd been looking for (wohoo...no shipping charges), enough batiste to make my regency chemise, and a clasp for my black cloak. Our stuff arrives this week, so once we sort out the chaos, hopefully there will be some sewing to show.

2008 Costume Planning

I've been doing some long term thinking about how I would like to add to my costume wardrobe this year and further in the future. Regency is obviously first on the list because that's what I'm currently working on. I thought an overdress would be nice to add some color to the plain white day dress I'm going to make:When the dresses are done, I would like to make a Spencer jacket. I already have a regency straw bonnet waiting to be covered with fabric and have ribbon added on.Next, I would like to move on to my late Tudor gown. I have already purchased the fabric, and researched the French kirtle and gown in the newly released Tudor Tailor. You might remember that I had already purchased a pattern for my Tudor gown, but the fit was all wrong (five inches too big on each side up top, and a 2 inch gap at the waist...makes no sense given how large chested I am). I had lofty ideas of trying to draft a pattern from the Tudor Tailor graphs, but having no pattern drafting experience whatsoever I thought this might not be a good idea. So, I'm hoping a birthday present from London will rescue my efforts. It would be great to have this done in time for the Maryland Renaissance festival in the fall.I have plenty of silk for a Civil Way visiting dress, so I think that should be my next project. I haven't decided for sure on which pattern I will use, but I'm leaning towards this one:Vague notions for beyond 2008:I was thinking I should make a new set of 18 century stays. I was never pleased with the way my strapless set turned out, and I like the Reconstructing history pattern.Next up is a Robe Anglaise. I'm having a love affair with the 18th century, probably fueled by the costumes in Marie Antoinette, but also because they tend to flatter my figure. I also have a place to wear them since I live near Williamsburg.I would like to make a chemise gown from the 18th century, also known as a Gaulle or a Chemise a la Reine.I might make a riding/hunting gown in red or hunter green wool or velvet. I've always loved this style since I saw Dangerous Liaisons and The Brotherhood of the Wolf. It would be better for outdoor events. I always worry about trudging around outside in my silk gown.

In the much more distant future, I hope to move into Venetian and Italian Renaissance dresses (I've got to learn how to draft patterns before launching into that), medieval dresses, and bustle dresses. The bustle era is actually my favorite. My reasoning for putting it off is I want to hone my sewing skills before making my dream gowns.

Regency Underthings

It's been too long since I've had anything to blog about. It's certainly not because I haven't had an interest in sewing. Since my last update, my husband and I have relocated twice (both moves were international moves. My sewing machine and projects can't exactly come on the plane with me when I'm limited to 50 lbs of luggage for the 3 months it takes for our stuff to catch up with us, so I have been missing my favorite hobby. It's given me lots of time to plan and think ahead.

I'm now back in the US...waiting still on my sewing supplies to arrive. I'll then have to figure out how I'm going to set up my sewing area and get everything organized before I can start sewing. I'm thrilled, though, that for the first time in about three years I can just pop out to my local sewing store if I run out of something, instead of having to wait three weeks while I order it online. My favorite fabric store is even nearby. Yay!!

So here are my current costuming priorities:

#1. Fix my regency corset. It's still not quite right. Thank you to Jessamyn of the Regency Costume Companion for her helpful suggestions on how I might correct the fit. I was thrilled to see that she had visited my site - I have consulted her website many times while researching the Regency Era. She suggests that I turn the corset straps to an angle so they will not cut into my shoulders, and will stay put a bit better. I'll give that a try and see what happens.

#2. Given how rigid the long regency corset is, I'm going to try a short version of Regency Stays as a back up. Simplicity had it's annual .99 cent sale, and I snagged their Regency undergarments pattern.Since the pattern comes with a chemise, I'll go ahead and make it up, along with the bodiced petticoat, and then move on to the two dresses I would like to make. I have a friend who really wants a regency outfit for Jane Austin outings, so this will all be good practice for her gowns.

Finished Corset

The corset is all finished! When we left off, I was sewing in boning channels. Here's a picture of me inserting the boning:
And next I pinned on the binding to finish the corset's edges:

Next came marking the eyelet holes with washable ink:Then I used an awl to make eyelet holes:And then I sewed eyelets by hand for hours and hours. About six hours if I add up the movies I was watching in the background (Casino Royal, Harry Potter, and Memoirs of a Geisha). Thank goodness for the three day weekend!So here's the final product. The neckline is definitely doing what it's supposed to do:The fit is much better, though it's still not perfect. I can't figure out exactly what's wrong, but the bust line isn't fitting quite right, and the shoulder straps are too big or set too far out (you can see that they're wanting to inch to the left off my shoulders in the picture below). I'm not quite sure how to fix that.
Overall a pretty good fit. I hope it looks accurate underneath a regency gown. I'm concerned about the corset line on the bust showing through the gown, and what those straps are going to do...

Maybe the bodiced petticoat will resolve these issues. The only way to find out is to make up the petticoat!

Saved by Fabric Surplus!

My regency corset project continues thanks to an extra yard of cotton coutil in my fabric bin. I honestly have no idea where it came from. It must have been extra from another corset kit.

So, I've started the Corset over again, this time one size up. I think I've finally gotten the hang of putting in the gussets. I guess the first one was kind of like the rough draft (I know, I know, that's what the mock-up is supposed to be...but this project took two rough drafts).
I toyed with adding an additional hip or front stomach gusset, but in the end I felt that it wouldn't be needed. If the gussets made the corset too big at the hips it would be ruined. I can always go back and add a gusset later if I still need one (though it would really be a nuisance!).
The picture above shows the corset lining (in the front) and the outer corset (in the back) before I sewed them together. All of the bust and hip gussets seem to be lining up nicely. The gussets were an issue with the first version and I wound up having to reinsert most of the gussets. Here's the assembled lining and shell pinned together. Now I'm reinforcing the corset's seams using a technique known as 'stitching the ditch.' You sew the lining and the shell together by carefully stitching though all the layers along the seams. Here's an illustration:
Up next is adding the boning channels. Then come the dreaded hand-bound eyelets.

Alterations and Frustrations

The Regency Corset has been advancing at a fast pace. I tried on the lining one last time and decided that the bust gussets needed to be lengthened because the bottoms of the gussets did not reach the bottom of my bust. I ripped out the old gusset panels, drafted a new longer version of the gussets, cut deeper into the corset, and sewed in the new panels. The old gusset is on the right compared with the new longer gusset shown below. I'm pretty proud of this alteration, and the lining fits much better now:So the next step was to repeat the process with the satin coutil, sew the lining and satin coutil together, sew in boning channels, insert the boning, bind the raw edges of the corset, and finally comes the painstaking hand sewing of the lacing eyelets. It took me about three days to accomplish these steps (sorry...I didn't take pictures of this phase...I was excited to finish).

As soon as the last eyelet was finished, I begged Dave to lace me into the corset. The picture is horribly unflattering, but here was the final result (Check out Captain Picard in the background):
It may not be as visible from the front, but from the back it's clear that after all my careful fitting, the darned thing is one size too small. Regency corsets are designed to have a wider gap in the back...but my gap was a few inches beyond the intended gap. You can also tell if you look at the shoulder straps which are cutting into my shoulders because they're too far forward. On a more positive note, at least you can tell that the corset is doing what it was intended to do.
Although my bust line was rather...frightening.
Resewing the seams to try and size the corset up isn't a great option. I had a very small seam allowance to begin with, and the corset really needs to go up an entire size. I have enough satin coutil to sew a second corset, but I'll need more cotton coutil. I'll reuse the busk and boning. I plan to raid my fabric supply and make sure I don't have enough coutil from an old project laying around, and if not I'll have to reorder.