Finished Classical 1912 Dress

So I finished my 1910s classical dress for my Downton Abbey project. But then school started and I had field hockey and no extra time! Hence no pictures or news. So here are a few snaps of the dress, I'll post better photos when I've done a real photo shoot.

This was before I sewed on the skirt or waist band or lace.

I also received the corset materials for my 1912 corset, now I just have to size up the pattern from festive attyre. 

1913 Parisian dress

So I finally finished the red and white "throw it together" dress for my Downton Abbey Project. When I say finished I mean it still has unfinished insides, needs skirt lining, needs to be shortened, and  is currently closed by snaps which pop open whenever you bend over.

  Hmmm.... I'll just stick to "It's done!"



So once again, here is the inspiration image from la Bibliothèque des Arts décoratifs from the lovely blog Diary of a Mantua Maker.

The one on the left is my inspiration dress.   

So here are some photos I took of it last night. (let me just warn you that it was nearly 11 o' clock and I haven't slept well in a week so I was pretty sleepy and I look it! So basically ignore my face.)

Working on the new dress!

In case you couldn't see, the top and straps are embellished with little round garnet beads.

Classical 1913 Evening Gown

I'm in the mood to sew again!

I have drafted, cut, and started sewing a new dress as part of my Downton Abbey project. This one is a jade green with a hint of turquoise silk chiffon. The design is very much inspired by this dress worn by Lady Mary in series one.

By the way I love the back of her hair, it reminds me of a Psyche knot.

Then I used this lovely original pattern from 1912 as inspiration for the design and it gave me an idea for how to draw up the pattern.

 

So first I drafted and sewed up a pattern for the lining (which is black china silk). That seemed to be going well but now I'm not so sure. Anyway, I then drafted a pattern using the synthetic red chiffon left over from my last dress  (which I have yet to properly post about!). Here's what the pattern looked like on my form.

The Front

The Back

The Side

 And here it is in the real fabric.

 Since then I have joined an hemmed the bodice. Next I will put the lining in order and then anchor the chiffon to the lining. In the back I will have the chiffon cross over and snap or hook into place. Underneath buttons on the lining will provide the real closure. So that's my progress so far. 

I plan on styling this with the black jet hair comb I got in Prague and maybe a jet necklace as well.

 

 I think I will gather up the skirt on one side and sew a wide panel of black lace to the underskirt so that will peep out. I will probably use one of these vintage laces from Etsy.

A pink mood

Today's color scheme was rose tinted! First I was so happy to get my mother's old iPhone which is much newer than my old phone and actually works! I am tying this post on my phone, so if the post has a weird layout that's why. Technology blows my mind! My case makes me happy, it is pink and looks like an English rose garden.

Also I am almost finished with my red and ivory 1910s dress, all it needs is a hem. I took some bad phone pictures, but eventually will have a real photo shoot. I'm very pleased with the dress. 

Yay! On a back to school  note I have assembled a few pieces, all slightly pink. I  was given a lovely elephant pattern homework/sports planner by my mother, also I now have a snazzy binder for the papers I assemble as the head of my school's costumes crew! Lastly I picked up an adorable pair of school flats by Tommy Hilfiger on sale at DSW.

I have been on a slight sewing hiatus but that is over now. So expect many exciting updates that are actually history or sewing relevant! (-:

My busy unscheduled week

I have only two full weeks of unscheduled bliss this summer, that is one of them. I have filled my days with sewing, listening to Opera music, watching BBC and ITV programs, and working out. I'm not a huge fan of the summer, (the heat? Ewe!) but I love having free time! During the school year I have practically no free time so I have to make the most of it now! I've been sewing a lot. I made most of a Poiret inspired dress (as usual I stopped before closures and sewing on the sash).

Ignore me in this picture. It will have a grey/green silk velvet sash.

 Then I started another 1910s dress inspired by these fashion drawings.

My dress is completely synthetic because that's what I had in my stash, but I quite like it anywaay. Here's the progress:

The top of the under dress is covered by three tiers of lace. The red bodice and the straps of the red bodice will be embroidered with little red beads. I see the finished product styled with a psyche's knot or something romantic like that.

Then I stopped working on that to start (and almost finish) a little white 1920s dress. I was inspired by a couple of dresses I had seen recently on ebay and etsy. 

I had some beautiful white silk chiffon and some antique lace that I was jut itching to put together. I was inspired by the idea of the English debutante of the 1920s so that is the theme of my dress. After I do all the finishing I plan to do a themed photo shoot for it with a grand staircase and some feathers and pearls! I will also post better pictures of it for the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge "white" because it is white.

This is a really bad picture, it's much more elegant in real life!

A detail of the lace which is really beautiful.

Lastly I was watching Sense and Sensibility from 2008 and I started making an 1790s-1800s open robe in powder blue linen. I re-cut the pattern based off of the Sense and Sensibility one... haha ironic. It went together really smoothly except for the sleeves which fit terribly. Don't laugh, but it's possible that they are on backwards.... that's the way they fit. )-: Hmmm well the sleeves still needs some work and the robe needs closures but that will wait for the robes and robbing challenge for the Historic Sew Fortnightly.

Upcoming Projects (realistic and unrealistic)

I am an ambitious planner and often will organize all the details for a project without ever doing it. Here are the projects I'd like to do in the near future. Let's see how many I actually begin let alone finish! 

1. A 1910s corset; white, ivory, or pale pink with lots of lace and ribbons. I'll need to find some garter hooks and garters as well as make a lacy frothy pair of combinations. 
   
   
   
   
2. Six 1910s evening gowns (I know it sounds both ambitious and unnecessary but I need to outfit about half of a party!) They will all be made to my size and unfortunately most I will not be able to fit over a corset because I will probably be the only one wearing one. Sometimes accuracy must be compromised for practicality. So I have tried to design several so as not to necessarily need a corset. I'm making a harem pant outfit like Sybil's, a few drapey gowns, and one late teens one with lots of silk taffeta ruffles. 
   
   
   
   
3. I would like to make a robe á l'Anglaise in a blue and ivory stripe lined in pale pink worn with a cream petticoat. I was first inspired by a picture I saw at the Villa Ephrussi of a woman in a lovely purple taffeta jacket with oyster colored ribbons and petticoat (which I also want). On her chair is presumably a dress in blue and white stripes that appears to be lined in pale pink. It is so sweet and whimsical and appealing that I got inspired immediately. I was also reminded of the beautiful dress worn by Ducreux in her self portrait with a harp and the blue dress from the beginning of The Duchess that has a surprise lining as well.
   
   
   
   
   

 

4. With my fascination with Oxford and my interest in women's educational History, I was very inspired by the book Bluestockings by Jane Robinson. Therefor I decided I wanted to make an outfit or two of an early female undergraduate at Oxford. Since I've worked so much with the 1920s I wanted to go earlier and I (clearly) have a lot of 1910s on my plate so (though I may still make some 1910s day wear) I decided to try a scholarly outfit from about 1900. A skirt and blouse with a bolero...

That's it for now but who knows what my sewing schedule will actually turn out to be!