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.

A Few Photos from my Photoshoot

On the 8th three friends of mine, my fantastic photographer/mother and I drove out to Longwood Gardens for a photo shoot. I don't have to many photos ready to show, but they are gorgeous. We got some bizarre looks as we walked in with our hair and makeup all done but in modern day clothes. And I apologise to the few confused people who walked into a bathroom to find some crazy girls lacing corsets and pinning flowers into their hair! It was absolutely wonderful fun, the place was practically empty, and the weather was perfect. I'll show more pictures later, but here are two of me and the best group shot.

Here is my favorite group shot. I made all of the dresses in the last 6 months and they all suited their model perfectly! I love my friends; they are the best. I think this photo looks like the cover of a BBC drama that spans three eras!

"Gap" Regency shoes

I got a pair of Gap leather ballet flats at the beginning of this school year since I have a soft spot for yellow shoes. Unfortunately they always slipped off my feet when I wore them since my feet fall in between two sizes. So although I liked them quite a bit, the obvious thing to do was turn them into regency slippers! 

First I snipped off the purple bows (they weren't particularly attractive).

 Even though the style predates the time I mean my shoe to be from, I had to trim them with a little ruffle.

 I sewed two loops onto each side so to add some ribbons. That solves the shoes coming of my foot!

 They came out a bit crazier than I'd expected, but I still really like them!

Hopefully soon I'll finish my blue silk ball gown circa 1813-1817! I love blue and yellow/gold together, possibly because that is my school uniform and therefor has been ingrained in me for 10 years!

Sew Fortnightly Challenge 1

1813 green velvet spencer

This was my first jacket so I chose an easy pattern to start with, The Sense and Sensibility one. The fabric is a green velvet from my stash and it is lined with black linen also from my stash. I made it during winter break over a few days. I look forward to making more and experimenting with the different styles that were popular then.

This was for the first Sew Fortnightly challenge which had a theme of __13. Any garment with a year that ended in 13. I haven't worn my jacket yet but I'm excited to!

My dresses on show

I never really got a chance to show much of what I've done this year, actually not really anything!

Here are a series of pictures showing an assembly I gave for the Middle School in January and a quick presentation for an art center in May.

Fitting and hair practice in advance

Regency

waiting for the big day

Asking questions (the roman dress's tunic is on backwards)

Answering Questions

1913

Regency

1926

1956

1780s

1780s polonaise with my (Philadelphia Classics Society award winning) Greek dress

B.C.E. Greek, 1780s, and 1952 meets 2012.

A Regency Stroll at Chatsworth

Pictures from the summer of my finished Regency frock at Chatsworth in the Peak district. For those who are unaware, Chatsworth is the home of the Cavendishes/Dukes of Devonshire, It has always been a favorite place of mine because of the history and it is absolutely gorgeous and inspiring to boot.

When I wore it back in June I hadn't yet made the proper undergarments so if you can see a pair of white shorts underneath my dress that's why.