Dressing an Apollo's Knot: HSM 2017 Challenge #6: Metallics

I love historical hairstyles. Which is a shame, because my hair is of the super thin and fine variety that will only cooperate if a gallon of Lottabody is involved. It's especially difficult to do 1830's hairstyles because even if I had the long hair to do an Apollo's knot, I just wouldn't have enough of it. Fortunately, I learned to make my own hairpieces!

This month's entry is an ornament for my Apollo's Knot hairpiece. The bow is sheer wired ribbon and I made the center piece out of wheat sheaves that I painted gold and faux pearls.

Here's the hairpiece:

                                               And here's the ornament on the hairpiece:

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The Challenge: Metallics

Material: Wheat ears and pearls

Pattern: No

Year: 1830's

Notions: Thread, Wire and gold paint

How historically accurate is it? No clue

Hours to complete: 5

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: $0

Back from hiatus with a new HSM challenge #1:Firsts and Lasts

Well, that was unexpected...

I didn't expect to be away for so long, but the last two years have been pretty uneven and this blog just kind of fell by the wayside. But now that I have some spare time, what better way to pick it up again than with a new challenge.

This was supposed to be the finishing touch on a previous dress, but life got in the way. As it stands, it'll be a great addition to most of the dresses I own.

The Challenge: Firsts and Lasts

Material: Lilac Picot Ribbon and artificial flowers

Pattern: Um, no.

Year: 1830's to 1860's

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it? Handsewn

Hours to complete: 1-2 hours

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: Free

Borrowed and Blue: HSF'14 challenge #18

As I was scouring historical poetry for suitable material for this challenge, this age-old ditty popped into my head:
                                                      Something old, something new,
                                                      Something borrowed, something blue,
                                                      And a silver sixpence in her shoe

It's not likely that I'll ever be a bride, but I was wearing my white dress from challenge #10 to an event and it was in need of a sash.

The ribbon is graciously loaned from my mother's bustle dress and hat, on the understanding that I will eventually give it back. It compliments the fabric of my dress perfectly.

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The Challenge: Poetry in motion

Fabric: Um, no.

Pattern: Nope

Year: 1830's

Notions: Blue satin ribbon

How historically accurate is it? Completely hand sewn

Hours to complete: 2

First worn: September 27th

Total cost: Free

The best things in life are free, or HSF challenge #13

It's amazing how a new gadget can inspire a new accessory. I now own a Samsung Galaxy S II, which means I don't have to lug my tablet around with me to every event anymore! Since the S II was so small, I found myself in need of a smaller bag.

A friend gifted me with a piece of grey silk with just a hint of lavender. There wasn't much (under a yard) and so it sat in my fabric pile until today. I used this Three Sided Reticule pattern from the American Girl's Book, with a little modification.

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The Challenge: Under $10

Fabric: Grey silk dupioni

Pattern: Three sided reticule pattern by American Girl's Book

Year: 1830's

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it? Machine sewn

Hours to complete: About 1 day

First worn: Not yet, maybe in December

Total cost: Free

The little black dress of the romantic era, or HSF challenge #10: Art

For this fortnight's challenge (Art) I wanted something that a) was simple, b) would work for several different occasions, and c) was made from material from my fabric stash. And happily, I managed to do all three. 

I decided to sew something I've seen in a fair amount of romantic era portraiture: The diaphanous white dress. 

Usually gathered, usually sheer, this particular style of gown can be dressed up or down with accessories and works for almost all of the romantic era.

My version is made of the same sheer silk as my mother's day cap ( I bought a lot of it and I've been working my way through it.) and it's lined with ribbed cotton organdy.

Inside the bodice

                                    The outside of the bodice just before the sleeves went on

                                                             The skirt before gathering

                                         What the stripes look like in front of  a solid color

                                                           A sleeve before assembly

                                                            And Esca, helpful as ever...

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The Challenge: Art

Fabric: Striped silk and ribbed cotton organdy

Pattern: Self drafted

Year: 1830's

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it? Machine and hand sewn

Hours to complete: Wasn't really keeping track

First worn: Not yet

Total cost:  Free

HSF '14 challenge #2 Innovations

This challenge, like the last, coincides with my reenactment group's Hogmanay celebration, the theme of which is "mad for plaid" and my mother has an 1830's gown made of plaid taffeta that she plans to wear. Mom wears her hair in a very short bob and while she can wear a cap and bonnet for daytime events, styling her hair for evening events is a little problematic. With this in mind, I decided to sew her a turban to match her dress.

I was inspired by these examples after reading Lynn McMasters' article and used her wonderful tutorial.  Since the turban is sewn to a band, my mother will be able to slip it quickly and easily on to her head without having to wrap it.

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The Challenge:  Innovations

Fabric:  Plaid taffeta

Pattern:   Um, not really...

Year:   1830's

Notions:  Thread, buckram, millinery wire and an ostrich feather

How historically accurate is it?  Sewn by hand

Hours to complete:   Half a week

First worn:   will be worn on February 1st.

Total cost:   $0

HSF challenge #24: Re-Do

Earlier in the year I decided to make my mother a dress and two weeks before Victorian Ball I finally got to pick it up again!

For the literature challenge in May, I chose Hyacinth Kirkpatrick from Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. The gown is made from a purple/silver silk sari found on Ebay with over-sleeves of black silk organza. I ran out of the purple sari fabric, so the under-sleeves are made of a gray silk dupioni.

"...and it was her taste, more than any depth of feeling, that had made her persevere in wearing all the delicate tints — the violets and grays — which, with a certain admixture of black, constitute half-mourning. This style of becoming dress she was supposed to wear in memory of Mr. Kirkpatrick; in reality because it was both lady-like and economical."

My mother loved it so much she wore it to Dickens Fair

With each post or photo be sure to tell us:

The Challenge:  Re-do

Fabric:  Silk sari, silk dupioni, silk organza

Pattern:  Truly Victorian romantic era gown

Year:  1830's

Notions:  Thread

How historically accurate is it?  Machine sewn

Hours to complete:  Two weeks

First worn:  November 30th

Total cost:  ??

HSF challenge #17: the lumberjack dressing gown

I got this challenge entry done by it's deadline, but between altering a friend's bridesmaid dress and making a dress for a neighbor, I haven't had much opportunity to post.

I'm not too fond of this dressing gown, to be honest. My original plan was to make a banyan for Mr. G, but he was unable to find any suitable fabric in time and so I had to improvise. This is bare bones, seat-of-pants, last minute stuff made from what I had closest to hand at the time and it shows. When I first looked through my stash, it seemed as though all the fabrics I had planned to use either had insufficient yardage or were in hiding, so I was left with seven yards of red gingham homespun that makes me look like a lumberjack. 

Here's the back. Along with the annoying-as-hell-to-hem collar.

I will not lie, this thing is probably going to be buried in the back of my closet and never see the light of day again.

The Challenge:  Robes and Robings

Fabric:  Red gingham homespun

Pattern:  Period Impressions 1837 robe front day dress

Year:  1837

Notions: Thread and lace

How historically accurate is it?  Machine sewn, so not very

Hours to complete:  20

First worn: Never, and likely to stay that way.

Total cost: My sanity and dignity.

The "Mother" of all dresses and why I hate toiles so very, very much.

The current challenge is literature, and when it was announced I was stoked. I had a million ideas of what I wanted to do from all of my favorite historical books. I thought the hardest part would be narrowing down my decision to just one dress from just one novel.
I settled on Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. My initial idea was to make Molly's gaudy "over-smart" plaid silk dress, but I realized that there was another member of my household who was also in need of new clothes: My mother.
When I got my new corset, Mom got one too and as a result, none of her old costumes fit properly over it. I got the bright idea to make her a dress and she graciously agreed.
In the book, Hyacinth Kirkpatrick, who is in the later stages of mourning for her husband, is described as looking very good in lilac, violet, lavender and grey, and continues to wear her half-mourning garb as a way of saving money. My mother's fabric stash yielded up the perfect offering

The piece is a grayish-lavender silk/cotton sari with silver trim that I gifted Mom for Christmas last year. I found it on Ebay (big surprise). As you can see Esca is helping to make it a costume.

                                                             
                                                                Closeup of the border.

The greatest challenge I have faced so far is fitting the bodice toile. The pattern I chose originally was Period Impressions 1830's Day Dress and Pelerine, but the pieces didn't match up which made fitting it impossible, so back to the drawing board went I. It seems that most of my time nowadays is consumed by the making of toiles. I have no problem fitting them, but I do so hate cutting them out as only available space for laying out fabric is our living room floor and it all that time on my hands and knees has done little for my back. I have high hopes for the next toile though. Good ol' Truly Victorian, you rarely let me down!

Next post: The saga of the Hyacinth dress continues