HSF '14 challenge #17

My sewing circle does a hand-made gift exchange for Christmas and I tend to give vouchers for articles of clothing or embroidery in lieu of making something beforehand. This year, I'm making an 1880's evening dress for my friend C.

                                                 

 The silk (from my stash once again) is a warm gold, although it doesn't photograph as such, and I plan to pair it with a chocolate brown bodice and overskirt.

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The Challenge: Yellow

Fabric: Silk Dupioni

Pattern: Truly Victorian 1885 Four-Gore underskirt

Year: 1885

Notions: Thread, bias tape

How historically accurate is it? Machine sewn

Hours to complete: About a week

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: Free

Picnicking while Victorian

Two weeks ago, Mother and I attended a Victorian picnic at Rancho Camulos and miracle of miracles, I actually managed to snap a few pictures!

HSF '13 #7: A Not-Quite-Easter Bonnet.

Well, spring has sprung, Mr. G has survived the opening weekend of Faire, and this fortnight's theme is Tops and Toes, a challenge after my own heart! Not only did I get to make a tall hat to go with my later 1880's gear, but I actually have construction pictures!

I found this old straw hat in the garage and separated the crown from the brim, leaving a little lip so that the modified crown could be sewn back on. 

I made a base for the new crown out of sinamay and started unraveling the crown. After ripping a few rows off it, I left the brim in a sink full of hot water for an hour or two.

While the brim was soaking, I sewed the braid of the crown to the sinamay base. I then reattached the brim, and pinned it into shape overnight. Add some ribbon and flowers, and voila! Instant hat!

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The Challenge: Tops and Toes

Fabric: Um, sinamay?

Pattern: Nope

Year: 1880's

Notions: Thread, ribbon, and flowers

How historically accurate is it? Completely hand sewn

Hours to complete: About a day and a half

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: Free

HSF '14 Challenge #5: Bodice

Greetings one and all from the great state of Washington! In typical fashion, I have no pictures yet, but for now I'm hanging out with my sister and getting licked to death by her extremely affectionate dog.

 A while ago I made myself a bustle dress to wear to a Victorian picnic, and it's become my default ensemble for all such events. I never really liked the original bodice, so this challenge was the perfect excuse to make a new one.

 The pattern is a combination of Truly Victorian patterns 422 and 463, and made of spotted cotton voile. I found the trim pre-pleated at Jo-ann fabrics and accented it with a little blue ribbon. The corsage is for another project.

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The Challenge: Bodice

Fabric: Cotton voile

Pattern: Truly Victorian 422 and 463

Year: 1880's

Notions: Thread, ruffled trim, blue satin ribbon

How historically accurate is it? Both machine and hand sewn

Hours to complete: I wasn't keeping track

First worn: not yet

Total cost: $15

HSF Challenge 22: Masquerade or The Empress of India bodice

I ended up filling three challenges almost by accident. It is a widely known fact among my general acquaintance that I have no free weekends in that nebulous time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Aside from the two major holidays, my mother, Mr. G and I attend the Victorian Grand Ball, a friend's longstanding Christmas party, and lastly the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. We have a lot of fun, but it tends to generate a lot of event-specific sewing. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that for once a few challenges actually meshed with the events I needed to sew for.

I had already made a bodice to wear with challenge #14 and challenge #15 at costume college, but I wasn't really satisfied with it. Fortunately I'm the kind of pack-rat that saves every scrap from previous projects and so I had enough of both fabrics to make a new one.

Here's the original bodice:

And here's the remake! 

I call it my Empress of India gown.

Coincidentally the theme of this Victorian Ball was masquerade as well, and so I felt completely justified in draping this bodice in as much lace and trim as I could while still remaining upright. 

I used a bunch of vintage gold trim that I'd found at Costume College and accented it with a few gold ribbon rosettes and a little lace.

The Challenge: Masquerade

Fabric:  Silk dupioni

Pattern:  Umm... I've had i for so long, I've completely forgotten

Year: 1880's

Notions: Thread, gold ribbon, lace and vintage gold trim

How historically accurate is it? Machine sewn

Hours to complete: Once again, I wasn't keeping count

First worn: November 30th 

Total cost:  $0

HSF Challenge #14 Eastern Influences

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post. Sorry about the radio silence, but between attending Old Ft. MacArthur Days and gearing up for Costume College, I suddenly got very busy very fast. I ended up skipping the last two HSF challenges in order to avoid sewing burnout and to give my hands a break.

Challenge #14 is an 1880's bustle underskirt made of sea foam green silk and is trimmed with a gold sari border leftover from another project.

charmingly modeled by Esca

closeup of the trim

The Challenge: Eastern Influences

Fabric: Silk dupioni and gold sari trim

Pattern: Truly Victorian

Year: 1885-7ish

Notions: Thread. Lots and lots of thread

How historically accurate is it? The skirt is machine sewn, the trim is sewn on by hand

Hours to complete: 20

First worn: Will be worn on august 3rd

Total cost: Don't remember. I've had this silk forever.

For the next challenge I will be making the bodice and overskirt that go with it. Here's a sneak peek of the fabric: