HSF challenge #15: The great outdoors...indoors

 Every December, my family visits the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Victorian London is recreated (streets and all) inside San Francisco's Cow Palace, and the sheer volume of people generates a considerable amount of heat. My plan this year is to wear the Bright Copper Penny Dress with it's newly made over-sleeves, and I needed something that will cover the dress's low neckline when I'm out in the "streets" without roasting me alive. 

So I de-stashed some claret colored velvet, bought some spicy green cotton to line it with, and voila!

Claret and spicy green is my favorite winter color combo and luckily, they both go well with the dress. Another plus is that I don't have to make a bonnet to wear with the dress (although I may make one at a later date.)

 It is, I am aware, In desperate need of trim. But I thought I'd wait until a little later in the year to sew it on.

The Challenge: The Great Outdoors

Fabric: Silk velvet, green cotton and cotton batting

Pattern: KayFig 1860 winter hood pattern

Year: 1860

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it? Machine and hand sewn

Hours to complete: About a week

First worn: Not yet, probably to Dickens fair in December

Total cost: $15

Toile! (and a cat)

A bright copper penny, or: HSF challenge #14: Paisley or Plaid

Since I'm not attending Costume College this year (except for a quick turn about the marketplace,) I find myself at leisure to write about my newest challenge entry. I've been working on some non-HSF related projects and given my utter ambivalence towards paisley, there was really only one thing I could do. But first a little back story:

The "Bright Copper Penny Dress" (so nicknamed because my friend saw the fabric and said I'd look like a bright copper penny in it) was originally made to wear to my reenactment group's Hogmanay celebration earlier this year. I trimmed it with lace and piping and added a pair of sheer silk under-sleeves, which work well for evenings, but I wanted to wear the dress to day events as well.

I had bought the last four yards on the roll and I didn't have enough for a separate day bodice, but fortunately I came across some extant 1850's convertible dresses in my ramblings on pinterest. I adore the idea that with a pair of detachable sleeves and a pelerine you can go from day to evening with the greatest of ease, To my astonishment and very good luck, there was just enough left of this beautiful silk to make a pair of over-sleeves:

                            They'll eventually be basted in under the cap sleeve of the bodice, although I've also seen versions that tie.

                                                                          The lining

                      The sleeve is piped around the edge with brown cotton bias piping.

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The Challenge: Paisley or Plaid

Fabric: Plaid silk dupioni, cranberry cotton

Pattern: Drafted by me

Year: Late 1850's

Notions: Thread, bias piping, green buttons, cranberry bias tape

How historically accurate is it? Machine and hand sewn

Hours to complete: about a day

First worn: Not yet, probably in December

Total cost: ??

The cutest little hotel in Petaluma

Recently, Mom and I had cause to travel up to Northern California. In a fit of whimsy, she eschewed our usual defaults (i.e. Motel 6 or Days Inn) and booked us into the very lovely, very french Metro Hotel.

       The hotel is a renovated Victorian house, decorated with french furniture and memorabilia.

I am an admirer of puppetry in all it's many forms, so I was delighted to see this lovely vintage puppet theater hanging on the wall with what appeared to be it's original puppets and a lovely mural painted on the front.

                  If you want, you can even stay in a vintage Airstream trailer!

Here's our room. The walls were a cool lavender, (although the photos I took made it look a little grey) and while it's very compact, it had nice high ceilings so it didn't feel cramped

I now want this pink claw foot bathtub

                                             Yes, that is in fact a lamp shaped like a goose.

The hotel also has a breakfast area with coffee, tea and pastries for the guests. 

My Mom took this picture, She said I looked "very french"

                                       All in all, a great place to visit if you're in Petaluma

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

HSF '14 challenge #12: Shape and Support

This entry, along with the last one, got scaled down so I could work on my mother's bustle dress, and just like the suffragette cockade, I'm not planning to wear it any time soon. I may eventually make something that requires it, but for now my regular bustle suits my needs quite well.

The bustle pad is made of striped cotton and poly batting and it didn't cost me a dime (hurrah for decreasing the fabric stash!). 

I apologize for the low quality of the photo (and that there's only one) but it turns out that it's pretty hard to take a photo of something on the floor with a front facing camera. 

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The Challenge: Shape and Support

Fabric: Cotton

Pattern: Um, No.

Year: 1878-ish

Notions: Thread and poly batting

How historically accurate is it? Poly batting, so probably not very

Hours to complete: 1

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: Free

Another dress for Mother

I mentioned in my last post that I'd spent most of the previous challenge making a new bustle dress for my Mom. She wore it to the Victorian Day at Los Encinos Adobe, and had a ball. 

Unfortunately, I didn't take any detail shots before the rear camera on my tablet decided to die (again) so I only have these full views. The Fabric is white cotton with a navy woven stripe and it's accented with blue moire ribbon. The bonnet is actually a 20's-style straw cloche cleverly trimmed with more blue ribbon (and I will eventually want it back, Mom.)

Mom and Mr. G

    The Adobe holds events like this a few times a year and we bring lunch and picnic on the lawn. There's a blacksmith, demonstrations, period games, and this year there was a medicine show and a band.
                                   

Some of my friends from my reenactment group came too. Does the dress on the right look familiar? *wink*
                                     

All in all, a lovely afternoon! 

Next post: Another challenge entry