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

HSF '14 challenge #16: Calico and a Pocket-Handkerchief

Ticket to the Twenties is coming up at the end of the month. It's a 20's festival at the Workman Temple Homestead Museum with a live band, vendors, tours, and (you guessed it) picnicking in funny clothes. I don't dabble much in 1920's fashion, since it doesn't particularly flatter me, but then I found this lovely extant dress on ebay for a song:

It reminded me greatly of a 1-hour dress, and after reading about two successes by the fabulous Jen Thompson, I decided to attempt one of my own.

 The dress itself was easy  to pattern, and it went together surprisingly quickly. For this challenge, we had to choose a term from the Dreamstress's Historical Fashion and Textile Encyclopedia and I chose Calico. A raid on my fabric stash yielded a lovely green on yellow print that when paired with a solid collar and cuffs made the ideal end-of-summer frock. 

To accompany it, I chose another term and made a pocket-handkerchief. Cotton embroidery floss on linen, and whipped up in an afternoon

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The Challenge: Terminology

Fabric: Yellow and green cotton calico, green cotton and white linen

Pattern: Dress drafted from an original garment, pocket-handkerchief is a basic square.

Year: Dress 1920's, pocket-handkerchief any.

Notions: Thread, vintage applique, blue embroidery floss,

How historically accurate is it? The dress is machine-sewn, the handkerchief is hand  sewn andembroidered

Hours to complete: The dress took about a week, the handkerchief took 2 hours.

First worn: September 21st

Total cost: $4 for the green cotton, the rest is from my fabric stash