Halloween came and went, still no trick or treaters this year.  Oh well more candy for me to snack on.  For the past three years I've been trying to make an 18th century style costume and have failed every time, but not this year.  I managed something I'd say is reasonable in less than a week.  It's nothing fancy and was a good way to reduce the amount of fabric in my room by a bit.  It also got me interested in doing more pieces from this era as well as creating a few new ideas for sewing methods.

( Read more... )

( more photos )

Tags: 18th c.: claire fraser, 18th c.: quilted petticoat
Current Location: United States, California, Sonora
Current Mood: accomplished

I changed my mind about Halloween.  I want to do 18th century, just like I failed at last year.  I'm shooting for an outfit that Claire Fraser in the Outlander series could have worn.  Should be fun and I'll have an excuse to wear my quilted petticoat ;)

So after two hours of work I have fixed J.P Ryan's strapless stays pattern.  I had to extend the length by 3" to give myself some room to get the right length going.  I also extended the width below the waist by 3" all the way around.  I've got lots of extra room and I think it should work this time.  So I have a working model now and am off to get some cable ties quite shortly.

Tags: 18th c.: claire fraser, 18th c.: strapless stays

It's been so long since I've done anything in French.  Back last fall when I was still planning to go immediately to grad school I bought a workbook to refresh my French skills.  I never even opened it.  When I was at my mom's this weekend I did.  There was not much else to do, no thread there or scissors that worked so I couldn't sew, no internet, and I felt guilty for watching nearly an entire season of SG-1 in a day so I turned off the tv set.  It was marvelous.  C'est magnifique.  Oh how I missed it...more to come on that.

So I get back to SF and it starts pouring rain.  Icky.  Especially when it's cold and my space heater is in Sonora, three hours away.  Not to mention the pilot light on our apartment heater is out.  No heat unless I go on a mad baking frenzy and use the oven.  Okay that all works.  My mom sent me back with home grown apples from my grandfather's orchard.  I'm gonna make me some apple crisp today and enjoy it's yumminess.   mmmmm.

Also when I was in Sonora I set about finding one of the millions of corsets I attempted to make in pursuit of the effigy stays.  I really do want a corset based on that that fits properly.  So I started drafting up some stuff.  I'm going to work on that today I think and if it stops raining long enough maybe I'll get out to buy fabric for it.  Although I have plenty at my mom's I could use and I'm going there this weekend.  I've also decided that I want a few other styles of corsets.  Damn you Vala Mal Doran and your sexy leather outfits...

So yea it will be a sewing, baking, and SG-1 type of day today with a bit of French thrown in there for fun.

Current Mood: cold

I've gotten a lot more serious about SCA recently.  Now that all I will have to deal with in my life is work and no classes and homework to deal with I have plenty of time.  Because of this I've been exploring a bit online lately for what I want to do: 16th century, Norman, Viking, 14th century.  I really can't decide.

As of now I'm thinking I want my name to be Clara, it's cited in various forms in all the periods I'm interested, except the 16th century.  I couldn't find it used in the databases on St Gabriel's in that period, but I was thinking that I didn't want to do 16th century for this anyway.

I guess I'll continue to look around and maybe I'll stop being so damn indecisive.

As for Osiris, it's completely changed into something different.  I haven't touched the green portion of the dress.  I've been playing with the gold underdress and it's become remarkably Italian in style and feel.  Why does that always happen?  I should have the sleeves up and running today and be able to get some self-done photos of rather low quality of the gown as it stands now.  I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time on silly bits to something that started as a Halloween costume.  For instance, I spent like three hours the other day cutting the scraps into 1" wide by like 4" long strips, only to fold them into liek 1/4" wide ties and am currently hand sewing them onto the sleeves.  I was also thinking of making use of the gold beads I have and decorating the sleeves a bit more before I finally line them.

There's not much else I have to do these days though.  I have no bus pass and no real desire to go about SF.  I've got a horrible allergy/head cold thing and itchy red eyes.  Oh yeah and I have no money so I've been avoiding going out.  I might try boxing a few things today for my move, but yeah more Stargate and sewing it looks like.

Tags: 16th c.: osiris gown, sca
Current Mood: amused

I have a question for you, what do you think of this statement:

It's from a friend of mine from SFSU's history program regarding this photo, credit goes to my friend Rebekah Hays for the photography and myself for the gown obviously:


I can't say that I agree with it and I was wondering what y'all thought about it...It seems to me that her statement is entirely rooted in a 21st century conception of clothing and the ease of wearing them.  For a person who has never been laced into stays for her whole life, allowed to wear jeans instead of skirts, and who is totally unfamiliar with the fit and construction of the clothing in question it seems justified.  However, I wonder if that is because of the mythology of corsets, hoop skirts, and dresses constructed around the mid-19th century fashions?  Did women of the 16th century (and 19th for that matter) complain about their clothes and how horrible it was to wear them?  Did they view them as obstacles to their freedom?  It seems that the statement of my friend is rooted in modern feminism as well.  I don't know that I can subscribe to the notion that women of the 16th century paraded about bemoaning their farthingales and skirts for whatever the reason may be.

What do you think?  Are there any period sources of 16th century women begrudging their clothing?  I know there are plenty of 19th century sources that do (I even read a few while researching my paper on Lola Montez for my first seminar).  Any thoughts at all?

Tags: 16th c.: osiris gown

I've begun to notice that this project seems to be never ending.  I've already decided that I want to make an entire outfit out of it from the ground up, so to speak.  Although through the course of this building I've noticed that the foundations are falling apart and incorrect.  Just when I start seeing the end of the tunnel, I get sent back to the beginning.  For instance, I made a new shift because my other one is not here in SF, it sucks and I hate it; my corset is for a later period much more 1603 than the period I want now I need a new one or so I think; I hate the over skirt and doublet now; etc etc etc.

So I guess what I do have is a very pretty skirt and bodice, a partlet with a simple ruff and no trim and a heap of other mess.  Great.

I've started trimming the bodice.  Very little evidence of my progress but perhaps today there will be more.

( notes )

I decided to give up on the shirt.  It doesn't sit right in any way and the whole method is totally off.  I was not impressed with the directions and every time I've used directions from the site I got it from it's been nothing but grief and ridiculous directions.  Note to self: avoid in future at all costs.

Instead of the shirt I opted to make a partlet.  I took pictures of the ruff I made but not after I attached it to the partlet itself.  It works much better, the pattern for the partlet came form the Tudor Tailor and the directions for the ruff came from Constructing Elizabethan Ruffs at the Elizabethan Costuming Page.  Nice straightforward directions that worked the first time, much improves the sewing experience.

Behold the photos, taken of myself by myself.
( more photos )

Plan for today is to tackle the underdress and make it functional and then tomorrow go to the fabric store to spend a paycheck or two (lol) on trimmings and more fabric for 15th c. or possibly 13th c. projects.  Good times indeed

EDIT 3PM:
I have finished.  There is nothing more I can do until I get trim.  I do need to sew in hook and eyes over the panel for the underdress to make it wearable, but for that I need to dress again to make sure it'll fit properly.  Won't be doing that til later.  In the mean time I think I shall fix the corset problem.  Time for some pattern drafting and using up the remainder of the white broadcloth.  Then maybe some photos...we'll have to see though.

Tags: 16th c.: osiris gown, 16th c.: partlet and ruff
Current Mood: frustrated

I've done more packing this morning and sorting and such.  I really hate moving and it horrifies me that once I move all this junk to my mom's I'll be moving it again to my new place.  I really really hate moving.

Anyway, time to get down to business.  I did not go buy fabric yesterday out of sheer laziness and feeling horrible.  So today I'm going to work on the shirt problems and make a partlet hopefully.  I'm really not feeling all that motivate right now but I need to get rid of the bags of fabric scraps hanging around my room before I move so I'll have to do something.  Since I don't have enough of the white broadcloath left to make a full length shift or anything, I'm thinking of making it a partlet with sleeves.  I've seen portraits with them while I was browsing about and I think it's a logical thing to do.

I also really want to make a new 16th c. corset that fits perfectly this time.  I keep making more and more prototypes but I never like the end result.  Maybe 7th time lucky?  Who knows...

Current Mood: bored

As I mentioned yesterday I've managed to get sick during the past few days.   ididn't think much of it as I was working on my farthingale.  I noticed after the photo session with my friend that a few of the hoops had separated from the clasps and I really did need to actually put the finishing touches on teh damned thing.  So I'm sewing away making great progress and all of the sudden it starts smelling strongly of laundry soap outside.  The overpowering smell got me sneezing every few minutes.  Then all of the suddeen I sneezed and somehow managed to vomit all over my taffeta farthingale.  PERFECT I tell you.  Not sure what else to do I dragged it carefully to the bathroom and ran it under the sink.  I was nto thinking properly and now there's a big pink spot from where the fabric bled and it still stinks of sick.  I hate life.

( The list again )

After all that is done, I will begin work on my new 15th c. project that will hopefully get to be worn to 12th Night with my ex.

11AM edit:
Farthingale is DONE!  All I need to do is pick up some pretty ribbon at the fabric store to make ties to close it.  That can wait though, for now pins will work.  The important part is no more raw taffeta edges fraying like mad.  Some more photos of the result, nothing new really.  The first one (because I have to share) is the stain left from the vomit/rinsing of the fabric, second is collapsed on the floor, and the others don't really need an explanation.
( more photos of the farthingale )

Tags: 16th c.: farthingale, 16th c.: osiris gown
Current Mood: sick

Well the photo shoot went quite well today, complete with older Scotsmen on site and everything.  I proved to be a rather stiff model though and I'm sure a lot of the pictures came out horrible because of my shyness.  Although like Rebekah said, perhaps next time it'll be easier.  I've never done a photo shoot before where it wasn't sit and pose and smile pretty for the camera.  The dress was fabulous though and made me realize a lot of things about construction as well as some things I need to finish up.

( Notes on the Osiris gown )

So before I finish all these things, I've already become side-tracked with another project.  As I mentioned very early in the year one of my costume plans included a Burgundian court gown circa the 15th century.  I want to do this so badly.  I'm planning on going perhaps tomorrow or Monday when I pick up my last pay check from McDonalds, and getting real linen to make a chemise.  I want to do it as accurate as possible.  I'm planning ot use the machine to construct the garment, but all visible stitching will be by hand.  I don't really see a need to do this on the underwear for the project though as nobody will be seeing it presumably.  I've got some more research to do, but there will be an upcoming bibliography post about the chemise.  I'm also planning to document this project better.  I want to get out there and involved in the costume world now that I have the time.

On a more personal note, there has been good and bad.  I quit McDonalds, my last day was yesterday.  It feels so good to be free of something that has caused so much stress in my life.  Once I move up to Sonora I'm going to begin looking for a new job or two.  However, in the middle of all my celebrating of finishing McD's, I've managed to get sick again: sore throat, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing, upset stomach.  General ickiness that is most displeasing.

Tags: 16th c.: osiris gown
Current Mood: determined