9:40 PM Guild Busy

My last update on this blog was in February and at that time I was working diligently on the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge.  As I thought was going to happen, I didn't finish any of the challenges once All-Con preparations were underway and then directly after that we had a Picnic with the Pixies.  Of course, in April Scarborough Renaissance Festival began.  Scarborough runs through Memorial day, so I was tied up there for two months.  The month of June was spent wrapping up preparations for and presenting Costumers' Lost Weekend for the DFW Costumers Guild.

Whew!  That was a lot!  No wonder I didn't get around to catching up on the HSF challenge!

I didn't get any pictures of the fun at All-Con because I was too busy having fun.  But a few pictures were taken of me at Scarborough over the run.

Picnic with the Pixies was a lot of fun.  We had some ball jointed doll enthusiasts join us to up the pixie factor.

Here I am being all kinds of silly with one of the dolls

When you're playing with dolls, you may as well let the wee ones in on the fun.  Sometimes they have better stories

 Best part about this Guild event??  Bones got to tag along!!!  

Next time he's gonna need an outfit.

Unfortunately, we thought the picnic was going to be too muddy for some of the costumes, so we repeated the picnic in April.  I wasn't able to attend because I was working Scarborough, but I saw the pics and everyone who made it out looked Fab!

Costumers' Lost Weekend was Fantastic!  We had a few out of town guests this time, which is exciting.  And we had a day of workshops this year so we had something cool to take home with us.  We also had great panels the first day, as usual.  I'm really proud of our little baby con.  Year 2 was successful.  I'm crossing my fingers everyone is on board to do it again in 2014.

Oh!, but you wanted to see pictures didn't you?

Here I am at the Masquerade Ball with my friend Gypsy James

Aren't we a lovely, group?  We had a lot of attendees who weren't able to stay for the ball and a few who had to leave shortly before this photo was taken.  We had such a great time at the ball!  

I think this is my favorite photo of the whole weekend!  

It pretty much sums up what folks missed!

 Sunday morning several of us gathered for breakfast.  

We were quite the point of interest in the dining hall.

So what's next?

Well, I have a small commission that I am working on for this week.  Then I have a small repair for a friend.  Then I have the DFWCG's Retro Bowl event to attend.  And then I get started on a big commission.  And then I start getting ready for Fall Faire season.

Yeah, I'm probably never going to pick up that HSF challenge again.

As it stands now, I think I have my pattern all picked out for the Retro Bowl.  Though I said that yesterday and I've completely changed my mind again.  I think this is the 3rd time I've promised myself I'd make some 1940s slacks for a vintage event and chickened out on them.  I had a Costumer's Freak Out today over what I was going to try to sew for this thing.  I have no confidence in my slacks sewing skills.  And I couldn't remember what vintage patterns I had at home.  So I searched and searched and searched for something to order that I liked.  And didn't really find anything in my price range that I liked.  Thankfully I looked through my recent Vintage Martini purchases when I got home and have found THE OUTFIT!  I think.  

I hope!

Now I just need to find some fabric to sew it with.  I'd sure love it if I had the right fabric in my stash!  But that room is a complete disaster, so I may chicken out on digging through the piles and just buy new fabric.  Which is terrible, but Time is Precious!!!!!!

In any case, wish me luck.  I'm certainly gonna need it!

10:30 AM Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge # 4

The Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #4 is the Embellish challenge.  For me, embellishment is not something I think about very often for my costumes.  I tend to wear middle to lower class outfits made out of sturdy materials which I can wash in my washer with ease.  If I have to dry clean something, it's never going to be worn.  Part of that reason is because I'm cheap and lazy.  The other part of that reason is because many of the outfits I make are worn for some working purpose.  For instance, all of my Renaissance Faire garb is made with the possibility that I might be wearing the outfit around the joust horses from time to time.  And let me tell you, horses can get you Very dirty, Very quickly!  I remember I used to have some really pretty white chemises and frilled shirts.  They are all stained brown and green from the horses and also from the sunscreen I wear to take care of my skin.  I also vividly remember a scene wherein my very nice lady's dress I wore for performances was picked up by my mount, Abraham, and flung back and forth in the air as a toy.  So it is impossible to maintain nice things in that arena, or in the stable.  Even now that I've moved on to retail at faire I still don't have any expectation of keeping anything nice.  Fancy fabric can get damaged during set up and tear down as well as when playing games with kids.  It's just not worth it to have to worry all the time about the pretty things on my outfit which may get ripped or damaged.

All of that said though, since I have been working at Pendragon here and there, I have become more comfortable with Small amounts of embellishment on my clothes.  And so this challenge was a challenge to myself to come up with something simple and pretty and Durable.  And did I mention simple?

In the end, my project was so simple I kind of feel like I cheated.  It took almost no time to complete and I totally copied the idea from Pendragon (who I'm sure did not invent the idea either it's so simple).  Oh well.  It was a good exercise for me to think outside of my box.  Now to put it to the test of surviving at Faire.  And surviving my laundromat.

The Challenge:  Challenge #4 Embellish

Fabric:  Metallic woven ribbon trim sewn on linen fabric.

Pattern:  None, I just sewed the ribbon to the already existing collar and cuffs on the shirt

Year:  Tudor period 

Notions:  The ribbon

How historically accurate is it?  From my knowledge, blackwork is historically accurate here - this ribbon is not.  However, the shirt is completely accurate being made from linen and made from the Tudor Tailor book.

Hours to complete:  Took me all of 5 minutes.

Total cost: $4

1:30 PM Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #2

Moving right along with the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge brings me to Challenge #2, the UFO, or UnFinished Object.

Several years ago I made up a nice striped linen Edwardian period suit for a small DFWCG outing at Lone Star Park for Kentucky Derby day.  Shortly thereafter I gained a little weight and the suit no longer fit.  So I put it away.  A year or so later the DFWCG hosted its first Spring tea party.  I didn't have time to make a whole new outfit and I still loved my linen suit, so I let out the seams and wore it again.  Unfortunately, when I let out the seams, I did so rather sloppily and several of the seams were too close to the linen fabric edges causing the frayed fabric ends to poke out.  The cotton backing was still in tact, so the suit held up, but it just looked awful.  At the end of the party I put the suit away again and vowed not to wear it again until I could take it back in and fix the seams.  Since that declaration, I have worn the skirt many times.  The skirt has always been fine and it works wonderfully with a shirtwaist for a more casual look.  But I longed to be able to wear the whole ensemble again.

When the DFWCG announced their outing to the travelling Titanic artifact exhibit this year, I wanted a whole new outfit.  Knowing full well that I was short on time, I purchased a new pattern and plotted out fabrics in hopes that I could make a pretty new kimono dress.  But with that knowledge of the time crunch in the back of my mind, I also pulled out the linen suit for a back up measure.  You see, I've lost, and finally been able to keep off, that 10 lbs I gained years ago.  I was pretty excited that I was finally at a point where I could take the suit in and put it out for a good back up for the event, not to mention put it back in the rotation for other events.

I'm glad I made the decision to have a back up outfit ready for repairs because I still adore this suit and once I Finally got off my butt to do the repairs, it was well commented upon by the Guild folk at the event.  And you know, that kind of positive attention on our pretty dresses is SO the reason why love my costuming hobby!

So, enough babbling about the back story, here are the details:

The Challenge:  Challenge #2 UFO

Fabric:  100% striped linen from fabrics-store.com

Pattern:  Rocking Horse Farms Ladies' Coat Suit

Year:  1909

Notions:  None

How historically accurate is it?  As far as I know it is pretty accurate.  I machine sewed the whole suit, but I used cotton and linen fabrics and period appropriate buttons when I made it the first time around.  I didn't alter the pattern at all.

Hours to complete:  It took me about 30 minutes to take in the waist where appropriate.  Then I tackled the issue of re-seaming the places where the fabric ends were showing through.

Before fixing the seams

After fixing the seams

Pressing the fabric even and re-seaming the entire coat from hem to waist took me about 2 hours.  Finishing all the jacket seams with a mock french seam (which I hadn't done before because I didn't know anything about seam finishes) took me another hour.

My little mock french seams

 Since that picture was taken, I also moved that top button to it's proper place so that the jacket doesn't gap anymore.  Moving the button also fixed the slightly askew collar.

Total cost: $0

2:46 PM Historical Sew Fortnightly - Joining the Challenge

One of the coolest things about being a part of the costuming community is the special community projects.  Each costume is an individual project, but each event I sew for is like a piece in a community project.  Even better, since the costuming community is much wider than just our local groups, it is even more interesting when someone throws out a challenge for anyone who is tuning in to participate as they wish.  The newest one sounds like a lot of fun!

Each fortnight a new challenge is due.  The rules are set on the official Historical Sew Fortnightly page.  They are also posted on the Historical Sew Fortnightly Facebook group.

Normally, these kinds of sew along challenges stress me out. I often have so much going on and I pretty much always have a case of Costumer's Attention Deficit Disorder.  But this challenge is structured so that I can pick small things to accomplish the goals if I want to.  So I can finally make those little underthings I have been putting off.  Or that new wool tudor coat to replace my other one that shrunk.  Or I can finish something that I had put away.  And I can structure them all so that I could potentially finish each one in a week's time so that they don't interfere with my other costuming deadlines.  Or I can incorporate my other costuming deadlines with the theme of the new challenge.  So, I'm in!  I'm not entirely sure I will be able to finish all of it, but I'm gong to try.  My only real problem that I see is I'm not sure how my All-Con and Costumers' Lost Weekend projects are going to fit in yet.

So how am I doing?  Well, I didn't hear about the challenge until after I came back to work, so I missed out on the bonus challenge #0, but that's ok.  It was a bonus.  I'm currently working on challenge #1 in conjunction with the DFWCG's Titanic Exhibit Meetup.  But I just finished challenge #3 Under it All (I'll update with a link when she gets to this one).  It was an item I needed to go under my challenge #1 item.  So in true Maggie fashion, I'm doing things out of order and posting my finished project #3 first!

Here she is!  I've made a corset cover/chemise.  It is gathered more like a corset cover and can be worn so, but I will most likely be wearing it as a chemise more often right now.  Do you know that in the 8 years since I have been sewing Victorian period clothes and wearing them to events I have always worn this old blue tank top under my corsets that actually belonged to my mom when she was very young.  But my challenge #1 project is slightly see through at the shoulders, so that just won't do.  And besides, a girl needs proper underthings.  I have bloomers, why on earth have I not made a simple little chemise?  Because I'm always too caught up in the pretty dress that's why.  And bloomers are FUN!  

The corset cover/chemise is made out of a remnant of linen, which I suspect is a linen/rayon blend.  The drawstring casing is from stash fabric that I had for an old corset project that was long abandoned.  It is a silk blend.  The rest of the fabric I used for Challenge #1, which will be revealed very soon.  The ribbon came from a cheap corset I ordered.  This ribbon was not near long enough for the corset, so I used it for something more suitable.  And the lace neckline is lace that was given to me many years ago and has been languishing in my stash.  It is cotton lace and I assume it was once attached to a blanket or table cloth because it came as a large square border long since removed from its original place.  I have a lot more of that lace.  I'm thinking I need new matching bloomers!

I very loosely used the Laughing Moon Mercantile #102 pattern for a corset cover for this project.  I used the outline of the pattern and opted to use a drawstring instead of darts and, as you can see, it is a pull over as opposed to a button front.

Year?  We'll call this 1913.  Sure.  I'm wearing it under my Titanic outfit.  But it really is an item that could have been worn sooner, or later, I guess.

How historically accurate is it?  See, here's where I'm going to fail you.  I don't have any documentation of how accurate it is.  It looks like some of the corset covers I've seen except it is pullover.  I don't know if I've ever seen a chemise that draws at the waist, though, so I have to dock points for that.  The fabric and notions should be a little more accurate.  I know viscose/rayon was around in 1910, but I don't know about being blended with linen, so the main fabric is probably not totally accurate.  I'm also not entirely sure that the kind of heavy cotton lace would have been used on the corset cover/chemise, but it's what I had and I think it looks better than a lot of the modern manufactured lace (which I have used in the challenge #1 project).

It took me two full weekend days to finish this little project because I'm a slow seamstress and I was also working on part of Challenge #1 at the same time.  Also, I turned under and finished my seams.  I am only beginning to really finish my projects now.  It's something I'm still learning, but I really would like my projects to last, so I'm trying my best to go the extra mile.

I'll wear this corset cover/chemise for the first time at an event when the DFWCG meets in costume to check out the Titanic travelling exhibit on January 12, 2013.  I'm very excited about that!!!!!