Recently in Dress Diaries Category

I love researching and designing costumes, but actually making them, that's another story.  *sigh*

Oh well, fate deserves a little tempting.  I am (pinches fingers) thiiiiiiis close to finishing project 1 of 3 set for the summer.  Job hunting was so unproductive I decided that unemployment would at least allow me time to clean the basement and finish outstanding costumes.  Best laid plans and all that.

The root of the problem is motivation and approach.  

1. Cutting is a PIA (dysgraphia sucks).  Hand sewing isn't much better, my fingers start screaming obscenities about "it may not be Rheumatoid Arthritis but it has the same effects!"

2. Type A/OCD, at least in this regard.  If anything it out of place/not in line/not properly mirrored, the project is dropped as "unsalvageable."

3.  I tend to read sewing instructions the same way I read recipes.  Skim for ingredients and basic instructions, then just jump in with substitutes and make the rest up as you go.

For historical patterns, #3 is fatal.  I KNOW this, really I do!  And yet, I still insist in using the most historically accurate patterns I can afford, because dammit, they look better.  And are actually easier to sew if you can read and follow directions. (a skill most of the population lacks at times, even me.)

I finally reached the point of "screw it and sue me, I'm going to finish this mess anyway."

Yeah, probably going to remake that.  The pretty purple stuff is what's left of my attempt at an Elizabethan hunting gown.  The skirt had at least 3 yards of fabric, it's square, and the color has faded since the dye was never set properly.  So after transferring the patterns to poster board, cutting, and sewing boning channels and stitching together:

Yay!  It's supposed to be boned and covered by now, must do that during the week.

1. I was surprised at my own ability to sew.  When pulling the pleating out of the old skirt I was amazed at how much time I had put into that garment.  All the edges were properly finished and each pleat was exactly 1" deep.

2. This gown is definitely falling under "first try/Halloween/fantasy" label.  The more research I do, the less I think I'm going to end up with something that would be anywhere near historically accurate, even by my low standard of "if it doesn't show when fully dressed it doesn't matter."  I really do like this pattern, and I will most likely make this again, when I've been a smaller size for a while.  And except for the boning channels, there's a lot that would look better hand sewn.

3.  Remember - fabric degrades with time.  Even with 8-10 year old stuff that's been in good storage is fraying more.  If anything, this gown will shred itself long before I ruin it.

And good photos next week - the iPhone just doesn't cut it.

1. They don't make poster board like they used to.  Made poster board mock up of bodice, didn't come anywhere near being strong enough.  Or maybe it's because I'm still a few inches shy of fitting the pattern size. (stop with the eye rolling, I know it's a bad idea.)  The pattern fits me remarkably well, or at least the mock up did.  The only changes might be to the busk length and shoulder strap length, which have to be fitted later.

Oh, btw - I'm making this without the aid of a dummy.  The fitting is done via a technique called husband with a camera.

2. If anyone ever tells you that batiste is a great fabric for a semi-sheer chemise/shift, wait until they are out of ear shot then laugh like a maniac.  I'm using 5 yards of very fine cotton batiste bought *years* ago for a partlet and ruff that never happened.  The pattern recommends fine linen but batiste is NOT a good substitute.  So, I'm still working on the shift, and going to have more thread in the curved neckline than the rest of the garment.  Did you know there's a rolled hem foot? Much easier than hand rolling edges; however, only works for straight seams/hems.

3. The yellow linen I ordered for the under petticote had to go back.  It was a slubbed coarse weave and neon colored.  Exchanged for a copper colored satin, with an almost watered pattern. Again with the polyester, but the entire dress can go in the machine (perfect for outdoor wear.)  The navy and copper/pumpkin colors look strange to the modern eye, but not unpleasant.

4. The patterns are relatively straight forward, but the instructions take some thought.  If you get lost in the instructions for a Simplicity pattern, do not attempt anything from RH without help.  I'm pretty good with sparse instructions and applying Occam's razor usually turns up the correct answer.

That is all.  Hopefully something to take a picture of next week.

*UPDATE*:  After some more study I've decided to revise my comments here lest I appear more of an idiot that I really am.

If you've ever researched the Dutch Golden Age, and looked at women's portraits, you'll see a lot of fabric, like this:

The seated figure is (probably/possibly) a gentlewoman/merchant's wife, the jacket is either a manuta or a.... jacket.  Both pieces of clothing are highly documentable for the working time period, and thus, "historically correct."  But if one bends over a table, reaching for a coffee pot, this kind of attire isn't going to invoke imagery involving breasts.  

Thus I settled on a bodiced gown:

The pattern is based on English and French gowns, however, I've found similar gowns in Dutch paintings from the 1660's and up.  The Dutch seemed to be into poufy sleeves and bodices, long after the English sleeve collapsed.  And being that this gown is off the shoulder, it evokes the right image.  Again, fantasy costume, based in history.

From the pattern's historical notes I know that the sleeve has diminished to the point of nonexistence, the nobility are all about the length of the train, and the underskirt (petticoat) is decorated when the overskirt is pulled back.  Attacking these one at a time:

Sleeves:  Yes, French fashion plates from the early 1680's show almost no sleeve and a *highly* decorated shift.  I don't have the means to do this (and I suck at trim), and since at this point in the book (IMHO) Eliza is well off but not a millionaire yet, there will be a small sleeve.  And it's Amsterdam, given the amount of pouf in earlier fashions, some still has to be around.

Trains:  Who wouldn't want a train like this: 

(costumes.org)

Besides requiring at least an extra yard of fabric, it's a train.  Wearing a train is like pulling a trailer, you need room to maneuver the thing.  Beth's living room is not such a place.  Also, wearing a train to an outdoor festival means two things: you'll walk around with a dirty dress all day and have a HUGE dry-cleaning bill.  The Eliza will not be trained for now, maybe I'll make a second version later....

Decoration:  Since I can't have a train, of course I'm pulling back the overskirt!  But how to decorate the underskirt...still working on this.

Colors:  The color gold is used in the description and it's very appropriate, being a color of money at the time.  However, I look like a corpse in anything vaguely yellow.  So I've ordered a dark blue "silk" (polyester) satin for the bodice and overskirt, with a nice goldish yellow linen (rayon blend) for the underskirt.  Important notes on this:

1. Polyester and Rayon did not exist in the 17th century.  If I have to sacrifice either silhouette or fabric, it's fabric every time.  Tudor nobility walking around Civil War era crinolines cause me to cringe, more than if the gown is made of panne (crushed stretch) velvet.

2. Dark/navy blue color is a much deeper blue than I've seen in paintings.  However, the site sending the order tends to show samples on the dark side.  I'm betting on this turns out to be more of a medium blue (which is what I want anyway.)

3. When using a "fine" fabric like "silk", I don't think one would have used *linen* for a decorative underskirt. (I want to show off my..linen? riiiiiiight)  I tried and tried to find a gold synthetic satin or taffeta (in my price range), the best I could do was the linen blend. If I put enough trim on it... these are not the droids you are looking for...

So at least part of the costume will be gold.  I still have no idea how I'm going to embellish/decorate this.  Trim from JoAnn just doesn't cut it, and I suck at embroidery.  Looking at more portraits and engravings... 

* all italicized quotations are taken from the text of The Baroque Cycle

I just finished reading Neil Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle. (highly recommended reading) The author classifies the work as sci-fi, I prefer "fringe historical fiction."  Stephenson certainly achieves a historical setting, so much that people feel the need to point out anachronisms.  So, where to begin?  One passage always rises to mind, Jack's description of Eliza at the Maiden coffee-house in Amsterdam.  No, there is not a detailed description of the dress, nor is it necessary.  The picture is painted in emotion and analogy.  The Eliza is a fantasy costume, based on historical reality.

"she'd reach for a big round coffee-pot, and at those moments she'd look just like the Maid of Amsterdam...as painted on the ceiling...loosely draped in yards of golden satin, one hand on a globe, one nipple poking out, Mercury always behind and to the right..." *

Why Dutch?  The setting is Amsterdam.  Eliza is drawn towards movement, the latest news, then by extension, the latest fashion.  It can be argued that in the particular passage above she's still wearing the yellow watered silk dress from Leipzig, which would be German in style.  I prefer to think that after living in Amsterdam "for a time" she has either bought a new wardrobe or altered the old to fit her new surroundings.

Why gentlewoman?  Her business dealings are with the merchants, bankers, and those whom today are called brokers and traders.  These are mostly gentle (middle-class or merchants), possibly nobility/aristocracy ("Persons of Quality").  She must dress accordingly.  Since I'm cheap and short on time, aim for the lower end and add embellishments if time and money allow. Note: I'm never sure if Stephenson is using "Persons of Quality" in the historic sense (which during the Enlightenment could really be applied to anyone with enough money or title to dress above the level of poverty) or only applying the term to members of the court. 

Why 1684?  First, the quoted passage is from a chapter marked in that year.  Second, have you seen many costumes, extant garments or paintings from the late 17th century? Mid-Baroque, pre-Rococo and not French or English?  Me neither.  It's a challenge to find historical material, and I love a good challenge.

Next, the pattern and design.

* Any quotations that are also italicized are direct quotes from The Baroque Cycle.

As a child, I loved school plays and Halloween.  It meant I could play dress up with cooler stuff than what was in my play box, and mom would let me wear my costume out in public!  Some of "my"(designed by me, made by mom) childhood costumes were: 

* sunflower, 

* Pink Pig w/ Green Spots (from some poem), 

* house (as in the building, won best costume for the school), 

* glitter witch (blue glitter and lycra robe, added blue sequins to hat, sprayed mom's old wig silver)

* Nancy Drew (from the books) and 

* Princess Leia. (mom made an awesome "cinnamon bun" wig out of brown yarn)

Once I grew too old for trick or treating, my only outlet for dressing up in public were recitals and plays.  Nothing terribly unique here.  I did help design our high school show choir dresses.

And then came college - with the UMR Collegium Musicum Madrigal Singers. Here was my first exposure to the English Renaissance.  I fell in love with the fancy dresses, hats, stockings, jewelry, etc. that surrounded the haunting music.  After my first semester, and first Ren Faire, I wanted to know more.  So I searched the internet a bit and found Drea Leeds site - The Elizabethan Costuming Page. ( This is still one of my favorite reference sites for the Tudor and Elizabethan eras.)  The more I researched, I realized how "theatrical" our wardrobe was;  Velcro closures, gathered skirts, cotton print fabric, even some polyester!  In hindsight, this wardrobe was actually pretty good, given it's budget and the fact that the same garments had to be altered for a different person each year.  However, I wanted to put my days (weeks?) of research to good use, so I ordered a custom gown.  Not perfectly accurate, but it fit my budget, and at least *I* was wearing a set of bodies (corset) and a farthingale underneath my gown.  Once I started sewing again, I wanted to make a special gown for faire.  One that was washable.  *makes sure the costume nazis aren't reading*  Brocade looks awesome, but the pattern traps dirt like a magnet.  So I decided to make a hunting gown, from *looks for costume nazis* cotton twill.  I dyed the fabric a lovely lavender color described (I think) in Janet Arnold's "Patterns of Fashion." Using a Margo Anderson pattern, and my existing underpinnings, I tried to finish my first gown in three weeks.  Ok, now that you've stopped laughing.... yes, it is still unfinished, 8 years later.  A few of the pins have even rusted into the hem.  At least I learned a ton about dyeing, cartridge pleating and fitting curved seams.

After graduation I only made Halloween costumes: 

* Lara Croft (BDU's, Army surplus boots, black crop top, and hair extensions), 

* Black Angel (burgundy/black wings, black catsuit, black tulle skirt w/ burgundy organza overlay, awesome star shaped "halo"), 

* Green Fairy (green sequin prom dress, wings and really elaborate face paint), 

* German Bar Maid/ Ren Faire wench (cop-out costume)

And now, well, I have to make my own excuses to dress up.  I don't have enough time, money or desire to join a reenactment group, and stage dress for singers does not include wearing a corset.  So Halloween and other parties are my only chances.

Coming soon - Pirate vs. Ninja party (and my kinda cool pirate costume), and then....

My very first dress diary.  Yes, I'm sewing my own Halloween costume this year.  And it's a big one.