:D



Now for the cap! And I have a strong desire to remake this dress in proper black wool. This silk suiting is really horrid stuff, always rubbing off black on my white underthings. I'm loving prancing around in a maid's outfit. There's something very fun about being working class!

Civil War "pinner" version:

Watched all of "Emma: A Victorian Romance." I'm in love. The story is sweet and less cliche than you'd think, there's actual character development, and the clothing is SPOT ON. Pretty much a dream come true for me. But as a result, I'm making a quick white apron and cap for a maid's outfit. Plan to wear it with my black mourning dress to Knott's in February and have fun as a lady's maid.

Birthday dress bodice is pretty much complete so it's onto the skirt. Decided to make the train detachable so I can have the shorter version to wear when space is cramped and there's lots of people around.

Frantically searching for court dress fabric... My mom has volunteered to take me to LA this Saturday for the fabric safari. I have a good feeling I'll find something there, but this is the first time the internet has failed me! I normally find great things online! Oh well. Winter break is going to consist entirely of whipping this thing up (which I know I can do quickly, especially on a machine) but it's embellishment that's going to take a lot of time. Trying not to panic. I can do it. I've done crazier things! I've decided to deconstruct the stamped velvet bodice since it fits perfectly and "recover" it with whatever fabric I end up choosing. That'll save loads of time!

I still need to order fabric for my bonnet! I've got everything now (even trim) and I'd love to get started, but that can't happen til I have fabric. But looking at my work load, I don't think I'll get to it until after the court dress deadline (Feb. 27).

My first semester of college is almost over. It went by surprisingly fast. I actually think I might be able to stick it out another year, but we'll see. I'm just feeling horribly restless, and I'm hoping that next semester I'll get a reprieve from that. New classes mean new faces. And I'm hoping there are a few handsome male faces in there. Handsome male faces who like history and are gentlemanly.

Haha yeah right. Back to sewing.

Ummm guys... I just entirely hand sewed a dress in three days... O.o

Just needs hooks and eyes (which are at home. Forgot to bring them up to school with me...) and trim. I have my lovely navy blue velvet ribbon but... What do I do with it?? Suggestions? :]

At least I wish I was! I love how my teen dress is coming along. The skirt is all put together and has the right amount of fullness to look nice on my cage! I can't believe i squeezed a dress out of 4 7/8 yards! :D

I made a boo boo, though, and didn't give myself enough fabric in the back to fold over an inch on each side. Not sure how I'm going to solve that... or how I'll do the closures... hmmm... :-/

I went to Joann's and bought myself a bunch of pretty coral beads, silk thread, and clasps and myself a coral necklace to go with the dress. Coral was wildly popular midcentury, especially for children (I think they believed it was good luck or offered protection of some sort?). I'm really proud of myself haha. I just love wearing it! Think I'll wear it every day!


Don't you just love my chemise??? :-P

So I lost my brand new AP Gov text book last year and had to pay for it, but the school found it and sent me a big check! This of course necessitated buying lots of lovely sewing things!

I bought scads of silk ribbon. Dark teal, cream edged in brown, and a very wide pink for my bonnet!! The others will be for hair net trim or other such accessories. (Pink ribbon is wider than appears...)











Next, SILK whitework... I am agog. Didn't know the stuff existed! I'm going to make a pretty set of collar, cuffs, and undersleeves with it. :D (Bloody expensive stuff!)




Some velvet leaves for my bonnet.



And navy velvet ribbon for my teen dress, shown with the fabric. Bodice is about 98% complete. Onto the skirt!

 There is so much to do when I get home. I've never wanted to sew this badly in my entire life! I normally do bring something to school to work on, but I didn't have any time to grab something after my procedure and before leaving for the reenactment. So I've pretty much been going nuts over here.

I *gasp* put together the 1890s jacket on the machine... I feel like a really horrible person. I never sew on a machine. Ever. Heck, if it's anything more than a straight stitch, I don't even know how to use a machine. It's a miracle I can wind a bobbin (and even THAT doesn't always go over well...). I love the intimate control you have over hand sewing. But I consoled myself by thinking that I need to get the jacket and the waist done very quickly (because of my extreme CADD for one thing) and that hand sewing was pretty much out by the 1890s. 

However, I'm still gathering and setting the sleeves by hand, and the collar as well. I'll probably finish the edges by hand too (it's unlined.. hmmm...).  I can see myself finish the waist in an hour or two, which is actually rather exciting. I want to get going on my "Teenager's Last Hurrah" dress: an 1860s dress of printed cotton in the typical children's style of short sleeves and boat neck.

I have only 4 7/8 yards of 45" fabric to make this dress, hence the teen style. But the fabric was too pretty (and perfectly period) to pass up. I found this image as inspiration. The sleeves are tiny and will save on fabric. Gathered bodice on a waistband. Shorter skirt. 

I've got the OK from the Sewing Academy experts and can't wait to get started! Should be a quick project, I think...

 Some decent pictures of the Big Red Dress.

I redid the collar because the stand up collar was quite unflattering. I didn't post pictures of the first incarnation, which had a ruffle on the shoulder. Meh. Also unflattering. I'm much happier with this dress now!

Also retrimmed the bonnet. Still need flowers for inside the brim though...

        

For this weekend (because I AM going!!!):

*finish fur on paletot (almost done!)
*hooks on paletot
*hooks on plaid wool dress
*tuck in fancy petti
*look over green sage sheer (someone bought it! yay!)

I wish I had time to buy some flowers for my ball gown, but I also have no money. It feels horribly plain, even with my antique lace and silk bows. it needs flowers.... Or something...

And I'm halfway done with the prep! Other half tomorrow. It's really NOT BAD! Like, sure it tasted pretty nasty, but I only have to take 1 liter each day. And then the other part... Well that wasn't a big deal either! And seeing as how I got a sigmoidoscopy which is without a sedative of any kind, the colonoscopy should be a breeze. The only "hard" part will be dealing with the results, if indeed I have cancer. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Colonoscopy this Friday.

Fine. I can deal.

But I'm pretty much freaking out that I won't be able to go to the Civil War reenactment on Saturday and Sunday. Everyone I know who's had a colonoscopy was perfectly fine later that day, so there is really no reason why I shouldn't be able to go. However, I'm concerned that my case will be different... since my polyp is large, that will somehow... I don't even know.

If I can't go... I don't even know what I'll do. I had to miss the last event. I'm going to be so hellishly depressed if I have to miss this event. I know I should be glad that at least my life is saved and I have many more events in front of me, but I am not ashamed to say that I WILL be a grouchy, resentful, hateful sourpuss this weekend if I can't go.

However, I tried on my red silk bodice without a corset and it fits (I've lost so much weight... :-/). So if for some reason I can't wear my corset (which makes little sense... it already doesn't nip me in very much, just smooths out lines. And I'm not having SURGERY, just getting the polyp snipped out) I can still wear the dress. I'll be unhappy with the imperfect lines, but at least I have something to wear. There's also my wrapper which I love, but that means I'll be confined to the camp. Meh...

 Well I had no motivation to finish the Alice dress. Not sure I ever will! I wanted to finish my steampunk outfit but ended up messing up the corset in my haste. So I decided to just wear my silk Regency dress that I hadn't gotten good pictures of and go as zombie Jane Austen. It was really fun, and I carried around a quill and leather notebook to complete the look. Kelsey did my make up which looked pretty awesome, although you can't see it in the pics because they were taken at the end of the night. It felt so good to wear a complete outfit I didn't have to worry about. Although the top two hooks kept coming undone. I hate back closing dresses!!

I pretty much LOVE this dress... I feel so elegant in it. I want to make a chemisette with a giant ruff for it too. How fun! But I don't need a Regency dress for anything soon. I wish I could go to the Jane Austen Evening! Oh! :-/

Also, a scandalous pic of me in my bodiced petticoat. It would be highly indecent for you to see a front view! Even so, it's remarkably supportive and comfortable!

      

I decided to continue my madness and trim the entire bottom of the paletot with fur. I'm about halfway done attaching the fur, then i'll need to finish the edge. Surprisingly, I can sew through the skin with a regular sharp needle. Yay! Because I'm too cheap and lazy to buy leather needles. :D

The sleeves look like Tudor sleeves, I've decided. :]

Well... here is one sleeve with fur and fur around the neck. I'm not sure why, but I don't feel 100% happy with how it's turning out... Maybe I will when I have both fur cuffs on.

  

Sewing fur is HARD and not fun... I don't think  I have enough patience to trim my whole paletot with it... I've just started cutting and finishing pieces of fur to put on the sleeves, and I'm already getting really angry (and sneezy!). Maybe I'll put up with it enough to get fur on the sleeves and see how I feel. But at this rate, it is NOT going on every edge of the paletot...

But... what else could I trim it with? I could do soutache, but it seems like everyone does soutache, and that's about as annoying to me as the fur. I have some really, really lovely apple green velveteen I could trim it with... Maybe black fringe? I don't know... I need this in two weeks.

 Well, except for closures... :]

    

 I am now officially Lady Bridget Manners with the Queen's Court of the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

*squee!*

This feels like such and honor, because I think RPFS is the most prestigious faire around (I may be a wee bit biased...) with the best-looking court ever! I'm already getting giddy thinking about who Bridget will be (and especially what she'll wear!). This will be the most fun "work" I've ever done!

I just finished trimming the green plaid wool dress! I'll take good pictures tomorrow, I promise. :]

Right now, I really want to start on the linen Regency dress... But I should probably finishing fixing the grey silk dress. Boo!

... I got some of this.

www.puresilks.biz/store/index.php

Ex-manfriend got it for me as a gift. He knows fabric always makes me feel better. :]

I'm thinking... frothy pink 1860s day dress. Because the red dress wasn't ridiculous enough.

 I'm back to the 1860s!

I took the green plaid wool dress back to school with me. I already let out the center front to see if that helps any of the tightness in the shoulders. It does a little bit... Does it look too tight?

I'm mainly excited to trim it. I have some pretty brown cotton crocheted/braid trim that I'm going to layer on top of ruched leftover wool. Isn't trimming the most fun part of any costume? 

I also have the okay to trim my paletot with rabbit fur, since I have ZERO DINERO to buy trim for it. I don't even have lining... *sigh* But I do have an ugly white rabbit fur coat from the 70s that I'm going to use to trim it, just like this:

 

Okay... Time for my Art History midterm! I've studied for 5 days... Let's hope that means I'll do well!

 

I knew it would make me upset, but I did it anyway. Not smart... :[

I am determined to enjoy next weekend. I'm about 95% sure it will be a success. I'm going to wear my amazing new dress and bonnet and look splendid and refined. And then I'll wear my new silk ball gown to the dance with its new bertha of antique lace from Salisbury (need to make that!!). And everything is going to be lovely, with my new Athenaeum skills in tow. I shall be a perfect lady. I have sworn off all my vices and have been good to my promise, but deep inside my heart I'm anxious and downright scared about how things are going to play out. If I remain completely ladylike and mature, things will go smoothly. If I let my emotions get the better of me, as I have in the past, it will be disaster. The outcome is entirely within my control. It's the control part that's hard.

I think I deserve my paletot wool... *goes to get credit card*

Here's a flirty Forties pic for you. From a fun day at Disneyland with the people I love best.

Yay for PC Disney images! WAIT. I don't see no Asians in there!!!! I'm going to sue...