Wow... I don't even know where to begin! What an amazing week! It was just the vacation I needed! Not that it was all play and no work; we did two incredible shows prefaced by long rehearsals. But never was a single second not fun. I was surrounded by wonderful, loving, happy, talented people who truly made the week as enjoyable as it was.

First off, I have never been in such a rural are! Salem is tiny! But I absolutely loved being so secluded. And... OH MY LORD. THE HOUSES. THE HISTORY. It was pure heaven.... I picked out about 20 different houses I wanted to buy, with dreams of living in period dress and being self-sufficient. *sigh* Some day...

Not to mention our 24 hour jaunt to New York City. Got to see "Hair" which was beautiful and brilliant and dance onstage with the actors, then run around Time Square and chill in a dingy karaoke bar. Unfortunately the exhaustion was getting to me, and I went back early with a sore throat. The next day I had a fever which lasted through the end of the week, but didn't get me down too much.

I just loved getting to spend such time with wonderful friends. I couldn't have picked a better group of people to go with. It's such a shame it was our last hurrah, but we surely went out with a bang!

             

A 1909 lingerie dress. Amazing. I have awesome parents... It fits perfectly too! I need to take close ups of the lace and insertion, it's just gorgeous. And at some point retrim this hat. I didn't make it, I bought it, years ago before I knew anything. But it has a nice shape, just needs more period trim.

This dress is coming to New York with me!!!

   

...in costume! With Niamh! So naturally I've already started thinking about the wardrobe. We're thinking 1890s-1910s range, for easy wear and packing. :]

I want a basic waist an skirt combo, similar to what I wore for my Elizabeth Gurley Flynn project. Probably this pattern for the waist since it's so simple: http://www.pastpatterns.com/400.html. The skirt is based off my Flynn skirt, which is just a gored skirt that has buttons all down the front. And of course a scarf tied around my neck. I'll probably make up another simple gored skirt for one more outfit.

I think I want this in linen too. Maybe the plaid linen from England??:
http://www.pastpatterns.com/3373.html

And we're planning period bathing suits as well:
http://www.pastpatterns.com/5102.html

I'd love to make this, but it's a little more involved than I'd like. We'll see... ;-)
http://www.pastpatterns.com/5873.html

...the temptation of making another Edwardian dress. I need money for an 1860s ball gown (yes, I have the white Athenaeum one, but I need a gown that won't fall apart or get terribly stained when I wear it). I actually have the money, it's just sitting in my paycheck that needs to get cashed.

I'm going to try and be strong. Pink silk fabric isn't going to disappear off the face of the earth any time soon (I hope).

Alright... calming down. :]

Want to see it?

I want to make a more "grown-up" version of this dress, which was also used as one of Samantha's dresses from the American Girl Collection.

The original:



And the AG replica:

Not that I really went anywhere, I just haven't been on the computer for a week!!

Costume College was so fun, especially since I had three great roommates to share the experience with! However, I've returned feeling some adverse affects... I have come home feeling completely incompetent. Or rather, feeling completely incompetent in every era except 1860s. After pondering over it a good deal, I came to the conclusion that it's because I reenact 1860s and have spent the most amount of money and care on my 1860s wardrobe. The other things I just wanted to get done. *sigh*

Oh honestly, I have no idea. But I'm young, and I have lots of time to improve, I suppose!

I've already planned the dresses for next year heh. But I may as well get going on them so they'll be perfect. The only big project will be the 1660s dress which I still want to make. My Gala dress will probably be my Athenaeum ball gown, so that takes care of that! The other dresses are an 1830s dress (random, I know, but I'm craving a ridiculously huge pelerine!) and the 1910s dress which I'm about to make.

Speaking of which.... I officially hate Fashion Fabrics Club. First they said they lost my order, and told me to reorder it. When I did, they said it was out of stock.... So now I have no fabric. *facepalm* And I want this dress to be made in two weeks. Which can be done, I just need the danged dress fabric! I might be able to find a substitute...

Oh, and I couldn't sew this week, but I sewed like a MADWOMAN Sunday after Costume College and this morning, and have been rewarded with an almost complete 1860s wool bodice...

   

Some CC pics:

     

I'm already thinking about my next 1910 dress hehe...

Warning: a very crappy sketch done very late last night (3 am to be exact). She has no hair and her feet are terrible because I got very fed up trying to draw them after 40 minutes of failing...



It's going to be made of this rose crepe:
http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=LL135

with black velvet trim and a black velvet belt, and cream netting for the sleeves and collar.

*squee!* I'm so excited!

I think I died and went to heaven today...

The manfriend and I went to the Huntington in Edwardian costume, and it was simply divine. Not only are the grounds and mansion BEAUTIFUL, but it has an extensive collection of GAINSBOROUGH as well as other 17th-20th century portraits from the masters. SOOOOOO many full-length portraits of ladies in gorgeous clothing! It was seriously heaven!!!

Frankly, I just love being in old places in the correct costume. It just feels... right. I was looking at my reflection in a mirror and thinking, Arabella Huntington looked into this same mirror wearing clothes like mine. Her guests looked into this mirror wearing clothes like mine. And here I am. It's a surreal, wonderful feeling that I crave and adore.

I'll write more on the whole wonderful day later on, but right now I need to get to bed. Here's just a couple pictures until tomorrow! Err today...?

     

Just a quick run-down of the pictures I threw in here:

1-2) The finished sheer. It has no hem... The edge is finished so I thought it would be okay but that was a BIG mistake. It kept getting stepped on so it has a few small holes. Will be adding a hem facing soon...

3) Me and my dress at the county fair!!! I won Best of Class!!! Somehow... I lost Best of Show to a modern, machine-sewing super-short teenager's dress... How did THAT happen??? I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused by that... Hand-sewn 1860s dress WITH DOCUMENTATION versus machine-sewn modern tiny teen frock... hmmmm :-P

4-8) The 1910 dress for CC Tea. The design changed A LOT. Namely, no more yoke or ruching trim! Because the fabric is striped (not that you can see it in the pictures) I think it would have been too busy with all the ruching and whatnot. And during fitting, I just liked how it looked when it was so simple. So it's staying this way! And yes, the hat is ridiculous. I bought it YEARS ago with no intention of doing anything with it, but it vaguely works...
          

Out of the scraps of my fabric, I managed to get a little bolero! I modified a Zouave jacket pattern I had (raised the shoulder by pleating, which was awesome because Lily Bart's jacket has pleats; and slimmed down the upper arm of the sleeve). But I cut it a little too short, in my opinion. Oh well, there's not enough fabric to redo it. I also just fiddled with the pleats after taking the pictures, so now they are much more orderly looking. Maybe new pics later, but I'm too tired!

All that's left now is to finish the edges, and I have no idea how I should do that, since it's unlined.... Hmmm....

     

I would rant about what transpired today in the car with my mother, but I'm too tired. Perhaps it will get a full entry tomorrow. Basically, she wanted me to stop sewing for a while, or at least sew less. Which is like asking me to stop breathing...

Anyway, finished the waistband on the Edwardian skirt. Just gotta hem it and add closures, then it's done! Which is good because I'm wearing it Tuesday night on the train to Kelsey's house! We're playing House of Mirth, and I'm Lily :]    I wonder how many stares I'll get on the train... Oh well, I'll be educating the masses hehe! I only wish I could whip up the jacket for Tuesday, but I still need to bleach the shirtwaist to get rid of the orange, not to mention finish attaching the lace in the back. So much work, so little time, especially with my new "sanction" on sewing....

And I've got to do something about the straps of my chemise showing...

Pictures, courtesy of the boy. :]