PoisonedKitty

The Edwardian Stays Pattern

2012-01-16T22:35:00.000+10:00

It was a completely productive weekend. After a bit of a set back I managed to get my Edwardian stays pattern completely ready. I stupidly did my first attempt at patterning the wrong way. to be fair, I was following what someone else had suggested and not the way that I would normally go about it. Let me explain.

I am going to be making the 1918 stays pattern from Jill Saleen's Corsets. I photocopied the pattern out and enlarged it to full scale. I taped it together and then set in for some maths. Basically, I measure the bust, waist and hip on the pattern and worked out the difference between it and me (taking into account a 4 inch lacing gap at the back). I the proceeded to split my pattern pieces down the centre and add a panel in a inverted v shape so that I could get more fullness over the hip (where I need it most), through the bust and bit more through the waist. Unfortunately this is a really bad idea because you don't end up adding an exact amount on each section, and instead just spreading the pattern while keeping the proportion the same. I'm not that shape. But I made a mock up - which laced closed and didn't really do anything. So, I took my pattern in a little and did a second mock up. Way way way too small. The back had about a 9 inch gap in the lacing. Colour me un-impressed.

So, I went back to the drawing board and did it my way. (At least now I know what really works for me in the future). I again, measured the corset. Then I measured me. Bust, Waist and Hip. I also measured my waist to bust depth. I compared that to the corset and added an inch between waist and bust to give me the bust support that I wanted. Then came the maths. I measured my back bust, back waist and back hip and took these measurements from the total measurements and then deducted 4 inches for the lacing gap (and weight loss, hopefully). I then divided this measurement in half (as you are only working on half of the pattern). Next, I worked out the difference between the corset and my own measurements. I divided these numbers by two (as there are two panels in the back) to give me how much I needed to add on each piece. I then marked it out on the edge of one side (the ones that would join), and sketched in the amount. I did the same for the front, using my front measurements and deducting the corset size. As there are three panels, I divided the difference by three. I added the excess amount to the seams between Centre Front and Middle Front and Middle Front and Side Front. For the middle panel, I divided the addition by two and added it to each side.

I then added my seam allowance and mocked it up. And it is just about perfect. The only change I need to make is to give it another 1.5cm on the bust at the front so that it its up a little higher, and to extend the boning on the front down about 1 inch to give a bit more of a smooth front. As I am high-waisted, I need the extra length over my tummy.

So, this week, I am planning to make the couple changes on my stays and the get them cut out. But firstly, I have to order my busk and boning. I didn't do this already as I had no idea what lenghts I would need. All in all, was a productive weekend.

Upcoming...

2012-01-13T22:23:00.000+10:00

Well, now that we are into 2012, I have to look at what's on my plate next. I have already added a lot of the events that I will be going to this year to my calendar (Supanova, Oz Comic Con, ACG Ball, History Alive). But a lot of those aren't for a while yet. In the meantime, I have been trying to put together a couple of pieces for work (vintage dresses, pants and the like) which has kept me entertained, but now I really need to get a head start on the upcoming months. 'Cause at this stage, April looks almost full to bursting.

March 9th - 11th - Ancients Camping
Hasn't really been confirmed yet, but I am looking at attending an Ancients camping event for a weekend in March. I just need to convince some of my fellow re-enactors to go along with me (hint hint, nudge nudge) I'm not too worried about my costumes as I already have the one that I made in 2010, and the outfits are stupid simple to put together. I would like to have another styled wig though - red this time instead of blonde, so I have put that order in today. Then comes the fun styling part.

March 29th - Vintage Fashion Fair
Thinking that I might just rewear something to the upcoming Vintage Fashion Fair. It's not like I don't have stuff in my wardrobe. I wear it on such a regular basis though, that it is nice to have something different for the fashion fairs. Will have to see how I go time-wise. Who knows, I might become incredibly inspired to put something together.

April 14th - Titanic
The ACG are doing both day and evening Titanic events to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the sinking. Which means two costumes. I will be starting from the inside and working my way out, so be prepared for updates. I am going to start work on drafting up the undergarments patterns this weekend. Hopefully I can at least get my mock ups done and ready to make the final versions.

As for my gowns, I have made the final decisions, bought the fabrics and ordered the patterns that I am going to base my gowns on.

For my day gown - the lilac fabric is for the base dress, the white voile for the blouse. I am intending to add a bit of insertion lace into it as well. I know I have some in one of my boxes of lace. All I need to complete this is the fabric for the binding and the sash, which I am thinking will be a dupion silk that I can make the hat to match out of.

For my evening gown - green satin (the colour is a little off in the photo) with black lace over the top. And if you look cloesly at the hem of the dress I want to make - tassels! It had me at tassels. I am thinking metalic thread and glass beads for my tassels. But still, tassels!

April 20th - 22nd - Supanova
And that brings me to Supanova. I am going to be re-wearing a lot this year, but as there are so many characters that I desperately want to make, I thought that I would tame myself with just one new one. And my choice this time is Squid Girl. I adore the anime and have been looking for an excuse to make the costume. I have started collecting the fabric (cotton for the dress, interfacing, and lycra to make the shoe covers and arm cuffs). I have also worked out how I am going to do the hair and have purchased my wig, so stay tuned.

I won't go on any further, but after April, the year is getting busier and busier. But I am looking forward to it all. The only thing I have to watch this year is that I don't burn myself out by doing too much. I got horrendously sick in November last year because I was so stressed out about a couple of projects and then adding work on top of that; I was a wreck. This year, I am trying to cut back. It may mean that I have to say no to a couple of events, and just try to rewear a lot of my costumes instead of making something new.

Retro Tea Time

2012-01-12T21:45:00.000+10:00

Wonder of wonders, I have actually done some costuming this year already. Normally we avoid the summer months like the plague as the weather is just too hot. But it seems that we managed to scrape in with some slightly coolish weather to start the year before the heat has really set in. The week alone in Brisbane has been up around 36/38 degrees and it doesn't get much cooler than 27. At any rate, a few of us doled up in retro to take Cherie out for her Birthday last weekend. We went to a lovely little Cafe called Carnivale at Ascot. The decor isn't what I would normally choose for a retro tea, but we were all willing to try out somewhere new, and what a place. The service was fantastic and we really felt like we were being treated like royalty. The food was delicious, and plentiful. And I am fully intending to go back there sometime in the not too distant future.

For the occasion, I whipped up a new vintage outfit. I sifted through my collection of vintage hats and decided that I wanted to make something that would match one of them. This time, I chose my orange velvet 1960s hat. I chose to use a skirt and blouse pattern (simplicity) as I wanted more of a fitted look to go with the hat. A trip to Spotlight saw me set up with a houndstooth for the skirt and a cream polycotton for the blouse. Friday evening, I traced off my patterns, cut out my fabric and got cracking. I did make one change to the blouse pattern though, it was actually designed to be sleeveless, but I didn't really feel comfortable with that, so I drafted up some elbow length puffed sleeves to go with it. I really like how it turned out though, and I may actually make up the sleeveless version at some point. All in all though, I was pleased at how simply and quickly everything came together. And with a fabulous vintage hat on hand, I simply popped my hair into a French roll. Yep, no sleeping on rollers for me.

Piratey New Year to you!

2012-01-11T21:25:00.000+10:00

The way to welcome in the new year? In pirate style of course!

I again hosted a costumed event to roll in the New Year. This year, I chose to go for a pirate theme. I had out back patio decked out with a hammock, lanterns, gold doubloons, jolly roger and a few edible bits and pieces. We played pirate board games, duelled with our swords, battled with our brains (trivia) and popped our cannons (party poppers). I had to be one of the easiest parties that I have organised in a long time, and it was really great to see so many of my invitees dressed up in costume.

I did put together a little bit of sewing projects to get ready for the evening. Firstly, I made a pirate costume for my Dad. He borrowed my pirate hat, sword, belt and gun for accessories, and wore his regency shirt underneath. The only pieces that I needed to make were some drop front knee breeches in black linen, a blue Georgian vest and a red waist sash. All in all, it came together rather quickly, and I was able to draft up the patterns from a couple of simplicity ones that I had on hand. I particularly love the buttons that I had in my stash for him - they are a tarnished gold colour with emblems on them. And while they are plastic, they certainly don't look it.

I knew from the outset that I would be wearing my Tia Dalma costume for the evening, so had no worry over myself. But my mum insisted that she wanted a costume as well. I told her that she didn't need to dress up as my invite specified *costume optional*, but I must be rubbing off on her as she really wanted something appropriate to wear. And at any rate she will be able to wear it when her school does book week and she dresses up each day. We chose to make my mum the proprietress of "The Saucy Mermaid" - our scene of the evening. Her costume was again pretty simple to throw together. I started with the blouse - a cream crinkle cotton, very full that gathers up under the elbows and around the neck (I used elastic to make it easier to wear). I then put together her skirts. Both are made in the Georgian manor, with two halves tying front and back. The underskirt is brown with a feint blue stripe, while the overskirt is a bright blue crinkle cotton. The overskirt is slightly shorter and bustles up at the front with a button and tie. I also lent her my false rump to give a bit more fullness. Then came the waist cinch. Not really historically accurate, but we needed something. It is a simple waist that is straight across the back with a point in the front, where it laces up. I did put a decent amount of boning in it though so that it would actually sit correctly. I topped it off by ragging her hair. This gave me a lovely tight curl that I was able to unravel for a full curly Georgian look. I think it all turned out rather well.

And I really did have a great evening.

ACG Christmas

2011-12-24T15:51:00.000+10:00

And then came the Australian Costumers Guild Christmas Party. Our theme this year was 20th Century, which could be interpreted a number of different ways. Many of our group chose to dress in vintage - 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s. We also had a jedi, and a pirate. I chose to wear my Little Mermaid costume, as a 1989 film, it was right in the time period. I had a wonderful afternoon and it was a great and relaxing afternoon for the end of another year with the ACG as we watched the sun gown down over Brisbane from the Kangaroo Point cliffs. I even go to play with my cousin's light saber.

A lolita Christmas picnic

2011-12-24T13:18:00.000+10:00

The next Christmas Party that I attended (and actually organised) was a Lolita picnic. I wanted to put together a simple occasion where we could get together before the end of the year - especially since it has been a long time since I last attended a Lolita event. It was just a simple picnic at the Roma Street Parklands. It was lovely to see everyone again, and I actually managed to take a few photos.

As for me...
Blouse - Baby The Stars Shine Bright
JSK - Angelic Pretty
Bag - Angelic Pretty (YAY! Donut Bag)
Hair bow - Angelic Pretty
Shoes - One Day In Paradise.

Proclamation Day 2011

2011-12-23T13:54:00.000+10:00

The second Christmas event that I have attended recently was the annual celebration of Proclamation Day - the day when Queensland officially became its own state. That was on the 10th December. And that was is 1859, so Crinoline is the order of the day.

The only addition that I made to my costume was to pop on one of my wigs this year instead of using my own hair. But that is more to do with the current colour of my hair rather than any other sort of thing. I decided to use my new burgundy wig, which was rather complimentary to the purple of my crinoline - the one that I made last year. I have to say, I have had so much use out of this one skirt - between wearing it as an evening gown as well as pairing it up with a day bodice.

Before the event, I also got stuck into fixing up my mum's brown evening gown that I made a few years ago. I decided to make her a crinoline for a start. It is put together with some quilting cotton that I had leftover from a vintage dress I have cut out, the regular irrigation tubing, gold brads and twill tape. I used the Truly Victorian round crinoline for it and made the oversized one - more as my mum is a larger woman, to help balance out her shape. I fixed the skirt where it had pulled out of the waistband and remodeled the bodice - removing the bertha. I found that the bertha made mum look bigger on top than she is and added to much bulk, the gown is much more flattering without it. And the crinoline works really well under the dress, you notice the bias skirt detail a lot more now. I will just have to make her a petticoat or two for the crinoline before she wears it again.

All in all, a very successful event. I had a great time and it was lovely to get mum and dad dressed up again. I think mum was very pleased with her "new" ensemble, and I know that I am much more pleased with it.

Vintage Pool Party

2011-12-22T08:34:00.000+10:00

Phew. Have been incredibly busy of late. With the onset of December comes an abundance of Christmas parties. My first one was held a few weeks ago, with my re-enactment group RIFF. As the weather takes a turn for the warm, we decided to have a pool party. And of course, it was a historical pool party. Most of us chose to do vintage. I apologise for the lack of photos, it seems that I was too busy having a great time to actually take many.

For my swimsuit, (no photos worn), I decided to make a 1950s style one. It is made out of quilting cotton that was leftover from one of my vintage dresses. I took quite a bit to get the pattern for my swimsuit fitting me (about 4 redrafts and mock ups in total). But I was sizing up from a 32 inch bust to my 38inch bust. And of course the hips and waist as well. It's actually a very flattering pattern with the gathering running down the front. And the orange trim is a bias so that it allows for movement and a little more flexibility around the legs. It does up down the back with a zip. Unfortunately my vintage reproduction swim cap didn't arrive in time for me to wear it, but I now have them, so I think that another vintage pool party may be in order to make use of my caps. And I will aim to get at least one photo of myself in there. :P

Supanova 2011 Take 2 - Sunday

2011-11-19T22:54:00.000+10:00

Sunday was a much later start. After breakfast at the Coffee Club (yes, in Costume), we finally made it in. It was Disney day. We had organised as a group to wear Disney costumes, and I have to say that I truly adore wearing Disney. It's a huge ego boost being asked for photos all the time, and so lovely to have small children come up and ask for their photo with you - though the knees don't quite like the bending so much.

My Disney choice was Ariel, the Little Mermaid. I decided to make her day outfit. It really is a very simple costume to put together. The skirt and petticoat are both 8 gore skirts on a waistband. I did make them slightly gathered so that they would be a bit fuller. My construction was a little different on the outer skirt in that it is two layers. I could only get the bright blue colour I wanted in a very light-weight fabric, so I ended up making the skirt double layer with a blue sheeting (from stash) as the lining layer. It really worked well though, giving the skirt enough stiffness to hold out nicely. The blouse took a little longer to make - I patterned it together from a couple of different patterns - the bodice is scoop necked, princess seam, waist length (bias bound) with an invisible zip up the back. I used bias to face the neck edge too, stitching it down to hold in place. The sleeves are a very simply full sleeve that is gathered into a cuff at the wrist. It buttons with 3 shell buttons on the inside of the wrist. The hairbow is made of the same fabric as the blouse and is simply a long rectangle twisted and sewn with a band and attached to a ribbon to put in the hair.

For the corset, I simply re-drafted my pattern from my sister of the dark costume, making a few changes (shorter in length, pointed at the front, straight top with the cut out v). It laces up the centre back with black grosgrain ribbon. It is pretty heavily boned with both steel, heavy plastic boning and cable ties. I made it out of black cotton sateen (from stash), and some left over pieces for my inter-lining and lining (cupcake). It is bound with bias made from the cotton sateen.

The most complex part of my costume had to be the wig. When I was looking for wigs, this one was the only one that I was happy with the colour. It is a perfect match for all the resource images I was going from. The only problem that I had was that with long wigs, they tend to be very thin at the bottom and I really wanted a full wig. So, I bought to. I cut one apart and stitched it into the other. It was really a nightmare to do as the hair is so long, it just kept on tangling up. But I persevered, and in the end, have ended up with a very full wig that I am supremely happy with. I trimmed off the ends so that it was the length I wanted it to be and then styled the fringe - with lots of hairspray and lots of back-combing. The fringe was the main thing that I wanted to get right.

To finish it off, I added some pinkish red lipstick, black shoes, and my stuffed toy flounder. I am really pleased with how it has come out, especially as this is my very first Disney costume. I think I had a lot of my own expectations to live up to - quite frankly, it had to be good. I would have been really disappointed with myself if I had gotten it wrong. I think now I just need to get some really good shots of it all.

Supanova 2011 Take 2 - Saturday

2011-11-19T22:37:00.000+10:00

Saturday, I arrived bright and early in my Saber Lion costume. Trust me, the hand fan was out and flicking away as the temperature rose throughout the day. A polar fleece costume is probably not the best idea for daytime in Brisbane's November weather, so I made the change into my new American McGee Alice costume. There was a marked sigh of relief as I peeled off the suit and cool air wafted over my skin. The day was full. I sat in on Cliff Simon's Q&A Session (Baal from Stargate), shopped, chatted, filled up on slushies, shopped and shopped some more. Coming home with a couple of my Christmas gifts taken care of. There's a lot to be said for my brother not being able to make it along (the poor sod had to work - in Kuala Lumpur). *sarcasm* I feel his pain.

I don't have any construction shots of my Alice costume, as I made it in quite a rush, but it is a very simple costume. The dress is from a simplicity pattern with a few adjustments. The skirts are cut slightly shorter so that they fall just on the knee and the neckline is a little deeper in the front. The apron is simply drafted off the bodice pattern to match the game costume design. The front and back are almost identical, but the necklines match that of the dress. The skirt is slightly gathered onto the waistband and the hem is rounded. The pockets are small round ones that I gathered up, ironed flat and top-stitched on. I painted the designs on with dimensional fabric paint. The back of the apron is constructed by rectangles. The waistband actually does up on the side back with some hooks and eyes, the bow is purely decorative with the pieces stiffened with tulle inserted and a couple pieces of boning in each edge of the bow. The skull I managed to pick up in a discount store around Halloween. I painted it white and then used a large mattress needle to stitch it to the dress (which I now realise I have to remove so that I can wash it).

Add some black and white striped tights courtesy of "We Love Colours" and my new boots from "Girls Obsession", 3 petticoats, the classic vorpal knife and wig and there you have it. It's all made out of cotton and linen so it's quite a cool costume to wear. Quite frankly, it is just begging to be worn again some time, I just need to find the right venue.

Supanova 2011 Take 2 - Friday

2011-11-19T22:12:00.000+10:00

Lucky that we are, Brisbane got a second Pop Culture Convention this year - a second dose of Supanova. It's the pre-emptive change to future April Supanova on the Gold Coast and November Supanova in Brisbane. Of course, I will be going to both next year. But as it happens, a couple weekends ago, I spent my time at the show grounds for our very own second 2011 Brisbane Supanvoa. It was an action packed weekend which I thankfully managed to hold off getting sick until I got home on Sunday night.

Friday saw me head in for the evening with my cousin and fellow costumer visiting from Sydney. I took the opportunity to re-wear my Sister of the Dark costume. But with it being night time and all, I popped a tiny torch in my lantern so that it would glow nicely. We shopped around for a bit before heading over the opening ceremony where we sat back to the comical stylings of the weekend resident comedian.

A ball of a time

2011-11-04T13:24:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday night, I attended the Playford Ball in Brisbane with a group of friends from the Australian Costumers Guild and my re-enactment group. There was a large number of us attending all in regency costume. I ran a regency specific hair and makeup workshop in the afternoon. I ended up styling many a regency do. I think it was very successful and I was glad to practice my hair styling skills again. I even talked my dad into letting me style his hair in a more regency manner. It really made a difference in how he looked, so I am completely prepared to style his hair again next time I dress him up in regency.

Somehow I managed to get my mum's new Regency robe ready in time for her to wear. It's made out of a black crinkle georgette that has a flocked spot and black embroidery. It was one of the pieces of fabric that I picked up for her quite some time ago. I've had the robe cut out for some time, but just no time to make it up. Ironically, I got it done in a couple of evenings work. The robe has a full gathered 3/4 length sleeve, the back of the bodice is fitted but the front gathers up with black velvet ribbon under the bust. A couple of tucked pleats on each side of the bust make the bodice fit over the bust line. I love how it turned out and it was so lovely to be able to surprise my mum with it. And I really love the contrast of the black robe of the bright yellow gown.

The other thing that I whipped up for the event was a turban for myself. With the half turquoise hair that I now have, I felt that I needed to cover up my hair a bit, and unfortunately a wig is not really the best idea for regency. I forgot to take any construction photos, but I fully intend to make another one, and will make sure that I do then. It was extremely simple to make - a round of fabric gathered up and stitched to a bias hair band. Then decorated. I would like to try some more complex turbans in the future, but this served the purpose wonderfully. And I was lucky enough to have some left over purple silk in my stash that was a good match for my dress.

BVFF

2011-11-03T22:11:00.000+10:00

Back at work today to rest after a busy weekend. It started on Friday night with a trip to the Vintage Fashion Fair after work. My cousin and I knocked off work, dressed in our vintage best and headed on over to Ascot (the racegrounds where the fair is held).

I re-wore my 1950s red dress styled with Victory rolls, a vintage hair snood and wedge shoes. In hindsight, the shoes were not such a good idea. My feet were killing me by the time that we got home. But I did score on some very neat finds. My cousin found me long red gloves that match my dress. I also picked up two vintage military hats - a ladies airforce hat and an army hat. I have always wanted to do vintage military outfits, and now this is the perfect opportunity. I also picked up some vintage underwear - 3 half slips and 1 full slip and a 1940s style floral dress. I find it strange in that a year ago, there is no way that I would have found vintage slips, but this year there was an abundance. My dad also scored well - he got a full 1970s suit. It fits him perfectly and looks really great.

But I did have a lovely evening out and am definitely looking forward to the next Vintage Fashion Fair. We have been tossing around ideas for our next outfits, and believe there will be some upcoming 1970s ensembles. I am kinda keen for a halter-neck flared pantsuit.

ACG Victorian Picnic

2011-10-27T22:28:00.000+10:00

On Sunday, I hosted a Victorian picnic for the Australian Costumers Guild. It's a little late in the year in Australia to be holding an event when you are layered up several times with undergarments, corsets, petticoats and all the dress layers, but it turned out to be a lovely day with a fantastic breeze blowing in off the Brisbane river. We set up at Newstead House for the event where we spread out our picnic blankets under a large shady tree. Along for the day were members from RIFF (my re-enactment group) The Queensland Scottish Volunteer Core (my cousin's re-enactment group), Dance Kaleidoscope (my dance group) the ACG (of course) as well as family members and a few new faces to the Victorian costume scene. All in all we had about 40 people attend, making this one of the largest Brisbane events ever. Not only did we all sit down to lunch, we spent time taking photos (of course), playing croquet, graces and battledores as well as dancing. It was a thoroughly relaxing day.

And it was a huge success. Everyone expressed that they had a wonderful time and really look forward to hopefully doing it again next year.

As for costumes, I took along my parents with me. They both wore costumes that I made them a couple of years ago for another Victorian event. My mum in an 1840s skirt, blouse and bonnet and my dad in a full Victorian suit. As for myself, I took the opportunity to make a new costume that I have been itching to make. You will most likely notice that it is the same fabric as my existing gold Natural Form bustle gown, but when you can buy 3 metre wide fabric for $7.95, what else are you going to do? I made three new pieces for this ensemble (all based from Truly Victorian Patterns - with a lot of tweaking). The first is a fantail skirt with a pleated ruffle at the hem. The technique for pleating that I used it one that I learnt on making my 1836 gown a few years ago. The ruffle is pleated in the middle using box pleats which then have white velvet ribbon sew over the stitching. The top of the ruffle is flat pleated in one direction. this gives a twisted puff sort of effect. The second layer of my costume is the apron. It is made from "sherbert" colour dupion silk from Eastern Silks. It is essentially the long draped overskirt, except that I made it longer. I added a fringe trim to the hem and tassels at each side seam. The third piece of the costume is the bodice. It is the Natural Form Dinner Bodice with a bit of tweaking. I made the point in the front a lot deeper and the scoops over the hip higher to reflect a number of fashion plates that I had seen. I also made sure that the tail at the back was large enough that I could wear the bustle bad I made last year under it. I was so happy that I could finally wear it! The bodice is then trimmed with white silk bias binding, a couple more tassels and some metal buttons that I had in my stash. The hat, is from when I wore my other natural form day gown.

I am so extremely pleased with how the whole ensemble turned out. Though I must say, in the yellow and orange, I really really stand out in a crowd. I will disabuse any illusions that the gold fabric is silk; it isn't. It just has the right sort of slub and sheen that it looks like a silk, but it really is a polyester. Big tip off is the salvage of the fabric with its melted edges. But hey, I love the colour and I love how it all turned out. One of the things I am most excited about though is the ability to nix and match my two different costumes now. They are both Natural form, so it gives me a lot of freedom, but all in all, I have 2 skirts, 1 apron and 3 bodices that I can put together. And I still have fabric of both the gold and the orange left over. I am thinking that somewhere down the track I will make another apron and maybe another bodice. I think it just makes my wardrobe just that bit more versatile. There may be a new hat waiting to be made as well....

Pot Luck, Retro Style

2011-10-21T23:33:00.000+10:00

So, the plans for last weekend kinda feel through completely. I was supposed to be out camping in style. Regency style that is. But the weather forecast all week was looking like rain on Saturday. And not just a little rain, a whole bundle of rain. So we cancelled. Thursday saw parts of Brisbane hit by a pretty big storm, Friday we had a little more rain, and then Saturday came around. Bright sunshiney skies, getting rather hot throughout the day and then it hit. Hail. The storm hit the northern suburbs of Brisbane (including where we were supposed to be camping). The hail was coming down at a 45 degree angle, and some of the larger ones to hit out house were the size of marbles. The noise on our patio was incredible - even yelling, we could not hear each other talking.

It all cleared in time and we were rather pleased that we had not gone camping. Knowing my luck, I would have ended up with dents in my car, a soaked shelter and furniture and ruined another of my regency dresses with mud and water. So, instead we put together an evening of retro pot luck. We all dressed up in our vintage dresses and sat down to dinner and cocktails. We rounded out the evening with singstar and parfait. I had a lovely evening and was glad for such a simple night.

I didn't take many photos, so you will have to imagine the dress. It was so nice to just pull out an existing dress with no muss or fuss or panicky last minute preparations. I wore my yellow 1950s dress again and paired it with some wedges to get into the spring feel of the evening. I did make sure to get some snaps of my mum's hair. I did her up with a 60s beehive. I think she was a little overwhelmed by the hair, but it was fun to do a beehive on someone other than myself. (I seemed to be able to get a lot more height into it when I am not doing my own hair). Go figure.

Steamed Tea

2011-10-20T23:01:00.000+10:00

A few weekends ago, a couple of our fellow Australian Costumers Guild members were up visiting from Adelaide and looking for a way to fill their Sunday. We came to the rescue with a Steampunk outing. We met in at the French Twist at Roma Street for lunch. The shop has a lovely victoriana feel to it, but unfortunately they don't like you taking photos inside. The food was lovely though and the company even better. We had a great time and took a lot of photos.

I wore my one and only complete Steampunk ensemble - The Key Maid. It's a costume that I am completely happy with and 100% pleased to wear. It also happens to be inordinately fun to wear as I simply adore my long blue curly wig. It's one that I bought a long time ago on ebay when I first started costuming. It has sat for so long in my wig box just waiting to be worn and last time I wore the key maid, I hunting for a wig to wear and decided that it would be perfect. Now it has pretty much become a staple part of my costume. I am however looking at putting together a new Steampunk costume or two but that certainly won't happen any time soon - what with my calendar booked up each weekend right into November. Add to that the couple of projects I have for my Christmas Parties and I won't really have much time to put together anything else new until my Christmas break. I can safely say that it looks set to be a busy time.

October!

2011-09-30T18:15:00.002+10:00

So what's next? October....

Yes, insanity has struck again and as the weather starts to get warmer in Brisbane, I am still costuming. In fact, I already have something on each weekend in October. The best thing about it all is that for much of October I am actually re-wearing a lot of my costumes, so it really gives me a chance to put a lot more effort into the new costumes that I am actually making. Let's look at what's upcoming.

9th - Steampunk Tea
I will be re-wearing my key maiden costume for this one. I am definitely going with the blue wig again, I love how it looked last time I wore it, so I am all set for this event. It's actually my only complete steampunk costume. I have a lot of ideas about new steampunk costumes and I am currently collecting bits and pieces for the next one, but that won't happen any more until next year.

14th - 16th - Napoleonic Camping Weekend
A stress-free re-enactment (no public) weekend with my fellow Napoleonic re-enactors. I haven't really sorted out what I am going to wearing, but it will all just be pulled out of my wardrobe. I may have to resort to a wig a some point though. (My hair is currently half turquoise, so not really historically accurate).

20th - Steampunk movie outing to 3 Musketeers
Again, a re-wear of my key maiden. It could turn out to be a little simplistic. This event is falling on a Thursday night, so I will be getting ready at work. I will have to see how it goes. I am very tempted though to use my actual green/brown hair instead of the blue wig. I will have to think about it.

23rd - Victorian Picnic
Both my parents are coming along, but thankfully re-wearing the costumes that I made for them when we did Newstead House a couple of years ago. As for me, I am making a new Natural Form bustle. It's actually out of the same gold fabric that my last natural form bustle was made out of (I have butt loads of that fabric - it's 3 meters wide and only cost $7.95/meter). At any rate, I have been able to get a new skirt and bodice out of it. And I am using the leftover sherbet orange silk as the apron and bodice trimmings. I have most of it put together and am just up to the trimming and finishing stages.

28th - Vintage Fashion Fair
Whether or not I have new frock for this will remain to be seen. I do have a few that I can wear and quite frankly, I probably should, but then I do have a few new vintage dresses cut out and ready to be made up. I guess it will depend on how inspired I am to have something new. The real question is going to be if I do 1940s or 1950s.

29th - Playford Ball
Regency again. This is the yearly regency ball (that hasn't been on for the last 2 years - go figure). No stress for me, as I am wearing my 1823 ballgown. I really love this dress so am more than happy to wear it numerous times. And I guess winning the award for workmanship on it has really made me love it that much more. Vanity is thy name. I just want to wear it again and show it off! I'm also running a hair and makeup workshop this same afternoon for the ACG. On the other hand though, I would like to try and get my mum's open robe made up for her to wear to this event. It's cut and I have started making it.

So there you have it. Not too much sewing, but not none either. Somewhere in there I will also need to get ready for Supanova in November - only mending and 1 new costume!

Georgian Feast

2011-09-28T19:56:00.000+10:00

To celebrate the introduction to my 26th year of life, I hosted a Georgian dinner party for several of my friends on Saturday night. I baked like there was no tomorrow all Friday and Saturday, prepping for the evening ahead. I swapped around the furniture in my living room and dining room so that I could set the table up with an extra oval top piece with room for the nine of us to dine. I set the table up with candles and roses, napkins, cutlery and crockery along with a paper fan at each setting for if the evening became a little too warm. We sat down to dinner at 6.30 for our first course of dinner rolls, sausage mignons, salmon tartlets, garlic prawn toasts, asparagus, potato mash and pumpkin soup. The main course followed with a selection of baked ham, roast turkey, macaroni, peas, honeyed carrots, and cauliflower au gratin. We had a short break before dessert by playing an historical version of celebrity heads (everyone was a famous dead person). Dessert followed with angel cake, chocolate mousse cakes, strawberries, blueberries and Camembert and crackers. By the end we were all thoroughly stuffed. There was much toasting of champagne, and apple cider, and we rounded our evening off with a cup of chocolate mint tea.

It was a fabulous evening. Everyone dressed up for the occasion which was really lovely to see. I didn't take many shots on my camera as I was so busy in the kitchen getting everything ready, but the camera was passed around a few times for other to take photos for me. As for my sewing of costumes, I put together an outfit for my brother - a white linen shirt, a blue / white brocade vest and blue knee breeches. I learnt him the grey cravat that I had made for our father some time ago. I was very pleased with how his ensemble came together as it is always a challenge for me dressing him (he is actually larger than the largest size on all the mens patterns). I also put together a new outfit for myself as well. I used the yellow and pink stripe silk that I bought last year in Adelaide at Eastern Silk to make an open robe and I polonaised it up at the back with a couple of fabric covered buttons. I somehow managed to scrimp the entire ensemble out of 3 metres of the fabric. The sleeves are a little tight, but that should be fixed by the next time I wear it (as long as I get back into exercise mode). The only other change that I would like to make is to add some eyelets down the front so that I can lace the gown up instead of pinning it. I also used a multitude of the yellow muslin that I had bought for a regency dress to make a full skirt for underneath. Add my wig, some flowers and a few feathers and I was all done for the evening. I was just extremely pleased to get my costume done in time.

The Redcliffe Festival

2011-09-19T22:35:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I attended the Redcliffe Festival. Costumers and Reenactors have been involved for at least the last 3 years of the festival. This year, we were invited to attend in any historical era to act as colour in the area. I was representing both RIFF (as its only attendee) and the Australian Costumers Guild. Summer, it seems has hit early in Brisbane this year with our spring having pretty much disappeared for temperatures in the 30s. Not the most of fun for a costumer, but at least the use of natural fibres allows for a little relief. There was thankfully a lovely sea breeze blowing in over the bay to keep us a little cooler. It was a lovely morning out at any rate and it was really great to see so many costumers out in style.

For the occasion, I had decided to wear my purple tartan crinoline and velvet bodice. I spent all last week putting the finishing touches on the new matching hat so even with the warm weather I was determined to wear it all. If you can get your crinoline swinging you can make your own breeze. But I am lucky that my velvet bodice is a very light silk velvet and it only lined in cotton, so it does actually breath well, and it really kept the sun off me. The hat, of which I am so proud, comes from a Lynne McMasters pattern. I have always adored this style of hat and have actually had this one cut out for some time ready to be made up. I just didn't get it made in time to wear last time I wore my crinoline. This proved the perfect deadline. One tip I have for you all though, don't put glue on your hat. I stupidly followed the instructions and used glue to attach the bias over the edges of my buckram frame (where the wire is sewn) and then had a devils own time hand-stitching through it to attach the flannel layer and the final decorative layer. I am really happy with how it came out though. I also pulled out one of my long brown wigs for the occasion so that I could have a lovely large bun at the back to compliment the hat (my own hair is just that bit too short).

Stripping in Reverse

2011-09-18T21:20:00.000+10:00

The event I attended on Sunday last weekend was a Reverse Strip show for a fund-raiser out at Sunnybank with the Australian Costumers Guild. For those not sure what that it is, it's a "show" where the costumers start in their historical undergarments (chemise, drawers, socks, boots, stays) and get dressed, thus demonstrating the layers that make up a historical costume. It's actually quite interesting for people who have no idea about historical garments. And I know that most costumers get some rude person grasping the bottom of your dress, lifting it up and saying "what's underneath". This displays that. This time, we covered 3 centuries of fashion with a snippet of 3 costumes. 1750s Georgian, 1865 Crinoline and 1907 Edwardian. I was the 1907. It was a lovely and very simple afternoon. After our strip we answered any questions, posed for photos and then sat down to tea before heading home.

It was lovely to be able to wear my gown again. I think this makes it only the 2nd time that I have actually worn it. However, it really makes me realise what I crappy job I did on the corset. It was actually one of the earlier ones that I did. I think my shape has changed a bit as well, so it doesn't really fit me properly anymore. Add to that the dodgy machine stitched shop bought bias binding on the top and bottom and the bone casings, plus the eyelet that I heard tear when I was lacing it, the boning that doesn't have well rounded edges and jabs at me, and the wrinkling. All in all, I think it is about time for a new one. At least I have the pattern to use as a guide and make the adjustments from there. Definitely in time for next year when my re-enactment group is looking at doing the early Suffragettes. I think this one might end up being a Christmas holiday sewing project.

Gangster Time

2011-09-18T20:57:00.000+10:00

A little late in posting this up, last weekend I attended the Gangsters Ball with a couple of my fellow costume friends on Saturday night. It is held at the Tivoli, which is an old theatre that has been done up in a very beautiful Art Deco style. The show was amazing with high ribbon twirls, a big band and singers, burlesque and circus and comedic acts. My favourite of all the acts were the two men who were both in vintage boy leg stripe swimwear, and doing gymnastic lifts as a competition. They had on the typically historic mustaches. They also ran a swing dance-off and a rock 'n' roll dance-off. All in all it was a wonderful night. The men looked fabulous and we were surrounded by many a set of suspenders and fedoras. We spotted a vintage sailor in the crowd too. The women's costumes on the other hand were a little bit of a let down. There were some amazingly beautiful ladies there in flapper dresses and poodle skirts, and one particular woman with a very impressive beehive. But there were a lot of women who seem to think it appropriate that they show off as much of their body as possible. We are talking costumes from adult shops, corsets with fishnets and not much else.

We on the other hand, had all made vintage dresses. Donna in a beautiful green late 1930s dress, Cat in her 1940s ensemble with fur collar and my gown from the early 1950s. We all got together earlier in the afternoon to do vintage hair and makeup and head on in together. I was so proud of myself with this costume, I ummed and ahhed over which dress to make, but finally settled on the pattern that I already had instead of drafting a new one. It turned out that drafting my own pattern would most likely have been a lot quicker as this gown really wasn't what you would call simply to whip up. But I got it made and completely out of fabric from my stash. My only purchase was the invisible zip in the side seam (I wanted a matching one instead of just using a black or white one that I already had). I was actually really glad to use up the fabric, I bought it for another costume, but didn't have enough so ended up using something else. And low and behold, this one ends up sitting in one of my boxes of fabric. Now, it can hang in my closet until I find another appropriate occasion to wear it.

Picnicing at Pemberley

2011-09-07T22:34:00.000+10:00

My first event for September has come been and gone. And it really was a very lovely event. I attended the Picnic at Pemberley event at the Abbey Museum in Caboolture. They have been running it for the last 4? years and each year it just gets bigger and better. This year it was held out on the lawns in front of the church and museum. It made for a beautiful location with lots of green lawn, trees and shade. This year it didn't fall in the school holidays so I was able to take my parents out for the day. (A father's day gift for my dad). It turned out to be a lovely day, a bit windy but at least there was no rain.

It was lovely to not have to make anything new this time. Both my parents simply pulled costumes out of their cupboards. I did have to lend a bonnet to my mum as I have not yet made her one to match her yellow gown. But I think the sherbert orange looked really wonderful with the yellow. I did lend her my new wool embroidered shawl to wear for the day as well as it made a great accompaniment. As for me, I just pulled our my blue muslin dress, silk bonnet and spencer. So again, I was in all shades of blue. Not a bad thing really, I do tend to stand out. But I did see some lovely dresses there on other girls that make me itch to make more regency. Hmmm, maybe it's time to start using up some of that stash fabric again. I know I have a few pieces put away for Regency in there.

On the cards

2011-08-31T21:53:00.000+10:00

After the rush to get my last two costumes done (the 15th Century and my Saber Lion) I was adamant that I would have no more rushing to get things done. No such luck I tell you. I have scrapped one thing off my list and postponed to make it at a later date, but I have unfortunately added something new. Which means that I need to get off my butt and get productive. So what am I making now?

1. Picnic at Pemberley
A blessed nothing! The open robe I had hoped to make for my mum is never going to happen in time, so I am going to lend her one of my bonnets and sashes to go with her yellow dress. A shawl may be needed as well - depending on how fresh the weather is this weekend.

2. Gangsters Ball
Super late notice, but I will be attending a gangsters ball in a just over a weeks time. Meaning that I need an outfit. I really want to use up some fabric in my stash, and went hunting for something slinky. I have come up with a choice of fabrics. I have just over 3 metres of red or just under 3 metres of purple. My biggest decision though is what style to do. 3 options. A 1950s fitted dress, a 1920s handkerchief hem dress or a 1920s drop waist tiered dress (3 tiered ruffles). I also have a 1930s pattern, but would have to buy enough fabric to make the dress. Please give me your opinions and help me decide!

3. Redcliffe Festival
We have decided as a bit of a group effort to go in Crinoline. Thankfully this means that I just pull my purple tartan skirt and velvet bodice out of the cupboard to wear. But, I am going to give it a red hot go to make the matching hat. It's all cut out and has partially been started, so I really should finish it in time.

4. My birthday
I am hosting a Georgian dinner with my close friends, and as it's my Birthday, I want something new. I will be re-using an open robe pattern for myself, so that is no big worry, I just have to cut the fabric and get cracking. The real worry is that my brother has decided that yes, he will dress up for me. Meaning that I need to get something made for him too - I am aiming to have a shirt, knee pants and vest done. The only part the I expect to be of issue is the pattern drafting. My brother has a rather rotund (nice way of putting it) stomach that I have to get around. Of course, the pattern that I have don't really accommodate his size, so it could be a bit of an issue. At least I have a couple of days before the party to get it all made up. I am taking him fabric shopping on Saturday so that he can help choose the fabric (only fair considering I make him pay for it!).

So, that's what's on the cards for September. If you notice, you will realise that it all equates to an event each weekend. Hmmm, can see I am going to be busy. At least the weather is starting to warm up which in theory should make me more productive of an evening.

Rowr

2011-08-29T20:09:00.000+10:00

What a weekend. I made the annual pilgrimage (as my cousin like to call it) down to the Australian Costumers Guild ball in Adelaide this weekend. We headed out to the Brisbane airport before the sun had risen to catch our 6.25am flight. On the plus side, we arrived in Adelaide bright and early ready to get our shop on. After picking up our fellow room-mates who flew in from Sydney, we headed to our little unit to check in. The best thing about this unit had to be the fact that it was only a 5 minute walk to the hall where the ball is held (a short walk to the next street over and past one building).

Our first stop of the Friday was Eastern Silk. I simply adore the store and am a frequent online customer. Of course it is nothing like being in the actual store and drooling over all the silk. If only I could afford to take it all home. The other side of Eastern Silk sell a lot of pashminas, saris and home furnishings. I took it upon myself to stock up my supplies with a couple of pashminas which are perfect for re-enacting (especially regency). We rounded out our afternoon with a trip into some local shops and the supermarket as well as a fantastic little antique shop that we spotted on our way in. I managed to score on getting a Max Factor instructional makeup book from the 1930s.

We woke up ready to go on Saturday and headed out to DKs fabrics. A couple hours later, we all stumbled out with bags full of fabric and trims. For myself I picked up some lovely linen, velveteen, pompom trim, velvet ribbons and the most amazing false eyelashes. We had to be back at the hall at 2pm for the parade rehearsal and the judging of entries into the workmanship award. I entered my 1823 ballgown that I made for JAFA this year into the workmanship competition. And I actually came out as the winner which was a huge surprise.

Later that afternoon, we all headed back to our rooms for some last minute sewing (wenz....) and to start getting ready. After the super-late fiasco that was last year, there was not going to be a chance for us to be late. As it turns out we arrived right on our schedule, each of us debuting new costumes. For me, it was my Saber Lion suit. For those not in the know she is from a game called "Fate Tiger Colosseum" that is based off the anime "Fate Stay Night". I was really pleased with my costume and in fact won one of the hall awards (for cuteness). It was a great night and we had a blast of a time.

I am really looking forward to going down again next year, and am even working on my costume plans now. I definitely don't want to be quite so last minute next time.

Below is a selection of my shots from the ball...

Living it 15th Century

2011-08-25T23:18:00.001+10:00

Living History. On Saturday gone, I attended a living history event out at the Baden Powell Scout Grounds at Samford. It was set for the 15th Century. A few members from my re-enactment group headed on out to spend the day (including our newest little member - only 7 weeks old). It was a really lovely day. We mingled with other groups doing the same period, sat down to dinners and feasts and learnt crafts. I in fact learnt to do one of the many different styles of finger-looping. A very practical past time to make your own cording for gowns, and something that I am going to look into in the future for doing different patterns. I think a book purchase might be in order - I really learn best by getting hands on and trying. And let's face it, practice makes perfect.

It's the first that I have really delved into making historically accurate medieval costumes. In the past, all of my medieval gowns have been based on an element of fantasy or a sketch that I have seen somewhere. In the past I have tried the rectangles and squares methods all over the internet but I just seem to end up looking very frumpy. The designs just don't work well for my figure. So, this time, I bought a book. "The Medieval Tailor's Assistant". And I cannot recommend it enough! It was time-consuming and a little awkward to do up my own pattern block as described in the front of the book, but it was well worth it as you can tell from my costume. In the past, if I don't wear modern undergarments with my medieval gowns, I tend to look very flat-chested. The 15th Century Kirtle however, actually fits and provides a lot of support. Especially the one that I made - the flat-front kirtle. It actually has a piece of canvas in the front section to help provide support and by lacing it up tightly, it give a very nice bust-line. Of course, mine was made from bright green linen. (I am always one to head for the bright colours). I also whipped up a houpeland to wear over the top in the evening when it gets a little cooler. Mine is just made of two layers of blue linen in different shades. The collar and cuffs both fold back to show the contrast colour. And it is reversible. Meaning that I can wear it as either the light blue or the dark blue as the bulk colour. It's just that bit more versatile. I think though, if I am doing more 15th Century re-enactment in winter, I am going to need something a bit warmer than linen - maybe I need some wool.

Save the kitties!

2011-08-24T22:58:00.000+10:00

Just over a week ago, it was RSPCA cupcake day over here in Australia. The aim is of course to raise much needed money for the RSPCA. I am a supporter, what with both the cats I have owned being adopted from there. At any rate, the idea is to bake cupcakes and sell them to raise money. In the past I did this at work, but it is so much work and quite frankly a lot of the people in my office are inordinately stingy. So instead, I held a high tea for any of my friends that were interested in attending. We had a huge range of food, from macarons, to cupcakes and sushi to mini quiche. I was up baking quite a bit the day before to get ready. And we rounded out the day with a few games. And of course we drank a lot of tea. And I do mean seriously a lot.

So, what's on the machine?

2011-08-14T21:27:00.001+10:00

So, it really has been quite a while since I posted about my upcoming projects. I guess I have just been so busy attending events that I forget to do the whole progress thing. And between a few other frustrations in my life, I've had some trouble scraping up the motivation. But enough of that. I recently took a week of leave off work to dedicate to some sewing time. I don't really have that much to show for it, because I was mainly drafting up patterns for my upcoming projects. One of which was the regency dress for my mum (last post). But aside from that, I do have a few events coming up in August and September. And events mean sewing projects. (Well, to me they do).

1. 15th Century Living History (1 day)

In a couple of weeks time I will be attending a living history day in 15th Century clothing. Of course, I really don't have anything that is historically accurate in terms of medieval costume, so this meant a whole new outfit. I really struggle with medieval costumes. They are generally made up from rectangles and triangles and while that sounds simple, I really struggle to sew if I don't have a pattern. I guess it is just the way that learnt - pattern drafting and grading from a block. I work best that way. So, I jumped online and bought "A Medieval Tailor's Assistant". It has truly been a huge help, though time-consuming.

The first step was to create your pattern block. I had to enlist the help of my mum to pin the fabric in place to me so that I would be able to draft the block. It is all described in one of the chapters in the book. So, I traced off the block, cut out a mock up and tried it on. It fit perfectly! From there, I have been able to draft up the pattern for my flat front kirtle and over robe. After another mock up, I cut out the fabric and am now getting stuck into the sewing part. Unfortunately that has involved a hell of a lot of hand-sewing and that is just taking too much time (It's all that I have left now). But I am progressing and I am determined it will be ready in time. I guess it is a good thing that next Wednesday is a public holiday (show day).

2. ACG Ball - Saber Lion

So, I have been keeping this on a little hush-hush. A couple of people know what I am intending to make, but this is my very first time working with creating body suits. I was intending to pad out my body a bit, but my first mock up was a utter failure, and the padding looked really terrible. I had another hash at the pattern and I am so unbelievably pleased with it. *cue happy dance* I just need to make one simple change to the amount of allowance across the hip and then I am ready to cut my fabric. My fabric has been collected and dyed to match (well as close as I can get), and my wig arrived last week. I will just need to make a couple of style changes to it and trim up the fringe. This is saber lion: (she is from the game, Fate Tiger Colosseum)

3. Redcliffe Festival - Bustle Gown

I finally have a deadline. I have two bustle gown ensembles cut out and waiting to be sewn up. Both of them have been started, but will require quite a bit more work to be finished. I would really like to get one done for September 18th. It's not doing to worry me too much if I don't get it done in time, 'cause I do have another bustle gown that I could wear, but it would be nice. At any rate, I am hosting a Victorian picnic later this year, so I will have one done by then.

I do have a few more things up my sleeve, but I am just trying to focus on August for the moment. I suppose I had best get my butt in gear and get back to the sewing. So much to do, so little time....

Regency Dancing

2011-08-13T18:01:00.000+10:00

Last weekend I attended a Regency dance held by Kaleidoscope (the dance group that I belong to). Originally I was not going to be able to make it along, because of a re-enactment weekend but that unfortunately fell through. It's a shame but at least I was able to make it along to the dance. I dragged along my parents and a few of my fellow costuming friends. It provided the perfect opportunity to re-wear my ballgown from JAFA this year. I really is lovely to just pull a costume out of the wardrobe to wear.

I have to admit though, I had done some preparatory sewing for the evening. But it was actually for my mum this time. I have never really been happy with the first Regency dress that I made for her. It wasn't really the best design for her and the fabric is a little "meh". So I have been meaning to make her a new ensemble for some time now. I had some fabric sitting in my stash that I had tagged for it, but it just wasn't right. After a fabric shopping trip, mum spotted the yellow voile that I bought for a snow white skirt and decided she would like to have that. Best of all though, I actually found a photograph of an extent garment that is the exact shade of yellow. As for design, I decided to just go with a very simple gathered front dress using the sense and sensibility pattern. The only really changes that I made were to cut the skirts to the width of the fabric so that they were a bit fuller and to build in a lining / petticoat layer on the skirts (the fabric is a little too sheer otherwise). I am really pleased with how it has turned out and I think that the design is very flattering for my mum. It would be better if she would wear a set of historical stays, but she prefers to go with regular undergarments underneath. At any rate, it is sitting nicely and has opened up the options for the different pieces that I can put with it. Next on the agenda is a v-front open robe out of some embroidered black voile. Hopefully I will get it done for the next regency event that I drag her to.

The masked ball

2011-08-04T14:28:00.000+10:00

Another event that I recently attended was the annual Heritage Ball. For this event, the code of dress is ball gowns - and anything colonial will do. It pretty much covers from your 1840s and crinoline era through to bustle. The theme this year was a mask. I once again had a lovely time and look forward to going again next year. (The first photo is my mum re-wearing the pink silk bustle that I made for her last year - but I decorated a mask to match for her).

Last year, I went with the bustle option, but this year I didn't want to make anything new and instead opted to pull an already made costume out of my wardrobe. Namely, my tartan silk crinoline ball ensemble. I have only worn it as an evening outfit once in the past at proclamation day last year. I did however make a mask to go with it. Unfortunately my dad couldn't make it along, he was the last to get the head-cold that I had been suffering all week. As it was, I was only up to light dancing and we had to bow out and leave early.

Tea Time

2011-07-28T22:20:00.000+10:00

A couple of Sundays ago, I attended a Regency High Tea at Franklin Villia (located in one of the inner city suburbs of Brisbane). It was not long ago that I attended a Lolita tea there, and the lady that runs the teas was again there, and again rather odd. Buzzing around, gushing excessively over everyone's outfits. Don't get me wrong, it is nice to have a compliment but she takes it to embarrassing levels and you end up feeling awkward. At any rate, it was lovely to be out again in costume and spending time with a different group of fellow costumers. I also enjoyed the shortness of the event. I was home in time in the afternoon for a lovely nap, while normally the events I attend completely drain you out with an all day attendance. It was nice for a change, and kind of inspires me to do more simply picnics or tea outings.

On this particular occasion, I decided to wear my "new" blue muslin regency gown. Remember the white muslin gown that I wore at History Alive this year? Well, it got so filthy on the hems that I just couldn't get the gown white again. As a fix, I decided to dye the dress. Blue was my choice. It has come up such a lovely and bright colour and I am exceedingly pleased with it. The day turned out to be a bit warmer than I was anticipating, so I didn't wear my pelisse again, and instead opted for the blue silk spencer. I was inordinately pleased with the mesh of blues in my outfit. From the blue of my gown, to the blue ribbon at the waist and the blue silk spencer and bonnet. I contrasted it all with some red ribbon in my hair. It was a lovely day, and I managed to harass my cousin into taking some beautiful shots of my outfit.

Days of Abbeystowe

2011-07-20T20:09:00.000+10:00

For the fourth year, I attended the Abbey Medieval Fair at Abbeystowe a couple of weekends ago. The Festival runs for the Saturday and Sunday - lots to see, lots to do and very exhausting. This year, I managed to sit in on one of the jousts, which was very interested and quite well run. There was an amazing multitude of lovely yummy food.

It was so lovely to attend this year just rewearing my costumes. It's not often that I attend an event that I don't sew something for. The only addition I made this year were some boots and a new wig for my Saturday outfit. Instead of wearing plait extensions, I plaited a super long wig to get the effect that I wanted. And let's be honest, I love wearing wigs.

Dining the Regency way

2011-07-14T22:11:00.001+10:00

I will admit it now, I completely forgot about posting pictures on this one. On the 1st of July, Donna and I hosted a Regency dinner party. There were only six of us in total, but it was a lovely excuse to get dressed up in our pretty regency gowns and sit down to a meal. It was held at my house, where I set up the table with a lace tablecloth, my parents Queen Anne dinner set, candles, linen napkins and some pretty little glasses. We each brought something along to the mix to make up dinner. My contribution was dessert - a lime/syrup steamed pudding and profiteroles. And just as it happens, we toasted the birth of a new little girl birthed just that afternoon to a couple in our re-enactment group. (Yes, they heavily pregnant lady that attended JAFA with us).

It was a lovely opportunity to be dressed up in regency and spend some time over a scrumptious dinner and catching up with each other. I took the opportunity to re-wear my printed pink and silk afternoon gown - nothing too formal but still an evening suitable gown. After all, we were holding a country dinner. And I must make a note to do this sort of thing again some time... (apologies for the lack of photo quantity).

Feasting Medieval Style

2011-07-03T20:10:00.000+10:00

And that brings us to last night. I attended the Medieval Feast at Abbeystowe. It marks the launch of the Abbey Medieval Festival week with the Tournament next weekend. I have to say that the feast was amazing. There was so much food and it was of such an amazing variety.

In terms of costume, I pulled together something new for the occasion. It is loosely based on a gown from Lord of the Rings but in more of a medieval style. I am only mildly pleased with how the ensemble turned out. It looked pretty great on my mannequin but not as much on me. I am thinking of a few changes for the next time I wear it, but medieval is one era of costuming that I am rather good at failing. And as they say, you learn from your mistakes.

Steamy Sunday

2011-07-03T19:47:00.000+10:00

Let's start with Sunday of a week ago. I went to a steampunk meet with my cousin. We met up for afternoon tea at the French Twist in town at the Barracks on Petrie Terrace. The food was divine and the place was beautiful, but unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos inside. I did get a couple of shots on my new little purse camera though.

As for my costume, I pulled out the key maiden outfit that I wore at Supanova earlier this year. Only this time I made a couple of changes. The biggest being the use of my long curly blue wig and the cold weather meant that I could go a little stronger the makeup. I pulled out the false eyelashes, some heavy blush and to top it blue lip colour. I really like the transition of the costume with the wig. It compliments the blue taffeta in my costume nicely. Shame I didn't get a full outfit shot though.

History is Alive in 2011

2011-06-23T20:22:00.000+10:00

It's been a weekend ago now, and I have yet to put up my photos from History Alive. For those not in the know History alive http://www.historyalive.com.au/home.html is a Queensland Living History Foundation run event that encompasses all periods of re-enactment across Queensland and is provided by the re-enactors. As one myself, I camp out for the weekend in full style. My group, RIFF, covers a wide range of eras. This time, we decided to again go as Regency gentry and set our encampment up as a picnic.

We headed out Friday afternoon to set ourselves up, so that come Saturday morning, we would be ready to open our day with a full regency breakfast.

My parents also came out with my Aunt and Uncle for the day to see the sights and enjoy the shows. I handed over my camera to my dad and told him to take some photos for me. So you can get a good idea of what is on offer.

The main display that we run at the moment is on the Saturday afternoon, we hold a tiffen (tea) for the ladies, gentlemen and officers of the other re-enactors in our period. It is always a smashing success and wide have a great variety of food, all historical of course. Macarons, a pineapple, cupcakes, chocolate cake, scones, ginger cookies...

There were only four of us ladies on the Sunday with our two boy helpers. But we still managed to have a nice time. It had rained overnight, so everything was a little damp in the morning, but the brisk wind and a smidge of sunshine dried all our tents and shelters out nicely.

It also proved the event for me to use the new table that my father made for me. It is based off an actual historical table that we found on an auction site. I love how it turned out an am extremely proud of my dad for putting it together for me (it was my Christmas present from him). We stained it a lovely dark mahogany colour which has come up as a deep reddish tone. I also made a tablecloth for it as I was loath for it to be ruined by anything - plates, hot teapots, cutlery.

Thankfully, I re-wore a lot of my costumes for the event. The only new garment that I had for myself was a pelisse. And I am supremely happy that I managed to get it completed on time. It was very cold and windy out on site for the weekend, and many of my regency costumes are made for warm Australian weather, so not really up to the chill. My pelisse is made of a deep purple faux cashmere and lined in blue flannel. It stops the wind and is very warm and cosy. It also has a hood (I managed to find a fashion plate that had a hood). The other thing that I whipped up was a muff. It is made of fake fur, lined with flannel and the bottom half is stitched up to act as a bit of a pocket. I really kept me warm for the weekend. The the hem of my white muslin dress in not so white any more - deep in mud. I am planning to dye it a different colour to hide the dirt that didn't bleach out.

Cigarette Girl

2011-06-08T19:49:00.001+10:00

For a change, I only have the one event on last weekend, I attend the Birthday Party of a Lolita friend. The theme for the evening was "Naughty by Nice". Now, I am not the sort of person who you would really put in any sort of costume that was Naughty but Nice, and I certainly would not feel comfortable in some skimpy outfit. For a start, I just don't have the legs for it. So, I really struggled with what sort of costume would be appropriate for me to wear along. I tossed around a couple of ideas, but ended up coming back to a Vintage ensemble. In particular, a cigarette girl from the 1940s. Granted I didn't have the cigarettes as I am against the horrid things, but I did have the candy.

It was essentially a very quick ensemble to pull together. I already had the corset from my Sister of the Dark costume earlier this year. The only components of my costume that were missing was the skirt, hairpiece and candy tray. The skirt I put together from a vintage pattern using black cotton sateen. The hairpiece is a small base with velvet leaves and flours stitched on, and the candy tray was the box from one of my dolls that I arrived from Japan not long ago. I simply glued it up, painted it black and attacked it with the hot glue gun for decoration. It has a lovely ribbon strap and fabric covered foam to hold the lolipops in place, along with two plastic trays for loose candy and an open section for the rest.

Add in the victory rolls, curled hair, seamed stockings, platform shoes, gloves and makeup and there you have it. My version of a cigarette girl.

Franklin Villa

2011-06-02T20:35:00.001+10:00

While I was not overly productive on my weekend, I did make the time to go out to a Lolita meet on Sunday afternoon. We went to the historic Franklin Villa in Highgate Hill for High Tea all done up in our Lolita finery. The house was beautiful and it was wonderful to see everyone again and just relax over some tiny food and tea. The woman who runs the house was a bit full on with the fawning all over us, and even though she was nice enough to take some group photos for us, she wasn't inclined to give me my camera back and didn't seem to really know that much about photos, so I apologise now for some of them, I have done my best to crop and fix them up.

I took the opportunity to finish the lining on a new dress that I had in progress. The blue fabric is one that I picked up from a seller on etsy. To get enough fabric for my plans, I had to buy two 1 metre chunks and a fat quarter to get the collar. I only have a row of the fabric leftover, but am very pleased with how it came out and am actually rather proud of my handmade lolita. It has been a while since I made my own lolita dress, but I am kind of keen to get back into when I have some spare time between all the costumes that I put together. Hmmm, it may be a while before that happens again.

What's next?

2011-05-27T19:28:00.002+10:00

With all the events that I have been attending lately, its a wonder that I have any time to whip up my new projects. But, even though I have been booked out the last few weeks, there is still more to come. Upcoming I have at least a lolita meet, a birthday party, regency re-enactment, medieval events, victorian. The list just doesn't end.

What I am working on most urgently now is getting ready for History Alive. It's a big re-enactment event here in Brisbane over the Queens Birthday long weekend. We head out on Friday to set up and schlep home Sunday night. I'm glad that the public holiday is Monday - I get my day of rest in before I have to head back to work. But, as with every year, I look at having more exciting pieces to add to our re-enactment scene. Last year, my biggest project was making the shade shelter. My wonderful father did the poles and ropes for me.

This year, I have my Dad making me a historical table. It's actually my Christmas present from him, and has taken some time for us to come up with a complete design and actually start making it. Now it is coming down to crunch time and he is almost finished. I won't spoil it and you will have to wait until it is complete for photos, but I am so proud of him and what he has been able to accomplish.

In the meantime, I am trying to get the bits and pieces ready for me to take, so the list of my intentions:
1. Table cloth (to protect the fabulous new table that is being made)
2. Tapestry ground covering (picked up some really cheap tapestry fabric ($5/metre) at spotlight)
3. Small table cloth (to hide the hideous old camping table that we use for tea)
4. Matress Slip cover (to act as a sheet and keep my mattresses together and hidden as my bedding)
5. Regency Apron (to protect my gown - errr, have not started this yet)

Possible Items:
6. Muff
7. Pelisse
8. Regency Top Hat

And finally, a quilt. I realise now that the quilt is not going to get done in time for History Alive, so instead, I would like to have it ready for the next regency event that I go to which will be in August. At this stage, I have a few pieces of fabric that I intend to use, but have not been able to source it all. But I am intending to draw up my embroidery designs for the quilt and take them along with me to sew while we are being ladies at our events. This way, I will be both be doing lady-like things and being productive.

Hmmm, lots to do, little time to do it.

A pirates life for me.

2011-05-26T19:34:00.000+10:00

The month of May marked the return of Captain Jack Sparrow to the movie theatres. For me, this posed the perfect opportunity to get dress up and head to a session. Of course, I roped in a couple of fellow costumers to go with me; and we had a blast. I pulled out my Tia Dalma costume again for a re-wear, while being surrounded with tricorns, swords and guns. The movie was fantastic and well worth watching, and going along in costume just made it all the more special for me.

We got to the cinema early enough to take some photos with the pirates display in the foyer. The cinema attendant even removed the cordon from around the display for us so that we could get close for our photos and then took a group shot for us as well. It really makes me want to host an international talk like a pirate day event later this year. 'Cause lets face it. Pirates are cool!

'40s on parade

2011-05-25T18:35:00.000+10:00

For the first time this year, I got all done up in full Vintage on Sunday and headed off to the Petrie markets for a '40s on parade morning. The day started out raining, but it seems that by my bringing an umbrella, I managed to scare any wet weather away. My cousin and I rolled in at around 10am, just as everything was coming into full swing. My strolled around a few shops before meeting up with a fellow costumer. We had a blast of a time, and I managed to restrain myself, only bringing home cheese and honey. We stopped for a few photos in our finery before calling it a day and taking our sore feet home.

I, of course took the opportunity to make a new dress for the occasion. It was rather a prudent idea considering that I wore out my last 1940s dress some months ago. (You know it is time for retirement when the seams start to give out from wear). At any rate, it was the perfect thing to hunt through my fabric stash and pull out something that I already had on hand. In this instance, it was my navy and white spot fabric. It's a bit of a polyester sort of fabric, so perfect for the cooler months. I picked out a pattern that I had made before, but decided to play on the sheerness of the fabric by making it long sleeve as well. As for the day, I dug out my blue vintage hat and purse to go with it, some seamed stockings, vintage style shoes and the black slip underneath. It's amazing how long it takes to get ready in full vintage. Getting the hair set in rollers, full makeup done and all the layers of the dress. But it is well worth the effort, I always feel very feminine and pretty when I am in full vintage.

The funniest thing though are the comments. You get the rude looks, where the people look you up and down as they walk past as if to say "what on earth are you wearing?", then there are the people who do the discreet stare, the ones who just shrug and then the lovely older ladies who say "why don't we wear this anymore?". You might not, but I certainly do. I mean we all have those days when you just cannot bear to dress up, when pulling out the jeans and t-shirt seem the best option, especially when you haven't had enough sleep and you stare at your wardrobe unenthusiastically bleary eyed, and think about the lovely dress sitting in the ironing pile and just cannot bring yourself to put in the effort. But then there are the days that you do make the effort, and nothing is as nice as the comments you get. It really makes you feel like a girl. I want more of those days!

The busy life of a costumer

2011-05-19T21:09:00.000+10:00

What else has been going on lately, you ask? I had a day off on Monday this week, so was able to get stuck into some of my long awaited sewing projects. In particular some vintage and lolita dresses that are suitable to wear to work. I also managed to spend some time sifting through the plastic tubs of fabric, organising what I had in stock (let's just say that I really should do some more sewing before I buy any more fabric).

In the realm of finished accomplishments though, are my new Victorian Stays. The last pair that I had, were about 2 years old and had been worn to death. To the point that I had bones poking out top and bottom that would jab me in the hip and armpit as I moved around. And in fact, the last time that I work it, one of the seams decided that it was time to bust. All in all, it was a scream to me that it was about time for a new set. Cue an upcoming Victorian event and you have me motivated to get stuck into it. I used the same pattern as my last set, as they still fit really well (though next time that might change). I dug through my stash of silks and pulled out some lovely purple that was perfect for the outer layer, then pulled out some pink sweets quilting fabric from Japan to act as my lining. Everything in the middle though, that you don't see is left over scraps from other projects. All in all, my stays are five layers thick: 1 silk, 1 cotton (as the silk is so thin), 1 shapewell (stiffened cotton), 1 cotton, 1 cotton lining. Add to that the bias I add in through the middle sections to provide a backing for the boning and you have all my layers.

The way I see it is that if it is a little thicker, it is likely to take a lot longer for the bones to be able to work their way out of their casings. It probably helps too that I have rounded off the edges of all my boning instead of just the lazy cutting that I did last time (oops). Lesson learnt.

Another Regency outing

2011-05-18T19:55:00.000+10:00

Well, the weekend has more than come and gone. I spent most of my Sunday heading out to one of the heritage houses in the Brisbane Area - Wolston House. It is one of those houses that was originally a farm house on a large surrounding property. Nowadays it sits with views of the Jail over the rise and the Abattoir which by days end gives off the most pungent smell of cow and blood.

At any rate, the house is lovely, and the Kaleidoscope Dancers were invited to perform. Originally we had planned to wear Crinoline as the house was built in the 1860s, however as our musicians do not have the correct period garments, we instead went for Regency. And yes, we did have live musicians with us this time. It was really nice to be able to dance to live music rather than a recording, though dancing on grass is always a unique experience. Especially when a long setting has been put on the mower and there are a few ditches and holes in the lawn. It took skipping to a whole new level. But I did have fun, and even picked up a lovely basket at one of the stalls for $2 - perfect for carrying my stuff to historical events.

A crinoline outing...

2011-05-05T20:00:00.000+10:00

Sunday. What we like to call the day of rest. For a costumer, not so much. It is the day of last minute sewing projects and events. I am just glad that Monday was a public holiday - I needed the rest.

But what it all boils down to, is that on Sunday I attended the Redland Heritage Festival with both the Australian Costumers' Guild and the Kaleidoscope Dancers. First up off the mark was the performance for the Australian Costumer's Guild. We did a reverse strip. For those not in the know, this is wear (as a costumer) we start in out undergarments and put on each layer. It is a bit of an education as a lot of people just don't know what goes on underneath all out skirts to get the shapes. It tends to be pretty popular and we seem to do at least one per year. For this, I wore my gold Natural Form bustle ensemble.

After our little performance, I changed into my brand new crinoline set. I need to be in crinoline as this was the chosen theme for my dance group. Last December, I had made an evening ensemble with some lovely purple/yellow/teal tartan silk. So, to get some use out of it all, I decided to whip up a day bodice that I could wear with my skirt. I dug around in my stash for the purple velvet I had bought some time ago and got cracking on drafting up a bodice pattern. I used the Truly Victorian pagoda sleeve bodice pattern as my base and just started adjusting. I wanted a built in skirt from the bodice that was a bit fuller than my crinoline and fitted sleeves instead of bell sleeves. I ended up being a little bit limited on the amount of skirt I could build into the bodice. This was just because of the width of my fabric, and I probably didn't have quite enough to successfully be doing what was in my mind. In the end, I folded back my pattern so that there would be an v opening at the centre front. It works though, because it shows off a bit more of the skirt..

I went very simple with the construction, just flat lining everything. I tend to go this way with Victorian as it allows me to either let out the bodice or take it in if my body decides to change shape. To finish it off, I bound the hem, neckline and sleeves with a bias cut of the tartan silk. I was originally tossing up doing fur trimming, but thought that it might be too much. I'm glad I went with the silk though, it really carries the colour through the outfit. Next on the list though is a new corset. My current one is worn to the point that bones are poking out, I have busted one of the seams and the lacing is worn from being pulled. It's not very comfortable. I did have every intention of getting it done for last weekend, but 3 days of lying on the couch with a cold kind of set that back.

At any rate, I had a lovely but exhausting day. My bodice was finished in time and wearable, and I finally got to wear one of my mantillas in my hair. I have a couple of them but just don't have the appropriate gowns to wear with them. We had a lovely picnic on the grounds, did a bit of dancing and finished the day off with a quick look at the heritage museum. All in all, quite successful.

JAFA 2011 - Sunday Program

2011-04-22T18:15:00.000+10:00

It was a blessfully late start to the day. It made for a lovely morning, a slight sleep in and an easy breakfast before packing up our picnic food, popping on our gowns and heading to the park. We started off the morning with a costumed promenade. We had a very large assembly of costumers that proceeded to stroll around the grounds of the park before heading back to the chessboard for some light dancing. I thought the chessboard dance that they did was lovely and would have really liked to learn how it was done. Obviously you need enough people to fill all the chessboard places.

We finished the morning off with a full picnic, some chatting and pit of photography. It was a lovely park and a not-too-hot or cold sort of day, but I was a little disappointed in the picnic location. There were only a couple park benches located a long way from the main group. It made it difficult for those of us who had travelled interstate and were not comfortable sitting on the ground in our costumes (not easy in Georgian). I did try to wrap up against the sun as well, which turned out to be a good thing as the shifting sun left very little shade.

But after filling ourselves with picnic goodness, we headed back to the hall for an afternoon assembly and some dancing. By then we were rather pooped and about ready to head home.

The costumes for the day were all particularly lovely. It seems that the Ball and the Picnic are the events that everyone dresses up in their finest gowns.

As for me, I had my brand new late Georgian ensemble, complete with my huge felt and buckram hat.

We rounded out our stay in Canberra by heading out to dinner for the night at a historic pub. Half of our group decided that they had had enough of the costumes, but me, I had brought down my Georgian dinner gown from last year to wear for the night. It was lovely to sit down to juicy steak cooked just the way I like it. After hopping on back to our unit, we sat down to share some wine and cheese and some photo swapping. It made for a lovely end to our weekend away.

JAFA 2011 - The Ball

2011-04-21T19:26:00.000+10:00

The Ball. Who doesn't love a ball? The gowns, the dances, the flirting. Well, the gowns at any rate. I do love me a ballgown. We ended up arriving a little late, but only so that we were fashionable. More because we just weren't quite ready on time. Four women sharing a bathroom is not going to work out too well when it comes to being ready on time. At any rate we had a fantastic time. I was a little disappointed in the photographer that was in attendance (I take better photos), and rather perplexed that she didn't seem to know enough to bounce her flash rather than full frontal.

I think we all looked marvellous. It seems that the ballgown is the one gown that we put the most work into. Some of us, more work than is really sane.

Me for one. While I simply adore how my gown turned out, I can remember all the cursing over how to go about making the wretched sleeves. And all the handsewing to get them to an appropriate historical level. In the end it was well worth all the frustration and sore fingers. I think the only part that I was not overly happy with was the fact that I made it a little too tight in the bodice and we had to stretch to get it on and that I could have put more padding in my quilted hem. It did hold the skirts out nicely, but it could have been stiffer. To complete the look, I was going for a mid 1820s hairstyle. I found a great sketch of "Apollo Knots" that I had a go at replicating. Essentially it is three large barrel curls pinned the crown of the head. They could have been larger, but my hair is only so long, and I don't have any hairpieces that match at the moment. I am pleased though with how it turned out and am actually really looking forward to wearing this gown again some time. Especially after all the work that I put into it.

JAFA 2011 - Saturday Program

2011-04-21T17:12:00.000+10:00

Looking at the program for Saturday morning, my fellow housemates and I weren't really interested in any of the sessions on offer. We were however, supremely interested in heading to the local shopping centre to pick up a few food supplies and the blessed morning coffee (or in my case, hot chocolate). Of course, this leads to us taking photos of ourselves while in our modern surrounds. I think there were a few shoppers who got a bit of a surprise, and thanks to my cousin for having her little camera on hand for our happy snaps.

We headed back to the festival in time for my presentation on regency hairstyling. For those interested, my next post will be my presentation notes, but those in the actual workshop got to see a whole hairstyle emerge on two lucky candidates. The first having her hair curled and wrapped in a turban, the second (my cousin with very straight hair) having it styled into a rolled hairdo with large barrel curls that were very similar to pinned victory rolls. It was a little nerve wracking but, I had a very good turn out, so much to the point that one of my friends that was running late turned up to a sign on the door "session full". And then there was the camera. ABC news were filming at the festival and decided to shove the camera in our faces for the session. As it turns out, I ended up with a very small flash appearance on the news.

Donna also gave her second workshop session on Saturday - picnic games. It was neat to get up and have a go at some of the games that we have not yet tried in our historical re-enacting. I adored her handmade battledores and could not help but laugh at the perfect poses she pulled for a game of graces.

The afternoon session had me doing my final presentation on regency cosmetics and how to get the look using modern makeup. I found that I was really very comfortable in this session. Mainly because it is my strength. I'm a trained makeup artist and am very comfortable talking about makeup. I know what I am doing. Again, I had a good turn out for the session and two models who came out with appropriate regency makeup.

Costume wise, again we found some time for a photoshoot session or two - exploring the lovely grounds of the church and the beautiful roses. I have it on good authority that the roses smelt divine, but I was not really in the condition to go smelling flowers. I had contracted a case of hayfever since touching down in Canberra.

It tuned out that I chose the perfect day to wear my cashmere half robe. The day turned rather cold with a whipping wind. I'm glad that I thought to make something to wear over my white muslin gown, but it was nice to get photos of it all again. The bonnet was a last minute endeavour that I threw together the weekend before we left. I'm not sure that I like it with this ensemble and am contemplating something a little nicer for the next time I wear my robe. I have to admit I am rather partial to the top hat styled hats and am more than willing to give it a go.

JAFA 2011 - Country Dinner

2011-04-20T19:26:00.000+10:00

After our day of fashion sessions, we raced home for a quick shower and a change of costume, before heading back to the hall for our country dinner. The food was well cooked, but sadly lacking in vegetable quantity to be to my taste. We followed dinner with a quick performance of Pride and Prejudice in 10 Minutes. It was complete with lines like "no time for that" and cross dressing, put on by a cast of four. I think we all found it uproariously funny. We rounded out the evening with dessert, some light dancing and of course a bit of gossip.

The gown I decided to wear was my ballgown from last year with a slight revamp on the bodice and hem - a smidge of silk ribbon embroidery. Looking at the photos I find that I don't mind the gown even though in the past I have found it to be slightly "meh". I think it probably helps that I now have stays that actually fit me well. It really does help out the shape of the gown. Too bad that I didn't get any full shots of my outfit. Maybe someone else did...

JAFA 2011 - Customising your Regency Gown

2011-04-20T19:19:00.000+10:00

Below are the notes from my presentation that was given during the Friday program of the 2011 Jane Austen Festival...

Please note that this session is a demonstration on how to go about changing a standard pattern from “Sense and Sensibility Patterns” to get something uniquely different. In doing so, we will treat the factory pattern as a “block” guideline from which we will be tracing off the pieces and adapting them. These skills can easily be applied to other patterns.

I will warn you though, that pattern drafting requires a certain amount of spatial reasoning. Being able to imagine what a pattern piece actually looks like that will create your garment. Browsing historical patterns of extent garments will help you visualise the pattern pieces you would like to create. Believe me, it gets easier over time, and there are a lot of books out there that will help you.
Materials for pattern draftingThe list below is a guideline of the implements that I use for pattern drafting and a description of them.

Pattern
This is the factory printed pattern as it arrives and will be your block for drafting. Depending on your design, you may need more than one of the Sense and Sensibility Patterns (1). The three patterns most applicable to Regency are “The elegant ladies gown”, “basic gown” and “spencer” patterns.

Drafting Paper - There are numerous types of drafting paper on the market, however I like to use Burda tracing paper (in a pink packet) available from Spotlight and Lincraft for the larger pieces and a roll of unwaxed lunch wrap available from your local supermarket.
Pencils - I like to use a 2B pencil because it is a softer pencil that will not tear the drafting paper when your are tracing and sketching, yet it is still hard enough that it will not break too readily.
Pencil Sharpener
Eraser
Ruler - I use a pattern grading ruler, however any ruler would be suitable. I would however, recommend using at least a 50cm ruler.
Sticky Tape - To join tracing paper if your sheet is too small and when making further adjustments. I recommend a quality tape such as scotch that will allow you to draw on it with pencil.
Tape Measure - To check your measurements as you go. It is far better to measure twice, and cut once.
Scissors - Sharp paper scissors with a comfortable grip. A longer length set of scissors is best.

Before we begin
Put on your historical undergarments (or the undergarment that you intend to wear under your dress). They alter your figure quite a bit and give a different lift to the bust line. Take your measurements and note them down in a memorable place (not on a scrap of paper that you may just toss away by accident). Make sure that you note down both the inch and centimetre measurement as many of the patterns that we work from are American.

Measurements you will need:
Bust
Waist
Underbust
Hip
Shoulder to bust
Underbust to hem
Upper arm width
Sleeve length

Fitting
Like using the correct historical undergarments, having a regency dress that fits well really makes a huge difference in your appearance. Fitting your dresses all depends upon the style. But there are a number of key elements to making your dress fit well. A mock up (a trial out of cheap fabric) allows you to work out where your body shape differs from the commercial pattern.

Drawstrings - Many regency dresses are gathered and tie up with drawstrings. This allows for a lot of flexibility as you can simply pull in the tie to make the gown fit better. This also works on some of the more fitted gowns; by simply adding a drawstring underneath the bust, it will pull up any extra fabric.

Underbust-line / Bodice - Make sure that the seam where the skirts are sewn on sits in the correct position (under your bust). Nothing says ill-fitting like a gown with the bust-line sitting on your bust instead of under. If you have this problem, it is quite simply a matter of extending the bodice length. Slash the pattern piece across and the bust and spread out to add in the needed amount of fabric. You will most likely have to do this for the back pieces as well if they are sitting too high. This will also apply to those who are short in the body where the bust line is too long, slash your pattern and overlap the pieces to take out fabric. There are a few other places in the bodice that may need to be changed. If you are wider or narrower across the chest in front or back, you could again slash your pattern (vertically this time) and spread or overlap.

Sleeves - I have found that a lot of pattern sleeves are way too tight around my arm. To resolve this, slash your pattern in three places following the grainline and spread the pattern. You may only need the extra room at the top of the arm, so spread the pattern in a v-shape angle. The length of the sleeves is easily adjusted as well. Work out where you need the extra room (or to remove room) in relation to your elbow. Slash the sleeve and overlap or spread the pattern to add or remove extra. For ball-bodice armbands, simply measure your bicep and tailor the armband to fit (making sure to add seam allowance and a small amount of ease). You can then cut a large size of the puff sleeve to get the extra pouf.

Once you have adjusted the original pattern to suit your body shape, you now have a block pattern to work from. This pattern that you have adjusted is the standard pattern for your body. From this, you will be able to your new custom-fitted styles.
Drafting your pattern

Before you go straight into altering your pattern, you need to come up with a cohesive design. If you are using a fashion plate, make sure that you know how you want the gown to look both front and back. The best way to go about this is to make a simple sketch of both the front and back.

I have found it useful to look at pattern pieces of extent garments in drafting up a pattern. This will give you an idea of what shape the pattern pieces should look like when flat. I will also suggest that you familiarise yourself with the standard sense and sensibility patterns by making up a gown from an unadjusted pattern. This will help you to understand the different components of the garment and how they sit.

The first step is to choose the pattern that most closely resembles the gown you are trying to create. For instance if you want a bodice with a v-neck and gathering at the underbust, you would most likely use the cross-over gown bodice. Or if you want a high-neck gown that is full in the front you would choose the drawstring front gown. You can also use a couple of different patterns to get what you want.

You will then start the drafting process. Lay out your pattern pieces (you will need a large flat surface like a dining table or a tiled/concrete/wooden floor). Choose the pieces that you want to start working from first. I generally start with adjusting the bodice and sleeves before moving onto the skirts.

Make sure that you trace out all the pieces you will require - back, side back, front, lining and sleeve. Use a ruler to make sure that your measurements are even. When redrafting a curve, either use a set of French Curves to mirror the shape or mark out the curve with small measures and join the dots.

Making a skirt fuller is generally a simple matter of adding more room along the centre front fold line. This will allow for extra gathering, and can be done to both the front and back of the skirt pieces.

Remember to add seam allowances to any extra pattern pieces. (The standard is 1.5cm). You will also need to remember to remove seam allowance if you are joining pieces and changing seam lines.
Regarding Outer-garments

The same guidelines can be applied to the outer garment of the regency era.

The sense and sensibility spencer pattern does not necessarily match all of the gowns. The design with a lower bustline and fuller sleeves is more akin to the spencers worn in the late 1810s and into the 1820s. A very simple way of making the spencer more appropriate for earlier gowns is to raise the bustline and to take a dart of fabric out of the spencer sleeve above the elbow. The other way to remove the extra fullness in the sleeve is to start cutting down the shape in the seam. Just make sure that you leave

Mock up
It is also advisable that any time you make an adjustment to your pattern, you make a mock up. This is just a quick version of your garment to see that the pattern pieces fit together correctly and that everything is sitting in the correct position.

I keep a roll of cheap fabric on hand for my mock ups. You will just need to make sure that your mock up fabric is of a similar weight to your gown fabric. Please note that any stretch in your fabric will also change the results of the pattern.

Resources
1. Sense and Sensibility Patterns

2. Patterns of Fashion 2, by Janet Arnold
ISBN: 978-0896760271

3. Costume in Detail, by Nancy Bradfield
ISBN: 978-0896762176

4. Costume Close Up: Clothing Construction and Pattern, by Linda Baumgarten
ISBN: 978-0896762268

5. Period Costume for Stage & Screen, by Jean Hunnisett
ISBN: 978-0887346101
Contact Details

JAFA 2011 - Friday Program

2011-04-20T18:11:00.000+10:00

The dreaded workshop day. Donna and I were both presenting on Friday, and to be quite frank were rather nervous about it. Our presentations were originally prepared as a workshops where attendees would have a hands-on approach. This was changed and all the workshops became presentations. I believe we both struggled with how to present something that was very hands-on.

Donna's presentation was on making a chemisette using Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold. While I fully intend to make a chemisette one day, her presentation really encouraged me to put it closer up on my list of regency pieces to make. I think they are beautiful and am really looking forward to doing one with a really absurd mushroom pleated collar. She also made cord making look so simple that I could do it myself and my love of tassels was catered to when she showed us to she made her own. I am really proud of Donna and thought that her presentation went really well.

After lunch, it was my turn. Pattern Drafting. Again, I had originally envisioned this as a workshop where I would have about 12 people to sit down and each one would draft their own pattern. The idea behind my workshop being that I would be showing them how to adapt a Sense and Sensibility pattern into something unique. Instead, I had to muddle my way around showing my audience how I have changed the standard patterns to create my gowns (I was in fact wearing two of the garments at the time). I was so nervous and felt completely awkward, but I hope that the class took away some valuable information.

I rounded out the day with a class on feathers and how to make them look awesome. I tell you now, that I am going to have some amazing feathers on my hats and in my hair in the future. And then finally the session about Transitional Stays. I was amazed at the amount of research our presenter (the wonderful Wendy) had done. And she has completely inspired me to have a go at some of the different regency stays patterns that are available. Especially the very low cut one that would be perfect for under my v-neck gown.

As for costumes, we managed to find some time during the lunch break to do a bit of a photo session. I think we all managed to get some great shots of our costumes.

I was especially proud of how my ensemble for the day turned out. I had a rather sketchy fashion plate that I was going from. All I really knew was the gown was high-necked the open robe had a train and was low under the bust and the turban had feathers. From this, I pulled together an outfit. The gown is my replica of a sketch from Costume in Detail and the open robe is loosely based on the one from Patterns of Fashion. Overall though, I am immensely pleased with how it turned out. The only part I was tossing up in the morning was the colour of my turban. In the end I decided to go with white as it would provide a really great contrast to my hair. I have to say though, this is now my favourite regency day ensemble. I am even contemplating making up another open robe for a change of scenery. Who knows, maybe next year when I might have some available sewing time. I'm looking at my to do list and it seems to be rather endless.

JAFA 2011 - Opening Night

2011-04-19T23:02:00.000+10:00

It has been a very long but very eventful weekend. After all the months of preparation and sewing madness, the Jane Austen Festival Australia 2011 had finally come around. I took two extra days off work to relax, iron and pack my suitcase. Of course, I actually broke the iron in the process, but I still got it all packed. Thursday morning, I was on my way to the airport, heading to our Nations Capital - Canberra.

The start to the costumed frenzy weekend saw us heading to the opening night event. We sat down to an evening of singing, an imitation I believe of a Regency drawing room after a country dinner. I wouldn't call quite a bit of the singing to my taste, but it was a lovely evening. I would like to get copies of some of the songs though. There were a couple of quirky songs that would be great to learn.

Our whole group was resplendent in regency attire. As for me, I took the opportunity to re-wear my purple evening gown.

All set

2011-04-13T16:40:00.000+10:00

I'm am all set and ready for JAFA this weekend. My gowns, hats and accoutrements are complete and my bags are mostly packed. I just have a couple more gowns to iron and lay in my suitcase.

Very excited about it all. Fly out tomorrow morning.

Bunnies and Bonnets

2011-04-12T23:04:00.000+10:00

I went along to my first Lolita meet of the year on Sunday. And for appropriate timing - an Easter Meet. It was themed "Bunnies and Bonnets", so I made sure to wear one of my two dresses that actually possess a bunny, lolita bonnets on the other hand, I just cannot do.

At any rate, it was so lovely to see everyone and a truly well put together event. There was a chocolate hunt, a lolita rummage sale and heaps of sweet and delicious food. My contribution was home made Baci Ice-cream. I even found miniature cones to scoop it into. I was jumping around the house on Saturday night when I realised that the last time I had made the ice-cream was not just a fluke - it had worked for the second time as well. I did actually remember to take photos this time as well. So, here we all are...

Hats off!

2011-04-08T20:08:00.000+10:00

It's really worrying now that I realise Supanova is over for April and JAFA is only a few short days away. I think I have it all under control. My gowns are done and now I am just finalising headwear. Speaking of which, I have just finished my Georgian picnic hat. As in, the hat I am intending to wear with my green skirt and jacket ensemble. I am proud to say that this hat is made entirely by hand. I was a pain to do and my fingers are a little sore, but it was well worth it. I am very pleased with how it has come together. It is made from black wool felt and buckram.

My first problem in making this hat was that I didn't have a pattern. I was using a sketch from a book as my guide of how I wanted it to look. So I pulled out a pattern that I did have from an Edwardian hat and made a few adjustments. The crown had to by higher, so I extended that. And the brim had to be bigger. I wanted my hat to be massively large. I ended up adding an extra 5cm (or 2inches) to the brim. This did make for some challenges later on. I also needed my hat to have no visible machine stitching and I really don't like using glue on my historical hats either (been there, done that, hated the hat!). I won't go into how I made it because there is a whole lot of babbling going on there and no photos to go with it. But all in all my hat has turned out well. I even hand hemmed the silk hat bow. The flowers are attached to pins so that they can easily be removed and I have just bought some large feathers to go in it that are also removable. The idea being that I can easily re-trim the hat and that none of the decorations will get squashed in my suitcase.

At any rate, this should keep my face shielded from the sun and here is hoping that it looks awesome as well. I am considering actually making up the pattern and a full photographic guide to sell on etsy. Maybe once I get back from JAFA. Of course, I will need to work out how to line the wretched thing. Mine doesn't have a lining because I found a lovely instruction on-line quoting that Georgian hats generally had no lining. It doesn't look the best on the inside, but at least it's certainly not going to fall apart. It will be interesting to see how I fit in a car with my huge skirts, wig and hat. :)

Supanova 2011 - Sunday

2011-04-07T21:12:00.000+10:00

Supanova Day 3 - Sunday

It was another eventful day and fabulously exhausting day; while a heck of a lot cooler. I made it along to the Lolita panel for the morning, which was interesting. Some of the girls who proclaim to have been in the scene for a few years, I have never met. Odd, considering that I go to the big lolita meets that everyone goes to. But it was lovely enough. I guess the highlight of my day was having my photo taken with Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica for those non-scifi geeks out there). After the failure of my little camera on Saturday, I decided the smartest option would be to take along the big one. Too bad that I left the battery on the charger at home. Not so smart. At any rate, I had a great time, and have managed to get a copy of some photos.

My first costume of the day was my Sister of the Dark from Legend of the Seeker. It's one of those obscure shows that not many people have actually seen. At any rate, I love these costumes and I am so proud of how mine has tuned out. The only thing that I feel I need to change is the belt. It was a last minute thing because I couldn't get what I wanted and I already had this one in my costume box. At any rate, it turned out well. I was so please, I was even recognised.

I did actually change for the day as well. Slipped into a Lolita outfit for the afternoon. Oddly enough, I had more photos taken of me in this outfit than any of my other costumes. It could be the wig. Ever since I bought it, I have been desperate to wear my split wig, but haven't really had the occasion. I figured that Supanova would be the perfect opportunity. And yes, I did actually pick it because I knew that it would match my dress.

All in all, I had a fantastic weekend. I came home with some great new t-shirts, beautiful teal hair-dye and some super-cute little figures that have been installed on my desk at work. But I was so pleased to get home on Sunday afternoon, take off my wig and wash my hair. It's a little bit of a relief to be wigless at work today, no matter how much I like wearing them. Now, I just have to work out what I want to wear for Supanova in November. I am thinking that Disney would be great. (Looks like it might be time to clean up my diet and jump on the treadmill. A few thousand sit-ups and I might be able to do Princess Jasmine.)

Supanova 2011 - Saturday

2011-04-02T19:50:00.000+10:00

Phew! Pooped.

Day 2 of Brisbane Supanova - Saturday

I woke up this morning with a spring in my step. Pancakes for breakfast and the excitement was mounting. Most of all that I would finally get to wear my Stargate uniform. The weather does not really lend itself to such a warm costume, but it was well worth the sweat. I'm pleased with how it came together.

After lunch, I slipped into something a bit more binding - my steampunk costume. I have to thank my cousin for the beautiful shots and the fantastic location that she found. I was very pleased with how the whole ensemble has come up together. And I am looking forward to wearing it again some time - hopefully on a cooler sort of day.

And while my little camera was alive, I managed to get a few photos of some of the other many amazing costumes around.

Supanova 2011 - Friday

2011-04-01T23:02:00.000+10:00

Supanova Day 1 - Friday night

I'm home. And pooped. I decided to re-wear my White Queen costume again. And as it turns out that was probably for the best. I really can't see me wearing it again. It hasn't worn well and is starting to fall apart. Not only that, it is getting a little too big for me. At any rate, I was glad to wear it one last time. And wonder of wonders it was actually recognised this year.

There were a couple of big announcements made tonight though:

1. In 2012, Brisbane's April Supanova will be held on the Gold Coast in conjunction with the Gold Coast Film festival.

2. In 2012, they will also be putting on a Brisbane Supanova - in November.

3. And as it is such a long wait from April 2011 to November 2012, there will be another Brisbane Supanova held in November this year.

4. To top it off, Christopher Lloyd (Doc from Back to the Future / Uncle Fester from the Addams Family Movies) will be appearing at the November Brisbane Supanova, since he has had to pull out this April.

Should make for an interesting rest of the year. And, now I need to start planning my next set of costumes. :D

Key to what?

2011-04-01T22:52:00.000+10:00

I'm not 100% sure if I mentioned this one earlier, but I have been in the process of putting together a cohesive steampunk outfit. And there is a deadline - I am intending to wear this on the Saturday afternoon of supanova (only 1 week away now!). In my original plannings, I really wanted to do something with keys. Antique keys in particular. I thank my cousin for coming up with the character for me. She is the key keeper of Bethlehem Hospital (or Bedlam as it had come to be known).

Let's get down to the breakdown. I am using a couple of pieces that I already have in my costume cupboard. The main carryovers are the underskirt (from an early bustle ballgown), my bustle frame and Victorian undergarments (drawers, corset, stockings, boots), and the bodice (from my packing padme costume. It has made this costume really fast to piece together, because I already had so much of the costume complete. The only part that I have really had to make is the overskirt and to decorate the hat. Everything else is just some simple trimmings.

I have been on a bit of a key hunt, tracking down keys all over the place (etsy, jewelery shops, ebay). I want to be the sort of key keeper that has keys all over me. So far so good. I have keys sewn to the overskirt, a key ring for the back of the waist chaing, a key ring for the waist, keys on my hat, a key brooch for the bodice and keys for my boot laces. The thing I think I am missing is a cuff - one where I can keep more keys and pull them out on demand. (I am contemplating making this at a later stage). For now, I am pleased with how this has come together, but you will just have to wait for photos tomorros of how it all looks put together. I am actually rather excited about wearing it all.

Zat Painting Tutorial

2011-03-30T23:36:00.000+10:00

The latest piece to finalising my stargate costume was to paint my zat. I found a very helpful guide online for how to go about painting the sucker. In the end I think it worked out rather well for me and I am very pleased with the final turn-out (at the bottom). But in the effort of share and share alike - here is my experience detailed out for those stargate fans interested in painting their very own zat.

Preparation
Make sure that you allow yourself enough time to do all the painting. It does take some time to dry between steps, and the last thing you want is a rush job. You will also need to get all your tools in hand.

Tools
1 x resin zat - I picked mine up on ebay. It wasn't cheap but it was a good job.
Workspace with lots of newspaper or old painting sheets to cover
Dust mask for sanding
1 x spray can of black primer (bought from Supercheap auto - cheap black paint)
1 x spray can metallic paint of your choice (again from Supercheap auto)
1 x can of Matt sealer (from eckersleys art shop)
Acrylic paints - purple peal, teal and black
Paint brushes - 1 very tiny, 1 angle brush
Superglue
Sandpaper - fine and very fine
Metal files / rasp

Step 1 - remove casting excess
My zat cast came with an excess amount of resin from the pour process. To remove this, I got stuck into it with a rasp to get rid of the bulk, and then tamed down to a softer metal file, before finishing off with some sandpaper. You will also need to sand down the excess on the tail.

Step 2 - smoothing
I then got stuck into my zat with my fine sandpaper to smooth off the seam lines. It didn't take long and was well worth it in the end. If you need to fill holes in you resin weapon, you will need to do so and then sand back for a smooth finish.

Step 3 - washing
Wash the zat. Warm water in the sink and a small amount of soap suds. I then dried her off and left her to completely air dry overnight. I used a soft scrubbing brush to help make sure that all the fine sanding was out of the grooves.

Step 4 - prep the work area
Make sure that you more then adequately cover your work area, or this will happen. Over-spray. Not nice and a pain in the butt to get off whatever you sprayed on. After the newspaper failed me, I dug out an old painting sheet and worked on it instead.

Step 5 - priming
Keep it in light layers. I had to go pretty heavy with my primer or undercoat as my resin model was cast white instead of black as some others on the market are. It wasn't really a problem, but just made me realise how important this really is. Because if you don't get a good covering of your primer, your colour layer will not go on as easily. If you do go in light layers, you will only have to wait for a couple of minutes between layers of paint. (Just don't do it on a wet day like me). Make sure that you cover every single part of the zat and don't forget the tail part. Once done, I left it overnight to dry completely.

Step 6 - painting
Again, light layers. It is very easy to go too heavy, but you really do not want any dribbling or spray marks from getting too close or putting on too much paint. I was amazed at how much colour goes on in only a couple of light layers. Again, make sure the you get every single nook and cranny with colour. Again, I left it overnight to dry completely.

Step 7 - detail paints
This is where you will need a comfy chair to sit down and get stuck into it all, as it really does take a while to get done. I used my small angle brush with my pretty purple paint. I ended up with three light layers of paint - which was just perfect to cover. Once that is dry, I added the black paint on the bend. And finally, the veins. This is where the teal paint and the tiny brush come in. I have read of some people using toothpicks to put the paint in, but thankfully as a makeup artist I am quite used to painting fine lines. It didn't take me too long, but I did find that I could not use the paint straight - it was too thick. So I just mixed it with a tiny amount of water.

Step 8 - sealing
Back onto the painting sheet and a couple of light layers of the sealer. The idea with sealing is to stop any paint rubbing off on costumes or hands.

Step 9 - attaching the head piece.
Superglue. I was really lucky with the head piece of my zat in that the join was where both of the zat pieces were poured. Meaning that the bubbles and slight pour marks left over around the area would be covered. The only thing that I stuffed up was the amount of glue that I used. My superglue ended up oozing down the side of my zat and when I pulled it off, there went my paint. I wasn't really impressed, but managed to touch it up with a paintbrush and a smidge of my spraypaint on the can lid. Like you would for a car touch-up.

I'm rather pleased with how it has come out in the end though. And very excited to pull it out for photos this weekend.

Do you acessorise too?

2011-03-29T20:56:00.000+10:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that I would be making some accessories to go with my regency ensembles for JAFA. And of course, as a last thing if I had time. Well, it turns out that I have found the few minutes that it takes to whip up some reticules etc.

First one, for my ballgown. What would be a ballgown without some pretty decoration? I was pretty lucky when I hit spotlight, I managed to find some pre-made satin flowers that were an almost perfect match for the satin in my dress. The only way that you would be able to tell the difference was if they were side-by-side. Not a problem when they are going in my hair. I am mainly intending to shove some of the flowers in whatever hairstyle I decide for the evening, however I did make one comb that can slide in. I just hot glued some ribbon around the edge and then glued on some black and purple flowers along with some velvet leaves. I had thought to glue on the feathers, but worried that they might sit in an odd fashion, so instead I will just be shoving those into my hair on the evening as well. And as for the reticule, it looks a little odd. I was going for a style to match the dress, loosely gathered chiffon on the top and tightly gathered at the point. It turned out looking a little strange. But not to worry, it will serve the purpose. It's just a very simple drawstring little bag the reflects the gown.

Then there was my blue cashmere spencer. I felt that a bag would be very handy with this one as well, and since I had an abundance of fabric left over, a bag seemed the ideal use. This one is even simpler than the others, you can however see the shape of the bag this time (they are all made on the same pattern).

Finally, there is the red linen open robe and white gown. I decided to keep this one in the red and white theme. It's made out of the leftover red linen from the robe, but I decided that it would be nice to spruce it up a little with a smidge of embroidery. I grabbed out my silk ribbon stash and got stuck into it. It really is quite simple, I have done the simple leaves in green, then some white ribbon roses and finally a few white embroidery cotton rosettes to finish. I decided just a small smattering would be enough to dress it up.

I am glad though that I found the time to put these together. It just somehow makes me feel more put together. And I know that if I didn't get them done now, I wouldn't get them done at all. Not that it would really be that bad, I tend to use my basket most of the time anyway.

Yellow

2011-03-28T17:44:00.001+10:00

You may recall the ballgown that I wore to the Jane Austen Festival last year (link). At the time, I was not really happy with it. I liked it well enough, but to me, the gown did not feel finished. So, since I will be wearing it again this year, I thought that I would have a go at sprucing it up a bit. To go that final step to finish it off.

1. Ribbon.
I have added two thread carrier to the seams on each side of the bodice under the arm. This is to allow for a matching yellow taffeta ribbon. I am intending to tie the ribbon in front at the split in the overskirt.

2. Embroidery
I thought a little bit of ribbon embroidery would add some interest to the gown. I started with the hem. I matched it to where the overskirt raises in front. I went for a very pastel look, using a pale green for the leaves, white silk ribbon for the flowers and white embroidery thread for some knots and to attach some pale yellow beads. To continue it up the gown, I added the embroidery onto the bodice as well, in a very small patch on the left hand side.

While I didn't really do a lot of work to the gown, I am pleased with how it has turned out. And it makes for another gown ready to go for this year's Jane Austen Festival.

A robe

2011-03-27T22:41:00.000+10:00

What did I say, they are all finally coming together. And pretty good timing too. JAFA is now only two and a half weeks away. I try not to dwell on that fact, but I am at least getting things done. This time, it is my open robe that has come to completion.

This is to be worn over my long sleeve white regency gown. I had found a fashion plate that I adored, it was pretty sketchy, but in it, the woman is wearing a high-necked white gown (check) with a bright red short sleeved trained open robe and a turban. I just have to hem the edges of my turban fabric at this point, but otherwise we are ready to go. It's made out of linen. Again a 3.95/metre find. There were two options with my fabric choice. A plain cotton homespun in the exact colour that I wanted or the beautiful thin linen in an ugly red. I decided on the ugly red and some fabric dye.

I didn't think about it at the time, but it was most prudent because I ended up fitting the fabric onto the fabric very well because it was a wider fabric. As to the pattern itself, it did take quite a bit of tweaking. I wanted something similar to the open robe found in one of the Janet Arnold patterns of fashion books. Only I wasn't really in the mood to draft that up from the teeny grid and then have to resize to fit me. It just sounded like a hell of a lot of unnecessary work. Instead, I decided to draft it working from my Sense and Sensibility patterns. It only took me a couple drafts to get what I wanted. I was originally going to use the spencer pattern to draft it up, but it was a lot easier to go from the drawstring bodice pattern.

Essentially, I have extended the pattern pieces to the length I wanted (yes, there is a train). I split the centre back panel down the centre and added in a heap of fabric so that it would have a very deep double pleat to add fullness, however this is only added from the upper back area - the last thing that I wanted was a lot of bulk in the centre back. I also added extra for pleating onto the side back seams of the back panel, to allow for pleating towards the back, again adding more fullness. The side seam was a bit trickier. I didn't want any pleats in place and having a straight seam meant that it was not full enough over the hip area. I ended up angling out the seam, basically adding in a long gore. This really added a good amount of fullness over the hip. Then there was the front. The Janet Arnold pattern has deep pleats from the shoulder - I tried it, but the amount of fabric that it added was negligible - it was a lot of extra work for something that I was not really liking, added bulk to the front and seemed rather pointless to me. So I scrapped that and just went for a very straight front.

I didn't take that long to put together, the main time-consuming pieces were the hem along the front and the bottom hem - and mostly because I had to hand-sew them. I was a little unsure of what I would be doing to close the bodice in front, but in the end, I just went with a couple of buttons. You could quite easily do hooks and eyes or buckles though. All in all though, it has come out rather like I wanted, and should go rather well with my white gown. I think this pattern is a bit of a winner, I may just have to make more of them. After all I know that I have a lovely printed floral in my stash.

It's a ball

2011-03-27T11:39:00.002+10:00

I am slowly whittling down my list of JAFA items to make. It was a big and daunting task in the beginning, but I have been determined to get it done. And here we are, another one down. My ballgown.

It was the one gown that I was adamant had to be done. I felt so plain last year in my ballgown, so this year, I have put a heck of a lot more work into it and come up with something that I am supremely proud of. It has taken a lot of work and a heck of a lot more handsewing than I would have really liked. I have used four fabrics. The mauve satin is a synthetic that I picked up on sale (3.95/metre) at East Coast, however it has the same weight as silk satin and the texture is quite similar. Then there is the black flocked chiffon. Again synthetic, but on sale and it looks very similar to a lot of fabrics that I have spotted in extent gowns. The final two are the lining of black cotton voile and the quilting - a bamboo quilting which is a hell of a lot nicer to use than some of those awful synthetic ones on the market.

To start with, there were the sleeves. They were the first thing that I tackled. I did post a little about them previously, but they are basically made up of three components. The first being the mauve satin pointed arm band. The pieces are flat lined with cotton voile and some black satin piping is sewn to the upper edge and then tacked down on the underside to hold in place. (I'll be honest, I didn't make my piping). Then comes the chiffon overlay. The corresponding points are gathered up and sewn (by hand) to the points on the arm band with a back stitch. I then whipped it all down on the inside (again by hand) to make sure that it would hold in place securely and hopefully not fray apart. I then attached the sleeve lining (satin with cotton voile lining to the wrong side) with black sating piping on the bottom. I then stab stitched the points of the outer sleeve through all layer to the inside to make sure that they would not slip out of place. Then it was simply a matter of gathering the top of the satin piece and chiffon piece and inserting them into the armhole.

The next step was putting the bodice together. I back stitched the gathers in place on the shoulders where the chiffon gathers over the satin. The next step was to dart the satin fabric to fit me wearing says. The chiffon was then gathered into place loosely along the neck edge and the lining was stitched together. I then stab stitched through the layers to add a thin cord tie along the neck. This is where the sleeves were added to the bodice. The next step was to sew all the skirts together and join them onto the bodice. The chiffon layer of the bodice is gathered tightly in the centre while the back is gathered evenly. I stitched a cotton voile bias in the seam. The bias is then folded up towards the bodice to encase the seam and allow for another tie. Again, I stab stitched this down.

Then came the hemming. My mother kindly lent herself to pinning up the length of the satin underskirt. I then sat down with a heap of pins and pinned in place a 10cm(ish) piece of the bamboo wadding in the hem. I doubled it up so that it would be a little fuller than just one single layer. It took a lot of pinning and re-pinning to get the wadding sitting smoothly. Next was to stitch it in place. A running stab stitch in two rows accomplished this. Then it was time to hem the chiffon. I was going to do it by hand, but it was really driving me insane with the slipping, so instead I decided to do a fine rolled zig-zag hem.

And finally, I added a couple of hooks and eyes on the back of the bodice. I was only going to rely on the ties at the top and bottom but because the cord is rather slippery, this was not working. It was simply a matter of adding some black hooks and some thread eyes and it is much more securely held in place now. All I have left now for this ensemble is the reticule and the hair garniture. I have to say, after all the work I have put in, I am really looking forward to wearing this now.

Imagine my shock...

2011-03-23T19:40:00.000+10:00

Yesterday. Tuesday. Very eventful. I got off work early for an appointment, and on my way home, thought that I would stop at the local Toyworld in the hopes of finding an appropriate weapon for my stargate costume. Only, Toyworld is no longer there. Imagine my shock.

At any rate, I pulled the car up and thought that I would have a look in the shop next door that had a whole heap of cane furniture in the window and a 50% off sale. I am currently in the process of looking for a cane or wicker chest for re-enacting. No such luck on the chest. I did however, come home with a chair. A Roman chair. Perfect for my regency reenactment. And yes, it was 50% off as well. I am so pleased with my purchase. So, I thought that I would share. So happy. Now I actually have a seat of my very own for re-enacting.

If anyone in Brisbane is interested, they have 1 more single seater and 2 double seaters in the shop (well they did as of yesterday). How to find them. "The Decorator's Emporium" 825 Zillmere Road Aspley. It's in the Aspley homemaker centre across from the light shop. This is the complex that houses Lone Star and Red Rooster off Gympie Road.

Bluest of blue

2011-03-22T19:30:00.000+10:00

It was a very productive weekend. I spent an inordinate amount of time with my needle and thread trying to get on track with my handsewing. Right to the point that I am almost complete on another of my projects, but more on that later. This is about my blue half robe. This project turned out to be one of those extra ones that I had not originally intended to do, but I got thinking about how JAFA is held in Canberra in April and it can get mightily cold. This turned my mind to the fact that I would be wearing my white muslin dress one of the days. And now while I love the dress, it was really made for wear in Brisbane come the height of spring and summer weather.

To push my thinking a little further, I was tracing off a few other patterns, and decided to flip through one of my fashion plate books. Low and behold is a picture of a woman with a lovely little half robe. My mind turned to the blue cashmere (fake cashmere) that I had sitting in my stash. I said to myself "self, that would make a fabulous half robe - both warm and quick to whip up. So, I drew up the pattern, mocked it up, tweaked it a bit more, cut it out and got set on the sewing. The pattern itself is very simple. I based it off the Sense and Sensibility spencer pattern. The main changes that I made was the length. I added a seam in the centre back of the jacket so that I could allow for a pleat which would add fullness enough to go over my body. The side seams are also flared out a bit to accommodate a bit more room and instead of extending the darts in the front (I did try it on the mock up), I decided to go for a couple of 1 inch deep pleats. The hem also differs a little - as in, it is shorter in the front, and curves slightly so that it is longer at the back. I hadn't originally intended to do this to the robe, but made a last minute decision when I was drafting.

All I had left for the weekend gone, was sewing the lining in place, hemming the sleeves, stab stitching the front pleats and attaching the buckle. Please bear in mind that it is sitting a little oddly on my mannequin because of her modern (1940s) shape boobs, and not where my regency bodice will be holding everything. It went together very quickly which was nice. I also decided to add the collar at the last minute. I had it almost ready to go with the lining, but thought that it just needed a little extra at the neck. I'm very pleased at how it has come out and glad that I put the time in to draft the pattern and make it up. I definitely will not be getting cold wearing this one.

Paint the town red

2011-03-19T21:56:00.001+10:00

And the main part of this costume is now complete. I'm not 100% sure that I have the pattern correct, but there was a lot of leniency for the gown as there seem to be a lot of different styles. I went for something that would be both flattering for me as well as in keeping with the gowns on the show. It ended up being a mix. From my research there also seems to be different gowns for normal wear as compared to the gowns for battle. As in, the battle gowns have gores in the skirt running to the hip to allow for leg movement. It seemed most practical to go this way with my gown. (The photos haven't really worked because the red is so hard to photograph at night time. I swear it looks great in person.)

As for the pattern, it was made by draping a similar weight fabric on my mannequin. It took me a couple goes to get the front split correct and the armhole splits in place. Not to mention the fold over and sleeve draping. In the end, it turned out to be a very simple T shape pattern that has a small amount of waist shaping and triangle gores sewn into the side seams from the hem to the hip. I'm rather pleased with how it turned out, and am even going to finish the mock up of the dress at a later date to wear as a dress. Of course, the belts help pull it in, in the correct places for a little more fitting through the waist and hips.

To finish it all off, all I had to do was make the headpiece. It took a few attempts to get the tying correct but it's really just a turban with a length of fabric tucked in the back. I used two different fabrics to make it. The main turban part is made of lycra into a scullcap sort of shape. The second piece is a lightweight crinkle chiffon (almost a silk chiffon weight) that is tucked in half at the back. The top piece can then be flipped over the face. I also bought a new long brown wig to wear under it all, as my hair is currently at that in-between length (that I really hate).

Now that the clothing is completely ready, I needed consider accessories. Ideally I would love to have a triquatra weapon that the sisters throw, but I am not sure if I have the ability or time to make one. So instead, I went for a lantern (which they are seen carrying when you first meet them). I managed to find a very similar one on ebay for a very respectable price and best of all, it arrived within two days of purchase.

And as a final, I just need to purchase some belts, and trim my wig. Hopefully this can happen this week.

Corseted

2011-03-16T19:34:00.002+10:00

Now, this is not strictly a part of the original sister of the dark costume. I'm sure that those slender women did not wear corsets underneath their gowns. Me though, I decided that I would like something that controls my curves a little better as well as providing some good bust uplift. And that has led me to a corset. I have made it using the good old 5006 Simplicity pattern that most of my costume friends have used.

I have to say though, it took quite a bit of adjustment to get it to where it is now. Unfortunately there is an extreme amount of bust allowance in the pattern. It made for a lot of fiddling on my part to take it in. It probably didn't help that I was changing the bust line slightly too, dipping it down in the centre more. I also wanted my bust to sit nicely in it with a decent amount of lift. The other change I ended up having to make was to the length. While the front was fine, it was way too short over the hip and in the back. Again, more fiddling. In the end it took me three mock ups to get to where I am now. But I think it was well worth the effort, because I am inordinately pleased with how this has come out.

Of course, it really helps me love it more when the outer layer is made of dupion silk and the inner layer is some lovely hear print cotton that I had left over from another project. For some reason it just seemed appropriate. At any rate, this was probably the most time consuming part of putting this costume together and I think that it has really come out well. The next step is the dress and headpiece. But otherwise, we are done.

Stargatery

2011-03-15T22:03:00.000+10:00

I am now in the final countdown to Brisbane Supanova. It starts on Friday 1st April, so I need to have all my costumes ready to go by then. I'm really starting to get nervous with the amount of work I still have to do to finalise everything. I've got my costume list all set out so that I know what I need to make, but it feels like it is taking me an age to cross things off. At any rate, the first one that I will be wearing is my Stargate uniform. So I am trying to focus on it first.

I got a couple more additions to my stargate uniform, just in my slackness have forgotten to post about them.

Patches
My patches came from here: http://www.scifigeeks.com/. The seller also has a really wide range, so you don't have to be SG1. And they are screen accurate - not to mention if you are doing any other of the stargate uniforms, the patches are also available. My brother chose for us to be SG23 because it is a prime number. As a side note, they happen to have an awful lot of patches from other movies and TV shows. Oh, and they cost at around the $9 mark. The only thing that you will need to do is attach velcro to the back of the patches so that they are removable from the uniform jacket. Which leads to...

Velcro
The advantage of attaching velcro to the back of your patches is that you can easily change the costume without having to do any sewing. I was going to order my velcro from the same place as the patches, but instead found a much cheaper option. And to top it off, you can order them in many different colours and sizes. Go here: https://www.nametags4u.com. And as you can see I have now affixed the velcro to the patches. It was really just a matter of some ironing, but I kind of just put it off as a last minute thing.

Watch
Generally in the show, they use a particularly fancy Casio watch, however they are priced around the $200 mark. I just could not bring myself to spend that sort of money on a watch for a costume, especially considering that I generally don't wear watches. At any rate, I found a casio watch that looks kind of similar on ebay for about $20. A lot friendlier to my budget, especially considering how much this costume has cost all up. I won't go into it, but I can tell you now that it really hasn't been cheap. I had best be looking to make the rest of my costumes for the year from stash fabric.

A ghosty sort of night

2011-03-15T21:51:00.001+10:00

I've been so busy (and rather tired) this week gone, that I have been quite slack about uploading my photos. Last Sunday night, I made my way into the great big city of Brisbane (where I schlep to work every day) to take a Ghost Tour with the Brisbane ACG. We were a little restricted in our costumes as it had to be of a historical nature but I took it as an opportunity to re-wear one of my bustle gowns that does not get to see the light of day often enough. It was nice to be out in costume again with this being my first event of the year.

I didn't take any shots of the locations but we were taken to a lot of the old buildings around the city. Due to the nature of Brisbane's foundation (as a penal colony) there were quite a few gruesome stories of the early years and the ghosts that are said to walk the city. I found it very interesting to learn a few snipits of history. And isn't it just that way, you live somewhere for years, but generally it's not until you move away that you realise you never checked out the biggest tourist places. I mean, I was born and lived in Mackay for years with the Great Barrier Reef just a couple hours trip away, and yet I didn't see it until we had moved away and then returned on a holiday to visit family. I'm thinking now that I might make it my mission to see more of Brisbane. Do the touristry things that I would never think of doing normally. That is, if I can fit it into my busy costuming schedule. And let me tell you, it is just starting to amp up now.