JAFA 2011 - Friday Program

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

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

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.

Hats off!

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

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.)