Despite all the trouble this gown gave me, I’m so happy with how it turned out! I certainly learned many a lesson about fabric choice, sleeve construction, and general patterning. I’m ready…
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V212: Georgian Hair Hopping
Chris and I did a photo shoot the other night, for the clocked stockings pre-sale coming up in a couple days. I wore my new “Parisian Gown,” and wanted to do a…
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V208: 1770s Chapeau de Paris Sketches
I’m winding down the Parisian Gown (at least the gown part of it), and realize I need an awesome hat to go with it. No ordinary bergere will do – I want…
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V205: Nearing Completion for the Parisian Gown
I’ve been working holes into my fingers over the past week, trying to complete shiny new costumes for Costume College, the first weekend in August. I have her on my non-historical dress…
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V194: More Robe a l’Anglaise Problem Solving
Just getting any idea of final look, with one panel of skirt pinned on, and some trim pinned to the CF – the trim will go around the neckline and down the…
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V192: What I’ve Learned About Sleeves (in the past 24 hours)
…besides that sleeves are evil and the bane of every seamstress’ existence… The boneyard of fabric scraps…and sleeves. At least they can become trim for the gown, and not go totally to…
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V190: Progress on the 1770s l’Anglaise
Oooo, fits niiice… LIES! I spent all day yesterday working on this new robe a l’Anglaise, draping, then cutting and stitching. Then correcting. Correcting more. Cursing. More correcting. Ah, if only that…
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V189: Beginning a Robe a l’Anglaise a la Polonaise
I’ve been procrastinating on, well, everything costume-related, and with Costume College a mere month away, it’s time to get down to business with this striped gown. My material – I have enough…
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V178: 1770s Polonaise Jacket Progress
I haven’t been in a super-sewing mood, but I have made a little progress on the polonaise jacket planned for our Colonial Williamsburg trip this coming October. I draped the pattern for…
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V147: Gowns a la Pompadour – 1740s – 1750s
Madame de Pompadour by Boucher, 1759 The 1740s and 1750s in France was the time of large, beautiful Robe a la Francaise gowns, made from stunning textiles, and decorated in all manner…
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V145: Costume Analytics: Madame de Pompadour, c. 1750
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a “Costume Analytics,” but now is a good time to bring it back! This time we’ll be looking at the famous Madame de Pompadour’s…
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V129: 18th Century Reds
Imatex – red velvet jacket, bound in blue, 1780-90s. This is a must-someday-make jacket I’m a sucker for red, I’ll admit. My second 18th century gown was red and still love it…
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V96: The 1780s/1910s Double-Period Hat
A few posts ago I staked lampshade style bonnets of the 1780s against similar chapeaus of the 1910s. My idea was to see if one hat could be used for both periods,…
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V89: Fashion Face-Off – Hats of the 1780s and 1910s
As we all know, history repeats itself, and fashion especially. Nothing is ever “new” on the runway (well, maybe if it’s a suit made out of bubble wrap, etc.), and this was…
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V60: 1770s Hair Notes
Today’s post is a page out of my dress journal. I went through a great many images, a lot of them fashion plates, and broke down the various parts of the big…
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V52: 1770s Pannier Experiments – Style 1
In poking around the 1770s it becomes obvious that panniers are the thing to wear. I’ve never made panniers before – I usually land in the 1780s and 90s, when I visit…
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V36: SuperStripe Sunday – Stripes in the 1770s
Met It’s Superbowl Sunday here in America Land. I don’t follow football, so I’ll be burying myself in the sewing loft and trying to accomplish something on the 1912 Titanic gown. Yesterday…
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V3: Reconciling Myself to the 1770s
My dear mother and I are planning a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in October of this year. Of course, that means getting all excited about costume possibilities NOW, and planning all the…
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1790s Wrap-Front Gown, Complete and with Shoes
I finally finished the 1790s wrap-front gown I’ve been working on foreeeeever. I will be wearing this gown, plus its accompanying accessories – pashmina, pineapple reticule, and Pemberley 1790s Regency shoes –…
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1790s Wrap-Front Gown … Finally Again
You know those projects that get postponed, only to pop back into your life and demand to be finished? This 1790s voile gown is one of them. I originally intended to wear…