gallery

Jan 1 2008

As most of you know I'm accompanying several LJ friends to Edgar Allen Poe's home in Baltimore to celebrate his birthday. In costume of course.

The only snag in the plan is that I don't have anything remotely 1830s-1850s, so a new costume is in order. I blame watching North & South and drooling over the recently auctioned Tasha Tudor collection but the 1840s suddenly seem almost pretty. It's never seemed attractive before this year. In fact I swore I would never make an 1840s dress, which just goes to show that you should never say never in costuming!

I decided that to avoid the cupcake look (which this era tends to favor on me) I needed to keep the lines as simple and uncluttered as possible. Simple also fits my deadline. I drew my inspiration from the above gowns (found via Demode's archive).

I was tickled when I found the exact pattern for the style in good old Hunnisett. *hugs book* It even has the option for the collar, which I'm not sure I'll do or not but it's nice to know it's there as an option. :>

The fabric is a medium weight grey stripe of questionable fiber content. It's been in the stash so long I don't even remember which state it was bought in. It may have even come from Wal-Mart's bargain table, I really don't remember. There is a good amount of it so I shouldn't have to scrimp on the skirt or trimmings - yay. I love the idea of using the stripe as a design element on my rather plain gown, should help it look more interesting. Some striped pipping or ruffles would be fun, although I'm not sure I'll have time to mess with such details. The event is on the 20th of this month after all.

All this will be worn under my (yet unmade) bustle chemise, Frederick's reboned corset, & my old civil war ruffled petticoat. (I'll have to re-pleat the waistband on that I think.) To finish off I want a simple lace collar, brooch, lace mitts and shawl. All of which I have (I'm hoping there is a lace collar in the stash, if not I can piece one. Hey I might even have enough of my Liberty of London lace to do it umm..). I'm not even going to attempt a bonnet, not with my tight deadline so I'll have to go without, unless anyone has one I can barrow. *bats eyelashes*

Jan 3
So far the Poe dress is not going well. I've tried twice to print out the enlarged pattern and it won't print but 3 pages - the rest are blank. I have no idea what the issue is and really I'm just not in the mood for this.

I think I'll go crochet. *sigh*

edited to add:
Maybe I should just break down and buy the TV pattern. I like the Hunnisett better though...

Jan 4

I finally got the pattern to print late last night . I had to do it on Dad's computer/printer but I got it done. Stupid computer.

The first toile was *eh*. It needed a fair amount of work, which was disheartening, but I really liked the shape of the pieces and how they looked on me. The way the front panels looked with the stripes was just what I wanted.

I thought again about ditching what I wanted for another pattern but then thought "I CAN DO THIS" and went back into my room determined to beat the wretched project into submission. (Take that you costume!) Then I realized that part of my problem might be that I hadn't added seam allowances before I cut out the toile. Duh!

So I've re cut the toile, tweaking it here and there per some of the issues I noted with the first and adding proper seam allowances. I'm just taking a break now before sewing it together. We are supposed to go out for BBQ to celebrate the Jayhawks victory over VA Tech (yay!) anytime now so maybe I'll just leave it there for now.

Not much to show for my sewing day but really toiles are a pain and my attitude is much better now so progress has been made.

Jan 4
Umm... the toile with all the seam allowances looks better at the bottom and in the back but it's HUGE in front. Like DDD big.

*sigh* I am just not going to be able to do this on myself, I need my dress form. It's going to take a little engineering first to work with her though because, as you know, Narcissa is broken. I really wish I had $400 to blow on a new professional dress form; it would make my life so much easier. I may have to break down and get another cheapie though. Like my cheapie irons that I just plan on replacing every two years or so. Narcissa did last almost 5 years…

Moo.

Well I'm quitting for the evening anyway. I won't get a chance to work on this again until Sunday, if then. Real life getting in the way of costuming... I mean the nerve.

Jan 6

First off pics of the DDD Poe toile. The pic doesn't even show how big it was - so sad!

Once I got Narcissa all padded out and as close to my shape as she gets, I took the front of the first toile and the rest of the back toile and started draping it on her. I had to slash at the waist area a lot as well as mess with the bust seams. It also seemed way too long, so I shortened it to where I thought my waist was.

After transferring my changes unto new pieces I sewed them together for toile #4. SO. Much. Better. That's all I have to say.

Still a bit more toiling to go though. No shortcuts on this project! Over all I need ease and some reshaping of the neckline so the sleeves sit right. (1840s should sit right on the shoulder, correct?) I got a little zealous on the front waistline so that needs to come down a bit, although the back looks pretty good to me. I don't know why I shaped the back to a point in back, once I tried it on I remembered I wanted it round in the back. Oh well, easy to snip!

I'm obviously going to need a chemisette to fill in the neckline for this event although I rather like the look of the faux neckerchief in Hunnisett. I wonder if really it's period though. Or if I really care at this point. :> The amount of research I've put into this project is really scandalous - why start now? :>

Jan 11
I am sick. Don't these viruses floating around know I have a costume to work on!! I felt relitivly better today so I spent a little time surfing the net

My Poe Research consisted of trying to figure out what to do with the neckline of my dress. I like it as is but it's a little low for a Victorian day dress so I was thinking a chemisette or neckerchief or something. Although in looking through fashion plates at the University of Washington and the NY Public Library I noticed that earlier in the 40s a lower neckline during the day seemed acceptable. At least I assume so, they are wearing bonnets... perhaps it's just wishful thinking...

August 1841 Grahams magazine

Jan 16

I got back to work on the Poe last night. sadievale came over last night and we sewed together. It was nice to have a costuming buddy to get me going and keep me laughing; I was really not in the mood to work last night.

I can't believe I have to have this dress finished in a few days, I'm so far behind and so not in the mood, but I don't have a back-up plan. I'm afraid to push myself too hard for fear of getting sick once again though. My immune system is so run down at the moment. Still I plow ahead, not knowing what else to do...

The real point of this post is to whine and say that I HATE sleeves. The first sleeve toile has been a disaster. Yes, I really hate sleeves. *sigh*

Jan 16

Is it possible, can I actually be finished with the toileing? Yes I think so. The sleeve isn't perfect but it will do. I took off my toile and corset before remembering the camera so no pics, sorry about that.

I did a full mockup of the bodice pattern, with a lining, to double check the fit and think through how I was going to construct it. It was a bit time consuming but I'm glad I did it, everything looks good and I know about how long it will take to put together. I think I'll take a break to attend to some e-mailing and then go cut out the bodice.

Hey I may actually get this done in time yet!

Jan 17
Everything is cut out and just in time for a lunch break. Well, almost everything. I wanted bias ruffles on the skirt and sleeves but I'm going to get it in wearable condition first before I worry about frivolous decorations.

It's been snowing all morning, so pretty! It's supposed to turn to a winter mix tonight. I'm so glad I don't have to go anywhere today. :P

Jan 17

Things have been going slower than I wanted but progress has definitely been made today. The bodice is 90% done, with the sleeves hemmed and the inside seams all whip stitched neatly down and everything. I just have to add the hooks and eyes and finish off the waist line and I'm done.

It took longer than I had anticipated mostly due to my rather slippery fabric. Thank God for basting spray that's all I have to say! I both lined and interlined the bodice with black cotton sateen. My obsession to match the stripes as much as possible sucked up some time too. I knew I didn't have the time/patience to get super picky but I did try to match up the stripes nicely in the very front at least. Looks pretty good if I do say so myself...

I'm pleased with the results, except that this fabric is way shiny and will never photograph well. The sleeves don't look like much on Narcissa either, but on me they are rather nice bell sleeves. Nicer with trim of course...

On to the skirt!

Jan 19

Thanks for all your kind words and encouragment to my last post! My evil plan of using stripes so no one will notice how simple and lame my frock is is working!! *evil laugh*

Aubry's here - yay! She missed her connection so I had to go to Charlottesville to pick her up but we had a nice trip back and got to stop at Whole Foods for dinner - yum!

My dress is progressing. I started work on the cartridge pleats yesterday morning. I folded back about an 1" at the top of my skirt and then remembered that I had the long point in front. So I changed the top fold, making it "4 at the very middle. Hopefully that will help the hemming.

I ran the three gathering stitches by hand, making them larger in the very back. I put in and ripped out the very front three times before I figured out how I wanted to do it so I was only about 1/3 of the way done when Aubry called needing a ride. So, fortified with some of her yummy French pastries, we spent the evening bundled up on my bed sewing, giggling and listening to jazz. I finished the cartridge pleats and she her eyelets and we called it a night.

So today I have to sort out under petticoats (surely there is something in the stash that will do!) and accessories, hem the skirt and sew on the hooks and eyes. No bias ruffles which makes me sad but it looks just fine with out them. Just a bit more late '40s severe than I was going for. Ah well, I'm just grateful that dispite not feeling well and other setbacks I have something to wear and I won't be up all night tonight to have done it. Perhaps ruffles next time I wear it!

Jan 19
Today has been nice. I spent the morning sewing on my hooks & eyes and then Aubry marked my hem for me. We then we headed downtown for luncheon at Pinkadilly and a tour of the James Monroe museum, which after living here for 6 years I had never been to. It was small but interesting, including a cockade Monroe brought back from Paris (he was the American ambassador during the French Revolution). So fun!

After dinner I broke down and actually worked on my dress. Aubry kept me company while I sewed the hem (by machine, so lazy!) and rag curled my hair. It's only midnight and I'm off to bed - yay!

Jan 21
The Poe event was Fabulous! Actually the whole weekend was lovely. I had such a good time hanging out with Aubry.

The day of the Poe event dawned bright and freezing cold. It was so hard to get out of bed especially in the face of the monumental task of ironing my CW ruffled petticoat. Five yards of fabric plus 55 yards of eyelet lace is daunting to say the least. To be honest I really steamed it more then anything, holding the iron right above the ruffled and pulling out the wrinkles with my hand. It still took forever. Then my hair was being fussy. Yes, we were a bit late getting out the door.:P

It turned out to be okay though because we made excellent time getting to Baltimore. We were actually freaking out about being too early. Getting to the tea room proved to be more of a challenge than we thought though. We still aren't entirely sure how we got there but we found the correct street. As we were driving along looking for street numbers we saw cloaked figures crossing the street a few blocks ahead and knew we'd found the right place! :>

We entered the Thir-Tea First Street Cafe & Tea House to find isabelladangelo and padawansguide waiting for us. Soon bauhausfrau, jehanni, Marilee and George joined us and we sat down for tea. The Tea House was really cute, very Victorian with dark period wallpapers and plush chairs. We had the place to ourselves, and were seated in a private dining room with a little sitting area. So fun! The food was good and nicely presented. The tea (I had gingerbread tea) was properly prepared. My only real complaint was that the tea wasn't really hot so once it sat for a few minutes in my cup it was downright cold. Still it was the perfect way to start our Poe adventure and set the mood for the evening.

It took a little longer to get to the Hall than we thought it would so we were a little late getting to the Poe celebration. They ushered us to our seats, which were right in the front row! It was quite an entrance and I think some of the patrons were a little confused thinking we might be part of the play at first! It was great though. First was a production the Murders of the Rue Morgue, which once it started I realized was a story I knew from a movie I'd gotten out of the library on a whim months ago. No idea that was by Poe! I thoroughly enjoyed it though, the acting was superb.

Next came an intermission where, if modestly will permit, we were pounced on by several people wanting to know who we were and who was our seamstress. It was very satisfying to say we'd all made our own frocks and watch the eyes widen. *wink* Aubry won one of the Poe cakes in the auction and we settled down for a very entertaining monologue from Miss Sarah Helen Whitman recounting her remembrances of Poe. Finally Mr. Poe himself talked about creating his work The Raven before giving a moving and brilliant rendition his famous poem. We then ended the evening with a toast to Mr. Poe.

To be honest I wasn't that familiar with Poe or his work before I signed up for this event, not being much of a Victorian literature or poetry fan. I meant to read some of his work before the event but never got to it so I got to hear the Raven for the very first time that night. Surely that is the only way to hear it, recited in a true Victorian style. Sitting in the front row, bedecked in my "Nicholas Nickleby clothes" and bauhausfrau's fabulous bonnet (which I so wanted to steal!) it was so easy to lose myself in the moment and feel like I'd gone back in time. At the end it was a little jarring to turn around and find the hall full of people in modern clothes!

After the show we got to take lots of pics, some with Mr. Poe and talk to the curator. They were so delighted we were there in costume and it was thrilling to be welcomed so warmly and invited back.

Ahh yes, my dress. I felt like quite the super star in it. I couldn't be more pleased with the way it came out. I have a few tweaks I need to see to (like those slipping shoulders *grrr*) but really I'm in shock it came out so well, what with being sick and out of my element and all. Dude it was cold though! Thank goodness for Mom's old cape and muff. My hands were still frozen though. Before the next event I totally need a bonnet, a flannel petticoat, a muff and some long warm gloves or mitts.

Links to more talk and pics from the day:
the rest of my pics (and a few sneek peeks of Aubrys, who gave me copies before she left)
Loren's entry
Maggie's entry
isabelladangelo's entry