::HSF 14.3:: pink - eighteenth century strapless stays

I used the JP Ryan strapless stays pattern and modified it to close in the front. It is fully boned with cane. No pictures with it on because I'm not thrilled with it. The silhouette is good, but the caning and seams are very bulky. I can't bear to work on it anymore, but will need to take out some of the cane near the seams and debulk the seams by removing the fold of the inner layers so that it is half the thickness. Maybe in a month or two! Crazy cat fabric is calling my name and wants to be made into a skirt. 

Total cost: linen $5, silk twist $2 plus exorbitant shipping, $3 cotton twill inner layers, white linen in stash, cane in stash, pattern given to me by Jenni, cotton satin ribbon $8 for a grand total of $18.

::HSF 14.2:: innovation

the challenge: to take iPhone photos at a ball

fabric: existing gloves
pattern: n/a
year: almost any
notions: conductive thread
how historically accurate is it? Not at all! But not wearing gloves to a ball would be much less accurate.
hours to complete: 10 minutes
first worn: the Dolley Madison Ball (photo on the left is a selfie)

total cost: $5

::HSF '14.1:: make do and mend

the challenge: Anyone who has ever been to a Regency-era event with me anytime since the Baltimore CostumeCon knows that my bodiced petticoat was held together by one lone button for years before it became the task of a large safety pin (or two linked together, depending on my weight). Well, I found all 4 buttons and sewed them back on, and made a little filler piece to accommodate the current size of my back. 

fabric: cotton
pattern: none
year: early 1800s
notions: 8 buttons (4 of which I already had)
how historically accurate is it? my new addition is machine sewn (including buttonholes). the rest of the petticoat was put together by machine with all visible stitching and buttonholes done by hand.
hours to complete: once I discovered that there was not one but two compartments in my new-ish Pfaff and that the second compartment contained an automatic buttonhole foot this project took me about 25 minutes. it did take me about six months to find aforementioned compartment, though.
first worn: for this photoshoot 
total cost: $1 (for mending/buttons)

::HSF2014:: so this is happening

I did not finish the last 3 challenges of HSF 2013, and neglected to post many of the challenges I did complete. We'll see how 2014 goes.

::HSF#16:: separates

The Challenge: a bustle era underskirt

I am planning to add some trim behind the cut-outs at the bottom as part of challenge #24. I will need a fluting iron for this part as I don't have the patience to pleat it the way I see this in my head.

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Materials: pale pink silk taffeta with cotton lining

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Pattern: Truly Victorian #201

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Date: 1870s

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Hours to complete: 5

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First worn: I probably won't wear this until it has a top...

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Total cost: fabric from stash, $5 for lining.

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Inspiration: (and a hint of future projects)

 

 

 

 

 

 

::HSF #15:: white

The Challenge: transitional stays

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Materials: silk taffeta with silk organza interlining. I used steel boning. Silk thread and buttonhole twist.

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Pattern: Past Patterns

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Date: 1790s

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Hours to complete: 15 lots of hand sewing

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Total cost: $10 for fabric, rest of the supplies are from the stash

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My thoughts: I opted to make this in white specifically to make it wearable without showing through a to-be-made chemise gown. It's not as exciting as it could have been in color! I am not very happy with the fit of the bust, but am so tired of looking at this project that I am going to call it done for now. The lacing and boning and the center front is just too wide. I skipped most of the instructions for this as it is written to be a very strict recreation of an extant garment and my aim was not replication so much as having something that laced in the front!

 

::HSF #13:: lace and lacing

The Challenge: a pair of garters (that lace on)

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Materials: cream silk ribbon, flannel (nonslip!) backing, hand dyed pink silk ribbon for ties, acrylic paint and a tiny paint brush.

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Pattern: none

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Date: 1700s, early 1800s

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Hours to complete: 2

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Total cost: $0 from the stash

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Inspiration:

from the V&A

from the MFA

 

summertime skirt

What's the deal with the parasol? Truthfully, it was really sunny outside and I couldn't find my sunglasses. This is the cascade skirt by Megan Nielsen - I bought the fabric in a kit from her because I loved it so much in her look book. This skirt was very easy to make and gets all of its flowing movement from being cleverly cut on the bias. I did hand hem it because I am not good at making tiny rolled hems on my (old) machine.

Also, please read Lauren's recent post on finding time to sew. She makes a lot of really good points, especially when it comes to UFOs, which have been my weakness in the past.

 

::HSF #14:: Eastern influence

The challenge: an 18th century swallowtail jacket

Materials: vegetable dye paisley cotton

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Pattern: jacket from Costume Close-up

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Hours to complete: 20-30. All handsewn, plus an extra set of sleevils that didn't work.

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First worn: Not yet.

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Total cost: $0, all from the stash.

 

 

Coming soon-ish will be some details about the way I like to construct 18th and early 19th century garments. And modern stuff, too, because there are some really clever techniques.

 

::HSF #12:: Pretty, Pretty Princesses

Materials: Mauve silk from Sewfisticated. Linen lining. Buckle salvaged from a belt from J Crew.

Pattern: Modified version of my all-purpose Regency pattern

Date: 1800

Hours to complete: 8-10

First worn: For these photos. It was meant to go to a ball that ended up being cancelled because of weather.

Total cost: $20 for the silk, the rest of the supplies were from my stash.

Construction: Hand sewn using period techniques. Post about my construction techniques coming soon!

Inspiration: