HSF 16 Terminology & HSF 17 Yellow - 1880s Tea Gown

Sooo... I had all of these grand epic plans to make a tea gown for the HSF Terminology post, but I ran into a bit of a demotivating wall when it came time to put the sleeves on and I couldn't commit to a trimming scheme.  Lucky for me, the fabric I ended up making the gown out of was a lovely, buttery yellow gold and the next HSF challenge in line was yellow, so not all was lost.

I've been in a decluttering mood here at the end of the summer, so I thought I'd try to focus on a couple of projects that would help me make a dent in the stash.  Do you remember that dye fail project from back in February?  The one where I realized that the yellow/gold rayon faille that I bought turned out to be a rayon/acetate blend and attempting to dye it red just left me with ten yards of fleshy pink nonsense? 

Yeah, that one.

So I had the bright idea that I'd make a tea gown out of it, because hey, what the hell.  I've made up enough Truly Victorian bodice patterns that I felt comfortable just making the necessary adjustments to the pattern on paper and skip the mock up.  Easy, one piece project, cheap fabric, no mock up... I was totally going to get this done in the two weeks that I had until the challenge was due.

I was wrong.  I took a break from cutting pattern pieces to dye up something like 12 yards of nylon velvet ribbon for trim.  The goal was to get a nice, deep burgundy color to complement the fleshy pink.  But the ribbon had been dyed and bleached once before in a failed attempt at making ivory by my sewing buddy over the summer and it didn't quite take up the dye the way I wanted it to.  In fact, the ribbon wasn't burgundy at all, but a nice, grapey purple.  Seriously, we're talking grape jelly here.  Well that was definitely going to clash with the pink.  So I tried to darken it into a more brown color, but that didn't work, either.  Eventually, I ended up with a rich, deep eggplant color that I totally loved... that also totally clashed with the pink.  So I scooped all of the pink fabric up and dumped it onto the floor, pulling out the five yards of undyed yellow gold that were left.  This was a bit shy of what the pattern stated that I'd need, but as the faille didn't really have a nap or directional pattern pattern to it, I figured I could get away with it, and so I started cutting all over again.

We'll start with a split pic, because the flash was doing absolutely nothing polite to the color of the faille.  The cutaway on the left was done without flash and, although a bit blurry, is much a truer representation of the actual color of the gown.

Some people are the sort of person that they can plot out a project to the end, complete with what trim they want where, so that the ends of trim can be inserted into the appropriate sleeves as they go along.  I am not that visionary.  I personally have a lot of trouble imagining how I want to trim a garment until I can look at it mostly assembled.  But sewing the ribbon onto a garment that I couldn't lay flat would have been nearly impossible.  So I sketched and I pinned and I stared and I waffled and re-pinned and then set the whole project aside for a bit instead of finishing it off over Labor Day weekend as I'd planned.  My biggest stressor was the pointed bits on the front and back of the bodice.  I couldn't figure out how I wanted the points to meet.  As is, the center of the points is ever so slightly off center from the front of the gown, which is along the line of buttons.  It took looking at a lot of asymmetrical gowns in order to convince myself to be okay with (and perhaps a glass of wine or two in order to find the courage to start sewing), but once I got over that hump, the rest of the trimmings just fell together.

The finished gown is floor length in the front, with a sweeping train in the back.  I'll probably stick a bustle pad under the petticoat to help fill it out a bit in the back.  And a faille petticoat over the cotton one will help hold the train out and keep it from collapsing in the back.  (also, an actual butt instead of my broken, hip-less dress form will help, too,)

Hmm, I'm good with the front, but that's an awful lot of
blank space there in the back.  But bow, perhaps?

After the points on the front of the bodice, I kind of wanted to embrace this asymmetrical theme that I had started.  I made cuffs that were not a uniform depth, so that they wrapped around the cuff and looked as if they buttoned closed, encasing the narrower end.  The same style was used on the tops of the pockets.

Pleats seem to be one of those things that I just can't not do.  They consume so much time, but damn if they don't just define the late Victorian look for me.  I sped up the process a bit with these in a couple of ways.  They are only finished on the lower edge, and I used hem binding tape to avoid the bulk of double turning the edge.  Then I inserted one three inch space after every three one inch pleats.  You can't really tell, because I hung the pointed ribbon tabs in the center of each of these wider spaces and unless you're looking for it, you probably wouldn't notice.  The tabs were cut into points and then treated with fray check.  Lastly, I avoided finishing the top edge of the pleats by sewing them directly to the hem and sewing the strip of ribbon over it.  Since the velvet ribbon is dark and bulky, you can't see the added bulk that it hides.

Gasp!  Sneaky cheating.  Also, I was running low on matching thread at this point
and went with a "close enough".  Luckily, I only had to do this on the hem

I was able to use up a spectacular amount of the hem and bias tapes that I inherited from my grandmother.  Since no one would see them on the inside, I felt no shame in using up whatever odd colors I could come up with.

I had just enough fabric left over to cut a partial front panel for an underskirt that I'll doctor up with the leftover bits of ribbon so that I'll have another option if I want to wear the tea gown open over a matching skirt.  I'll utilize some of the pink fabric to finish the top four inches of the front panel, as well as the side and back panels of the skirt.  As it'll be hemmed to a couple inches shorter than the tea gown, I'm not too worried about the pink sticking out.  As it stands, the cotton petticoat I made back in May doesn't give quite enough boost to my bustle-less bum, so making an underskirt with a good bit of yardage gathered into the back of the waistband will certainly help, regardless of whether or not I unbutton enough of the tea gown for anyone to see  it.

Hmm... now what to do with the remaining scraps of ribbon?  Surely the dress needs a bow somewhere.  ;)

HSF'14 #2: Innovations, the Korean Ayam

It was about this time last year that I was completing my hanbok.  With it, I wore my then chin-length hair pinned back into a teeny tiny pony tail, over which I stuck a chignon bun that I made out of false hair.  Well, now my hair is MUCH shorter and I've run into a bit of a cunnundrum.  What do I wear on my head when I don't have any hair?  So I turned to the internet in search of an alternative.  The ridunculously huge and complex wigs looked like fun, but this is a costume that I'd like to wear for long periods of time and a big wig would just be too heavy.  And also, I hate wigs.  So instead, let's look at hats. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayam_(cap)  

The one that really caught my eye was the ayam, also known as an aegeom.  It's a traditional winter cap worn by Korean women during the Joseon period (1392-1910).  The ayam has curved lower edges, to allow it to fit snug to the head.  The crown is traditionally made of black silk, with a red flannel lining, or possibly lined in fur for added warmth.  Lighter versions can be worn in the spring and autumn.  The upper 4-5cm is finely quilted, and long ribbons, or deurim, hand down the back.  There is a silk tassel (often red) attached to at least the front, or center front and back.  Flat braids or strings of jewels or pearls link the front and back of the ayam.

Quality photos of ayam from the Joseon period were difficult to come by.  So here are a few of the for purchase ones I was able to find and use to help me make my own:

http://www.hanbok-boutique.com/ayam-korean-hat-hanbok-hat-m-a-001.html

http://www.hanbok-boutique.com/ayam-korean-hat-hanbok-hat-m-a-001.html

http://www.sonjjang-hanbok.com/

http://www.sonjjang-hanbok.com/

While modern options include a variety of colors and lavish floral embroidery, I wanted mine to be simple and elegant. This way, I could pair it with a brightly colored modern hanbok just as easily as one of an older, more subdued style. Plus, I wasn't about to drop $50 + international shipping on something I was fairly certain wasn't going to fit my fat head when it arrived.

I had a cardboard party hat from New Year's laying around, and the crown of it seemed to be about the right angle.  So I separated it from the brim, stuffed it on my head and had a friend draw in the proper curves and crown height with a marker.

We had to cut a few slits in it to make the bottom fit better, then add in the forehead curve, but below you can see the finished pattern piece. The pattern is 4" high at center front, 5.5" high at center back, and fits on a head with a 23" diameter.

I wrote the basic instructions and notes directly onto the single pattern piece, so that I'll have them when I need them.  Here they are in text form, for those who can't read my handwriting.

Cut 1 (or two, depending on stiffness) of stiff interfacing of piece AB.

Cut one of lining fabric with 1/2" excess on all sides.

Cut the pattern along the blue dotted line, dividing the pattern into pieces A and B.  Cut one of piece A of outer fabric with 1" excess on all sides.  Cut one of piece B of outer fabric with 1/2" excess on all sides.

Cut one each of interfacing of pieces A and B.

To assemble:
- I used 1/2" seams throughout, except where noted otherwise.
- lay Piece A of outer fabric on top of Piece A of interfacing.  Sew in bands of cording until you run out of interfacing to anchor it to.  Attach a row of contrast piping on the top and bottom, then fold the seam allowance on the piping to the back.
- lay Piece B of outer fabric on top of Piece B of Interfacing.  Attach a row of piping to lower edge and fold seam allowance to the back.
- Sew piece B of outer layer onto interfacing AB.  Sew piece A of outer layer on top of piece B.
- Fold outer layer of ayam in half, right sides together, and sew up the center back seam.  Turn right side out.
- Fold lining in half, right sides together, and sew up the center back seam with a 5/8" seam.
- Pin inside out lining to the wrong side of the outer layer and hand stitch the lining to secure it.
- Rejoice, as the really tedious part is behind you!

The rest, I think, is fairly self-explanatory.  Make or acquire tassels and decorative knotwork by whatever method works for you.  String some beads, pearls, semi-precious stones along the sides, connecting center front and center back.  You could use a wide ribbon to make a passable deurim, if you're so inclined.  I left out any decorative embroidery on the body of the hat, but may give that a go on any future attempts.

Ta da!

And it wasn't my intent when I started this project, but this will totally work for the current Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge.  Looking back over the project, I think the most wondrous innovation has got to be the faux pearls, as I am a huge fan of using them to dress up costume projects.  Big Bead, Little Bead has a wonderful article on the history of man-made pearls (among many others).  Mine are made of glass with a 'pearly' coating, a style of bead whose European manufacture was really picking up in the mid to late 1800s.

The Challenge:  HSF'14 #2

The Innovation:  glass faux pearls
Fabric: a synthetic black brocade that a friend brought back from Korea, red polyester something-or-other. Stiff collar interfacing for the foundation.

Pattern:  we made it up. 

Year:  late 19th c.

Notions:  polyester thread, silk cords and threads for the tassels, glass pearls, rayon cord for the knot, and cotton yarn for the couching.

How historically accurate is it?  Mmm, it's hard to judge.  The only pictures I could find from this time period were small paintings, reproduced in books.  If anyone out there comes across a link to a dated museum example, do share.  But until then, I'm just going to have to call this one a best guess.

Hours to complete:  maybe 8-ish.  Making the tassels and attaching them to the knot work took the most time.

First worn:  not yet

Total cost:  from stash, but even guessing, I'd say under $10.

References:

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayam_(cap)

- http://www.bigbeadlittlebead.com/guides_and_information/history_of_faux_pearls.php

- http://www.hanbok-boutique.com/

- http://www.sonjjang-hanbok.com/

- http://thetalkingcupboard.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/a-guide-to-joseon-hairstyles-and-headgears/
- Decorative Fusion Knots: A Step-by-Step Illustrated Guide to New and Unusual Ornamental Knots by J. D. Lenzen

HSF 25: One Meter Challenge, A Regency Bib Apron

Right about the time this challenge was announced, I happened upon this fantatic window pane cotton in the clearance pile at my local Jo Ann's.  

It was so light and gauzy, with that fantastic woven design to it, I just knew I'd be able to find something to do with it.  Aprons seem to have been everywhere lately and so I chose to challenge myself to make one out of one meter of fabric, and NOTHING else.  There were so many times where I was tempted to do something else  add a bit of embroidery, bind with ribbon or use twill tape for ties.  Having this hard limit actually helped me narrow down what I was doing.  A handy thing in a hobby with infinite possibilities. I did the math and cut myself off 39.3 inches of the 54 inch wide fabric first thing and put the rest of the bolt away

(yeah, I'll admit it.  I bought the whole bolt).

Thanks to Bethany of Diary of a Seamstress for the lead on this painting by Georg Friedrich Kersting, ca. 1814.  Note the full length front and shoulder straps to hold it in place.

Shoulder straps crossing in the back mean that I neither have to fuss with a bulky tie at the base of my neck 

(that inevitably tangles in hair or snags on my necklace), nor need I struggle to pull a strap over my head, upsetting my hair/makeup/turbin.  The straps are looped around the waist ties, but not anchored to them. This way, I can make the space super large for taking on/off without having to adjust the straps.

The directional design to the fabric made me want to avoid using it on the bias, so instead I played around with little gathering stitches at different intervals until I found a pattern that I liked.  According to comments on the HSF Facebook page, this technique is known as counterchange smocking.

The pattern was created by using a stitch to gather two corners of successive squares together on what I had deemed the "back" side of the fabric.  Then I'd skip a corner, then gather the next two.  when one row was done, I'd move down two rows and repeat the process, off-setting the gathering stitches by one width.  This resulted in the bubbled up wavy pattern that you see on the "right" side of the fabric.  The whole bib was then backed with another piece of fabric to hide the stitches.  

Here, have a visual demonstrating that process:

The waistband is two rectangles with all four edges turned under, between which I sandwiched the bottom of the bib, the top of the apron skirt, and the two waist ties.  Since the fabric is so thin, this didn't end up bulky at all.

 

My leftover fabric, minus the bits I cut off when fitting the straps and ties in finishing.  Pretty thorough use of that meter.

Just the Facts:
Fabric: 1 meter (39.3 inches) of 57 inch wide woven cotton gauze
Pattern: Modeled after one done up by Across the Ages, with minor alterations.
Year: 1820s
Notions: white silk thread, because I realized at a late hour that I was out of white cotton and I wanted to use something natural so that, should I ever stain this, I could dye it another color to hide it.
How historically accurate is it? Entirely hand sewn of 100% cotton, I'm giving this A.
Hours to complete: 10-12. It's hard to say as the project folded up nicely into a quart size baggie to be carried around for something to keep my hands busy when away from home.
First worn: not yet, but part of my sewing goals for 2014 is to have more "everyday" historical wear instead of all ballgowns and fancy dress, so that's going to fit right in with it.
Total cost: Fabric was on clearance for $8/yd, so even with taxes and thread, we're looking at less than $10 US total.

HSF Challenge #22: Masquerade



Oh, was this my kind of challenge.

From our challenger: Create something inspired by historical fancy dress and masquerade that takes you out of reality, in to another world (purely historical, fantasy, steampunk etc are all allowed).

I decided to finally get around to finishing that Queen of Hearts costume that I've been working on in fits and starts since last winter.  Some of the undergarments were completed back as part of challenges 3 and 4, but I got distracted by other projects for Costume Con and it was set aside.  I wanted to go with a classic interpretation of the character and, to me, that means the old school Disney version:

The decision to use the silhouette from the 1860s was largely based on the skirt.  I had just made up the Walking Cage Crinoline from Truly Victorian and I used that as my starting point.  The whole costume ended up as a mashup of patterns from the 1850s-1870s. 

Hmm... Victorian Harley Quinn?

I really wanted to hit the little details that make this costume come alive, so having the heart bloomers and a lace hemmed petticoat was important to me. 

I couldn't find a heart printed fabric that would work, so I ended up using a stencil and fabric acrylics to make my own.  The bloomers were made out of a layer of painted kona cotton over a layer of white rayon (gotta keep it opaque if I'm going to be flashing people my drawers) and were made using Simplicity 9769 The Fashion Historian - Drawers.

Scandalous!

The petticoat was made of white kona cotton using the Free Hoop Petticoat Diagram from Truly Victorian.  The same heart eyelet lace that I used on the bloomers runs the hem of the petticoat.

The underskirt, made from Truly Victorian's 1869 Grand Parlor Skirt and modified to have a hem parallel to the floor.  The front panel actually wasn't as hard to make up as I thought it'd be.   I traced the center front pattern piece onto brown paper, then drew in the pieces, cut them out and traced those onto new paper, adding in a seam allowance to the center front and diagonal lines between color blocks.  I did end up adjusting the way the front panel fits into the waist band as the intended darts kinda made the top bit a bit wonky.  But what couldn't be tweaked was easily hidden by the overskirt.



Underskirt

I have been itching to try my hand at cartridge pleating ever since I learned what it was.  This was one of those cases where, once you knew what it was, you'd see it EVERYWHERE!  The velvet of the overskirt was pleated onto a piece of 2" wide petersham ribbon I found in the upholstery section.  Sturdy stuff without, adding a lot of bulk.

The bodice was a Frankensteining of two Truly Victorian patterns: 1872 Vest Basque and 1875 Ball Gown Basque.  I wanted to pair the neckline from the ballgown with the sleeves from the vested bodice.  About the only thing that these patterns had in common was the basque back, and that was the first thing I drafted out of them.  Just to give you an idea of what a horrible idea this was, take a look at my first mock up:

Urgh.  I don't know if there was a better way to have gone about this, but I really wanted to avoid having to buy additional patterns if at all possible.  Luckily, much was fixed by extending the bodice up higher on my shoulder.  The sleeve fit better when the armhole was enlarged and the gathering to fit was much smoother when done in the velvet.

The crowns were made of craft foam wrapped around a round cardboard base, then covered with layers of gold acrylic paint.  Small ribbon loops were glued to the inside of the base and the crowns were worn on headbands to keep the tiny crowns in place.  The scepters are just dowel rods hot glued into a hollow paper heart found at the local craft store, then painted with shimmery acrylic paints.

In summary, just the facts, as best as I can recall them:

The Challenge: #22 Masquerade

Year: 1850-70s

How historically accurate is it?  Not terribly.  May 25%

Hours to complete: I could not even begin to imagine.  Certainly 60+.

First worn: to our Halloween party

Total Cost:  Over $300, at the very least.

Fabric/Pattern/Notions split up by component.

Bodice: Black and red silk/rayon velvet, cotton canvas interlining, black polyester lining for the sleeves.  TV 405 1872 Vest Basque and TV 416 1865 Ball Gown Basque.  Hook-and-eye tape (best invention ever), cotton eyelet lace collar, black taffeta piping (over cotton cord) and spiral steel boning encased in commercial bias tape.

Underskirt: Black and gold crepe back polyester satin.  TV 202 1869 Grand Parlor Skirt.  Black shoestring for the drawstring closure.

Overskirt: Black and red silk/rayon velvet.  No pattern, as it was just draped on the dress form.  White faux fur trim, petersham ribbon waistband, and hook closure.

Bloomers: White kona cotton painted with acrylic hearts  and white rayon.  Simplicity 9769 Drawers.  Heart eyelet lace and cotton twill tape ties.

Petticoat: White kona cotton.  Truly Victorian free hoop petticoat pattern. Heart eyelet lace.

And to make this into a proper couples' costume:

My Honey, as the King of Hearts



So very dapper.

Proof that his costume really is pink.  Sorry Honey!

 The King's robes were made of synthetic pink velour made up in a modified version of Butterick 3648: Dickens Victorian Christmas Robe, trimmed with the faux fur and close with safety pins (because I ran out of time to get proper hook-and-eye closures put in.  The collar is just a layer of  heavy interfacing sandwiched between two layers of cotton and trimmed with white cotton piping.  I claim no responsibility for that monstrosity of facial hair.