2014 in review

I haven't done a costume recap in ages but it seems the thing to do this year so here we go!

My 2014 was a huge roller coaster ride of real life dramas and challenges as I finished cosmetology school, turned 35 and started down the path of my new career. In between all that craziness I traveled, reconnected with friends, hostessed, rearranged the house and so much more. How I managed to get any costuming done I'll never know but I did.

The list isn't very long but considering my lack of time and Real Life distractions it's surprising deep and full of quality - garments I'm truly proud of and that I loved wearing. I'm at point in my costuming career where costuming happiness or success can't be measured in the length of my completed list or how many events I went to (and made a new outfit for). It's just not my lifestyle or my desire anymore. Its all about joy now, joy in being creative, joy in spending time with great people and joy in a project well done. And joy in feeling like a Pretty, Pretty Princess of course. Hey maybe I'm getting pretty good at this grown-up balancing act after all! Well except for the taking pictures and blogging part. I need to work on that in 2015.

 

   
Birthday Dress
A robe Robe Parée cut in the style of a robe à l'Anglaise. Because big birthdays need lots of sequins and champagne. It's a rare and wonderful thing when a costume actually fulfills all your original visions and comes out just as you wanted it to. This is one of those costumes. *Sigh*

 

     
Birthday Jacket
I threw this together at the last minute, having spent all my focus on the birthday dress and Bridget's Chemise gown. Oh and sitting for my Cosmetology license. You know little things like that. A wool petticoat with a cotton velvet jacket. In the end it's not my favorite nor the most flattering thing I made in 2014. Oh well, it did what it needed to do for the event and it was fun to give my Big Green Hat another wearing.

 

     
Bridget's Black Chemise á la Reine
This is just about the only picture I have of Bridget's black Chemise á la Reine, which is a shame becasue it's really pretty and I worked really hard on it. Merh.

 

   
Blue Banyan
And yet another costume I have no decent photos of. I know - I suck. It's totally getto-fabulous constuction-wise but it's finished! I've only been meaning to make this for 4 years...

 

     
Roman Costume
I'll admit it, this was a total cheater-closet costume, but I loved wearing it. A Ross-Dress-For-Less dress, a length of silk chiffon and lots of gold jewelry. Really it was an excuse to do the hair. Because I needed that hair!

 

     
Purple Francaise
A hair-raising up to the last minute project and with only about 30% of it's planned trimming attached - I'm never the less proud of this frock. The fit is darn good and while far from perfect it's not anywhere as Ghetto-Fabulous as my first Française. In fact there is a lot of finishing/construction work that makes me quite happy with myself. You'll be seeing more of this dress in 2015. (And I mean "more" in every sense of the word!)

 

1790s Pleated Yellow Over-Robe

Finished in the first week of the new year, I'm so proud of this robe. It's about 90% hand-sewn (a first for me!) and a joy to wear. Despite having worn it twice I don't really have good photos of it, clearly something I need to fix in 2015. Oh darn I'll have to wear it again, what a shame.

 

hairspray for the win

{photo credit: For the Joy}

More behind the scenes from our photoshoot! Hairspray for the win!

| Photos: For the Joy |
| Hair & MUA: Jennylafleur |
| Model, Gown & Jewelry: Dames a la Mode |

18th century sparkles

Today's photoshoot was so much fun - I can't wait to see the results! Thanks For For The Joy Photography & Dames a la Mode, you ladies are awesome!!

18th Century Hair & Wig Styling

I can't tell you how excited I am about the publication of 18th Century Hair & Wig Styling by Kendra Van Cleve! Not only is Kendra a fabulously talented costumer & wig stylist but she is also a meticulous researcher and clever writer. I've taken several of her excellent 18th century hair and make-up classes at Costume College and I'm so excited to have all that information (and more since she has been doing even more research and styling for this project) at my fingertips in book form. Really it's hard to say what I'm more excited to get my grubby hands on, the over 20 women’s & men’s hair styles demonstrated in the book or the yummy research/history. Either way this book fills a much needed gap and is sure to become a much referenced and treasured resource.

Of course this project can only happen if she gets enough funding to self-publish this book. She is offering pre-order sales, with discounts and extra goodies but the offers end January 31st 2014. If you are at all interested in hair, wigs and/or the 18th century pre-order while you still can so we can all enjoy the wealth of info Kendra wants to share with us! Because if this project falls through and there is no book I will sit down and weep. A lot.

Please don't make me cry.

To pre-order or contribute to the book, go to Indiegogo.

For more info about Kendra & the book, visit the website.

For the lastest updates and more info on the project, like the Facebook page!

A Week of Williamsburg

A Week of Williamsburg

{Jenny-Rose Photos} - my photos plus my favorites from others
Aubry | photos | (flicker
Katherine | photos | (flickr)
Sara | photos | (flickr)
Nicole | photos | (photobucket)

 

Let me esplain. No it is too much, let me sum up...

I won't say the week didn't have it's challenges (which for me included a nasty migraine day, monthly cramps, an extra trip to Fredericksburg to exchange vehicles, the series of unfortunate decisions, money stress and the disappointment of sewing goal failures) but the low times are already fading away in the bright haze of the awesome times. One thing I can say about this group of ladies is that for our low-lows we balance them with very high-highs.

    
{photos courtesy of Sara & Niccole}

Highs include beautiful gifts given and received, a wonderful dinner at the Blue Talon, a raucous card party (complete with tispy late night dancing and lawn marathons), the All-Hands sewing marathon to finish my Française Noir (the Committee-Made-Dress!), the carriage ride and the following stroll around town with Nicole (the weather was glorious and we all looked so GOOD!), being granted access to the behind the scenes workshop at the Milliners, the conspiracy of the Rumtoptf label, our evening of great sparkle & merriment at the Tavern and a lovely drive home the back way.

I also learned some important things:


1. Katherine cheats at cards. Don't let that innocent demeanor fool you! Guard your chips and cards at all times!

2. Staying in one of the Historic Houses is pricey but worth it. It was so nice to walk out one's door and already be in the Historic Area. It was equally wonderful to be able to pop in and out throughout the day to relax or grab a bite to eat or just get off ones feet and away from the crowds. It was also great to be able to walk just about everywhere we wanted to go. Having our own sitting room was also pretty awesome. We are so spoiled now!

3. The larger the group of costumed friends around you the more you get stopped by tourists for photos. We learned to split up, go a back way or to simply not be in a hurry to get anywhere.

   
{photos courtesy of Aubry, Jennylafleur, Sara}

The pictures tell only part of the story of course, the parts that make me so glad we went on this crazy adventure were really the quiet ones, the moments we enjoyed quiet companionship, our lunches of PB&J sandwiches in our little house, the turns doing dishes (paper plates are for peasants!), lively conversations, little sewing sessions, the teasing and the free borrowing of feathers, bling, caps and everything else. The company of good friends that knew when to let me do my own thing and when I needed company or to be pulled out of myself by force.

{photo courtesy of Sara}

It sucks when your friends are so far-flung but it makes it even more special when you are all together! It was a crazy week, it was a wonderful week. It’s certainly a week I will never forget and one I will cherish for a very long time.

2nd Annual Fabulousity Club Française Dinner

Starting with the most important thing – the photos! I didn’t take many, partly due to not being in the mood at first and then lack of maneuverability in my frock. Damn train! Also as we are wont to do in costuming there was much standing in circles - something I never noticed until my frustrated photographer at the Epic Titanic Dinner pointed it out to me. The practise is good for conversation sucky for photo taking!. So end my feeble excuses, on to the photos:

{Jenny-Rose Photos} - my photos of the event & my favorites from others
Gloria | photos | (flicker)
Judy | photos | (LJ - locked post)
Kat | photos | (flickr)
Stephanie | photos | (flickr)
Isabella | photos | (flickr)

Videos:

The Card Trick

The Scarlet Pimpernel

The American Duchess Shoe Shot

The Tale of the Impossible & the Party:

To tell the tale of the event I have to start from the day before - Friday, the Day of the Impossible Task. Thanks to real life, unfriendly projects and the evil combination of my perfectionism and my procrastination I was way behind. The day started with the making of a hideously scary do-to list to get my Française Noir in wearable condition, not finished just wearable. I debated with myself as I worked all day did I really want to attempt the crazy and I kept saying yes to myself so I kept going. It's been a while since I've had a new frock and something I was really happy with, I just wasn’t ready to give up on my visions of grandeur this time. So I went for it.

When I stopped work in the wee hours of Friday morning (went to bed at 5am I think) I had just finished the fittings on the bodice/stomacher, robings (I did faux robings to make my life easier) and sleeves. So my day started with marking the changes and tracing a master pattern (so I don't have to do it again!) and cutting out those pieces. I also had to draft a pattern for the sleeve flounces and choose the lace for them which took some time. I used the flounce pattern from the Period Impressions Polonaise as my base, tweaking and almost re-drafting it to better match what I wanted. I then cut those out, cutting the silk with scalloped scissors and prepping the lace with French seams.

By dinner time I was starting on the bodice construction, and spent my evening on that (plus pin-curling my own hair). I did a false stomacher with a button front so self-covered buttons and machine buttonholes were in order – so time consuming! I machined everything, I just didn't have time to hand sew anything or to construct in the proper period way. I'll go back and redo a few things better later but day this was all about getting it done. Thread Nazis, bite me!

By 3am I was starting to fade, despite not being as far along as I needed to be. But I had to get some sleep so I re-figured my time table taking out my plans to be way early, most of my wiggle room and leisurely time to dress once I got there. Then I set my alarm and went to bed. I woke up at 7:30 and after getting dressed (I left my hair in curlers until Philly) I packed my costume bits and my overnight bag and got back to sewing.

I worked super-fast, getting a bit of trim on the front (it really need something - the black was is plain), the sleeves set and stitched, the bodice stitched together and the sleeve flounces attached. Mom was nice and stitched up my petticoat for me. The pleats I'd pinned in two nights before weren't quite right (I need more fullness on the side rather in the front/back) but I didn't have time to re-pin them so she sewed as it. No waistband and no hem - I pinned it on me when I got dressed! I quickly stitched the skirt fronts to the dress, zig-zagged along the hems of the dress and petticoat in lieu of hems and quickly formed some stacked pleats to sit between the side seam of the bodice and the back. I safety pinned them in place grabbed my bags and feather box and ran out the door.

According to my timetable I was going to have 1/2 hour to dress at Kat’s house but texting with Kat and using Bridget as my smart phone I figured out that I would save at least 40 minutes by going straight to the Inn to dress instead. Yay! So I changed my GPS settings and thought I was in good shape again. Then I ran into horrible traffic in Virginia, Maryland AND Pennsylvania. When it rains it pours! I finally got to the General Warren Inn 15 minutes before the Salon was to start. Ahh!

Robin was an absolute angel and stayed with me to help me fluff hair rats, tie petticoat strings, pin me into my dress and generally be a calming influence on a very flustered Jenny-Rose. I hate being late! Since I didn't have time to attach the skirt front to the bodice at home Robin pleated and safety pinned the skirt to my lining, the silk of the bodice front covering the pins. Totally Ghetto Fabulous but it worked! Luckily for me I had a perfect hair day (so happy with my new hair pieces!) but even so it took me nearly an hour to get ready. I was finished just in time to walk down stairs and have a grand entrance (look it's that crazy late girl!) right as dinner was announced.

By the time I got down those stairs though all the craziness, stress, lack of sleep and angst of the last few days had melted away and I simply felt like a pretty, pretty princess. Good company, epic, if self-willed, feathers (I really must come up with a way to make them behave!) and 11yds of silk taffeta will do that for a girl.

I don't want to do the impossible again for a long time but I don't regret it. Clearly I have some work to do on this frock before it's actually finished but overall I'm really pleased with it. It has the elegant and luxurious feel I wanted and thanks to the extra fittings I think it's gratifyingly flattering as well. Sometimes you just have to make it work, sleep is over rated anyway.

{photo courtesy of Judy}

The dinner itself was a great event - Robin and Judy did a great job organizing it! My only real complaint is that it went way too fast - the time flew by so quickly!

  
{photos courtesy of Gloria & Kat}

I also got horribly nervous when I sang my little song, it's wasn’t my best effort at all. Oh well, hopefully it was entertaining. I didn't chicken out like I seriously thought about doing though so I do feel good about that.

I had a lovely time though and really enjoyed the conversations I had although there were so many people I didn't get a chance to talk to. Next time!

I had to leave the party before I really wanted to but I had to clean up Robin's room, where I had spread out embarrassingly in my haste to get dressed and get undressed for the drive to Kat's house where I was spending the night. It was pretty late by the time I arrived there but everyone was still up so we sipped some pink champagne and decided that as much fun as breakfast at the Inn sounded, sleeping in sounded even better. So that is what we did. I slept really soundly and woke up feeling refreshed. After a lovely breakfast of tea and danish Stephanie, Kat and I headed to Jomar for a shopping trip. I was very good and stayed under my self-imposed $20 budget, scoring a couple of yds of cream cotton velvet, gold trim for my Roman Bitch dress and a boat load of narrow lace for my Purple Doom - Jomar was very good to me this time!

Sadly my trip home was a nightmare, filled with lots of traffic and delays. The normally 4 hour trip took well over 5 - I had to pull over at one point for a 10 minute power nap because I was so tired. Blah! But I made it home in once piece and happy I went. I can't wait for next year! I'll be in my Française Noir again but it's okay because it will be a whole new dress - I have ridiculous trimming plans for Phase 2... *wink*

petite pannier aka the demon pannier

Source: 18thcenturylove.tumblr.com via Jennylafleur on Pinterest

The demon pannier are finished!! These have been the bane of my existence for over 2 weeks now, oy I’m so glad they are done!

I don’t really like pannier. That is to say I love them on other people and in movies but I don’t love wearing that side hoop silhouette. It just doesn’t make me feel amazing the way layers of petticoats, a 18th century bum roll or a Victorian bustle do. However, with the exception of a few late century American sacques just brought to my attention, all my research says some form of side hoop was ALWAYS worn with the robe a la Française. Annoying but true.

So after inspiring myself with a watch through of Slipper &the Rose and Dangerous Liaisons I decided to suck it up and just go with it. My previous experiments with pocket hoops were frustrating thanks to my waist to hip ratio (Kendra had the same issue, which made me feel SO much better about it!) so rather than mess with making it work I decided to make a full hoop version. 'Cause I lost my mind and thought that would be easier and faster. Riiigghhtt!

 

I used Simplicity 3635 (now sadly out of print) for the pannier of my Queen of the Night as the pattern is practically the same as the ones in Corsets & Crinolines. As nicely as they worked for a dramatic costume they are a little big for restaurants and crowded rooms so I decided to make a smaller pair for my Française Noir. When Megan visited a few years ago I tried on her adorable ruffled pannier and really liked the scale on me. So I measured them and tucked the notes away in case I ever needed them. I be smart!

Only problem with the Simplicity pattern is that it is a one size fits all affair. I had been hoping that it would be an easy cutting it down to the smallest size but no luck. So I debated whether I should size down the Simplicity pattern or re-size one of the scaled patterns in Period Costume for Stage & Screen or Corsets and Crinolines, - there are very few differences between the three patterns. Eventually I decided to use the Simplicity pattern with the books as reference. Looking back I think it would have all been about the same amount of work. Sizing pannier is a pain no matter what you do!

 

Then the endless math began as I tried to figure out then reconcile the ratios of the Simplicity pattern vs Megan’s measurements. Finally I had some reasonable numbers and started work sizing the pattern down.

 

The real problem with pannier is that they are like stays – you don’t know if they work until they are practically finished. So after hours of patterning, cutting, sewing (felled seams - we hates them Precious!) and stuffing in reluctant boning, I finally was able to try them on.

 

They were a hideous tragedy. *sigh* I suppose I was overly optimistic that I could change the pattern so much and have it right on the first go but really it was a mess that I knew will take me days to re-do and fix. To say I was discouraged is an understatement.

 

After a few days of pouting and feeling sorry for myself I ripped about 60% of my work out and tweaked it. The big changes were to rework the top yolk and redo the dramatic curve of the boning channels at the side seam and change the top piece of boning from one continuous piece to two separate pieces.

 

The continuous piece was something Hunnisett did in her book and I found several examples of the method so it wasn’t a crazy idea, but it didn’t work for my boning – too stiff perhaps? It was too bad as the separate pieces required a lot more work. I learned on my QotN pannier than simply running a row of stitching at the bottom of the boning. There is too much strain there and mine ripped out. So this time I reinforced it with a piece of bias tape, which had to be finished by hand. Secure but time consuming - blah!

 

Good thing I'm very accomplished with a seam ripper!

 

The finished result if far from perfect (that top yoke is still really funky) but it’s wearable and functional – yay!

 

I spent another day (that I don’t have *sigh*) creating a deep pleated frill at the bottom, This was a suggestion from Jean Hunnisett, she recommended it to weight down the hoop and make it less likely to swing about wildly. It was so much work (starching, pleating, pining and sewing) but I do love pleating striped fabric and it came out looking spectacular. It also does all the practical things Hunnisett mentioned too which is awesome.

 

Up next was trying it on with some petticoats on top. I tried my standard ruffled under petticoat hoping I could use that (no go!) then my fullest 18th century petticoat – the Diva petticoat. That gave me a good idea of how many panels of fabric I needed for the Petite Pannier under petticoat and the Noir so that was good. I’m a bit concerned that it’s too small at the very top, maybe I went too conservative with it. But I’m going to wear it to the dinner and see how I feel. I can always adjust it before the next time I wear it if I need to.