a great costuming start to 2015

My first costume of 2015! Not only did I finish this costume in time for my friend Tina's birthday tea on Saturday but I took PHOTOS! No one faint!

 

   
   

So 2015 is already off to a great costuming start!
This Titanic-inspired frock has been two years in the making, with lots of false starts and stops. It's spent a lot of time languishing in my pending bin! But I finally finished the sucker and I love it! Can't wait to wear it again...

   
   

I'll be working on a more detailed post on how I made this in the coming weeks

The ETD Revamp

I have to confess that I only liked my dress at the Epic Titanic Dinner but thanks to the revamp that Bridget and I did I now LOVE it!

It's amazing how small fixes can change everything. "Small" not equaling little time of course, alterations always being time consuming. First Bridget and I pinned up the black chiffon skirt (while it was on me of course, B not having dress form), changing the angle on the side and making it more dramatically asymmetrical. I was way too conservative the first time. Once that was where we like it, we took off the black chiffon "scarf" that was on one side of my bodice along with all the beaded trim on the bodice. We moved the scarf over so it didn't end in the center front, changing the angle so it better matched the skirt. So much better!

I then had to completely remove the skirt, recut the top, fold over the top edge, gathered and hand stitched it to the boned bodice lining. Once that was done I stitched the bodice black chiffon back on and re stitched on the vintage beaded trim, keeping it only on the black this time. To balance out the decoration on the bodice I added a row of spaced gold seed beads to the ivory "scarf".

For such little changes it was a lot of work (mostly thanks to the evil natures of the fabrics involved) but so worth it in the end. Which of course begs the question why didn't I just do that the first time?! I blame the sleep deprivation and the fact that my brain had to keep track of too many things the week I finished the dress. Oh well - it's fixed now!

While I was working on the construction bits Bridget was going to town on the embellishment. She beaded the gold laces on the top and bottom then finished the beading by gluing rhinestones and sequins all over. Yay - bee bling!! *happy butt wiggle*

GBACG Last Dinner on the Titanic

The GBACG Titanic Dinner on Saturday was amazing! It was one of the most magical costuming events I've ever had the privlege of attending. The venue was goregous, the food very tasty indeed, the live band such fun and the company completely fabulous.

The evening inculded the gentlemen at my table standing whenever a lady stood (squee!), couples dancing the Castle Walk to Too Much Mustard (I love that tune!), a very touching toast at the hour that the ship sank (thanks to the time differance it was right as we finished our meal) and some lovely conversations with friends and strangers alike in the drawing room after dinner.

I spent much of the evening just observing and trying to soak up the atmosphere, while squeeing inside of course. It was truely a night to remember. :>

I didn't take too many pics (too busy enjoying the moment) but I did manage to take a few videos:

And the photos:
Jenny-Rose
Trystan
Loren
Richard Man

The Epic Titanic Weekend

The Epic Titanic Dinner – wow where do I start?!

It was everything I dreamed it would be, maybe even more. I can finally cross off "do a grand costumed Edwardian multi-course meal" from my bucket list. It wasn’t perfect by any means; we definitely had our shares of snafus, mistakes, unfortunate events and kitchen disasters but considering we aren’t professionals, we didn't have a staff of 15 and life happens really it couldn’t have gone any better.

I achieved what I started out to do – cook a meal that did some justice to the great Edwardian obsession with food and extravagance, create an atmosphere that set the mood for my guests and give all involved a chance to learn about a fascinating period of history first hand. Icing on the cake was really enjoying the process, that everyone looked amazing and the time I got to spend with dear friends.

Probably my biggest regret is the photos & videos that weren’t taken but in the case of my staff they were too busy serving (in more than one sense!), my guests were seemed to be too busy enjoying the experience (both of which I’m grateful for and take as a compliment) and I just plain forgot with everything that was going on. So I’m bummed about some of the gaps but oh well!

I’ll write more about the details and how we got there over the next few weeks but for now here are the all important photos. I combined my photos and those of Valorie Mundie of For Such a Time As This Photography as well as few of my favorites from others (*wink*). I broke them into a couple of sets ‘cause that made more sense to me at the time.

The Dinner & Absinthe Afterparty
Behind the Curtain (staff and in the kitchen)
The Food

Other's Photos:
Isabella
Katherine
Kat
Casey

And for more on the pretty frocks, here are their blog posts:
Nicole (Diary of a Mantua Maker)
Katherine (Koshka's Fashionable Past)
Gwendolyn (Idlewild Illustré)
Casey (Elegant Musings)
Aubry (A Fractured Fairytale)

a factor I forgot

I decided to flat-line the skirt after, it's just so much easier to deal with that way! So I found a cotton/poly voile in the stash (so happy to use this up!), cut it out and used temporary basting spray to baste the lining to the demon fabric.

I stitched all the seams, pinned the skirt onto the foundation bodice and it is too small in the waist. Ahh! I had the same issue with the bodice and think I have finally figured out what the problem is. My demon fabric doesn't stretch like the cotton muslin I used for the mock-ups. Actually I don't think it has any give in it at all. So what fit beautifully in the mock-up isn't working in the demon fabric. Awesome huh? :P

The only thing I can do at this point is sew the seams with the smallest seam allowance possible (like I did on the bodice) and hope it's enough. If not I'll have to add a panel or something, which even though it won't really show with the other layers of fabric I have planned I'd be bummed to do. I'll know it's there you see.

Moo I say - Moo!!

and the endless handwork begins!

After two days of futzing and frustration I finally beat the cream demon-fabric into submission and finished the foundation bodice (except for closures) - yay! SO looking forward to working on the skirt now (also made of the demon fabric)! *note sarcasm*

I'm re-thinking this issue of flat-lining the skirt with cotton. I had decided not to flatline the skirt, afraid that lining it would change the drape of the fabric too much, after all I chose this fabric for this project because of its drape. But now I'm wondering if it would help me avoid some of the demon issues I had on the bodice. I don't know...

While I'm pondering the skirt I'm trying my hand, for the first time, at hand-sewn rolled hems. Well I've tried them before but without success. After talking about my past frustrations with rolled hems Katherine was kind enough to give me a little private lesson on how to do them at Costume College a couple of years ago but despite her demonstration looking easy I was too intimidated (and lazy) to use the technique once I got home. However the only way to deal with this crinkle silk chiffon is with a rolled hem. So I refreshed my memory with this video on YouTube and started on the chiffon. So far so good, just mind-numbing. Well this project will give me lots of practice anyway... *sigh*

working the wiggly

I worked hard yesterday, although I don't have much to show for it. Darn you wiggly fabrics!

I got the skirt and the outer layer of the foundation bodice cut out. My cream satin/damask fabric is lovely but 100% dead dino, including I suspect some rayon, and really wiggly. So that was a tedious process. Blah.

I also got the crinkle silk chiffon sleeve layer cut out, finally. At first I tried to use the old trick of ironing on spray starch to make the fabric stiffer and easier to handle but realized that not only was this fabric a pain to iron but the ironing was taking all the crinkle texture out. That made me nervous - trying to iron the crinkle out again once the piece was washed (so the layer would be the right size) didn't seem like a fun prospect. So I had to hand wash and air dry the chiffon so I could start over. It then took a lot of gentle steaming and futzing to get the chiffon to be a uniform size so I could cut out the pattern piece (part of which is on the fold). Dude! I am never buying crinkle silk chiffon again; I don't care how cool it looks!

On the good side, both of these fabrics have been in the stash for 10+ years. It feels really good to be using them (and to never have to deal with them again!)- yay!!

last of the toileing

The skirt toileing yesterday went really well. I played around with the seams using pins at first, trying to figure out if I wanted to go with the pleats all the way around (the way the skirt was intended to be made) or if I just wanted one in the back (more like the Cordelia). I decided I liked the slimmer front, full back so I played around with pins working on the fullness. When I was happy I stitched up the seams and tried it on.

Laaaa!!! I'm so happy with this skirt, I can't even tell you. It's flattering and makes me feel like a queen when I walk in it (It really has to be seen in action hence the crappy little video...). And that is in muslin! I didn't slim the hip area too much in the back, putting my dress definitely in the 1910-11 range but I'm fine with that. I can’t wait to see this in my fashion fabric!

I had Mom mark the hem (so my pattern could be more accurate) then started playing around with train options. Looking through my research files I’m mostly seeing pointed or triangle trains and squared off trains. Round ones are there too but the triangle and square seem to be more popular, the triangle especially so in 1912.

So I played around with the triangle. My first try was very slim and pointed, like a pennant flag. I liked it but pondering the train, it really was too long. This is an evening gown not a court dress.

So I shortened it, changing the angle of the train to more of a triangle. I like it! I should probably futz with it a bit more (I'm more hoping than anything that it will lay nicely when finished which makes me nervous) but mentally I'm really done with toileing. I need to move on with this project!

So I declared it good enough and starting tracing off all the master patterns - skirt, bodice foundation and sleeve bodice. I got everything but the skirt back piece done last night before bedtime. Today I start cutting my fabrics - exciting!!

skirting the issue

The finial fitting of the bodiced foundation and the sleeve layer went well. The foundation has a few wrinkles that are annoying me but once I use a sturdier fabric than muslin and add the boning I think it will be fine.

The sleeve layer was good, I just need to lower the center back bottom edge another 5/8" to match the markings on the foundation. Yesterday I found a c1910 gown that I love the sleeve detailing on - I might try reworking my sleeves to something like this. I'm still pondering that though...

So I next turned my attention to the skirt. I'm going more 1911 with my gown so I wanted something a little fuller than a hobble skirt. What I really want is Wearing History's Cordelia skirt but the pattern isn't quite ready and I can't wait for it. Oh well - I'll have fun with it when it is ready! :>

In the meantime I analyzed the Cordelia to figure out what it is that I liked so much about it. For me it's really a great transition/compromise between the elegant sweeping Edwardian skirt and the slim more modern hobble. I love that it's slim at the top and flared at the bottom. I also love the pointed train since I was already thinking of going with that shape.

So I looked through my books, files and patterns and found a similar skirt in Period Costume for Stage & Screen by Jean Hunnisett. Hunnisett’s skirt is slim through the hips then has released pleats all the way around the skirt (not just the back like the Cordelia). So it seemed like a good starting point.

One of the things I love about Jean Hunnisett’s books are that the patterns are not only based on extant garments (don't let that book title fool you, these patterns are not just for theater) but they are sized for a modern body so adjustments are easy. Since this was a skirt I decided to draft it up rather than use the computer to blow up the image. So lots of math and measuring later I had a toile mocked up. It used a lot of fabric but I decided to do a full mock-up so I could play with the pleats, the flare of the hem and the ease on my body. The pics are of the skirt with the seams just sewn up, without the pleats being defined or sewed down. It’s a really pretty skirt as is but not quite right for my ETD.

So I started fitting the skirt to get that slim in front, full in the back look that I want. No pics of that step but I think I'm on the right track...

tweaks & toiles

The second fitting of the ETD gown went pretty well. The bodice foundation just needed a couple of tweaks in the fitting here and there. After looking at my inspiration gowns and Arnold again (and referancing Nicole's & Katherine's versions of this bodice) I realized I probably cut the neckline a little low so I’ll need to fix that in the next toile.

The "sleeve" layer toileing, which will be out of crinkle chiffon, went pretty well too. I started with the under bodice from my now defunct Peacock Dress, which used the bodice from my Erte gown (which was in turn based on the Sense & Sensibility 1911 Kimono Dress pattern). Luckily for me I was smart and kept not only the master pattern I'd created for that project but the last toile as well so I was able to quickly sew that up and try it on yesterday. I noted the adjustments needed (the size - too small now - moo! and the sleeve length) and cut a new toile.

The updated toile looked pretty good, just tweaking really. So all that work on a dress that never was wasn’t wasted! The biggest change was to opt for gathers at the center front rather than the darts of the Peacock bodice. The gathered should be really pretty in the soft chiffon.

I quickly took off the toile, made some of the fitting adjustments (like bringing up the kimono sleeve under the arm to create a more fitted look), tried it on a again and marked further adjustments. The sleeves need to be shorter, the bodice bottom needs to be evened out. So new toiles were cut and sewn so I'm all ready for the next fitting...