My Blog // A Fractured Fairytale

Just Because

What do you do when you need a creative recharge? Oftentimes for me the best way is to make something just because – no deadlines, no events, no plans, just the joy of making a garment and giving myself full creative freedom.

This dress was inspired by several of the block print gowns in Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion. I wanted a simple yet fashionable everyday dress. Funny enough, I’ve had the fabric in my stash and idea in my head for this dress for nearly a year, but it wasn’t until after Williamsburg that I could actually start work on it.

I attempted a bib or apron front style for the first time. Not only is it practical because I can dress myself, but the style also allows a lot of room for adjustment, should my size change. To create the pattern I used my base regency block (originally a pattern from Period Costume for Stage and Screen), and the diagrams and drawings from Patterns of Fashion and Costume in Detail. The sleeve pattern was also from Period Costume for Stage and Screen.

The fabric is lightweight block printed cotton and the bodice is lined in cotton lawn, with the two front lining pieces in linen. The dress is mostly machine sewn with hand finishing. As with any dress that requires stays, it fits me much better than my dress form. Since I have no idea when I will get to wear this, I hope to fix my hair and makeup to do a proper photo shoot before too long. Really, I have to say this is my favorite regency dress I’ve ever made. It just feels right when I’m wearing it – like actually clothing rather than a costume.I cant wait to have an excuse to wear it all day.

Posted: 5/22/2013 10:07:38 AM by Aubry | with comments

Filed under: 1800s

Slumming It, 18th Century Style

My 18^th century wardrobe full of pretty, pretty princess clothes – silk and frills galore – but not much in the way of practical clothing. If I’m being honest, lower class clothing just doesn’t appeal. But after I made my brown wool petticoat, I knew I needed another jacket to go with it, something I wouldn’t be afraid to get dirty or messy. Enter the teal ikat jacket!

The jacket is made from a cotton ikat (a super cheap ebay find) and lined in brown linen. Its machine sewn with hand finishing, and the neckline and sleeves are trimmed with box pleated self-fabric strips. The pattern based off the famous swallow tail jacket in Costume Close Up, only I modified the tails in back. Unfortunately, the ikat stretched like crazy and I had to add tucks and a drawstring to the neckline to make it fit after it was finished. Seriously, I’ve never had a fabric stretch that much! Luckily, the trimming hides it and the finished jacket looks ok.

Sorry for the lack of construction details on the jacket. It was a quick project and I was in such a rush that I didn’t take a single in progress photo. Oops!

Posted: 5/11/2013 1:00:39 PM by Aubry | with comments

Filed under: Williamsburg Wardrobe, 1780s

A Few Notes on Habit Shirt Construction

When it came time to construct something to wear underneath my riding habit jacket, I admit I was a bit stumped. There just isn’t that much information out there to the casual researcher about what exactly was going on beneath those habit jackets. Finally, I settled on the idea of a separate shirt to wear over my corset and shift but under the waistcoat like a man’s shirt.

This seems to be a popular style to recreate and here are a few links that I found absolutely invaluable when it came to making my own habit shirt:

http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/riding_habit2.html
http://www.couturemayah.info/engchemise.html
http://mantuadiary.blogspot.com/search/label/Shirt
http://augustintytar.blogspot.com/2012/06/late-1770s-riding-habit-in-style-of.html

My shirt is made from cotton lawn (my personal favorite substitute for linen – the price is right and it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin).
The shirt was constructed on the machine but all the seams were felled by hand and the rest of the shirt was also finished by hand. The neckline and cuff ruffles were gathered and attached using whipgathers. The shirt is open at the front and only closes with a button at the neckline. The back is gathered to a tape which ties in front, not only keeping the shirt closed but it helps keep the tails from riding up when you are wearing it.

For my own reference, and hopefully it may be useful to someone out there as well, here are the measurements I used for my shirt:

Body – 44 inches long x 26 inches wide

Front shoulder to hem – 24 inches

Back shoulder to hem – 20 inches

Sleeve – 17 x 26 inches

Shoulder of sleeve gathered to 11 inches

Sleeve Gusset – 6 x6 inches

Wrist cuff – 8 inches

Neck Gusset – 3.5 x 3.5 inches

Neckline Ruffle – 24 x 4 inches

Collar – 13.5 inches

Posted: 5/7/2013 12:41:58 PM by Aubry | with comments

Filed under: Williamsburg Wardrobe, 1785: Riding Habit

Staying Warm and Stylish

And it’s back to the Williamsburg outfit posts!

I think one of my favorite parts of this trip was getting to make and wear all kinds of fun accessories. The kinds of things like mitts and cloaks that you just don’t need at a hotel convention or summer picnic, those little things that make the outfit seem more like clothing and less like a costume.

I was especially excited to wear my new cream pelisse or marshmallow cloak as I have renamed it. I was a little afraid at first that the giant volume of taffeta would be unflattering, to say the least, but when I paired it with the full skirts and wide hoops of my francaise, I felt unbelievably elegant. Amazing what taffeta and silk velvet can do! Plus, it was chilly enough in the evening to make me very glad I had interlined it in cotton flannel, and made a matching muff.

The only problem I had was the neckline is slightly too big, meaning it has the annoying tendency to slip off my shoulders if I’m not careful. I need to add a drawstring to tie to help keep it on, but who knows when I will have another opportunity to wear the pelisse, so I’m calling it good for now.

Posted: 4/22/2013 7:44:31 PM by Aubry | with comments

Filed under: Williamsburg Wardrobe, 1780s, 1770s: outerwear

More on the Riding Habit Jacket

As promised, here is a little more construction detail about my riding habit jacket. Unfortunately, since I was in a rush I took almost no construction pictures, so I hope my rambling description makes sense.

The jacket is made from blue green wool from Burnley and Trowbridge, interlined with cotton sateen (all I had in the stash), and lined in white china silk. The lapels and collar are padstitched to help shape them. The buttons are self-fabric covered blanks and because of time constraints I skipped buttonholes and simply pinned the jacket shut in front. In the end, I liked the look and will probably leave it this way.

To pattern the jacket I used my waistcoat pattern for the lapels and combined it with my fitted 18^th century base. I also looked at the diagrams in Patterns of Fashion and The Cut of Women’s Clothes to help guide me. The jacket skirts are cut in one with the bodice like a polonaise jacket and the pleats are left untacked and unpressed. To pattern the front cut-away, skirt pleats, and upper collar, I played with the muslin on the dress form until I got a look I was happy with. My draping process is completely unscientific and very hard to describe. I don’t have a brain for math so more often than not I simply play around with the fabric on the form, and then fit that on my body. As you can imagine, I go through a lot of muslin this way, as well as pull a lot of muscles.

I made the sleeves using the two piece pattern from Period Stage and Screen, and my husband was kind enough to help me set them. I put the finished sleeves on over a sweater then added the jacket. My husband then pinned the sleeves to the arm scythes all the way around, making sure the two back sleeve seams were even. It was a tedious process and next time I will definitely make more muslins and double check the fit before I cut my fashion fabric.

Posted: 4/16/2013 10:35:35 AM by Aubry | with comments

Filed under: Williamsburg Wardrobe, 1785: Riding Habit

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Just Because

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A Few Notes on Habit Shirt Construction

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More on the Riding Habit Jacket

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