Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #7 Tops & Toes (The Toes)

What It Is:  Ribbon Embroidered Stockings
The Challenge:  Tops & Toes
Fabric:  Cotton stockings, 1/8" faux satin ribbon
Year:  1887
Notions:  Large-eye needle, blue dye
How historically accurate is it?  Embroidered stockings are shown in all vintage periodicals I have seen although usually embroidered with thread.  For this fancy dress/masquerade costume I chose ribbon.  If ribbon had been used in 1887 it probably would have been silk ribbon.
Hours to complete?  4 hours
First Worn:  Will be worn with The Little Red Riding Hood costume.
Total Cost:  $7 stockings, $3 blue dye, $2 ribbon = $12

"...blue silk quilted skirt; square velvet bodice, with lace chemisette and lace sleeves; large white muslin apron and bib, trimmed with two rows of Valencienes lace; red cloak with hood lined with blue silk;....blue silk stockings, worked with crimson; a crimson satin sash..."
       Fancy DressedsDescribed or What to Wear at Fancy Balls, Ardern Holt, 1887

You can imagine that sewing the skirt, overskirt, bodice, and cloak for the HSF Challenge #6 Fairytale just about did me in!  The sewing room was a mess and so was I!  But I finished it!  Well, except for the blue silk stockings worked with crimson.

Finding blue stockings was enough of a challenge not to mention silk.  So I was happy to find a pair of ivory cotton over-the-knee stockings.  The Rit website was my next stop and they have the most wonderful dye chart with formulas!  I found my perfect color and followed their instructions which includes adding salt for cotton fabrics, and with a little stir - blue stockings!

This pamphlet by Dover Needlework Series called Ribbon Embroidery by J. Marsha Michler has been my go-to booklet for all the stitches I've learned and the design ideas are beautiful.

For the stockings I used a crimson ribbon with a 5-loop French knot for the tiny roses, and a seafoam green ribbon with a ribbon stitch for the tiny leaves.  There was a design in the stocking and I worked with that to create my ribbon embroidery design.

I embroidered the outside center of each stocking and here are the finished stockings for Little Red Riding Hood's fancy dress costume.

A close-up of the stitches.  Click on the photo and you'll get a larger image.

 

 

The embroidery will show with the ankle-length skirt.

But then who wouldn't want to show off such pretty stockings!

I love ribbon embroidery and have used it on reticules.  But now that I've experimented on stockings I'm really hooked!  The best that I've discovered recently is small flowers of embroidered ribbon on velvet buttons.  I hope to show you that in another HSF Challenge.

 

Happy Spring!

Jeanette











Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #6 Fairytale

What it is:  Little Red Riding Hood Masquerade Ball Gown and Cloak
The Challenge:  Fairytale
Fabric:  Cotton velvet, silk taffeta, organza, costume satin
Pattern:  Folkwear 207 Kinsdale Cloak, Truly Victorian 261 1885 Four-Gore Underskirt, Truly Victorian 460 1885 Bustle Cuirass Bodice, Truly Victorian 362 1884 Wash Overskirt
Year:  1887
Notions:  Valenciennes lace, satin ribbon, buttons, grosgrain ribbon, velvet skirt trim
How historically accurate is it?  Very.  The design follows an historic Fancy Ball book description.
Hours to complete?  24
First worn:  Fantasy Masquerade Party, Victorian Dance Cruise, January 2015
Total Cost:  $11.62 for Valenciennes lace,  remainder from stash.

But Grandmother!  What big ears you have."  said Little Red Riding Hood as she edged closer to the bed.

The French fairy tale was written by Charles Perrault in 1697 although it's origin may date back to the 1400s.  It could be a tale to remind children to behave, or it could be a story about girls coming into their womanhood.  However long the fairy tale has been around and what it truly means, it is so widely known that the character of Little Red Riding Hood was described in a book in 1887.  The book is now part of The Public Domain Review.  "Fancy Dresses Described or What to Wear at Fancy Balls" by Ardern Holt describes the costume this way:

 

...blue silk quilted skirt; square velvet bodice, with lace chemisette and lace sleeves; large white muslin apron and bib, trimmed with two rows of Valenciennes lace, red cloak, with hood lined with blue silk; blue stockings, worked with crimson; a crimson satin sash...

 



 In January 2015, Patrick and I will take the Victorian Dance Cruise.  One of the events will be a Fancy Masquerade Party.  This fit nicely with the HSF Fairytale Challenge.  I had white organza, blue pintuck silk taffeta, black velvet, and red satin in the fabric stash.  Since I had just finished Challenge #5 on the due date, I had only 2 weeks to complete the gown and cloak.  I'm not sure I will finish, but I'm going to try!

The completed skirt over a lobster bustle and one petticoat.  I've made up this pattern several times before and it goes together quickly.

 

Most of the costumes in the 1887 book were raised above the ankle, so I did the same, and added a velvet trim to the lower edge.





 

The embroidered organza became the "apron".  Although I hadn't made up this pattern before it is very simple and beautiful.

 

 

The Valenciennes lace with a satin insert.  A lucky eBay find!

 

A velvet bodice modified with a keyhole insert.

 

 

The keyhole insert and sleeve extensions were made with the organza and lace.

 

 

Wait!!  What??  That next picture isn't a part of a Red Riding Hood costume, you say.  No, but it could have been.  I was eating pancakes and I looked at the syrup container and there it was - 1887.  And I'm making a Fancy Dress gown described in 1887.  Perhaps in 1887 a lady was eating her pancakes and sewing the very gown I'm sewing today from the same description.  Makes me smile!





 

 

Back to 2014.  The Folkwear Kinsdale Cloak pattern makes up beautifully.  But it's already April 1st and the Challenge is due today.   I have 102" of cloak that has to be gathered into 24" of collar, I've already sewn the collar together wrong, and lost my seam ripper.  Ack!  So I use a 2014 shortcut and zig-zag over dental floss.

Pull the floss, and instant gather.  Not historically correct, but I'm sure if they could've they would've.  The collar is fixed and I'm almost finished!  Some hand sewing, tie ribbons, and...

 

Little Red Riding is finished....well...except for the blue stockings with crimson embroidery, but I'm saving that for Challenge #7 Tops and Toes.

 

Here I added some Valenciennes lace to the back of the gown to continue the "apron" impression.

 

The "crimson sash" described in the Fancy Dress book is a pashima scarf.  The embroidery for the stockings will be the same color.

The "hood lined with blue silk" is the same silk taffeta I used for the skirt.

 

A pretty necklace with a wolf silhouette and miniature Little Red Riding Hood book.  There is also a small copper basket at the lower edge of the bodice.

 

 

There wouldn't be a story without the Big Bad Wolf and this is Patrick's mask made by Judith of Leopard's Leap.  Truly an amazing and beautiful creation!

 







 Off to do some taxes (and embroider some blue stockings).  See you in two weeks!





Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #5 Bodice

The Challenge:  Bodice
Fabric:  Cotton Twill and Cotton Matelassé
Pattern:  Wearing History 1007
Year:  1899
Notions:  Passementerie, buttons for covering, thread
How historically accurate is it?  Very.  The pattern from Wearing History is designed for the original in La Mode Illustree.  All sewing techniques are accurate and while the passementerie is purchased, it is hand sewn to the bodice. 
Hours to complete?  15 hours
First Worn:  April 15th after I complete the hat for Challenge #7, then at Costume College
Total Cost:  Everything needed was taken from very old stash.

That's the most beautiful gown you've made!

Patrick

 

I'm quoting my husband as he came to the deck while I was taking the final pictures of this bodice because he has watched me learn and struggle and sigh and even cry as I tackle new sewing projects.  It means so much to me, as I'm sure it does to all of us, to have our work acknowledged.  I'm thankful to have a husband who while he may not understand the why, certainly notices and applauds my efforts.

 

And this bodice was all about effort!  It started with my first e-pattern.  Thank goodness it was from Wearing History and had been tested.  Not only did it go together perfectly to become my paper pattern, but it was perfect in it's directions and fit.

 

 

I made a mock-up of muslin which I later took apart and used as a lining. 

 

Several years ago I made an 1890s skirt and had some of the matelassé left over.  I used it for the contrast collar and cuffs and the lining inside the front pieces and the bottom inside edge.  It is a heavy fabric with a definite pattern and I aligned all the pieces so that the pattern is nice on all sides.

 

The back bodice passementarie had to be hand sewn but could be completed early in construction.

 

 

 

Here the cuffs have been attached to the sleeves and a venice lace is cut apart for the sleeve trim and hand sewn.  The small flowers left over are sewn onto the fabric covered buttons.

 

 

 

 

All pieces ready for final assembly!

Once the bodice is assembled and sleeve insets are put in to hold that nice 1890s full sleeve look, the sleeve passementarie is draped, pinned into place, and hand sewn

 

And the bodice is finished!



 

More pictures after I make the matching hat from a wonderful new pattern.

Love,

Jeanette