The Perfect Touch

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Costume College 2017 - The 60s

Costume College 2018 Dressing the Royals is just six short weekends away! Now the mad dash starts for attendees to shift from the dreams and research to needle and thread. A deadline can spark unlimited creativity and Costume College is all about creativity.

It was very minute last year when my dear friend Judith asked me if I would like to attend and share a room with her. I had been working full time again but it had been announced that my department was being eliminated by year end. Costume College seemed like a perfect excuse for a much needed break.

Break??!! What was I thinking??!! Now I had just weeks to put together costumes!! In the end it was crazily fun both researching and reliving the 1960s era of my teenage years.

Thursday Night Pool Party - The Happiest Pool Party on Earth!

I was taking a full day class on Thursday and needed something quick and comfortable for that evening. Black slacks, patent leather shoes, a vintage Mary Quant blouse, and a Disney Mickey Mouse fascinator.

Friday Night - Casino Royale - Our Favorite Spies

While the classes at Costume College are incredible and the events amazing, what I most enjoy are the people. It is so much fun to be part of a group and costume together! On Friday evening I was part of the Ladies of the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

Saturday Night Time Traveler's Gals - Breakfast at Tiffany's

Everything sparkles at Tiffany's! This was the perfect time for me to wear a very long project - years!! - that was a labor of love for my friend Kate and me. Kate created the base satin gown and it was stored for years along with the gorgeous fan sticks purchased from a craftsman in Ireland. Enlarging and following the design from the Harper's Bazar fashionplate, I beaded the bodice with Swarovski crystals and added the black fox fur. I stained the fansticks and created the oversize fan which completed the inspiration.

My only photo from that evening which doesn't really show that glorious train but what a joy to finally wear this gown!

Sunday Breakfast - Get Up and Go-Go

It just wouldn't honor the fashion of the 1960s without a little British Mod. I made a sweet vinyl hat that just magically stayed on my head and paired it with a tunic and slacks of cotton and an Op Art print insert. With Judith in her amazing Betsey Johnson creation from a vintage pattern!

Sunday Afternoon - Tea at the End of the Universe

The return of The Steamstress Model No. 1. Created with abandoned parts from an old Singer sewing machine. She's a biobot - half human, half sewing machine. Just how I feel just before Costume College!

Miscellaneous - Just for Fun!

It wouldn't be the 1960s for me without a Troll Doll. Since it has been around since 1959 and had a movie released in 2016, I imagine most people know about the plastic doll with furry combed up hair. Also named a Dam doll after the creator Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam. It was considered by my classmates to be very good luck! The Troll Wizard is my favorite. So I recreated him complete with jumbo feet.

It also wouldn't be the 1960s without a nod to that little music festival of 1969 - Woodstock.

Peace and Love,

Jeanette

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Historical Sew Monthly Challenge #5 - Specific to a Time of Day or Year}

May 2018 Challenge - Specific to a Time [of Day or Year]: Historically, some garments were worn year round, and for a range of events. Others were exclusively for certain times of year, or specific times of day. Make one of the latter.

The Dreamstress

Another incredible upcoming costume exhibit at Biltmore Estate! After two years of preparation the Estate is bringing the largest collection of costumes from the 1997 movie Titanic to display throughout Biltmore House. So exciting!

Wanting to create something appropriate for the day tour I select a pattern for a 1912 Directoire (Cutaway) Jacket by Edwardian Rose on Etsy.

While I'm familiar with the jacket style and those enormous hats, I'm not familiar with the fur muff in the sketch and decide to do some research.

There are two books that are my first place to research for Victorian and Edwardian fashion. Victorian Fashions & Costumes From Harper's Bazar: 1867 - 1898 by Stella Blum and Victorian and Edwardian Fashions from "La Mode Illustree" by JoAnne Olian. The fashion plates from those eras are a wealth of information and additional research has always verified their correctness.

Last December I made a velvet muff for an 1890 impression based on fashion plates from 1893.

I used The Faux Fur Muff Sewing Workbook by historicalsewing.com and added a little length to the historical fashion plate inspiration since I knew the weather would be cold and I wanted to tuck my hands deep inside.

Some more research from Harper's Bazar and La Mode Illustree:

Harper's Bazar 1869

Harper's Bazar 1877

Harper's Bazar 1885

La Mode Ilustree 1901

La Mode Ilustree 1905

La Mode Ilustree 1909

La Mode Ilustree 1912

La Mode Ilustree 1913

Now that I am certain of the size of this beautiful and functional accessory and I am uncertain of the weather in our mountains in April, I think this will be perfect for my 1912 suit.

I've been studying the 18th century in hopes of creating some costume from that period in 2019. American Duchess has published the 18th Century Dressmaking book and what do I find? That the giant fur muff was an accessory in that period as well! And there is a perfect pattern and instruction for my 1912 muff.

Using a black ribbed faux fur, a seafoam green satin for lining, and readily available polyfill (since down feathers are not as readily available to me as they were to my 18th century sisters), I create the fur muff with a hidden pocket for my 21st century phone.

Polyfill, satin, grosgrain ribbon, faux fur.

Grosgrain ribbon sewn to the faux fur, satin attached.

Horizontal seam sewn shut with opening left for polyfill and pocket. Polyfill stuffed as desired.

The interior pocket sewn.

Lining edges pinned, pocket edges pinned, then pocket inserted and hand stitched together.

An interior pocket!

A finished fur muff!

It really is the perfect accessory for the 1912 suit and large hat.

On April 14, 2018, 106 years after the Titanic disaster, our group tours Biltmore Estate and the Titanic movie costume exhibit. This is Rochelle Rose, the actress who played the Countess of Rothes in the 1997 movie and a guest for the weekend, my husband in the best Captain Edward J. Smith impression I could muster, and me with my giant muff accessory. There were 22 of us at a weekend I had organized and we costumed the entire weekend! But that is another wonderful story for another blog post.

Historical Sew Monthly

The Challenge: #5 Specific to a Time

Material: Faux fur, satin

Pattern: American Duchess 18th Century Dressmaking

Year: 1912

Notions: Grosgrain ribbon, thread, polyfill

How historically accurate is it? Accurate in impression, with modern materials.

Hours to complete: 2

First worn: April 14, 2018 Party Like A Vanderbilt Event

Total cost: $22

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Historical Sew Fortnightly - August 2016 - Pattern

I know, I know, aren't I behind??!! It's May 2018 and I'm just now getting this post written. I've promised myself I will catch up. I promise!

So here it is - Historical Sew Fortnightly - August 2016 - Pattern

Pattern - make something in pattern, the bolder and wilder the better.

The Dreamstress

So...here it is - bolder and wilder!

This craziness started with the discovery of a pattern maker on etsy; contrapuntpatterns. Nuria creates patterns for some extraordinary designs from the 1920s through the 1950s. I was going to attend the Art Deco Festival on The Queen Mary in California and wanted to wear 1920s styles. This pattern is called "Elegant 1920s Style With Square Neck Line". It requires an underdress skirt pattern that is also used for other patterns and with that purchase I had my wardrobe for the event.

The patterns come in small, medium, or large size ranges, or for an additional charge you can have the pattern drafted to your specific measurements. The pattern pieces are marked with specific instructions but there are no other directions.

My fabrics are a linen blend for the base skirt and overdress, a silk panel for the accents, and an embroidered linen for the lower skirt with some simple button accents.

The skirt base and overdress are simple to construct.

I pin the accent fabrics to decide on the effect and then stitch everything in place.

My boldly colored and patterned 1920s ensemble.

Of course there had to be a hat. I've again used my 1920s collection of patterns by eVINTAGEpatterns on etsy for Lady Edith's Bow Cloche. A simple pattern and perfect for this collection of fabrics and colors.