The Perfect Touch: Historical Sew Fortnightly

Monday, March 21, 2016

The Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge #12 - Re-Do

December – Re-Do: It’s the last challenge of the year, so let’s keep things simple by re-doing any of the previous 11 challenges. - The Dreamstress

Finally! My December 2015 Challenge and my 39th completed Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge! But it almost didn't happen....

In the spirit of keeping things simple I decide to add to what was my greatest challenge in all of 2015 - Out of Your Comfort Zone. This was the June 2015 Challenge and I made my first-ever-and-scared-to-death-to-do-it Regency gown. I wore it to Costume College that summer and even taught a class wearing the gown since I was teaching how to make ribbon flower pansies and I had decorated my hat with those flowers.

June 2015 Historical Sew Fortnightly Challenge - Our Of Your Comfort Zone

This is the blog post for that Challenge:

http://theperfecttouchvictorian.blogspot.com/2015/09/historical-sew-monthly-challenge-6-out.html

My inspiration for this Regency gown was an ensemble from the Kyoto Costume Institute.

There may be a day where I will encourage my husband to join me in this era, but that day is not now. I do, however, want to create a Spencer - a short jacket. The pattern I used for the gown is a complete wardrobe and has a wonderful Spencer pattern with options for two different collars, a peplum, and oversleeves. The pattern is Regency Wardrobe by La Mode Bagatelle.

Being short on time and long on a stash fabric of embroidered linen that I purchased from the same costumer who sold me the white linen for the gown, I go immediately into a final sewing.

All pieces and lining cut and ready.

Lining for front. Notice the 3/4" shortness of the front piece? That happened with the outer layer as well and I still don't know why, but I simply tapered the lower edge into the side piece and made a note to revise if I make this pattern again. Note to self - always make a mock-up.

Lining back.

Tabs for sleeves.

Pieces ready for assembly onto the main body of the Spencer - lower band, peplum, collar with tassel, lined sleeves with lace and tabs.

Collar ready for assembly to the main bodice.

Collar basted to bodice.

Lining attached.

Back with collar.

Front with collar.

Lower band is added, peplum attached, and band lining stitched in place.

Attach the sleeves, some hand finishing because there wasn't time to be historically accurate and hand sew ALL THE THING, and I have a pretty pink Spencer for my Regency gown. I really love the color and in different lighting it changes to a beautiful dusty rose color.

At this point it's the holidays, work assignments, cold weather, and a determination on my part to have some wonderful photos of this ensemble being worn. When I wore the gown I was nervous as it was completely 'out of my comfort zone' as the named Challenge. Although many people saw it at Costume College I didn't receive one comment about the gown. When I finally posted it in the Challenge album there wasn't a single comment and only 9 'likes'. While still hesitating to wear, photo, and post my final Challenge for 2015 I create a two-tone feather inspired by this portrait.

I clipped the feathers off each side of two different color feathers and then ladder stitched them together. It worked well and I see other multi-colored feathers in my future!

My husband has graciously agreed to be a photographer for a day and I ready everything. Then it rains. While combing the stash for a fabric for my next project I spy this lonely little remnant and decide it is the perfect color for a reticule for my ensemble and the La Mode Bagatelle pattern already contains a wonderful design. So as to not lose my nerve about the photo shoot, I make up this pretty reticule.

The exterior and the lining and my go-to tool for sewing points - a wooden chopstick.

Thread the ribbon completely around from one side...

Thread a second ribbon completely around from the other side and knot the ends.

Pull the ribbons and you have a pretty reticule to carry your cell phone.

It is now March 21st, the second day of spring and the weeping willow tree in our front yard is in full bloom. It is clear and sunny but very windy and my husband and I enjoy a spring day with me in a very spring-like Regency gown and accessories. Thank you, hubby!!

Historical Sew Fortnightly

What It Is: Regency Spencer and Accessories
The Challenge: 2015 #12 - Re-Do
Fabric: Linen and cotton lining
Pattern: La Mode Bagatelle Regency Wardrobe
Year: 1812
Notions: Thread, tassel, frog closures, lace
How historically accurate is it? Primarily machine stitched with hand finishing.
Hours to complete? 8 hours
First Worn: Today for photos.
Total Cost: $18

Love always,

Jeanette

Friday, September 18, 2015

Historical Sew Monthly Challenge #8 - Heirlooms & Heritage

August – Heirlooms & Heritage: Re-create a garment one of your ancestors wore or would have worn, or use an heirloom sewing supply to create a new heirloom to pass down to the next generations.

The Dreamstress

Historical Sew Monthly

Recreating historical garments and historical research seem to be an inseparable duo. It's most impossible for me to start research into the fashion and accessories of the time period I am attempting to recreate without learning the culture, trends, and historical events of that time. Most of my family has passed leaving behind little information as to their lives and nothing of their possessions. I am a combination of many cultures with my grandparents coming from several countries. While I never had the chance to meet my paternal grandmother I have seen a picture when she was quite old, and as I have aged I see the strong resemblance. She came to the United States from Sweden and it is in her honor that I researched what the royalty of her country would have been for her as a child in that country.

When is comes to heirlooms and heritage we cannot dispute that the royals know the deep meaning of tradition and pageantry. The royal families of the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Tonga have similar practices in the orders and medals they use.

Sweden's Queen Victoria, 1862 - 1930, was my inspiration for a gown I recreated. She was born Viktoria and changed her name to Victoria when she became Queen by her marriage to King Gustav V.

In current royalty, Crown Princess Victoria is in this photo and according to my research, she could be wearing a necklace created from the stomacher jewel that Queen Victoria is wearing in the photo above.

What do you think?

In 1892, Queen Victoria might have worn a similar gown to this plate from Harper's Bazar, January 2nd.

This photo of Queen Victoria shows a similar style with a fur trim and may have been around 1892 as she would have been 30 years old at that time.

Since I have a skirt appropriate for the era that I have used for several other gowns, I will reuse the skirt once more and I create a bodice from Timeless Stitches TSB-130 Basic Ballgown.

I use scraps of the matelassé fabric used for the skirt, and velvet inserts for interest. The bodice neckline and skirt hemline are trimmed with fox fur and a nice sparkle to the buttons will give it a royal feel.

The beautiful part of what the royal family of Sweden shares is the heirlooms and heritage of their Royal Family Order, badge, star, and sash. This is Crown Princess Victoria wearing the appropriate pieces.

On her upper left side nearest her shoulder she wears the Royal Family Order. It is an order awarded by the sovereign of a monarchy to female members of the royal family as they typically do not wear the commemorative medals worn by the men. The order is more of a personal memento rather than a state decoration although it can be worn during state occasions. Oscar II is the earliest known Swedish king to present female relatives with a miniature portrait of himself surrounded by brilliants. In Sweden the portraits are known as Kungens miniatyrportratt, literally, The King's miniature portrait. This is a close-up with a portrait of King Gustav V.

Other Royal Family Orders:

The Royal Order of the Seraphim (Seraphim being a category of Angels) is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick in 1748 together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star. The order has only one class with the dignity of Knight, Member for women, and Member of the Cloth for clergymen. When originally instituted the knights of the Order were required to supervise the major hospitals and mental asylums in Sweden, and in particular, the Seraphim Hospital which was a major hospital in Stockholm until it closed in 1980. During the course of the 19th century this requirement died out. Since the reorganization of the orders in 1975 the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star are only awarded to members of the royal family, however, the order can also be conferred upon foreign citizens such as heads of state and members of foreign royal families.

The ribbon or sash of the Order of the Seraphim is pale blue, referred to as seraphim blue.

The badge of the order hangs from the sash. It is a white-enameled gold Maltese Cross with a gold patriarchal cross on each arm of the cross and gold seraphim between the arms of the cross and framing with their wings the central medallion. The badge hangs from a gold and enameled royal crown.

The star of the order, also worn on the left side, is the same as the obverse of the badge without the royal crown, except that the star is entirely of silver and only the central medallion is enameled.