Very Victorian Christmas

While I'd really like to catch up chronologically, we're going to start with Christmas since I actually managed to get some halfway decent photos taken of this outfit.  Baby steps...

My partner in crime ordered this absolutely gorgeous dress from As They Sew In France in 2015 and it was finished in time for her to wear it at Steampunk World's Fair in 2016.  I picked up a pair of green earrings and made an off-hand comment about needing to do a green dress to match her red one and wear it at Christmas.  And so the Christmas dress project was born.

Now...that was May and naturally I didn't even start on this until December.  I wanted a dark green taffeta and really didn't think that would be too challenging to find.  I was so, so wrong.

In October I started the hunt for fabric, but I wasn't finding anything at all that I liked in the stores.  I was hopeful that there would be some more options nearer to Christmas, but nothing came up, which left me in a panic in mid-November.  I resorted to looking online, but wasn't finding anything I liked in my price range or the color I wanted.

I found a great silk taffeta at Renaissance Fabrics, but it was more than I wanted to spend on this project.  I "settled" for this emerald green dupioni from Silk Baron.  This is really gorgeous fabric and I love the way it looks, but I would have preferred something smooth without the slubs that dupioni has.  I picked up some cheap cotton broadcloth to use as interlining.  I've never interlined anything before, but it didn't cause any problems and gave the silk some nice body.

Shipping was blessedly fast on the silk and I cut the skirt that weekend using a pattern I'd already used.  The skirt was mostly done that weekend, aside from hemming and the waistband and there it sat for several weeks.

I was terrified to even start on the bodice because I was worried it wouldn't fit and I'd have to make a ton of adjustments.  So I made a mock up.  It went together wonderfully and it fit great!  I needed to make a small adjustment to the back, but my fear was not warranted.

I used Truly Victorian patterns for both of the pieces.  They made up quickly and easily and fit great.

I'll have a proper review of the bodice and skirt up in a bit and will try to take pictures of each piece on my dress form so that there's better detail.

I had the brilliant idea to intentionally go out in costume and take photos, which we never do.  We decided Lonwood Gardens would make a pretty backdrop since they put up lots of pretty decorations for Christmas.  We decided to go on Christmas Day, thinking it would be less crowded.

It was not less crowded.

We ended up not even going through most of the greenhouse since we could hardly even move around, but still managed to get some nice shots; a few outside before it got dark and a few in the ballroom after caroling.

Every time we stopped to take a picture other people would ask for pictures, either of us or with us. We usually wear our outfits somewhere that it's expected, so we don't normally deal with this.

Is this normal?  Because it felt weird.

On to the costumes!!

I'm wearing this over one of my underbust corsets from Orchard Corset.  I'm reducing probably about two inches.  Not a lot, just enough to give me a bit of shape.  Unfortunately, since it's an underbust corset the line is a little wonky at the bust.  This would look better with a mid-bust corset, but I'm not in any hurry to make one.

My sad, un-trimmed skirt.

I'm also wearing the massive imperial bustle I made for Steampunk World's Fair in May.  I was worried that it was too big, but seeing it under this skirt I can see that it's just fine.  (But seriously, this thing is actually huge.)

I really wanted a butt-shelf and I think I got it!

The red cloak was made years and years ago for a little red riding hood costume.  We rarely do outside things in cold weather, so I have no other appropriate warm(ish) things, but I thought it worked rather well.  At some point I need to make a new one, but it's been getting me through.

I made the hat to match a muff (which I'm not wearing) and a real fur stole (which I decided not to wear).  It was an easy project; just a strip of faux fur attached to a circle of the same.  I lined it with some fleece from my stash.  I should have made it just a little bit bigger, but it worked and was really quick to put together.

Although you can't see them, I'm also wearing my Victoria carriage boots from American Duchess. They're so cute with their little bows!  They peeked out just a little when I walked and made me happy.

Happy Christmas!

2016 Summary

I've neglected this blog for entirely too long.

I work a full-time (frequently more than 40 hour a week) job and when I'm not working I'm usually working on some project.  Unfortunately, since I'm such a terrible procrastinator, I'm usually running tight against a deadline and don't have time to take progress pictures.  And then I'm inevitably forgetful at the event and don't take pictures there.  So then there are no pictures for the blog and I always say I'm going to take some at another time but then that never happens and who wants to read a blog post with no pictures anyway?!  So then the posts never happen...

I have some time off of work and I'm going to try to get some pictures and write ups of my 2016 projects done while I'm home and get started on some 2017 projects.  I'm really terrible about taking pictures, but I'll share them where I have them.

Summary of 2016 Projects

The Final Wicked Faire (February)

I decided that I was going to this the day before and desperately raided my stash to find something to wear.  I pinned (literally, with safety pins) a chiton together from stash fabric and bound it with my corset.  I made a quick and dirty floral crown and was...I dunno, some kind of pagan goddess?  It worked.

Steampunk World's Fair (May)

Several outfits, but most of them I've worn before.   I have (truly terrible) pictures of every one of them though!  I did make a Military Strawberry Shortcake costume that was super fun, but not actually worn for very long at all.

40s Themed Tea (June)

Bought a cute dress from Amazon and wore it with a vintage hat.  I felt a bit like Madeline in this one.

Bastille Day (July)

My most ambitious project of the year.  I made stays, a petticoat, and a jacket,  Pictures of this also exist!

Jazz Age on the Delaware (July) (scrapped for 20s tea because it was 10,000 degrees that day)

Easy, easy costume.  Found a white dress-like thing at the Goodwill.  Wore it over a slip with stockings and my American Duchess Gibsons.

Harry Potter Book Release Party (July) 

This was the same day as Jazz Age and at midnight....I wore a men's dress shirt, black skirt, and Ravenclaw robe and tie purchased from Amazon.




Pirate Weekend at the PA Ren Faire

Rewore a pirate outfit I made years ago.  It was almost 100 degrees that day and my shoe broke; not an awesome day.

Time Traveler's Weekend at the PA Ren Faire

Cop-out costume.  I'd just gotten off an international flight two days before and was not making anything.  Wore a sparkly tank top, maxi skirt, and awesome floral headdress with horns that I'd bought at Steampunk World's Fair.  I was going for some kind of maenad a la True Blood.

Steampunk Unlimited (October)

Rewore my black kimono with a new skirt.

 Halloween (October)

Medusa.  I'd planned to make a chiton, but couldn't find any fabric I liked.  I stumbled on a weirdly appropriate bridesmaid's dress at the Goodwill the day before and wore that.  I made hair "snakes" out of floral crinoline, which worked surprisingly well.

Halloween at the PA Ren Faire (October)

Cobbled together an autumn colored outfit from bits and bobs in my stash.  Made a quick but effective bodice the night before.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (November)

Rewore the white 20s style dress with a sweater and grey cloche hat.  It worked surprisingly well!

Star Wars Themed Christmas Potluck (December)

Bought white jeans, white turtleneck, cream colored vest, and grey boots and went as Leia on Hoth.  Possibly the lowest-stress costume I wore all year.

1970s Themed Christmas Brunch (December)

Made a fabulous vintage 70s re-isusse from Simplicity.  Made it up in an obnoxious orange and teal plaid.  It was awesome.



Christmas at Longwood Gardens (December)

Made a new late-bustle era dress.  It wasn't as intense as I thought it was going to be.

2016 Takeaways

I'm doing a lot more costuming events than I have in the past and I'm learning the value of rewearing or repurposing clothing.  It's really just not possible for me to make something new, from scratch, almost every month.  I don't have the time or the funds to do that.

Along with that, I'm starting to understand the value of building out a "wardrobe" of sorts.  I don't generally stick to any one period, but once you have the basics it's much easier to build out.  With the steampunk events I've been doing I've got lots of things that can be put together to make new outfits and it's much easier for me to build outfits with a bustle now that I've made one and don't need to worry about making that in addition to the the rest of the costume.

Some of these events really challenged me to be creative, usually because of time constraints.  I'm also learning that other people don't see that I've safety pinned something together or bought something at the Goodwill, they only see the finished product.  My Wicked Faire and Medusa outfits ended up being really impressive, even though I didn't spend much time or money on them.  I'm not about to start stop sewing and start safety pinning everything together, but I also don't necessarily need to spend tons of time on an item that I'm probably only going to wear once.

2017 Goals and Events

First things first:  Take pictures.  Actual pictures, not selfies.  We're making progress on this and for bigger events we're getting better about taking pictures right away before we forget.  Baby steps

The partner in crime and I seem to both be getting into 18th century costuming and I intend to build out that part of the costuming wardrobe.  I've picked up some wool to make a riding habit and I've got some stash fabric that is begging to be made up into some other 18th century items.

I need to make some foundation items for various periods:  a good chemise, several petticoats, a bumroll, bumpad, pocket hoops, 18th century pockets, some head coverings and pocket hoops.

We'll be back at Steampunk World's Fair this year and have plans for some 18th century events later in the year, possibly something Edwardian early in the year.