Winterthur

[mandie_rw]

This is me posting about Winterthur so I can get on with my sewing! I feel guilty for neglecting an event post for sewing for the next event! If I leave it too long I won't do it at all.

As I think I mentioned, we had wonderful weather to wander about the grounds; the only time we really spent inside was in the DA exhibit. We all made our way though the exhibit, and decided we were all peckish, and where were our servants to bring our food to us??

Here's the entire group after seeing the exhibit. What you can't see is that our photographer is about to be run over by a bus full of seniors...

(This and many other photos brought to you by Gloria and/or Mike! They always get such great pictures. In the Long Run)

Outside the exhibit they had a photo backdrop of "Downton"...of course I needed one or five pictures! Isabella did a bit of work on this photo she took of me...isn't that cool??


And one more in normal color (via Gloria)


In the museum (via Gloria)


Picnic on a tarp! It was squishy, okay?


This is like the best picture of me ever. Thank you Lisa!


This shot shows just how easy it is to lounge on a lawn in a teens corset! Not very. Also, holding my purloined fork. (via Gloria)


Somehow it got to be 2.00 very quickly (and the place closes at 5), so we didn't have as much time as I might have liked to explore the grounds. It's okay, I think I'll be going back! Here are some pretty pretty pictures of us out on the grounds, which were beautiful, and there was definitely plotting to come back for another picnic, now that we know where the better spots are. We're thinking of parking ourselves near the garden tram route so as to be in an ideal spot for gawkers. ;)

The quarry garden


On a hill overlooking a pond...have I mentioned I LOVE the Brandywine Valley? Don't worry, I'll mention it 17 more times.


Alice looks period-perfect here! I'm mad at her for wearing this era so well. ;)


I love this shot. Lookit the feathers! (via Gloria)


(via Kat)


Walking in a hobble skirt is fun! (No, I actually do think it's fun. It makes you very aware you're not in modern clothing!) I did hike it up to my knees to climb the hill though. Scandalous. (via Gloria)


(via Gloria)


The outfit is far from perfect, but it falls squarely in the Good Enough category! A lot of the issues with the fit of the jacket are from having three days to mock it up and sew it! Plus tailoring is rather beyond me, no matter how much time I have on my hands. Still, it's a very comfortable outfit (I'll say one more time how much I love this corset!), is fun to wear, and feels surprisingly modern. Maybe that's because it took me so much less time to put on than almost anything besides Regency!

And I love my lunatic hat.

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And here's a couple inside shots of things - first, my underwear, because I know you all really wanted to know. Hey, proof my petticoat has a waistband and a button and everything! As I mentioned in earlier posts, the camisole is an antique. And the sleeves you see underneath are, well, my 18thc shift. Hey, it worked!


And in the back shot you can see my hair, and how nice it looked before I got to Winterthur and it naturally started letting wispies escape all over the place.


And the inside of the jacket (lined in silk dupioni, trimmed in brown velveteen, and pad-stitched in the collar and lapels)...


...and the skirt. Note that I'm not actually familiar with Edwardian construction techniques, so I just did what made sense to me and I thought would work! I was afraid my drapey wool would be a bit too drapey with the high waist, so I interlined just down to the hip with that infamous cotton organdy. That also gave me something to whip my bones to - just one on each side seam. I dithered about those bones for ages, and finally decided I'd rather have them and not need them, than have a skirt that crumpled up at the waist. Though I wore the jacket most of the day anyway...

Comments

[heidilea.livejournal.com]

It looks like it was a lot of fun! It makes me homesick...not that Brandywine was my home, but I have a lot of great memories from the DuPont properties. The Hagley (sp?) Museum is another property I recommend visiting, too. My mother bought me a membership to Winterthur when I was about 25 or 26, but I never had the time to go save for once, when we were hit by a snowstorm (I was stranded at Ruby's Diner for hours). I do have some great photos from that day, and I got to see part of the collection that only members get to see, which included some really gorgeous flamestitched pieces, like a chaise, and a lot of mourning jewelry.

Also--thank you for showing the layers you wore and the garment interiors! It warms the cockles of my black heart to see the brown velveteen getting used. :)

[mandie-rw.livejournal.com]

Awww! I LOVE that the DuPonts had such absurd amounts of money, to collect all these properties, so the public can now enjoy them...because they're all so beautiful! I think the last time I've been to the Hagley museum was third grade, haha, but I'll definitely have to check it out!

Haha! I love it, it never ends! I think I'll be trimming things with it for the next ten years! xD

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Wow, you guys look gorgeous! And your hat is pretty much amazing. :)

[mandie-rw.livejournal.com]

Thank you! My hat *does* give me great glee. xD

[cleopatramwi.livejournal.com]

Photos are lovely!

[mandie-rw.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)