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Edwardian Stroll aka The Lavender Plaid
(I was holding out for some less posed pictures from Sunday, but it looks like nobody's got any they want to share! So we'll just get a quick "I made a thing" post rather than a full-on blah-blah-blah event post! Which is okay, I guess, as I'm working every day from this past Monday through next Friday, and I doubt I'll feel inspired to spend hours and hours on a post anyway...)
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robinsnest did a nice little recap already, so just to sum up: we had a good turnout and made some new friends, the weather was 90% perfect (if I were ordering weather I'd have requested more cloud cover and 5 degrees cooler, but we really lucked out for August in Philly), and we only got ticked off once by staff for being a potential nuisance. Not Bad. It's really a perfect place for a costume outing, even if we're technically a little early for it...a garden stroll and fountains feel so very turn-of-the-century! We were very decorative and several people asked us if we were going to sing. (????)
So, I did in fact finish a thing! And looking back at pics I may actually leave it untrimmed. I know that the fashion ideal would have this trimmed, but we can't all be trimmed, eh? Or, put it this way: if I'm struck with a burst of inspiration for this I may trim it, but if I never get around to it that's fine too.
And I have learned once and for all that having a phone with a decent camera still doesn't mean I'll take any pictures at an event! (Hey, I thought it might happen...but the actual camera is still far nicer than the piddly phone camera so I'm glad I brought that for Official Outfit Pics.) Flickr album of the world's saddest selection of event photos.
I do in fact plan to do a blogger post on this outfit (and the corset), but I've got to get some more pictures to do that, and that'll take a good chunk of time...so no promises!
I ended up making the belt at 8am on the day of the event, and I'm glad I did, as a belt/sash definitely helps combat the "puffy shirtfront" thing! It's only pinned together...but I was out of snaps, and whatcha gonna do.
I also really loved the three of us in matching plaids - me in lavender, Robin in pink, and Alice in blue (but made the mistake of not actually getting a photo of us, whoops).
Overall very pleased! Individual pieces:
Guimpe: shoulders are still ill-fitting. Ought to fix but probably never will because it will never be worn without a jacket or something over it!
Jacket: Dislike that collar intensely. If I ever make it again I am going to figure out my own version.
Skirt: Definitely a walking skirt. (TV 1898 walking skirt whatever pattern number.) I made it as-is in terms of length, so if you're any taller than 5'6" you will definitely need to lengthen. Also I put a butt-pocket in it because who doesn't want a butt pocket, and had an absolutely awful time when the crinoline interfacing pieces didn't remotely match the skirt pieces. Wait til I get pics of the inside...
Hat: the best thing ever. Love. Absolutely no sun protection so parasol necessary.
So, what's up next? Well...probably sending the sewing machine to get cleaned, actually. It's VERY squeaky! And I've either never gotten it cleaned, or gotten it cleaned once, in 15 years of having it. Ahem. It might be time...as it's got a fair amount of sewing to do for Gettysburg and it would be very unfortunate for it to poop out suddenly on me. That definitely should happen within the next couple of weeks.
Other than Gettysburg, I don't think there's much of anything planned for fall? There is Belvidere, which I usually do enjoy but am feeling meh about this year. There's been no talk of fancy dinner yet, and the shopping has gotten pretty lacklustre. I think I'm going to give it a miss in favor of Opera on the Mall with the Imaginary Boyfriend (who actually voluntarily downloaded Don Giovanni after I took him to see it last year, and has requested Moar Opera) - it's a free broadcast on Independence Mall of an opera put on by Opera Philadephia, and it makes for a nice date night. We have seriously conflicting schedules these days so there hasn't been time for many date nights.
(There has been some talk of another Edwardian event, in dinner dress this time, but as I'm not sure when that will be, it's going on the post-Gettysburg back burner mentally.)
First on the docket for Gettysburg will be two things, I think: finish up my Rational dress outfit, and figure out exactly what I'm going to do for my new ballgown. I'm 90% decided on fabric, finally (unless I find a fashion plate or something I really want to copy) - after getting a million swatches I think I'm going to just buy more of the taffeta I already had - the darker of the yard each of two purples I bought for my late 1830s bonnet this spring. I decided to go with the pastel one and just hung on to the darker one, since it's a lovely color and I knew I'd use it for something. Apparently, a belt to go with my 1898 outfit was "something"! It's maybe a few shades darker than is advisable if you want to be able to see details of your dress in a poorly-lit ballroom...but the satin monster is very light-colored so I guess I want something in contrast to that! So within the next week or so I need to decide on a design, decide if I want to make both a ball and dinner bodice for this dress (other option is possibly the horrible chartreuse silk if I have enough of that? Still haven't looked), and order the fabric.
And...yeah, I'm apparently on a purple kick this year! Which is funny, as I own exactly zero things that are purple in my real-life wardrobe, but hey, I'm enjoying it.
robinsnest did a nice little recap already, so just to sum up: we had a good turnout and made some new friends, the weather was 90% perfect (if I were ordering weather I'd have requested more cloud cover and 5 degrees cooler, but we really lucked out for August in Philly), and we only got ticked off once by staff for being a potential nuisance. Not Bad. It's really a perfect place for a costume outing, even if we're technically a little early for it...a garden stroll and fountains feel so very turn-of-the-century! We were very decorative and several people asked us if we were going to sing. (????)So, I did in fact finish a thing! And looking back at pics I may actually leave it untrimmed. I know that the fashion ideal would have this trimmed, but we can't all be trimmed, eh? Or, put it this way: if I'm struck with a burst of inspiration for this I may trim it, but if I never get around to it that's fine too.
And I have learned once and for all that having a phone with a decent camera still doesn't mean I'll take any pictures at an event! (Hey, I thought it might happen...but the actual camera is still far nicer than the piddly phone camera so I'm glad I brought that for Official Outfit Pics.) Flickr album of the world's saddest selection of event photos.
I do in fact plan to do a blogger post on this outfit (and the corset), but I've got to get some more pictures to do that, and that'll take a good chunk of time...so no promises!
I ended up making the belt at 8am on the day of the event, and I'm glad I did, as a belt/sash definitely helps combat the "puffy shirtfront" thing! It's only pinned together...but I was out of snaps, and whatcha gonna do.
I also really loved the three of us in matching plaids - me in lavender, Robin in pink, and Alice in blue (but made the mistake of not actually getting a photo of us, whoops).
Overall very pleased! Individual pieces:
Guimpe: shoulders are still ill-fitting. Ought to fix but probably never will because it will never be worn without a jacket or something over it!
Jacket: Dislike that collar intensely. If I ever make it again I am going to figure out my own version.
Skirt: Definitely a walking skirt. (TV 1898 walking skirt whatever pattern number.) I made it as-is in terms of length, so if you're any taller than 5'6" you will definitely need to lengthen. Also I put a butt-pocket in it because who doesn't want a butt pocket, and had an absolutely awful time when the crinoline interfacing pieces didn't remotely match the skirt pieces. Wait til I get pics of the inside...
Hat: the best thing ever. Love. Absolutely no sun protection so parasol necessary.
So, what's up next? Well...probably sending the sewing machine to get cleaned, actually. It's VERY squeaky! And I've either never gotten it cleaned, or gotten it cleaned once, in 15 years of having it. Ahem. It might be time...as it's got a fair amount of sewing to do for Gettysburg and it would be very unfortunate for it to poop out suddenly on me. That definitely should happen within the next couple of weeks.
Other than Gettysburg, I don't think there's much of anything planned for fall? There is Belvidere, which I usually do enjoy but am feeling meh about this year. There's been no talk of fancy dinner yet, and the shopping has gotten pretty lacklustre. I think I'm going to give it a miss in favor of Opera on the Mall with the Imaginary Boyfriend (who actually voluntarily downloaded Don Giovanni after I took him to see it last year, and has requested Moar Opera) - it's a free broadcast on Independence Mall of an opera put on by Opera Philadephia, and it makes for a nice date night. We have seriously conflicting schedules these days so there hasn't been time for many date nights.
(There has been some talk of another Edwardian event, in dinner dress this time, but as I'm not sure when that will be, it's going on the post-Gettysburg back burner mentally.)
First on the docket for Gettysburg will be two things, I think: finish up my Rational dress outfit, and figure out exactly what I'm going to do for my new ballgown. I'm 90% decided on fabric, finally (unless I find a fashion plate or something I really want to copy) - after getting a million swatches I think I'm going to just buy more of the taffeta I already had - the darker of the yard each of two purples I bought for my late 1830s bonnet this spring. I decided to go with the pastel one and just hung on to the darker one, since it's a lovely color and I knew I'd use it for something. Apparently, a belt to go with my 1898 outfit was "something"! It's maybe a few shades darker than is advisable if you want to be able to see details of your dress in a poorly-lit ballroom...but the satin monster is very light-colored so I guess I want something in contrast to that! So within the next week or so I need to decide on a design, decide if I want to make both a ball and dinner bodice for this dress (other option is possibly the horrible chartreuse silk if I have enough of that? Still haven't looked), and order the fabric.
And...yeah, I'm apparently on a purple kick this year! Which is funny, as I own exactly zero things that are purple in my real-life wardrobe, but hey, I'm enjoying it.