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plotting blah blah blah
Oct. 30th, 2016 12:16 am"I have time before bed...should I sew the thing I just posted about needing to finish, or write about my post-1840-New-Castle costume plans? Definitely the latter!"
I have wanted to go ice skating in costume for literally years...although I admit the desired era has changed every year! This winter I am determined to go for my birthday, and at least a couple of friends will humor me, because of said birthday. Philly's riverfront rink isn't particularly scenic, but the trouble of getting up to Bryant Park/NYC far outweighs the lack of scenery, and it's definitely the best outdoor rink around here. (The one outside City Hall would make for a nicer background, at least on one side! but it's not full-size and is always so crowded on the weekend. Not super for actually skating. Will see what it looks like this winter when it goes up, though. Still open for debate with attending parties.)
Anyway! When I first decided that skating needs to happen this year, I was thinking 1880s (having definitely been influenced by Prior Attire's charming dress from a couple of years back), but after entirely too much time spent on Pinterest in the last week or so, I've revised to very late 1890s. I've been wanting to make something 1898-1900 for a few years now - something about that brief window of time in between the collapse of the Sleeves O'Doom and the swoopy-and-droopy Edwardian style really interests me. Lots of very smart dresses out of those couple years! (And very glamourous evening gowns too, but that's not appropriate for skating, haha.)
So, yay, it's time to make everything from the inside out, yet again! Right, that's why I've tended to stick with things I already have underwear for lately... I could cheat with the combinations, but the ones I have currently are the early, very unfitted ones that are basically a chemise with legs, and I want something a little more fitted. Corset, this 1899 patent - can't decide whether to use the same brocade I used on my teens corset, or to go two-toned and make the body and gores two different, solid colors. (Sounds sexy in theory, but 1/not like I'm showing it off to anybody, and 2/ do I want to advertise how wonky my gores can get?) Petticoat: ugh I hate petticoats! At least a "sporting" one needn't be too fancy.
As for the dress itself, I've just bought that shamefully expensive plum wool-cashmere (it better be f'ing cold this February), and am going to base it on Ageless Patterns #1389, with a shirtwaist of a coordinating plum/cream taffeta stripe that's already in the stash.
"Base it" because I do know what those patterns are like, and because you know I can't leave any pattern alone! Haven't yet decided how to trim it yet, although I don't plan to do any of that elaborate embroidery, sorry kids. Grosgrain is probably most practical, both cost-wise and skating-in-wise but I do love the idea of a ridiculous fur- or feather-trimmed skating costume! Hmmmmm.
Also, somewhat related, according to all the books that I have that contain those types of detail, everybody was sitting on their pockets around the turn of the century. (Not a euphemism...the pocket is literally in the CB seam.) Which makes sense construction-wise, since the only volume at the waist to hide a pocket opening was at the back of the skirt by then, but...seems kind of uncomfortable and fairly impractical?? Someone please enlighten me.
Because I do love a good skirt pocket but I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend the day with car keys and a cell phone up my ass.
I have wanted to go ice skating in costume for literally years...although I admit the desired era has changed every year! This winter I am determined to go for my birthday, and at least a couple of friends will humor me, because of said birthday. Philly's riverfront rink isn't particularly scenic, but the trouble of getting up to Bryant Park/NYC far outweighs the lack of scenery, and it's definitely the best outdoor rink around here. (The one outside City Hall would make for a nicer background, at least on one side! but it's not full-size and is always so crowded on the weekend. Not super for actually skating. Will see what it looks like this winter when it goes up, though. Still open for debate with attending parties.)
Anyway! When I first decided that skating needs to happen this year, I was thinking 1880s (having definitely been influenced by Prior Attire's charming dress from a couple of years back), but after entirely too much time spent on Pinterest in the last week or so, I've revised to very late 1890s. I've been wanting to make something 1898-1900 for a few years now - something about that brief window of time in between the collapse of the Sleeves O'Doom and the swoopy-and-droopy Edwardian style really interests me. Lots of very smart dresses out of those couple years! (And very glamourous evening gowns too, but that's not appropriate for skating, haha.)
So, yay, it's time to make everything from the inside out, yet again! Right, that's why I've tended to stick with things I already have underwear for lately... I could cheat with the combinations, but the ones I have currently are the early, very unfitted ones that are basically a chemise with legs, and I want something a little more fitted. Corset, this 1899 patent - can't decide whether to use the same brocade I used on my teens corset, or to go two-toned and make the body and gores two different, solid colors. (Sounds sexy in theory, but 1/not like I'm showing it off to anybody, and 2/ do I want to advertise how wonky my gores can get?) Petticoat: ugh I hate petticoats! At least a "sporting" one needn't be too fancy.
As for the dress itself, I've just bought that shamefully expensive plum wool-cashmere (it better be f'ing cold this February), and am going to base it on Ageless Patterns #1389, with a shirtwaist of a coordinating plum/cream taffeta stripe that's already in the stash.
"Base it" because I do know what those patterns are like, and because you know I can't leave any pattern alone! Haven't yet decided how to trim it yet, although I don't plan to do any of that elaborate embroidery, sorry kids. Grosgrain is probably most practical, both cost-wise and skating-in-wise but I do love the idea of a ridiculous fur- or feather-trimmed skating costume! Hmmmmm.
Also, somewhat related, according to all the books that I have that contain those types of detail, everybody was sitting on their pockets around the turn of the century. (Not a euphemism...the pocket is literally in the CB seam.) Which makes sense construction-wise, since the only volume at the waist to hide a pocket opening was at the back of the skirt by then, but...seems kind of uncomfortable and fairly impractical?? Someone please enlighten me.
Because I do love a good skirt pocket but I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend the day with car keys and a cell phone up my ass.
