A Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Riversdale picnic today was lots of fun! I went down with Judy and Alice, and we met up with a whole bunch of people - it was a very well-attended picnic! Meeting new people is also fun. :)

I sewed the collar of the spencer on in the car, and it looks like absolute rubbish. Really. I'm very unimpressed with it. If and when I have another occasion to wear it, it's getting a new collar, most definitely. Other than that, though, I'm pretty happy with it - it's a nice comfy little jacket. Not too hot at all. I can't really say how it or the bonnet looked, since I forgot my camera... Until then, zzzzzzzzzzz.

There were a few of you whose comments I let languish for a few days...I do apologize, I'm so used to the comment notifications being in a different place on my screen! So I didn't notice them til just now. Heh. Oh, LJ updates.

Let's see, what have I been doing? Well, one afternoon I wasted - well, "wasted" - by cheerfully re-reading some Lovecraft instead of sewing. Yesterday I was very productive though, if not entirely in a tangible manner. I sewed together the buckram bonnet pieces, mocked up and cut out my spencer sleeves...and then spent hours and hours (again) combing through fabric sites, looking for KParr gown fabric. And I've got two swatches on their way to me now, so I will call this some measure of success.

The thing that is so plaguey hard about finding a good 16thc damask is getting a good pattern in an acceptable fiber content for less than $50/yd! (Because I'm pretty invested in this project, but not quite that invested...although you know I'd spend that if I could afford it!) Add in my inspirational portraits and it's nearly impossible. I wanted 1/ a decent pattern in a large scale, 2/ natural fiber content, at least partly, and 3/ a color scheme with gold, cream, or silver. (Unless I found fabric for that Melton-Constable gown. Which I didn't.)

After a lot of looking, I realized I'll probably have to compromise on one facet...and I decided that would be the color. I won't be able to copy a portrait as closely as I'd like (which is annoying), but I've still got the red and gold brocade for the NPG dress sourced, so I can at least be "inspired by".

There's a black and gold...

and one in shades of brown.

The black has a smaller motif than the brown, but not by too much. The black is all silk and therefore more expensive; the brown is a vicose/linen/cotton blend. And the brown has a lot more yardage in stock than the black...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't sell before I at least get my swatches!

And no, I don't want to do black velvet. If everyone's in black velvet we'll be the most boring group costume ever.

It's possible I'll dislike both of them (or you all will...), and I still do have time to look elsewhere for gown fabric. But not a whole lot. It's almost June, and I expect we'll be going to the Ren Faire in September or October. So I do need to start getting all my fabrics and materials in hand!

I was going to take the day off sewing and just loll in sweatpants...but last night I started thinking about what I want to wear to the Riversdale House outing on June 1, and, well, my brain was off and running!

I need a new Regency dress for this event like I need a hole in the head (though of course I have materials for at least two or three more)! The evnt's pretty soon though, so I'm trying to be sensible. I've only worn the Lizzie Bennet dress once, so I think I'll wear that again - it's a good warm-weather dress. I found I really appreciated being covered up in the sun at Winterthur yesterday, so I want to make a nice lightweight summer spencer.

I have some lightweight pale blue linen, so I cut the basic pieces out today and started sewing them together. As per usual, I'm basing it on my pompom spencer pattern. I'll have to mock up a collar and sleeves since I want to tweak them a bit, but nothing major so it shouldn't take long.