mandie_rw | Entries tagged with z:19thc:cream poplin late 1830s

A.k.a. Robin's birthday party!

We had absolutely perfect weather for a picnic (making up for the rainy one in the spring, at least), and met a handful of new people that showed up, which was nice . (No, I can't remember any of their names offhand...)

(ETA: oh and yes I did finish Robin's birthday bonnet! And forgot to take any pictures of it so I guess I'll have to wait to show it off til she wears it LOL.)

I didn't take ANY pictures (sensing a theme here), because everything took slightly longer to get together in the morning than I anticipated, so we were running late, and then when we got there I thought everybody looked much nicer than me, and regretted that I hadn't worn the red silk dress instead as I think that's much more impressive (but need to find scraps of that silk and make a placket, because it's an inch too small in the waist now, ahem)...so didn't really care about bothering to document anything I was wearing! It's all old, anyway, except for the pelerine, and that's really just a big doily.

And Tom was having a bad day with his ankle so he stayed planted at the picnic site and just wanted to nap, so I abandoned him to wander around with the birthday girl and then felt vaguely guilty about it.

Still a very pleasant time, though, and I do love Winterthur - if we lived a little closer I'd go over there for walks every weekend the weather was decent! Perfect place for a costume picnic...and nice that they're ok with people coming in costume! (Ahem, Longwood, ahem.) And I stole everybody else's pictures, so at least there's that.

Sharing a couple here because I always enjoy a good picture post. :D
couple standing in front of trees

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Current Mood: okay

Yesterday was our excuse for our two-week 1830s dresses - Allaire Village! We've threatened for ages to make Allaire-appropriate things (they're primarily set in the 1830s) to visit

misspeachum, and we finally all managed to squeeze it in.

And it was 72 degrees yesterday, so it did not feel at all Christmassy, despite decorations, jingly horses, and the like...but at least no one had to worry about outerwear?

hiraimi made a bonnet the night before, and

sewloud finished putting her dress together the morning of - but I think they looked very smart.

There was a Wawa picnic when we first arrived - which lots of people got pictures of. Yes, you can take my picture; no, I'm not taking my plastic Wawa bag off my lap. Or my sammich out of my mouth.

We ended up spending most of our afternoon waiting for the carriage (ahem, wagon) ride, which we probably won't do again - the ratio of wait time to ride up the hill was not quite satisfactory. The poor horses were overheating a bit too, as it was so warm - so they had to take longer breaks in between hauling people up the hill, which made the wait time longer. Claire and Rosie, lovely draft horses. One of them is a rare something-something breed I don't remember, but there are fewer than 500 left in the world, which we thought was very interesting.

Also we took a mini-tour of the "big house" in the village, which would have been a lot better if someone hadn't insisted on keeping her screaming three-year-old on it the whole time. Clearly neither you nor he is getting much out of this docent's spiel...take this poor child home! He is SO DONE. Before Robin turns to him and says SANTA IS NOT COMING THIS YEAR FOR YOU. We missed getting anything from the bakery, which was a bummer, as they have yummy things. And we did get to hang out with Tessa for a little bit, once we escaped the carriage line and screaming childen!

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And I think that's everything of importance from yesterday - now I just have to do the blog writeups for my dresses (and take pictures of my satin ballgown so I can write said blog post, ugh) and I'll be caught up. I even cleaned up my costume bits from the weekend and most of the mess from making the cream poplin dress.

Unless I have some sort of brilliant idea (one can never rule that out!), I'll probably mostly be sewing on odds and ends from now through the end of the month. I bought a novelty Chistmas print I want a 1950s dress out of (that looks like a tablecloth but I don't care), I want to sew a few more fichus etc for the IKT, and I need to work on shop things. Oh, and I probably want a little more trim on my striped 1770s silk anglaise, as I'm probably going to wear that to the Trenton ball. So there will be sewing, but not any massively exciting new projects!

Unless I'm vry good about shop sewing, then I might let myself do that not-plaid wool anglaise for First Night at the IKT. We'll see.

Current Mood: good
Current Music: Sleigh Ride

Remember how I said I had to pay close attention to those sleeves so I didn't sew the piping in the wrong spot? Apparently I wasn't paying QUITE ENOUGH ATTENTION, as I managed to pipe the top-of the-arm seam rather than the bottom of the first sleeve section. So I got to rip that all apart today, which was fun. I decided to finish and sew the right sleeve in (usually I make them both at the same time, but I was suspicious about mixing them up because they're so similar), so, the right sleeve is in. It is...sort of wrinkly and uninspiring, actually. Puffy elbows are in fact fairly stupid-looking.

And I've got an open house at the Indian King Tavern to do tomorrow. I anticipate no 1830s sewing will get done, as I'll go in at 10am and stay til I have to dash home and get dressed for the J. I appear to be tired of all my cool-weather 18thc clothes again, too; I still like the cranberry wool but have been wearing it since 2011, and I feel like if I'm doing millinery demonstrations I should be wearing something a half-step nicer than the cream wool jacket. Which leaves me with the cranberry wool. Which I'm tired of.

If I'm not totally done with sewing after this weekend, I may try and bang out the not-plaid wool closed-front gown I bought wool for a few months back. That falls better into the nice-but-not-too-nice parameters I have for myself! (And a black silk apron. Because I want one.)

Current Mood: moody

Chemisette first! I did in fact finish it last night. Go me.

And it does look like I make it out of a sheet. Very fancy.

Also, so glad I made sure to pick a winter-appropriate fabric for our oh-so-seasonal 65F forecast. *glares at weather*

Same dollar-bin lace I used on my unfrotunate biggins nightcap, and I was afraid I was going to run out, after having started sewing it on already, so the lace may be slightly less gathered on one side than the other? Shhhh.

Woobly collar edge? HEY WHO ARE YOU CALLING WOOBLY.

And I got about half of my sleeves sewn together today: the lower third of the sleeve and puff are attached to each other. Have to hand-hem my little elbow-puff-ruffle things before I can do any more connecting...looking promising, though. I was going to interline the elbow puffs with organza, but forgot til after they were assembled. Oops. Too late now! I think they'll be fine though; between the piping and the fabric, and the fact that they don't need to stand straight out like the pre-1837 sleeves, I didn't feel the need to unpick all that piping. Oh, the piping! It's not on every seam, but almost - which requires constant vigilance! Otherwise I'd be piping wrong things and sewing them on to other wrong things.

Current Mood: sleepy

Right on track with my finshing-the-poplin-dress schedule, provided I actually finish the chemisette before bed. It just needs a drawstring in the hem and a fastening at the neck. Was hoping I'd get it all done before work but gathering and stitching the lace to the collar took waaaaaay too long. I also made another 150" of piping so I can do the sleeves tomorrow. Woo.

Current Mood: tired

It took about four hours, but I went from no sleeves to all sleeve pieces mocked up, fitted, and cut out of poplin and lining this afternoon. And then I started handwork on the chemisette because, eh, that was enough sleeves for today. And because I need to make some more piping since just about every seam on the sleeve is piped too. Joy.

Current Mood: good

I finished gathering the skirt, sewed it to the waist tape, and sewed the tape onto the bodice, mostly without incident. The CF of the pleats almost matches with the CF bodice point. ;)

And then I mocked up the chemisette, because I'm really avoiding figuring out those sleeves. I had a hard time picking a fabric, because all the originals in my books are made of nice fine muslins (in the historic meaning). Apparently everyone was in denial about the existance of winter 1820-50. (Yes, yes, generally you only save your nice pieces, not your practical ones. Still.) I have some perfectly nice voile that would make a lovely chemisette, for not-winter. So I'm making mine out of muslin (in the modern, American meaning!). The nicest muslin Joann's carries, doncha know. The Legacy muslin's all right. And slightly more substantial, if not as pretty as, voile! I machined the basic seams; I'll flat fell them by hand, and hem the collar (SO DERPY) and attach it by hand too.

Heyyy, looks like a dress!

A summer dress. Who needs sleeves, amirite?
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Current Mood: silly

I got the skirt three-quarters attached to the waist tape this afternoon, and I ought to do the rest of it tonight. Front half is narrow pleats, and back is gathered, like the original in CiD - although now that I've stitched the one gathered back half on, I think I might've liked it better all pleated. Entirely certain I don't want to rip it out and redo it though, so we forge ahead!

Current Mood: lazy

Welllll, not on my poplin dress much, til tonight. But I did finish

miss_philomena's spoon bonnet that I promised to make *mumblety*-months ago, so, you know, that's a Thing. Have to wait to see that til it's on her head though. ;) It ended up a little more spring-y than expected, and it's not exactly spring...but flowers are TIMELESS OKAY?

And then tonight I tried on the poplin bodice - it's actually a hair on the roomy side, but not horribly so. Also measured for the skirts, since this is a waistline and petticoat combination I haven't done yet, so didn't want to completely guess. (Corded 1840s petticoat under an 18thc quilted petti, if you were wondering! Either is about the same amount of fluff, so I can wear the velvet and wool one if it's cold, taffeta if it's not.) Then measured, tore, and sewed the skirt panels together; now I'm somewhat-distractedly hemming it.

Current Mood: okay

Finished my eyelets - before I went to work, even. Which is nice because we got out late (for no discernible reason, which is The Most Annoying) and I dun't feel like sewing now! Yay me, I don't have to.

*sits*

Current Mood: sleepy

Between yesterday and today, I got the bulk of the work done on the bodice. Just have to do 8 more eyelets, which I'm not terribly inclined to do tonight.

You might notice I decided against red piping.

hharris pointed me toward one that did have a very contrasty contrast piping, so it is legit, if not usual. I decided against it partly because in this instance it felt a little too costumey, partly because I only had scraps so I'm not sure there would be enough, partly because I suspect the wool would bulk the seams up more than I want, and partly because I suck at making piping, and a high contrast color would make my woobly piping more obvious!

It is woobly, too, at least on close inspection. Far-away inspection I think it's alright! So the piping is off-white silk taffeta

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Current Mood: accomplished

Today I, uh, made piping? And sewed it in the CF seam? I'm having a little trouble getting back into my routine! Though I'm at a bit of a loss nights after work, with no imperative hand-sewing to do! I'll have to get my stuff together so I have some. (I still, ah, owe some persons bunnits, so those would probably be a good thing to do!)

I'll call the Smithville Mansion people on Monday (since I forgot today, oops. Still in holiday mode) and enquire about the Christmas tea thing on Dec 13th, too.

Current Mood: lazy

Well, I brought the stuff in from my car (mainly because the kettle was rattling in the back seat very annoyingly) and unpacked most of it. Just have to sort through the housewares and decide what's going back up in the attic (most of it). Hung the paletot in the coat closet because I'm running out of room for costume outerwear!

And then I mocked up and fitted an 1830s bodice. Uhhhh...somehow that seemed the most appealing out of all the things I need to do. Somehow. See,

sewloud and I have wanted to go to Allaire for one of their Christmas Things for a while, but, I mean, how can we not do it dressed?? (I mean, we could. But it hurts my soul.) So Robin and I are going to try and bang out 1830s dresses in the next 3 weeks. (Maybe

hiraimi too, but she's a little saner than we are, and is allowed to come in civvies because we like her.)

On that note, anybody local is welcome to join us! (

blackcat452, I'd love to see your 1830s dress in person!) We're planning on going Sunday Dec 13. (I'm also thinking of doing 1860s and invading Smithville Mansion the day before for one of their teas or tours, but that's not a definite yet.)

Robin's doing early 1830s out of her Belvidere monstrosity fabric, but I'm going with the last few years of the decade, mostly because I have an 1844 corset, but not long Regency stays (that would work for c1830). I like the sleeve on this 1837-38 dress from Bradfield's Costume in Detail:

and have a cream pin-dot cotton poplin that has a nice weight to it, that I think will both work for the sleeve puff and to be almost substantial enough for a December dress. I'm leaning toward a red wool contrast piping - am very doubtful about the use of contrast piping in the 1830s (the one in the book is sort of a contrast, as the fabric's a print and the piping is solid...but as the background of the print's white and the piping's white, it doesn't really count!), but I'm leaning towards the "it'd look spiff so I don't think I care" option. Also, since I'm going to do at least basic construction on the machine, I'm not going for total accuracy on this one anyway.