project: child's 1860s nightgown

After a glorious weekend of intense sewing with my dear friend Paula, I'm now a whole lot closer to being prepared for the event in two weeks.  I'm way too busy.  Ugh.  And I was getting really stressed out at not having anything to wear -- or at least anything that fit.  But I came away with an old dress altered to fit me, and although it's less than glamorous, I'm very thankful to have something to wear that is somewhat decent.  Paula will have to portray the "rich widow" and I her poor, pitiful sister-in-law with a baby on her hip.  But if you knew us, you'd know that we'll have one heck of a good time with that scenario.  :)

So...dress, check.  Petticoat, check.  Victoria's dress, check.  Ok, well I have to get buttons and buttonholes on that, but that's it.  Just need buttons/buttonholes on her petti, drawers, and stays, and they're done.  Her shoes...the sole is pricked on the second shoe, and all that's left is to stitch the upper to the sole and it's finished, too, with the exception of dropping in a bit of an insole.  So it's coming along.

I'm making patterns again.  Since she's older now, I wanted to make Victoria a nightgown.  Personally, I feel like night clothes to be largely underrepresented at reenactments -- but I don't have to ask why, since most people aren't usually going to be seen in their nightgown.  Nevertheless, it's part of the experience, and I want Victoria to have one.

I found one online and, although it says 1865-1885, I think it should work for what I'm doing.  It's simple a-line with 6 small tucks on each side of the center front.  I've mocked it up about 4 times now, but changed it to four wide tucks.  I think I'm close, but it's clear that I'm going to have to bring in the width of the top as it's too loose under her arms.  Once I get the fit where I want, I'll create the yoke for the back (because the original has a yoke, apparently), and work on the sleeves.  Sleeves I hate.  The bane of my existence when it comes to patterning.

One of the latest mockups.  I find making patterns quite a joy - but mocking them up over and over to get the pattern just right is maddening.  Still, practice makes perfect.  And the more accurate I get, the better it is for anyone who ends up using my little patterns.

Drawing, printing, taping, and cutting.  Oh to have a professional, large-format printer.

My dear darling modelling the latest draft of the front.  The sleeves are appropriately off the shoulder, but you can probably tell from this photo that they extend too far.  I was trying to give her some room to grow, but that is probably overkill.  Now I'm off to reduce the width of the top, recut, re-baste and hope I'm not too far off from the final....because, after all, I want to be able to make her a nightgown for the Friday after next!  The clock is ticking.

That's all for now.  I hope you are all well and happy!

Amy xoxoxo

one shoe down, one to go

Well, it's one shoe at least.

1860s girl's gaiter shoe in cotton/silk blend stripe with duck lining.

A side view of the 1860s girl's gaiter. It's still a little big on her, and it was difficult to make it very fitted around her foot, so it's looser in some areas. Oh well.

Back view. And proof that you must preshrink any cottons BEFORE you cut them out. I was totally not thinking when I cut these out, and when I had to soak the shoe in the sole-sewing-on process...the lining shrunk and the outer fabric stayed put. Thus the annoying fold at the top of the shoe there.

Victoria's unmentionables.

1 hour of sunshine in this dark, dreary, extremely wet day provided me with an opportunity to take some photos.  Ominous clouds quickly pinched out the glorious sun, and now we have (as we call it here in Texas) a gully-washer.  Or, as my dad would say, a "frog strangler".  :)  Don't ask.

{ corded stay }

{ drawers }

{ petticoat }

{ drawers, as they will attach to the stay when buttons and holes are complete }

{ the whole shebang - petticoat buttoned on over the drawers }

slow progress...

...but progress nonetheless.  I've almost finished the little pair of drawers, petticoat, and corded stay for Victoria.  I just have the bazillion buttons and buttonholes to put in.  Fun stuff.  If I can manage to catch her, I'll try to snap a photo of her in them.  At any rate, I'll post pictures of the undies as soon as I can get a day with sunshine.  Hopefully tomorrow.

In other news, I'm searching out a polka dot fabric to make this dress for her, but have had no luck as yet.  A few options at the local Hobby Lobby, but none in a color that would suit her -- she needs blue, purple or green.  I did find a grey polka dot, but I'm already planning a grey wool coat for her and that feels like enough for me. I still need more white cotton for a new petticoat for moi, and some new fabric for a nice, but serviceable dress.  Then I need to figure out what to line my brown straw bonnet with.  ??  Lawn?  Netting?  I'm not very good at lining straw bonnets...

At the rate of my progression, I might have to beg some friends to help me finish some of this!

In the meantime, I'm doodling with a pair of shoes for Victoria.  I had planned on making her some gaiters to match mine.  I learned how to make gaiters for myself at a workshop last year, but I'm going to re-do them with different fabric and with toe foxing that goes up higher on my foot.  (My toes are weird, so I have to really make an effort to encase them in the foxing so that the shoe doesn't look funny on my feet.)  To that end, I acquired a hide of 2-3oz glazed brown leather, and it's pretty.  It's gotten me rather excited about Victoria's new shoes.  Or boots rather.  (Boots!  Tee hee!)

So...I've made the canvas mock-up above using the sole pattern from Every Lady Her Own Shoemaker, and altered the upper considerably to create the boot.  I think I'm going to make the heel foxing a litlte taller, too.  I'm going to making these with laces, rather than a button closure, simply because it's easier for me right now, plus the little girl in the polka dot dress has laced-up shoes, and I have a bizarre obsession with reproducing clothes from photographs.

Anyone know what kind of shoelaces they had back then, or what I can use for these?  I haven't a clue.

I've fitted this mock-up on her -- they seem slightly large, but I think I'm going to take the plunge and make them up in the leather anyway.  Leather will stretch, and she'll be able to grow into them (hopefully).  It'll take me a while, but I'll use the machine for a lot of it (Cody Mobley would probably be shocked).  I sure hate to waste too much time on them considering the amount of clothes I have to finish by April 27th, but she can't wear her other shoes, so hers are sort of a priority.  After all, I can get away with wearing my boots if I have to.

If I can make my gaiters, I'm going to be making them in a brown linen/cotton stripe, heavily lined with duck for stability.  Here's a photo of the linen/cotton fabric with the glazed brown leather for the foxing:

Exciting stuff!  I'll get back to it now.

Amy xoxoxo

another dress idea

I found another dress idea for Victoria.  I want to make her two dresses, so this one would be simple and cute.  I love how it has directional pleats on the bodice instead of regular gathers.  I think I'd even want to do polka dots too, with the little dark trim.  Seems like it'd be cute...right?  :)

Now if I could just pull off making those little shoes, too...

Back to the grind!

In April, I'm doing my first semi-immersion living history event.  I've been doing the "normal" reenacting every since I got into this hobby, but this event is already proving to be a challenge (a fun one) to be as authentic as possible.  My sewing list is growing abnormally large, and I can already tell I won't be able to do it all.  But that hasn't stopped me from musing over Victoria's new clothes.  :)  She's much bigger now and will be nearly three at the time of the event.  I have all of 3 and a half months to prepare them...(and that's not including my own clothes!)

Here is some of my inspiration...

1)  Bonnet, child's, off-white cotton, small checked weave, 1856-1863, 2)  Child's wrapper, 3)  Girls blue cotton sateen gaiters, 4)  Coat, child's, pale yellow wool gabardine, yellow soutache trim, 1860-1869, 5)  Dress, girl's, orange and white cotton, small dot and line print, 1860-1869, 6)  Dress, child's, dark pink cotton calico, lace-up shoulder seams, c. 1858

Child's Paletot: Third Mockup

I mocked up the sleeve and collar.  Wahoo!  The next fun thing is mocking up the sleeve cuff and then transfer the pattern to my gridline interfacing to make an official pattern.

I wasn't going to put the collar on because I love the idea of having bands of contrasting fabric to go across the chest as a trimming, which a collar would just get in the way of.  However, since some of the original engravings I've seen have collars on paletots for young girls, I gave it a try.  You can see a selection of period engravings in my post here.

Now that the collar is on, I rather like it, especially with the pretty dip in the back.  There is a 1/2" seam allowance still on the edge of the collar, so it'll be slightly less wide when complete.

What do you think?

I still need to fix the hemline.  I followed the original pattern for the hem and it's really wonky on a real person.  I'm going to even it out some, but will probably end up making it an 1" longer than what you see here.  She's already taking after me with regards to height.

Take care all.  Sorry for the new blog theme change.  I can't decide on a new look for the blog.  Ha!

-Amy