Sunday, June 3, 2012
So here's the thing...
I've been flipping back and forth about it, but today I decided that our history as humans is what it is--good an bad. That said, I found another very interesting image in that great book I have been looking at lately "El traje y Los tipos socials en El Quijote" by Carmen Bernis.
Bearing in mind that my contemporary Spanish is nearly non-existent and my archaic Spanish even worse, I gather that it is part of a series of mural paintings dating from the early 1600's from a monastery (possibly in Guadalupe), and that this particular scene portrays an incident in 1593 involving the exorcism of a courtesan.
Her clothing is interesting from a historic costumer's perspective but the whole image is so fraught with emotion and layers of meaning that I find it hard to look at.
And that would be my kind of warning regarding Adult Content Ahead
Detail
Curation milagrosa de una endemoniada, comienzos del siglo XVII
Pinturas murals del claustro del monasterio de Guadalupe
Anything I could say about her bodice/corset would only be speculative, but I note that the bottom of my hemp corded bodice behaves in just the same manner as her's is doing, and that the decorative detailing in the bands at the top and center front would be quite supportive if they were actually trapunto.
And trapunto could handle those corners...hmmmm.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
You'll never guess what I've been doing today...
(drumroll........)
Sewing my IRCC project!
Yep, back at work at last. :)
Today I've just been turning and finishing the edges of one of the hanging sleeves for my loose robe but it looks like I'll be ready to start putting on the gold trim soon. Maybe tonight!
Monday, May 28, 2012
The bug skirt continues
Oh how I love that man!
I did my typical thing of waiting until after dark before deciding to take a picture. And my second usual thing of taking said picture in the totally inadequate lighting of our living room, and yet...
Well see for yourselves.
And isn't the hem on my soon to be finished bug skirt cute?
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Steam punk musing continue...
I've been on the look-out for some visual sources for ideas for day dresses and I happened on the posting of this charmer
I think it has my name all over it, and I already own the perfect striped linen too.
Thank you, Wilhelmina!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
I Did Promise...
I've been unable to find it's location (the image is from wikimedia) but the painting is credited as
Guilia Gonzaga in mourning
Cristofano dell Altissimo, 1535
In it's present state I'd hesitate to call the partlet and veil black--they are really more 'dark'--but the transparency of her zebbillini calls into question the changes to the original color that may have occurred due to the deterioration of the paint over time. I hope I get the opportunity to see it in person someday so I can make a better judgement. For now I can quite comfortably assert that it is not white! :)
So that makes two images with a Florentine connection of some sort. (I haven't looked into the connection so I'm not asserting anything, but...) Interesting.
IRCC II - Bodice drafting quandary
Has anyone tried making their shoulder straps with the fabric cut so they head diagonally *in* toward the center of the body (which I see in period tailor's guides) rather than out (which is consistent with modern practice and thus could be an example of 'seeing what we expect to see.'
It occurs to me that a strap cut as a bias strip would be pretty comfortable...but would it be able to stand the stress at the intersection with the bodice? Would it lay funny on the body? Would that strip solve the problems I have of bodice straps which seem to fit while in the sewing process stubbornly falling completely off my shoulder during wearing?
If some period bodices were cut that way, was it only to conserve fabric or is there an underlying logic that we are failing to realize?
Or have I simply missed out on the great resource which discusses strap design in detail?
Your input is invited. Should I try it?
IRCC II - Tasty Nibble #10
IRCC II - Heeelllllllooooooooo out there!
I wonder if it is the heat. Or we have been struck with a collective case of competitiveness that is keeping us from interacting. Or if we are all just too busy, or antisocial, or something...
Perhaps it's just my imagination.
Anyway, although I still have yet to finish a single item on my list--and thus have moments where I seethe with jealousy toward you more prolific types--I'd just like to say that I am following along with interest as we all work on our projects and ...
YOU ROCK!
Nice work. Now to get back to my own. :)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
IRCC II - Tasty Nibble #7
I'm using the selvedge along the front opening, whip stitching it on, and then running several rows of stitching to catch the lining to the face fabric so the (very slippery) fur will stay in place. I also stitched the lining to the fabric along the gold trim on the hem. And then I turned the fur and stitched it to the lower edge too.
Friday, May 4, 2012
IRCC II - Veil Patterns, Working on a translation
Instead I've been working on a translation of the text which accompanies the veil images I posted on my "IRCC II - Stitch by Stitch" page. According to google translate the closest I could come to the texts on my ipad translate like this (and I've added my guesses too):
[287]
Patrones para "mantellina o rebociño de damasco" calcados del libro de Fracisco de la Rocha de Burgen, Geometria y traca perteneciente al oficio de sastre, Valencia, 1618.
El sastre advierte: "la parte yzquierda ha de yr flores arrba por ocasion que se suele echar por debaxo el braco derecho la una delantera y asi es bien que vaya la parte izquierda flores arriba"..
Patterns for "damask rebociño mantellina or" traced the book Fracisco de la Rocha of Burgen, Geometry and fireworks belonging to a tailor, Valencia, 1618..
The tailor warns, "the flowers r yzquierda must arrba per occasion that is often cast by braco vnder the front and right one is so good to be the top left flowers."
I'm thinking that this has something to do with how the curve of the outer edge would fall in rippling folds on either side if the top center was placed on the head...
[288]
Patrones para un "manto de seda para muger". Pagina del libro de Francisco de la Rocha Burguen, Geometria y traca perteneciente al oficio de sastre, Valencia, 1618.
Patterns for a "woman silk robe." Page of the book of Francisco de la Rocha Burguen, Geometry and fireworks belonging to a tailor, Valencia, 1618.
[289 & 290]
Interpretacion de los patrones del manto de seda para mujer de la FIG. 288, siguiendo las instructiones que de el sastre, que tienen algunos puntos oscuros. La pieza de tela extendida, que mide unos once metros de largo, se dobla primero en uno de sus extremos a lo ancho para sacar el patron de la FIG. 289, que resulta duplicado. Despues, doblando varias veces la tela restante a lo largo, se van cortando las piezas que componen el patron de la FIG. 290, igualmente duplicado. Estos patrones resultan, pues, de tela doble, lo cual se explica dado lo extraordinariamente finas y delgadas que eran las sedas empleadas en estos mantos.
Interpretation of the patterns of women's silk mantle of FIG. 288, following the INSTRUCTIONS that of the tailor, who have some dark spots. The piece of cloth extended, which is about eleven meters long, is bent first in one of its ends in width to make the pattern of FIG. 289, which is doubled. Then, bending the fabric several times remaining lengthwise cutting are component parts of the pattern of FIG. 290, also doubled. These patterns are, therefore, double fabric, which can be explained given the extremely fine and thin silks were used in these garments.
[291]
Las imagenes de algunos mantos femeninos muy particulares de los que se puede dar por seguro se correspondian con los incluidos por el sastre Rocha Burgen en su libro, nos permiten imaginar como si se disponian los patrones de las FIGS. 289 y 290. El resultado era como si se Ilevasen superpuestos dos mantos de distinta forma, que no sabemos como quedaban unidos; los extremos del que iba encima se unian delante, donde se recogian con una mano (ver FIGS. 292 y 293).
The images of some very particular female garments that can say for certain is corresponded with those chosen by the tailor Rocha Burgen in his book, allow us to imagine as if were preparing patterns of FIGS. 289 and 290. The result was as if two overlapping sheets Ilevasen differently, we do not know and were joined, the ends of which was joined up front, where they gathered with one hand (see FIGS. 292 and 293).
I think it's saying that the big oval veil and the veil shaped like a slice of bread were worn sewn together, the smaller layered on top of the larger whose outer tips were held in one hand. Looking at illustration 292 I can see it as a plausible explanation of that particular veil, but I haven't noticed layered veils in Venice...I'll have to go look!
I'd say there's still a way to go on the translation, but it's a start!
I'm currently leaning towards basing a veil on fig. 287 but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what fabric I come up with since the quantity of veil fabric will have a lot to say about what shape I can make.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
IRCC II - Tasty Nibble #6
Do you see what I see? In the lower left section, near the bottom of the lady's skirts...period bustling!
It makes a lot of sense to me that the image comes from a dance manual. What a lovely and sensible way to manage a train.
I hope to have enough fabric for a train on this years gown and if I do I will definitely put in some eyelets for a bustling tie!
(Clicking on the photo will show you the full illustration.)
Steampunk Bustle, Revised
But we need new pictures, of course
And some more inspirational lmages too!
Aha! This dress lives at the Los Angeles County Art Museum.
Young Woman's Dress, 1878
http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=125173;type=101
Monday, April 30, 2012
Steampunk dinner dress!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Oooh! On-line instructions for drafting your own drawers.
Please note:
If the link above isn't working (it's on and off again for me) just go to the "The Compendium" tab at the top of the sewingacademy's home page, scoll down the page to the Free Patterns for women section, and there the drawers pattern will be.
Blackwork, oh my!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
I think the universe it trying to tell me something
Monday, April 23, 2012
We're going to Teslacon!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
IRCC II - The Question of the Moment
As you can see, I've started working on the trim. I'm tilting the inner loops in groups of four and I think the new interaction and rhythmic spacing does just what I wanted in terms of unifying the two small band of trim into a single unit. And it also looks much less modern to my eyes
Both good things!
The question of the moment is, 'Should I go further?'
I could do so many things...tilting the outside loops also, stitching an additional pattern where the four loops meet, pearling or jeweling the trim at the intersections, or in the spaces I've created...
I've yet to commence the work on the frogs and buttons with which to close this puppy so I don't want to go crazy but as we know I'm a 'More is more!' kind of girl...
What do you think?
Friday, April 20, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
What the world needs now...is more of THIS DRESS!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
IRCC II - Aaaack!
Woke up this morning "But it's IRCC II Start Day! You can't lay about in bed on IRCC II Start Day!"
Was firmly rebuffed by my Clarence who want's another 15 minutes...
Rushed out to the living room, materials in hand, ready to start on layer #3.
Flipped open my computer to see what people are up to.
And found the counter...still...ticking...away...
2 1/2hours! What do you mean there are still 2 1/2 hours to go until IRCC II Start Day!
(Sigh)
It's worse than waiting for Santa!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Oh my. I want these.
Hmm what do you suppose is the relationship between "strumpet" and "strompf" (with double dots over the o) which appears to be German for stockings or hose? Interesting....
IRCC II - So confused ....
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
IRCC II - The Prep Work Continues
Sunday, April 8, 2012
IRCC II - So Excited!
In terms of my own plans, I've been busily reading about padded bodices, and hems, and pondering the need for chopines--and the extra height they bring-- to balance out the deep point of 1590's gowns. (although I really suspect it was the other way round. Longer skirts lead to an increase in the depth of the waist to trick the eye into normalizing the proportions of the figure.)
I think my available fabric will prevent my going for chopines and a train on this gown so I expect to be concentrating on the details of fitting the gown and making fabulous accessories.
Possibly fabulously naughty accessories!
I've yet to explore the Courtesan aspect of my persona in any depth. A shame, really, as there are endless opportunities to spice up my garb in a way that would resonate with Venice in the late 1500's. So, I'm thinking about:
Embroidered drawers - I'll probably leave the entire crotch seam open. For(ahem) convenience. And embroider some truly raunchy period poetry along the opening. I'm thinking one of Arentino's banned works.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
IRCC 2 Planning. OK, I Admit It. I'm Weak.
I am going to make the best outfit I can based on this cloth:
In a way having such a scarcity of cloth feels authentic to me. I'm going to have to wait until it gets here to figure out how to make the best use of the fabric--I certainly don't have any to waste! And this may just be the outfit which makes me let go of my modern insistence on matching the pattern...I guess we'll see!
I have to admit that even the simplest of dresses would be amazing in this fabric.
(And it's mine! All MINE! Bwwahahahahaha!)
Friday, April 6, 2012
Things I'm wondering about
Presto! No more comment.
What, I wonder, is the purpose of having both a delete option and a modify comment option if the modify comment option simply deletes it also?
I'm thinking it's all about entrapment.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
IRCC II - O.K. I'm in!
I've realized that I don't really enjoy the competition aspect of such events and that what I'd really like to join in on is a group of people working on longer-term personal challenges to make one incredibly hand-work-intensive article. Like maybe a 4 month challenge to produce our dream camicias, or something...
Still, I find that the IRCC is a great catalyst for me to try new things, meet new people, and get some sewing done. I really like it all up until the judging!
So, pondering aside, I'm in. Now I just have to decide what I'm going to work on. I already have the fabric for several gowns in my stash but I'm torn between making up one (or possibly more) of those long delayed Venetian-style dress projects or taking on a portrait gown. I've never tried to make the best copy I could of a specific dress and it sounds...kinda fun!
Of course, the fact that the dresses I most want to copy are all crazy elaborate (for one reason or another) is rather a drawback
Hmm......
Right now I'm leaning towards concentrating on trying out new techniques. I'm happy with the support offered by a bodice with a hemp corded supportive lining but I've been wondering what the results would be of combining that technique with the support and smoothness offered by the technique of padding the bodice with layers of wool felt. Would it be more supportive? Perhaps it would eliminate the tendency of my outer fabric to develop small wrinkles?
I'm also interested in trying out the documented techniques of a period style padded, clipped and tucked hem, and maybe even padded pleats at the waist. I took on the challenge of sewing an outfit entirely by hand years ago but I'm not particularly wedded to it at this point....hmm...what to do....?
Sunday, April 1, 2012
New Skirt Stage One
I haven't figured out the pattern repeat yet, but I hope to have a small band of bugs left to use as applique for a coordinating top. No plans yet for the two leafy stripes I took from the body of the fabric....maybe I could make a purse or cover some shoes...but I plan to use the wider border for the hem facing of the skirt.
I love the new fabric! To me it is just as loud, but somehow darkly mysterious and definitely not as clownish. My Clarence said it is weird like me. How good is that!?!
It's going to look great on a summer night.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
And the skirt is finally finished! (Well, OK. I still need to add hooks and eyes...but almost finished!)
I also stiched on a small piece of fabric to reinforce the skirt at the bottom of the zipper.
Once I could use the zipper I tried the skirt on again and adjusted the angles of my pleats/darts as necessary. Remember that I said that my waist-to-floor length varies widely? You can see that take effect in the stitching lines below.
I removed the original basting and tried on the skirt again, it fit well so I stiched all the dart/pleats in place, ironed them open into box pleats and 'stitched-in-the-ditch' to keep the pleats in place.
I used the same pink and white houndstooth ribbon to reinforce/face the waistband and voila!
I feel so Spring-y!
Just because I like you, here is the fabric for my next skirt project. Loud, isn't it? :)
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Skirt Progress
In my last post I talked about pattern matching and sewing together a tube of fabric and hemming the skirt. Please note that for any skirt which is basically constructed from a straight tube of fabric I always sew the hem as one of the first steps. I have a lot of formal (pattern drafting class related) reasons for this, but it basically works out to this:
The Earth Is Flat.
At least it is for the purposes of dressmaking. Your ground line should always be level, and no matter if your skirt is floor length or just long enough to shock your neighbors, the distance of a straight and even hemline will always be a level line a set distance from this flat earth.
Clothes Will Hang Better If The Grain Line Of The Fabric Is Consistent.
Since I am making a straight skirt the easiest way to do this is to use either the warp or the weft of the fabric for my level line. Because of the way fabric is woven such threads should be square. I generally cut out my skirt to the appropriate length by pulling a thread and cutting along it. If a particular cut of fabric is out of true I simply pull it back into shape before I stitch the pieces together.
It's Easier To Hem While The Skirt Is Still Flat.
Seems pretty simple, but this is especially true if I am doing fancy things like embroidery or applying velvet bands to the hem of a skirt.
People Are Not Flat.
And this is the tricky bit. When I measure myself for a skirt I have vastly different measurements in my waist-to-floor distance at various points. This is absolutely normal and simply the result of being organic, bi-pedal, and curvy. Since I know the earth hasn't moved, and my grain line is straight, I know that I need to take my natural form into account and make adjustments to my fabric as necessary to get a good fit as I work up to my waistline.
To be more specific, when cutting a skirt I measure my waist to floor all around, take the longest measurement, add an additional 5/8 or more at the waist for seam allowance, add up to another 10" (depending on the weight of my fabric and the desired effect) for hem allowance, and subtract inches for the distance from the floor to where I want my hem to fall, ie, 48" + 5/8" + 5 5/8" -4" for an ankle length skirt with a 5" (after sewing) hem.
So all that part was already done before my last post. This week is all about my easy no-bake method of making a fitted pleated skirt with no pattern and a minimum of measuring.
Step 1:
Take your hemmed skirt tube and step into it (put it on) holding the waist up to an appropriate place and pin the fabric so your tube fits comfortably at the widest part of your hips. One pin should be enough. You're just trying to establish how much of the fabric will need to be controlled with pleats to get the desired fit.
Step 2:
Measure the excess fabric and determine your number of pleats and depth of pleat. I usually think about where I want the pleats to fall and look for a number which will divide into something easily pin able. The less fancy math the better! In this case I needed 8 pleats of 3 1/2" each (which removed 7" of fabric at each pleat.) I started at the center back, folded my fabric, and pinned in an even pleat from the waist to my hip line (based on the longest of my waist to hip measurements plus my seam allowance) then measured out 1/8 of the hip measurement of the skirt as I pinned it, measured the 7" for the next pleat, folded the fabric and pinned it in place and continued around the rest of the skirt, I basted these pleats in a straight line from waist to hip and then put the skirt on again--inside out this time--to pin baste the waist and darts to fit.
Step 3:
I happen to be making a high waisted skirt so once I had it pinned I measured the distance of all the new pins (seam line) from the original basting and averaged them out (to 1 1/2" in this case) I pinned and basted a straight line from the top of my fabric to the approximate waistline (3 1/2" down) and then a shallow diagonal out to the bottom of the original basting.
Below is a picture of my two lines of basting
And here are pictures of how it currently fits!
My next step is to put a zipper in the center-back seam so I can get in and out of the skirt more easily and then I will perfect the fit at each individual dart/pleat, make sure the skirt is hanging evenly, and finish the waist. I think I'll use ribbon on the inner waistband also...
Thursday, March 8, 2012
All hemmed!
First step: pattern matching
For those of you who may be wondering how to do this, I folded back about 3/4" of fabric at the side seam, ironed it and then made a tube of my skirt fabric (I cut the fabric for this skirt with the selvedge forming the seam allowance at the waist so it is just one long piece) and laid the ironed edge on top of the other side. I made sure the two pieces lined up at the hem and waist and then moved the prepared (ironed) seam line around until the pattern matched. I then pinned it into place on the front of the fabric, pinned it again on the wrong side for sewing purposes, removed the original set of pins and stiched it together in the fold-line I had ironed in. After the seam was stiched I cut off the excess fabric which was lost to pattern matching (a skirt length piece about 9" wide, in this case).
The technique is pretty easy but I had to measure and try matching the pattern in different areas and ponder quite a bit before I cut the fabric because the pattern repeats didn't match at the edges of the fabric.
Step two: the hem
I'm a big fan of doing something interesting with the inside of the hem on skirts. I find it's kind of like wearing fancy underwear, I feel special and a little naughty, which puts a spring in my step, and since the inside of hemlines show surprisingly often I get to share a little bit of intrigue with the rest of the world. Anyway, my hem is faced with a wide pink houndstooth patterned ribbon--in a matching pink--which seems like it will have the additional benefit of rustling when I walk
Nice
When I showed off my new hem to my Clarence I flashed him a peek at the interior and he got a big smile and said "Well, aren't you the wild one?" So I guess it works!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Taking a break...
This weekend I've been working on two projects for my other life instead:
A needlepoint pillow for my Clarence's new office and a skirt for me.
The skirt is of Linen in a lovely wild pattern in white, black, dark grey, brown and pink. I've cut out the skirt and purchased some wide ribbon in a wonderful white and pink houndstooth for the hem facing. It's a real shame that the ribbon won't show more often but I think the surprise of the houndstooth will be amazing in the occasional flashes that will be seen as I move.
Lovely.
As to the pillow, it is only the second piece of needlepoint which I have ever undertaken but it's coming along well and super fast in comparison to the kit I made up for a stool cushion a decade or so ago. I'm making a giant ";" in black on a white background, perfect for Mr. C because, as he says, there is always more to say!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A veil with macramé edging in 29 days?! Hee hee hee.....
Monday, February 20, 2012
Speaking of moving...
There and back again
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tasty Nibble #20
Here it is with my test sample, for perspective.
I'm working the pattern using 3 strands of the warp of my veil fabric for every one thread of the test sample and you can see how teeny tiny this is going to be. Hopefully I will get better at it...
Thursday, February 2, 2012
About that challenge...
I'm pulling thread to prep the fringe for knotting. Over and over again.
I won't bore you with pictures.
The only bit of interesting news is that the actual thread of my linen cloth seems to be about 1/4 of the thickness of my test piece. If I stick with single threads this lace is going to be teeny tiny itty bitty wee!
Speaking of Stunning Hairnets
NICE....
(Detail) Portrait of Anna d’Alençon
Gian Giacomo de Alladio, also known as Macrino d'Alba, 1520
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Things to make one ponder
I was reading her post about the Poste she made for the Artemesian Costuming Challenge and I noticed that the bodice of the gown in one of her references
Portrait of a Woman by Paolo Zacchia the Elder
looks a whole lot like like the bodices I 'bone' with hemp cord.
So far as I know, no one has found any definitive evidence that bodices were corded to provide support in period but this picture has me going hmm...
You know, what I need is a research minion!