Oh what a list!

I have successfully completed the nightgown!

It really didn’t take me that long, per se, I just didn’t work on it straight through, taking breaks from sewing as that seems to be all I do in my free time lately. Even though that can’t possibly be true… But it will be soon. Miss Nora has reminded us that there are just over 60 days left until the Regency Retreat, and the following list I have for what I need clothing wise seems a bit daunting.

4 shifts - need 3

2 corsets - need 1
4-6 pair stockings - need 3-5
Apron
3 white petticoats - need 1
1 black under dress - need to finish trim
1 ball dress - need to redo sleeves
2 evening dresses; grey silk and purple sheer
4 day dresses - finish pink, need 3 more
Gloves, blue and white
Slippers
Boots - need to make new ones for Nora and I
Dress shoes - would be nice to have another pair
Reddingcoat
Parasol
2 mob caps - need 2
4 bonnets - need 2?
1 fishu - need 1
2 nightgowns - need 1 maybe
1 dressing robe - need 1
Shawls

Last week Nora and I dyed some muslin for day dresses for me. I like the green we came out with, but the red is just not Turkey red yet. And a Regency girl must have her Turkey red! She has been experimenting with more color combos and I think we’re going to try again soon.  I think my next steps on accomplishing this list will be as follows:

1. to finish altering the pink day dress I wore on the ship in Albany; I’m changing it into a wrap around
2. to finish the trim on the black dress (yes I know, this should have been done directly after the haunted summer eve, but what can ya do?)
3. take Nora’s advice and get my short corset made up, since we will be sitting around a great deal at the retreat and really a short corset will be most comfortable.
4. Alter my ball gown to change out the white poly for some white silk, fix the weird puckering issue (that probably only I can see) on the bodice, and replace the pearls on the outer sleeve.  This dress was done a while ago, not sure if I have pix up of it, so when I start that redo I will post before and afters. I’ll probably do that for all of the redos.
5. Make my green day dress, not sure what pattern to use yet…
6. I’m assuming by this point we’ll have successfully turned out a Turkey red, so I can make my red day dress in the style of an extant gown I’ll post pix of at that time.
7. All the underthings, maybe I can just whip em all out in a couple days since they’re not too complicated…
8. The shoes!! Oh and I must must must make a viable pattern for the shoes and boots as I will be teaching a workshop on making them at the retreat.
9. Dressing robe. I’ll probably need to make this pattern up at some point. I see viewing a bunch of regency era movies for ideas in my future.
10. Mobcaps and fischu
11. And lastly, if I have time and the inclination, another nightgown and more bonnets. I will however be making some of Stephanie’s new bonnet patterns at the retreat, so maybe it will be ok if I don’t have time for this now.

Hmmm, feels slightly better to get that planed out. But the 60 days seems very short at this point too.

Onward and sew!!
-Charlotte

Toten along

Although I have been silent, I’ve not been static. I finished a tote bag for my mom to put all her jewelry making supplies in so that she can work anywhere. Before I put it all together I showed her the fabric choices and she calmly said… “only an artist could put those together”
…which worried me for a beat; thoughts of ‘am I crazy with this combo” and ‘maybe she won’t like it’ went through my brain. But I quickly hushed them up and proceeded. I knew she’d like it once it was together. My darling husband covered the buttons for me, and a week later still has the bruises to show it. There has to be a better method then what we were using.

I just love the buttons

Snaps all around the outside, and a few on the inside. 15 pockets in all!

Here's a veiw of all 3 fabrics together. I can see the trepidation of combining them

She was quite thrilled with the end product

Love Love Love the buttons!

I’ve also started on a Regency nightgown for the retreat this December. I forced myself to watch Sense and Sensibility again, the 2008 BBC version, for inspiration. Really, my arm was being twisted to do this research. :) At one point, Hattie Morahan (as Elinore) and Charity Wakefield (as Marianne) were chatting before bed, allowing a good view of their nightgowns. I sketched them up and choose the top two images for mine. I have a list started somewhere with the massive amount of things I still need. I’ll probably finish that up and post it here so I have some accountability :)

A good start

Blue on Blue

I am enamored of a new blog I’ve found, welovefrenchknots and have utilized an embroidery stitch that the lovely Bari has shown me (the bouillon stitch) in my new skirt! I started out very methodical about this and drew two of my flowers out first. As you can see, I used two of the sketches previously shown, and added a third. I have never used any sort of transfer method before, and decided that I should for this project. I used some sort of carbon like transfer paper and had to experiment before I figured out how to best use it (fabric, then carbon, then original drawing which I just traced back over) 

 Here comes the not so methodical part… I drew my first one on, and then proceeded to embroider it. Drew the second one on, embroidered it, and then decided I wanted a third one on there, below the first two. So I sketched out another one I liked put it on and started. And part way through I realized how close I was to the hem; so close in fact, that there was no way I could hem it properly and still make it look good.  Oops. 

 Plan B formulated and I decided to match the embroidery with binding. Of course I had to make my own binding, as that exact color did not exist pre-made. Oh well, no worries, and I actually love the addition.

I did have to temper myself and keep the embroidery to one panel so as not to make it look over done, otherwise this could be the project that never ends with every inch covered in bluework. Can you blame me though? The blue on blue is divine.
Overall, I like the skirt. I’m not thrilled with the waistband (elastic) but I suppose I knew that going into it.

And the front panel lies weirdly, which I’m guessing has something to do with the elastic as well. I suppose I could try to remove the elastic, pleat the top and insert a zipper, but I don’t want to ruin it. And I’m pretty sure pleats are not flattering on me.
I didn’t realize this was so out of focus when I took it, but here it is on.

Thanks for the inspiration Bari!!