Reproduction Orange Blossom Headpiece and Wedding Bouquet

These past few days have found me waiting for corset steel to get here so I can start on a wedding corset.  I have not, however, been idle while awaiting my package...I have been working on the waxed orange blossom items for the wedding trousseau!  It has been a nice "sit down" project to do as I have been recovering from allergies-turned horrid cold.  A lot of cutting, taping, wrapping, painting and dipping in bees wax took place.  I ended up using all but 3 of the orange blossoms that I recently wrote about, in the bouquet that was made a few days ago. I had to make more blossoms, pips, and I decided to go ahead and make some leaves.  This time around, I did the blossoms a wee bit different.  Instead of painting the insides (pistil) of the flowers a pale yellow, I left them white with a pale green tip.  I really, really love how these new ones turned out.  They are much less yellow than the original ones!  I made enough for the headpiece, flowers for the bodice of my dress, boutonniere for Greg and a corsage for my sweet Mama!  I also decided to purchase some larger round balls to wax because the inspiration headpiece had things that resembled them... 

The Headpiece!

I had been looking at many headpieces both online and studying the photographs in my collection when I came across this fabulous headpiece (click on the image to take you to Ruby Lane for all the views).  I loved the shape and the fact that flowers, buds, small and large pips and leaves were used.  I also liked the lighter color of green.  This prompted me to make some lighter green leaves. 

The veil is just my silk tulle added for that bridal look.

Oh yes...these flowers are much better!

It's interesting that the people who made the Victorian ones used paper and wire to hold the headpiece together.  They weigh much less than mine which uses florist's tape and heavier wire.

I wish there was a way to make them smell like real orange blossoms, one of my favorite fragrances.  These smell like bees wax!

If you look real close, you can see that I did cover the florist's tape with thick cotton thread.  Not only does it look a wee bit more "authentic" this way, it keeps the tape from sticking to my hair!  Hahahahahahaha!!!

More Inspiration

The following photographs are from eBay.  The 1890s brides' headpieces are very similar to mine.  I plan on making the veil have the puffs and fluffs like theirs. The bouquets are also inspiration for mine.  They are a tight nosegay surrounded with either lace or doily trim. 

The Bouquet

I wanted to make sure that the bouquet worked well for the year of my dress which will be 1897ish.  Happily I found the above images that helped me quite a bit.  I looked for doilies that could possibly work, but none of them made me happy.  I found some beautiful and doily looking antique lace in my stash and so used that.  I spent the better part of an hour making the poster board bouquet holder to put the flowers in.   Two bouquets with paper holders can be found Here and Here.  (Again, click on the image and it will lead you to Ruby Lane where more images can be seen.)  Both of these bouquets have paper doily like trim.  Another one from The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston sports a paper holder.  I used this one for inspiration for the wrapping of the flower stems

My bouquet has waxed orange blossoms, buds, pips, waxed vintage lily of the valley and silk ranunculus that I found at Gordman's.  

Paper holder and ribbon wrapped stems.

One of the photographs above shows one of the bouquets with a long looped bow, so I made one for my bouquet.

 Below is an antique bouquet found on eBay.  This one has the paper holder but with real lace and not paper.  I wonder if the lace would have been starched?

This one has the wires from the flowers merely tied with a silk bow.

Now I just need the dress, and the corset, and the corset cover and the chemise and the drawers.  I have two beautiful extant petticoats that I will be wearing to finish off the underwear.

Now to continue waiting for the steel to get here.  I purchased some vintage ivory fabric at an antique store last week for the corset.  It is very lovely and I think will make a beautiful corset!

I hope you have a most fabulous weekend my friends!

Be Blessed!

g