A New Corset for Mama and Sporting Equipment!

Hello all!  I hope you have been having a wonderful spring season!  My spring has been busy.  Between preparing for my Cody's graduation (the parents have to do the graduation ceremony as he is homeschooled, attends a class with some of him homeschool friends and then attended Freshman classes at the College of Western Idaho!!!  So proud of him!), making underwear for the Dressing The Victorian Bride underwear program, finishing up with school for Colton (the nice weather has made it very hard for schooling and we end up taking field trips for his photographing interests.  Check out his photography blog, C Dub Photography), family issues, and many many other things, my time is not my own and I feel the days are not even close to being long enough!  I have also had quite a few fashion/underwear show bookings with my new business The House of Whyte that have also kept me on my toes and there are more to come, so that's exciting!  I cannot wait until June and the (hopefully) calming down of life!    

I will be pausing for a tad bit in the making of the wedding trousseau to make a NFE maternity dress for an event in June and these past few days I made a new corset for Mom.  She was in dire need of a new one as the old one was breaking down and the top didn't fit well at all.  So, we ordered some lovely baby blue dupioni silk (the slubs were sadly very slubby, but mom loved the fabric and that's all that counts!!) and I got to work!  It was an easy one to make as I had used the pattern on her previous one.  The bust area just needed adjusting.  The color of the silk perfectly matches the ribbons she has on the lovely chemise, drawers and corset cover she made!  So proud of her!  This Thursday will be the first wearing of it as she is joining me in my Pantaloons to Parasol Underwear Program and this time, she will be a model!  How exciting!!

Pretty blue corset for Mama!

I wanted to share with you the beautiful dress I found to make for Mom.  This will be the "Mother of the Bride" dress that she'll wear as she assists with the "Dressing the Victorian Bride" program.  She loves blue and I just fell in love with the dress and the print of the fabric. The print is so much more engaging than a plain, solid blue fabric.  Hopefully we will be able to find a suitable match!

Sporting Equipment!

One of my yearly goals for this year is to make a ton of Victorian-Vintage sports themed outfits.  I have a very long list of them:

Ice Skating

Fencing (made)

Archery

Baseball

Lawn Tennis

Bathing

Riding Habit

Croquet

Hunting

Golf

Cycling

Gymnastics

I think that's all.  I already have the basketball uniform from the 1920s.  Anyway, I have been slowly collecting the equipment that goes with each outfit and happily, I have found them all in town!  eBay and Etsy are wonderful places to look for items, but the shipping is horrendous and I love being able to hold my findings in my hand before purchasing. There is also the thrill of the hunt and the trill of finding these items that I so adore!  So, many times I am shocked to my socks when my stores have within their walls what I am looking for!

1 Pound wooden dumbbells.  Colton was actually the one who spied these and I was shocked that they were at a very reasonable price!  I'm wanting to make a gym dress from the 1850s to go with them!

I wasn't going to make a baseball uniform, but when this glove turned up for a steal (get it? Steal?  You steal bases in baseball?  hahahahaha!!!!) I knew that I needed to make a 1930s uniform.  There were professional lady's teams in the '30s so huzzah!

The metal button for tightening the glove is something I had never seen before!

I wanted a "real" pair of ice skates to go with the skating outfit, not just the blades that attach to walking shoes and so was pleased as punch when I spied these in a booth at The Antique Village.  The heels of the boots are stacked and as you can see from the images, they are actual skating skates!  Can I get a HUZZAH!!!!!

I have done quite a bit of research and cannot find out any information on these skates.  But I still think they are fabulous!  PLUS, they fit me!  Crazy for sure!

Fencing mask and foil...the mask I have had for quite a while.  I found it at the Farm Chick's Antique Show in Spokane, WA a few years ago when Mom and I attended.  It is fabulous and I just had to have it.  The foil I found at The Antique World Mall.  I have some new black gauntlet gloves that I will be wearing with the outfit.

Inside of mask.  It is interesting to wear.

Well, there you have it.  A wee bit of what  I have been up to and the sports equipment collection.  Can't wait to start on the uniforms again...after the maternity dress and the wedding trousseau!!

Have a marvelous day and weekend my friends!

Blessings!

g