Dressing The Victorian Bride

Well, the big event that I have been planning for and sewing for is over.  Yesterday, The House of Whyte did a fund raiser for The Bishops House in Boise, entitled, "Dressing the Victorian Bride" and it was incredible!  I have done many, many underwear shows in a variety places, but I must say that doing it here was the best experience ever!!!  TBH was build in 1889 and Elizabeth Yates, executive director, has kept it looking very much like I would imagine it did back then.  All the charm and beauty and awesomeness of the Victorian Era can be seen and felt in every room.  I must be honest with you, I covet this house.  We wants it precious!!!  It was the PERFECT place to do a Victorian Underwear Program and I am so happy that Mom and I were able to give them a helping hand!!

After the program was over and everyone had taken their leave, Mom and I did a short photo shoot in the yard.  I am not a lover of heat by any means, so this day had been hard on me so the shoot was a super short one and for some reason Mom's camera did not live up to it's lauded praises...but that's ok, I have the memories of how the dress and hair piece looked on me and that will keep me smiling for months to come!

As said in the previous post, this project has been the most expensive, time consuming, all encompassing, involved project I have subjected myself to.  In all, I made 17 items, and I am totally counting the bodice, skirt and belt for this separate as they were uber involved (the skirt had many layers and took about 3 days to complete!)

Orange Blossom Flowers and Veil

(Links Here and Here)

1. Headpiece

2. Corsage

3. belt cluster

4. bouquet

5. Veil

Underwear

(Links Here and Here)

6. Stockings Belt and Supporter

7.  French Drawers

8.  Petticoat Chemise

9.  Corset

10.  Small Bustle Pad

11.  Lacy Petticoat

12.  Corset Cover

Wedding Gown

(Links Here, Here and Here)

13.  Bodice

14.  Skirt

15.  Belt

Mama's "Mother of the Bride" Dress

(Links Here and Here)

16  Bodice

17.  Hat

I know that many costumers keep track of their time on a project and the cost of all the things used on their project and I probably should do the same.  I just can't bring myself do to it.  It may be that it would take the joy out of what I do...or it may just cause me to cry. Whatever the case, I have no idea how much I spent it time or money, I just know that I am thrilled that it is over!!

Because I have already posted pictures of both Mom's and my dresses in color, I chose to edit most of our photo shoot in sepia tone to give it that Victorian Wedding look...I hope you enjoy them!  Mom refused to let me take any pictures of her stating that I already had some of her in her dress...Next time I shall twist her arm a wee bit harder!

The Artifacts from our Traveling Wedding Museum

Mom and I have been collecting antiques for as long as I can remember and one of the pleasures we have is sharing our findings and family heirlooms with others.  We had the opportunity to do just that yesterday.  It was truly a delight!

I can honestly say that I am happy to be done with this project. When it is so all encompassing for such a long time (I have been working on this since April) it can get taxing on the creative juices and when that is all I have been blogging about and thinking about, I could have gotten really tired of it.  I think, personally that the time is just right that I don't hate the whole thing entirely.  I still love the dress in all its fluffiness and all the things that go along with it.  Now it's time to tackle something else.  The 1860s croquet dress that's been on my "to make" list for a long time?  The hunting dress that I just re-discovered?  Who knows!  All I know is that for today, I shall not think about sewing...

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Yaaaaaaa riiiiiiiight!!

Be Blessed my friends!

g

1898 Wedding Ensemble COMPLETE!!!

Well, she's done.  And I am so happy!!!  It is so fluffy and ruffly and girly!!  In the words of Agnes of "Despicable Me"...."It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!!!!"

I can honestly say, this is the most involved, expensive, complicated, time-consuming, satisfying project I have ever subjected myself to and I am so happy, truly thrilled it's complete!  All that is left is to iron all the underwear, pack up the wedding artifacts, write a few things out, visit with my fabulous Mother-in-law, Pam (who is almost here) and take it easy!!!

If you didn't see my earlier post, pop on over and take a look see, you will witness me having an utter cow over my silk getting here.  Before today, the ruffly fluffiness was very incomplete...like only 25% was done, so it was with sheer, giddy delight (and some screaming for the whole neighborhood to hear) that the package was happily lying in my mail box this afternoon!

So, without further ado...I am pleased to introduce my 1898 Wedding ensemble to you!!

Inspiration photos courtesy of Antique Gown.  Thank you!!

 


Fabrics Used:

Bodice:

Silk Dupioni
Silk Chiffon
Cotton

Skirt:

Silk Dupioni
Bridal Weight Taffeta
Tulle
Antique Lace
Single Layer Buckram

Patterns Used:

Bodice:

Torso part of Bodice:  Butterick 5970
Sleeves:  Wisconsin Historical Society 1899 Wedding Gown
Belt:  Self draped

Skirt:  

Wisconsin Historical Society 1899 Wedding Gown

Oh Agnes...you are my hero!

 You all are so rockin' fabulous!!  Truly you are!!

Have a fabulous and blessed weekend!

g

Mom's 1898 "Mother of the Bride" Dress is Complete!! Huzzah!!!

Hello all you lovely people out in blogger's land!  I hope you are having a marvelous Tuesday!  I am having a fabulous Tuesday!  Mom came over today for her final fitting and a photo shoot.  My kingdom for a decent camera though!!!!  I was in the process of getting her all ready to be photographed and she says, "Did you want me to bring my camera?"

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Le Sigh...My camera has a horrible habit of taking uber over exposed pics and there is nothing I can do about it but borrow Mom's camera.  Oh well!  You will get the gist of the dress in the pictures we did take.

I think she looks beyond marvelous in the over the top, fluffy, blue cotton candy confection!  I was giggling like a little school girl all the while I was dressing her!  I love the dreaminess of this outfit and it suits my Mama to a "T"!!!  The hat is also perfect atop her sweet head and goes great with her wig!  I do think she was a wee bit tired because she really behaved during the photo shoot.  It usually takes 2 times as long as it normally would because she acts like a 2 year old (making faces, being silly in general...hhahahahahahaha!!!)  So, when we did this shoot in record time, I was amazed!

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!  I adore my Mama!  She is the epitome of grace, love, understanding, compassion, justice, silliness, fun, the best road trip companion after my Greg, in short, she is the best of all the good things and I am so happy she takes delight in dressing up with me!!

Without further ado...Here's my Mama!!

Affecting the inspiration fashion plate pose!

Fabulous Fashion Plate!!

Fun picmonkey collage!!!

Look!  She went ahead and put all five rows of lace ruffles on and they don't reach her arm pit!  AWESOME!

My Mom....I just love her!

Love how the lace goes up the back!  She did a fabulous job on the skirt!

We had to flip the skirt over because she needed the rest of the lace ruffle (about 22") to finish off the rest of the upper row!  Bwahahahaha!!!

Taking tea like a lady!

Miss Rosie Dog had to get in on the action!

Reading a wedding announcement from 1895.

These roses from my garden smell so awesome!  Wish I could bottle the fragrance!

Well, all that is left for this project is to await my silk chiffon to get here.  It's in the sorting center in LA, which means it will take 5 months to get to me.  But that's ok...I'll just make do and hem the chiffon that I have here.  I have to put lace around the perimeter of my veil and I shall be DONE!!!!!

Fabrics Used:

Bodice:  

Blue Floral Quilting Cotton

Poly Lace

Ivory Wedding Satin

White Wedding Satin

Cotton Lace

Skirt:

Blue Floral Quilting Cotton

Cotton Lace

Cotton Lining

Patterns Used:

Bodice:

Torso of Bodice:  Butterick 5970

Sleeves:  Butterick 3417 (Out of Print)

Skirt:

Butterick 3418 (Out of Print)

Have a blessed rest of your week my friends!

g

Mama's 1898 Hat and the Beginnings of Her Bodice!

Good Friday to you all!  I hope you all are having a great start to your weekend, and I hope all of my costuming friends who are currently at Costume College are having a blast!!  I soooooooo cannot wait to see all the pictures of all of your wonderful outfits!

As I am in a holding pattern with my dress, I have started on my portion of Mama's "Mother of the Bride" dress.  She is making her skirt, I am making her bodice and have completed her chapeaux!  I am so very giddy with delight with Mom's dress and the fabric that was found on eBay!  There is quite a bit left, so I may have to swipe if from her and make something for me!  Bwahahahahaha....

Below are images of her new hat.  I have had the faaaabulous feathers for years and we used them as ball/evening gown hair adornment for many events, but the call to use them for this hat was very strong.  I had found a 1950/60s hat at an antique store a while back that was covered with the exact same color blue as the fabric for Mom's dress so it was dismantled for this 1890s hat.  I also had in my stash a blue ribbon in the same color family, but a wee bit darker.  It was left over from when I made the first round of Royal Family Orders back in 2014.  (See?  My vow to become a tidy hoarder is paying off already!!)  The vintage straw hat was also in my stash and just needed a new steaming and shaping on the brim.  Voila!  Mother of the Bride hat was born!!!  

Inspiration for the hat came from several sources.  The ribbon treatment came from Charmaine Zoe's Marvelous Melange flickr account.  I loved how the ribbon was softly folded on itself over and over again.  So, I went ahead and did just that!

A reminder of the inspiration for Mom's dress.  Instead of the 5 rows of lace on the skirt, we are doing only 3.  As mom says, "If I do all 5 rows, that top row will reach my arm pits!"  hahahahahahaha!!!  Ok, here's the inside joke...Mom is only 5' 2"!  Soooooo....only 3 rows it will be!  Oh, and I did a reversal of colors on the hat, because Mom said (and I quote), "Are you going to put those stupid orange colored flowers on my hat?"  She doesn't much like orange.  Like, not at all and blue is her favorite color.  So as to please Mama, blue flowers it was!

I LOVED all the blue carnations that were on the vintage hat!  There were so very many!

Sweet ruffled, tipped up back!  That was a very long process to do, but I think it was worth it!

Those feathers make me so happy!

I love using true vintage silk flowers.  They are soft and flow-y and not hard like our modern made flowers....

The beginning of the bodice.

Mom and I went to JoAnn's yesterday to find some lovely lace to do the yoke and lower sleeves and were rewarded with just what we were looking for!

I so cannot wait to see this on my Mama!!!

This is some of the nicest lace I have ever seen at JoAnn's.  It looks very much like Chantilly lace.  It is a very soft white overlaid onto an ivory matte satin. 

For the collar, belt and bows, we found a nice bridal weight satin with a wee bit of shine!

The two dresses chatting away in my room!  I can't wait for them to be worn!!

For the torso part of Mom's bodice, I'm altering Butterick 5970 to make it less Edwardian and more 1898!

Ok, now to wait for Mom to come for a fitting tomorrow.  Let's hope all goes well!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend my friends!

Be Blessed!

g