1850s Second Mourning Bonnet

Good Sunday to you all!  I hope that the week was good to everyone and that you did fun happy things!  Me?  My week was going fine and dandy until I woke up on Wednesday to discover that my back had gone out.  Like the "big go out" that long time readers know plagues me at least once a year.   This event lands me in bed with pain so severe that walking up stairs, sneezing, coughing or laughing reduces me to tears.  And forget about any sewing or having any sort of fun. My crime this time around?  Waaaaait for iiiiiit!!! 

I. Was. Sleeping.  

Yup.  Nothing so exciting as lifting a car off a child, oooor climbing Mount Borah, ooooor wrestling an alligator.  Nope.  The activity I was participating in this go around was catching some z's.  Exciting huh?  Bet you wish you could live my life! hahahahahahaha!!!

Anyhoo, I had planned on getting one more sewing project in before the new year.  Well, two actually.  You see, my blog's anniversary is December 16th and I was hoping to make an 1830s pocket as a give-away gift, along with some other fun things.  Well, I am going to have to do that probably after the holidays and certainly after my back heals.  I also wanted to make a yellow bonnet using my new Timely Tresses pattern.  At present, my time is taken up with lying in bed, watching movies and TV shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and YouTube, binging on Pinterest, stretching my back muscles, and generally feeling sorry for myself.  Pretty sad huh?  Pain is not my friend and the presence of it, specifically this kind of horrific pain does a real number on my psyche and plunges me into a deep depression.  This time around however I have been using my HiDow T.E.N.S. unit and it is really helping and I believe it is bring healing about much faster than in the past.  Plus, my chiropractor is back from his vacation this week so I will be paying him a couple of visits!!  I am looking for that silver lining and praying that the duration of this round of back issues is greatly diminished!

One of the things I felt up to today was taking pictures of my 1850s second mourning bonnet.  This bonnet was my first use of Timely Tresses' patterns.  I used the Flora Francine pattern and can I just take a moment and gush over how fabulous this pattern was?  I have made patterns for my own bonnets in the past, but really wanted a true to the era look for my MET moire mourning ensemble.  First of all, the pattern came with a book for its instructions.  A BOOK!!  I couldn't believe my eyes!  And it's quite the lovely papaer back book!  I wish I had happened upon these patterns when I first started out making hats and bonnets as I wouldn't have had hardly the frustrating time I had in the past!  If you are a visual learner and wish to make bonnets, I strongly suggest investing in Timely Tresses patterns.  The Flora Francine came with three different brim choices for mid 1850s to early 1860s.  Perfect!  Having made many bonnets, I adjusted some things like adding tabs to the brim to sew it to the crown (not 100% sure if that is era correct) as that is the construction step I am used to, but there are instructions that are different in the book (I still can't get over the fact that they have a book for their instructions!!!!!  EPIC!!)

The inspiration for my bonnet came from the FIDM Musuem.  Sarah Elizabeth Craft's Easter Bonnet to be specific.  I have made an 1863 half mourning bonnet and an 1840s mourning bonnet and was looking for something different from these previous ones.  I was perusing Pinterest (shocking, I know) and came across little Sarah's sweet yellow bonnet and fell in love.  I knew it would be the perfect one for what I was wanting.  Happily, I was making my ensemble second mourning, so I could add the white, some flowers and add a little bit of flourish to the bonnet itself!

Made of black Thailand Silk (very similar to dupioni silk) gifted to me by a lovely lady who purchased it on a trip to Thailand from the factory that she toured!  How cool is that?

White dupioni silk

Antique black moire ribbon

White antique lace

Antique soft silk flowers

cotton cording

After I put on the dress with the bonnet, I'll see about the length of the ribbon tails.  For right now, I like them long!

The inspiration for the placement of the flowers came from the below image from The MET

For some reason, the fact that the flowers on the inside of her bonnet weren't perfectly even made my heart happy!

The flowers have been in my stash for years and I was thrilled that I hadn't used them before now!  I hate it when I have flowers already on hats or bonnets that would be perfect on the one I am currently creating...because I can't use them!

When I tried the bonnet on, I LOVED the way it framed my face.  The bonnets I have made in the past have never done this and it just seemed so very sweet!

There are 12 layers of cording and pressed ruffles on this bonnet.  Needless to say, I was thrilled that the silk was super thin!

View from above.  This makes me happy!

The "C" shape of the brim can really be seen here.

Inside.  I'm pretty sure the inside isn't historically accurate as the gathering goes clear to the back of the bonnet.  The gathers should stop where the brim and crown meet, then non gathered fabric should go from the crown to the crown tip.  At least that is what I have seen on the extant examples from the internet.  I really didn't want to fiddle with that, so just took the gathering all the way to the back.

Close up of beautiful antique lace.  It's so fun to have such pretty things in the stash!

Fabulous, fabulous pattern booklet from Timely Tresses.  I have since ordered the Verretta Louia 1847-1854 bonnet pattern!  I can't wait to make it up!

I hope that the coming week is a great one for you!  If you celebrate Christmas, do you have your house decorated and ready for the holidays?  Happily, I got my decorating done before the back went out.  Hey!  Maybe that is why my back is in rebellion!  hahahahahaha!!  

Be Blessed my friends!

g

The MET Moire Mourning Dress is Complete!

When I first started "collecting" mourning dress images on my Pinterest board Mourning Fashion, I came across this dress that is housed in The MET.  It is made of black moire.  Mourning.  Moire.  Moire.  Mourning.  Can we say match made in heaven?  Loving all things mourning and loving moire, how could I resist recreating this dress?  Well, it is finally complete.  It took me a while to locate and purchase the fabric, which I ended up acquiring from Hobby Lobby, but acquire it I did!  Huzzah!  I am so happy this dress is complete.  I don't think I have ever had such an issue completing a bodice as I did with this one.  It was a colossal pain in the butt.  I almost didn't finish it, so frustrated with it did I become on several occasions.  But, I pushed through and happiness is the final outcome!

Also, an aspect of this project was a first for me.  The use of fringe.  I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to those who love/adore/appreciate fringe.  You see, they remind me of Halloween store flapper costumes and B-Western cowboy shirts.  There is nothing wrong with the previous items, but to see fringe on a lovely Victorian dress?  It has taken me quite a while to come to terms with this. I guess the fact that the Victorian dresses came before the 1920s flapper dresses and B-Western shirts helps quite a bit.  Wanting to stick with the spirit and originality of The MET dress, I chose to use fringe on mine as well.

The only thing I have to do to complete the entire project is to make a hand sewn eyelet lace collar and lengths of hand sewn eyelet lace for the under sleeves.  At this point I am totally procrastinating as I don't want to design it right now...

The Dress

Inspiration for my dress.  Source:  The MET

The fringe.  I am still sort of cringing at the fringe...

I had to make a separate peplum for the back of the bodice.  When the peplum was attached, the bodice refused to fit correctly.  It pulled and did all sorts of nasty things.  However, upon some research, I discovered that there were other bodices that had separate peplums!  Huzzah for that!

Pattern:  

Bodice: Simplicity 4510

Sleeves: Simplicity 2887

Skirt:  me made

More Underwear

Because I needed more new underwear for this project, I also made a new petticoat trimmed with antique eyelet lace and cage crinoline.

Petticoat:

Pattern:  Self drafted

Fabric:  Cotton

Beautiful antique eyelet lace trims the petticoat.

Cage Crinoline:

Pattern:  Truly Victorian 141

Fabrics:  cotton and gros grain ribbon

So now I get to design and make the eyelet lace bits.  I do have several inspiration images that will guide me, so that part is over...

I hope you all have a marvelous rest of your week!

Blessings!

g

Late 1850s Corset, Embroidered Chemise and 1860s Elliptical Hoops!

Good Monday to you all!  I hope you are all doing more than wonderful!  I am well, but life has become a little more busy than I like.  Fall means school and school means teaching, or making sure Colton gets his school work completed (as stated in my previous post, Colton is in a new homeschool co-op where "we" go to school all day Wednesdays then Mondays and Fridays for math...). This means earlier mornings (I'm a night owl, usually going to sleep at 1:30 a.m.) and sluggish feeling days.  All this translates into fewer sewing projects, which is just how it is going to be for a while!

BUT!!!  I have managed to complete a few things.  The hoops have been done for about 2 weeks, the same for the chemise.  The corset is a newer project.   Because of the way I have been feeling physically and other things that have been happening in my life causing me to want to hibernate, it has taken me this long to do a photo shoot with all the new items.  You know when you just feel off plumb and don't really feel like doing anything but sleeping and sitting on the couch, binge watching "Call the Midwife" and eating potato chips?  Yaaaaaaaaaaa....That's how I have been feeling lately.  I know that things will get smoother and I'll be back to my usual self, and I sooooo cannot wait for that!

  

So, on with the pictures of the new underwear items!

Elliptical Hoops

At some point in the hopefully near future, I really want to make two 1860s elliptical dresses....This one and This one.  I had in mind to make the half mourning one for my annual "All Hallow's Eve" mourning dress, but my mind changed itself for me and I will be making another instead.  In any case, the hoops are already made!  Huzzah!!

Pattern: TV 103 Elliptical Cage Crinoline

I thought it would be fun to make a colored cage, but in the end, white won out....

Late 1850s, Early 1860s Corset

I've been wanting a black corset for a very, very long time and since I will be doing the "Dressing the Victorian Lady in Mourning" at The Bishops House this coming Saturday, I thought I would make the corset for the event.  Well, plans fell through for the making of a new dress (oh how did God rescue me from a week of crazy,  out of my mind, working 24/7 on the new project! Thank you Lord for talking some sense into my crazy, OCD brain!!!)  I plan now on dressing in my 1840s Wool Mourning Dress and feel it will be a better thing to do anyway, so huzzah for simpler, non "are you out of your mind?" plans!!!

But again, I now have a new corset for when I do get my newest mourning dress made!

I really love this new corset and think it fits really well.  And....I did flossing on it!  I have never done any flossing except on the tips of the gussets for stability, and am super pleased with how the "tear drops" turned out!  You can't really see very well the color of the flossing, but it is a lovely robin's egg blue!

Pattern:  Simplicity 7215 (shortened by 1 1/4")

Fabrics: Dupioni silk

Cotton canvas

Love my new American Duchess Balmoral boots!

I'm one of those wear your chemise outside of your drawers kind a gal.  I have tried to wear the chemise inside the drawers and the feeling is just too uncomfortable.  I know that there are those who wear it in and more power to ya!  But this chick...chemise out!  

Embroidered Chemise

Ok, so I am super pleased with this chemise and really liked the embroidering so very much that I would like to make a set of drawers and corset cover that has been hand embroidered! Don't know if that will actually happen, but a girl can dream right?  

Pattern: Past Patterns 707

Fabric: Cotton 

The edge of the top looks puckered...I ended up having to take a full 6 strands of the embroidery floss and thread it on the underside of the scallops to "tighten" the top of the chemise up.  Without that tightening floss, it fell way down my shoulders and I really didn't like how it looked.  Also, I wish I hadn't added the buttons as it throws the "center" off a wee bit.  But, the pattern called for it and on one of the extant examples, it was the same way so....there ya go! 

Looking at these pictures, it's hard to believe that I actually embroidered all of that!  

Especially those teeny tiny eyelets!  ACK!!!

The sleeves are even embroidered...

Well, that's all for now....For the next two weeks, I will be slowly working on my mourning dress...This Glorious Work of Beautiful Art!!!!!!!!!!! 

 I hope you are enjoying the fall weather if you are a place where the weather is actually changing!  This is my favorite time of year and I LOVE the colors of the leaves on the trees, especially the bright crimsons!  

Have a wonderfully blessed week my friends!

g

My Insanity Knows No Bounds....

It appears with this new project that I am working on, I have taken leave of my senses.  Let's just say one thing up front.  I hate hand sewing.  Like, with a grand and glorious passion.  So, why I decided that embroidering a demi suite of 1860s underwear would be a good and happy thing to tackle, is well beyond the realm of my understanding.

On October 22nd, Mama and I will be doing another fund raiser for The Bishops House titled Dressing the Victorian Lady in Mourning.  I thought it would be fun to make a new corset for the event (it will be a black silk one even though I know they didn't have underwear that was black specifically for mourning purposes...) and thought, "Heck!  Why not make a whole new set of white frillies and just for the craziness factor, let's make them all hand embroidered! Because we like to do all the hard, time consuming things a month before the event!"  Actually, what made me decide to do things that are hand embroidered was Colton's new school.  This year we chose to put him in a Homeschool Co-op that is classical education in style.  He is taking theology, biblical theology, logic, rhetoric, philosophy, classical literature and math.  I will be sitting in on his classes until he/we get a handle on this new school format and then math two days a week away from home will give me ample time to do some sewing away from my sewing machine.  Therefore....hand embroidered underwear!!  

I have completed some on the chemise which includes the scalloping along the neck line and am currently working on the eyelets...five sections of three small eyelets takes about an hour to complete, so that part is going sloooooowly.  And my hands are quite grouchy with me.  But, I think it will be very worth it when it's all complete!

Scallops are complete and the eyelets are one their way to being completed!  Now I remember why I hate hand sewing so much... The fabric looks like it is blue, but that is just the light and camera working their weird sort of magic.

Working with Past Patterns 1860-1870 embroidered chemise pattern.  I also would like to make an embroidered pair of drawers and corset cover.

The Inspiration

While searching for inspiration for the chemise, I came across this gorgeous set of underwear from The Philadelphia Museum of Art.  I am so loving the moire corset and have located some fabric that would totally work for making a reproduction!  For my birthday gift this year, I have asked for money to purchase the narrow gauge wire cage crinoline from The Wooden Hamlet!  Can't wait to get it!!!

Image Source:  Philadelphia Museum of Art

I love the beauty of this chemise!  I can't wait until mine is completed!!

Image Source:  The Philadelphia Museum of Art

A New Treasure!

Today, I was so happy to discover this wedding dress from 1903 at a place called The Yard Sale Place.  It is a fabulous place that is a consignment store selling yard sale like items for people.  I have found many incredible deals there and today didn't disappoint!  The fun thing is that if items are not sold in good time, they get reduced 30% then 60%.  Well, this wedding dress had not sold so was at 60% today!  I was beyond giddy with happiness as I paid a grand total of $27.35 for it!!  Huzzah!!!

It is made of a very fine cotton lawn, cotton and lace.  The tag that was pinned to the inside of the dress reads, "Wedding dress of my great-great-grandmother's married on June 11, 1903".  I sure would love to know Great-Great-Grandmother's name.  The dress is home made on a sewing machine with two of the front darts hand sewn after the dress was made.  I haven't steamed it yet, don't know if I will as I'm afraid that the steaming would damage the fibers...will have to do some research on that!  

Not sure if the bodice was tucked into the skirt or not.  I am thinking it was not tucked in because of the front vertical ruffle cascading down the bodice.

Tucks and ruffles and lace, oh my!!

Almost pouter pigeon front...but not quite there yet.

You can see through the sheer cotton, the eyelet lace at the top of the inner bodice!  

Inner bodice that takes the stress off of the outer lawn layer.  Closes with hooks and eyes.

And a Birthday Boy!

19 years ago today, I had this sweet baby boy whom I instantly and completely fell head over heals in love with!  We named him Dakota and he has been my sweet boy ever since!  We celebrated with a party on Sunday, and had a very nice time.  I can't wait to see where life and God take this young man.  I can wait for him to move out and be out of our daily lives, so I am happy that his plans to move out have not come to fruition... (two room mates that he was planning on moving out with had things happen).  I love having him home and dread the day when he strikes out on his own.  We are good buddies and friends and he delights my heart!!  

Happy Birthday Cody!

I hope you all have a truly blessed rest of you week!  For me, it will be hand sewing craziness and starting a new corset!

Be Blessed!!

g