To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3

Monday, October 17, 2016

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!!


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?  

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

17 comments:

  1. Utterly, utterly exquisite! I wish I had the patience to do such embroidery. It's a really lovely ensemble, well done you!

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    1. Thank you so very much DF! I didn't think I had that patience to do all the embroidery the pattern called for and in fact I sort of panicked...but in the end, I found it was rather addicting!!
      Blessings!
      g

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  2. I love how your slowest of snail paces is still faster than my average on any given month!! The undergarments turned out so beautiful and the corset is stunning! I like the robin's egg blue contrast with the black. I love Fall and school is one of the reasons- I get such a kick out of all the new books and activities. It does cut into sewing time though! The mourning dress is Devine- what is it about moire'? sigh.

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    1. Ha! You probably felt like smacking me while you read that! hahahahaha!!! Thank you so much my friend! I waffled between pink, green, purple and the robin's egg blue for the flossing and am so happy that I did the blue! And yes, all this school time does cut into the sewing...but school is so much more important...a fact that I know you agree with! And yes...moire....le sigh!!
      Blessings!
      g

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  3. I am so stunned by your work! Your embroidery is superb, and the fit of your corset is remarkable. I'm about to undertake a similar gored corset pattern! Wish me luck!

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    1. Thank you so very much Gabriela! I am actually impressed that the embroidery didn't turn out looking like a huge bird's nest mess! I am confident that you will do a fantastic job on your gored corset!
      Blessings!
      g

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  4. Oh Gina, I am absolutely floored by that chemise (and the other unders as well)!!!! You did such an exquisite, perfect, gorgeous job on it (and them). Soooooo impressive!!!!!!!! :D
    Hope your fall goes well, and that you feel up to doing what you want to!! I had a couple of weeks like that, where I didn't feel like making *anything* at all, and just wanted to curl up in a soft chair for about a month. Thankfully it passed over and is long gone now. Praying for the same for you!! :) Have a blessed week!!

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    1. Thank you so very much Esther! The embroidery was quite addicting and I find myself wanting to start another project...my fingers, however, are not so inclined! Isn't it just the pits when you feel low and not in the mood for doing what brings your heart happiness? I already feel like I am getting past that part and it makes me so relieved...I'm sure you felt the same way when you started feeling like your old self! Thank you for the prayers Esther!
      Blessings!
      g

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  5. :O

    That embroidery is majorly WOW! I will do a dozen or so eyelets for lacing up a dress, but that is something else. Looks amazing!

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    1. Thank you so much! I too have done hand sewn eyelets on corsets and bodices, but this new thing...the eyelets were so SMALL!! ACK! Craziness! But thank you so much!
      Blessings!
      g

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  6. wow! Everything is just gorgeous - the shoes, the corset, the pantaloons, the chemise, the hooped petticoat! wow!
    rita

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    1. Thank you so very much Rita! It was fun actually getting to wear everything together!
      Blessings!
      g

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  7. Wowee, you HAVE been busy! Love it all, but the embroidery on the chemise in particular - it's gorgeous!

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    1. Thank you so much BT! And I put you back on my blog list...the whole list had been deleted!! And I am slowly putting blogs back as I remember them!!
      Blessings!
      g

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  8. Wonderfully done, Gina! These three pieces go together like a dream. I especially love the delicate lace/embroidery combination on the chemise fabric and the flossing on the corset. Simple, but soo beautiful! :)

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  9. COUSIN! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!! Now I HAVE to make one of those chemises for our Civil War vow renewal! Don't think I have it in me to make a corset, however. ;0) You are truly a gifted artist! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

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    1. Oh yes you do! If you can make all the wonderful things you have made, then you totally can make a corset! I am so excited for your civil war vow renewal! Wish there was a worm hole I could step through...
      Blessings!
      g

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