2019 A Year in Costuming Review

It's that time of year when I take stock of the sewing accomplishments for the year.  I always get a kick out of how much I accomplish but how much of it is not on the list of things I actually planned to do. LOL.  I often end up planning for an event that came up and make things based on research I'm doing so those things I planned to do and didn't get done will have to wait!

This year I invested a lot of time and research into accessories.  Make no mistake--some accessories take every bit as long as a basic gown.  I love doing all the fiddly little sewing on accessories and I love that a good accessories closet means that you can give multiple looks to one gown.

So here's the round up.
#1-- 1950s Bolero.  I bought the dress from the Modern Mantua Maker and decided that it needed a little jacket or something.  I had an existing vintage 50s dress with a bolero so I patterned this one off that the vintage one.

#2--Black silk hat copied from a 1772 portrait

#3-- French drawers to wear with my Edwardian chemise and corset

#4--Edwardian princess slip

#5-- 1912 Edwardian tea gown and hat

#6 -- organdy lappet cap copied from portrait of Sarah Livingston Alexander (Lady Stirling)

#7-- 1760s wool sateen mourning gown / petticoat

#8 -- Chintz sacque

#9 / #10 -- Indienne Italian gown with ruffled linen petticoat and parasol which was made to fit an old Edwardian frame

#11/ #12 / #13 -- voile half bodiced petticoat,  Indienne 1790s overgown, 1790s hat

#14 Indienne summer spencer and decorated bonnet

#15 -- French hat copied from 1778 fashion plate

#16--1810s ball gown made from antique silk sari

#17 -- silk lined lambskin mitts

#18 -- Silk gauze fancy neck handkerchief--copied from portrait of Mrs. William Coffin by Copley

#19 -- burgundy ribbed silk ruffled petticoat

#20 --another organdy lappet cap shown with inspiration images

#21 -- organdy Dormeuse cap with shown with inspiration images

#22 / #23 -- black silk velvet hood  and black silk lined lambskin mitts (shown with muff that got an upgrade)

#24 -- Black silk taffeta hood

Keeping warm: Upper sort winter wear 1760s-70s -- Part 1

We had an outdoor event last weekend. It was only 4 hours in the middle of the day, but make no mistake.  It was cold.  Fortunately I happen to have a full length red broadcloth cloak that is fully lined with silk.  My head, however, was cold.  Even with a lappet cap which covered my ears.  I find that large cloak hoods either don't stay in place or they just let the cold air in.  

This cloak is great for warmth.  It is bulky and heavy, however, and I do need something more suitable to wear with my silks. We have the Illumination at Mt. Vernon on Dec. 21st and it gets frigid right there on the water at night.  I remember a couple of years ago it was 10 degrees and windy.  I can layer handkerchiefs, petticoats and other under layers but my ears freeze.  In fact our first winter workshop was called "Mitts, Muffs and Hoods" and it focused on warm winter accessories.  Ruth Verbunt had given a wonderful workshop on creating a wool broadcloth hood for warmth and she insists that there is nothing warmer!  So I figured the first winter warmth items I tackle will be a hood, black leather mitts, and a new muff.  I plan on drafting the hood pattern from the shape of the extant at the MFA:

I have black silk velvet, lambswool interlining and black taffeta for lining.  My plan is to interline the hood but not the cape part.   I do have a fur muff that I made from an old fur coat but it may be a little big.  I find my small goose down muff with the silk cover to be really warm so I think I'll make a velvet muff cover with fur trim to put on that.  Between the muff and the mitts, my hands should be toasty.

I have enough velvet to make a short cloak.  I have traced out the pattern for the black lace cloak from Costume Close Up and will either use that shape or make a semi circular short cloak using the  instructions from Sue Felshin.  I'd like to trim the cloak with fur.

Here are inspiration images and docs:

I like the "fluffiness" of this hood and the black lace trim on the cape.

Fur muff.  This one is the size of the muff I currently have.

Another "large-ish" fur muff and tippet.

Small silk cape, small hood that looks like velvet with no cape, small velvet fur trimmed muff.

Another small fur trimmed velvet muff

Short hooded cloak which appears to be either silk or velvet, trimmed with fur

Black velvet hooded cloak, tippet and fur trimmed muff.

Velvet hood with no cape, tippet, velvet cloak lined with contrasting color and fur trimmed muff.

Black velvet hood, short black velvet cloak lined with contrasting color, fur muff

Fur trimmed silk short cloak, fur muff some sort of head wrap

 Small black hood, fur trimmed silk short cloak, fur muff

Velvet short hood, New York 1770

Velvet hood and satin ditto, Providence RI 1767

Fur muff, New York 1768

Black velvet cloak with black tammy lining, Philadelphia 1768

Black velvet cloak and black peelong cardinal trimmed with gimp, New York 1763

So my work is cut out for me:  hood, leather mitts and muff to be finished within the next week.  Longer term project will be a velvet cloak.

New 18th Century Caps!

New caps!  My favorite accessory to make!

Cap #1 is a double ruffle cap with a smallish caul that can be worn from 1750s through the 1770s.  It's made of Swiss organdy.  I basically constructed it the same as a single ruffle cap, then cut another ruffle the same size, pleated it a little more tightly and laid it over the first ruffle, setting the straight edge about 5/8 inch higher on the band, whip stitching it in place. 

Cap #2 is another lappet cap made just like the one in this post with the exception of having narrower ribbon in white for the tie.  This one is sized to fit my modest 1770s hair.

Caps are one of the most satisfying projects for me to make.  They pack a big punch for such a small item.  They can change the whole look of an outfit!

Mrs. Coffin's fancy half Handkerchief ca. 1770

One of my favorite portraits is that of Mrs. William Coffin (Anne Holmes) by John Singleton Copley painted ca. 1770.  I stumbled upon Mrs. Coffin while researching 18th century mourning gowns.  Mrs. Coffin appears to be wearing a simple black silk sacque back gown but it is her accessories that I found particularly enchanting.  Note the wired cap with tiny pleats that appears to tie under the chin.  There is what looks like an organdy bow with a satin or taffeta bow layered on top of it.  The choker is stunning--a row of what look like freshwater pearls at the top and bottom with large flat pearls in the center.  I'm unable to tell if the pearls are stitched down to a backing but the neck lookes darker behind them than it does in the "V" above her neck handkerchief. 

Speaking of the neck handkerchief, that is my favorite accessory.  I decided to copy it.  The sheerness of the textile leads me to believe that it may be silk gauze.   Other details:   Box pleated trim is applied to all the edges however the trim on the neck edge is narrower than the trim on the outer edge.  Also--I couldn't tell if it had wide box pleats set closely spaced or narrow box pleats set far apart.  I zoomed into the high definition image and determined that the trim was made with narrow box pleats spaced far apart.

I cut a shape I thought would work and tried it on. The angle of the "legs" was wrong as the shape did not lay flat on my shoulders. 

I took a huge tuck in the back to play with the angle and got the fit to work.

I traced the adjusted pattern, lengthening the legs.

I cut this shape out of silk gauze (organza) and made a tiny hem (less than 1/8 inch) hem around the edges.  The next task was to determine the width of the ruffles.   I played around with my measuring tape and determined that 1 1/2 inches on the neck edge and about 2 1/4 inches on the outer edge.  I cut strips across my 56 inch wide organza in these widths adding a bit for hem allowance, then I narrow hemmed the long edges. Since I wasn't sure how long to cut the strips, I started at the center back of the neck and just pinned the pleats in place.  I did the same with the outer edge, pinning the wider strip in place.  I ended up having to cut more so I cut a strip at the narrow width angling the edges until it was the wider width if that makes sense.  I used running stitch and spaced back stitch to stitch the strips to the hemmed edge of the handkerchief.  

Here it is for a final fitting.  I just used one pin to secure it then pinned the bow in place.

Here is the finished handkerchief worn over two different gowns.

I was very happy with this little project.  I love playing with accessories as I find that they can completely change the appearance of a gown.  Now I just need to get to work to finish the rest of Mrs. Coffin's mourning ensemble!

SOLD OUT! The Well-Cloathed Tradeswoman: A Skill Building Sewing Weekend--Registration

The Well-Cloathed Tradeswoman:  

A Skill Building Sewing Weekend
Friday Feb. 28, 2020 - Sunday March 1, 2020

REGISTRATION IS FULL.  WE ARE SOLD OUT!

Registration

Join us for a winter weekend of learning about and sewing some 18th century fine fashion details in historic Savage Maryland's Carroll-Baldwin Hall. We will be studying the differences in dress and style among tradeswomen in the American colonies during the years of the Revolutionary War.

We will also be looking at the various accessories women of various classes wore and how accessories were used to change the look and style of a gown.

Friday evening we will get together for dinner, shopping and social time.  Our visiting sutler will be the Backcountry Peddler and we will have a Swap and Shop for participants to bring fabrics and other costuming items to sell.

On Saturday, Following a keynote presentation about tradeswomen in the colonies given by Emma Cross and we will have two sewing projects--the first being a fitted half handkerchief  to fit the social class you portray.  We will also explore accessories and how to dress up a common gown for a nice occasion. We will also make a tucker (materials provided) and a flower breast knot.  

Sunday you will learn to construct a wallet type letter case where you will learn about construction of this type of item and learn to make a buttonhole and a thread button.

A fee of $190 will include the Friday night social/shopping event and two days of workshops.  You will receive a materials list of those items you need to supply and we will supply some materials as well.

Friday and Saturday only will be $165 and Saturday only will be $150.

Registration is limited to 40 participants.

In order to register, you will need to fill out the registration form HERE and pay using the Paypal button below.  We are offering a 1/2 payment option to those who attend the entire weekend. 

Options

Friday/Saturday/Sunday $190.00 USD Friday/Saturday only $165.00 USD Saturday only $150.00 USD Fri/Sat/Sun 1/2 payment $95.00 USD

Important links:

Hotel list

Schedule

Directions for Friday/Saturday
Carroll Baldwin Hall
9035 Baltimore Street
Savage, MD  20763

Directions for Sunday

Laurel Municipal Swimming Pool Meeting Room
901 Main Street
Laurel, MD  20707