1920s dress!

Ladies and Gents,
I was recently asked by a friend to help make them a 1920s costume for a one-time event. I agreed - this could be a fun challenge!
It's not an era I know much about, so I threw myself headlong into research.
One of the notable things I found out is that skirts were not as short as I would have thought! Towards the beginning of the 20s they were quite long - midcalf or longer, sometimes - and only got shorter (though still below the knee usually) by the end of the decade.
The costume I made is not a reproduction. It is in the style of or inspired by and is intended to give the observer the impression of the 20s - but I make no claims to absolute accuracy!

Garment Data:
- Type: Dress, 1920s style, slightly flapper-esque and possibly less-fancy evening wear
- Date made: December 2013
- Pattern: None.
- Fabric/Materials: I used a dress found at Goodwill that had approximately the right shape, including a lace overlay, and went from there.
- Trim: Fringe, ribbon, feathers
- Time to finish: 2 days or so

The original, slightly mother-of-the-bride (or something) dress. Very poly. Has a lace overlay and ghastly puffed sleeves.

So I took the sleeves off! This also gives it a more 20s line.

Started to pin on some fringe I got.

Various trims and accessories draped on the dress prior to assembling it all. Note that the fringe is partly pinned. There is also a band of ribbon, some green trim (that I did not end up using) and a green hat.

I went for two rounds of trim. This is for two reasons:
1: From the pictures I looked at, trim, flounces, or lace was often layered in at least 2 or 3 tiers
2: That's how much fringe I had! :)

Close up of the two-layer fringe. It is hand whipped onto the lace overlay, using the lace design as a guide to keep it level.

Some other props/accessories I gathered. Layers of pearls were sometimes worn, feathers and plumes seemed to be popular, and all the fancy pictures have furs in them!

I've now added some trim right above the fringe.

I thought about adding a pleated sash, but decided it would be a) too heavy, b) too much for the dress as it now looks!

Full outfit, including headband.

Close up of the finished trim!

Headband (early 20s, but too cool to pass up!)

Hat, for the cloche look, for the more "outside" look.

Completed outfit, with hat and fur coat! Really the coat should be as long as the dress or longer, but this one is what I had! I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. :)

 
And I just found out that there will be a 2nd opportunity for the dress to be worn! Hurrah!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

THE DREADED SOCK

Yep, Ladies and Gents, I once tried to make a sock.
.... the yarn is now incorporated into an afghan...

Garment Data:
- Type: SOCK
- Date made: Well, it was never finished... (I don't actually know when I started. I unraveled it in 2008 or so)
- Pattern: None, I made it up as I went along!
- Fabric/Materials: Cotton yarn
- Time to finish: um...

You can see that I was working from top to toe, and had already turned a passable heel.

I just kept increasing in the right place until it looked like i had enough turn to make a sock. I don't know the angle, but it was not 90 degrees.

There are a few things I will do differently the next time I attempt a sock (or two):

1. Instead of it coming out looking smooth on the outside (knit) and bumpy on the inside (purl) since I just did knit in the round, I would instead do some sort of stockinette stitch to give it more give.
2. I will use a more elastic yarn, like wool, or perhaps even an elasticized yarn.
3. I will use bigger needles. I had quite a fine gauge going, and kept my tension quite tight, which also made it hard to work.
4. I may even try one of the two-at-once techniques, so I don't end up with lonely socks, or with socks of two different sizes!
5. I'll make the above-the-heel section longer. I know this is a personal taste and aesthetic thing, but honestly I'd probably never have worn that sock even if I had finished it, because it didn't go up high enough!

Well, I'll let you know if/when I make another one. I wonder what that will look like?

... and how long it will take me to finish???

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Winter Hats

Dear friends!
By request, I'm posting pictures from a few years ago that I hadn't gotten around to posting yet. These are hats I made for friends and (when I get around to posting them) myself. They're quite warm! I tested them :)

Garment Data:
- Type: Winter Hat
- Date made: Some time during the years 2003-2008
- Pattern: None. I used what I know about shaping and increasing/decreasing to draft the pattern as I went.
- Fabric/Materials: Acrylic or Acrylic/wool blend yarn, polar fleece for lining.
- Trim: Made of same yarn

Knitted in the round, from forehead up. Then drawn together at the top, lined with polar fleece (hand stitched to ensure that it lay flat).

Th ear flaps were knitted separately, and attached after a fitting with the intended recipient of the hat, to make sure they'd fit where they'd need to be! The pompom was made by me as well, and the pompom cord and the ear flap ties were made using a "knitting nancy" 4-peg knitting loom.

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

A hatbox!

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, I got fed up with finding my bonnets squashed at the bottom of my trunk. I sprang for a cardboard, undecorated hatbox at the craft store, and just spent the day with a bottle of Mod Podge, a sponge brush, some paper napkins, and some tissue paper. What fun!

Garment Data:
- Type: Hatbox
- Date made: (well, decorated, really) 12/07/13
- Pattern:
- Fabric: (materials): Cardboard hatbox from craft store, paper napkins, fancy tissue paper (more like lightweight wrapping paper, actually. I was disappointed), Mod Podge.
- Trim: Lace, knit lacing.
- Time to finish: One afternoon.
- Notes:

Well, I forgot to take a "before" picture, but here's the LINK: JoAnn's Hat Box.

I then started with a base layer of red for the bottom of the box, and a tissue paper with swirls for the sides and top. Autumn-themed paper napkins (and some careful scissor work!) provided the leaves and the leaf-strewn stripes, and a Valentine's-Day-Themed napkin provided the hearts for the bottom.

Halfway done.
On the left, you can see that the red of the bottom is completed, as are the basic patterned sides. (Yes, the hatbox is upside down, for drying purposes.) You can see I'm toying with the placement of the hearts at this point, and how exactly they will be handled (there was a pink center to them that I was unsure of. I ended up cutting it out, and am pleased with the results).
On the right you see the lid. It has the same base pattern as the sides of the box, and a criss-cross of orange leaf-patterns. Then there are four maple leaves, cut from paper napkins, placed in the quarters. You can see a spare leaf on the lid --- it will end up on the sides of the box, along with seven others!

The finished box, complete with eight maple leaves, and a knit fabric corner protector.

And the bottom. Note that the hearts are just outlines, giving a very subtle effect.

The lid. Yep, even mod-podged (is that a verb?) lace to the edge!

The completed box! No handle, but not sure of the best way to add one. For now, it will serve beautifully to keep my bonnets from having to be reshaped before each event! Hurrah!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Butter-colored ballgown

Hello, friends!

A few weeks ago, I got the notion in my head that I might want to sew a ballgown soon - in fact, I didn't want to fix the cotton dance dress I have, so I was thinking of trying to complete the dress by Remembrance Day weekend (November 22nd-24th).

However, I was not sure if I'd have the chance to get silk, so I even was considering using something less ideal from one of the big box stores, which would also mean that I would not panic if I had some trouble with fittings.

As it turned out, though, I was able to move things along much more quickly! The pictures will show you how it went!

Garment Data:
- Type: Civil War ballgown
- Date made: November 21st, 2013
- Pattern: Self-drafted, with assistance
- Fabric: Silk, with pre-embroidered flowers
- Trim: Self-fabric piping
- Time to finish: one week! (or approximately 40-50 hours of work)
- Notes:

On November 11th, I was able to purchase some silk (and some lawn!). You can see both colors of silk I bought (a bit of a splurge, but I'll use it all! Not a waste!).

Left-to-Right: A butter-yellow silk with embroidery of red cherry blossoms, a green silk "plaid" with gold and a bit of teal, and sheer white cotton lawn.

A close-up of the butter silk

I decided to use the butter-yellow silk first - it really spoke to me, and I started to picture it as a gown right away! There was also enough of a separate piece of yellow silk that was plain (no embroidery), to use for a bodice.

I had a chance to get help making the bodice pattern! Karen Mynes offered to help me out, so we spent the evening of Friday the 15th of November pinning and cutting until we had a muslin mock-up that I could cut apart and turn into a pattern!

So I consider the 15th to be the day I started the dress :)

This is the muslin ballgown bodice, cut open (not quite all the way yet).

My prep table (which actually also happens to be a sewing machine table, that opens up to the side and the machine flips up from within. Once I replace the drive band, it will be usable!). By the end, this table was a lot more full and cluttered!

The ballgown bodice muslin pattern, completely cut apart.

We actually had a chance to pin a muslin mock-up for a day dress bodice, too!

And the day bodice, cut apart and ready to trace. I'll post more pictures of it, once I actually use it. The plan is actually to make a second bodice for the ballgown! This will turn it into a day dress, depending on which bodice I wear, which makes the dress as a whole far more versatile. I have enough of the plain yellow silk to make this matching bodice, high neckline, long sleeves, and all!

A close-up of the muslin ballgown bodice front. Karen was drawing directly on the muslin (which feels really weird when you are pinned into it!). I would never have been able to do a bodice pattern as quickly, nor as well fitted, without her help!

All the pattern pieces, traced on to my pattern paper (actually, priority mail envelopes! A tip from Karen). Left-to-Right: Day Bodice front, Day Bodice back, Ballgown Bodice front, Ballgown side back, Ballgown back.

Laying out the pattern on the plain silk.

The pieces now cut out in silk and in muslin (for the lining) and pinned together for flat-lining.

A few steps later: all pieces sewn or pinned together, the darts pinned. This is the magic moment when it goes from being flat pieces to being an actual garment!

Bodice, from the back. Still a lot to do!

Bodice from the front.

Pleating the skirt (inside-out). I ended up doing 2 inch knife pleats all the way around (though if I ever end up re-doing it, I would go for directional knife pleats left and right, with box pleats front and back center). I had originally contemplated putting the embroidery running vertically, with large box pleats to showcase the embroidery, but yielded to good judgement and went with the horizontal look (which is also evident in historical pieces and photographs).

  

Waistband pinned, waiting for basting and for the hem facing around the bottom (for weight and protection).

Close-up of the waistband (right-side out).

The skirt, over the hoop.

All the bits pinned together, but no closures sewn in yet, no sleeves yet, no hem facing yet.... my "last two days" sewing list was quite long!!! Long hours were spent sewing, every night!

Everything pinned, first fitting, front.

Everything pinned, first fitting, back.
I finished the very last things on the night of Thursday the 21st.

At the ball!

The dress worked well, though I noticed a few very small adjustments I'll be making...

I may change the neckline still, too... I feel like it could be farther out on my shoulders. At least, maybe the next time I use the pattern.

And, last but not least, the dress in its native habitat!!!

So it took a lot of effort, but I think, for my first ballgown, it turned out fabulously! It took me 6 days of really intense effort, 6 or 8 hours a day, but I'm really happy with it! I'll still do the day bodice for the dress as well. I can't wait till the next dress I sew!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Remembrance Day, Gettysburg

Well, Ladies and Gents!

This week was most auspicious. On November 19th, 1863, President Lincoln spoke a few words (after the main speaker had given a speech of nearly 2 hours, I believe!). His very short address became famous, and one of the weekends near the anniversary of his speech has become a recurring event, with ceremonies, speeches, parades, and, most importantly, balls! (I jest - and yet, I found the balls to be perhaps the funnest - if not the most important - part of the day!).

Though some events happen already on Friday, I was not able to leave home early enough to participate in these (such as Friday night balls, nor much downtown shopping).
Instead, I got to the area quite late, after a dark and rainy (and somewhat foggy) drive. The night clerk and I got to chatting, and she expressed an interest in seeing my ballgown! I promised to stop by the desk the next night on my way in from the ball to show her. :)


The next day, Saturday, November 23rd, 2013 - the year being exactly 150 years after the original event, and thus quite significant - was a full one:
At first a ceremony, then a parade, another ceremony, then the ball!
And what would a post be without pictures?

Friday night: the hotel closet full of ironed and prepped clothes for the next morning!

Saturday morning, early: A sailor, standing outside the hotel. Later, I saw a whole unit of sailors and marines marching in the parade.

Yes, that is Sgt Schulz, from Hogan's Heroes. Odd, but fun - the first reenactor I speak to on Saturday, and he's from the wrong century!

Of course, I got no pictures of the first ceremony - oops! It was at a monument, and included wreath-laying to honor the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic - a union veteran's group), among others. It included a truly phenomenal delivery of the Gettysburg Address by a Lincoln reenactor! On the downside, it was frightfully cold, as a biting wind came shearing across the fields.
LINK: Pictures of the Woolson's Monument Ceremony (I'm in picture #7! A clue: my bonnet has green ribbon ties)

The parade line-up. These are the ladies who graciously allowed me to walk with their group!

The ladies' groups lining up behind us. The parade was quite long!

The parade ended up being quite long. I didn't see all of it, though I watched a bit of what had been behind us, once we got to the end. It was an impressive show!
LINK: A video of the parade. I'm in minute 6:43.

A view of the "Hands Over the Wall" ceremony (100th anniversary).

Mr. Allen Loew, who graciously accompanied me to the ball later on.

Another view of the reenactors lined up for the "Hands Over the Wall"

At the ball!

Another view of the new ballgown (another post to follow, about how I made the dress!)

At the break between dinner and the dance, as they cleared the ballroom of the tables.

And a view of my hairstyle (there were also ringlets coming down from it, but apparently the camera slipped upward - I didn't get a good picture of them!)

And last but not least, me on the floor, dancing in my new dress!

LINK: I show up in photo 120 on this photo website!
All in all, it was a fabulous weekend! The drive home was slow and snowy, but smooth going, and I'm very glad I went. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah