All Things Vintage Rouge

Pattern Review: Simplicity 3635 18th Century Shift

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:00:00 +0000

I'm starting a new series on the blog called Pattern Review! This will be specifically to review commerical patterns (mainly historical) that I have used for my own creations. There are SO many interesting costume patterns available now, when I was just getting into costuming the options were so very limited that now it's like being a kid in a candy store. So here is my first review: Simplicity 3635, now sadly out of print.

This is the first proper 18th century shift I have made for myself, my last one was hobbled together and never really fit right. Since I'm going to making a GRAND 18th century outfit this year, it was time to redo everything from the skin out.

First of all, I really like how the major pattern companies are allowing historical costumers to create pretty historically-accurate patterns for the home sewist. It makes life so much easier! This pattern is no exception.
It went together easily for me (I've made similar styles before) but I thought I'd share a few tips for anyone making a shift for the first time:

Transfer every single pattern tissue mark onto your fabric as you are cutting out your fabric--mark every dot or circle and clip those notches. This will save you many headaches, especially as you are essentially putting together squares and rectangles and not anything that looks like a modern sleeve. You will need those dots and clips, trust me!
If you plan on using an overlock on your raw edges, serge each piece separately before assembling the pieces together. Many seams can not be serged after being sewn together because of the way it's constructed (again, squares & rectanges!). This is a great way to practicet turning corners on your serger. :)
Since there are gussets along the side seams, let the garment hang on a hanger overnight before hemming just in case there is any stretching at the hem. There will most likely be some hem adjustments to be made anyway--the gusset pieces usually end up being longer than the front and back pieces.

Now let's talk about this pattern. Again, I thought it went together very easily but there were a few holes in the directions. Nothing of absolute importance, but it would have been nice to be told that you needed to finish the pattern off with a hem, and how deep of a hem. No biggie here but I'd hate for a beginner sewist to get confused.

It's important to note that even though I used my normal top pattern size, the shift turned out large. After putting my stays on (photos in my next post) it didn't look too bad but if I make it again (and I'd like to) I will definitely go down a size, possibly two. Yes, you need to be able to move but there is a lot of excess fabric right now that could be removed from my torso. The sleeves also seem long to me, especially since so many 18th century gowns have sleeves that are right below the elbow. I hope I don't have to stuff the sleeve up into whatever garment I'm wearing!

Overall I'd recommend this pattern to anyone with some sewing experience, just check the sizing and remember that you *do* need to hem this pattern.:)

I made this out of a linen/ramie blend that I bought for $2/yd in the Los Angeles garment district a few years ago. Right now it's pretty stiff but I'm hoping that it will soften up a bit with washings. The directions recommend silk organza for the ruffle at the neckline (that would have been very pretty) but I just made mine out of the smock fabric. I LOVE starched white linen, and this is no exception. I can't wait to get my new outfit together so that I can wear it! Plans, plans, plans.

Costume Academy 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:44:00 +0000

It's that time again! Costume Academy is coming up on March 9. It's always a fun day--I get to hang out with my fellow costumers and geek out all day over costumey techniques. I always get inspired (if not a little too ambitious!) after Costume Academy each year.

This year I'm teaching two basic sewing classes:

Zippers 101 (back by popular demand!)
Sewing By Hand: Taking It To the Next Level (buttonholes, blind catch stitch, and more)
I'll also be there with my millinery supplies in the Vendor Room.

For more information, please go to the GBACG webpage here. Hope to see you there!

18th Century Dinner Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:52:00 +0000

Last weekend a bunch of us Lumieres (an18th century social group) got together for a deeeeelightful dinner at a Russian restaurant called Babushka in Walnut Creek. I have never been more happily stuffed with potato and cheese dishes as I was that evening, so much so that my new stays got a little snug and the idea of dancing went out the window! But the costumes, good company, and very pretty atmosphere made for a very lovely evening.

AND I finally finished my Brunswick! Not all by hand as I originally intended (I do enough hand sewing with my hats) but it was finished enough to be wearable! Here's me at the table, I haven't seen any full length photos yet:

I still need to make proper cuffs for the sleeves instead of just doing a quick hem and adding a bit of lace but otherwise, it's pretty much done. I actually wasn't as crazy about the style as I thought I would be--thought it made me look slightly matronly until I remembered that the Brunswick was primarily a traveling costume and was probably the 18th century equivalent of wearing yoga pants on long car trips. It's not super fitted at the waist (something I prefer) and the neckline is a bit more modest than I'm used to for this period but it fits well, was comfortable to wear and overall I'm happy with how it turned out.

My original Brunswick posts are here and here.

I also made new stays for this event as the pair I made a few years ago are too big. I used Simplicity 3635 and the fit is perfect, I didn't make any adjustments at all. That NEVER happens! Next time I could add a tiny bit to the strap length (I'm a little on the tall side) and I still need to bind the bottom edge but other than that I'm a happy camper. I'll write about them on my next post when I get started documenting some pretty hefty projects for a big trip I'm planning next year. (!!!)

Here are a few photos of the event. I didn't take a lot of photos but below I have linked to a couple of posts by friends who also blogged about the event.

Pretty Dresses!

Bunny

And of course we had champagne. Russian wine, too!

Lots more lovely photos and dress diaries on Kendra's blog and on Sarah's blog.

What's New? (Lots!)

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Hello Blog world!

It's been a while, I know, but I've been very happily getting ready for what is going to be a packed show season! I'm taking Lulu Deux Millinery all over the SF Bay Area for lots of fall and holiday shows. I'm definitely a "mad"and happy hatter right now--there are hats and flowers and fabric and trims all over my studio. I've never had more fun. I've even got a new fez design out for the menfolk!

FabMo is a wonderful non-profit that distributes interior design samples to the public that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

Add caption

Here are just a few of my upcoming shows. You can find my complete show schedule here on my website.

And....here is that fez I was talking about!

How to jazz up a styrofoam head

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Now that I'm working on a lot more millinery, and signing up for a lot more shows, I found I had a dilema: How do I display everything?

When I first started my business, I bought a couple of these painted mannequin heads and Halloween wigs to really jazz up my outdoor display, especially when I was out on Telegraph Avenue. It's all about getting attention, right? But they aren't really fitting in with the way my booth currently looks. It was time to try something new. It was time to mess around with a styrofoam wig head.

I only had one on hand, holding a wig in a vintage wig case. Somewhere, deep in my studio, was a box of old art supplies from my "let's try decoupage!" phase.

I also had a box of faux parchment paper. Just like in grade school, I began to rip it into strips and pieces. The varnish didn't work, by the way--not only had it separated into solid and not-solid, but, as I also realized from grade school, the sticky stuff needs to smell like glue! Thank goodness I did have the decoupage finish too, and it still had the right consistentency.

I glued on about two layers of the paper, going round and round until I was happy with how it looked. Tearing the paper definitely made a difference too since (again, more grade school memories!) the torn paper made a flatter seam. I also tore itty bitty pieces to go around the nose and mouth.

I highly recommend doing this over a pie pan since it's a wet, sticky mess. Had I done it on newspaper only, I suspect the newspaper would have been stuck all over the base of the head and it would have stained the table. I also liked the foam brush because it could hold a lot of the glue--after all, you want those paper strips to be pretty much soaked, right?

Here's a tip: don't do your nails the night before handling wet paper covered in glue. Your carefully painted digits will be covered in gobs of sticky, glue covered paper that loves to hang onto, and peel off, nailpolish. Ironically, I almost NEVER paint my fingernails since I work with my hands so much but I had a girly moment the night before. Ah, well. Live and learn.

The next day she was completely dry and I gave her a test run by setting her on a wig base (the base adds weight and stability) and displaying hats on her at a show. I've also started using her as my model for my photos:

I'm still figuring out the perfect combination of backdrop + display when I take photos, but this was definitely a good (and inexpensive!) solution to my display needs, and I like the vintagey look. I'll need to make about 5 more so I have a nice display at my next show. I'll do it right after I do my nails....

So you want to be an artisan who sells at craft shows...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 19:45:00 +0000

A bunch of new fascinators, ready to go!

Tomorrow I have to get up *before* the crack of dawn to get to Benicia for the Benicia Peddler's Fair so I decided to spend the morning getting everything ready for my booth. And I'm ready! This is amazing, actually, because usually I'm up late ironing, tagging, sorting. I hardly know what to do with myself (well, yes I do, but I'm taking a wee break). Knowing that not everyone has experienced the life of an artisan who sells at craft shows, let me give you a few tips if you are thinking of doing a craft show:

It takes a while, and I do mean at least a year or two, to get "everything" you need for your booth. You will be tweaking things as you go, getting rid of things that don't work, spending more money on nice fitted tablecloths. This is normal. Don't worry about everything not being perfect the first time. This is my umpteenth show and I still spent plenty of time worrying about things like how I'm going to set up my booth.
Bring water, snacks that aren't messy, and handwipes. You may not get many breaks so having snacks and water on hand might save you from the grumpies. And handwipes are essential--port-o-potties might be your least favorite thing in the world but sometimes you have no other options, or, the flushies have a line a mile and half long.
Engage with, but don't crowd or ignore your customers. Which would you rather see, a friendly face who greets you when you walk into their booth or someone who either a) won't look up from their book or b) follows you around, not letting you browse? When you are selling items that you have created, you are also selling who you are. It's better to be comfortable with that. (It's also a good idea to not take it personally if the entire world isn't buying your work. It just won't happen. And that's okay.)
Not every show will be The Best Show Ever. Some shows will be wonderful, some will be "meh" and some will be awful. The more you do this, the more you will find out about other shows. Talk to other vendors (when it's quiet) about shows they like. you will get a lot of tips this way. If you are on Etsy, join local teams and find out about shows in your area that you haven't heard of before. If you can, visit shows you might like to do the following year. Call it Marketing Research.
Have lots of business cards available that link to your website and give them out freely. Not everyone is a customer at the show, but they might be later.

This is only a partial list but I hope it's helpful! Now I think I'll double check that I have everything ready for tomorrow....

A little vintage swimsuit project

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:03:00 +0000

So I got invited to a vintage beach party recently and took it upon myself to make a whole new outfit because...well, I just love that kind of challenge, I wanted a vintage suit anyway, AND I dislike modern suits. A LOT. I also had to do this with a zero budget (now that's a challenge!) using only what I had in the stash. The good news is I have a pretty mighty stash....

I knew I was going to use a blue and white cotton gingham that has been sitting in the stash so first I started making the hat with a coordinating blue and white railroad stripe, machine embroidered with a cherry motif. The hat is blocked over a mini-pillbox fascinator base that I have, then wired, then covered with the ribbon and fabric. I know I'll wear this one again!

Next came the swimsuit challenge. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel and draft something from scratch so I pieced together a two piece suit inspired by the photo above using patterns in the stash. I was going for "pin-up-ish," not historically pristine. My first attempt at making a halter style top was a disaster--the pattern I had from the 1970's didn't fit my body in any way at all. I mean, seriously the craziest fit I have ever seen on a standardized commercial pattern! Not wanting to waste time trying to make it fit, I chucked it and grabbed the top of a modern halter dress pattern that I know and love, McCall's 4826 (sadly discontinued) and whipped up that top in the blue check with red piping. Whew!

The swimsuit bottoms were a LOT of fun to make. Historically suits were not made out of the swimsuit fabric we have today, they were often made out of woven materials. I just happened to have a swimsuit pattern from the 1970's that was made for woven fabrics and HAS BUILT IN BLOOMERS!! I have wanted to make this one for years. Here's what the bloomers looked like before everything was assembled:

Recognize the fabric? It was leftover from this project. And yes, I did embroider the cherries onto the leg of the swimsuit too, I just felt like being kind of matchy-matchy that way.

So what was it like wearing a vintage, non-stretchy swimsuit? It certainly took a little getting used to, but being used to wearing historical costumes that change the way you move (or how much you can physically move) I just felt that I needed to treat it the same way. And actually, I was quite comfortable with the amount of coverage, and the fact that I could sit comfortably knowing that my bloomers were keeping me from accidentally flashing anyone. The only thing I wasn't used to was how long it took to dry after a dip in the pool but that wasn't too big a deal on a hot day.

Here's the whole outfit! Would I wear it again? Sure! And it wouldn't even have to be to a "vintage" event, I'd wear this instead of a modern suit any day.

Commedia Costume: Guerilla Costuming #2

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:33:00 +0000

So I've got the hat and the pants done, now it's time to make the short cape and the doublet. The cape is super easy, I just grabbed a Halloween costume pattern and chopped off about 6 inches along the hem to make it more practical and to fit Chris better. More zillions of fiddly bits of ribbon were sewn on but the construction was easy.

Here's our darling Brighella again, so we can refer back to him

Now the doublet I had to think about a bit more. This is one of the challenges of working with a drawing--who knows how it really fit? Did the artist know anything about clothing construction? Luckily for me, the look of Brighella is iconic (white costume, green trim, etc.) so all I really had to do was capture the look, this wasn't going to be Super Period Correct anyway since it's meant for the stage. And had to be washable. And comfortable....

I decided to work with a zip-up sweatshirt pattern to get the overall basic boxy shape. None of my other men's costume or garment patterns were as basic as this one:

I was at first a little concerned about using a pattern designed for a knit but I think it had enough ease and a boxy enough fit that it wasn't much of an issue. I pretty much used all of the pieces as they were but I removed the hood and reshaped the front to look more like the portrait by creating a soft v-neck and bringing the waist down to a point. And then came more fiddly bits of ribbon:

Now, this pattern didn't have facings so I created my own by tracing the front and neckline of the back about 3 inches in from the edge and adding seam allowance. The rest of the construction was super easy since there weren't too many pieces AND it fit well once Chris got home and could try it on. (yay!) And even with such a tight deadline, I managed to get everything put together and pressed long before we had to leave for Lake Tahoe, all I had to in the car was sew on the buttons and clip all of the threads I left dangling everywhere.

Here's Chris, in the morning of first weeked. By the second weekend we had a black belt and a pouch but I realized that belting the doublet shortened it up too much (it ended up looking a wee too short anyway, even though it was technically the right length) so at some point, before the next show, I'm going to reshape the hemline of the doublet and add a peplum to give it more length.

And yes, of course I had to wash the whole thing (except for the hat) after each weekend since the dust just JUMPED onto the white fabric at every opportunity. But I'm okay with that, we took that into consideration and the fabric naturally is slightly off-white so I think it will start slowly building a dusty patina over time that's totally acceptable for an actor's costume. I mean really, the costume is being worn under the same conditions it would have been 500 years ago, right?

Here's the whole gang the second weekend doing a song set:

I would like to say I'm done with Guerilla Costuming for a while, but I have a feeling there will be plenty more opportunites in the near future! Chris is a happy camper though, and that made the big rush all worth it.

Non-Costuming PSA: Kitty Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Here's a story that just tugs at my former Kitty Mom heartstrings:

My friend Holly and her finance recently found a stray kitty near their home. The poor kitty was starving and has needed medical attention to help her get back on her sweet little feet. They are fostering Annapurrna until she is well enough to find a permanent loving home. To help pay the vet bills, they are selling some kitty-themed items in Holly's Etsy shop. (And while you are there, check out Holly's amazing Tarot artwork...!)

Here's a bit more about Annapurrrna:

She appears to be around 10 years old, all white with gold eyes. She was starving and emaciated, with matted fur and a weeping eye infection when we found her. We brought her to the vet for a physical exam and got her some antibiotics and eye cream, then brought her home and have been feeding and loving her for several days. She has tested negative for Feline Leukemia and FHIV, but has elevated thyroid and will need lifelong medication to regulate it. She also has slightly elevated liver and kidney tests, which may (we hope) come down once her thyroid function normalizes.

Annapurrrna is very sweet and affectionate, gentle and well behaved. She loves belly scratches and curling up in warm laps! She is adventurous and likes to explore; she's a little timid around other animals but non-confrontational, and may well adapt just fine to being in a household with other pets. If you are interested in adopting her, please email me directly at hexkittenx [!at] gmail.com

**Any proceeds from this sale beyond the needs of Annapurrrna will be donated to the Berkeley Human Society: http://www.berkeleyhumane.org/

Vintage Sewing Exhibit at San Francisco International Airport

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Last month while on a business trip I happily stumbled upon this exhibit at SFO: Threading the Needle: Sewing in the Machine Age SFO often has really interesting exhibits that you can take a gander at while you shimmy down the movable walkway in the United domestic terminal. On the trip home I ditched traveling down the movable walkway and sauntered though the exhibit with my cell phone camera in one hand, wheeled luggage in the other. Here are a few of my favorites:

A lovely machine sewn bustle gown

Early Elna sewing machines

Sewing Birds! (I think I need to put one of these on my holiday wish list...)

Commedia Costume: Guerilla Costuming #1

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 22:11:00 +0000

The pants were super easy--just a basic pajama pant with zillions of bits of green trim along the outside legs. I put elastic in around the waist but now that Chris has worn them, I'll probably change the elastic out to something a bit more hefty than the pj elastic I used (I have a ton of it).

Now the hat I had to fuss with a bit more only because Chris and I were having a debate about how washable it could be. My personal preference would have been to use buckram along the brim, shaping it into a curve so that it looked more like the picture:

But Chris really didn't want to worry about it, he thought a Renaissance style flat cap would be just fine. And hopefully washable. However, I didn't like the way it looked with no shaping at all so I threw in a bit of millinery wire along the brim to make it a bit more structured. I also interlined the brim piece with a flat, synthetic batting to give it some body. I don't know that we will ever be able to wash it, but after the first weekend I was able to handwash some spots off of the crown. Compromise!

I used ye olde Renaissance Costuming book by Winter & Savoy to get some quick measurements going for this style of cap but the circle I cut for the crown turned out way too large, making the hat look cartoonish. Luckily, this was easily fixed by chopping off 2" all around the edge of the circle. Here's what I ended up with:

At this point, I decided to add the wire to the crown too just to help it keep it's shape.

I kept going all evening until Chris got home, not even waiting to try it on him because we were getting too close to the deadline. And guess what? When Chris tried it on it was a bit too big! Argh! Next time I'll use a brim from another pattern to make sure I've got the perfect size. But what could I do in the meantime? Ah, there are ways to get around potential pitfalls when you are Guerilla Costuming...

First, I flipped the edges of the gathered crown under and hand sewed it to the outside right along the wire edge. Next, I cut a circle out of muslin for the lining that was smaller than the outside circle so that when he wore it his head would hit the top of the lining and the hat would stay where it needed to be instead of sinking down. For this piece, I handsewed the gathered edge along the bottom of the brim along the wire line, covering the wire and also adding a bit of bulk. We decided this looked finished enough, there was no need to add a petersham band to the inside. When Chris tried it on again it fit fine--a little bit loose but that would be okay because it was perched on his head in the right place and he'd be wearing a mask anyway. Success!

Next: Guerilla Costuming continues...

All the world's a stage...and my husband is finally getting a new costume

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:50:00 +0000

My poor husband has long asked me to create costumes for him. As a performer, he has sewn out of necessity for years and well, really doesn't like doing it (that's putting it gently) even when I've helped him along the way. "I'd rather be your Ken doll!" he says. And honestly, over the years I didn't really have to worry about outfitting him from head to toe, he has a pretty good costume collection already or was able to pull something together with borrowed pieces.

But now I do get the opportunity to dress him from head to toe because this summer Chris' performance troupe, The Stark Ravens, is putting on an Italian Commedia and he needs a Brighella costume that looks like this:

We need to make the hat, the short cape, the trousers, and the doublet (jacket). A fairly easy project, in my opinion--not too many pieces, and the only fiddly bits are the crazy amount of green trim that will need to be applied.

Here is the fabric and trim we are using:

I just happened to have an entire 50 yard roll of green grosgrain ribbon in my stash that I didn't use on another project--score! The fabric is a mid-weight cotton twill but we are using the back side of it to give it a slightly more homespun look. Since there is no way to keep WHITE cotton clean at a dusty renaissance faire I pre-washed the fabric in warm water so that it can be washed again after being worn. I need to pre-wash some of the ribbon trim next since it's a cotton/rayon blend and I don't want to risk any color bleed. I'll wash it in a tub of warm, soapy water so I can see if any of the color is leaching.

The hat has been started, and I'm in the process of cutting out the pants using a basic commerical pajama pant pattern. Construction updates to come!

And yes, Chris is very happy that he finally gets to be my Ken doll. :)

Costume Academy 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:37:00 +0000

I'll be back this year teaching! The full skinny will be posted to the GBACG website soon, when registration opens. I'll also be there with my millinery supplies in the vendor hall. Costume Academy is a great, one-day event where you can take three 90 minute classes a day on different sewing and costume topics, do a little shopping, and talk shop and ideas with fellow costumers. I always leave inspired.

Here are my classes and some of the event information:

Millinery 101: Create a Buckram Base
Most fascinators begin with a wired buckram base. Learn how to create a round or teardrop shaped buckram base that can then be covered with yourfashion fabric and all of your fabulous trimmings. In the first part of class we'll talk about supplies and techniques. The second half of class will be hands-on: we will take a pre-blocked piece of buckram, cut it to shape, apply milliners wire and bias tape to get it ready for your fashion fabric. Lots of samples will be shown. This is also an exellent beginner
class for those who want to learn how to work with buckram.
Kit fee: $6

Kit includes handouts, pre-blocked buckram, millinery wire, wire joiner, bias tape.

Students should bring: Scissors for cutting buckram (not your best fabric scissors) a soft pencil or chalk marking tools, hand sewing needles, polyester or poly/cotton blend all-purpose thread in neutral colors, thimble, and wire cutters if they have them (there will be a couple of pairs available in class to use).

You can see what a teardrop base looks like in the photo above.

Creating Ribbon Flowers

Ribbon flowers can be used to decorate many, many costume pieces from hats to shoes to purses. Learn how to make basic three dimensional ribbon flowers and add a little floral punch to your costume collection. We will start with a demo and a discussion of materials. The rest of class will be spent creating 2 different types of ribbon flowers and one set of leaves.
Kit fee: $5

Kit includes handouts, ribbon for leaves and flowers, stamens, use of finishing supplies.

Students should bring a basic hand sewing kit with them to class and wire cutters if they have them (there will be a couple of pairs available in class to use).

Costume Academy will be held on March 4, 2012 at the ASUC MLK Student Union on the UC Berkeley campus. I'm not sure what the registration fees will be this year, so please keep your eye on the GBACG website. (and p.s., classes sell out quickly!)

Singing Fa La La La La, the holidays are coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:59:00 +0000

The Very Cupcake Dress is coming along, more on that in my next post! I spent last weekend at the Dickens site for workshops and dress rehearsal and it was just wonderful being back again after a two year hiatus. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dickens Fair, it's a big tradition out here in San Francisco where a big warehousey building at the Cow Palace gets transformed into Dickensian London and every night is Christmas Eve. If you go this year, say hi to me at the Adventurers Club where I will be playing feminist and activist Josephine Butler.

In other holiday news, Chris and I will be only be doing ONE show this year for the holidays: The San Francisco Arts Market in United Nations Plaza (near Civic Center) the first three Thursdays in December (12/1, 12/8, 12/15). Chris has done a bunch of new Glowees t-shirt and hoodie designs this fall but this one is my absolute favorite, a little bit of Alice in Wonderland. Glow in the dark, natch:

I've already got one in my size. I was first in line for that one!

I'll be bringing out my market bags and hair accessories. Unless the weather is really nasty, I'll have my hats on hand too. The photo above is of the two of us goofing off at a holiday sale last year at one of the Livermore wineries. Stay tuned for more dress diary fun--yes, there has been a whole lot of costuming going on...

The Very Cupcake Dickens Dress: Fitting

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:49:00 +0000

The dress is well underway! I've had to go about it in stages, doing things a bit backward like doing the sleeves and cutting out the skirt first, so that I could deal with whatever fitting was necessary when I had the time (and the corset on) to do it properly. I'm hoping that this way, it will all be a matter of fitting all of the pieces together and wham-o, I have a dress!

So onto the fitting...

This is my forth Martha McCain Simplicity Civil War-era gown so I'm very familiar with what fitting issues I needed to keep an eye out for. For me, it was mainly adding to the waist measurement (heck, I have to pretty much do that for EVERY pattern) and making sure everything fits well over my corset. I did have to drop the back neckline down a bit, it was very high and snug, not attractive. Here's what my mock-up ended up looking like:

I didn't want to cut away anything on the paper pattern so I snipped in to my new markings and folded the paper down to my new neckline before placing it on the fabric.

And check out these sleeves!

I wish I had enough of the plaid fabric to do a flounced skirt with cupcake ruffles around the hemline of the skirt but alas, I will just have a plain pleated skirt with green ribbon trim instead. Next: bodice construction...

Whooosh goes the blogger...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:48:00 +0000

Hello! It's been a while, it's true--I've been busy moving into my new house among other Life Stuff and had to take a short hiatus. I'll be back soon with my latest project: The Very Cupcake Dickens Dress. It's well underway and the clock is ticking!

In the meantime, I found this wonderful link to the hat collection at the Met. Thanks to a member of the Milliners on Etsy team! I haven't even had time to look at them all, there are that many!

Buckram, buckram, who has the buckram?

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Well, I do, actually! Just got in a whole roll of 30" wide white buckram AND a whole roll of 60" wide BLACK buckram! I just blocked a bit of the black for a fascinator base and now my mind is swirling in all sorts of fun directions.

Both will be up on the Lulu Deux Millinery websites shortly but I will have both at the GBACG Costumers Bazaar this Sunday. The black buckram is $10.99 a yard, the white buckram is $5.75 a yard.

Getting Rid of Gaposis

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:32:00 +0000

I was flipping through the August edition of Marie Claire magazine and came across a column called "Big Girl in a Skinny World" that talked about plus-size fitting issues with store bought dress shirts. I hoped the article would give some actual fit advice, but it was mostly touting various brands rather than actual fit issues. I thought this puzzling, especially since certain fit issues can pretty much apply to everyone, not just a plus-size woman. And really, a plus-size is not a body type, it's just a size category. Everyone has their own, special body type that can be made even lovelier in any garment THAT FITS WELL. Harumph. So, I thought I'd write and share my own experience and tips for making button-down blouses so that those of us who sew won't have to settle for gaposis any more. I mean, we can't just buy knit tops forever, right?

I'm not a plus-size, but I've had issues with button-down blouses for most of my adult life. I can rarely, if ever, just buy one off the rack and have it look good so it's usually something I have to make (goshdarnit). Why? Well, let's see, I'm taller than the wee 5'5" clothing average, and although I'm of an average bust size I tend to be a bit fuller around the rib cage and waist than the standard measurements. (One magazine called my body type the "chili pepper" and I think that sums it up nicely!) The result? 99% of blouses that I try on have horrid gaposis, are often too short, and are, therefore, unwearable. Now, you could say, why not buy a bigger size? I could, but often the shoulder area is too big and that lovely tailored blouse turns way frumpy on me. So I have to make them, and here's the plan I follow:

First of all, you have to know your figure and what fit issues always come up with commercial patterns. For me, I usually just automatically let out the side seams a bit (especially if the seams are curved in at the waist) and, if there are darts, either make them smaller or remove them altogether. I always have to do this for anything slightly fitted. It's just automatic. You want enough ease around the rib cage, bust, and waist area that you don't see any pulling. I also will often add an inch or so to the length because I also don't want to be tugging at the darn blouse all day.

But the secret, once I've got the torso modified, is in the button placement. You must make sure that there is a button right at the apex (yup, that's the nipple line) and then refigure the placement of the rest of the buttons. I use that handy little tool there for this. Take a look at the picture of our lovely 1950's lady above to get an idea of what I mean, see where the apex button placement is? Do this, and the blouse will fit much, much, much better! I will also often add a button or two if I think they are spaced too far apart, especially on anything that hugs the body or that I've added length to.

Now that's just me and how I work out my own fit issues but the button placement is universal. The next time you go blouse shopping, take a look at where the apex button is when you try on the blouse. And please, don't wear a sports bra when shopping for blouses, wear the bra you'll wear with it because that changes the apex placement too. :)

For fitting commerical patterns, I really recommend Sandra Betzina's book Fast Fit. There was also a recent article on BurdaStyle about fitting clothing that can be found here. It includes lots of links and book reviews of other books on fitting patterns.

Absurdly droolworthy flickr pool: House of Worth

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:31:00 +0000

1887 evening gown front view, originally uploaded by charleybrown77.

You know you are a costumer when a friend shares a flickr pool like this on Facebook and you spend the next 30 minutes looking through it when you ahem, should be working on business-related web stuff. (But there are 165 photos!!!)

I love this dress because it is my favorite color, chartreuse. That, and I love the way the style details make the wearer look like she has a teeny tiny waist: The pleated sheer fabric that drapes along the shoulder and outside bustline, the center panel, the slight hip padding...(Note to self, copy this!)

The 1900-ish gowns are also lovely, lovely, lovely. Oh I do love that period.

GBACG Costumers Bazaar

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:28:00 +0000

The Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild Costumers Bazaar is coming up in August! I'll be there with my millinery wire, ribbon, Lulu Deux and Lulu's Room merchandise and assorted other costume and vintage bits. This is a great place to pick up new and gently used costume pieces from talented GBACG members.

Location: Albany Veterans' Memorial Building
1325 Portland Ave., Albany, CA 94706 - Map and Driving Directions
Parking is available on the street
Sunday, August 28th, 2011 -- 1:00pm – 5:00pm
For more information:
http://gbacg.org/current/costumers-bazaar-11.html

Resource for costumers, milliners, reenactors...heck, any student of history!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:00:00 +0000

From: Art in costume design: practical suggestions for those interested in art, sewing, history and literature(1920)

Recently I stumbled across a site containing scans of lots and lots of old dressmaking and millinery books from the early part of the last century and older. Wow. They also have antique and vintage magazines and cookbooks scanned and saved to the site. Double Wow. Grab a cup of tea, wine, or (insert your beverage of choice here), and enjoy cruising through the site for a while, it's well worth it!

Check out all of these little gems here by The Human Ecology Collection at the University of Wisconsin. Thank you, University of Wisconsin, for bringing all of these wonderful historical resources to interwebs. :)

I love reading vintage books on how to dress, and there are a few on this site. The one I'm currently flipping through is called Clothes That Count and How To Make Them (1923). How could you not love advice like, "Clothes properly managed will transform a plain nonentity into a character to be reckoned with"? Those poor, plain nonentities were obviously in need of this book....

And speaking of wigs...

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:39:00 +0000

My friend Kendra is now offering her FABULOUS 18th century wig-making skills to the public. Not only does she create her own wigs to wear to events, she's taught workshops on building the pouf. Her blog page with all of the info can be found here

Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

Pirates' Ball and the Big Hair Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Last Saturday night was the Pirates' Ball in Benicia. Chris and I were vending there so we had to try and figure out what to wear that would be comfortable for 8 hours but still allow us to look "piratey." I did my hair at home, figuring that I could just add the tricorne when were done setting up. This is my new wig!

This was my first attempt at really working a wig into my hairline instead of using hair pieces or plopping my blond wig down way over my (very red) hairline. I bought the Lacey "Wavy Showgirl" wig and hacked away at a lot of the side curls so that I had more of that hedgehog look of the 1780s. I was going for a look similar to this portrait of Mrs. Siddons, painted by Gainsborough circa 1783-1785:

Here's another photo of me at the Ball. I wish I had a photo of the long back curls because they looked really, really cute!

Note that I'm just wearing my stays and a "poet" blouse. The polka dot thingie is my vendor apron. What you don't see are my jeans and a pair of lace up boots that I knew would be comfy enough to load our gear in, stand in, and tear down in.

So, how did I do my hair?

First, I gave the wig a haircut (but saved all of the bits for future projects) and teased the top and sides out a bit so that it looked fluffy.
On the day of the event, I used a big crimping iron on my bangs and the front and sides of my hair to give lots of wavy volume.
My big challenge was that I needed to anchor that wig to my hair so that the hat could anchor to my wig and everything would be hunky dory and not slip around for 8+ hours. I took the top half of my uncurled hair, gave myself little pigtails, and wound the hair elastic around so that I had flat little knobs of hair that I could jam a bobby pin into and not have it slip out. Then I did the same with the rest of my hair down the back, pinned it high up on my head into a little pigtail knob. This would also help to give the top and upper back of the wig a little volume.
Next, I put the wig on and bobby pinned it to my scalp along the front, in the middle where those knobs of hair were, and along the base of my neck. My curled front hair and bangs were left sticking out.
Here's the part where you need lots of hairspray! I'm a child of the 80's so when you need to make your big hair stay in place, you break out the AquaNet Extra Super Hold. Take your hair, work it up along the wig line with a bit of the wig hair, and spray the snot out of it. Seriously. My hair only touches my shoulders now but I had to pin the longer side pieces into the sides of the wig in a way that you couldn't really see the ends. I suppose in the future I could try to curl my hair into ringlets if I don't want the length.
The tricorne stayed on wonderfully over the well-anchored wig all night. It has an elastic band you bury into the hairline along with a comb in the back to anchor it to the hair.

I had dyed my hair a little too dark two days before the event but in the mood lighting you couldn't really tell. Since people kept asking me how I got my hair to do that I think everything must have worked pretty well for my first real attempt at playing with a wig!

Here's one of my favorite photos from the evening, taken under Chris' blacklights. It has nothing to do with costuming whatsoever but we were having fun using the "night" setting on the camera to see if we could make his glowees glow on the camera. Apparently it works for poet blouses and 18th century stays too. :)

For more great 18th century wig and hair tutorials, check out this post at American Duchess or Kendra's wig tutorial on demodecouture.com.

Yarrrr! It's Pirate Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:42:00 +0000

I'll be vending at the Pirates' Ball on Saturday night (Pirate Festival is also this weekend!) and have been busy building up my stock. It feels GREAT to be spending so much time in the studio again. Here's the rundown on a few of the things I finished this week that will be available for sale this weekend:

New tricorne, back view

New tricorne, front view. The synthetic patent leather was a good challenge for me because, since you can't steam through it when you do the buckram shaping I had to rethink just how I was going to construct the hat and get the results I was looking for. I wound up doing the brim shaping first and in the process figured out a few new techniques that I can apply to future hats. Double bonus!

Organdy flower madness. Next I'm making one in RED

A bouquet of flowers, Lulu style

I didn't get my personal sewing done in time (hello life stuff) but it's not a big deal, I've got a fun little outfit planned that I'm looking forward to wearing and (gasp!) it's not even period. Well, okay, the stays are but that'll be about it! Hopefully I'll have some photos to post next week.

The Lodger Shakespeare: His Life on Silver Street

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:35:00 +0000

Recently I was on a business trip that required a LOT of driving--about 300 miles each way from the airport to the destination and back again. How do I keep from dying of boredom since I can't sew, read, or work on my laptop like I would if I were flying? I run to the library (I'm a big library groupie) and grab a book on CD. For me, novels can be a little hard to follow while driving on unfamiliar roads so I prefer something non-fiction. For my last trip, I picked up: The Lodger Shakespeare: His Life on Silver Street

What a fun book!

The book is full of all of the characters who made up Shakespeare's circle during his time living on Silver Street in London. I LOVE social history so the descriptions of people, their occupations, and daily lives meshing with the theater and writers of the day made for some pretty fun listening. For example, one of the main figures of the book, Christopher Mountjoy is a "tyre maker," a maker of ladies headpieces, so there is a lot of fascinating description of that industry and the status (or appearance of status) of having such "tyre." Yay for unexpected costuming information!

There is also quite a bit about prostitutes at all levels of society and how they lived and worked which always makes for colorful reading. According to Nicholl, prostitutes were such regular figures at the various theaters that they could be seen mouthing the words of the play while looking for customers. If that hasn't been made into a scene in a movie about Shakespearean theater, someone totally needs to jump on that.

I admit that since I wasn't "reading" and sometimes had to turn my attention away from listening that there are some things that I missed. This certainly isn't the most analytical of reviews, but if you are looking for a little Shakespearean London for a long-car-trip or summer reading, it's definitely worth a listen. I might grab it again for my next trip!