History in my Wardrobe

Costume Research - where is it taking me?

2012-02-27T10:35:00.002+11:00

Where do you go to learn about historical costumes? Does it fill your life the way it does mine? When I am not minding the family, tending my garden and pets, organising dances and festivals and working my part time job at the local University - I am always thinking/dreaming/planning about historical clothing. Wondering how certain garments were made, how that trim was created, where to get that fabric. Late at night when I am not sewing I am scanning in patterns and blowing up to size, using my technique documented here or browsing other costumers' diaries in google reader and live journal. In 2009 and 2011 I travelled overseas to attend costume conferences and study tours, and am already planning another study tour in 2013. I've taken copious photos that I am able to use in further research.
With all this knowledge filling my head I want to make and share. I want to make all these lovely gowns and I want to share my love of historical costumes with others. I have set up my studio to teach small workshops of 4-6 people and am putting together a calendar for 2012 and am teaching a variety of workshops at Jane Austen Festival Australia in April. My biggest problem is working out what people want to learn in the workshops - what I want to share is not necessarily what they are interested in. So, I ask here, what would you like to do in a 2-day weekend workshop?

Example of a bonnet I'll be teaching you to make in a short workshop at JAFA 2012

Italian Renaissance Project

2012-02-25T08:57:00.000+11:00

On the 18th February we performed two hours of Italian Renaissance dance on stage at the National Gallery of Australia. It was a mix of display and participation dances, and I couldn't believe how many of the audience wanted to join in. Fantastic vibes!
We have two more shows on the 2 & 3 of March - so if you're near Canberra, do come and join us at 7pm each night.
And yes, we made all the costumes from my attic stash! And that's me in the red dress :)

Evolution of the Regency Spencer?

2012-02-24T10:25:00.002+11:00

I've heard it said that the Earl of Spencer singed the tails of his tail-coat while standing beside a fire and then cut off the ends, unwittingly starting a new fashion. Or was it? Looking at these pictures of an early spencer from 1795 at http://www.abitiantichi.it/collezione/abiti/corpino25.html makes me wonder - was it simply evolution?

High Court tribute to Dickens

2012-02-13T10:50:00.003+11:00

We danced at a tribute to Charles Dickens at the High Court yesterday. A snippet was played on the ABC news at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-12/legal-luminaries-pay-tribute-to-dickens/3825828?section=act

Regency Spencer

2012-02-06T21:18:00.000+11:00

I love this little silk spencer with its embroidered flowers - and being able to find a cotton velvet to match made it extra special.

My main difficulty with this project was the embroidered flowers - they were very thick and caused havoc in seams.

I used the Sensibility Spencer Pattern - and would recommend it to others for its ease in making.

I have the bonnet, now I need to make a spencer.

Regency Bonnet

2012-02-06T21:08:00.002+11:00

This is the pictorial diary of the makings of my latest regency bonnet, made to match my spencer. I will be teaching others how to make this bonnet at the 2012 Jane Austen Festival Australia in April.

Why indoor soccer? Well, our son was a member of the ACT Disabilities Team in the
Australian Championships in January - so I was sewing this bonnet in the front row!

1812 Regency Tailcoat, December 2011

2012-02-06T20:40:00.001+11:00

I originally planned to diary the making of this 1812 Tailcoat. I started with the best of intentions in May 2011, but life intervened - in the name of overseas travel.

I must say that this coat is the most international garment in my collection. It started life in my Yarralumla studio, and then proceeded to be completely handsewn across the US, Canada, England and Denmark. Starting a new job as soon as I returned from my travels delayed its completion until December 2011.

So I apologise that I do not have the "makings" of this coat - but I do have the memories of sewing it in wonderful locations, surrounded by friendly dancing folk across the world.

To read my research into men's regency garments, please follow the "DPP2011" tag.

John wearing the blue wool 1812 tailcoat in December 2011.

First toile

Adjusting the shoulder seams.

Ready, set, go!

Starting pad stitching

Silk-lined sleeves

Vintage Curls

2012-01-27T15:57:00.003+11:00

I love this vintage curling video. I have very fine hair and look forward to seeing if it will work the next time I have a dance display.

Scaling Patterns with Photoshop & Adobe Acrobat Pro

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000+11:00

I opened up my copy of Jean Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage & Screen 1800-1909 today planning to scale up some Regency dress sleeves.
I am already aware the patterns are an approximate size 12, my size, so I didn't expect to have to change much.
My dilemma was that I didn't want to spend much time blowing it up, and I could not photocopy the book or enlarge it on a photocopier. All I had to hand was my iPhone, an A4 printer, Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
What I worked out was not rocket science, but it was fast, simple and achievable in less than 30 minutes.

I took a photo of the pattern piece I was planning to scale up.
Uploaded the photo to my computer.
Opened the picture in Photoshop.
Cropped the picture tightly.
Counted how many squares across it was - the scale is one square = one inch.
Opened up image size and made sure the width measurement of the image matched what I wanted to scale it to.
Saved the image as a .jpg.
The I opened up Adobe Acrobat Pro - I use Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro.
I opened the jpg in Adobe Acrobat Pro [file - open - show all files - file name]
Then I printed it all out, single sided, black & white: file - print - tile all pages - tile scale 100% - overlap 0.005 in - + cut marks.

Then I trimmed the pages and stuck them together with tape. Now I get to play with fabric!

Challenging Projects

2012-01-19T09:23:00.000+11:00

From 23 April 2012 I'm running a Challenging Historical Sewing Series on Monday evenings. The price is being kept low, numbers small and there will be an expectation that we diary our progress and avoid procrastination. This is where you bring out the gorgeous photos or fashion prints and start making! We don't teach, we support each other. For more information see http://aylwen.blogspot.com/p/classes.html

2012 Regency Sewing Classes

2012-01-15T18:08:00.000+11:00

2012 Historical Sewing Class Schedule

Yarralumla, ACT

Beginners Regency Sewing with Aylwen Gardiner-Garden [max. 4 students]
Over 6 evening sessions Aylwen will teach you the basic sewing skills that will enable you to go on and build your own Regency wardrobe. You will learn how to read a commercial pattern and get your correct size. You will begin with a cotton regency dress.
Cost $165. Thursday evenings from February 2nd: 6pm – 8.30pm

Beyond Beginners Dressmaking with Aylwen Gardiner-Garden [max. 4 students]
This series is designed for those who have mastered the basics, know how to sew straight, finish seams but need help with reading instructions, pattern layout and sewing techniques. In this class you will construct a Spencer incorporating some of the following techniques:- buttonholes, facing and other techniques not learnt in the introduction class.
Cost $165. Thursday evenings from March 8th: 6pm – 8.30pm

Easter School Holiday Sewing with Aylwen Gardiner-Garden - Monday 23 April-Friday 27 April
5 fun sessions from 2.30pm - 5.00pm over 5 days. Aylwen will guide and encourage beginner sewers through the finer points of making a Regency chemisette and reticule. Pattern included.
Cost $165 (Students will need to be competent with their own machine.)

2-day pre-festival Regency bonnet making workshop 31 March - 1 April 2012
Includes pattern and materials. Please bring your own sewing kit and packed lunch.

KCI Dress Project [5]

2012-01-06T00:16:00.000+11:00

Not much to report tonight. I've measured the 6cm wide bias ruffle to be 245cm long on each row, then will gather to the skirt circumference.

I've started the slow progress of sewing the rolled hem by hand.

The blue killerton dress [part 1]

2012-01-05T13:38:00.002+11:00

Before I post my new research on this gown, here is my research from 2009 that I posted in my Live Journal.

Dec. 29th, 2009 at 7:54 PM

For some time I've been planning this dress, and over time have collected enough close-up images both from Killerton House and from Gwendolyn Basala, who saw the dress at Killerton House long enough to take a few sketches that she has shared with me. You can see her version of this gorgeous dress at www.gwendolynbasala.com/portfolio/1820_Ball-Gown.html [dead link]
For a long time I've hesitated as the hem was missing in the photo that was in my copy of The Art of Dress.
Surely with such decoration up top there must have been an elaborate hem? I still can't believe the discrepancy in colour from the photo below to my new photos.
The answer: yes, it is elaborate, it is gorgeous, and I have a picture at last! I may even do the skirt first, as the bodice looks like taking me a long time, and I'm bursting to share this hem with you!

koshka_the_cat recommended this lace for another regency project of mine and I think it will be perfect with the sleeves:

Dress Research:
Colour: The dress is blue, not the purple shown in all the pictures.

Skirt Hem: The hem is padded with wool wadding. Decoration is shown here.

The front bodice is decorated with a piped design that I call roleaux. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'd love to work out a simple way to make and apply this decoration. At the moment I'm looking at a two-part method of rolling the bias and whipping it closed, and then attaching it to the bodice.

On closer up viewing, I believe the two step process to be the way it was originally done. How impatient we get in these days of machinery! This image shows where the stitching is coming apart in the piping.

The front bodice is darted, as shown here:

I've just spent the afternoon calculating yardages and drawing up sleeve patterns and hem templates. This will be a big job - the piping alone will be 22m - just over 834". I'm really tempted to use my sewing machine for this!

Fabric Needed: 6 yards
Piping: 1.25 yds using the method shown at pir8.freeservers.com/quilting/CBT/ with the left over used to make the roleaux for the bodice decoration.
Skirt: 3 yards assuming 100" round and my fabric is 44" wide, plus I have a personal preference to dupion slubs running vertically.
Bodice & Sleeves: not sure yet, but may get 1 3/4 yards to do these, the triangles and the buttons, plus spare in case of emergencies. After this any left will be used for bonnet and reticule.

I've found some 44" wide silk dupion that looks close, as close as I'll get considering I haven't had a chance to see the dress in person and am relying on other people's photos. I'd prefer fabric without the slubs but can't find anything else close in colour. The biggest questions for me now is "will this colour look ok on me?", and what colour spencer to wear with it? I don't think my brown camel spencer will suit. This dress will be suitable to wear for the National Jane Austen Festival.

Specifications:
Sleeves: 214" piping, 40" x 2.5" wide lace. I'll make a mock-up sleeve before I scan the pattern. I'm using Jean Hunnisett's book as a guide for the sleeve.
Neckline: 50" trim, self-piped on both sides, plaited. 100" of piping
Hem: approx. 40 triangles (20 in each row), 520" piping around all sides.
Buttons: 1/2" discs, still to count.
Bodice Trim: Will try using 1/2" wide bias, rolled and whip stitched to see if it is the same size as in my
pictures.

Pattern:
I plan to use a simple rectangular-ish outline for the bodice piece - there are darts at the bottom of the bust allowing for the slight gathering at the neckline. The darts need to be done before I start the embroidery.

Using commercial patterns successfully

2012-01-05T12:15:00.001+11:00

Have you used a commercial sewing pattern and bemoaned the finished product? Have you looked at someone wearing a 'homemade' dress and wondered why it looked a mess? Have you looked at someone else and wondered who made their gorgeous clothing - they couldn't have made it themselves!
Using a pattern is not the secret to good sewing. Research is the answer.
Before you cut out a pattern you should do as much research as you can. Look for examples of the dress on other people, particularly people with your body shape. The finished product may be shown on a slim young girl - it will not look the same on a well-padded hourglass figure! Make sure you know the correct undergarments to be worn under the garment. Visit the pattern company's website and see if they have online pictorial step-by-step pattern instructions. Look for online dress diaries. Look at who is recommending the patterns - send them an email and ask them why they are recommending the pattern. Ask them why they are 'not' recommending other patterns.
Because of the power of the internet I have chosen not to list the pattern companies I do not recommend. There are some out there that I would not use for certain eras, yet these companies do have some patterns that I have found very useful.
I do however, recommend patterns that I am currently using. Because I teach and sew for a living, I have to be careful of copyright. I have permission from some patten companies to use their patterns, and don't have permission from others. Because of this, I try to steer away from using companies I don't have permission from. I'm not saying I don't admire their patterns, its just safer for me to use the ones I have permission from.
At the moment I am using the Sensibility pattern range - and sell them as well. Jennie Chancey has given me permission to use these patterns in my classes, for my dance display troupe and for small-scale commercial production.
I have heard different reactions from people both in Australia and overseas. Some people love Jennie's patterns and others tear them to shreds. Quite often I hear people complain about lack of historical accuracy - and I'd like to refute this claim. If you have purchased one of Jennie's patterns you will receive an instruction booklet - inside this booklet is the historical background of the pattern. If you are not satisfied with Jennie's research, she is online and happy to answer your questions. Others have mentioned problems with the patterns - please report your problems to Jennie. She is eager to hear from you - and will correct a pattern if it is at fault. She has an "ooops" page on her website with all corrections listed, and pdfs to be downloaded with the corrected piece. She then makes the correction to the next batch of patterns to be sent out.
Also ask yourself - when was this pattern released and what was the market asking for? No matter how historically accurate you wish a pattern to be, does the market want it yet? Jennie's first pattern came out when asking people to wear a "push-up" bra was as much as you could expect of the market. Now people are asking for more accuracy, so Jennie has brought out a pattern to be worn over stays and chemises, plus a pattern for undergarments.

This article is a work in progress and contains my thoughts without any edits or corrections.

KCI Dress Project [4]

2012-01-04T23:40:00.000+11:00

I haven't been able to spend as much time on this project as I'd wished, but am spending a few hours every evening.
Late this evening I cut out the front and back skirts from the Sensibility Regency Dress pattern. I'm very lucky that the length of the skirts on the pattern are perfect for my height.
I made a cardboard template with the hem ruffle measurements, then chalked them on across both skirt pieces. Getting four rows of ruffles to sit neatly will be a challenge.
I have cut out the bias ruffles, so tomorrow's job will be to hem them, then attach piping and start applying them to the skirt.

Front and back skirts.

Chalk markings for ruffles

KCI Dress Project [3]

2012-01-04T09:12:00.002+11:00

Matching up fabrics is difficult. I spent a lot of time online searching through fabric.com - I put the word "stripe" into the search box and proceeded to browse through hundreds of striped fabrics.

Last week I was hunting through my attic and found these fabrics. I'm thinking of using the blue fabric for piping and contrast.

My client loves this fabric, so the ballgown version of the KCI Gown will use this berry and gold fabric. Today the fabric supplier confirmed they could match the berry for a contrast fabric for the bodice.

KCI Dress Project [2]

2012-01-03T11:08:00.001+11:00

I plan to use a commercial pattern for this gown. I have learnt so much from following other costumers dress diaries - and want to make it easy for others to replicate this gown if they like my version.
Who better to ask than Jennie Chancey from Sensibility Patterns? She has two regency patterns on the market that I can play around with.
Her advice was to:

Use the drawstring bodice from the Elegant Lady's Closet, as it looks like the fabric beneath all the trimmings on this is gathered, and you get the wider, rounder neckline with the ELC. However...
Use the Regency Gown skirt, which has the smooth front. You'll simply gather the drawstring bodice to fit it, which means...
Make the gown tie or fasten up in back (also original Regency Gown pattern).
My short ballgown sleeves from the Elegant Lady's Closet look like these. You can use the long sleeve pattern to add the undersleeve-style attachment inside the cuff.

18th Century Stays - when I first started out

2012-01-02T18:51:00.000+11:00

I've had an interesting seven years making 18th century stays. When I started out I found it hard to find any online tutorials, no one near me had ever made any - all I had for reference were my books - and the one I found most useful was Costume Close Up.

I devoured this book and learnt so much, and was so excited when I got to meet the author, Linda Beaumgarten, in person in Williamsburg in March 2011.

My first challenge was making the pattern fit me, and my large hips. After a few unsuccessful toiles, I ordered the JP Ryan strapless stays pattern. That was one of the best decisions I've made, as Janice has drafted up a wonderful pattern that is adaptable to ALL body types. If you are just starting out, I thoroughly recommend this pattern. The pink stays below were size 16 bust, 18+ hips - and the pattern they came from was a Size 14!

My 2011 stays - Size 12/14
silk brocade-duck interlining-linen lining-leather binding

My journey is not over - I have lost more weight and am making new stays. I just need to find the time!

Regency Undergarments

2012-01-01T14:32:00.001+11:00

Most regency women wore a set of stays underneath their gowns. They were either short stays or a fuller body stay with cording for strength. They supported the body and lifted the bust but did not bring in the waist - that was to come during the Victorian period.
Stays were worn over a short-sleeved chemise made of either cotton or linen depending on the district/town/country you lived in, the crops that were grown or where your fabric was imported from. Over the stays was worn a bodiced petticoat, followed by a chemisette and day dress for daytime wear and by a gown for balls. Chemisettes were not worn with ballgowns and often a short or sleeveless chemise was used with short sleeved ballgowns. Regency women valued their fair skin and took particular care to keep their skin from burning.
Below are some examples of extant undergarments.

Chemisette, c.1800-25 Snowshill Collection, Gloucestershire UK
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1349950

Chemisette, c.1800 Killerton House UK
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1360127

Early 19C Linen Chemise
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/shift-118902

French, worn in America, about 1821
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-shift-49989

Early 19C Stays
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/stays-50004

Early 19th Century Petticoat, source unknown

Early 19C Bodiced Petticoat
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-underdress-49958

Early 19C Pocket
http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woman-s-pocket-324224

Early 19C Drawers 1810-20, image courtesy http://regencysa.proboards.com/

If you want to make your own there is an excellent pattern for Regency Undergarments that you can purchase or download as an e-pattern from Sensibility Patterns. Ready-made Regency/Napoleonic Era undergarments can be purchased online from Regency Reproductions.

English Dance Week 10-12 April 2012

2011-12-31T21:44:00.000+11:00

My favourite past time is dancing - without dancing everything pales into insignificance. My love of historical clothing came about because of dancing. In April 2012 we are organising two events in Canberra, an English Dance Week followed by the Jane Austen Festival. I do so hope you can join us! Click on the poster below to see a larger image that is easier to read. Registrations are limited - tickets can be bought online at http://edhda.eventbrite.com

Janet Arnold's archive material online at last!

2011-12-30T23:18:00.001+11:00

And many thanks to fiofiorina for this news: At the 2008 Costume Colloquium Mary Westerman Bulgarella, Santina Levy, Thessy Schönholzer Nichols and Roberta Orsa Landini handed over crates and crates of Janet Arnold's archive material to the Sopraintendenza of the Pitti Palace Costume Gallery, with the promise of this being digitalised. Here is the digitalised archive, at least parts of it, as the work isn't finished yet.

http://archiviomedici.costume-textiles.com/cerca_lecture.asp?clect=1

To access the pictures in colour (not dimly lit as in the Galleria) go to "Lectures".

http://archiviomedici.costume-textiles.com/imgarchivio/L.I.12.jpg

Regency Chemisette

2011-12-30T22:45:00.000+11:00

Today I started on the underpinnings for a new project for a client - a full regency wardrobe. It includes a chemise, pantalettes, stays, petticoat, chemisette, day dress, spencer, open robe, ball gown, reticule and bonnet. Yes, this is the project with the KCI-inspired ball gown.
I'm rather pleased with the chemisette. It is mostly hand stitched - a necessity with the very sheer linen as it kept wanting to move around. I had more control over it by hand stitching. When I finished I couldn't see the stitches!

You can make your own copy of this chemisette by using the Sensibility Undergarments Pattern or order one from Regency Reproductions.

Chemisette, c.1800 Killerton House UK
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1360127

KCI Dress Project

2011-12-28T21:18:00.000+11:00

My KCI Dress Project is a 2-part project. The first part of the project is to make a ballgown inspired by the trimmings of this gown. The ballgown will duplicate the bodice puff decoration, have short puffed sleeves and only two rows of flounces on the skirt. The second part of the project is to make a gown as similar to this gown as possible.

Summary of the existing dress at http://www.kci.or.jp/archives/digital_archives/detail_59_e.html: the existing gown is made of a brown and blue striped silk taffeta. It has a separate jacket and dress, matching belt, silk taffeta cording and puff decoration on the bodice and four rows of flounces on the bottom of the skirt.

Left cuff

bodice and sleeve details

Rows of flounces, piped

Slightly padded hem

right sleeve cuff

Close-up of the bodice trim

Looking after and using your sewing patterns

2011-12-28T17:29:00.001+11:00

I have collected a vast number of historical sewing patterns over the past twenty years. Most of them are stored in filing cabinets according to their historical era, a few of the smaller modern ones are in plastic boxes in my attic and my regency patterns live semi-permanently under my sewing table.
It is these ones that I decided to organise today. Although I already have paper copies of the Sensibility Sewing Patterns, I have gone online and ordered them as e-patterns (and right now there is a 15% OFF SALE) so I have their instructions and pattern duplicates stored on my computer in case of an emergency or if I'm travelling away from home and want to do some sewing in my hotel room. It just takes one child carrying a hot chocolate in their hand to walk past, see a soccer ball....need I say any more?
I have just printed off all the instructions onto A4 paper and put two pages at a time, side-by-side, through my A3 laminator. Not only does it make them waterproof, it also makes them easier to read. All I need to do is punch a hole in the corner, tie them together with a ribbon and store them on the hanger that I store my pattern trace-outs on.
Have you got a pattern organising method you would like to share? What has worked for you?

15% Discount on Sewing Patterns

2011-12-27T19:55:00.001+11:00

There is a 15% discount on right now on at Sensibility Sewing Patterns!