Costuming ADD

Hmm, I seem to have trouble concentrating on only one project. Nothing new there, I think it keeps things interesting :) So, the pelisse is still waiting for the trimmings and the beads, I just need the proper mindset to get on with  it. Meanwhile, I begun yet another spencer, after this lovely little thing. The orginal is a riding habit jacket from about 1820s, and it's in the Nordiska Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.

The trimmings are gorgeous! (Photos from the book Empirens Döttrar)

The whole riding habit

Now, I only want the jacket, because I love the trimmings and I don't really want to make a Regency riding habit. I found a nice inky blue, sort of chenille-y, velvet fabric, used the trusty bodice/spencer pattern and this is where I've got, so far:

I chose to embroider the flowery swirls, even though the original uses cord trimming to line them out. I still need to put on the rest of the trimmings, the sleeves and the lining.

This (and the pelisse) led me to another in-between project. I mentioned that bonnet in the previous post, and had put together the hat base. I went to look for fabric to cover the hat and actually found fabric that was the perfect colour. Only it's silk. And pretty much the priciest fabric (per metre) I've ever bought.... Isn't it always the way? Luckily, I only needed about half a metre, so I didn't end up completely broke after all :)

I made the hat base out of stiff needlepoint (?) fabric and the pattern is my own. Everything is hand-sewn, as always. I'm very happy with the results and the silk was a dream to sew!

Lastly, the other day I found perfect Regencyesque shoes in the local supermarket, under 20€ a pair, so I immediately bought 2 pairs :) I mean to trim and maybe paint the nude shoes to go with the sari gown and other finer clothes. The black ones can remain the way they are, plain and black. I have one other pair that I found last year and I was thinking of painting them red to match the bonnet.

Can you say score? :)

The to do list, so far...(and loads of photos)

Still no sewing here, except for this folk dress, a feresi it's called, and some ribbon weaving. So, a good time to list the pieces I mean to make when I get my act together again.

First, the pelisse. Or more like, THE PELISSE. It's gorgeous. It needs to be made. It's so ultra-stylish and perfect that I'm a little scared to try my hand in making a replica of it. I saw it in September at the Museum of London and instantly thought "I need to make this for Jane Austen Festival next year". Obviously, the museum has better pictures on its web pages (here) but here are some of mine as well.

I can't decide which colour my pelisse should be. The original is fairly light bluey-grey and it looks very nice but I don't think it's really me.

The trimming is lovely. I can't make out what fastenings this thing uses.

Then there's this spencer, from a museum in Stockholm. It's actually the jacket of a riding habit which I spotted in a book about Regency women, fashion etc. (Persson, Helen: Empirens Döttrar - Kultur och mode under tidigt 1800-tal). I just want the spencer because the braidwork and embroidery are to die for.

I should also make new stays, both 18th century and Regency. I don't really like staymaking, so I'm putting it off, only I can't really make new gowns before I have the stays, so it's a vicious circle. I did finish that black swallow tail jacket, though, and I'm very pleased with it. Here are some pics of it:

The stomacher is pinned on the stays.

I filled out the bum roll :)

The black ribbons are apron strings.

I'm standing on a stool to get a full lenght photo. Black clothes don't photograph well without good lighting. This ensemble has somehow very Dutch or French feel to it (at least to me).

 Lastly, some close-ups of the red frilly spencer.

The front is pinned togehter, and the top is adjusted with the ribbons.