Photoshoot day

Last Saturday a fellow doctoral student who is also a photographer invited me to model for her and another photographer. They chose some of my dresses that they wanted to photograph and I managed to smuggle in some dance poses as well :)

Here are some of their shots. All photos Suvi Korpi and Anni Ylkänen

Please be considerate and do not copy or repost the photos without permission!

                       

The parasol is a vintage item from the 1930s but it's so pretty that I couldn't resist!

 Photo: Suvi Korpi

Photo: Suvi Korpi

Photo: Suvi Korpi

Photo: Suvi Korpi

Photo: Suvi Korpi

The good old Courtois dress. I did better with the hair this time, though it's not perfect still. Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

I've made an evening bodice for the Courtois dress skirts. I'm especially happy with how well the hook and thread loop fastenings centre front work! I was sceptical and undecided about the fastenings for months and months, but decided on these because I wanted it photographed at this session. Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Some dance shots :) Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

Photo: Anni Ylkänen

A new chemisette

Two posts in one week, what's come over me?

I made this chemisette earlier this autumn but haven't got around writing about it. It's very similar to the other chemisette I have but I chose to make a double gathered collar rather than a pleated one and I also played a little with the pleating on the front pieces. The fabric is silk-viscose blend and very nice to sew. Everything is handsewn and the pattern came from Janet Arnold's book, I think.

Bath, are you ready?

Let's begin with a massive beret. I finally found fabric for (unintentional alliteration, I better stop before it gets ridiculous...) a beret (phew!) that matches the pelisse. When I say matches, I don't mean it's exactly the same colour or even purple because that's just too matchy-matchy for my taste. That's what always bothered me with the bicorn hat, it's purpleness and too closely matching colour. So, a long story short, I found nice rosy satin, not too shiny or artificial looking and the colour looks very nice with the pelisse.
The beret has no particular pattern, I cut a circular piece, ca. 60cm in diameter, a headband that fits my head, pleated and sewed the beret piece on the headband, added lining, and folded the headband lenghtwise and sewed the edge. The feathers aren't sewn on, because I use them with other hats and headwear as well. Some photos of the whole get-up:

I have to adjust the feathers, they're not drooping the way I intended.

I kind of like the chemisette with the collar open like this as well

 There's my promenade costume all finished; can't believe that the Jane Austen Festival is less than a month away!

I've also been sewing some 18th century things. This was my first attempt at robe à l'Anglaise and at first it seemed that I had managed to fail spectacularly at it. I had cut the back too  long but luckily I was able to shorten it from the neck edge and now it looks the way it should. I still need to attach the sleeves and the trimming but the biggest part of it is done.
The pattern for the gown came from the Costume Close-Up by Linda Baumgarten. You know, the pink Williamsburg anglaise. I followed the pattern and the instructions quite closely and I like the result.
Note, this is NOT a pink gown. When I started sewing historical clothes I swore that I'd never make anything pink because that's just too cute and girly and just not my thing. I don't wear pink, period. So this gown, however it may appear, is not pink. the fabric has narrow red and white stripes and this makes it look, well, pink. But it's not :)

I want to make a white petticoat to go with this gown.

I really like the polonaise effect here. There are tapes on the inside of the skirt which are tied together to lift the hem.

See? Not pink.

Who am I kidding. It's pink. :P

 

Regency whites

My first Regency gown is ready! I might still add some more embroidery but it works fine as it is, too. The pattern was from the Janet Arnold book, the embroidery patterns I drew myself. Normally I never wear white (and I mean never) but this costume doesn't feel all that strange in its pristine whiteness. I have a mint green spencer in the making and it looks great with the gown but I want to make another one, maybe a black or a red one.

The gown with all the underthings (naturally :) ) and the chemisette I made with Janet Arnold's pattern. I really like the ruffly collar.

A gown like this would require a chamber maid to help one to put it on. Luckily I apparently have contortionistic abilites and managed to button up the back and tie the laces myself...

  

 You cant really see it in the first three photos, but the hem is actually embroidered with a rather large fern pattern. I drew the pattern myself and used fly stitch, chain stitch and something the embroidery book called the rosette chain stitch (pretty direct translation from Finnish; I tried to look for an English equivalent but couldn't find one) for the embroidery.

Trip to Bath, part 1

 I'm travelling to London in September and I also plan to go the yearly Jane Austen Festival in Bath which conveniently begins during my trip (I confess, I had a cunning plan when I booked the flights...). Of course the event is a perfect excuse for making Regency costumes! So far I've finished short stays and a shift, high waisted petticoat and I'm now embroidering the hem of my first gown. Also, I have a spencer in the making.


                                           

Here the gown has no sleeves or back fastenings yet. I'm trying it on for size. I crocheted the bonnet from paper yarn :)

Some time ago I knitted a lovely Shetland lace shawl. I think it matches the look perfectly.

Oh, and I made a chemisette too. I really like how it turned out. The pattern is from Janet Arnold book.

A little peek of the hem embroidery. The dress seemed to call for some kind of fern pattern.