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.

Happiness is a finished costume

Now, then. The caraco ensemble is suddenly finished. I even trimmed the hat to go with the costume and of course there are pictures. I have to say that this is by far my favourite costume; today when I put it on it suddenly... worked. And with the cap and the hat I just got the right feeling :)







If you're a dame you must have a hat. I can't stop praising the paper yarn which I used for this hat, it just worked so nicely.

Quick photos of the nearly ready caraco ensemble

Phew. The trimming is now in place and the sleeves sewn on. I threw on the whole costume to see how it looks and to determine the placement of buttons:





Please ignore the daring flounce of petticoats. I really need to shorten them but just haven't got around doing it yet...



Shock! Horror! Actual legs showing! I knitted these stockings just because I can :) They're a very plain toe-up model, and I used my favourite merino wool-silk blend yarn. The garters are just a lenght of red cotton ribbon.

Caraco in the making

For the past months I've been making a caraco jacket. Well, a kind of a caraco. It seems that there are many variations of this garment and mine is sort of a midway solution. I chose to make my caraco a little bit shorter because I'm short myself and a longer version looked a bit heavy.
Here everything is just pinned on as I was testing what the whole get-up would look together. Since then I've shortened the jacket a good 10cm and added ruched trimming made of the petticoat fabric (nice lightweight taffeta). I still have to set in sleeves, make the buttonholes to the false comperes front and sew on the buttons, with which I'm really pleased. The first time I tried embroidery on fabric-covered buttons and they turned out very nice :)

Aloitusongelmia - Beginning difficulties

Piitkän pitkän harkinnan jälkeen päätin sitten aloittaa blogin. Tarkoituksena minulla on kirjoitella harrastuksistani: käsitöistä, puvustuksesta, kansanmusiikista ja tanssista. Kunhan nyt ensin saisin tämän ohjelman tottelemaan...

After a long consideration and plenty of pondering I decided to start writing a blog. I mean to write about my hobbies: crafts, costuming, folk music and dance. If only I get this program to do what I want it to do...