FASHION SHOW AT RIVERSIDE DICKENS 2014

I’m just back from the weekend’s Dickens Festival that’s held each February to celebrate Charles Dickens’ birthday in Riverside, CA. For the past 4 years I’ve been in the fashion show, and most of the time I’ve worn two outfits. This year due to having come down with stomach flu the week before, I had to cut it back to just the one.

Due to another change in the venue location, this turned out to be even a better decision on my part as the fashion show was staged inside a large tent and our dressing room, a smaller tent, was quite small. But physically I don’t know if I could have handled changing in and out of dresses either, as my energy level was extremely low. All in all, it was a better choice for me this year.

I spent a couple days hand tacking the fabric ribbons to my bonnet and basted in the pleated white lining on the inside. Since the inside wasn’t going to show, for right now I left the very bottom open and will later stitch a round piece of the fabric inside to finish it. Then I tacked my vintage brown and aqua leaves about the crown. I first thought of having them stand up as you see on many period bonnets like this but just ended up having them tilt up in various places. Sometimes you have to let your bonnet speak to you while you’re working on it. I use straight pins to hold them in place, just sticking them straight down into the bonnet until I’m ready to sew. That way I can move them as I go if I don’t like where they are. You just have to be careful not to poke yourself as you sew, which I guarantee you will as I do.  

I finished up my bonnet on Thursday evening and was able to have a leisurely day making sure I had everything I needed before leaving Saturday morning. I just drive up in my costume and hubby was able to hook up my dress before I left. On arrival at my hotel instead of stopping at a mirror to put my bonnet on, I parked my car, got out and put it on- with no mirror. So it was tilted a bit too far forward but you got a good view of the top of it. The next day, with it in its proper position, you can see the underside of it.

I always have to share the “oops” parts of my outfits, and one was my belt. The gown has a slightly lower waistline, which is marked by the piping, and my belt  wanted to ride up to my waistline that my corset gives me. But when I get time I’ll be putting some belt loops on it, hopefully invisible since I don’t think they used them, and it will stay in place. 

I spent a good part of the day finding a bench to sit on and rest to conserve energy but did march in the Characters Parade through the event. We’re separated into different Dickens book catagories and carried signs of the character we are. At the end of it “Mr. Charles Dickens” introduces and describes each of our characters to the crowd. On Saturday I was part of “Hard Times” and the next day I was with “Great Expectations”. Here we are lining up ready to start our parade.

Later in the afternoon we headed over to the tent to start the fashion show. Our models sat outside in the back waiting to go on. The theme for the show was Women of Dickens World so we portrayed either women in his life or his books. I was Miss Betsey Trotwood from David Copperfield.

On Sunday we repeated the show again with a few changes in the line-up. I believe there was a total of 17 outfits modeled with just a couple ladies having to change into another one.

I was very happy with my antique lace pelerine. I had it pinned at the neckline and during the fashion show I was able to lift it open to show the pleating across the front of my bodice. I had both a corded petticoat and a tiered ruffled petticoat on under my skirt but the ruffled one is kind of limp so I think it needs a stiffer fabric than the one I used. But I still had a nice fullness to my skirt. I wore my watch chain and pocket watch with it stuck under my belt. During this time period I haven’t found any evidence of the ladies having a pocket but mine kept sliding down past my belt. So I think I’m going to do one of my famous “fudgies” and put a little pocket on the backside of my belt to slip it into.

Being inside the tent, a smaller venue than the previous auditorium, there wasn’t any space for all of us to come out at the end of the show for people to take photos of us. So we went outside and lined up for them. When they came out, cameras began popping up, and many came running over to take closer looks at the details. I think everyone enjoyed that! The cars in the background weren’t so great but all the greenery was.

This is from Saturday.

And these are from Sunday’s show. 

This is one of my favorite souvenirs from the festival. A young lady apparently was sitting across the walkway while my friend April and I were seated on a bench for a while. She came over and showed us this quickly drawn ink sketch she’d done of us. I asked if I could buy it from her so here is my favorite “photo”. I hope she continues with this idea because I think it would be a wonderful addition to this event and to any costumer’s album. 

*Josephine Roberts/ website- http://4hireart.com/  and on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/4hireart 

                                                                                ~~Val~~

A Squirrel Report

For those of you not familiar with the term "Squirrel", it's used in describing as being sidetracked by all things pretty. My husband has even called me Squirrel a few times, so either I'm that bad, or I can consider it a Badge of Honor.

I continued working steadily on my Cranberry 1830s Project, and once that was to a point where I knew I could comfortably have it ready in time for an upcoming fashion show, I was able to start on my other two 1830s gowns. And herein lays the Squirrel. I normally refer to it as my Assembly Line Sewing, aka, cutting out 2 or more gowns from one pattern; sewing parts of them all at the same time; and doing all the easy mindless parts (like the plain ole skirts) all in one sitting.  If it's a hard-to-do part, by the time the 2nd or 3rd round comes up, I have all the bugs worked out and I know it's ingrained in my brain now.
So the Cranberry in theory was done except for the hem and belt.

 

It was really hard to decide which of the other two I wanted to do next, the Persimmon, or the newly named, Midnight Mourning. Since I wanted to wear Persimmon in the same fashion show as Cranberry, it won. The silk taffeta was harder to pleat than the cotton one but after lots of fiddling I finally got them to be smooth across the front. 

Although now that I've laid the piece of antique lace across the front that I'm using, I wonder why I was so worried. But at least it will look good, especially if I wear it without the lace sometimes.  

It was then that we discovered our computers had been infected with a very nasty malware called spigot, and all three were taken away to be cleaned out, including our wallets. 

This could have been a good thing because then I could sew more instead of spending so much time on my computer. I spent all day sewing piping for my bodice which went on the neckline, armseye, waist, and cuffs. I pulled out the skirts for both Persimmon and Midnight and sewed those up. The next morning I woke up with a screaming spasm in my back shoulder blade. I spent two days whimpering and whining, hardly being able to move. I had some hand sewing I could do on these so I spent time with my heating pad and watched marathons of Ghost Adventures. By the end of the second day I was able to stand and cut out one of those chemises I needed, but found out my 45" inch cotton had shrunk so much it was only 37" wide and I was only able to cut one chemise out of it. Arggh! 

Just because I can't physically sew doesn't mean the Squirrel in me isn't at work. So now I'm staring at my black dotted Swiss cotton for Midnight, and dreaming about what it will look like. Something like this! 

It won't have the big balloon sleeves because I'm doing the later 1837 style. But look at the trim used along the edges of the neckline, and down the center front. I have a long chain with pocket watch like she has and the belt buckle. I'd love to do that hair but I doubt I can find a wig that would do it justice, so I've ordered a straw bonnet form from Timely Tresses, and will cover it in black silk taffeta. I do have some cute little curls that I can wear under it though. 

So here on my third day of recovery, and having gotten our computers back, I'm in business again. I still have to limit my time at the sewing machine but do have my pleats pinned in the black bodice, and it's hook and eye tape is in. Which finally after doing it a third time, I got it! 

This photo was taken using my flash since black doesn't show up very well, and what can you say about black? It's black, but I think once I have the trim sewn on, possibly velvet ribbon, and a belt with buckle, it will shine. 

The 1830s Project -- Part I- The Cranberry

The Bodice:

I’ve probably mentioned a couple times I had been wanting to make another 1830s gown, or a couple. Or maybe I’ve just been jabbering about them on Facebook. Ever since I made one back in 2009 I’ve been attracted to them. I had used Truly Victorian’s #455 (1830s) Romantic Era pattern. I was still fairly new to these patterns and I stumbled through trying to make this one. I didn’t understand about having an under bodice that the outer bodice would be attached to. And having to use a couple pattern pieces for multiple parts had confused me even more. I didn’t like the really huge sleeves so I made mine in the later 1837 style of being flat on the top. I tried smocking that but I failed so it’s just flattened by gravity.

 Now with a few more years under my belt, and a bit more knowledge, I was ready to give it another shot. The best part was I found out I could wear my Victorian corset under it, and not try and find someone on the street or next door to get me into my Regency corset. Or get me out of it. I still have to have the dress hooked up in back but I can deal with that later. All this encouraged me to try again.

Over a period of time I collected a couple cotton fabrics that had the look of some of the extant gowns I’d seen. A few months ago I started my new one, using my favorite of the fabrics that had a bluish-teal background with cranberry flowers on it.  The rose colored floral came in a close second but I first wanted to see if I could work with the pattern again.

I took my fabric and pattern to one of Shelley Peters’ sewing workshop to get help this time learning how to put hook and eye tape in the back and check that my muslin from the first gown still fit me, which it did. And it fit well over my Victorian corset. Yay!! It didn’t take long before the confusion over the pattern pieces of fabric, lining, and flatlining (interlining) came back into play. I don’t line my dresses. I just flatline them and finish with a facing. So that’s what I did but then had to open the back pieces so we could put the hook and eye tape into the seams and folded the edges of the fabric in to finish them. After we did that, I discovered I was supposed to gather part of the back into the smaller back piece so I had to rip them out, gather it up, then put the tape back in. Both the front and back bodice pattern pieces are also cut into smaller copies that provide the inner bodice base. The excess fabric on the front and back is then gathered in to fit them.

When I sewed the hook and eye tape back in, you can see the bunchiness that the gathering caused in the fabric. And no matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to look even. In this photo I have them tacked down and pressed so they looked like pleats. This is what gave me the idea of pleating.

Once I started working on the front portion of the bodice, I tried gathering that but it just looked really fluffy. I decided to try pleating the fabric across the front instead of gathering. This pattern has a larger amount of fabric starting at the shoulders and across the chest that is pulled down by gathering and into the center seam line. The pattern piece for the under bodice is a flat version of it so you use it to gauge what the actual size would look like.

Once I had the pleats lined up nicely, at the suggestion of others on a sewing group, I tacked them down and then pressed them. I probably tacked them more than necessary but I just wanted to use one long thread instead of constantly tying them off. 

After this was done, I machine basted the shoulders and side seams to try it on. I hooked up the back & put it on inside out so I could mark the front seam allowance. Apparently with doing pleats instead of gathers, it leaves a lot of excess fabric because I had to take in quite a big seam. Now that I think of it, the front of my previous gown was kind of loose and fluffy.

 I marked w/ chalk where the pins went, and unpinned it to take it off. I had also cut down two inches under the arms to fit me.  I transferred all those markings to my pattern piece for my next dress. At this point I’m not cutting the pattern to those markings until I’m absolutely sure this will work.

Then I took out one side seam, sewed up the front seam and tried it on again. It still fit fine. The reason I took out the side seam was so I could get in and out of it w/o needing someone to hook and unhook me in the back. Now that everything was fitted I re-sewed all the seams properly.

I wanted to do piping on this bodice so cut some lengths of cording and laid in the middle of a 2” wide strip of my fabric, folded that in half over it, pinned it every couple inches, & used my zipper foot to sew as close to the cord as I could. (*This photo is before I trimmed off the excess fabric).

 Now I guess the proper way would be to layer the edge of the cord between the fabric and a lining or facing with the corded section poking out of the seam. However I decided I would use the 1” on either side of the cord as my facing. So I lined up the cord portion along the top of the folded edge of my front neckline, opened up the fabric seam and edge of the cording seam allowance and sewed again very close to the cord. Then I turned it over, trimmed off the excess fabric except for the outer edge that would become my facing. I ironed that edge under and will be hand sewing it down today. 

I’m going to repeat this on the bottom of my waist where it will attach to the skirt, and to the edge of my sleeve cuff to finish it.

***I’ll share one of my hand sewing tips: I hate sitting around sewing, or carrying my project around, with pins in it. I manage to poke myself mercilessly and lose pins all over the house, which my hubby’s feet always manage to find. So now once I have my hem, facings, or trims, pinned on, I baste it loosely so I can remove the pins. Also this way if I have to set it aside for a long period of time, no pins fall out.

                                                            --Val
FOR PART 2 GO HERE: http://sportandfashion-news.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-1830s-project-part-2.html

Final Days of December

Obviously the holidays have been my focus for the last month but I did do a bit of hand sewing in the evenings while watching some TV. I've been adding the last bit of trim to my Christmas Tartan dress that didn't get added in time. The black braid is being tacked onto the bottom edge of my bodice and along the front of my apron, all of which had the pale green beads already sewn on.

Yesterday while taking a break and stirring up some conversations on my Costume Pattern Review group on Facebook, I asked others if they got any patterns for Xmas or which ones did they want to buy, and then what projects did they have coming up. So it made me think about my plans are. Of course my mind first goes to pretty things. At the end of February is the annual Dickens Festival in Riverside (CA) and what I make, or made previously, usually gets worn in the fashion show. Two months ago I started an 1830s dress using Truly Victorian's pattern. 

The muslin from the pattern was already fitted to me, and I sewed part of the cotton bodice in a workshop. I couldn't decide which fabric I wanted to make first so I cut out both that I had. *Remember my "Assembly Line Method?*  After playing with the fabric a bit, the blue and cranberry wanted to be done first. I call it the Cranberry Floral since the cranberry is the color that draws me the most. It was purchased at Rosie’s Calico Cupboard in San Diego from their sale table. Rosie has a room full of historical fabrics that I can’t resist shopping in. The other was from Michael Levine’s in the Garment District. 

I have a couple antique belt buckles and belt buckle brooches I bought specifically for using on the belts for these gowns since I like doing my gowns in the later '30s style of collapsed sleeves and a belt at the waist. I'm going to try a solid color belt on them this time instead of the matching fabric. 

And then after seeing a fancy version in a fashion plate, my brain started going ding ding ding! That red one was just screaming at me to make it, little bows and lacy cuffs and all! 

 I decided against a red fabric but found a picture of a nice deep burgundy that would look good on me. After a trip to the Garment District was cancelled, I put it on hold since I needed to finish my Christmas Tartan dress. But yesterday my brain was able to relax and start thinking again and came back to that. I decided to check my stash first this time and pulled out a couple rolls of silk taffetas (some being the faux silk taffeta) and mulled over a jade green, a rust color, a dusty rose, a persimmon color (that actually had been picked out for me at Fabrics & Fabrics by friend Lynne), and a powdery blue. I'm finding at my age a darker color suits me better. So the Persimmon was born.

I think it will contrast very nicely with the white lace collar and cuffs. And I get the fun of making all those bows! *If you go back and look at the Truly Victorian pattern photo, I just noticed the bow it has on the back waistband. Squee!*

I will be wearing the cotton version most of the time and my Persimmon gown will be the show stopper at the fashion show. I'm thinking possibly the antique belt buckle I bought recently at the Paris flea market might go nicely with this gown. 

By the way, do you name your gowns? I started doing that a few years ago and it makes it easier for me to remember them rather than that green colored 1880 bustle.

Since this is Dickens Festival maybe a nice cap like this from David Copperfield will be cute with my Cranberry Floral since I'm portraying Betsey Trotwood.

But for the Persimmon, I HAVE to figure out how to make that turban on the fashion plate! It kind of looks like two rectangles of fabrics, narrower on the ends, pleated then turned over a framework. At first I thought to ask help in either making it or buying one but the more I look at it, the more it looks possible to make myself. I'll just have to come up with eye-popping colors to contrast withe the persimmon color.

And that reminds me; I need to do a costume review of 2013 to see what all I got done this year. I guess this isn't my last post of the year.

--Val