December Regency Project - 1790's Jacket

For Christmas, a friend gave me a copy of Fashion, A History from the 18th to the 20th Century from the Kyoto Costume Institute. I was totally overwhelmed with inspiration while thumbing through the pages (who wouldn't be?) and totally fell in love with some of the 1790's jackets I saw. Several were way too elaborate for me to want to attempt (at least in this season of my life) but I really liked this one:

Which you can see here, at the KCI Digital Archives.

Mine will be made in a silvery blue cotton print and I think I will wear it with my brown wool hobbit petticoat until I get some proper 18th c. style petticoats made.

Today I began the mock up. To start with I used the 1780's bodice pattern I draped last fall. I lengthened the back piece to include a peplum skirt and added a side seam to the bodice, so I could have a short peplum at the side as well. I added length to the front of the bodice to meet the length of the center front point. The original jacket has lacing that starts at waist length. Below the waist, the jacket flares open.

sorry for the poor quality of the photos. I was in a hurry and the lighting was very bad!

My first mock up attempt was pretty close. To be more like the original, I would have to raise the neckline some and reposition the tabs at the front/sides to be more at side center. . .but I think I will go with what I currently have. If I raise the neckline anymore I won't be able to breastfeed and I am not too concerned with identically recreating this exact style.

I need to tweak the fit of the sleeve above the elbow, but other than that, I think I am ready to cut into my fabric!

I hope to make progress on it over the weekend and maybe even finish it before the 1st!

I'll keep you updated.

Love,
Sarah

Finished October Regency Project ~ Grey Wool Spencer and Silk Petticoat

It was a beautiful autumn afternoon so yesterday David and I decided to play dress-up and head out to the "back pasture" to take some pictures and to pretend for a little while that we were a regency gentleman and his lady.

I finished my petticoat over the weekend. This skirt once belonged to my 1860's silk dress but after wearing it very often both with and without the matching silk bodice, the skirt became rather dirty from having three little boys sitting on my lap time after time. In a moment of madness I popped the skirt in the washer and it came out having lost almost all of it's crisp body. . .it went from a smooth, crisp, heavy-feeling silk to a rather light and limp silk.

It seemed ideal for this project and I was happy to have a use for the material. I barely eeked out enough length to be sufficient for the high waist of the era but by using a 1/4" seam to attach the skirt to the waistband and binding the edge of the hem instead of turning it, I think the length worked out all right. The waistband is of brown linen and the straps to hold it up are of the same linen. The hem is bound with a strip of indigo blue wool as a substitute for wool tape.

The entire outfit is fun to wear and the wool spencer is quite warm. My only regret is not having extra fabric in the sleevehead to pleat into the armscye. The way the sleeve on the wool suit jacket was cut I did not have  sufficient width to cut a large sleeve head.

I suppose I could have pieced some in but I didn't. The sleeves fit fine and are comfortable but I would have more range of motion with that extra width. . .so, just something to remember for next time!

David looked quite dashing in his linen tailcoat. He needs a woolen one now! He is considering taking up the impression of a doctor of the era, settling into the role quite naturally as he does a surgeons impression in our 1860's reenacting. It would be an easy transition for him.

We'll see. I have drastically reduced my involvement in 1860's reenactments out of sheer necessity for sanity and this era seems like it could be one both David and I would enjoy together.

In the meantime, we can have fun wandering through the tall grasses, listening to the whisper of the wind in the trees and watching the geese fly south for winter.

Susan's Husband

Soon the snows will come and inside we can be cozy with the spicy smells of Thanksgiving and Christmastime, the smoke from David's pipe and a cheerful fire in the fireplace. The boys listening wide-eyed to the tale of the Three Spirits who visited Mr. Scrooge and the baby watching the way the light falls on our faces, talking in her soft baby coos and waving her hands in the air. Good times are a-comin. It is now November.

Love,
Sarah

October Regency Project ~ Grey Wool Spencer

I was at pretty much a standstill for this month's regency project. Originally I planned to make a short gown/half-robe type of garment. But then I decided I'd rather use the fabric I had for that for something 1840's instead. (plan is a nursing-friendly 1840's gown for Christmas this year). 

Whilst digging through the large cupboard that holds my stash I unearthed an old suit jacket and slacks my mother in law had toted to our house once upon a time, in hopes it might fit David. David, being very picky about his attire, had scorned the suit at the time. I liked the fabric so hid it away in the stash where it hid in the darkness for an age. I found it again last week. I really liked the fabric so I told David he could either try it on and see if it fit and if he liked it or I was going to claim it. He tried it on. It was much too large in width and much too short in breadth so it became mine. It's a dark charcoal grey wool with a thin white stripe. Super nice fabric. The suit must have been rather expensive when it was new.

I decided to make another of the projects on the list I got together back in May. Using Mme. du Jard's tutorial for making a spencerino, I cut out a mock up using my regency petticoat bodice pattern as a starting point and then refined the fit til I got what I wanted:

This is not a very good picture but shows the shape of the pieces. I am using a medium weight tan and white spotted cotton for the lining.

I was able to cut all the bodice pieces from the main body of the suit jacket. I will use the jacket's sleeves for my sleeves. There is plenty of fabric in them for the sleeve pattern. 

The wool took pleats for the back "skirt" very well. There is just something about pleating nice wool that is so satisfying. Yum.

I am quite pleased with how this little jacket is turning out so far. My initial plan was to wear it over a gown but now I think I may wear it with a petticoat instead as a two piece outfit. I have an old 1860's silk skirt that contains quite a lot of fabric. It would make a nice later 1790's-ish petticoat if I let the hem out so there is sufficient length. 

The point of construction I am currently at - attaching the casing strip for the waist drawstring. 

The only thing I am not totally happy with is the very visible hand stitching in white thread. I am running really low on thread at the moment and the only color I had that would really work was the white. But, one must do what one must do. There was really no opportunity to get to the fabric store for more thread and I really had to start this if I want it done by the end of the month. . .

And to end on something totally different, I betrayed my historic-fashion loving self and gave myself bangs this weekend! I normally have no hairstyle whatsoever but the baby is now three months old and starting to entwine my hair around her hands and in between her fingers whenever she gets the chance. So of necessity I have started to do a ponytail but that gives me the appearance of baldness from the front due to an unbecomingly high forehead. Enter The Bangs. David kinda freaked out. But I assured him they would be grown out sufficiently by next reenacting season to do an appropriate 1860's hairstyle and he calmed down after that.

Ignore the really messy sewing area behind me. . .yeah. . .

Oh and I haven't forgot about finishing the sunbonnet tutorial. I will. I just haven't hemmed my ties yet! 

Love,

Sarah