Dickens 2012 Recap

I realized that I never posted here about Dickens, other than the "Oh crap!  Got LOTS TO DO!!!" posts.  Long story short, it was really fun spending that much time with my sis, Holly ended up hanging out with us for most of it (thank goodness!  It was so nice to have a third person!!!), and we won "Best Womens Costume".....we didn't even know there was a contest!  Lol!

Holly ended up wearing my red velvet gown and my purple 'Cranford' gown (Although I only have pictures of the red velvet):

Both Melia and I wore my 'old' green plaid gown (at different times, obvs!), and Melia ended up wearing her 'Red Queen' gown (minus crown) quite a bit:

I mostly wore the red plaid gown that I made specifically for Dickens, although I still regret making the sleeves smaller than they ought to have been!  The last-minute apron (seriously Last Minute!) worked well enough, but one day, I want to go back and make a better version.

All in all, we had super good fun!  Melia and I were quite silly the first few days (we entertained our neighbors with silly sing-alongs and crazy dancing....don't ask......), but our collective energy waned as the days passed.  :)

Let this be a lesson to myself - take more pictures, and post in a timely manner!

p.s.  The power went out multiple times on the last night, and that was quite a bummer.  

Dickens - Down to the Wire

I did end up piping the waistband....and I really like the way it looks!

If I'm ever in the market to do this type of dress again, 

I'll certainly be doing piping everything!

Because the universe has conspired against me in the last two weeks, I'm not going to be able to finish nearly as much as I had originally planned, but we both should have new dresses!  Last night I finished up the buttons on the bodice (still need to do the wrists, though), and started attaching the skirt.  I dug out my petticoats, and decided that re-doing the waists and properly starching everything is a project for another day.  

I cut the sleeves much narrower than I would have liked,

because I was worried that I would not have enough fabric for the skirts.

What I ought to have done was to leave the sleeves for very last....as I 

had plenty of leftovers, I could have made the sleeves any way I wanted. 

Oh well.  Lesson learned!

My good friend Strid is letting me borrow her boufty wedding petticoat instead.  Not the best solution, but certainly the easiest.  I'll re-do the waistbands after Dickens so they'll be ready for the next time I need emergency petticoats!

I ended up piping the curved back seams, the waistband, collar, 

and the sleeves.  I think it gives it a  nice finished look.

(And also somewhat hides some of the less-than-perfect 

pattern matching...)

I'll also probably re-do the buttons at some point, they're too big and white - and too closely spaced for my taste.  I think they'll look a lot better as something darker that will blend in, rather than 'pop'.  But that's a project for another day....my goal is to be able to put the dang thing on!

I really want to get a lace collar and cuff done, but if it is not to be, I'll be OK.  I'm not particularly worried about someone snarking my garb, I would like to be as accurate as time allows, if nothing else, for my own satisfaction!

....And here is the whole bodice - before buttons and skirt attachments.

Melia and I also raided my hat stash last night, and came up with a cute lace cap & bonnet combo.  As much  as I wish I had a bonnet as well, I have a pretty spiffy antique lace cap that I am going to wear instead.  Not the right time period, but considering the suggestions for headwear in the vendor packet, I don't think there is any room for complaints!

We also found my old black crochet sontag for Melia to use - I have the feeling that it is going to be pretty bitterly cold in there!

Dickens Gown 2012

I would say my Dickens gown, but since Melia and I have such similar measurements, we're going to be trading off gowns throughout the fair.  I'm making one new gown, and refurbishing my green gown so we both have something to wear.

I haven't quite decided which seams will be piped (at least sleeves and back curves and neckline - maybe waist and wrists as well?), so I just made a whole load of piping, so I would be ready for whatever I decided to do down the road......

I used 2" wide strips of bias, and using a zipper foot, sewed against a core of cotton cord (some cheap white off-brand cone of cotton crochet yarn I bought about eleventy-billion years ago, like Sugar & Cream, but cheaper!)

I ought to have taken pictures while I was doing it, but here is some awesome paint illustrations... :) The easiest way, I've found, to cut a moderate amount of bias is to open up the fabric:

and fold so the cut edge is matched up to the selvedge:

And at this point, you can cut the bias starting on the fold.  If the fabric is thin enough, you can fold one more time, and cut through 4 layers.  (Cutting bias is SO MUCH easier with a rotary cutter.  I'd highly suggest using one!)  The first cut on the fold should be 1/2 the width of the total width of the bias strip.  Every cut thereafter should be cut the full width.

Dickens Ponderings - Continued....with pics*

Met: Gown 1840-45

Out of all the gowns, this one most closely resembles a dress I already have.  What can I say?  I love the checks, and gathers at the waist, and the nice, boufty, comfy sleeves!  Nice and simple, not too stuffy!  I might have some appropriate fabric in my stash, but would certainly need to check and make sure!  The good thing is, that if I decide nothing in the stash would work, it shouldn't take too much out of the budget to procure suitable fabric.

Met: Gown 1840

Oh. My. Goodness.  I L-O-V-E this dress.  Everything about it.  The jewel-tone color!  The sheen of the satin!  The cross front!  The sleeves!  The only satin I have in my stash is cream-colored, and I would certainly want to do this dress out of a nice, heavy satin.  No other fabric would do it justice, right??  (That right there may strike it from the list of possibilities!

Met: Gown 1841-45

A simple fan-front may fit the bill - although I'd certainly need to jazz it up with accessories.  I have some fabric that I could probably use from the stash for a similar gown.  (I think I've seen fan fronts in a plaid/stripe before too....that honestly would be my first choice, I think!)

Met: Gown 1841-43

This one is also kind of fan-front-ish, but mostly put it on the list because I adore the lace collar, and the muted plaid!

Met: Gown 1850

And last, but certainly not least, a dress from further out of period than I probably ought to do, but, oh how I do want pagoda sleeves!  Delicious, swoopy, awesome pagoda sleeves......nom!

*Clicking on the caption will redirect you to the source image on the Metropolitan Museum of Art website

Costume Ponderings RE: Dickens

I just found out the other day that my sis and I got into Dickens this year - and what am I to do?!  I don't have anything appropriate (that will fit)!  Without resorting to a crash diet, the options are:

1. See if I can alter either the Cranford or Tea & Skate dress to fit (Boo!)
2. Make a whole new dress (Hurrah!)

While I've *cough* outgrew the dresses, I think it would be a relatively simple thing to alter the underthings to fit properly.  I'm pretty sure that it's not as scary as it sounds to make a whole new dress.

The other hurdle (at least for me!) is that there are absolutely no guidelines on time period, at all.  And I very much care.  (The rules appear so far to be "no tennis shoes, no jeans, and skirts for women.....broad strokes much?)

In the handout for vendors, there is a page of 'hat ideas' - and each and every illustration is NOT from even a remotely Victorian time period.  (Seriously.  There is a 16th c ish man and woman, a couple of 18th c ladies, and a .....I don't know what the other one is supposed to be, but it looks early 'teens to me!)

As soon as the Wonderland costumes are taken care of, I think it's time to tackle the Great Dickens Beast!