French and Indian War event, Old Hollywood party, Moving...!
Oh me, oh my - I am so overwhelmed! I bought my plane ticket last night: I officially fly out three weeks from tonight. I fly from LAX to Syracuse NY by way of JFK, because surprise, surprise, nowhere in Greater Los Angeles flies direct to Syracuse. I leave at night on Tuesday the 25th and will arrive in the morning on Wednesday the 26th, to spend nearly a week with Kimberley upstate. Part of this week will involve a weekend at a French and Indian War reenactment. That's right, the 1750s (of course, I had to ask - did I know which decade contained that war? No, no I did not. Seriously, the 18th Century remains pretty alien to me, but I'm trying). I have never in my life done anything 18th Century. The closest thing is the Pirates of the Caribbean-pattern-based men's coats I've done. Two of them, oddly enough, though I can't find either, which is rather mystifying. Not that I need them: never fear, I don't plan on wearing them.
My plan, based on information gleaned from Kimberley, from various friendly person at Costume College, from the internet, from Janet Arnold, and from the very limited additional supply of books I have that say much about the 18th Century, is to do an upper working class type thing, aspiring bourgeoise, "maybe I can marry a respectable city fellow!" type. Maybe a former upper servant, who knows. The thing is I'm terribly vain and I like pretty things and I can't abide the thought of being uncorsetted and unfitted and frumpy. Besides which, I don't have any nasty wools like I'd need for properly being poor. Basically, I need to fit my character, class, and vanity to what I can manage, the best plan for which seems to be a jacket with stomacher, and petticoats over a bumroll. In linen. So I would likely wear:
-My gored panel Victorian corset, which doesn't fit right, so it flattens my front and shoves my bosom upward and looks rather more 18th Century than 19th, because for heaven's sake it's better than nothing
-My Elizabethan shift, made using the pattern generator on Drea Leeds' site and these instructions: http://elizabethancostume.net/chemise.html - it is, incidentally, the only Elizabethan garment I've made, and I didn't finish the wrist edges or the hem because I, well, got distracted. My thought is to shorten them hem to mid-calf and shorten the sleeves to just past the elbow - but they're fairly close-fitting sleeves, which I gather is unusual for 18th Century. However, I did find some pictures that seem to support the possibility: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/large/2006AV6133.jpg . Additionally, I could perhaps attach a self-fabric ruffle, like I seem to see here (though of course it could be attached to the jacket sleeve): http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/large/2006AV6330-1.jpg . The shift has a relatively low, square neck and is made of a nice cotton batiste. It's entirely handsewn, for what reason I really couldn't say.
-Knee-high stockings and black leather ballet flats, because really, if not those, it's side-button 19th Century Fugawee Victorias, and that would really be bad.
-Some sort of bumroll item, which according to my rather decent costume history textbook was at the time called a "false rump" (which amuses me to no end), but I don't know precisely what shape it ought to be - I gather the fashionable silhouette was VERY wide but how much would that be imitated by the lower echelons? It's Elizabethan, again, but this seems like helpful construction information to start with: http://elizabethancostume.net/bumroll.html
-A jacket (would casaquin be the right term?) like those on page 26 of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion I. I want to do a stomacher, not a loose front (vanity, remember?), and cuffed sleeves. I'm very attracted to the notion of ruched trim as in A, but the text says that was added later. The fabric is a red linen leftover from another project (strictly speaking, it has some low rayon content as well, but it's not obvious and we'll all just have to manage, because I can't buy anything new!), and I plan to use it for both jacket and stomacher. But it's sturdy, and thus too heavy for ruched self-trim. Would it be acceptable to use a different fabric entirely for trim? Like, say, bias-cut white silk of some variety? Or should I try to talk myself out of the ruching? I want it to be pretty but I don't want to mix fibers unacceptably or mix socio-economic strata alll willy-nilly. I can tell you for certain I won't be quilting the thing. Going to this pictures again - http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/large/2006AV6330-1.jpg - the jacket appears to have contrast bands of some sort laid around the neckline, with matching cuffs, so it doesn't look like ribbon. For the record, ribbon isn't an option (except faked with bias-cut silk), because I don't have any silk ribbon. Whatever I do, I'll do it with light finishing and nice big seam allowances so I can fix it later once I get a proper corset done.
-A stomacher to match said jacket, in the same red linen. If I have time at some point, is embroidery or trim an option? I probably won't worry about it yet, but I'm thinking ahead.
-A petticoat that will actually show, in some linen I have on hand, which is currently white but which I'm thinking I'll dye a reddish brown perhaps - something that will go with the red, not be matchy-matchy, and not show dirt too easily. I don't know color sense for this period much, so I'm a little iffy on this - I'll plan on making the other petticoat first, to give myself time to think about it.
-Another petticoat for to wear under the first, which I'll do in some mid-to-slightly-heavy-weight cotton I have that I dyed pink. It was supposed to be wine, but there was a washing machine snafu and the dye was rinsed out too soon. It clashes hideously with the red linen, but it's sturdy fabric with body, it was cheap, it's already a reasonable color for the period, and I have plenty of it. So I will study the famous petticoat tutorial of
koshka_the_cat (http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/18c_petticoat.html) and try the pink one first, then make the one I intend to be seen once I've chosen a color and dyed the fabric. I figure I'll make the underneath one an inch or two shorter.
-A pocket or two, which will likely get made on the plane! I need to build a serious stock of small handwork projects for all my travel-time.
-A cap and fichu - I love white silk organza, and I actually HAVE it, but would it be ridiculous to wear silk with relatively simple linen clothes? Or would I be able to reasonably fancy things up with organza cap, fichu, and ruching on the jacket? Failing that highly desirable but suspicious plan, I have some cotton voile that I could use for the fichu and, I suppose, starch and use for a cap. One the subject of caps, are there any patterns or diagrams online? Is the circular-cut mob cap a myth? Are small caps too racy/fashionable for me?
-For my hair I'm planning to set it in curlers, rolled back from my face, and puff it a little, possibly with the clever braid thing in the back. I think it will be hard to resist a little authentic cosmetic usage (in color and application, not in poison content), even though it might shock the locals.
-Would a silk-covered straw hat be unacceptable for the social strata implied by the linen jacket and petticoat? Because I can't get my hands on proper straw and would have the fake it and cover, like so: http://www.jennylafleur.com/precis/2005_05.htm - I really don't want to go hatless because it seems indecent, and I sunburn horribly.
-What am I forgetting?????
I am so confused. But I need to get this figured out, quickly, because like I said, I leave in three weeks. I want to have as much done as possible before then, because Kimberley and I will only have a couple days to drape and make the jacket (you think I'm doing that on my own? hah!). So I even want to have a bunch of trim ready ahead of time, if I'm allowed to use trim. I really want to NOT make a mess of this, because I'm hoping it will get me a job at some point. There's a lot of 18th Century living history in Massachusetts, and I want to do living history. All the time!
Halp!
In other news, and in another century entirely, Lindsey (eldanorien ) and I are trying to make the Old Hollywood murder mystery party happen in less than two weeks (Saturday the 15th), but we're losing people, and she's having to work constantly, so there's not been much time for planning. It turns out that I desperately need a studio mogul (male, 30+), a vindictive femme fatale actress (female, dark-haired, 18-30), an auburn-haired aspiring actress (female, 18-30), and a vicious gossip columnist (female, any age, preferably 25+). I could also use a functional photographer, performers of any ilk, and an additional bartender. Those first four I listed though, are important characters that we thought we had people for but now don't. If you're interested, for the love of heaven, tell me, because we can't possibly write them all out. And we can still write more in! It will be lots of fun and a chance to do 1940s-50s!
Again - halp!
And finally, as I've mentioned, I am moving. In three weeks. Basically forever. I will be finishing my bachelor's for at least the next two years (possibly an extra semester, hopefully not an extra year, but I want to make sure I have time to do all the courses I need to for teaching credentials, on top of everything else), then I plan on staying in the Northeast for my master's, which looks to be another two years, possibly a little longer because I'll be TAing (I'd better be - otherwise there's no way I could possibly afford grad school). For those who are curious - I'll be getting a bachelor of arts in an individual concentration that will involve social history, cultural studies, and education, and then a master of arts in public history (or one of the related disciplines like public humanities). I'll be done by the time I'm 30. Sigh. Oh well - it took me a while to get everything figured out, but better late than never. I'll be at Hampshire College in Amherst, which is in the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. If anyone knows any living historians, costumers, or groups out there, introduce me! I'll be allllllll alone. It's terrifying, but exciting. I bought my plane ticket last night, and my train ticket from Utica, NY to Springfield, MA, for the following Tuesday - September 2nd. Here's hoping my cousin and his fiancee are still willing to let me stay the night at their house the night before check-in. And here's hoping I survive the day of travel: It's a five-hour train ride (for twenty bucks!!!) to Springfield, then at least two and a half hours on the bus, it looks like. Despite it only being I think half an hour by car. Bleh. I will bring lots of handsewing.
So, that's me, that's life, that's what's up. I have to figure out how to get my stuff across the country still, which promises to be tricky and expensive, and I have to figure out how to live and study and sew in a tiny dorm room - which, thankfully, I will have to myself, so that's something. I would greatly appreciate any tips and tricks on costuming in a dorm room!
For the moment, though, I need to skedaddle, as I have to leave for my doctor's appointment in an hour and 45 minutes, after which I'm going to my dad's to sew with my step-sister and take a family picture, before all of which I need to clean up around the house, do the dishes, eat the food that's been sitting here since I started this entry, take a shower, find clothes that are doctor's office friendly (no skirts when getting my back fiddled with!) AND family portrait friendly (perhaps with multiple options so I don't end up clashing with anyone), bring enough makeup and hair stuff so I can soothe my vanity for the aforementioned portrait, collect patterns and fabric and sewing stuff for making baby clothes with my step-sister as gifts for the baby shower my dad and step-mom are having on Saturday (did I mention I'll be getting a new baby sister in October and I WON'T BE HERE?!?!?), and...... oh yes, take pictures of the damage to the back of my truck and email them to the insurance woman so my doctors' appointments can actually get paid for. Whoops, I needed to do that a while ago. Do I have time for even half of that list? Probably not. Sigh.
One last thing: anyone who has online resources on 18th century clothes, specifically those that are relevent to the 1750s, please share! I have a bunch of stuff bookmarked but most of it's formal, and later in the century. Thrice, I say, Halp!
=)
My plan, based on information gleaned from Kimberley, from various friendly person at Costume College, from the internet, from Janet Arnold, and from the very limited additional supply of books I have that say much about the 18th Century, is to do an upper working class type thing, aspiring bourgeoise, "maybe I can marry a respectable city fellow!" type. Maybe a former upper servant, who knows. The thing is I'm terribly vain and I like pretty things and I can't abide the thought of being uncorsetted and unfitted and frumpy. Besides which, I don't have any nasty wools like I'd need for properly being poor. Basically, I need to fit my character, class, and vanity to what I can manage, the best plan for which seems to be a jacket with stomacher, and petticoats over a bumroll. In linen. So I would likely wear:
-My gored panel Victorian corset, which doesn't fit right, so it flattens my front and shoves my bosom upward and looks rather more 18th Century than 19th, because for heaven's sake it's better than nothing
-My Elizabethan shift, made using the pattern generator on Drea Leeds' site and these instructions: http://elizabethancostume.net/chemise.html - it is, incidentally, the only Elizabethan garment I've made, and I didn't finish the wrist edges or the hem because I, well, got distracted. My thought is to shorten them hem to mid-calf and shorten the sleeves to just past the elbow - but they're fairly close-fitting sleeves, which I gather is unusual for 18th Century. However, I did find some pictures that seem to support the possibility: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/large/2006AV6133.jpg . Additionally, I could perhaps attach a self-fabric ruffle, like I seem to see here (though of course it could be attached to the jacket sleeve): http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/large/2006AV6330-1.jpg . The shift has a relatively low, square neck and is made of a nice cotton batiste. It's entirely handsewn, for what reason I really couldn't say.
-Knee-high stockings and black leather ballet flats, because really, if not those, it's side-button 19th Century Fugawee Victorias, and that would really be bad.
-Some sort of bumroll item, which according to my rather decent costume history textbook was at the time called a "false rump" (which amuses me to no end), but I don't know precisely what shape it ought to be - I gather the fashionable silhouette was VERY wide but how much would that be imitated by the lower echelons? It's Elizabethan, again, but this seems like helpful construction information to start with: http://elizabethancostume.net/bumroll.html
-A jacket (would casaquin be the right term?) like those on page 26 of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion I. I want to do a stomacher, not a loose front (vanity, remember?), and cuffed sleeves. I'm very attracted to the notion of ruched trim as in A, but the text says that was added later. The fabric is a red linen leftover from another project (strictly speaking, it has some low rayon content as well, but it's not obvious and we'll all just have to manage, because I can't buy anything new!), and I plan to use it for both jacket and stomacher. But it's sturdy, and thus too heavy for ruched self-trim. Would it be acceptable to use a different fabric entirely for trim? Like, say, bias-cut white silk of some variety? Or should I try to talk myself out of the ruching? I want it to be pretty but I don't want to mix fibers unacceptably or mix socio-economic strata alll willy-nilly. I can tell you for certain I won't be quilting the thing. Going to this pictures again - http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/large/2006AV6330-1.jpg - the jacket appears to have contrast bands of some sort laid around the neckline, with matching cuffs, so it doesn't look like ribbon. For the record, ribbon isn't an option (except faked with bias-cut silk), because I don't have any silk ribbon. Whatever I do, I'll do it with light finishing and nice big seam allowances so I can fix it later once I get a proper corset done.
-A stomacher to match said jacket, in the same red linen. If I have time at some point, is embroidery or trim an option? I probably won't worry about it yet, but I'm thinking ahead.
-A petticoat that will actually show, in some linen I have on hand, which is currently white but which I'm thinking I'll dye a reddish brown perhaps - something that will go with the red, not be matchy-matchy, and not show dirt too easily. I don't know color sense for this period much, so I'm a little iffy on this - I'll plan on making the other petticoat first, to give myself time to think about it.
-Another petticoat for to wear under the first, which I'll do in some mid-to-slightly-heavy-weight cotton I have that I dyed pink. It was supposed to be wine, but there was a washing machine snafu and the dye was rinsed out too soon. It clashes hideously with the red linen, but it's sturdy fabric with body, it was cheap, it's already a reasonable color for the period, and I have plenty of it. So I will study the famous petticoat tutorial of
koshka_the_cat (http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/18c_petticoat.html) and try the pink one first, then make the one I intend to be seen once I've chosen a color and dyed the fabric. I figure I'll make the underneath one an inch or two shorter.
-A pocket or two, which will likely get made on the plane! I need to build a serious stock of small handwork projects for all my travel-time.
-A cap and fichu - I love white silk organza, and I actually HAVE it, but would it be ridiculous to wear silk with relatively simple linen clothes? Or would I be able to reasonably fancy things up with organza cap, fichu, and ruching on the jacket? Failing that highly desirable but suspicious plan, I have some cotton voile that I could use for the fichu and, I suppose, starch and use for a cap. One the subject of caps, are there any patterns or diagrams online? Is the circular-cut mob cap a myth? Are small caps too racy/fashionable for me?
-For my hair I'm planning to set it in curlers, rolled back from my face, and puff it a little, possibly with the clever braid thing in the back. I think it will be hard to resist a little authentic cosmetic usage (in color and application, not in poison content), even though it might shock the locals.
-Would a silk-covered straw hat be unacceptable for the social strata implied by the linen jacket and petticoat? Because I can't get my hands on proper straw and would have the fake it and cover, like so: http://www.jennylafleur.com/precis/2005_05.htm - I really don't want to go hatless because it seems indecent, and I sunburn horribly.
-What am I forgetting?????
I am so confused. But I need to get this figured out, quickly, because like I said, I leave in three weeks. I want to have as much done as possible before then, because Kimberley and I will only have a couple days to drape and make the jacket (you think I'm doing that on my own? hah!). So I even want to have a bunch of trim ready ahead of time, if I'm allowed to use trim. I really want to NOT make a mess of this, because I'm hoping it will get me a job at some point. There's a lot of 18th Century living history in Massachusetts, and I want to do living history. All the time!
Halp!
In other news, and in another century entirely, Lindsey (eldanorien ) and I are trying to make the Old Hollywood murder mystery party happen in less than two weeks (Saturday the 15th), but we're losing people, and she's having to work constantly, so there's not been much time for planning. It turns out that I desperately need a studio mogul (male, 30+), a vindictive femme fatale actress (female, dark-haired, 18-30), an auburn-haired aspiring actress (female, 18-30), and a vicious gossip columnist (female, any age, preferably 25+). I could also use a functional photographer, performers of any ilk, and an additional bartender. Those first four I listed though, are important characters that we thought we had people for but now don't. If you're interested, for the love of heaven, tell me, because we can't possibly write them all out. And we can still write more in! It will be lots of fun and a chance to do 1940s-50s!
Again - halp!
And finally, as I've mentioned, I am moving. In three weeks. Basically forever. I will be finishing my bachelor's for at least the next two years (possibly an extra semester, hopefully not an extra year, but I want to make sure I have time to do all the courses I need to for teaching credentials, on top of everything else), then I plan on staying in the Northeast for my master's, which looks to be another two years, possibly a little longer because I'll be TAing (I'd better be - otherwise there's no way I could possibly afford grad school). For those who are curious - I'll be getting a bachelor of arts in an individual concentration that will involve social history, cultural studies, and education, and then a master of arts in public history (or one of the related disciplines like public humanities). I'll be done by the time I'm 30. Sigh. Oh well - it took me a while to get everything figured out, but better late than never. I'll be at Hampshire College in Amherst, which is in the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. If anyone knows any living historians, costumers, or groups out there, introduce me! I'll be allllllll alone. It's terrifying, but exciting. I bought my plane ticket last night, and my train ticket from Utica, NY to Springfield, MA, for the following Tuesday - September 2nd. Here's hoping my cousin and his fiancee are still willing to let me stay the night at their house the night before check-in. And here's hoping I survive the day of travel: It's a five-hour train ride (for twenty bucks!!!) to Springfield, then at least two and a half hours on the bus, it looks like. Despite it only being I think half an hour by car. Bleh. I will bring lots of handsewing.
So, that's me, that's life, that's what's up. I have to figure out how to get my stuff across the country still, which promises to be tricky and expensive, and I have to figure out how to live and study and sew in a tiny dorm room - which, thankfully, I will have to myself, so that's something. I would greatly appreciate any tips and tricks on costuming in a dorm room!
For the moment, though, I need to skedaddle, as I have to leave for my doctor's appointment in an hour and 45 minutes, after which I'm going to my dad's to sew with my step-sister and take a family picture, before all of which I need to clean up around the house, do the dishes, eat the food that's been sitting here since I started this entry, take a shower, find clothes that are doctor's office friendly (no skirts when getting my back fiddled with!) AND family portrait friendly (perhaps with multiple options so I don't end up clashing with anyone), bring enough makeup and hair stuff so I can soothe my vanity for the aforementioned portrait, collect patterns and fabric and sewing stuff for making baby clothes with my step-sister as gifts for the baby shower my dad and step-mom are having on Saturday (did I mention I'll be getting a new baby sister in October and I WON'T BE HERE?!?!?), and...... oh yes, take pictures of the damage to the back of my truck and email them to the insurance woman so my doctors' appointments can actually get paid for. Whoops, I needed to do that a while ago. Do I have time for even half of that list? Probably not. Sigh.
One last thing: anyone who has online resources on 18th century clothes, specifically those that are relevent to the 1750s, please share! I have a bunch of stuff bookmarked but most of it's formal, and later in the century. Thrice, I say, Halp!
=)