I am oh so woefully behind — about a month ago GBACG went to the Gaskell Ball, and I did actually take some pictures! Our theme this year was Victorian fantasy, and only a very few of us dressed up. Bridget wore her fabulous fairy costume, I wore my 1830s evening dress with elf ears and my LOTR circlet, and a woman whose name I’ve forgotten came as the sun (am I forgetting anyone?). Sadness! Next year I may have to just make it no theme, or just pick something along with whatever I want to wear — if I’m the only one wearing it, it should be something I’m excited about! I did think seriously about how much I want to sell off all of my non-natural fiber costumes. This dress is an acetate taffeta, and while it wasn’t horrible because of the low neck/short sleeves, it was definitely uncomfortable. Anyway — pictures!
Costume Depression
Agh! I simply CANNOT find anything I like to make for the Costume College gala/GBACG guillotine picnic! Yes yes, I have a few 18th century options so it’s not like I’d be naked at the picnic. The real focus is having something fabulous to wear to the gala, but I literally can’t find ANYTHING that’s making my toes curl. I’m pretty settled on 18th century (last night I went through my image files on all other eras that I like, and they BORED [gasp!] me!). What I really need is to find a portrait that I really love and want to reproduce (but they’re all white, blue, pink, and yellow — zzzzzzzz) or some fabric (STRIPES??!!) that knocks my socks off (but so far, no go). Sob. Is this the end??!! And I’ve actually been working on my Meg dress, but my husband went off for four days with the camera, so I have no proof!
This post brought to you by Whine(TM).
Because I’m Just Not Going to Get Anything done Until I Decide…
What to make for the Costume College gala (and probably the GBACG Guillotine Picnic)? Some kind of stripey 1760s/70s pet-en-l’air (too similar to what I wore last year?), one of these 1772 robes a l’anglaise (pretending that the greenish cast to the blue dress makes it green, or the orange [is orange too close to the peach I used for my francaise?]), or this 1790 stripey redingote/anglaise ensemble (might have some red/white left over from my candy cane dress, but is it too boring to make another ensemble in that fabric?). CADD strikes again! Must decide! Mind consumed with thoughts of ruching and big hair!
La la la…
Okay, so I got distracted and busy over the weekend, but I am so getting back to my Little Women dress tonight! Saturday Sarah and I geeked out watching Marie Antoinette, and my thoughts are filled with making SOME kind of exciting 18th century fabulousness for the Costume College gala. But I’m being hampered by my desire to reproduce some sort of period portrait (I want the challenge of doing hair/accessories/etc.), and needing to get over my aversion to blue and pink (everything is blue, white, and pink! aaaaaa!). Could I handle a white with groupings of narrow pink stripes? Would I look like a total dork? Is there a reason most of my costume wardrobe is green and burgundy (yes)? I’m also thinking about making one of the dresses from Marie Antoinette, but most of them are either in a color I don’t like or have something inaccurate enough about them to stop me…
Sunday was Costume Academy — I taught a class on bustle era hairstyles, which included a demo that went very well! And I took a class on working with feathers, and successfully was able to curl an ostrich feather, which made me unnecessarily happy.
In the meantime, I was randomly inspired to take a photo of my 18th century pocket, made years ago when I was in the mood for some embroidery. More interesting updates soon!
Misc. (Because It’s Been Too Boring Around Here!)
So I haven’t done one jot of sewing in forever — work has been crazy, and my weekends have been totally booked. Booked with costume-y stuff, but nothing huge to report! Let’s see — I taught a workshop on bodice draping and will be doing another in April, I went to the GBACG Elizabeth and the Pirate feast which was much fun (but I didn’t take many pictures – I wore my same old, same old courtesan dress. I REALLY need a new 16th century dress!) And I went to the GBACG Little Women Costume Salon, where we geeked out and looked at 5 million photos of extant sheer dresses.
I absolutely, positively will work on my Little Women dress this weekend. I have to get cracking, if for no other reason than I’m itching to sew! I got lots of tips from Lynne on making a drawn bonnet at the Little Women Salon, and I really should start on that soon before I forget everything.
Sunday is Costume Academy and I’m teaching one class in the morning (hairstyles of the bustle era). See? Busy with costume-related stuff, but no sewing!
One bit of interest — I noticed the Whitaker Auction people are going to be doing a huge auction of Tasha Tudor’s collection this November. They say a book will be available, so I’m definitely going to have to look for that.
Oh, and I recently got this book: Gazette des Atours de Marie Antoinette. It’s really amazing — it’s one of the swatch books (this one from 1782) that she used to select her gowns. All in French, of course, but a gorgeous reproduction and I really recommend it. What I found most interesting is that the gowns are separated into different categories: grand habits (court dresses), levites, turques, anglaises, gowns for “petit paniers” (as opposed to the big ones worn with the grand habits). Brings home how different styles would be worn for different occasions (and probably 3-4 dresses in one day!). The swatches themselves are not that exciting, in that many of them are solid taffetas (lots of purpley colors) — only a few stripes, a few ikats, a few small scale embroideries. But it’s still really cool to see some scrap of ANYTHING connected to Marie Antoinette’s gowns!