Steampunk dress

I made this dres way back in 2013. But I began making the dress a year before in 2012. It lay down for almost a year before I pick it up and finished. 

I have worn this dres once, twice perhapes three times. But no more than that. I couldn't not find myself in the steampunk scene and after this dress I didn't make anything close to it. Perhapes I would give it a new try after all those years, try something new. But if I'm honest, I'm more off a goth girl than a steam girl. But I have enjoyed this dress, for sure! 

I think this is the second ever made costume I sewed myself, if I finished it first before my lavender colored rococo based dress it would be the first. But because it layed so long on hold this was the second one. But the first I cut. 

So you can clearly see that I used the famous Simplicity 2172 for the coat and corset. For the bloomers I used Simplicity 2777. For the crinoline I used Truly Victorian TV141. I even made a capelet, but didn't wear it really anytime. But I used TV590. 

I gave the coat last year an update because it didn't fit me met that great. The sleeve where the biggest problem. They never did fit me that good. So I took them out end increased the shoulder and replaced the shoulder caps so the didn't fall off my shoulder. And loose the sleeves because the
they never gave me freedom of movement. Also loose the neck ruffle and took all the stitching out off all edges because they wehre not flattering att all. Last but not least, I machine sewed button holes, beacuse the old ones where handstitched. I want to make a new blouse for it and redo the bloomers as well. 

 I don't know if I wear it soon again after finishing the old costume, perhapes I sell it. Perhapes I do weare it. Will see. 

This how the costume looked like without the crinoline before I began dismantle the sleeves and the neck ruffle. 


If I'm honest, I don't know yet wich form I will to strive, but the redo is far from finished. I'll shall share progress if I'm working again on it. But for now, I still have some of old pieces I want to share that I made back in 2013 before ending this post for now. 

 The mantle I made but never wore. Maybe I sell it.... Or give it away...
 











 And a bag I made, I wore it a lot. Not only with the costume but also in my daily life, it is worn out now. A fun project back then. I made it by scratch, but it wasn't difficult to draw something so simple. 

I have to apologize for the poor picture quality. They are made a long time ago, and some pieces are not in the same shape as short after finishing them.


I'm gonna put here some pictures that are made a long time ago. Two made in a shoot at an old train station and the last one is made on the first event when I wore it. 

 So if I have some news from this oldie offcourse I'm gonna share it. Till next time. And have good start at 2018. 

Drindl dress

 

I don't have a lot of pictures of this dress and not even making off pictures. So perhapes this will be a short post. You see here the front, I used Burda 7057. I'm not that a great fan of Burda in the first place, the one time I made earlier back in 2013, it came so terribly out I can't even rework the dress. But I wanted to give Burda another try. This time it was better, but there where still parts I don't like about how the dress turnt out. 

 I think Burda would never grow on me.... But good, this dress it's not really groundbreaking. It's fun, but no more than that. I think to wear it with easy or hot events if I don't want something restricted of difficult to put on. What I would want to chance if I ever get in me head to do this pattern again.... I would begin with lenghten the bodice. I have a short torso, but this is ridiculous!! Even for me this bodice came in to short. And second, add boning. The instructions don't ask for them, but it would straight out the bodice and would look more pleasing for the eye. This would be the only two things, but for me they would be a game changer. What I changed this time about the pattern? I changed the skirt so the embroidery would match more and add some pockets. Pockets do everything. 

 So I don't think I have to tell more about this dress. It isn't that a accomplishment.. I hope to have some fun with it in the future, but not more than that. Burda don't do it for me. 

Till next time.  

Rococo gaga

yeez... I have been lazy couple of months about writing at all. I mean, I have made several new things and wrote nothing about it, I have to do some cathing up. So first things first. beginning this year I had the annual elfia in Haarzuilens in april where I made a big, and I mean really big costume. 

I gave it the name: rococo gaga, beacause... yeah, you can see why....

It was a bit of an madness to make.....

The dress, is made from table plastic, have you ever sewn plastic with an sewing machine? I calling MADNESS! Really, at some point I couldn't put the plastic under the sewing foot, so there was no other way to staple the many layers plastic in the side where the skirt is with a stapler... hahaha *looks a bit gaga out her eyes*

In the end, there a very few photo's made, and the dress began to fall apart at the end of the day... yeah, you still are wearing plastic, and the movements you make, the bodyhead that lives onder the bodice can't go anywhere, so the plastic began to weaken at some points. the dress lives, plastic isn't maked for something like a hole day of walking, moving, rubbing and go on. I really loved it to wearing it, but it was also very exhauting. My head was screaming at the end of the day. The wig is glued on my forehead, instand botox!! And also walked more side way....The dres itself wasn't that heavy, but there where things I couldn't do, like go to the toilet, or sit like a normal person. 

At some point the dress began to vaporize and I began to catch flies under my plastic skirt, and yes you could see them....

I did knew before I began to make the dress that the evaporation would happen, so I wanted that every layer under the dress would be from natural fibers. So my first choice was cotton. Printen cotton. I knew I would lost a lot of water and I wanted that the under layers where easy to wash afterwards.

In this picture you can see clearly the evaporation in the sleeves.

So for my choice of fabric colors and prints....
The dress itself arise from the idea of an fairytail. I made it my one with an colorfull twist. Because you can litterly look through my outer layers in to my underlayers. I based on the fairytail `the emperor without clothes´
But I made a gender swap and it became `the empress without clothes´. I didn´t want to be completly be naked under my see through dress and considered some options for underneed. what for colors, or underpinnings. And after some concideration I wanted something colorful, with many patterns and that was almost wrong. So I had to do pattern matching and search for a color scheme that would please the eye, but also make the eye a bit twitch. 

I began with the under clothes. I used many different patterns, all of them from commercial brands.

For the shirt I used Simplicity 5359 . For the bloomers I used simplicity 2777 , I sewed not two but four pockets in and on this pants, I dind´t plan to sew that much of pockets, but I decised later I wanted other pocket on the pants who you could see, and I never took the other pockets out, so, yeah... four pockets... The where quite usefull. I don´t have pictures where the two new pockets are yet sewt on.

So the stays where next, the fit very nice, I think it is my first pir that fit that great. I like the figure they give me, and I will use them even with more historical correct 18th future dresses. Until I have made a more historical correct pair of stays in a more... neutral colored fabric.The pattern I used for this pair of stays are butterick 4254.
I have made stays before, but never they fit that good as this pair.

So here are the huge panniers in progress. I like the size, but the overall look was a bit a dissapointment for me, also they are not so stable because they rest on a couple of strings. I want to make a new pair of this size of panniers, but than a full fabric body so that the boning cant swing to much as it do with the strings. I used simplicity 3635 as my guideline, and the new pair I use for the full fabric body panniers. The new one, would be for more historical based dresses.
I dind´t make any progress pictures after this one, the plastic dress is made from simplicity 3637. These patterns are not printen anymore, but you they are still fnd them at etsy or ebay.





So this is it for my rococo gaga. I want to wear it again, but I can´t do it without help, and have to fix the dress at some points. Perhapes I can wear it for a photoshoot where I can get help with make up, hair and dressing. So fingers crossed for a next time of wearing.
 

balkan costume

So last weekend was Castlefest, but I did make this costume a half year a go for school. The assigment was: make a Balkan costume in one day. It was not historical right, not culturally right. It was the intention with this costume, to give a feeling\vibe of a culture, a folkish sphere. 

So because I made this thing like, in one day, there are few or non making photo's because there was no time to make progress photo's. But I have here the photo's for the school and what I did for these event castlefest 2016, and you shall see, there are some changes I made.

Photographer: Timo Reizeiger

So you can see, I made a skirt that is in wide more than 6 metres. A renaissance shirt with sleeves that are 1.20 m wide, they are huge! more theatrical that practical ;) The shirt had some tea dipping :p and some fake aging, beause it was the intention to make the shirt look old(er). The apron is just a table thing that was made long ago by my grand-grandmother. Besides just like the headthing on my head ;) The Bodice is made of jeans and painted with acrylic paint. I spraypainted some ballet shoes black and bought some cheap white stockings.

Photographer: Timo Reiziger

These is the back of the dress. Just because the dress is made in one day, I didn't had the time to proper finish the dress like good hemming and finish the raw edges.... But thats the theatrical way....

So now a pair of photo's what I did with the dress these weekend.

Photographer:Willem Nijhof

 So you can see that I change the shirt for I more drindl like blouse, changed the shoes and the stockings for red and black fishnet tight, and Dr. Martens. Some fishnet gloves. I wore under these combination a 1910 corset for a more smooth bodice, and under the skirt that was already voluminous, I wore a puffer for extra more volume.

Photgrapher: Fred Lo Cascio

 I teased my hair, so it looked more "rocking" and just beacuse I hadn't nothing for in my hair planned, I took my hair shawl from my 1950's combination and just bounded in. Some more make-up, and jewerly and I was happy for the second day of Castlefest.

Photographer: Willem Nijhof

Next time, I will write over my new Regency dress that I wore the first day of castlefest.

Greets Jessie 

Castlefest 2016

Good day everyone,

It's a long time when I write something, so I wanted to start with something I did last weekend. In the Netherlands is every year a festival called Castlefest, and like every year I am there with every day another costume. So I made 2 of the 3 costumes for this festival, for now I want to show you what i did wear en later on I want to write a post over the new costumes, how it was to make the things and what was the process.

Friday I wore my newest historical creation, a Regency esemble.

photographer: Agnes Noppen

I made the dress, spencer, chemisette, underwear and even the hat. I was in such a drive that I made 2 underdresses and a extra chemisette, what i borrowed to a friend that day. I planning to make a little garderobe with a few dresses, spencers, riding coat, hats, new stays (my old ones are outworn), over dresses, things like that.

saturday I wore my balkan costume that I made in school a half year ago, but I did a few adjusments

Photographer: Willem Nijhof

I changed the shirt to a sort of drindl top, I used a "puffer" (see American Duchess article) to give my skirt of 6 metres wide even more poof than is already was. And changed my white stocking for red tights and fishnet tights for a more "rocking" look, fishnet gloves and Dr. Martins.

sunday I was wearing a costume that planned for september, but it was already done for this festival, so I did wore it this sunday.

photographer: Robert Thielen

It is the left one :). A better Picture of these combi shall follow later on. But it is a sort of dance costume, I wanted something costumy but comfortable. So I made this thing for the last day. Nothing special of historical, but it was fun to weare on this festival. And I was wearing a skirt and pants on the same time! :D

I do Castlefest now sinds 2011, and this year was for me a bit of a less edition. I had fun, but there where somethings that where not good.... But that is not something for this blog ;) Next year it is going to be a better edition :p

raven rococo

Gala Nocturna March 2015, Theme: The swann princess.
This was my first edition of the beautyfull ball and I loved it!

The dress I made for the event was not particular typical swann material :p after this evening I had weare it on elfia Haarzuilen 2015.

Here are the pictures, first from gala and then from elfia. after these pictures there is the making part of the dress.

 Feeling evil swanns with my dear friend Juul :p

This are a pare of pictures of the evening.

 These are a few the pictures of elfia Haarzuilen 2015

I like it when I look thinner then I truly am, and then I mean my face. The dress need some adjustments to a closer fit to my stays. At this point i'm working on these adjustments these holidays. 

So when it is better weather I can wear it again, but without the feather things and a better fitting. It is a little make-over for the dress. If it is done and I have new pictures I show them here ;)

Look at these shoes! I found them just before elfia and the choice was quickly made wich shoes I wanted to wear.

A last one for the castle of Haarzuilen :p


So for the making part...

 First the stays..

 I followed the pattern of J.P. Ryan, Strapless stays. these stays where more for the working people. The fit is shorter and the form is more right.




It is not real historical right, it is just like a mix of modern techniques and a pair of look a like old techniques. 

Here do you see the lining, not very interesting. It is made of broken-white canvas. 

 

The outer fabric is made of printed linnen with flower motif.

You can see here the mixed techniques, I used metal boning with cutted shoelace. The stays are half boned.

 Because I didn't quite follow the historical guide lines, I thought why not more decoration. So I pinned lace on the front before I hand sewed the bias tape.

 The last phases of the stays where sewed by hand, because it wasn't possible for machine sewing.

This picture you see is the back were I sew the linning throw the interlining and the outer fabric for against shifting when I wear it.

This is again an mixed technique, first the metal eyelets and then hand sewing for covering the metal, and I must say, my eyelets where never so strong.

J.P. Ryan, Strapless stays

 So this was the end result of the stays, I love them very much, but I want new one, better fitting ones, with straps :p

But the flower printing I do assured for an other time again.

The back of the Stays.

 I'm sorry for the terrible photo's, but this is what I have.

the panniers you see badly have I made a couple of years ago for another rococo-ish dress. But more over that project later.

Here you see is the lining and the innerlinning for the dress. The bodice is boned and I used a more costuming pattern than more a historical correct one.

I used simplicity 4092, and made adjusments for the length and the closure. I made a side front closure, because I hate zipper closures in the back. I made the skirt and the dress  knee long.

 Here see you progres pictures from bodice and skirt. The sleeves here alraidy made, but only pinned on the bodice. I have better pictures of them when I made them, but that is for later after the body.

 The overall look begins to look better and better.

 Oh this was such horrible thing -.-" These ruffle thing are synthetic taffeta and because my sewing machine was not such a strong thing, everything of that stuff had to made with handsewing. Metres of taffeta are in this ruffle. 

And finally after many, many hours of hand stiching, the thing was on de dress.

 So with the new adjusments i'm gonna free the front from the dress and make a new stomacher that must be pinned with dress pins when I want to wear it. But for now you see the system what on the certain moment is on the dress.

I make de closing with big snaps and the ruffle hide the gaps of the closure.

 The sleeves! because I didn't find the right red lace, I made the under ruffle with the same taffeta as the ruffle.

 I decorated the underruffle with an ribbon with beads.

simplicity 4092

 So these was the total overall look, but there were some jewerly and shoes that I want to share.

 I found these rings on alixpress and lost only 5 € for the rings.

 So the rings got a make over with some stuff I had left over in my stash.

 These necklace was just assembling, nothing very special.

 So, for the gala I bought some ballet shoes, I don't know how to call spitzen or spointes in English. These shoes were not very expensive online, but there quality is realley bad. But for me it was not a problem because it was only for an evening and I don't dance in real life.

But the only shoes I found were pink, so I painted them black with spray paint. you can see the result on the photo below.

So this was it for today again. I don't think i'm gonna post over venice, it was not a very good experience. Only the costume museum was interesting for these blog. 

Greets Jessie.