1873 Evening dress

I wore this dress in november at an ball. Winterball in Castle d'Ursel, Belgium. It was for me the first time I attended a ball and it was such perfect evening. I want and will attend more off these balls in the future now I know how fun they are. 
The ball was year bound. So the dress code was 1873, first bustle period.  It gave me the chance to make the dress I wanted since 2012, when I began dreaming off historical dressing. But I wanted to make this dress only when I was ready to make this dress, I wanted to invest in expensive fabrics knowing I wouldn't mesh up the dress. The sad thing, I began early with the dress, but could not finsish it in time. I miss some rows of trimming, and I will sew them on the skirt for next time I wear it. But it was a bit of disappointment when I realized that I couldn't finish the dress in time for the ball. 

But when the evening arrived I shut that feeling off dissapointment on myself off and enjoyed every moment. When I decided that I wanted to make a new silhouette I knew that I needed everything new. from chemise till the petticoats. my old corset was worn out and never of the best quality. So even that had to be don before I could began with the outer layers off the dress. 

 After the ball I knew the little faults the dress had so after the ball I fixed most off them. You can see that the bodice got ride up sometimes, that was because there wasn't a waistband sewed in, I knew that even before the ball that it would be a problem. So a few days after the ball I placed a waistband in the bodice and that problem was fixed. I sewed the afternoon before the ball all the hook and eye closures in the petticoats and skirts, but came a bit shortly, I survived, but after the ball I bought some hooks and eyes and sewed them where they had a lack off it. And I'm still a bit tinkering on the system for pulling up the train enough so people don't stand on it when I'm dancing... I had a little accident. But I want to finish first the trimmings before I finish the pulling up system. 

So for the layers.. everything is newely made. Also I was thinking ahead for future victorian dresses, so I chose for pieces that would also go for other decades. Until I have time to be more precise for corsets and underpinnings. Petticoats are a different deal. 

So it feels like the first time since I began with corsetery I felt like I nailed that corset. 

Off course there are things I would do different the next time, but I'm very happy with this result. I took the pattern off an original corset from 1880 that was not only in new state but also fitted perfectly my body. I didn't make any adjustments to fit it better. I had the chance to borrow it from a dear friend I always be greatfull for. It was for me the first time to take a pattern directly from an garment at all.

So because this was a for me large part of sewing this hole dress, I made the decision to use for the other pieces patterns out off the envelop to spare me some time.  

The chemise and drawers I made from Truly victorian  TV102. I knew black cotton would be a better choice for under an black dress. But here is again the part reuse it for other victorian dresses, and many off them have white blouses and are a bit see through... and white is easier to wash and that sort stuff. In the future I will make a black set. 

 A closer look at the neck line. I like that you can choice if you use the button closure at the shoulder. For ironing very handy. And under a close up from the hem.














I don't have a closer picture of the drawers.

So this are the layers under all that black. I used TV108 for the grand bustle. It did easy together, instructions where easy to follow, nothing out off the ordinary. The two petticoats are made from TV170. One from a more sturdy beige colored cotton and the second one from a bleached thinner cotton and had a lace hemming, i really love this pattern and hope to make some new 1890's petticoats soon because my old one is in a really bad shape. The last layers before the actual outer layers begin is the trained petticoat, I made this on from the same pattern I used for the outer skirt, so the skirt wouldn't suffer that directly from the ground. I used TV208. 

So I began first with the skirt and the apron. I wanted to finsih them at least with minimal off trimming before I sewed more on it, and run out off time if I hadn't finisched the bodice first. I used TV208 for skirt and apron, and the fabric I used is black dupioni silk. In these three pictures you can see the skirt before I began with the bodice. But after these pictures there is not much changed. After the bodice I sewed only one row of ruches at the apron, for more I hadn't time. The skirt has two pockets instead of one, I'm happy with those spaces. They are big enough, so no need for a handbag.

 The dress with the bodice, only the buttons and buttonholes where needed here. 

For the bodice I used TV416. I didn't changed anything about the pattern, but for a next time perhapes do some alterations or draft something completely different. 

I think I would do more bustle periods in the future, I feel really good in this dress. 

For this dress I'm gonna make a day bodice as well for a day event in June, with new gloves and a hat. And offcourse finish the skirt.

So last but not least, I did something I dreamt for years. My first pair of American Duchess shoes. A pair of renoirs, and I love them! They are really comfortable. I danced the night away, stand most off the time. And believe me, I can't stand long on my feet before they begin nagging, completely with heels. But those heels are from perfect height. With those beauty's no problems at all. I hope to order there soon, but it's really expensive to order over sea..... 



 

And the prove I danced the night away....!

I need some new self-adhesive soles.....

 Happy new year!!

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.  

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.