Small things

Hello people, 

Some time has past and I've been working on many different things, but most off them are to small to make a full post about it. Besides that I made a couple off small things I also been working on two bigger things, where I don't always have the motivation on working continual. Thats the biggest reason for all those little pieces, I avoiding a bit the real big projects. Today no different.... 

So I shall share some pictures, most off this things are finished. But the bonnet I'm working on is an item I began last spring but never worked further on, and is still a piece that I don't finish at this present. 

I made in january an flanel underskirt for more colder costume days. The fabric I bought earlier in November, but didn't find the time to make it earlier. I don't gonna wear it this winter anymore, Spring is next month. But Next winter I hope to have a real 1890's winter costume to go with it. I hope.... 

So next was a new Chemise, I had enough fabric left over from the first pair chemise and drawers and wanted from early on make some more underpinnings. Most off the stuff I had already in stash, so I'm happy to add this piece for the victorian garderobe. Hope to add an new pair off drawers soon. Also this time has the chemise no sleeves. 

And this is the ongoing bonnet I started last spring. This time I worked on a lining so my hair would't get stuck at the raw straw back.

I hope when I finish it I also have a new regency ensemble to go with it. 

 And today.... Today I'm working on more pieces, I finished already the sleeves on this blouse I made last year. I had one ruffle where I didn't had enough lace for it. I had this time so much left over lac that I didn't only finish the ruffle and sewed in. I had enough eyelet lace and blue ribbon to give it that extra touche. And I really love the extra ruffle and lace. 

I also been working now on some stuffing bags to but in my 1890's sleeves. Perhapes I make some photo's... but perhapes not. 

Today is all about sleeves, because when I'm ready with the stuffing bags I will work on sewing the sleeves in my 1870's day bodice. But that is for another post, I've been working on more pieces, but I mentioned that was for the other bigger projects. and the day bodice is one off it. You can see a glimpse off it at the background photo right to you. ;P

So back to work, I have a lot of catching up on sewing :)

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. 

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!!

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.
 

new 18th pocket hoops

Let's see, a while ago, I remade a new pair of 18th pocket hoops, my old pair where worn out, and I had some very colorful leftovers that where just enough for a new pair. 

I like the pattern on the fabric, orange is maybe not my color, but for a pair of very fancy pocket hoops I love them. Last month I repare my short rococo dress, so I can where it with this new hoops. 

these pair where my oldies , the fabric was ripped at several places, and the overal look was very baggy... It was made of linen, my new pair are firm printen cotton. 

Time for some new rump support

So the last time, I had some spare time left, and because I don't have all the materials for my new costume for in april, I did what I do more if I have leftovers and some patterns to match with it. I'm cleaning my stash and make some new undie's for under the costumes. This time it was some support I needed. So I made from the same fabric like my regency apron (the leftover from the fabric where perfect for this two little projects) an bumroll and an bumpad. This especially for tudor and baroque dresses, and the pad more for edwardian dresses. I'm planning to make perhaps also an late 18th century bumpad, because i'm planning to make a late 18th century dress. 

Why I made them? Not only because Some underpinnings needed replacement, but because if I'm going to make a compleet new outfit an other time, I don't have to make all the new underpins, time saving, and for this time well spended. 

So a few weeks ago I made first the bumroll, and yesterday the bumpad. 

 I know, I made begin this year my baroque gown, so why would I made the bumroll so late? My first bumroll was last minute made. Just before the gala, nobody would see the ugly little creature, and so I made the first roll from an old pantyhose filled with leftover fabric, he served me two times and after that he died. I was always planning to make a decend one, but never came the moment. Untill a few weeks ago. So this is the result. 

 

 I used the pattern from simplicity 2621, an tudor-ish pattern. Really historical accurate I don't think so, but with the bumroll you cannot do much wrong. 

It was not difficult to make it, only two pieces, so in les than an hour you have a new bumroll. 
So why didn't I make a proper one in the first place? I stuffed the pantyhose the same evening as the gala, in an hotel room.... 

It are the same stripes as the regency apron, old pink with light grey stripes. I made also an embroidery reticule from the fabric, but that is for another post. 
















So for the Bumpad, I was more planning to make an new 1887 dress first before I would planning to make an 1903 dres, but for both dresses I know what it would look like and just because I have to make an compleet new outfit, underwear, corset, outerwear, etc. I wanted some of the things spread over time. So when times come for the costume, it would no longer be a big pill of things to make in a few weeks. 

For the 1887 dress, it means I going to make an new bustle as well, I have an short one, but this time I would see some longer and bigger one, perhaps lobstertail.

 It was not in the patterns, but I like ruffles, it was only to late that I realized that this thing is going under the corset so the ruffles was no fuction -.-" Yeah, it is clear I haven't research this era like I have done with other era's, because I hadn't the intention for making an costume from this era. That changed.

So I made the bumpad from Truly Victorian E01 an 1903 edwardian corset pattern, it comes with bumpad and bust improvers to improve the S-curve more. The bust improvers scares me a little bit, because the look like short sausages. I don't like sausages. 

maybe I order the bust improvers from wearing history, they look cute. But that is for another time. 

And here you see are the stripes back again. It was the last of the leftovers, so there is more space for in my stash. That means: new fabrics! 


I'm very happy with these two new underpins, they where fun to make and not difficult, and the stripe is and linen, so very comfortble to wear. 







Till the next time. 

fairy bonbon

Maybe you see it, yes my blog name is inspired by this character and costume. This costume has a large meaning for me, it has a story just like other costumes. But this story has a bad ending, because this dress died in the washing machine.... and cried that I did, and still i'm mourning about this dress. but the charachter is not dead, still pretty alive in me off course.

one day I shall make an new dress for this character, but first her story.

April 2014, elfia (elf fantasy fair) Haarzuilen.

 This was the day my dress got an other meaning than it was only a dress. When I made the dress, it was the intention that the dress was not big! large! and not even impresive. My idea was to lay on the attention to my antique baby carriage (from around 1900's) that I turned to a candycar.

I made the costume so that I had an act that was interactive with children. I was the candy fairy and if the children dare to grabble a candy they had an treatment. The story goes that I passed by a lane for the second time that day, an boy of a market vendor that the first time picked a candy, yelled to his father something in french (I dind't understood what he said) but one word I understand perfect: fairy bonbon.

His father came to me again and the shy boy stood after him and told me, his boy asked a couple times of the fairy bonbon yet should pass by. my haert was touched of that thing, the little boy had waited a couple houres, watching, when i passed by so he had the change to ask me for an other candy. And ofcourse he received some candy.

That day I realised that it is not only the costume that matters but also the character that you play. I love fairy bonbon, just like the other kids. She is the innocent side that I represent.

So you know why I cried about that dress, it was just like a side of me was destroyed. But there i good new as well, I know what I go to make of the dress. An onderpinning for an new regency gown. But I shall later on tell you more about that. first this project.

Photographer: Anges Noppen

So here do you see the dress, with spencer that I made if it was what colder and the turqouise baby carriage. I bought that thing in this coolor, but i'm planning to renovated the thing in her original disign.

 Here do you see the dress without the spencer. This photo is taken on castlfest that year.

 The wig that i'm wearing is gluwed on my forehead, a really dissaster if you try is off....

 Maybe you recognize him... but yes, he is the friend where i'm king with at the certain moment of elfia (2015-2016). On this picture we had met just a few houres a go. And he promised me that day if he wanted to by king of elfia, he wanted me as his queen. lol. and it happend, it was funny if you know that we never met before and that day we where most of the time on the same pictures, because ours colours matched perfectly.

 Here a detail without the spencer. it is a pitty the dress is shrunken and the wild silk is not that pretty anymore. Some ribbons where also a little bit antique and are now bright yellow then pearl white...

I fount this picture look very innocent. A little bit the reflection of the character.














So for the making part.

This was one of the first dresses where i made underwear for. the green dress is made of butterick 6630, and as for more dresses, i made some adjusments. for de spencer as well for the dress.

The underpinning was made of  Sense and Sensebility: a regency underthings pattern.

When I'm gonna make a new regency dress, I will make long stays because that should better with my posture. But for then, i have my short stays. The shift is very basic and dind't need any replacement yet.

My beautyfull green wild silk :'( It was really my precious.. but good, the store where they sell it, is it very buyable. it is 100% wild silk, and that was the suprise. it was under the 10 € t/m

So I think, i'm goining to buy new green silk and make a better one :p

 Here do you see the beginning of the bodice in progress and a chemisette I never ussed. The pearls are pinned, just like de medallion.

Back view, beacause I dind't like the lace closure of the pattern I made a button closure.

 On this picture you can see that the skirt and the lacy fabric are attached on the bodice. For the lacy fabric was an own attachment.

Here you see that is was handstiching for the little beads. It took a little while.

The end product, I made an little riticule (handbag) what here is pinned on for the picture.

I got the lacy fabric from a dear friend of my, she given me at my bithday a year before this project.























I know that er not very much photo's are from the making part. I'm sorry for that.
But this is the story after my fairy bonbon character. And I know that you now why I choose for the blogname Lady BonBon.

This pretty girl is an German carriage from around 1900. The original was a brown bin with white leather coating. I bought him when he was already blue.

But for later, this is an other project for in the future.

Here do you see what i hade in my candy care... nomnomnom, even an fairy had it difficult :p The blue hole was the grable hole for the children.


















So, for the next time, it will be my experience of venice...

Greets Jessie :)