Back to Victorian..or Edwardian..?

"I don't sketch, I collage"

Before I try to sleep I'm going to tell the story of "almost Edwardian". 

I'm making a costume for my mother-in-law and in that stretching out towards the Edwardian era. For my self I'm not a big fan of the Edwardian-era look, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to make it for some one else! Like many other things, I might not want to wear it but it's interesting never the less, and after discussing back and forth (my original idea was more Dickens inspired) we came to the conclusion that this is the era that would fit the purpose and her body type best.

So, as I do, I started with figuring out what kind of person she would have been and what would be the logical result of that in her clothes:

..the outfit so far.

It's 1905 and she's a lower middle-class woman in a marketplace. Since she's out a lot the fabric of the clothes need to be worm and quite sturdy (brown & dark green). She's not very fashionable and there's signs of the 1890's in the cut of her clothes, but she did buy a new corset recently in the city. Underbust with a straight busk, the latest thing! 

The outer clothes is the practical side..the corset shows an indulging and daring nature.. and the underdress has a bit of an unexpected rural charm (for me that is..I've never been this far out the country in my dressmaking). There's more details to come, aside from the jacket which is still in the making. So hopefully the story continues.

Procrastination...or Rounding up my Works.

As this is hopefully the last months I'll be spending in my cursed birth country, I'm trying to focus on the important things like figuring out the practicalities of moving and job searching...So naturally this weekend ended up looking like this in my mind:

This is one of the most fun things I've ever mind-created! It's been there for some time and I've now decided it will be one of the two things I want to finish before moving. (Actually..the two are kind of connected..but more on that later) 

This is a very free creation..I had trouble deciding if I was going to lean it more towards the 17th or the 18th century, but since I'm sort of slumming it now again it's probably going to be quite hard to determine a precise era. The skirt so far is very 18th century with the pale stripyness and side fastenings, and the stays are early rococo (see how I managed to squeeze that word in too), but over all the colours will point it more towards the 17th century. I'm not a big fan of the pastelly lameness of the rococo..I just want some freakin' dramatic colours and gold! throw in a birds wing for all I care! you know..is that too much to ask?

Anyway.. last but not least, there will most defensibly be a hood attached! I think I will call this my Highway-woman outfit.

Now I'm off to cut out fabric on a badly lit floorspace (slumming it appeals to me in that way). Leaving you with an appropriate Horrible Histories song:

January sucks when you're knee deep in snow.

..just wanted everyone to know.

I have clearly not been blogging..you know..at all, this year. That last one was more of a dream. What I have been doing is lots and lots of sewing! As it does when getting obsessed it's kind of piled up, so instead of going trough it all, here's my wall of accomplishments!

The musketeer-suit was almost all fun to make. Aside for changing it from closed sides to open when realising I'd made it mere millimetres too small, it was very quick and easy..no accuracy here!

The striped shirt is a little changed, I decided to switch to white cuffs and collar (detachable and starched) but it's all finished now. Works so nice with the red waistcoat!

And that's me there only a minute ago showing of my corset cover and drawers that I frequently abuse for sleeping in. 

The bustledress underwear is on a break..I just can't seem to get things right and will probably end up with skirt only now that I've over-decorated the shit out of the top!

And my little Lus has gotten some warm Victorian styled trousers (to-days unfamiliar word), complete with flannel lining and suspenders! Parts of it is leather so I'm really happy I have a thimble.

Them last of all.. Happy Groundhog-day! not that we really celebrate it here, but it's been a rough week and we needed a reason to celebrate, so here's a fingerpuppet-groundhog.

Happy Groundhog-day to all!