Thursday, 30 January 2014
Monday, 27 January 2014
Analysing - robe a la turque- 1780s
While searching for pictures of theAnglaise gown with the a-shaped front ("Zone Gown") I have been stumbling across 2 kinds of dresses: The "Robe a la Turque" and the "Robe a la Circassienne". In this post I am going to have a closer look at a few fashion plates (also see the Pinterest folder for reference and more pictures).
As far as I understand, the Robe a la Turque has been described in fashion plates in the mid- to end-1780s. I've found one example from 1780. It seems basically to be an overdress with short sleeves, worn over a long sleeved top of some sort. In some fashion plates it looks rather fitted, in other rather loose, like a light overgown. Mysterious!
Robe of green and grey (or violet? or black?) over yellow top.
Red Robe over white top with yellow front lacing.
rose Robe ober white top with cuffs in same rose colour
This one has the skirt cut extra!!
Here comes some confusion about Turque or Circassienne, just to show that maybe it's not as strictly divided as we might think. I like to think of it as a Robe a la Turque, though:
The 3 following fashion plates seem to belong together.
What seems to be the typical back view of a Robe a la Turque: Bodice and Skirt in one piece with inverted pleats opening to give fullness.
This one is a bit puzzling... it doesn't seem to be open in the front, yet it is called "a la turque" ?!
Also some artists pictured the robe a la turque:
This might be a robe a la turque worn over very wide sleeves. But as we haven't got the front view... who knows...
Just nice! Looks quite like the RObe a la TUrque. Short sleeves, worn over another dress, rather loose.
And finally here, an original Gown! Awfully like those 3 fashion plates from 1780, isn't it?!
Soon, I shall be posting a few observation about the Robe a la Circassienne.
You know something more about the Robe a la Turque? Tell me!
As far as I understand, the Robe a la Turque has been described in fashion plates in the mid- to end-1780s. I've found one example from 1780. It seems basically to be an overdress with short sleeves, worn over a long sleeved top of some sort. In some fashion plates it looks rather fitted, in other rather loose, like a light overgown. Mysterious!
Robe of green and grey (or violet? or black?) over yellow top.
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| Cabinet des Modes, Novembre 1786 robe a la turque |
Red Robe over white top with yellow front lacing.
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| Robe a la turque - Magasin des Modes, Janvier 1788 |
rose Robe ober white top with cuffs in same rose colour
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| Robe a la turque - Cabinet des Modes, Juin 1786 |
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| Robe a la Turque - Magasin des Modes, Juillet 1788 |
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| "La jeune Eglé pleurant l'absence de son amant: elle est habillée d'une robe à la Turque avec des manches de gaze qui sont retroussées par des rubans, elle est coeffée en cheveux au coquelicot", Gallerie des Modes, 1786; MFA 44.1648 |
This one has the skirt cut extra!!
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| Robe a la Turque Magasin des Modes, Juillet 1787 |
Here comes some confusion about Turque or Circassienne, just to show that maybe it's not as strictly divided as we might think. I like to think of it as a Robe a la Turque, though:
The 3 following fashion plates seem to belong together.
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| "Robe à la Turque ou espèce de Circassienne, mais différa.te des autres; elle a un collet comme une robe en Lévite, et une très grande écharpe blanche nouée à la ceinture; le juppon coupé; aucune garniture. Cette robe dont nous donnerons le développement de profil et par derriere, attira tous les yeux du Public, lorsquelle parut pour la premiere fois au Palais Royal, au mois de juillet dernier 1779", Gallerie des Modes, 1779; MFA 44.1436 |
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| 1780 French Fashion Plate - Style: Robe a la Turque |
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| "Robe à la Turque, la même expliqué au vingt septieme Cahier No. 159, elle est ici dévelopé de Profil ou Trois-quart", Gallerie des Modes, 1780; MFA 44.1466 |
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| "L'aimable Constance tenant en lesse un Chien-Lion et rêvant à celui que son coeur aime: sa robe est à la Turque et son chapeau à la Mongolfier, pose sure une baigneuse, et ceint d'un ruban attaché d'une boucle à l'Angloise avec un panache", Gallerie des Modes, 1784; MFA 44.1587 |
Also some artists pictured the robe a la turque:
This might be a robe a la turque worn over very wide sleeves. But as we haven't got the front view... who knows...
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| Charlotte, Lady Milnes, 1788-1792 Robe a La Turque |
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| Marie-Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (French artist, 1755-1842) Louise Marie Adelaide de Bourbon in a robe a la turque 1789 |
And finally here, an original Gown! Awfully like those 3 fashion plates from 1780, isn't it?!
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| Robe a la turque, ca. 1789; Nordiska museet NMA.0052362 |
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| Robe a la turque, ca. 1789; Nordiska museet NMA.0052362 |
Soon, I shall be posting a few observation about the Robe a la Circassienne.
You know something more about the Robe a la Turque? Tell me!
1740s Ensemble inspired by Liotard's "la belle chocolatiere" 1743-5
Finally I have come up with my version of "La belle chocolatiere" by Liotard. Although I've made the mock-up a while ago it always takes me ages to get going on the real thing. I'm just so worried to cut the nice silk!!!! :) Anyway, I've done it now. A bit further below you find the inspirational picture, a real beauty. As I've not had the chance to see the original painting, I had to make a lot of guesswork concerning the colour. Also, of course, the pattern is really just inspired by this, I have absolutely no idea, whether the back folds are really made this way. I also have decided against front lacing. I am quite sure that in the picture the jacket is lacing in the front and also isn't quite closed (which might explain the odd fichu - apron situation). My jacket is front closing with needles. I am wearing the skirt over a bum pad, the bonnet is made from linen.
The plain bonnet in thin white linen is made following this pattern from Durantextiles
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| the chocolatiere also needs recreational time... please ALSO note the adoring daisy decoration in monsieurs side curls. ;) |
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| La belle chocolatiere, Liotard, 1743-45 |
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| La belle chocolatiere, Liotard, 1743-45, detail |
I do admit these pictures on the dressform aren't really doing the
ensemble justice, but I am hoping to get some proper pictures of it at
some point soon (more springish... we've just had a snow-rain-something
shower...). Also the colours of my dress are really different,
darker... but well... are they ever what they seem, colours on photos
and on the internet??? Anyway, I've also just taken side views, like in the portrait.
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| with fabric giving the impression of the bib like in the painting |
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| just an apron |
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| jacket and skirt |
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| detail collar |
The plain bonnet in thin white linen is made following this pattern from Durantextiles
Friday, 24 January 2014
My 18th century muff
So, after my thoughts about the what's and when's on 18th century muffs I've come up with my own version.
I really liked the idea of having a muff base and then the option of sewing many many many different covers. Here's Katherine's tutorial muff base and muff cover for reference. It's really just working with rectangulars (this reminds me of this video on Sesame Street "Dancing with Triangles")
So I started with the base. I have used twill from my fabric stash. And the filling is synthetic fibre that used to be the stuffing of an IKEA pillow that was just sitting there waiting to be given another purpose. ;) I needed most of the stuffing, I was really surprised how much material you can stuff into that muff base!
My base was a 21x26 inches rectangle. I foldes that in half and made a tube (see Katherines tutorial) make sure you close the right end of the tube. :)
I've had some faux fur in black (or blackish blue, I'm not quite sure..) sitting around here for 12 ( in words TWELVE!!!) years and cut a 21x15 inch rectangle. Again, I did what Katherine did, I closed one side, made two tunnels on the "open" sides, some ribbon in it, FINISHED!!!
I think I am going to attach some sort of sturdier ribbon to one side so I can casually carry it around, but as I've not got anything suitable at home at the moment and I am not yet sure what that ribbon is supposed to look like... it might not happen. ;)
I could also carry it around like this:
And now I can make SO many covers, maybe like this...
All in all this muff business was done in about 2-3 hours (fabric search included), and making the cover takes about 30min... maximum....
I really liked the idea of having a muff base and then the option of sewing many many many different covers. Here's Katherine's tutorial muff base and muff cover for reference. It's really just working with rectangulars (this reminds me of this video on Sesame Street "Dancing with Triangles")
So I started with the base. I have used twill from my fabric stash. And the filling is synthetic fibre that used to be the stuffing of an IKEA pillow that was just sitting there waiting to be given another purpose. ;) I needed most of the stuffing, I was really surprised how much material you can stuff into that muff base!
My base was a 21x26 inches rectangle. I foldes that in half and made a tube (see Katherines tutorial) make sure you close the right end of the tube. :)
I've had some faux fur in black (or blackish blue, I'm not quite sure..) sitting around here for 12 ( in words TWELVE!!!) years and cut a 21x15 inch rectangle. Again, I did what Katherine did, I closed one side, made two tunnels on the "open" sides, some ribbon in it, FINISHED!!!
I think I am going to attach some sort of sturdier ribbon to one side so I can casually carry it around, but as I've not got anything suitable at home at the moment and I am not yet sure what that ribbon is supposed to look like... it might not happen. ;)
I could also carry it around like this:
And now I can make SO many covers, maybe like this...
All in all this muff business was done in about 2-3 hours (fabric search included), and making the cover takes about 30min... maximum....
Another Kärry Shirt
I am working on my promise to reduce the size of my fabric stash... So I made another Shirt from the "Kärry" pattern (sz.92) from the Ottobre Design 4/12, this time without the hood and pocket. The fabrics are from Lillestoff (clouds) and Michas-Stoffecke (dots) and have been sitting here for about 2 years, again... ;)
Lucy LIEBT die Wolken und wollte das Shirt fast nicht für's Photo hergeben. I was really tempted to make a Martha for myself from that cloud pattern, but it did look a bit too wild on myself. ;) As I've still got some fabric left, I COULD use that for some pocket details or so... We'll see. I think it might need to mature a bit more... the fabric.
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| Kärry, ottobre design 4/12 |
Lucy LIEBT die Wolken und wollte das Shirt fast nicht für's Photo hergeben. I was really tempted to make a Martha for myself from that cloud pattern, but it did look a bit too wild on myself. ;) As I've still got some fabric left, I COULD use that for some pocket details or so... We'll see. I think it might need to mature a bit more... the fabric.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Analysing - 18th century muffs
I have given making another 18th century accessoire some thought. A muff.
A while ago I have seen this tutorial by Kathrine http://koshka-the-cat.blogspot.de/2013/01/an-18th-century-muff-cover-tutorial.html and thought it was a rather simple task. Unfortunately she doesn't give any reference as to the suitable decade. To cut a long story short, this sort of smallish muff works for the whole century, which might account for the fact that she didn't refer to a certain decade. If you want to look at a few more pictures, I have collected some muff-picture on may Pinterest - 18th Accessoires
Muffs in the 18th century seem to be smallish (rather earlier) to medium (always suitable) size. Towards the end of the 1780s and the 1790s muffs tend to grow up to ridiculous measurements. But also medium sized ones can be seen on fashion plates. What seems to always work is a smallish-medium sized fur coated muff.
Here are a few examples:
1740s
1750s
1760s
1770s
1780s
1790s
I recommend the above mentionned tutorial by Katherine. :) Some time soon I shall post my own version. See you!
A while ago I have seen this tutorial by Kathrine http://koshka-the-cat.blogspot.de/2013/01/an-18th-century-muff-cover-tutorial.html and thought it was a rather simple task. Unfortunately she doesn't give any reference as to the suitable decade. To cut a long story short, this sort of smallish muff works for the whole century, which might account for the fact that she didn't refer to a certain decade. If you want to look at a few more pictures, I have collected some muff-picture on may Pinterest - 18th Accessoires
Muffs in the 18th century seem to be smallish (rather earlier) to medium (always suitable) size. Towards the end of the 1780s and the 1790s muffs tend to grow up to ridiculous measurements. But also medium sized ones can be seen on fashion plates. What seems to always work is a smallish-medium sized fur coated muff.
Here are a few examples:
1740s
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| Jean Baptiste Massé (French, 1687–1767), 'The Blue Muff' c 1740 |
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| 1755. Louise Henriette de Bourbon. |
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| French 18th Century Young Woman with a Muff, c. 1750 Chester Dale Collection 1943.7.5 |
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| Portrait of Madame de Pompadour with a Fur Muff - François-Hubert Drouais, 1763-1764 - The Athenaeum |
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| Catherine Havers, attr. Barthélemy du Pan, ca. 1765; LMG LEEAG.PA.1966.0002.0002 |
1770s
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| Galerie des Modes, 11e Cahier, 2e Figure Middle class woman in a striped Satin Gown with a furred pelisse and a white muff. (1778) |
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| Miss Lovejoy, 1772. |
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| Winter by Collett Satire: a woman and her daughter wearing fur coats and muffs walking in a street with snow; behind them fighting school boys and a boy carrying a toboggan. c.1778/9 Hand-coloured mezzotint |
1780s
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| Muff. English, 1785–1800. Silk satin, mezzotint on fabric, silk embroidery, pearls, gauze appliques, and silk plain-weave lining - in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. |
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| Mrs. Wilbraham Bootle, 1781 by George Romney, oil on Canvas, (c) National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. |
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| Dress of the Year 1781, by Ann Frankland Lewis. |
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| Striped dress ensemble with large striped fur muff - Magasin des Modes - March 1789 .- I LOVE that outfit, actually. :) |
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| Gallery of Fashion, January 1796. |
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| Gallery of Fashion, March 1798. |
I recommend the above mentionned tutorial by Katherine. :) Some time soon I shall post my own version. See you!
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