Moving house... Umzug

We're in the middle of moving house at the moment and I have to admit, having a baby, working full time and moving house does not leave much time for sewing projects. None for the moment, in fact, as the sewing machine and all other sewing stuff has been stowed away safely
and in the middle of all these boxes I have absolutely no idea, where things are. Despite having lots of ideas what to do next (I have a few new projexts until next year) I have no idea when to sew them... but time will come...

A rococo summer ball at Schloss Bruchsal

my favourite picture!

Hei again,

I've been busy having fun at the rococo ball at Schloss Bruchsal and enjoyed so much meeting friends again, chatting away, strolling around the palace and park, dancing (!!! yay !!!) , admiring great robes, a nice glass of wine and bubbly and, of course, wearing and discussing historical clothing. The exchange of experiences is invaluable and my head is so full of new ideas now! It was such a wonderful day and evening, thank you!
The ball did not have a specific setting timewise (anything 18th century would go). As there was no time to get changed for the ball I had to omit the idea of wearing the Walpole Francaise for the ball, sadly.
I was deciding on wearing my Kyoto Anglaise (1780s), my new V&A stays and having a go at a hedgehog 1780s/90s hairdo (wig based...).
As this was the first time ever to wear the V&A stays I was rather curious how the cane would "behave". And it was a great experience. I was prepared for the usual bit of widening of the fabric during wear, what I did not anticipate was the molding of the canes due to body heat and humidity. This material is just great! The stays shape to body nicely and are SO comfortable! Anyway, back to the ball, here's some pictures.

love the way the skirt moves and the bum :)

hug a tree!

 

A hedgehog hairdo - wig - 1780s/90s

Finally I have got around to having a go at a wig based hairdo. I have to tell you, I am not very gifted when it comes to hairdressing. As I experience, neither my own or false hair...
But I am rather happy with the outcome of the hedgehog hairdo, sort of late 1780s/90s.

Lady Arabella Ward, by George Romney, 1783-88. Widener Collection, National Gallery of Art.

Charles Chatillon: Unknown Lady in Woodland Scenery, ca 1795

George Romney Mary Chichester, Lady Clifford-Constable, 1789

What I did (in the end):
- buy a "lioness wig". I got mine from wigs-us.com, the colour is 102, thats a "pearl platinum blond" according to their colour description chart.
- attach a mini-comb inside the wig (for more secure fit)
- 2 braids in the back, tied up in a sort of Prezel-shape
- make a mess of top hair and pin it up
- tie a decorative black ribbon around the explosion.

I've worn this for 16hrs and it worked ok. :)

side/back view

Bach at the flat share party!!

This is so wonderful!!
It is Bachs Christmas oratorio, performed by young musicians at a flatshare party in Leipzig. It's crowded, but I dare to say that this is the best performance of it I will ever see. Where else are people having so much fun, drinking beer and celebrate with Bach? And applaud them when they have finished, for they've done a great thing! They are nominated for the German Web Video prize and I do hope they'll make it!

V&A Stays 1780s

 
After being really annoyed with the Reconstructing History pattern, repairing my old set of stays and a lot of grumbling I still felt the need to make a new pair of stays. I had fallen in love with this lovely pair in the V&A Museum a long time ago but never really managed to get into making them. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O115752/stays-unknown/

 THEN something almost surreal happened - the lovely Before the Automobile had not only made them but was kind enough to share her pattern with the world. :) I've been admiring her work for quite a while now, such perfection in action there!! But this has been just marvellous. So I DID pull myself together and got to work, trying something new. I have used rattan cane to bone the stays, they are made of Coutil as interlining, cotton gabardine as fabric and white linen lining. Around the armholes I used kidskin leather. Together with working and baby and moving house this took so much longer than I expected but finally I've managed to get somewhere with these! :) Though not flawless (what of my work is...? ehem...) I am quite content with the outcome. And next weekend I will try them out. I will be taking my old stays, though. Just in case... ;)

edit: after wearing them for more than 16 hours non-stop I can only say: SUUUUPER material, those canes are great! shaping good and really comfortable to wear! I couldn't see and damage of the bones, the seams and the design of the boning pattern is brilliant! They really did know what they were doing back then! :)

18th century - adorable jacket!

I just need to share this with you!! I have just stumbled across the most adorable jacket. But see for yourself! here's the link: Original 18th century jacket - casaquin -watteau pleats - 1770s/80s

these pictures are from the above page, isn't this just wonderful?!!! *OMG* squeak!

Stays - the Reconstructing History 833 pattern review

So, 

I have decided to make a new set of stays. Despite the fact that I could just make another pair of the JPR Stays adjusted to my "after-baby-shape" (I seem to have shrunk...), I have started on the Reconstructing History pattern #833... they seemed rather interesting. An open/stomacher version, a regular front, wide front and a late 1790s high waist one. The pattern pieces do NOT correspond with ANY of the stays pictured on the envelope of the pattern though and you have to do lots of improvising. I don't think I needed to buy a pattern for that... if I want to draft a pattern myself I don't buy a pattern (applied logic...). Well, anyway, I copied my size and the different versions and startet on the mock-up.

At first this suggestion to make the stays cut in one piece out of cardboard  (as the mock-up) seemed quite alright, but I have to says I am not completely happy. I also have to make quite a lot of changes. The pattern seems to assume that the side and front of your body is rather the same measurement (sort of round or square shaped, or trianguar or so, weird anyway), but I find I am rather elliptic. Thinking about it, I think most people are... The front is really really slim (about 30% smaller than me and I am more on the petite side...) so I had to widen the front piece considerably (and I just wanted a regular width for a mid 18th century version). The side pieces are relatively wide and then the back is superwide which means I have to remove about 30% width of the back and side sections at least. Also I find the instructions quite sketchy. I feel a bit like the general idea of what sort of pieces stays at different times were made of was thrown at me but to actually make something of it is left to me entirely. 

Also I find the tabs disturbingly long (about 10cms, and totally different (in proportion) to the pictures). Anyway, I find it a bit hard to find the motivation to go on with this pattern. I am thinking about using this pattern for the stomacher version only (there's probably a reason why that is the only picture on their homepage). It seems a waste to have bought a pattern and not do anything with it... maybe it's me, but I can't really recommend this pattern, I would even go so far to say keep your hands away.. I will do the fitting for the stomacher version and keep you updated, but if you are planning to do a set of stays, go for the JPR or Period Impressions ones, they all need careful fitting but those are minor to what I am facing at the moment. I am also going to try the NP13 Diderot stays pattern, I will let you know if there is any progress. For now, I say toodle-pip and I am grumbling along. ;)

Period impressions Kitsch stays

JPR Stays

Period Impressions rococo stays

Zeilitzheim 1763 - Treaty of Paris

(C) Claudia Behnke

1763 - The Seven Years War is finally over and the Treaty of Paris has been signed. Enough to travel to Zeilitzheim and celebrate in the more than pleasant company of fellow costumers. I am quite good at escaping the camera so again there is little evidence of my activities... but here's what I've got so far:

(C) Claudia Behnke

I just can't help wriggling around... due to that fact my pinner cap was all over the place... ;)

I had the please to wear the riding habit of the wonderful Mme du Jard.

The Walpole Francaise - 1750-70s

I have finished the Robe a la Francaise in the 1750s-70s style. I have followed the JPRyan pattern for the Pet-en-l'air/Robe a la Francaise. The pattern itself was very precise sizewise and ran rather short (upper length) which means I didn't have to make big adjustments there.

JP Ryan Pattern

 My inspiration was this painting by Gainsborough of Maria Walpole. I am not a big big fan of lacy, chantilly-like decoration, so I opted for a plain black stomacher, and less laces at the sleeves, my sleeves flounces are plain black silk tafetta, as the rest of the robe. I am not sure about how much decoration is on the robe itself (in the painting, that is) and again I decided for the plain silk taffetta. I like the way the light is reflected on it and the back pleats should be the center of attention anyway (imho).

Gainsborough "Maria Walpole" 1763

Walpole Francaise - 1

Here's some small pictures from the Walpole Francaise ensemble. I have finished the Pinner Cap (following Rocking Horse Farm pattern #184, very easy!), entirely made by hand from thin white cotton fabric. And a little teaser picture from the Walpole Francaise.