Elizabethan success!
Feb. 27th, 2012 11:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mlsdesignsOur first Elizabethan demo was on Saturday, and it was fantastic! We all looked great, the dances went off without a hitch and the museum was filled with punters! We had so many children joining in, and loving every minute of it :)
I've got some great videos of us dancing that I need to edit and get up on youtube, and I took so many photos!
The rest can be found
I never thought I'd get everything finished, and I still need to add another row of braid to the skirt, down the centre front and round the hem, to echo the double rows on the bodice.
I think the part I'm the most pleased with is my sleeves! I was hoping to be able to pink them, and bought some wood chisels to try, but it didn't work, so I changed my plan, and did slashes instead. Luckily I was able to stack the 2 sleeves and cut them in one go, so it didn't take quite as long! Cutting the slashes on the bias really helped with the fraying, and I love the way the alternate rows of slashes spread open more to reveal the gold lining. Each sleeve also has 9 metres of hand sewn soutache braid, a labour of love indeed :)
At some point I want to try and paint a miniature, and I think this shot might do:
Mummy loved being a swaggering Elizabethan Gentleman rather too much I think!
I'm very pleased with her hat, I managed to whip it up in about an hour on Friday afternoon, while I was having a break from hemming my skirt! Currently the brim and crown are only pinned together, and the trim is part of a jewelled belt! But it worked :)
Some more of the 2 of us together:
The shoes I made didn't quite work out, they look good, but I made them from leather that's much too thin. I took them to a cobbler and although he said he'd be able to sole them, he changed his mind, so I wore some jazz shoes for the demo. I had to take them though, to pose for a photo or two!
Finally, a couple of out-takes! I'm sure you know by now that one of the things our group does best is eat! Just incase, a little reminder ;)
Lastly, a shot of us getting Mummy back on her feet after posing kissing my hand!
Her cannions are too tight for her to be able to bend her knees, and each time she sat down there was a pop and another eyelet ripped or another point popped off at the back, in the end her hose were only attached to her doublet at the centre front! I think I'm going to cut off the cannions so she just has the trunk-hose, and put historically incorrect belt loops on the waist band, then hopefully she'll be sorted (part of the problem is she can't go to the toilet the way a man does, and has to undress almost completely! a problem we always have, but at least this time I think we have a solution)
Now that the demo is over, I can finally get on to sewing my dress for the Bath Minuet Co Ball at the end of March! I need to get a wriggle on with it though, because I also need to make Titanic evening dresses for both of us for the middle of April ( and I need a full compliment of undies for it too! EEK!!!)
I've got some great videos of us dancing that I need to edit and get up on youtube, and I took so many photos!
The rest can be found
I never thought I'd get everything finished, and I still need to add another row of braid to the skirt, down the centre front and round the hem, to echo the double rows on the bodice.
I think the part I'm the most pleased with is my sleeves! I was hoping to be able to pink them, and bought some wood chisels to try, but it didn't work, so I changed my plan, and did slashes instead. Luckily I was able to stack the 2 sleeves and cut them in one go, so it didn't take quite as long! Cutting the slashes on the bias really helped with the fraying, and I love the way the alternate rows of slashes spread open more to reveal the gold lining. Each sleeve also has 9 metres of hand sewn soutache braid, a labour of love indeed :)
At some point I want to try and paint a miniature, and I think this shot might do:
Mummy loved being a swaggering Elizabethan Gentleman rather too much I think!
I'm very pleased with her hat, I managed to whip it up in about an hour on Friday afternoon, while I was having a break from hemming my skirt! Currently the brim and crown are only pinned together, and the trim is part of a jewelled belt! But it worked :)
Some more of the 2 of us together:
The shoes I made didn't quite work out, they look good, but I made them from leather that's much too thin. I took them to a cobbler and although he said he'd be able to sole them, he changed his mind, so I wore some jazz shoes for the demo. I had to take them though, to pose for a photo or two!
Finally, a couple of out-takes! I'm sure you know by now that one of the things our group does best is eat! Just incase, a little reminder ;)
Lastly, a shot of us getting Mummy back on her feet after posing kissing my hand!
Her cannions are too tight for her to be able to bend her knees, and each time she sat down there was a pop and another eyelet ripped or another point popped off at the back, in the end her hose were only attached to her doublet at the centre front! I think I'm going to cut off the cannions so she just has the trunk-hose, and put historically incorrect belt loops on the waist band, then hopefully she'll be sorted (part of the problem is she can't go to the toilet the way a man does, and has to undress almost completely! a problem we always have, but at least this time I think we have a solution)
Now that the demo is over, I can finally get on to sewing my dress for the Bath Minuet Co Ball at the end of March! I need to get a wriggle on with it though, because I also need to make Titanic evening dresses for both of us for the middle of April ( and I need a full compliment of undies for it too! EEK!!!)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-02-27 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-27 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-27 03:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-27 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-27 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-27 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-28 12:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-02-28 10:15 am (UTC)Lace them but with a small gap or "ease" on the lacing and then get your mum to "bend her knees" as if sitting. If she can do so without a strain, THAT's when you tie them secure.
Front ones can be quite tight and the side ones can be a little looser but not as loose as the back ones.
Your dress is lovely - gorgeous line. I love your sleeves. Yes, cutting on the bias does limit the fraying. You can also use period techniques to prevent/limit fraying such as using a little wax but I must say when I've done it on the bias its fine. You will find that slashes on inside of the arm may well fray badly - as they are rubbing against your body. I'd fray check those.
no subject
Date: 2012-02-29 01:41 pm (UTC)I'm so pleased you like my dress, I know I've done well when a pro like you likes it! Thank you :)
It's a total fluke I got a good line to my skirts though. I only had 3 metres of the wool, so I cut two drops, cut them in two vertically, taking about 5" off the fronts to make the backs wider, and worked out I could manage 7" gores for the shaping. It wasn't until I'd run the gathers for cartridge pleating that I was able to see what it would look like!
no subject
Date: 2012-03-01 06:16 pm (UTC)I love your Mum. I'm dressing mine up in a couple weeks for a Victorian Festival, and she's more excited than I am. :) Although her's won't be as fancy and she doesn't do corsets.
Your shoes looked great, but too bad they weren't wearable.
I can't wait to see what you do with Titanic.
Val
no subject
Date: 2012-03-05 03:24 am (UTC)