mlsdesigns: (sunflower)
Yeah, so I haven't posted my pics yet, I'm a bad girl. But then you knew that! Anyway, it's only been a week! We had a fab time, even though it was very very cold in the house, I was so glad I was able to wear my jumps (the bodice of my dress only just did up!) they kept 'my me' (my insides!) nice and warm :) After the trip everyone came back to our house for tea and cake, and I warmed up very very quickly! First the dress, then the petticoats, then the jumps came off, leaving me in stays and modesty petti for the rest of the evening!

We weren't allowed to take photos inside, and it was too cold for many outside, so I only have a few to share with you. )

The next day we went to a reenactors fair that we found out was happening not very far away. Normally I wouldn't be very interested in them, but a friend had said a very good fabric seller would be there, so we thought it would be worth it, since it was only an hour or so away.

There was another incentive. Reenactors fairs over here have very little later than Tudor and Elizabethan on offer, (Apart from fabrics and trims and things) so not very much to interest me, usually ;) But there has been a costuming development, and I needed ideas! )

I'm very excited for this new project, I can't think about anything else at the moment! I really need to though, because the Bath Ball is coming up soon!! Unfortunately we're not going to the Marie Anntoinette Tea Party tomorrow after all, I found out on Thursday morning, so haven't done any sewing since. All I had left to do for the Tea Party was buttons and button holes on both Mummy's coat and her secret waistcoat (which I put together on Wednesday, and she now knows about and loves!) I made my breast knot and frilly neck thingy, and only had the mits and new muff cover to do, so my outfit for the next 18thC trip is pretty much done, whenever it may be :) I may make the muff cover tomorrow, I'm feeling inspired, but I also want to bake, so maybe not ...
mlsdesigns: (sunflower)
So, we're all off to Keddlestone on Saturday, and next Sunday we're dancing at a Marie Anntoinette tea party, then April 2nd we're at the minuette ball in Bath. Mummy has been borrowing a coat from school and a modern shirt adapted to look 'right' with her own breeches and waistcoat I made last spring. The coat and shirt have had to go back to school because I need them for an upcoming play, so I'm making her her own.

Yesterday I started the shirt, because I figured I can't really fit a coat pattern very well if she isn't wearing a shirt! Mummy has been saying she'd really like girls clothes to wear for Georgian, but I don't have the time to make any for her, especially when she needs boy's clothes for the demos, so I want to make her boy's stuff really nice to make up for it. So I decided, instead of adapting a modern shirt for her I would make her a proper 18thC shirt, with the proper rectangular constuction.

Boy do I wish I hadn't decided that! Mummy has VERY sloping shoulders, and men usually have very square shoulders, so I have had soooo much trouble fitting the collar and neck gussets! I decided to make the shirt by machine, becase I have so much to do and the rest of her outfit is machined, and I worked out how to put it together looking at various different instructions. It went together fantastically, then I tried it on when it was all complete and the fit around the neck was awful! Absolutely dire!! By then it was time for bed, so I left it till today. We were out all day and had a few hours this evening before we went out for a meal with friends, so I took the collar off, took out the neck gussets and recut the slits lengthening them by 3 times as much I think? New huge gussets and several tries of the pinned on collar later and I have a finished, perfectly (almost!!) fitted shirt! As much as they can be when all they are is rectangles! It just needs ties at collar and cuffs and lace frills.

So, tomorrow it's onto coat patterning! I bought 2 lots of fabric last week, to go with what she has already. Her waistcoat is old gold, and her breeches are red floral damask. I found some bright, deep crimson chenilley velvet upholstery fabric, it's not right, but I think it will look nice, for a day coat for her, that I will make for Saturday, and she can wear for the Tea Party. I also got some old gold and brown fabric, it's sort of a taffeta, with lines of raised threads in a diamond pattern, with brown 'spots' at each conjunction, that I will use to make an evening coat and breeches for the ball.

She loves the fabrics and is very happy with the plan, except she would love an embroidered waistcoat like Clare! She was saying so so often that I had to tell her my plan for her birthday present, a waistcoat with ribbon embroidery! I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to it though, ( her birthday is March 20th) I have so much to do for the ball, so I've decided, as a surprise, to make her another waistcoat that she can wear to the Tea Party with the new red coat. I have 2 small scraps of brocade in a lovely narrow red, gold and cream floral 'regency stripe' that I think will be just enough for a waistcoat, hopefully she will like it :)

So that's what I'm up to at the moment! I also need to finish my dress for the Tea party, but my outfit for Saturday is all sorted, I'm wearing my Ikea duvet cover Anglaise, brown linen petticoat, the mits Clare knitted for me and my cardinal cloak. I'm going to see if I can wear the jumps under the dress as well, fo extra warmth. IF I have time (ha ha!) I want to make a muff, with a skin of cream taffeta with yellow taffeta and rococo ribbon trim.

And now, bed!
mlsdesigns: (me and boo)
Today has been rather manic to say the least! But the sitting room is sorted for the party, with extra seating and card tables ready, the 'make ahead' things are done, (didn't get time for all of the things I could have done today, but still did pretty well!) and the beds for our guests are made.
Most importantly, my jumps are finished, just in the nick of time! So I now have something to wear!!!! Just have to decide which skirt to wear with...

Ho hum.

Dec. 28th, 2010 01:22 am
mlsdesigns: (hood icon)
I was thinking of trying to resurecting posting everyday, but I'm not at all sure how well it will turn out!
I mentioned yesterday that we're having a Georgian evening party on Thursday, we have lots of friends coming and are planning a relaxed evening soiree! Everyone is coming in kit, and are instructed to come in 'undress' to facilitate relaxing and raucous fun :D We're going to have 'tea' after people arrive, at 5 or so, with tea and coffee, mulled wine and apple juice, and cakes and biscuits and things. Then we will drink and chat and play games and gamble, till about 9 or 10 when we will have 'supper' before people leave.
We're hoping to have a truly Georgian supper spread, using recipes from period receipt books, as we do when we make food for balls, but this food will all be done by us, and will be supper dishes, like the Victorian savoury course, and will be a bit like a modern fork buffet I think.
So far we have planned: soup (it's cold outside! and it'll fill people up if they're feeling hungry by then) 'a pretty dish of eggs' (hard boiled eggs, cut in slices and browned in butter, with slices of onion, also browned in butter, with a sauce poured over) 'a nice whet before dinner' (except ours will be with supper! slips of toast with anchovies and toasted cheese) a platter of cold meats; 'a boiled salad' (cold cooked winter veg in a mayonaisy salad dressing) 'mushrooms in loaves' (mushrooms cooked in a veloute sauce served in the cutest little tiny bread rolls we got in France!) and 'a delicate ragou of chicken' (which may end up as turkey, since, as you can imagine, we have rather a lot left!) and, not sure if it counts as sweet or savoury, and they didn't seem to mind, 'potatoe pie' (a pastry tart filled with a mix of mashed potatoes, butter, sugar, eggs and spices)
Then we will also have an apple tart (none of your unholesome preserves here!) macarrons (also from France) stewed plums and fresh exotic fruit from the hot house (AKA the local supermarket!) We shall also have dishes of bonbons and chocolates, and for a centre peice we have even gone to the expence of hiring a Pine-Apple!
While we were in France we saw the most beautiful little Buche de Noel, swiss rolls (jelly rolls I think you call them in the US) decorated with pastel coloured butter cream icing with piped flowers and leaves to decorate. We're thinking of having a go at making them for the 'tea', although it may be a disaster!
Clare will hopefully be wearing her new waistcoat, if I can get it finished in time (it still needs a back!) and I started making jumps when we went to France, from the same fabric as Clare's waistcoat fronts (I just have enough left from the yard I bought to make a reticule I think!) They're nearly done, I just need to finish binding one armhole and do the other, then ribbon ties and it's done. It's silk, lined with linen and interlined with fluffy (pink!) wool, for warmth and a bit of structure, because I want to be able to wear it without stays, and don't want to look too bulgy in the bust department!! I had hoped to get around to making banyans for Mummy and Clare because they will both be wearing boy's clothes, but there's no chance I'll manage now!

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