All posts filed under: 18th Century

The 1770s Masquerade Stays

I’m hard at work on my item for the HSF Masquerade Challenge. Remember my terminology post on marmottes? (If you don’t, I highly recommend that you go read it, as it’s one of my favourite pieces of research ever). If you follow me on facebook you may remember that only a few days after I wrote it I found a fabric featuring marmotte themed 18th century hair: ZOMG. How awesome is that!?! It’s crazy and fabulous and 18th century and masquerade-y. And it has marmotte hair! It also has ship hair (cute, but such a cliche) And lion hair (just weird): Obviously I had to have it, but just as obviously, it’s not exactly suitable for anything historically accurate. But for Masquerade? For something where historicism blends with fantasy and alternative realities? Perfect! So I’m making 1770s stays, featuring this fabulous fabric. Even if they won’t be accurate in any meaningful sense, I still intend the shape they give me to be accurate, so that I can wear them under 18th century clothing. I’m using …

Rate the Dress: Princess Wilhelmina in green

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week most of you loved the redingote with its feathered trim, but your reaction to it was fascinating depending on whether you read my description of it as having feathered trim as actual feathers or not. I rather think that sometimes I should leave things purposely very vague so that the ratings are reactions to what we perceive, vs what we know (but which is the purer truth…?). Anyhow, manky feathers or elaborate feathered silk aside, the redingote rated a rather nice 8.5 out of 10. This week, for the transition from outerwear to green I present Frederika Sophia Wilhelmina of Prussia, Princess of Orange in a brunswick of deep green checked silk with a pink silk hood lining, cuffs and revers. Her stomacher appears to be made of the same pink silk ribbon as the bow that ties the hood of her brunswick, arranged in an overlapping lattice pattern. The only accessories Wilhelmina wears are a black ribbon around her neck, and a lace cap on her powdered hair. The details of …

18th century shoes at the Honolulu Museum of Art

Published by The Dreamstress

I wish I had a finished garment to show you today – my hoopskirt, or the hinted at 1900s dress, but sewing is not going to plan, and I want to post about at least SOMETHING, and I thought, hey, a real antique textile is as good as anything I make, if not better! I’ve shown you most of the textiles from the Honolulu Museum of Art, but here is one of the most exciting pieces I looked at: a pair of 18th century shoes in green and gold on ivory brocade: Based on the large scale brocade, which is clearly early 18th century in date, the wider heel shape and slightly tilted toe, the shoes are probably early-mid-18th century. The outer of the shoes are silk brocade, and they are lined in linen. The green binding is herringbone twill, either in cotton or linen. The shoes are (obviously) entirely hand sewn. The heel is wood, covered in more of the brocade, and the sole is rather heavy leather. The pointed toe appears to be …