All posts filed under: 19th Century

Rate the Dress: 1860’s wrapper

Last week I posted a 1920s takes on 18th century dress that was a robe, that was a take on robes. With the exception of two of you who found it whimsical, you were not impressed. The consensus was that are good ways to do historicism, and good ways to do robe de styles, and that poor frock was neither, from the colours to the mash of details. The only things you liked were the reticule, and (perhaps) the embellishment. It rated a truly abysmal 2.4 out of 10. This week I’m avoiding historicism, and looking at the other kind of robes: a wrapper, the pre-cursor to the modern bathrobe. This wool wrapper from the 1860s is all modernism. Well, 1860s modernism, borrowing elements from very avant garde Eastern textiles, using the latest prints, and the latest colours with its striking combination or orange, black, pink gold and distinctive quilted teal trim. What do you think? Cozy and cutting edge, with a nice nod to China in the trim and frog fastenings and classicism in …

The oldest-UFO-yet Garibaldi Blouse

Published by The Dreamstress

My ‘Separates‘ challenge did not quite go to plan this fortnight. I’d hoped to make a ca. 1900 blouse, all white lawn and lace trim, to be worn with my Chinoiserie skirt, and my Faille Skirt of Faille, and any future 1900s skirts. I got a pattern draped and drafted, my fabric located, pre-washed and pressed, and lace to match selected. Then my back and neck gave out, and I spent three days staggering around the house on anti-inflammatories and painkillers, just trying to stay alert enough to give lectures and teach classes. Even once I felt better, being in front of the sewing machine was less-than-fun, and cutting out was simply impossible. So instead, I had a mad brain-and-UFO-pile scramble, and unearthed what is sadly not my oldest UFO ever, but is the oldest thing I’ve blogged about and never finished. Yes, back in Jan 2009, in only my second blog post ever, I mentioned making two garibaldi blouses. And I never quite finished them. At the time I needed to “add the waistbands, …

Regency sleeve mitts (more or less)

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m doing two entries for the Historical Sew-Fortnightly ‘Separates’ challenge, and neither of them is the project I had originally planned, and started working on in week 1 of the the fortnight. However, I’m pretty excited about my first entry, soft as it is, because it is inspired by an image that was shared on the HSF facebook page, and the ensuing discussion. Sarah posted these knit sleeves from the collection of the Nordiska Museet: Made of fine wool or silk, they were worn with evening dresses in the chill northern winters, to keep the wearer warm while still being elegant and fashionable, combating the problem of “Dressing in French and freezing in Danish” that Tidens Toj mentions. I looked at these and thought how perfect they would be to go with my 1813 Kashmiri gown, which, being made of wool, is pretty warm, except for all that exposed arm and chest. There are other examples of similar sleeves or mitts (maybe) in the Nordiska collections, and at the MFA in Boston, indicating that wearing …