All posts filed under: Admire

1760s Frou Frou Francaise thedreamstress.com

The Frou Frou Francaise – almost there

After many, many bouts of unpicking and re-sewing the 1760s Frou Frou Francaise is almost there. Maybe. I’ve unpicked nearly every seam in the dress and re-sewn it at least three times, and I still can’t get it to a place where I’m really happy about it. So I don’t know when I can stop and call it done, because the more work I invest in it, the more I feel I need to get it right, and right now…it isn’t quite there. The last time you saw it it was worn by a model at Ramsay to Renoir in Nelson. I also blogged about making the sleeves, and how their fit wasn’t quite right. When I looked at the photos from Ramsay to Renoir the Francaise was pretty, but something about it wasn’t quite right to me. I looked at it, and looked at it, and couldn’t figure it out. Then I posted this francaise for Rate the Dress, and my mind went ‘ah hah!’ What my Francaise was missing was the floating pleats. …

The 1899 tea gown gets and outing (and tea)

Published by The Dreamstress

I made my 1899 tea gown back in 2012, and until this year, I’d never found an excuse to wear it myself. It’s been worn by models, but not by me. The Sew & Eat Historical Retreat was the perfect excuse to remedy that. We were having afternoon tea, and there was talk of everyone wearing 18th century, but my Francaise wasn’t going to be done in time, and in any case, my tea gown has a sacque back! Amazingly, 6 years after making it, it actually still fits me (the same cannot by said of everything I’ve made in the last 6 years…) My sewing skills have definitely grown since making it, and the problem with the fabric becomes more obvious every time I pull out the tea gown (its got metal in it, and WONT uncrumple. We ironed it for nearly an hour before I wore it, and you can see what it looks like…), but I still love it. It’s so elegant… Maybe someday when I have lots of free time (laughs …

NZ Sew & Eat Historical Retreat Food thedreamstress.com

The Sew & Eat Historical Retreat – the food

Published by The Dreamstress

Aren’t you glad that the Otari Hoodie Sew Along is finished? First, it means that some of you have awesome hoodies that you can wear. And second, it means that I can stop blogging hoodie instructions, and go back to blogging about random historical things, and whatever else I’m working on. Right now, the ‘random historical things’ means catching up on all the stuff I haven’t been blogging about while I was hoodie-ing, starting with the Sew & Eat Historical Retreat. I promised menu details in my first post, so here is more information. The real credit for the menu and cooking goes to Nina, who put together all the more spectacular and involved items, most of which I would never dare attempt*. Hopefully she’ll blog more details about her food, so mine will be a briefer overview. I didn’t manage to photograph everything, as I got too excited about actually eating things, and just having fun. Friday Dinner: ‘Malaga-tawnee Curee’ with potted hare Friday’s dinner was based on two extent Regency curry recipes (one …