All posts filed under: Felicity

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 …

Studio cat

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m supposed to be showing you my (finished) green 1920s frock, but Mr D had this silly idea that we should make and eat dinner instead of going out for a photoshoot. So instead, here is Felicity, studio-photoshoot style. These actually happened totally by accident – I had the fabric out, she sat on it, as she does, and I had fun. This next one is my favourite. It looks like she is alarmed by what I’ve written. That’s right Fiss…tomorrow I’m going to kiss your tummy all over! “Just you try” she says.

Frou-frou francaise progress (and Fissy)

Published by The Dreamstress

I’m stitching away at the ca. 1760 robe Ã la franÃ§aise, in between teaching classes and giving lectures and marking papers and re-fashioning shoes and drafting patterns and being a human being. I started with drafting a pattern: Then I sewed up a linen support bodice, and worked eyelets down the back, so that I could tighten it with laces: Then there was a great deal of sewing huge lengths of fabric together with teeny-tiny hand stitches. Time consuming, but not very interesting! Then I pleated the back pleating, and hand-stitched it down with silk thread. Then I basted at the shoulder seams, and down the side seams, and cut the fabric down to the waist, and out for the front skirts: I’ve figured out the side pleating, and marked the lines to cut down for pocket slits, and finishing those is my next task. Then on to side pleating, front bodice attaching, hemming, sleeve construction, sleeve insertion, finishing, and trimming. Makes it sound so simple! I’ve dubbed it the frou-frou franÃ§aise, because the fabric …