The Dreamstress

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Set Phasers to Stunning

Captain’s Log, stardate 53959.1

At long last Ensign Paris has put the finishing touches on his latest holo-program: a recreation of a ballroom from Earth’s early 19th century.

Tom insists it is perfect in every detail, with no backwards harps, but Harry has told me privately that a number of alterations have been made for the comfort and convenience of the crew.

I don’t think the crew cares if it is accurate or not. After weeks of hard work they are all looking forward to the gala launch tonight. It should be quite an event: Neelix has been researching food for an old Earth menu for days.

With Chakotay and Harry on an away mission in search of dilithium, Tuvok has kindly agreed to captain the bridge while Lieutenant Torres, the Doctor, and I attend. Even Seven of Nine has expressed interest after the Doctor pointed out that a ball is the perfect place to observe human interactions and courtship rituals.

I’m slightly nervous about leaving Tuvok alone on the bridge. Long range scans have indicate some worrying spatial anomalies.

Just in case, I’ve asked B’Elenna to engineer costumes which incorporate our coms badge. With that in place we’ll be immediately reachable in the event of an emergency.

Captain’s Log, supplemental

Things are finally settling back down to normal after last week’s events. We’ve repaired most of the damage after spatial distortions caused chaos in the holoprograms. The anomaly simultaneously released holocharacters from almost every other holoprogram into the inaugural run of Ensign Paris’ new ballroom program. It locked us in the program and broadcast the holograms over three full levels of the ship.

With Chaotica’s robot holding us hostage in Sandrine’s, the French Resistance trying to bomb Level 3, Lord Burleigh’s guests staging a dance-off at the Regency ball, Chaotica competing with Leonardo for the attentions of Wealhtheow, and Heorot and his warriors making merry with some Klingons in Fair Haven, the night was far more exciting than we’d planned.

Luckily we were able to shut the holodecks down after 5 hours. We think we can restore most of the holoprograms, though it may be time to say goodbye to Fair Haven. I’m afraid that I’ll never be able to look at Michael in the same way after catching him with Arachnia…

And for those of you who are lost in the Delta Quadrant trying to understand the above…

We’ve just got back from a wonderful weekend away in the Wairarapa (basically, Sonoma to Wellington’s San Francisco), attending the 2019 Time Traveller’s Ball.

The ball is an annual-ish event put on by historical loving people who have accepted that there simply aren’t enough historically inclined folk in the Lower North Island to throw elaborate one-era historical event, so instead they throw a multi-period (and some aliens and steampunkers) ball.

I’ve never been, but this year the Wellington Historical Costumers (aka, my friends and I) decided to head over for the weekend and attend the ball.

And, since we’re slightly mad (aka, I’m slightly mad and good at being bossy), we decided to take the one period that we all have costumes for (Regency) and go really on-theme for this years TTB.

The theme? Voyagers.

Our costumes? The crew from Star Trek Voyagers, done Regency style!

Confession: when I convinced the others that this would be a ‘good’ idea for a theme, I’d seen a grand total of four ST:V episodes. And I was among the better informed on all things Star-Trek of my prospective crew.

The idea was partly sparked by Nina, who was already working on a yellow evening spencer. Not the exact shade of yellow, but we were fine with being a little less than precise!

An engineer was a good alignment to her skills and job, though I don’t think you could get a temperament further from B’Elanna’s!

Hvitr was obviously the Doctor, with her Hole-o-graphic blue dress:

(have I pointed out that she hand-netted it!?!)

Priscilla was going to be my Chakotay, but she got called out on an away mission…

And we may have simply informed Eloise that she was going to make a grey spencer, because she’d be perfect for Seven of Nine…

Zara was Neelix (and her partner was ‘Expendable Crew Member #5), but unfortunately we weren’t able to get good photos of them before the ball, so you can’t see her amazing yellow hair and spotted hairline.

And, miss bossy-pants me got to be Janeway!

I’m good at wearing my hair in a bun, I burn dinner as often as I make it successfully, I’m intermittently extremely good at being a capable leader (and intermittently terrible), and I’m all about the journey though I need a destination to aim for to keep me on track.

But I don’t drink coffee, black or otherwise…

However, I do like doing research, so in the name of ~~science~~ costuming I watched all of Seasons 4, 5, 6, and most of 7 (I ran out of time to finish it) before the ball, and selected an assortment for others to watch to get the gist of it.

I like Janeway, but I’m currently really empathising with Seven. Her focus on ‘efficient use of resources’ strikes a chord. The whole world is so illogical – I’d like to inject everyone with whatever nanoparticles it would take to make them see sense. Failing that, ‘I will adapt’ has been the mantra that has held me together for the last month… In other words, I’m not sure I want to be a human.

It was good to have a break!

And, as you may have noticed, I have a new evening spencer, a new Star-Trek-meets-Regency shawl, a starfleet diadem that I’m incredibly pleased with, and third time is the charm for my Regency gown re-make.

Rate the Dress: Oversized stripes in 1912

Published by The Dreamstress

Last week disappeared in a haze of overwork, and this week isn’t looking like it’s going to be much better (last week of term is stressful for everyone…)

So this week’s Rate the Dress is brought to you by ‘it was the first one I randomly selected from my ‘this would work for Rate the Dress’ list.

Last-last week: a yellow silk 1780s redingote

Many of you liked it, but many of you thought it was nice, but boring. And nobody loved it – not a single 10.

The Total: 8 out of 10

Pretty good, but not fabulous from a usually favourite era.

This week: a 1912 afternoon dress by Jeanne Hallee

Despite being a random selection, this afternoon dress does flow on rather nicely from last week’s pick. The frock, with its wrapped fichu collar, and open overskirt, is a perfect example of 1910s-does-18th century historicism.

Afternoon dress, Jeanne Hallee (French, 1880—1914), 1912, French, silk, Metropolitan Museum of Art, C.I.49.2.4 detail

The rest of the dress, is, of course, pure 1912: high waist, slim skirt, high collar and layers of trim, with quirky details like skirt pick ups, and innovative details like cut-on kimono sleeves.

I’d always assumed this dress was wide stripes, but on closer inspection, its actually stripes over a floral pattern.

What do you think?

Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10

A reminder about rating — feel free to be critical if you don’t like a thing, but make sure that your comments aren’t actually insulting to those who do like a garment. Phrase criticism as your opinion, rather than a flat fact. Our different tastes are what make Rate the Dress so interesting. It’s no fun when a comment implies that anyone who doesn’t agree with it, or who would wear a garment, is totally lacking in taste.

(as usual, nothing more complicated than a .5. I also hugely appreciate it if you only do one rating, and set it on a line at the very end of your comment, so I can find it! And 0 is not on a scale of 1 to 10. Thanks in advance!)

The Quest for Regency Uplift: 1790s Achievement Unlocked

Published by The Dreamstress

One of my goals for 2018 was to make two pairs of Regency stays that worked on me: one for the 1790s, and one for the 1810s.

I did not achieve this goal.

I made The J.S Berhnhardt 1810s Stays, View C (and took them in and altered them so they have a better, if not great, fit), and another pair that I was equally unenthused about, but my year got rather taken over by settling in to teaching at Toi Whakaari, so personal sewing took a back seat.

I’m determined to get back on track with this goal in 2019, and so far I’m halfway there:

1790s jumps from the pattern in Jill Salen's Corsets, thedreamstress.com

I have 1790s jumps that are super comfortable, give me lots of support, and actually create lift!

I used the 1790s jumps pattern given on pages 102-107 in Salen’s Corsets: Historical Patterns and Techniques.

The pattern as given in the book fits about a 40″ bust (and bigger if you want space in your front lacing)

I drew it out and graded it up and down last year for members of the Wellington historical sewers who owned the book, but weren’t the size given in the pattern. They have been sewing their own versions, so I’ve now seen it on a 46″ D cup, a 34″ DD, a 40 F cup, and a 38″ A cup – and it has worked pretty well on all of those.

So I had high hopes for my version, and so far I’m not disappointed. There is actual lift!

And they are comfortable!

I’ve yet to wear them under a dress, or for a really extended period of time, so that will be the final proof of success. But for now, I’m pretty delighted!

I generally used the construction methods given by Salen, although I’m not entirely convinced that they are how the originals were really put together. It works well enough though.

My jumps are made from a midweight linen-cotton blend. They are entirely hand-sewn, and have German plastic whalebone boning.

The overwhelming consensus from the Wellington sewers has been that you don’t want the back bones: even in the lightest fabric you might use, they aren’t needed, and they are just uncomfortable. Although I don’t plan to put them in, I sewed in my back boning channels, to hold the layers of fabric together, and just in case.

Those who made the jumps in heavier fabric found they didn’t need bones at all, but I find them really helpful in my lighter linen.

I have sewed my boning channels in a running backstitch, and may need to reinforce them with a full backstitch in the future.

Even though this wasn’t a big or hard project, I’m counting it for the Historical Sew Monthly 2019 April challenge: Upping Your Game.

These are the culmination of a lot of practice and trial, and help me to fulfil a long held goal: that’s definitely upping my game. And they will up my Regency costuming game for sure! As well, I managed to make them during an incredibly difficult period, and I’m extremely proud of myself for that: sometimes your personal game level is much lower than usual, and you have to work with where you are.

And finally, the jumps literally ‘up’ me.

What the item is: 1790s jumps

Material: two layers of midweight cotton-linen

Pattern: 1790s jumps pattern given on pages 102-107 in Salen’s Corsets: Historical Patterns and Techniques.

Year: 1795-1805

Notions: synthetic whalebone, cotton thread, cotton lacing cord

How historically accurate is it? I followed the instructions in Salen’s Corsets exactly, but am not sure I 100% trust that they are accurate.

Hours to complete: 12 or so

First worn: For photos on June 8th

Total cost: $5 or so — the fabric was a piece I picked up for very little at an op shops, the only real expense was a bit of boning.