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What do you think of this fabric?

Blue & pink chintz on dark red background

I picked it up cheap at an op-shop in the form of two curtain panels.  I’m really not sure about it.  It’s sorta late 18th century – but really pushing the accuracy with the pattern.

A curtain panel pinned on Isabelle

I’m either going to commit to making something out of it, or de-stash it right away.  I don’t want it just sitting around in my stash.

No matter what I think, Felicity likes it

Things that are not historical about it:

  • The dark background (most 18th c chintzes have a white background)
  • The evenness of the print
  • It’s a little too busy
  • The pink and blue are a little too modern

Modern pinks & blues, and clear lines

But on the other hand…
  • It was super cheap
  • I already own it, and finding these types of prints can be a headache
  • I want a late 18th c chintz dress
  • It isn’t completely out of the bounds of historical accuracy
  • It’s 100% cotton, and good quality cotton

And it looks rather nice with a pleated back

But on the other hand…
  • Some of the edges are faded
  • There is just enough to make a round gown, if I’m lucky.  It will be a squeeze.

So, dear readers, I ask you, what do you think of this fabric?

Does it say late 18th century to you?  Or does it say “bad fake late 18th century”?

And is it visually appealing?  Do you think it would look good as a robe a la anglaise?

If you saw it made up nicely at a costuming event would you go away saying “wow, did you see that gorgeous wine red chintz dress” or would you forget about it entirely, or would you go away saying “wow, that wine red chintz dress was awful!”

Be brutal with me!

Rate the dress: ruffles, flounces, puffs & bows in the late 1860s

Last week I presented the pseudo Roman ‘Julius Ceasar’ costume worn by Fritz Lieber in the 1917 version of Cleopatra.  Despite the respectable official rating of 6.8 out of 10, I think the real rating should be much, much lower, because most of you were so bored by the outfit that you couldn’t even be bothered to comment on it.  As Daniel said “Eh’.

Ouch.  Sorry.

I’ll try to be more interesting!

This week I present a dress that I’ve been interested in for months and months, but haven’t found the right time to show you.

This dress is the antithesis of anything even slightly manly that might have been going on last week.  When it comes to girly, this dress from the MFA Boston has it all: tiers of stiff, ribbon edged ruffles down the front of the skirt, a pleated flounce at the bottom, a wrapped lace and ribbon trimmed bertha with bows catching up the ruffled sleeves, a pleated sash, and three tiers of graduated poofs descending down the back of the skirt, culminating in a final ruffled flounce, all with more bows and lace.   The only thing it doesn’t have is pink: the colour scheme is quite unusual and restrained, with slightly off white tulle, floral patterned off-white brocaded taffeta, blonde lace, and burnt orange and black trim.

Evening dress, 1865-1870, Mme Roger, Paris MFA Boston

Wowzers!

Too much girly fluff and froo froo?  Or does the unusual trim colour save it?  And is there enough interest?  Or is it too much too process?  And will the colour scheme be too close to the ill fated Worth Jr dress, thus dooming this one?

Rate the Dress on a scale of 1 to 10

Anchor’s Aweigh: Windy Lindy 2011

Saturday night was Windy Lindy 2011, the big event of Wellington’s annual swing calender. The theme this year was ‘Anything Goes’, as in the Cole Porter musical, where anything (and everything) goes on on the SS American.

It’s the fourth year I’ve attended Windy Lindy, and every year I’ve shown you my costume, from my saucy Dorothy Gale costume for ‘Pin Ups and Poster Boys’, to my human chicken costume for ‘Freaks’, to last year’s glamourous satin number for ‘Puttin on the Ritz‘.

Unfortunately, every year my costume planning seems to happen more and more last minute.  Eek!

This year I didn’t really thing about it at all until the night before.  Double eek!

But with some help from the Army Surplus store, my long time obsession with collecting images of nautically inspired fashions, a mad pattern draping and sewing spree, a jacket I made almost a decade ago, and a few random accessories in my dress up box, I pulled together a rather cute outfit (if I do say so myself).

I made a new skirt based of 1930s patterns, wore it with a striped army surplus shirt, tied a bit of red fabric around my waist for a belt, added a red, white & blue scarf for my hair, and started out with a blue jacket that I made from one of my grandmothers ’50s patterns, which I took off once dancing warmed me up.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get many good pictures of it, so I’m thinking that a nautical photo shoot is definitely a must-do.  And I want to tell you all about making the skirt.

In my old jacket and my new 1930s skirt

With the fabulous Clarissa in her natty nauticals

Not everyone really figured out what ‘Anything Goes’ was about, but the nautical theme was a great one.  White is such an effective colour on the dance floor, and nothing beats a bunch of guys in sailor outfits!

There were some drawbacks though: All the striped shirts combined with a mirror ball (note to venues – mirror balls and vintage dancing don’t go well together) combined to make me very dizzy!  And the dance was held in the hull of a ship, so the curved walls just added to the surreal-factor, as did the fact that the walls started dripping and sweating once the difference between the cold water surrounding them and the warm air inside got to be too much.

Stripes and sailors and engine boys

 

Clarissa and a sailor dance

Best engine boy outfit ever! He even had a mallet!