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Anchor’s Aweigh: Windy Lindy 2011

Published by The Dreamstress

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!

 

A corset for Emily: draping the pattern

Published by The Dreamstress

I haven’t blogged much about Emily’s dress lately because I have been focused on my 17th and 18th century sewing, but I have been plugging away on it.

Obviously the thing that I really need to make a the dress fit right is a 1903ish straight fronted corset.

Based on period advertising, the most common straight fronted corset imported and sold in New Zealand in the first five years of the 20th century was the famous W.B. Erect Form Corset.

Auckland Observer, Volume XXII, Issue 22, 15 February 1902, Page 9

For my 1903 corset, I used images of the WB erect form, and Norah Waugh’s ca. 1901 straight fronted corset pattern.

An advertisement for the WB Erect Form corset from Corsets & Crinolines

Norah Waugh's 1901 straight fronted corset pattern

The patterning on these things is insane.  The panels are ridiculously curved, and the seaming has no relation to the bone placement.

I’m draping my pattern on Isabelle.  I’m not sure if this will really work.  The 1903 silhouette is so extreme that it’s really hard to fit and figure out from anything that remotely matches a normal body shape.  I’m just going to try my best, and hope!

The curved lines on my front panels with under-and-over bust options

The very curved side panels, and the hip panel

The back doesn't have nearly as many panels. Note the way the side seams don't match up.

The finished draped pattern. Will it work?

 

Feeling Grand and Frivilous

Published by The Dreamstress

Here are the images from Grandeur and Frivolity: Music and Fashion in the courts of Louis XIV and Louis XV.

All of us, all looking amazing

Ralph dances a period dance. I didn't make his outfit!

Bianca, the soprano, thrills us all

Clarissa talks about music while the Blonde Venus & Daniil look on

Bianca illustrates 18th century undergarments, & masquerade costumes

With Madame Ornata and the Blonde Venus, both amazing frocks by Madame O

Discussing the invisible embroidery on Daniil's coat

The Blonde Venus & Ralph dance the minuet

The event went beautifully.  It was a privilege to work with The Historic Arts Trust, and especially the amazing Clarissa, who arranged all the music and coordinated all the musicians.

I’m also deeply indebted to all of the people who made this possible: Mrs C, Madame Ornata (two of the dresses were hers!), all the models, my sister and mother in law, Shell and Joie de Vivre, and of course Mr Dreamy.

And you!  For suggestions and support and encouragement and research!  Seriously – some days when I’m just soooo tired, reading your comments is just the perk-up I need to keep going.