It’s Re-Make, Re-use, Re-fashion fortnight on the HSF, and I have so.many.things that need re-fashioning, because I’m always buying hats and shoes that look historical – if only I re-trim and re-shape them, and old clothes made out of historically plausible fabric that need to be re-fashioned into historically plausible garments. I’m starting with a simple re-fashion.  I took this broad-brimmed wool hat: And re-made it into this spiffy number for Polly / Oliver: Now, I know you are thinking “Hey, wait a minute, didn’t you post pictures of you in the completed Polly / Oliver outfit, with a hat a month ago?” And yes, I did: However, much as I am ashamed to admit, the hat in the Polly Oliver photoshoot was entirely held together by an elaborate collection of safety pins.  Naughty me! So this week I got my act together and actually finished the hat properly. My inspiration for the hat, in an attempt to combine 1880s accuracy with the aesthetic of a tall military shako, were this swish little black number: …

I had an afternoon tea this Saturday, and hoped to debut Polly Oliver at it. On Friday, I was doing great: ahead of schedule even.  Felicity was helping. You didn’t need to cut where my paw is, right?   I had all my pieces cut: apron, over-train, bottom pleat/over layer (not sure how to describe it).  I lined them, finished them, and had them all ready to attach to the skirt and assemble. I started by pinning the bottom pleat/over layer on.  It’s quite short in the back, over the skirt hoops, where it will be covered by the long over/train, and longer in the front where the apron will sweep up and reveal bits of the under skirt. As with the 1886 dress in Janet Arnold, there is a part layer of good fabric over the original support layer.  Based on my inspiration images, mine has a  slit showing the red under-fabric.  I’m not entirely pleased with how the part layer is hanging at the moment, but I’m hoping that the buttons can be …