Caps, Caps for Sale!

 

 

I've been working towards this goal for a while now, and I've finally finished!

The new line, albeit a very small line, of 18th century caps is being launched in a historical group on FB for starters.

Caps are a one size-fits-most item, which makes it easy to have them ready made and available for order, even for last minute events. It also allows me the flexibility to work at my own pace and list when they're ready, a highly important criteria with two little people running (or crawling) around. 😉

I'm starting with 4 caps: 2 completely hand-sewn with historically accurate materials and stitching methods, as well as 2 machine sewn/hand finished options. There are three different ruffle styles represented, a gathered ruffle, a gathered split ruffle, and my personal favorite, a pleated split ruffle.

If this first experiment goes well I hope to continue and expand the new venture. I'm excited for the possibility of being a stay at home mom while also generating a little income too! 😃

It's the Little Things

I've pretty well run out of outfits actually photographed. We just emerged from the wet, drippy, ugly phase of spring a few weeks ago. I'd been waiting to photograph my most recent finished projects and my new 1930's ensemble until the drabness finally transformed into luscious green, and now that it has, I've been waiting to find the time. 😏

So today's blog is all about the little things, the small projects I've completed this spring. There's just something so splendid about starting a project and finishing in a few short hours! Really quite refreshing amid the lengthy hand stitched projects that I've been plugging at lately.

First off my small projects list was a couple new stomachers.

I made a new cream colored stomacher, this time with a wider curve. (No more tongue emoticon vibes here! 😉)

I used nearly the last scraps from my brown linen jacket to make a matching stomacher, which will hopefully compliment my other jackets as well.

I cut the stomachers out in one evening and was able to put them both together the very next evening. Super fast and super satisfying! I really needed something that went lickety-split at this point... As an added bonus, I got to check that project off 3 separate lists. (I may or may not have a lists problem... sometimes I think I like making the lists better than the actual projects! 😉)

Next up was my long over-due 18th century sewing kit... known as the "Hussif" or "Housewife" in historical terminology. I used scraps of wool from my cloak, and linen pieces left from my apron to make one just to my fancy. Once I acquire some wooden thread winders and a linen tape measure, my historical sewing kit will be truly complete!

Having a proper historical sewing kit, an 18th century pin ball was the next logical project on the list. Let me tell you, this little bugger gave me quite the fight! From doing my first cross stitch letters in thick wool, to figuring out how best to attach the band I was met with a fabric battle. Now that I've worked out the kinks, making another should go MUCH more quickly. Perhaps I'll do a "how-to" post on that someday. 😊

Last, but not least is a project that never even made it on my "to do" list. 😲 I had a nice piece of cotton plaid left from a previous re-made project, and pulling it out while chatting with a friend I decided to cut it square and hem it up right then and there for a fun neck handkerchief option.

That's all the "little things" for now. Hopefully in a couple weeks I will have photos taken of my new 1930's pieces to share with you all!

An 18th Century Cloak

This past fall I finally made myself an 18th century cloak. They're really quite necessary when you reenact in a cold climate! I decided to cave to historical trends (though I rarely deign to acknowledge modern ones 😄) and make my cloak in the red so popular among the ladies of the 18th century. Besides, red is a great color anyway!

I got the very warm and thick wool from my friend Gabe at The Period Tailor, and stitched it together at Fort Ligonier just in time for the chilly evening weather. I hadn't brought my Costume Close Up book with me, which contains the grid pattern for the cloak, but my friend Brigid came to the rescue and let me measure off her cloak made from the same pattern.

I lined the hood with silk scraps from my 1950's Cocktail Dress, and added the draw string channel to close the hood against the frozen wind... on the way to Fort Wayne in January... Is anyone else noticing a trend of putting off projects to the last minute here? 😄 I always seem to have this crazy super-speed sewing zone right before (and/or during) events... It's so stereotypical that we have a saying amongst our reenacting group "Is it even an event if at least one of us isn't sewing a project in the car on the way?" Ah well, it makes for an exciting life...😉

There was a delightful patch in the woods that looked almost like a small stream running through!

I love this close-up shot of the skirt... you can catch a glimpse of the layers of petticoats that both add warmth to the ensemble and create the full skirted silhouette of the 18th century.

Our cat, as always, wanted to "be where the people are".

Here you see a rare glimpse of my photographer... he was cold... my cloak kept me warmer than his coat kept him. *chuckles gleefully* Or was it the 5 layers of other clothes beneath the cloak that kept me toasty?

Below are a few fun photos we took of us cloaked folks from Nouvelle Annee

The color grade cloak line-up. :)

I decided to snap a few photos with my "normal" clothes and my brown boots because it reminded me of "Little Red Riding Hood" which I've heard that particular fairy-tale was actually inspired by the red cloak obsessed 18th century ladies!

These boots were NOT made for walking in the snow... they have zero traction, which I found out rather quickly to our amusement. Here you see as I confidently approach the small hill... oh take care, for your confidence is your downfall... literally.😉

And here you see me clinging desperately to the tree whilst dying laughing..

We did manage to get a couple decent shots between falling over and laughing hysterically.

Photo credit goes to my brother as always.
Reenactment photos were taken by my friend Gabe.

An 18th Century Winter Ensemble

Recently we had a lovely thick snowfall which provided an unexpected opportunity to photograph my 18th century winter wardrobe.

This thick red wool jacket was the first one I made for myself back in June 2018 (You may be asking why in the world I chose wool for a June reenactment... the short and very simple answer is that it was in my stash, and I was in a hurry... Wool is actually quite insulating and probably saved me from dehydrating myself. 😉)

The bayonet made a splendid bread toasting stick. :)

I elected to do ties for closures on this jacket, which I've seen done in several paintings and extant garments, though usually tied with fancy silk ribbons rather than simple twill-tape. But the simple bows are fun and I like them. :)

I finally added the cuffs this past fall and I love them! They make the jacket look so much more like the popular fashions of the 1750's, and as an added bonus they lengthen the sleeves and keep me warmer on frigid days. :)

The mitts are made from an old wool scarf and are stitched by hand with linen thread. The kerchief is made from a pleated wool skirt I got at the thrift store. The icing on the cake is that the two different wool items just happened to perfectly match! They make a night and day difference at chilly reenactments, especially when you need your hands free to cut vegetables for stew!

I've been saving this beautiful brown and blue tartan for the perfect project, and I finally settled on making a warm winter petticoat with it, and whipped it up by hand just before heading to the Nouvelle Annee reenactment at Fort Wayne this past January.

I'm really excited to share my 18th century cloak with you in the next post! More warm woolen happiness is yet to come. :)

Photo credit goes to my brother.

An 18th Century Ensemble

I set about making the pieces for this outfit last summer, determined to take every stitch by hand, and construct it as authentically as possible.

Museum Link: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127162/gown-unknown/

The first step was designing the jacket. I saw this dress on pinterest, and loved the button closure design, but discovering the dress had been altered in the late 1760's and again in the 1950's, I was concerned the style was too late for our 1750's/1760's French and Indian war reenacting. I began scouring the pages of pinterest for more evidence of this style and was rewarded with not one, but two, examples in paintings! I was delighted, and immediately set to designing the "perfect" tab pattern for the front.

Portrait of a lady in a blue dress by Léon-Pascal Glain, 1755          Portrait d'une femme en robe de satin bleu, 1760

I could not find the links to the original sources for these two photos, so here's a link to my pinterest board instead: https://www.pinterest.com/EonwetheBlue/pins-for-blog/

I hemmed and hawed, and hemmed some more before finally settling on a gradually decreasing tab width from the top to the bottom. I'm ecstatic with how it turned out and I LOVE how speedily the buttons allow me to dress for a day of reenacting.

I found out recently the fascinating information that there is some pictorial evidence for button closures on Dutch and Flemish ladies clothing in the 18th century! (Though the ones I found for this jacket were English and French) I just love the practicality and design elements buttons afford, and the Dutch caps tip the scale in further favor of honing a Dutch impression for future reenactments. I even have a small amount of Dutch heritage to further entice my interest! Much, MUCH more research on the prevalence of buttons is needed before I forge ahead on that venture!

It took at least 35 hours to complete the jacket alone.

The petticoat was fairly quick, taking a mere 6 hours to complete. I love, love, LOVE this blue color... It's called "Blue Heaven" and I think it's aptly named.😇

I really enjoyed the experience of making an entire ensemble by hand, and I would definitely (and plan to!) make more completely hand stitched garments in the future. The best part of hand stitching was how easy it was to visit with family or friends while doing so, not to mention several delightful hours of musicals and Pride and Prejudice (the one with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth of course. 😉 ) I ran short on time with the cap and was forced to do one of the inner seams by machine. 😥 Alas and alack for the woes of the time crunch!

I finished the jacket at the Fort Pitt reenactment just in time to wear it for the last day. The cuffs weren't on, and I still had to make the cream stomacher, but it was "finished" at last and I was excited to finally be able to really wear it!

I plan to make a new stomacher piece, as at least two folks have been set to giggles upon noticing that the tip of the stomacher looks rather like a tongue sticking out. 😉😛

 
Photo credit goes to my brother. :)