Wow, am I wiped! I spent the past two days sewing sewing sewing, with side trips to the land of fabulous friends, wine, and too little sleep. But the workshop was really really cool! It was taught by Janea Whitacre, who is the supervising mantua maker at Colonial Williamsburg. What a job! We focused on the sack gown of the 1770s, spending Saturday learning how to make the gown (and splitting up the actual making of the various parts of one gown among ourselves), then Sunday we draped our own.
First, fabric report: I did go peach, and was saved by the fabulous Diana of Renaissance Fabrics who sold me this peach/gold shot silk taffeta, which was far more interesting than the paler, more muted fabric I had found before.
The draping method Janea taught us was very intuitive. It was so helpful to hear her experience looking at a bazillion period examples. What it really brought home to me was how because this style of gown was handmade, and draped on the body, there aren't really "right" ways to do anything. Of course, there is a range, but if you needed a tuck here or a piecing there, they would have had the same problems and come up with the same solutions. So it felt liberating to just go with what worked rather than "but Janet Arnold shows a slit there!" Janea is able to measure everything just using handspan and fingerspans -- she said she banishes tape measures for her apprentices -- so again we went with just what worked or looked right.
I think the best part of the workshop, overall, was working on our own dresses on Sunday. There is nothing like having a gown draped on you by about 2-5 very talented costumers, or to be draping someone else and being able to call those 2-5 costumers over to get their opinions on that slash you're about to make. We were draping our gowns out of the fashion fabric itself, which was fine when it happened on me, but was terrifying when I was working on others. I just kept cutting only teeny tiny little bits, and triple checking, before going any further. The responsibility!
My dress is only very partially assembled. The back pleats are basted on to the back lining, and the front is pretty well fit (the back needs some adjustment), plus I have the sleeve patterned (draping sleeves really works well when you're not trying to do it on yourself!), and the petticoat pieces cut. Otherwise, I've got a lot left to do (luckily with lots of fabric left over). I am planning to hand sew the whole sucker (for the glory, and because I love handsewing), and I'm hoping to have it done by Costume College (don't be sad, 1910s fans, but I am hoping to wear this to the gala rather than the Lady Maud 1910 evening dress). I'm not a believer in secret projects, but I do think that since I've started this offline I will keep it offline, so at least people will be surprised by seeing it in person even if they know what I'm working on.
Okay, so how excited am I? Some Bay Area costumers have organized a two-day workshop on 18th century gown making techniques. Next Saturday, the supervising mantua maker from Colonial Williamsburg is going to teach us how to drape, fit, and make (by hand!) a 1770s sack-back gown/robe a la francaise. Then Sunday we pair up and drape and fit and start sewing our own gown! *does the happy costumer Kermit dance of joy*
But now on to color quandries. ARGH! I cannot decide what color to make my dress! For years I have wanted a pale silk taffeta sack back gown, and this seems like the time to do it. I've always thought ivory or peach; ivory would be too hard to take care of, so okay, peach (like this dress from the upcoming Marie Antoinette). But then when I've shown swatches to people, they've thought that peach is too close to my skin tone and would be boring and monochromatic.
But then when I go to look at other colors, I'm either bored or they don't seem right for 18th century (which seems to be mostly all about white/ivory, yellow [no], blue [I hate blue], green [I ALWAYS do green, boring!] and pink/peach [no pink]). There are lots of nice silk taffetas out there in dark and jewel tones, but they just don't look right to me. There are some interesting rosey/orangey mid-tones at C&J Textiles (like 6016 and 6017) -- I have swatch cards and they're much more interesting in person -- but I just don't know if this is working for me!
Usually I find fabric, and then let that dictate what I'm going to make. This is a rare occurance when I need fabric (in about a week!) and the universe is just not helping me out.
So! Do I: A. Stick with peach (I was thinking of maybe edging the ruches in fly fringe/"rococo" trim in a darker orangey or red/rosey tone to liven things up)? B. Go with a rosey/orangey mid-tone (not too bright/dark)? C. Go with something like a pale green (I always do green)? D. Run screaming?
I know, I know. My mother once told me that I'm jaded, and I think it's true!
So I really didn't much care for Moulin Rouge when it first came out -- see my review in which I complain about the seizure-inducing editing and period-esque costumes. But I was talked into attending the 5th annual Moulin Rouge party, mostly because it was held in an amazing Victorian home and because it just sounded like fun. So I hauled out various Victorian undies and my vintage 1920s kimono and off I went -- and had a lovely time! The house was stunning in and of itself, and beautifully decorated. Everyone was dressed fabulously, with costumes ranging from Victorian undies to traditional Indian attire. And while it's still not my favorite movie ever, I have to say a second viewing improved it (maybe it was the champagne?)
I only took a few photos, partly because a professional photographer was there (I'll cross-post when those images surface) and because I was trying to take natural light photos, so not all turned out. But what did is here.
Got my classes for Costume College - yay! I got into Sleeve Drafting (triple yay) and Blackwork (which were the only ones I wanted), waitlisted for Sally Queen. Oh well, if I don't get in I'll take a nap and be well rested for the Thurs. evening festivities (and maybe even have enough energy to dress up!), which brings me to...(warning: boring rambling ahead)
What to wear to Costume College? <-- whiny voice. I usually go with what I've made the past year, which is very pathetic this year: I made the LOTR dress and the evening bodice to my candy cane 1875 dress (I wore the day version last year). Pathetic! Of course, I have all the half-started/finished projects, like the 1780s jacket, the 1909 suit, and the 1560s Nuremberg dress.
Or I can go with what classes I'm teaching -- Saturday I'm doing Venetian Renaissance (so I could wear my courtesan gown, which I wore last year); Sunday is 1830s (at 9am!! I'm so not dressing up for that) and 18th century (I'll wear my robe a l'anglaise (ex-roundgown, ex-caraco).
So. What to do? I have a yen to crank some things out in time, but then I have all these half-finished projects which irritate me... Hrm. The one thing I do know is I want to make the 1910 Lady Maud Warrender dress for the gala. So that means:
Thurs. night LiveJournal meetup: ?? Friday: ?? Saturday day: ?? (maybe courtesan dress for the class, altho I wore it last year?) Saturday night (Gala): 1910 Lady Maud dress Sunday: 1780s robe a l'anglaise (indienne print/current project)
Finished contenders for all the ?? slots include: 1910 Wings of the Dove dress, 1923 Gatsby dress, LOTR dress. Unfinished contenders include: 1780s jacket (not too hard, fix the fitting issues and maybe make a stomacher), 1909 suit (which I really want to make, but seems like it may take a really long time to complete), 1560s Nuremberg dress (not too bad, just have to find trim for the brustfleck, remake bodice, make sleeves), 1796 dress (which I've been really really meaning to make for years), or the 10 yards of black silk satin in my closet that is crying out to be an 1880s afternoon gown or turn-of-the-century ball gown.
[DAY-mo-day] adjective: old fashioned, out of style, unfashionable [from French, the past participle of démoder "to go out of fashion," from mode "fashion"].
