TRF plans for next year

While I'm making lists online for myself, I might as well publish one for TRF. Christian's really happy with his Pendragon doublet and all, and even got a new baldric he got there that holds his weapons nicely. I accessorized with a metal tube you put ice in that helps you cool off. I also got a really cute set of sheers that are fancy, and they double as a "dagger" when you close them. Got them at the Black Cauldron. I wear them sticking out of the top of my gown - never knew there'd be that much extra room there!

So, basically what I need to do is make 2 chemises for my Tudor gown and make some jewelry too. The gown got a lot of looks, but I think I'd get even more if I accessorized. Also need to find just the right gold trim for the French hood. Never did find it, so I had to resort to buying 2 different floral crowns. :(

Also would like to make some bloomers to wear under my gown. Not historically accurate, but I'm not a big fan of the heat, either.

Christian says I need to loosen up a bit and wear something not so fancy when it's hot. Not sure what to choose, as everything pretty much was made for much cooler weather. Would love to have a corest like from Casta Diva's.

Lastly, I just remembered that I need to make Christian an alternative shirt to wear - it just makes me cringe when he had to wear the shirt twice. Eww.

2nd Place in the Family Costume Contest at Dickens!!!

Yes, my family won 2nd place. My dad videoed the whole thing, so hopefully I will get it up on YouTube soon enough and on my website as well. My mom, husband, and three cousins (same as last year) participated and we got a very warm reception! Finally we're "somebodies" at Dickens! People remembered us from last year, and even some remembered 2 years ago and congratulated us on our anniversary!

Very happy with 2nd place, but I'm making a list of how I can make it even better for next year. I'm going to be quite busy this summer, making at least 2/3 girls new dresses, if not for all 3. (I might be able to get away with just new pantalets, chemises, and new white sleeves if they don't grow much wider.)

Also, I found that my costumes fit BETTER this year than last year! My corset fits nicely, and I don't have that "shelf" that I had at my wedding! I even tried on my first Dickens costume and it still FITS! So now I have a choice between 3 dresses!

Here's a list of stuff I need to do before next Dickens:

1. change trim on original Dickens dress (it unraveled in the dry cleaning process, and I never changed it because it didn't fit - but luckily I kept it anyway!)

2. make a wool cloak/mantle or buy a fur one (if I can find one). I'm looking at this pattern: http://butterick.mccall.com/b5266-products-7605.php?page_id=385

3. make some type of cold weather garment for the 3 kids, either a little fake fur wrapper or something else that is warm.

4. also need to buy formal gloves for the kids - will try to hit the Easter sales so I won't have to buy them online.

5. also bonnets for the kids? Need a pattern.

6. make or buy a vest for Dad - his was a little too short and tight.

7. make a new blouse (or rather, two) for Mom because the old one is stupidly designed and hooks in the back. Pain in the butt! Also, the interfacing turned peachy colored, so no great loss there.

8. make a new hoop or fix mom's old one. Her hoop is crappy and was a temporary fix for me until it got passed down to her. It's just a bridal hoop. I'd like to either make a new, lower casing for the drawstring and even use elastic if need be. It never sits right on her, and the last thing I want is to constantly fix her skirt. It did better this year than last, but it still bothers me.

9. make Mom some new pantalets, chemises, and (gasp!) even a corset. I've asked her in the past if she wanted these. She always refused to wear any of them until this weekend when she started to whine that she didn't have any. By God, you just can't win.

10. I have half a mind to make period pants and shirts for Christian, but since it's only 2 days, and his costume is already nice enough, I can't really give myself a real reason to do this. If I had the extra time and money, sure, but I'm not gonna put myself out on it.

11. Same as above, except he wants a steampunk outfit. We've got plenty of vintage junk from the attic in which to make cool accessories, but I don't know money and time-wise. If he does it, I might too. We decided if we were to do it, we'd still go historical on Saturday and do steampunk on Sunday as our "fun and wild day."

12. Eventually I'd love to use the Butterick pattern for parasol covers for Mom, but I'm not sure if I'd have the time or money. Would be nice though and unique.

13. Christian says I "need" a new gown, but I don't think so. Especially since I found out that the old green one really does still fit. He wants something different, like 1830's-1840's, or late 1860's-1880's. Not so sure if I'm going to do this, as the closet is limited. If I'm going to make anything at all, it's going to be a ball gown, or something made of period cotton for the heat.

14. need to paint Christian's cane. It's chipping.

Got a full year of costuming ahead of me, and that's not even including clients!!!

Hlaf Finished with Tudor Gown - pics!

I've finally gotten the bodice to fit me after the 3rd try! (I don't think I went through so many mock-ups, even with my wedding gown!)

The bodice is basically finished except for serging and grommets (I have to hunt down a cheap Dritz grommet tool today until I have the $75 to shell out for an industrial one, as my old Dritz actually got worn out and broke!)

I figured out the skirt issue - knife pleats in the front, cartidge in the back. The Tudor Tailor says big ones in the back (how big it never says...grrrr....) but I just couldn't figure it out and the small ones work anyway. I have yet to sew the skirt to the bodice, as it's pinned on in the pic.

Still working on the hood - I had to remake the crescent as I went by the directions for the first one and they're just no good. So I did it my instinctual way the second time and it worked. Also still looking for trim for it since so much is anqitue gold colored rather than bright 24k colored.

I'm hoping the trim won't clash with the creamy gold forepart - the trim is such a bight dark gold. Sure hope having it in the sun will make a GOOD difference.

Since I just got a car, I don't have the money for the black silk I've been wanting. I think I'm gonna hold out till I get it, as I just don't want poly/acetate taffeta. I'm really trying to work with natural materials due to the Texas heat. It's kind of like an experiment to see if there's really a difference between natural vs. manmade like everyone says. So far the only poly is the forepart fabric, which is almost impossible to find in silk in the right color and pattern anyway. It also doesn't matter since it's not close to my body.

Well that's all for now. I just finished one client's pirate vest and I have one blouse to make for The Victorian Lady. Things are slowing down for the school year. :(

More YouTube videos

"Tudor Tidbits" - a wonderful montage and source of information about ladies at court.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAs5i6oQ2Rs

Margaret Tudor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB3O55wVnZY

Anne Boleyn - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AKRFlqclnk

Original Textiles Video - YouTube

This video has beautiful examples of authentic vintage Victorian outfits. Very informational. Make sure you watch all 4 videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yACUjSYNov8&feature=related

World of Warcraft - past costume contests

Thinking of doing something totally different that would cater to a different, younger audience. I play WoW (level 80 mage on Aggramar) and I've gotten pretty into it, although I'll admit not insanely into it like other people.

I've been checking out the costume contests froom previous years on YouTube. God, they make a Star Trek convention look normal! I'm not sure if I'd have the guts to attend BlizzCon! But I do think I would make a mage/warlock/priest outfit if someone asked me to.

I noticed there weren't many clothies, and what there of them were were REALLY sad. Where's the hood or tiara or something? Gloves? Wand? Cape with grogeous trim and perhaps even applique? Necklace? Wrist band? Come ON. It can't be that hard!

Also noticed people don't have the sense to wear make-up when on stage - that'll ruin the whole effect of the costume for sure if we can't see your head!

I do however like how quickly they get everyone on and off - wish Dickens would do that. Can't believe someone made such a GOOD murloc costume - and wore it!! He sure stole the show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6PZNXbsi18&feature=PlayList&p=94D16A38AF100178&playnext=1&index=3

Check out other BlizzCon costumes on YouTube!

How to sit in a hoop skirt

It's in Spanish, but it's an interesting video if you know at least some Spanish. It was a joy to know that the Spanish enjoy Victorian reenacting too!


http://www.youtube.com/user/SociedadAugusta#p/u/5/EwgJNCyljt0

More materials

I found a great deal (well not so great for the seller) on eBay for 36 5/8" pearl and gold buttons. I really scored on this one. No one outbid me on them, so I paid virtually nothing for them. They will look great on the false gold sleeves.

Evidently this seller sells a lot of buttons, so he looks like he would be a good e-Bay supplier. His name is mario_sbarn.

I also finally decided on the type of silk I wanted for the sleeves. Evidently habotai is a rather sheer fabric, and would not have worked. I found out that China Silk (charmeuse) is like satin and has a shiny finish. I got a higher silk count, 16 momme. The habotai I was looking at was 6, so I think I'm really glad I did my homework before buying! It retails on e-Bay for $12.99/yard, with free shipping from India. (Only thing I didn't like about it is that it's 45" wide.) Try getting silk that cheap in the U.S. Fabric here has gotten so overrated that I will buy from any country just to get a decent price. Same thing with trim., It's not like I'm really taking business away from American fabric stores, because whatever stores are left sure don't have these materials!

The seller's name for the silk is 1188mall. The silk is coming from Hong Kong. (Appropriate, right? Might as well eliminate the middle man and go straight to the country of origin!)

Tudor skirt and French hood

I'm having a big problem. The knife pleats in the front of the skirt make it too big, even with the rest of it cartridge-pleated by hand. I'm at a loss of what to do, because I cartridge-pleated everything and it looks bad in the front. It has to be knife-pleated. I've used cartridge pleating before, but I don't recall having this problem. Might be because it's velvet, and it's kind of bulky. Damn pattern.

On the flip side, the cartridge pleating was super easy because I used gingham to create a 1/2" grid. You sew it to the top of the skirt so it has a finished edge and won't fray. I've never thought of that before! Complete ingenious! I'll have to use that technique on everything I cartridge pleat. Only part of the pattern I actually understood and really liked.

Also had a really hard time understanding the directions for the French hood. I'm not liking this pattern a whole lot. I went to see my Period Patterns one and it's just as bad. The directions are all chopped up into sections that pertain to other hats. God.

Been busy this weekend and didn't have time for Christian to fit me in the bodice. It is fitted to the dress mannequin I have, but that doesn't guarantee that it perfectly fits me. So I guess I'll have to do that tonight when he comes home from work.

Also I have been working on the gold false sleeves. Those were easy, even with the slashing. Only thing is, I can't make the real sleeves detatchable because my crummy straight-armed chemise would be showing. I was thinking if I have enough fabric, I might be able to swing a whole 'nother bodice without the sleeves for when it's warmer. But I just remembered the skirt is attatched because of the V in the front. Damn.

Hope this comes out right because it's getting frustrating...

Materials and Pattern

I bought the hoop already made, but I used this pattern for the chemise and corset, aka payre of bodies.
This wasn't my first choice because I thought I would look bad in it but the corset makes all the difference. This one looks more fun, anyway.

This gooooorgeous trim is from eBay from a seller called heritagetrading. It is handcrocheted and hand-beaded with teeny little pearls in India. I sure hope it wasn't made in a sweatshop. It sells for $17.99 for 4 yards, free shipping from India! Shipping was very quick, too. My mom asked me, "Where's the blood??" but even she agreed it was too good of a deal to miss, and anyway, I don't think you can find goodies like this anywhere in the states. Being hand-made is even better. God bless the person who is talented enough to do this. Only problem is, it's a very deep gold and the trim I had chosen for the forpart of the skirt is much lighter. Might have to forego the forepart trim or get some new that matches.

This was also from eBay from a seller called lilys_fabric. It sells for $12.99/yard and you can get as many as you want. I love it!!! It makes a fantastic forepart.

I dn't have a photo of the blue velvet I bought on eBay since it was so long ago, before I moved into the new house. Alas, I lost the info on it so I'm not sure what I paid or where I got it from. All I know is that it was 7 yards of 54" wide cotton velvet (yes, cotton, not poly!). The yardage is a hair short on the sleeves, and I don't think I'll have enough for the outer part of the lower sleeves, so I think it'll all be in black as a nice contrast. I've seen the same done in that YouTube costume show I saw so it must be legit. I'm thinking a black real silk taffeta might do the trick. I'm also thinking of a medium-weight white silk for the false sleeves since I don't need too much. Jeez, this gown is gonna cost me about $300 at least when I'm done with it. Better be worth it. I got tired of my husband being asked to have a photo with random people, and me being left out, so if this one doesn't catch anybody's eye, nothing will.

And if anyone is to blame, it's my husband. He started it when he shopped at Pendragon and got all that fancy garb!!! So he better not complain about it!!!

Examples of French Gowns and Hoods

Margaret Tudor with plenty of tiny little pearls. After, all, the name means pearl in Greek!

Great detail in the sleeves, neckline, and hood. Too bad the whole gown wasn't showcased.

Anne's gown shows great detail around the square neckline.

Glad I'm not the only one with brown fuzzies around my head. She looks really cute, even though the dress is of a lower class than the other ones. Shows I could wear a belled-sleeve white chemise if it got too hot. But I'm not sure about not attaching the sleeves, since they are so heavy.

One of my favorites. Love the fluffy false sleeves.

A good example of the puff-and-slash undersleeves.

Not a very flattering painting. I would've had the painter's head chopped off for this one! But a very nice gown, much like mine will be. Not a big fan of the gabled hood, though.

An English gown, but notice the French hood with the coif's ties showing.

Ah, this one is my favorite. I think mine will be closest to this one, minus the fur.

Change of mind - English to French

I couldn't make up my mind worth a crap about the English vs. French gowns. I didn't think my Marilyn Monroe-like figure would ever remotely look good in a French gown, but to my delight, I was wrong! (Might have to do with switching meds and losing a lil bit of weight! Yeaaah!)

I had started the summer off making a lightweight summer 16th century corset, made of plain muslin and lightweight plastic boning (the kind you get in a small roll from Dritz). It was actually fairly supportive without having to be made out of coutil, which I usually use to make my corsets. Sad thing is, the muslin was too wimpy for the grommets, and my grommet tool was sticking because it was old and worn, so it ended up that the tool stuck so badly that I had to rip it out. Needless to say, I need to get a more expensive one that will last (it was from Wal-Mart). My husband was gracious enough to put in the grommets in the expensive coutil one that I had to remake.

I always get my corset supplies from http://www.corsetmaking.com/CMSpages/CMShome.html . They are a little expensive, but I think they all are. They are, however, fast on shipping. The only things I can really complain about is that they only offer one type of wooden busk and it's too long for my torso, so I'll have to have my husband to cut it and sand the edges so they will be rounded. Also, their lacing is really cheapo nylon or something and it got shredded going through the grommets, so now I have to keep a lookout for a cotton kind. I thought since I'm small, I would need the shortest kind, but it's really not good for anyone because even I can't use it - my husband has to completely pull it out when I get in/out of it. My Victorian one has lacing that hangs way down. Can't win.

I'll admit, it really is weird having a corset that opens in the back only. There's no front "emergency" exit, as it there is in the Victorian kind. However, I think this center wooden busk is much more supportive. I like it a lot, surprisingly enough.

The only thing that kinda upset me, historically speaking, is I found out that ladies really didn't wear corsets till later in the 16th century. I found an awesome set of videos about a costume presentation in England from last year. They undress one of the ladies so that you can see what they wore under and how it all works together. It has almost answered all my questions, and now I have a clear picture of what to do and what not to do. Not that I can afford to do everything exactly like they did (Texan autumn is nothing like Tudor England weather) so at least I know what I plan on doing "wrong" so that I won't die from the heat.

Here's the link. Be sure to enjoy the other videos. There's about a dozen of them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZk9zLSzfPo

Tudor Jewelry and Shoes

I'm having a hard time trying to find some "affordable" jewelry to go with my outfit. I definitely want a beaded girdle but they run at $80 and up. I already spent $100 on the farthingale, and that was my big splurge....or so I thought. I think I'm going to make the whole gown first and see when I have some extra money hanging around. (hahahaha!) I still have yet to take my gold charm bracelet out of retirement (cheap American-made chain kept breaking) so I would really like to procrastinate it as much as possible. I'm also worried if I wait too long, things will be sold out because fair season begins in the fall. Can't win.

Here are some websites I'm thinking of. eBay does sell some but they cost just as much. The only cheap ones are really thin, and what's the point of doing Tudor if you're not going to do it right?

http://www.illusionjewels.com/store/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=99

http://www.sapphireandsage.com/girdle.html

I also want to buy some rings for both Christian and myself but there doesn't seem to be much of a market for it. Everything is soooo fantasy.

Lastly, I also need shoes. I had bought those cheap cotton Mary Janes from an online civil war sutler once and they came out way too small (like size 6 vs. 7 1/2) and way too narrow. I'm kind of limited in my options. I saw some really nice velvet ones online and they're only $10. But then I kinda don't want to because you get what you pay for.

However, I did see a nice Tudor/Elizabethan shoe that had two holes on either side, kind of like a thick T-strap shoe with a low heel. Kind of reminds me of an adult dance shoe my teacher used to wear.

http://www.nmia.com/~bohemond/Bootshop/shoe-page/maryrose.htm

http://tudorshoppe.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ML-WVS-BK&Category_Code=WSH

I'm not a cobbler by any means and would hate to resort to making my own, but I really need something that would do well outside and wouldn't hurt even after wearing for a long period of time.

Christian's outfit

Christian, my husband, decided to go all-out at TRF last fall and BUY his costume pieces. (He can't ever make up his mind on patterns, so him looking at real physical pieces was probably the best bet, much to my dismay.)



He got a GORGEOUS slashed doublet from Pendragon. It cost a lot, but a) I would never be so crazy to make something like that, b) I have no idea where I could find a pattern for it, c) he can't stand still worth a &$%@ for fittings, and lastly, d) it laces together and if he doesn't gain too much weight, he'll be able to wear it forever.



http://www.pendragoncostumes.com/



Four good points are very hard to argue with. He got a LOT of compliments at TRF, both customers and people who worked there. "Is that a Pendragon??" they would say, surprised.



Yeah, I was totally ignored. :( My gown just didn't compete. It was kind of funny, because usually he doesn't dress up, but when he does, he goes all the way.



He used a swordswoman's shirt I got online (which was WAAAY too big, even for him!) I wasn't too thrilled with the slitted neckline, so I need to make him 2 shirts with mandarin collars to match his doublet. That way he won't be showing even a single hair!



He also got his boots and pants from a very reasonable shop. Now I can't find the business card or the receipt it's been so long. :( I'm pretty sure it is in the 300's block of TRF, looking at the map. They sold shirts, pants, boots, belts, pouches, cavalier hats, and all kinds of leather stuff. Even masks. There were so many stores there it's easy to get overshelmed by it all. :-P



I also bought him a feathered cavalier hat from Excalibur Leather for his birthday.



http://www.excaliburleather.com/

Tudor gown

I haven't written in a dog's age! I'll admit, it's because I've been so busy with work lately, being a teacher and all. Secondly, I'll admit I have become quite addicted to WoW and I still have yet to make 80....but that's besides the point...

Now that school is slowing down, summer's coming up, and having OD'd on WoW, I need a new project! I wanted something Tudor since TRF takes place during that period, but I'm waaaay too big on top to fit in a French gown. I also want to create a faux pas by not wearing corset, since TRF season is often hot and sunny. There's not a whole lot of shade there, especially where you go to watch shows, and I just know I'd be walking out with a sunburn the shape of the square neckline!

I've gone through the patterns I have and figured out what patterns I needed and went to Hancock and Jo-Ann fabrics. Neither of which had buckrum or boning for the farthingale, much to my bitter disappointment. (The both do regulary carry buckram and one does carry the boning I needed but of COURSE they were out.) I'm really tired of fabric stores not having what I need. I really wonder how much business they lose to the Internet.

The pattern I chose is Simplicity 3782, View B for the gown. I did a little bit of research online and it does correspond to a lot of real gowns from period paintings. The only thing is that it buttons in the front with jewelled buttons, which isn't quite historically accurate. But then if you take a look at people at TRF, it really doesn't matter! I'm still trying to figure out the exact name of this type of gown, though. For some reason I keep finding the name "French gown" but whenever I find a picture of what I want, there's no description or name. Weird.

The photos above are of Lady Jane Grey and Queen Mary I. I noticed that the drawing has tighter sleeves, unlike the other puffy long ones. I figure this was during a mini ice age, and I live in Texas, so why can't I take a little liberty so I don't die from heat exhaustion???

I got some *cotton* velvet off eBay, 7 yards for $75! (Plus shipping.) I decided cotton would be necessary since poly is hot and my cape got discolored at the dry cleaner. I can't afford this one to get discolored! I also found out cotton velvet is washable so that means it's cheaper to take care of, too. I'll just have to dry-clean the skirt. (Haven't bought the fabric for the center front part but I'm thinking of a gold/ivory brocade vestment material, but I haven't find a final decision. I think it would really make it look stunning though. I'm just trying not to go over-the-top. Kinda hard on a budget.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380214661129&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Renaissancefabrics is always a good eBay seller. He always has plenty to choose from.

I also decided what to do about the trim. I found a beautiful gold metallic trim from Hancock's that is not your traditional gimp. It has leafy-shaped trim going one way then the other, and I think it would be perfect to place little pearls in each unit. I'll have to get a photo of it later.

I had to resort to ordering patterns online from Period Patterns: #52 - Tudor Headddresses (there's one that is wearing my type of gown at the bottom) and #93 - Bags and Pouches. I figured they'd come in handy and could be used many times. I just hope they're worth it. They are VERY expensive patterns. I need a new bag/purse anyway.

I have been quite indecisive lately about what to do with the farthingale. No one really sells them and the ones on eBay are crappy. I really want the cone look and don't want to use my Victorian one. I finally decided on one from Realm Collections and it cost me about $100 with shipping. I figured between all the places I went to (in person and online) it would probably cost that in all the supplies I'd have to get. Sadly, it seems much more economical to buy bulk and make a bunch of farthingales and sell them than it is to make one. Since I'm not a big fan of using hardware tools, and I don't have the big bucks to make a bunch to sell, I figured this was the best option. The way I look at it is, I save loads by making all the other stuff myself. It won't kill me to give a little bit of business to someone else. Plus, it's a basic foundation garment, and if it's any good, I will be able to use it many, many times.

http://www.realmcollections.com/bone-hoop-skirt.html

The fact that it's machine washable and travel-friendly is what did me in. I think it also looks period accurate too, unlike a lot of others online.

However, I am making the chemise myself. I am using Simplicity 2621. I had a load of muslin already, so I didn't have to buy any. :-D

Lastly, I'm going to have to look for a bit of jewelry. Since I have a very short upper chest, I'm thinking maybe a choker and a beaded girdle. I just hope the beads don't cost too much or I can find one for a reasonable price. I also have to research earrings and rings.