HSF14 Challenge #21 - Redo

From the beginning of the HSF14, I had a plan for Redo.  For the very first challenge, Make Do and Mend, I wanted to do a Make Do.  I'd purchased a curtain from a thrift store that would be perfect for it.  But it was at the start of my faire season, and time was against me, so I just did a quick mend of one of my faire gowns I wasn't using.  Good thing too, since I've had to pull it out twice since then.  But I still wanted to make something with my curtain, so I decided that unless I missed another challenge, when Redo came around, I would do the Make Do part of Make Do and Mend.  Well I've fortunate enough to have managed every challenge. The only one I have truly disliked was Paisley and Plaid, however my Poetry in Motion gown was also paisley, which more than made up for it.  So the Make Do Redo was on!

While my choice of garment was very simple, I'm pretty happy with the result.  Once again I have to apologize for the lack of progress pictures, but I promise there was nothing terribly interesting about it.  I picked a 1943 skirt pattern, since the war years seemed appropriate for Making Do.  The curtain I bought is a very lightweight cotton, and has nice linear texture pattern.

It was a bit sheer, so I lined it with muslin.  The pattern required very little adjustment, so I was able to use the mock-up as the lining.  I intended to bag line it, but I couldn't quite figure out how to put a lapped zipper into it.  So it became sort of half and half.  It was mostly bag lined, except for the zipper seam, and the lining was folded up with the hem.  It gave the skirt a nice weight and a little stiffness, like there was horsehair in the hem.

I've always been the sort of person who used and abused shortcuts.  In theatre, it only has to look good on the outside, and from several feet away, even in small venues.  But somewhere along the way I've become much more particular.  I've become the sort of person who cannot resist hand picking a zipper.  When did that happen?  However it did, this is definitely one of the best ones I've put in.  I was positively giddy when I saw how flat it laid.  I also handstitched the entire hem, because I didn't want a big machine stitched line across the bottom.

The Challenge: Redo/Make Do and Mend

Fabric: Cotton curtain, muslin

Pattern:  McCall's 5189

Year: 1943

Notions: Plastic zipper, hooks and bars

How historically accurate is it? 60/40?  It's from a vintage pattern, and the fabric is the right material, but I did serge my seam allowances and used a plastic zipper.

Hours to complete: Eh...

First worn: Just to model

Total cost: $15 at most. 

And the result:  

HSF14 Challenge #20 - Alternative Universe

I picked up a commission a few weeks ago for one of my friends who does another Renaissance Festival in the fall.  He wanted a garment he could wear over or under his regular doublet that would have sleeves for when in what chilly.  The basic design he wanted was: like a doublet, but shorter, no collar or flanges, and with buckles down the front.  While not particularly historically accurate, he's the client, so he gets what he wants.  Plus it makes a great entry for Alternative Universe.

I apologize for the complete lack of progress shots.  It was mostly from Simplicity 4059, with the length shortened and the sleeves a slightly different shape.  I used basic cotton twill for the outside and quilting cotton for the lining.  It went together very easily, and I brought it in for him to try on, just in case.  Good thing I did, as he said the sleeves were shorter than he'd like.  I didn't have much fabric left, so I added cuffs, that could be rolled to give anywhere from no addition at all, to an extra three inches in length.  I brought that back in and delivered it minus buckles for him to wear to rehearsal and make sure everything else worked.

It didn't.  Like me, he is a stage combat performer.   Although it fit fine when he was moving like anyone else, some of his fight moves were impeded by the jacket.  He needed a bit more room.  I took the jacket back and added gussets to the back of the shoulders to give him more range of movement.  And then I finally added the buckles, which I found at Tandy Leather.  That was a new thing for me, and it took a little finagling to figure out how to attach everything.

The Challenge: Alternative Universe

Fabric: Black cotton twill, black quilting cotton

Pattern:  Simplicity 4059

Year: Who knows...at this faire (not my home faire) most everyone is in Tudor/Elizabethan garb, but they have King James and Musketeers.  

Notions: Buckles

How historically accurate is it? It fits into this faire and this challenge perfectly, I'll say that. 

Hours to complete: Look!  A puppy!

First worn: This coming Saturday

Total cost: $40ish

And the result:

Yes, he wanted it that short.

The back

Close up of the buckles

The cuffs

Last-minute gussets

The jacket under his regular doublet

Very Alternative History

HSF14 Challenge #19 - HSF Inspiration

I must admit that I was really lost on this one.  I think there were just too many options, and I poured over the boards again and again wondering what I should do.  Plus time was still an issue, and I'd picked up a commission in the last week that needed my attention.  (Fortunately, it will serve well for Alternative History.)  But on another review of the Art Challenge, I remembered how much I'd liked the recreated jewelry by Debbie Mac Rory, seen here. I used to make jewelry all the time before sewing took over my life.  I thought it would be fun do make some again, plus I could make something to go with my big gown project.

I searched through pages of Edwardian and 1910's jewelry to find something I wanted to recreate. A lot of it was the sort I had neither the budget nor the tools to make.  But I really took to some of the multi-stranded styles.




With no decent beading stores nearby, I had to make do with what I found at Joann and Michaels.  I bought gold chain, spacers, jump rings, and some pretty gold pendants to assemble my necklace.

Those giant pearls weren't working for me though.  I popped them out with pliers.

It only had four rings on the back and I needed six, so I added spacers to the back to give me an extra ring.

This piece had an open lattice design, so I just looped the extra rings through it.

I couldn't find stones in the colors I wanted, so I created an enamel effect by painting the centers with gel nail polish and then finished with Modge Podge Dimensional effects.  I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, although when my gown is done, I will probably adjust the length, and possibly tweek the color a tiny bit.

The Challenge: HSF Inspiration

Fabric: None

Pattern:  None

Year: 1910's

Notions: Assorted jewelry findings

How historically accurate is it? The style looks right, but given that it was assemble with pieces from the local craft store, paints, and pliers, I can't really say much for the construction. 

Hours to complete: 3-4 hours because of the painting.

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: $20-25ish?

And the result:

Came out a touch more purple than I wanted, but I can live with it.

I think I need to make the "stone" a bit higher, like a cabochon.

HSF14 Challenge #18 - Poetry in Motion

Okay, so poetry has never been my thing.  I tend to like silly children's poems better than deep soulful poems.  But my plan for doing a dress themed after my favorite silly poem was scuttled when I learned that the poem must actually mention clothing specifically.  Well, shoot.  I found a poem about a golden gown that would work for the Edwardian gown I'm hoping to make this year, but that keeps getting pushed out.  I turned to song lyrics to see if I could find any clothing themed ones that would suit.  Pretty last minute, I found an Andrews Sister's song called "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)."  I overlooked it a couple of times, because I had no intention of making a zoot suit in a week.  But I finally read through it and found this verse:

I want a brown gown with a zop top
And a hip slip, and a laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man
(In his zoot suit)

I usually say I don't have a favorite color, but brown is definitely high up on my list.  A brown gown sounded just right.  I wasn't sure what a zop top and a laced waist entailed, but I needed to keep it simple, as I'm running behind again.  So I reached for the 1920's again, figuring a simple square-cut flapper dress wouldn't give me too much grief.  I hand drafted the top, choosing a high neck in front and a bit more of a dip in back.  I cut a basic skirt shape, just slightly a-line. Once I had it all together, I cut the hem into a diagonal, like this dress:

Although not before experimenting with a few different styles:

I used a silk/rayon burnout velvet in dark brown, with bits of peach and purple.  It sounds like an odd combination, but I quite like it.  I happened to have some poly faille in my stash that I used for the sash and drape.  I've always liked peach and brown together, and it really worked with the little peach hints in the fabric.

I serged all my edges on the dress, and then just turned them under and topstitched them down.  I did a double folded hem around the sash, and gathered one side to a piece of hem tape.  It just ties on at the moment, although I may add better closures later.

The Challenge: Poetry in Motion

Fabric: Brown Rayon/silk burnout velvet, peach poly faille.

Pattern:  None

Year: 1920's

Notions: None

How historically accurate is it? The pattern and most of the fabric is accurate, but it's all made on machine and partly serged.  

Hours to complete: Let's just assume I never know the answer to this.

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: $30


And the result:

Hopefully I can get some pictures of it on me soon, so I can show it off better.

HSF14 Challenge #17 - Yellow

I did not get very lucky with the color challenges this year.  Although very fond of black and white, my two least favorite colors in the world are pink and yellow (in that order).  But I am determined to complete all challenges this year.  Maybe.  Hopefully.  My initial plan was to make a 1912ish gown that I planned as gold, but I thought I could work in rich yellows.  Life has intervened more than once, and it got pushed to Poetry in Motion, then to All That Glitters.  I had planned to make a chemise to wear under the gown for Terminology, but ended up making a cloche hat instead.  Fortunately, my cotton voile was a shade of pale yellow, so I bumped it a challenge.

I have a fantastic reproduction of an Altman's 1915 catologue that I used for reference.  I didn't use a pattern, just a lot of eyeballing and trial and error.  I was planning to do an Envelope Chemise, but the mock-up looked a bit too much like a diaper.  So I extended the length and made a long chemise.  Due to illness and general grumpiness, I finished late and have no in-progress photos to share.  But I think it turned out well enough, and I don't despise the color.  It's a cotton voile I got for a steal at Fabric.com, but whoa is it sheer.  Gonna have to plan a pair of drawers if I ever want to wear the underwear on it's own.  I didn't get too historical on the lace, because I didn't think I had the time or resources to get the good stuff.  So I basically just picked what I liked at Joann.  The yellow grosgrain was a last minute substitute as it turned out my white grosgrain was too wide.  The entire garment is French seamed.

Inspiration pictures...plus a little help from Leimomi's pinterest

The Challenge: Yellow

Fabric: Yellow cotton voile

Pattern:  None

Year: 1915

Notions: White lace, white ribbon, yellow grosgrain

How historically accurate is it? The cotton voile is an appropriate fabric, and the construction techniques could all have been done that way.  The lace is probably less so.

Hours to complete: I couldn't even guess, I worked on this so intermittently.

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: $25

And the result:

Finished chemise

The front

The back

Lace trim

Paired with my 1914 corset

HSF14 Challenge #16 - Terminology

Boy, I went back and forth and back again on this challenge.  Initially, I was going to make a cloche.  Then I decided to make the cloche for $10 or less and to make a chemise in cotton voile and/or lawn for Terminology.  Then my cloche tanked badly during construction, so I scrapped the idea until later.  Then, with Dragoncon approaching, I decided I needed more time for my late Edwardian gown, and pushed it back a challenge.  The cotton chemise happened to be yellow as well, so it will be seen for challenge #17, and I was back to the cloche for Terminology!  Whew.

I had an old beaten up felt hat that was purchased so long ago I don't remember why I bought it or how much it cost.  I steamed it and shaped it and tried to beat it into submission, but no matter what I did, I wasn't happy with the shape.

Original hat - it's seen better days

Post steaming

None of my attempt thrilled me.

I pulled out a modern cloche that I bought from Target to show my Husband* to explain what was bothering me.  While not looking very period, the modern cloche had a nice shape and was better material.  The one I was trying to make wasn't fitting my head as nicely.  He asked my why I didn't just use the modern one.  I said I thought it would be cheating to just redecorate a modern hat, and I wasn't sure I was ready to cut it apart.  He asked me when was the last time I wore it.  Since I couldn't come up with an answer, I decided he was on to something.  So I set aside the old hat and started on the new one.  I pulled off the felt bow, opened the brim and found a plastic hat wire. I did not expect that.  I steamed it and reshaped it, and pinned the brim into a more period appropriate shape.  I tried a few different looks, and settled on a very short brim in back, a slightly longer front, and points on either side of the head.  I decorated the hat with some wide crocheted lace, a velvet ribbon, floofy feathers, and a rhinestone brooch.  Not gonna lie, it's mostly glued on, and I stitched the plastic wire back into the brim for shape.  I'm actually really happy with this hat.  It's a fun little cloche and I know it's something I'll wear around.

Original hat

Post steaming 

Shaped  and pinned

And stitched

With lace and velvet

Back 

Front

Fabulous feathers

The Challenge: Terminology

Fabric: None

Pattern:  None

Year: 1920something

Notions: Black wool felt hat, black crocheted lace, black velvet ribbon, black feathers, brooch

How historically accurate is it? Erm...in construction, not very.  But I think the look replicated the era rather well.  

Hours to complete: A few hours.  

First worn: Not yet.

Total cost: $20ish, although I can't remember how much the brooch cost

*Shout out to my wonderful Husband who knows nothing about costuming and isn't really interested, but will always listen to me rant or wax enthusiastic about it and offer support and opinions readily.

And the result:

And a little side project I built at the same time to take to Dragoncon:

The corset and the bracers are from my first Cap costume two years ago.  The only new bit is the hooded dress.