beforetheautomobile

Miss Dolton’s gown from 1871

This has been one of my dream gowns since I started sewing. I begun the project in 2014, but for reasons it was never finished and I never was able to pick it up again. Until now.

I decided to use the 1871 skirt pattern from Patterns of Fashion since I had had success with it before. The overskirt is simple in shape that I just draped it on myself from mockup fabric.

I used the skirt pattern as is, just adjusted the train length. I used duchess silk satin, and it’s unlined. I made a wide hem facing and used a velvet ribbon as a brush braid.

The overskirt is unlined as well.

While the skirt construction was quick and easy, the trimming was not. It’s several rows of silk organza that I pleated and sewed down with a bias strip of the dress fabric running down in the middle.

Next post is about the bodice.

Making of a green wool costume for 1899: the skirt

I visited Venice on February, and the event I most looked forward to attending was Carnevale Fin De Siècle 1890-1907 walk hosted by Rêverie. https://www.facebook.com/reverievents

I didn’t have a costume ready for that time period, so, as usual, I took too long to decide what style of outfit I should make, and ended up making a last minute costume for the trip.

I fell in love with a Vittorio Matteo Corcos painting of Jole Moschini Biagini, and designed a costume that would be very similar, but not an exact copy. The skirt in the portrait looks really lovely, but I wanted to make a mermaid style skirt with a little bit of train. So after I found a skirt pattern diagram with narrow hips and quite a bit of hem flair from one of the Patterns of Fashion books, I made a mock up and was pleased to find that it was the exact style I was looking for.

However, to get the shape just right, I had to make several fittings and changes to the mock-up and was about to despair. But the end result was worth it. Here’s the skirt with foundation skirt but not yet hemmed or having a waistband or closures:

video_536d5e67c0a740ec846abbf749eb4ebb

The skirt is unlined, but it has a silk taffeta foundation skirt of the same shape sewn into one waistband, so the foundation skirt is acting like a lining. Both the wool and the taffeta have wide facings made of plain cotton.

It has a habit style back closure with hooks and eyes.

Last new project of 2020: Late Victorian fencing outfit

I adore the outfit in this painting L’escrimeuse by Jean Beraud! It’s active wear but sexy. It’s long been on my mind.

And this year hasn’t been the most active for me when it comes to creative projects, so trying to take on any new big and complicated project at this moment would probably cause me to get overwhelmed and stuck. But this one looks like it would make a quick and simple project and I’m all about that right now.

My plan for this project is to make knee length silk trousers to go underneath, a cotton velvet skirt with red silk lining to wear on top and a white shirtwaist with black cotton velvet sleeves. And the belt of course. And I’m also going to try to make a Victorian style fencing mask to go with it.

Fresh start

Ever since I lost most of the photos on my first blog augustintytar.blogspot.com, I fell out of the habit of blogging about my sewing. I eventually slowly started to miss it, but looking at the old blog with all the broken content drained every bit of rekindled inspiration to actually start writing. So here we are, Before the Automobile 2.0.

I intend to post about my old projects here too, mixed in with the new.