And then I turned it over and had a thought:
If this book is about Elizabeth of York and the late 15th Century, why was there a picture of Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo d'Medici of Florence, in the 16th Century? Surely someone would have noticed there was not only a century's difference, but also the fact that one person was Italian and the other was English?
Just for comparison - here is the original of Eleonora:
And here is Elizabeth of York:
I think that while Eleonora's gown is lovely, it probably would have been better to put a picture of the ACTUAL PERSON THE BOOK IS WRITTEN ABOUT on the cover.
Just a thought.
We are very excited that this will fix Layla's problems, and the kids are very excited to feed her bacon one day. Heh. Thanks again to everyone who participated in what was Project Tudor, but was really more Project Layla. My entire family appreciates it.
(Layla, after her haircut, looking more like a Cockapoo than a Welsh Terrier.)
I will update more after her surgery.
On a cart near the front door was a whole bunch of sale books. Sitting right on top was "Fashion, The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute." For $19.98.
I know that this book used to run MUCH higher than that, and with my BN member card the book was only $17.98. Online right now you can purchase it for that amount if you are a member, but you will have to pay shipping. (Apparently a new edition is coming out, and they are clearancing out this one - so get it while you can!) Either way, it was a great find, and I am REALLY excited to spend an evening or two leafing through it.
And if everything works out well, I will get to go SEE the Kyoto Costume Institute in another year. Visit my brother, sister-in-law and The Prince, check out the fabric district in Tokyo and then take the train to Kyoto. How awesome would that be???
For example, I do not like making wedding dresses. Not at all. Particularly modern ones, as I have some sort of aversion to putting in zippers. I can do it, but I don't like it. And yet while I may dislike making wedding dresses, I have never had a problem with the brides. They have always been really great people. I have been terribly fortunate in this. Maybe because the vast majority of brides were second wedding brides, or later in life, etc., but they have been far more laid back and relaxed than other clients I have had. (And I worked the Bridal Registry dept. at the local dept. store while in college, so I have seen my share of "Bridezillas.")
Why don't I like making wedding dresses? Well, first of all, they tend to be in colors that just seem to attract things like smears of whatever, blood, etc. that then show up so brightly on them. Secondly, I feel so concerned that I make the dress as perfect as possible for what is going to be their very special day that it takes a lot of the fun out of making the dress for me. Stressing over it does not equal fun.
Because of these admittedly personal issues of mine, I tend to not take on wedding dresses as a whole. I have a handful of friends who have told me that I am making their wedding dresses when they get married some day, and for them I am willing to grit my teeth and deal with the zippers. And recently one of them called in her IOU and is getting married in 2010. I am so terribly thrilled for her, and excited about making the dress, but once again nervous about making it as perfect as possible. Another new client wants a fantasy/historical wedding dress and as soon as she said "grommets" I relaxed. (I really do need to do something about this zipper aversion.) So I went from OH HELL NO to OK in less than a week. To TWO dresses.
And then two friends came to me separately and said they wanted to take their old wedding dresses and repurpose them. What could be done? Neither of the dresses really fits their wearer anymore, but they were both made of beautiful silk and had YARDS and YARDS of it.
Now this is something I love to do. Take something and remake it into something even more fabulous. So we are going to take a Jessica McClintock dress from 1995 and turn it into a Victorian ballgown (it already has beautiful cutwork leg of mutton sleeves on it). It is going to be dyed (by the lovely Sassy Art Goddess) from cream to burgundy, and will have a full crinoline or bustle type undergarment under it. The other wedding dress is still under discussion, but the owner is particularly enraptured with the Elizabethan time period and I think between her 12 foot long train and the fabric from the gown itself we can make something happen. Plus, it is silk duchesse satin. I just want to make pillowcases out of it and snuggle up to it everynight. SO soft.
So professionally my whole focus has changed. Tudors? SO yesterday. Wedding dresses? You betcha. My sewing room is awash in light colored fabrics/dresses that kind of make me twitch a little. But far less than the last month of the Six Wives Project where the room was filled with white cotton and jewel toned velvets. A little variety is a good thing.
I also had a bit of an epiphany a couple of weeks ago in regards to costuming in general. I went to Costume College in August mainly to take classes in historical costuming. I knew I needed to learn more about German for Anne of Cleves, I needed hat classes for the Gable and French hoods, and I really wanted to learn more about 18th century French simply because the dresses in the Marie Antoinette movie were so delicious looking. And I enjoyed the classes, and learned a lot. And while I was there I wandered into a class called "Steampunk 101." I had heard of Steampunk and briefly read a bit about it, and my buddy www.thecheapchick.com was such a fan that I decided to check it out. And I LOVED it. Not because of the gadgets, or the modding of weapons, or any one thing in particular. I loved it because THERE WERE NO RULES. Anything goes in Steampunk, while still maintaining a historical flair.
Once I had finished up Project Tudor the first weekend in October and was taking a costuming and mental health break from that entire stressful, time-consuming, yet fun adventure, I started to make a list of costumes I needed for next year. For Costume Con, for Costume College, for the various Ren Fests, for the Day of Wrong, etc. For the new Victorian activities I was looking at doing. And for the Steampunk stuff. And I was a little surprised at how few of my outfits were historically accurate. Especially since I had been living and breathing Tudor Portrait Reproductions for 18 months.
And then I decided to make another Italian outfit for Midwinter Feast and found a portrait in Moda a Firenze that I wanted to recreate for it. (Luckily it only goes to roughly her armpit, so it is VASTLY open to interpretation). And then, while working on it, I had my epiphany: I wasn't a historical costumer. Certainly not a historically accurate one. Sure, I like to have things look "period appropriate" when in certain settings, but underneath? If velcro, snaps, etc. make the outfit fit better, go together faster and easier, etc., who cares? Does it matter if no one else knows? Does it matter if they do?
I realized it really did not matter to me. What mattered to me was trying new things, making outfits that flattered the wearer, and feeling/looking pretty and HAVING FUN. If I felt pretty in the outfit, who cared what everyone else thought. I wasn't out trying to win awards for historical accuracy. There are a great many other people who are exceptionally good at that (see the Eugenie Project from Costume Con a year ago for an excellent example of historical accuracy) and I don't really want to compete with them. Costuming for me really isn't about (historically accurate) competition, and it isn't about doing something a specific way. It is about dressing up and having fun. Yes, I started out trying to do historically accurate costuming and I tried to do this by learning from the best out there. By reading dress diaries and blogs and going to the best school for Costumers and taking classes. But when I realized a couple of weeks ago that I was having more fun planning my "twisted historical" for Day of Wrong than I was making my Italian Portrait Recreation, I knew I had to change my way of thinking about my costuming perspective and my costuming focus. That tag they gave me at Costume College that said "Multi-faceted Costumer?" Yeah, I should have really paid attention to that. I mean, I am SO excited about recreating the Salome outfit from the German portrait of her, but you know what is the coolest part of that outfit? THE HEAD. The severed head. Which kind of makes a bit of a statement about the outfit, I think. And about my costuming priorities.
Once I realized this about myself it made a huge difference in my perception of my business, and what sorts of things I wanted to devote my time to next year. For 2010 I fully anticipate making (and wearing!) some beautiful historically inspired things. But I am also going to wear Neo-Victorian outfits with GEARS on them. I am going to wear an outfit with a HEAD attached to it. I am excited to go to Costume Con and dress up as a spy, and then go to Costume College and take classes on Victorian clothing and accessories and hat-making and STEAMPUNK, and maybe even a few Renaissance classes with an 18th century class tossed in there for something a little different. And I have something really fun planned for the Costume College Gala. It involves a LOT of leather. And the lovely Suzette from San Francisco and Glynnis from DC and The Cheap Chick and I are working on our Twisted Historicals for the Historical Masquerade at Costume Con in Milwaukee (Midwest, Represent!).
This realization/epiphany/whatever couldn't have come at a better time for me. I was feeling burned out and uninterested in costuming and pretty darned sick and tired of Tudor, to be perfectly honest. Now I am excited, inspired, impassioned and I feel like I have found my niche. And as hard as 2009 was (starting out the year with heart surgery is never the way you want to begin the year), 2010 looks like it is going to be AMAZING. I have happy brides, modded Steampunkers, Victorian ladies and Renaissance Princesses to dress. What could be better?
Joann's (How Do I Love Thee?) was having a sale, and they had some lovely grey silk twill and some black beaded lace that really looked lovely together. Apparently a large majority of special order items are no longer being carried, and what they had in the warehouse was sent to the stores for clearance. At EXCEPTIONALLY good prices. These are going to wind up being my Edwardian costume (complete with big ole decorated hat) for the Twelfth Night Ball in January with the VSA. I'm not quite ready for full-on bustles yet, I don't think.
I got my Catherine of Aragon ermine sleeves tutorial prepped, so that should be up soon. It is REALLY easy, folks, and looks passable.
I found a really nice floral beaded trim at SR Harris, our huge fabric warehouse here that matches the green boucle for my winter coat. The weather had been really cold and had even snowed already, and then suddenly it started to get up into the 60's here. No complaining on this end, mind you. I hate cold weather. But it is delaying my push to make the coat. Luckily I found a nice grey wool coat at the thrift store for $12.00 that after it was dry cleaned (for $15.00! How crazy is that?) looks beautiful with my Nagel pewter pin from Bristol. Enough to keep me warm till the green coat is complete.
Marti Potter's Elizabethan is coming along. I have been working on the sleeves and was trying to decide on whether or not to fray check the slashes or not, but ultimately settled on not fray checking them, and slashing them on the bias. Everything I have read has said this is the best way to do it, and with the limited use this dress will see, I think this should be fine. The color is so stunning, though.
I finished my plans for my Steampunk costumes for the murder mystery night for next week and the Yule Ball in December. I found some amazing boots by Mudd at Opitz Outlet for $15.00 that are very Steampunk looking. I'm going to post most of the Steampunk stuff in another post for Steamfashion, so not much else to talk about where that is concerned.
The green Italian doublet has the matching cording now, but I am still looking for the crystal beads that are on it. I am also not sure how the hair style is put together. I will have to spend more time on Bella's site checking out prior showcases and see if I can get any ideas or inspiration. (Check out this month, too - a double showcase with two different yet really wonderful outfits.)
Still no news on Layla's surgery. It is getting a little bit frustrating, as I had anticipated she would be having surgery this week or next, and we still know nothing. She has had some increased motor function issues, and falls down the steps and off of things. Her heart is willing, but her muscle tone is just not there. We have increased her meds and hope this will help. She really misses being able to play in the leaves with Roxie for long periods of time. (Who is, incidentally, insane. Now I know where the "Welsh Terror" quote comes from.)
It is not possible to get an unblurry picture. ALL of the leaves must be destroyed, as soon as possible. It would seem.
I should have actual pictures of actual garments tomorrow. Yay! Real work! Santa's bench looked great, and the new trim on his coat was a far better looking version than the old one. Go big or stay home, that is his motto. I just love him.
I have this huge list of To Do items and a spreadsheet for 2010 as well as the remnants of my spreadsheet for 2009, but I am just not motivated to do much of anything. I am working on Santa's Father Christmas coat and his "Sit on my Lap" bench cover, but otherwise nada.
I had planned to :
1. Talk about how I made the ermine sleeves on Catherine of Aragon (not too hard, folks)
2. Start my green wool boucle winter coat (lined, because wool and my skin do not get along)
3. Work on finishing the QE1 costume for Marti Potter - lots of slashes and ruffs happening
4. Finish getting some designs digitized so I can do more leather applique, this time Steampunk style
5. FInish planning my Steampunk outfits for the Yule Ball and the Mystery Night
6. Commit to a design (and sew it) for the Victorian Twelfth Night Ball for the VSA, since I missed the Danse Macabre. (I thought it was going to be far more formal than it turned out to be. )
7. Not to mention the already cut out items that could be sewed and put on Etsy...
8. Work on my green Italian outfit for the Midwinter Feast. Put together a new corset. Get realistic about what fits.
Sigh. And we have dog surgery coming up in two weeks, provided that the MI surgeon decides that she is a good candidate for it, based on her MRI results (and that pesky bent vena cava). It would be so awful to have gone through all of this and find out she can't have the surgery. I am just not ready to face up to that idea yet.
Hopefully tomorrow will be nicer (and warmer!) and I will get something accomplished and posted on LJ. At least I need to get the winter coat done, because winter has come to MN early this year. Even more of an encouragement to move out to CA once the kids graduate from school (5 more years!).
Hmm. Off to sew something and improve my mood.
I went into the Six Wives project trying to find a fun group project for the Wench Posse and also to challenge myself to do something BIG. Who knew it would turn into something even bigger in terms of the generosity of people I have spoken to all over the world?
Kathryn Parr is going to Australia. Lady Jane Grey went to CA. Others went to Florida, Texas, and the East Coast. Queen Mary Tudor went to a Wench Posse member who was unable to participate on the day of the Six Wives. And I am slowly finishing the Queen Elizabeth costume for the lovely Marti Potter who is completely recovered from her H1N1.
I am just so honestly grateful for the people who spread the word on forums, blogs, bulletin boards, Facebook, My Space, eBay, Etsy, etc. It is a huge weight off of us financially to know that the vet costs are covered, and that maybe we really can Save a Puppy.
We are waiting to hear back from the surgeon who is to do the surgery to tell us if he has the proper size coils that get put in the shunt to close it off (or has to order them), and if Layla is still considered a good surgical candidate based on the vena cava issue she has. We are crossing our fingers, as it would be heart-breaking to everyone involved to come this far only to not be able to have the surgery.
Again, I am so overwhelmed at the generosity I have seen displayed towards myself and my family. Costuming people really are the best people in the world. Thank you so very much for all of your help.
I have moved all but Katherine Parr's dress over to eBay to see if I can get a better response since the surgery is less than a month away. Go here if you want to make an offer: http://shop.ebay.com/theaccidentalseamst
Buy a dress, save a puppy!
Layla and the rest of us thank you!
( Read more of the insanity here... )
So check back around Oct. 1st and things should be happening around here.
Thanks for your patience!
Had a great time at Fest today in my Camo Elizabethan again. Third outing for that outfit, and somewhat of a record. I have only ever worn my Red pirate outfit multiple times - everything else in my closet is always a once-off and then sold somewhere and never to be worn by me again. Pirate Carol got permission from the lovely George to wear her Mardi Gras, and so it only seemed natural to wear my Camo, especially considering there wasn't much else in the closet... (note to self - make costumes for ME over the winter so I'm not having a Lady Godiva moment every weekend in August and September) But we had a blast, and people loved the outfit again. I still feel very much not the kind of personality to wear something that Out There in public, but its good for me - its good to get out of your shell sometimes. And that outfit certainly helps!
I've been particularly busy the last several weeks gearing up for October 3rd, and the Six Wives. Many people have asked me: "So have you finished any of the outfits yet?" And this is kind of a hard question to answer.
All of the undergarments are done. All of the bodices and skirts have been cut out. All of the underskirts are done. All of the corsets are done. The jewelry is complete. Henry is done except for a hat, Katherine Parr is done except for some rivits and beads, and Anne of Cleves needs some pearling and a hat. Its kind of an assembly line process rather than one at a time. And Tudor outfits (to me anyway) are not as complicated. No farthingale, no 45 yards of trim, no excessive beading ALL OVER, etc. They seem to be coming along pretty fast.
However, no woman is an island, and this wouldn't be possible without the help of my village, the Wench Posse. They have been instrumental in making certain that I have help, in cutting things, in sewing some things, in putting together jewelry, etc. That is why I call myself the Project Manager of this. While I have done the majority of the sewing, (The Cheap Chick having done the vast majority of the corset making and the cutting, God Bless her) everyone has chipped in to help in some way. Two people helped to assemble the jewelry. Another actually MADE the brooch that Jane Seymour wears, as well as fixing some jewelry errors on my part, and painting shoes for Henry. Another sewed more than her fair share of farthingales and partletts, and yet another made Henry's tights (no mean feat in scaling up small tights to fit a 6'7 man) and some other partletts. People have brought treats, made DQ runs, cut out cloaks, hand-stitched things, ironed, etc.
It might have started as my vision, with my sourcing the materials, finding the people, arranging the spreadsheet, etc., but it has turned into a group project of vast proportions. And there is no way it would be happening this coming Saturday if it wasn't for all of these wonderful people.
My family has also been amazingly helpful. Miss S glued literally hundreds of stones onto settings for the jewelry. Miss G is going to be a lady-in-waiting (i.e. slave) on Oct. 3rd, and even recruited some of her friends. And my wonderful husband has fed the hoards who have come over to help, and has kept me in a steady supply of Junior Mints. He has worn earplugs to block out the sound of the serger, and has pretended to show enthusiasm for something that really isn't his thing (just as I feign enthusiasm for poker - it works for us). He is supportive of me because he knows this is something I love.
So to my family and friends, I want to say thank you for all of the help you have given me. I couldn't do half of what I do without you.
And in October? I will be reading. Maybe watching TV. Hanging with some puppies. But likely taking a wee break from the sewing machine.... A massage sounds pretty good right about now...
Well, the frock coat is done. I really hated the pattern (Simplicity Captain Jack one) and because Marcus has generous shoulders and a narrow waist it changed the proportions somewhat and was challenging.
I used braided rope for the button holes and liked it tremendously in terms of texture and design. He wanted the plain buckles all down the front, although we are planning for something decorative around his neck at some point. He was trying to base this off of the coat Patrick Dempsey wore in "Enchanted" at the ball. It is also a much darker blue, but my flash was being off today.
Also finished the cobalt blue velvet Princess dress with "The Tudors" trim. And the huge scalloped sleeves. She was too excited to put her chemise/shift on first before modeling it. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out, as it is what she wanted, and this is for a theatrical Ren Fest. It was hard to take a good picture of the dress as she kept jumping up and down. It was pretty adorable.
That trim was a bitch-kitty to sew (the technical term being bitch-kitty). Yet tremendeously resilient for all of the beading it had on it. Everything the Princess wears needs a guard on the bottom because MN Ren Faire is so horribly dusty that you wind up replacing your guard almost every year. Also, she wanted long sleeves for more formal occasions and shorter hanging style sleeves for everyday.
She also made the jeweled girdle she is wearing. She found a chain of office at the thrift store (for $5.99!!) and removed the old jewels, spray painted it silver, and glued on pearl cabs. Then she attached it to a rhinestone brooch she had (she has a thing for rhinestones) and a chain with a large silver pendant on the end with a pearl drop. Which, I believe, is made by Avon and was also from the thrift store. She turned the leftover pieces into the necklace.
In our spare time this weekend our small family went to the State Fair (on opening day, YIKES) and several members ate their body weight in corn and cheese curds and bought cowboy hats:
This evening I worked on my leather bodice that I am wearing to the MN Ren Faire this weekend for Highland Weekend. I know this is not even remotely period appropriate, but at this point I don't really care. It is fun, our faire is known for being theatrical, and I need a break from Tudor stuff....
So tonight I appliqued red leather from an old leather coat (thrift store) onto a piece of black leather for the front of the bodice (from an old leather skirt, also the thrift store) and did a little embroidery along the outer edge with the machine, and VOILA! A rampant lion:
I fray-checked the living hell out of all of it, and used copious amounts of Sewer's Aid on the needle since I spray-basted the black leather into the hoop rather than hooping it and leaving a permanent mark. I am going to do Tudor Roses next, in three different colors of leather. Hopefully my machine can take it. (For another project, not along with this one...)
More Six Wives craziness tomorrow and a gathering of the Wench Posse on Saturday, and pictures from Highland Fest on Sunday. It just feels like Party Central around here.
I also have a possibly brilliant, possibly insane idea for my Costume College outfit for next year. It involves lots of leather....
Ok, not the real thing. But in recreating the portrait of Katherine of Aragon, I need fake ermine fur. And I can't find it anywhere.
I can find cheetah, cow, dalmation, etc., but nothing resembling ermine.
At this point it is going to be me, some faux white fur and a sharpie..... (I do have another way of doing it maybe...)
Anyone?
The French dress is done.
This started out as the dress that was supposed to come to Costume College with me and be my tea dress. Then everything got delayed due to actual work sewing, and it flew to CA, got partially constructed, and flew back home with me. Where it sat, in the corner, waiting.
I got it out of the bag two days ago and decided to just finish it already so I could get rid of it and sell it and make space in my sewing room. Because when am I ever going to be able to wear a French gown around here? (Note to self, talk to TC Costumers Guild...)
Because I was still thinking Elizabethan when I attached the skirt, I sewed it on so that it comes all the way to the front edge, instead of back several inches on each side. SIGH. I am going to do some sort of decorative stitched attachment and configure it so it LOOKS as though it is sewn farther back.
However the polonaise came out lovely, the back point and seams were beautiful, and the flat front was easy to draft from the princess seam bodice I started with. Janet Arnold had a dress in her Patterns of Fashion with a very similar back. I had no experience with pleated backs, so I decided to go with this design.
Stephanie was a great model, and although we tried our darndest to get her hair into a hedgehog-esque design, it just doesn't like to curl. So we back-combed it as much as we could without loosing the little curl she had, and called it a day.
We used the paper parasol because it was hotter than hell and Steph needed a little bit of shading from the sun.
My cute new shoes that are going to go with my Steampunk costume, and a close-up of the underskirt pinked trim, and the very elaborate fluff I sewed on the outergown. I put the heavy black trim on over the ruched taffeta because I was feeling rather "Go Big or Stay Home."
I tried to get some good shots of the back of the skirt and the polonaise, but my camera kept telling me I needed new batteries after I had put new ones in. GAH.
We tried taking pictures over at the big cemetery near Lake Harriet (where Wellstone and Hubert Humphrey and every other big MN politician is buried) but got kicked out! Next time we are going to have to find some out of the way graveyard in a tiny podunk MN town. Luckily we got some good shots at the Rose Gardens.
Steph had just gotten back from several months in New Orleans and was fairly peeved. "They wouldn't kick you out of a cemetery in New Orleans!" she commented. I agreed that it was the uptight Scandinavian Minnesotans who had personal issues about their dead. I wasn't planning on having anyone's names on their gravestones in the pictures, would have been very respectful, etc. It is not like I was planning on having her straddle the gravestone for Pete's Sakes.... Sheesh.
Either way I am happy with the results of my first French outfit, flaws and all. And Stephanie felt beautiful in it, and I think she looked great. And the necklace Ashley made me from old bracelets, findings from Joann's and pearl drops from a vintage necklace looked stunning and finally got to see the light of day.
Now I can get back to work on the Six Wives....
So I have decided to turn lemons into lemonade and am declaring it a spiral lacing bodice, and this is why the eyelets are off. So there you go.
All of the eyelets have been fray checked, and need to be punched open this afternoon. Since most of the garments I make for sale are for people who just want to spend a day at Faire, or dress up for Halloween, or whatever, I typically do not use only the appropriate fabrics, construction methods, etc. I make them to be sturdy, festive, theatrical and easily cared for. And while I might not like shiny, some people do. (Although I generally draw the line at fake satin.) The Elizabethan I just finished is VERY shiny. It is a double-sided taffeta that when washed drapes like silk. It is flashy and the court at our faire loves flashy. Hopefuly it will find a good home.
I am starting work on my Elizabethan for the Six Wives project this weekend from Margo's patterns so as to hopefully complete it before the Iron Dress competition is over, and so I will have something to wear out at Faire. Because currently I own a very dingy old wench costume, a Camo costume, some chemises, a few pairs of bloomers, one farthingale, a red pirate-like bodice, a noble hat from La Paloma and one spectacular leather pirate hat with LOTS of feathers. None of which really amounts to one single cohesive outfit. (Except the Camo, and that really only has its place at the Day of Wrong.) Here is to hoping I don't go as Lady Godiva this year at Faire.
My plans for myself this year (in addition to the Six Wives stuff) are:
1. Flemish (have the hat and fabric)
2. German (outfit is cut out) in blue, pink and black
3. Elizabethan noble
4. Elizabethan middle class
5. New Venetian
6. Better looking Wench Wear
7. Scottish (?)
8. Basic Italian
9. Pirate skirts
10. A leather bodice (just because I want one).
It remains to be seen if any of this will get accomplished in light of everything else that is happening..... I think that list might get slashed in half at this point. Repeat to self - "You can wear the same thing twice to Ren Faire...."
I went over my "To Do" spreadsheet for the rest of Fest (which actually starts this coming weekend) and discovered that I may need to cut a Queen to fit everyone in in enough time. I also need a lot more black cotton....
And then I made a second spreadsheet as a project planner to keep track of what is and is not done and HOLY CRAP there are a lot of things to finish prior to Oct. 3rd.
To do this week:
1. Princess A's blue velvet with "The Tudors" outrageously expensive trim on it, by Friday
2. Mr. Baysinger's frock coat, by Friday, if I ever find piping for it....
3. Several outfits that are to make their appearance on eBay and continue to fund the Six Wives adventure.
4. Marti Potter's Elizabethan that is THIS close to being done.
5. Order more hoop steel from Greenberg & Hammer, and buy more black cotton from Joann's.
As for the Six Wives, so far these are the outfits to complete by Oct. 3rd:
1. Henry VIII (dur)
2. Katherine of Aragon
3. Anne Boleyn
4. Jane Seymour
5. Anne of Cleves
6. Kathryn Howard
7. Catherine Parr
8. Lady Jane Grey
9. Mary Queen of Scots
10. Queen Mary
11. Queen Elizabeth I
I also have 3-4 ladies in waiting, including an outfit for me as official seamstress. (Incidentally, I am using various spellings of Katherine here as none of the Queens with that name all spelled their name the same, and often changed it up. By using separate spellings it also makes it easier for me to remember which one I am talking about. Especially with all those Annes and Janes in there as well...)
Jewelry for all is very nearly completely done. Chemises, farthingales (where needed) and corsets are almost complete. Front panels for underskirts are all cut and muslins for bodices have almost all been fitted.
Because I am recreating portraits and not going for strictly historically accurate sewing here (visual recreation only), there are no boned kirtles, but instead corsets and underskirts (also for cost savings in terms of fabric, etc.). The portion of the kirtle neckline that is seen with beading/pearling is instead a separate piece that is attached to the neckline of the gown (since there is no undergown) and the front placket. All gowns lace in front, and are covered with a placket. I have re-drafted the pattern I was using for the front closure. I was a stickler on that area. Couldn't have them closing down a back seam...
I have a lead on Jane Seymour's cuff embroidery, and have now had my hat class, so I am feeling better about what is to come in terms of completion. It helps tremendously that I am at home all day and can use that time to work.
So, to recap - crazy insane sewing prior to Oct. 3rd. Drinking large quantities of Yo-Ho-Ho's on Oct. 4th (The Yo-Ho-Ho is the drink of choice for the Wench Posse. It is limeade and coconut rum. Yum.). Napping on Oct. 5th.....
And I have already informed the kids that Halloween costumes will either be modified thrift store finds or they can wear their nobles. Or, you know, they could make their own. They have the tools, they have the capabilities....
Pictures up soon. I may start with Henry's shoes first.
(If anyone is just now joining the Wench Posse's Six Wives/Project Tudor party, the prior postings can be found here: http://akachestylarue.typepad.com/aka_ch
(Wench Posse specific postings can be found here: http://akachestylarue.typepad.com/aka_ch
Moving on....
I found it interesting at CoCo that I was given a tag reading "Multi-Faceted Costumer." The Renaissance work I do for the most part qualifies under historical, and one could even argue that Highland Dancewear is also historically based costuming. However, Irish dance costumes using stabilized mirrorball fabric could never be considered historical. Certainly not with the craft board to maintain the "Christmas tree" shape and the huge wigs and beauty queen make-up. (Although blessedly like most things, trends pass in Irish dancewear as well and soft skirts and soft hair and make-up are making a return. Hooray!)
The one area in which the ladies behind the counter who were to give me my ribbon defining my areas as a costumer and I were uncertain on was Santa Claus. And I make a lot of Santa-wear.
I never really intended to be Costumer to Santa Claus. If you had asked me as a little girl this would have not been one of my future plans. But one listing on Craigslist later and suddenly my Facebook is filled with friends, family and Santas.
My first Santa was Santa Carlucci. (A girl always remembers her first Santa). This is him, wearing his Saint Nicholas costume that I made for him:
I am insanely proud of that mitre hat (built on a baseball cap frame with plastic canvas and terry cloth) as it was a pain to get the proportions right. Who knew I would ever use algebra again?
I learned many things costuming for Santas. They have a beard registry for Real Bearded Santas. They have a bulletin board where they can discuss with each other how to get stains out of their clothing, where to buy the best boots and which gigs are better than others. They also have a yearly convention. And, as Santa Carlucci told me, "We're really all the same shape when you get right down to it."
I have ceased to be surprised by the requests from these guys. Coats that weigh 25 lbs. and are covered with hand-stitched fur and embroidery? Coca-Cola outfits? Ren Fair Father Christmas robes in period appropriate fabric? Zoot suits?
The zoot suit was a new one. Apparently the Zoot Suit Santa is a snazzy guy. With lots of appliques. Because in Santa-ville it is Go Big or Stay Home. Jeweled and beaded appliques are de rigeur. SHINY. About as far from Renaissance as you can get.
I have written blog posts before about being friends with Santas. About the women who will throw themselves at Santa saying, "Can I sit on your lap? I think I've been naughty this year." About how being Santa really is a full-time occupation and includes having an agent and doing extensive advertising and promoting. And next year there will be the addition of Sexy Elves/Snow Princesses. Truthfully? I'm a little afraid. I see a lot of furry little Lolita dresses in my future. (And who knew being a Sexy Elf paid so well?)
But it is great fun being a costumer for Santa. It has given me a lot of street cred with my kids and with other people's kids. Because I actually have Santa's phone number, e-mail address and business card. And no matter what, you just can't be crabby around Santa.
It has forever changed my viewing of the Macy's Day Parade and others like it - you have to check out what the other guy is wearing and keep up with what is popular. For instance, harnesses with bells are very hot this year. Who knew?
So being a Multi-Faceted Costumer is just fine with me. My life is never boring, and while things might not always be historically accurate around here (ahem* mirrorball fabric * ahem), they sure are fun.
New post up with pictures of our group attending the Bristol Ren Faire Day of Wrong in our themed Elizabethans: www.akachestylarue.typepad.com.
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