Tag: Costumes

The King, Aged 7

On By kittycalashIn making things1 Comment

At least the King enjoyed 2nd Grade.

All this sewing nonsense started in earnest the year the Young Mr wanted to be Aragorn for Halloween.

You could argue about whether or not we should have allowed him to watch The Lord of the Rings at the tender age of 7, and perhaps we should not have. But we did, and it all fit within his obsessions with dragons and swords–fully developed by age 4–so when he wanted to be Aragorn, a trip to Lorraine Fabrics was in order.

The boots are rubber riding boots from the Salvation Army, and the sword came from the party supply house next to the craft store in Warwick. It’s the toothless sneer that gets me.

If I were to do this again, what would I change? Probably the cloak fabric and cloak design, but not much else: it’s a costume. Yes, those are stretch velvet leggings from the $2 a yard fabric loft at Lorraine’s, or else their remnant table. In the dark, who notices? They worked well for a kid who needed ease and speed in dressing.

The Young Mr wore this to play in until he outgrew it–and even a little beyond that. He still runs around with a sword if he thinks you’re not watching. Teen age cool cracks sometimes.

No more Halloween costumes, though. Last year he stayed home to hand out candy. When the little kids said, “Thank you,” Mr Cool replied, “No problem.”

Black Bonnet Miscellany

On By kittycalashIn Clothing, making things

Lot 102
AMERICAN OR ENGLISH SCHOOL LATE 18TH / EARLY 19TH CENTURY
LADY IN BLACK BONNET
In the original giltwood frames and glass, on original wood backing.
Pastel on paper
22 by 18 inches

The Sotheby’s Americana catalog arrived at work, and I had a pleasant walk browsing the sale lots as I walked from one building to another. This lovely lady is offered with her mate, a gentleman in a blue coat with brass buttons. They’re of a school of portraits made as the centuries turned, pastels rather than oils, less expensive and perhaps easier to drag about for an itinerant artist. She’s lovely, in her frothy white ruff, with that well-made bonnet. That’s a bonnet I’d like to try making…eventually.

For now, the most brilliant thing I can recommend is Hallie Larkin’s blog post on 18th century buttonholes. Needless to say, I have not been doing them right. Read, learn, and look forward to better buttonholes. Brilliant. Did I mention brilliant? The photos from Neal Hurst at B&T are especially helpful, and honestly, I am so glad I didn’t tackle the green coat’s buttonholes yet. Or a spencer. See? Value in procrastination, distraction, or whatever you want to call it. Better buttonholes…it’s like salvation!

More on the quilting process later, when I manage to download the photos I took of the stencil process, and when I take some of the sandwich and frame situation. And then there’s more documentation…along with a couple of meetings, mailing my mother’s birthday package, I forgot breakfast, and pitching the boiler repair to my boss–and finishing the new cap I started. And this is an easy day!

Fashion Plate Treasure Trove

On By kittycalashIn Clothing

The interwebs: evil bringer of spam and annoying chain emails, but also home to fantastic surprises like the Casey Fashion Plate Collection at the LA Public Library. I can sit in New England and browse thousands of images from 1780 to 1880, a virtual time warp J. Crew catalog of “I have to make that!” and “Color! Regency in Color!”

You can’t blow them up to the kind of size you’d want, but if you know clothing, the enlargements they allow are probably enough to get you where you need to go.

Now I have more ideas than I have time, but at least some will use up fabric I bought at the silk store in Pawtucket, and remnants from Wm. Booth Draper (I think I have enough wool/silk “stuff” for that blue spencer.)


Red. I love red. And that’s a lot of detail that holds up pretty well under zoom. Thank you, LA Public Library!

What I Learned at Dress U 2012

On By kittycalashIn Clothing, Events

Some of us who re-enact the lower sort had to go to a party like this:
But before that, I learned a lot.
The Basics

  1. I am a better seamstress than I think I am
  2. There are some classes I could teach
  3. I’m going to need another hip replacement
  4. I need to learn to have fun!

The most important statements are probably the first and the last; I do actually know what I’m doing, more or less, enough to know that I learned a few other important things.

The Fine Print

  1. My 1790-1810 stays need to be re-done completely; they’re too long.
  2. I need a new 1750-1770 short gown pattern
  3. My black bonnet rocks
  4. I want a shiny party dress
  5. O.M.G., I met Sharon Burnston!! She was fantastic and I so enjoyed both of her classes. I learned the most in both of them.

Those stays have been troublesome since I began, what with tossing out the very first pair I attempted, and the wriggling and riding up with wear of the second pair. It was in Jenny LaFleur’s Fitting Yourself class that I figured out (slow, I know) that I should put my pair next to Dana’s. Dana is long-waisted, I am  not. Dana’s stays and mine were the same length. Light dawned: If our stays are the same length, mine are too long.

Sigh. Starting over… Oh, well. New stays will fit without irritating me, I can get the cup right and the busk will stop trying to meet new people, and when they’re done, I can make lovely dresses that will fit and that I will not fuss with.

I could even make something like this, and have a real party dress for the next time I go away.