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Architecture and Dress

5/31/2018

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The other day while reading Barchester Towers, I came across this characterization of Mrs. Stanhope, the indolent wife of an absentee clergyman:
The structure of her attire was always elaborate and yet never over-laboured.  She was rich in apparel but not bedizened with finery; her ornaments were costly, rare, and such as could not fail to attract notice, but they did not look as though worn with that purpose.  She well knew the great architectural secret of decorating her constructions, and never descended to construct a decoration.  But when we have said that Mrs. Stanhope knew how to dress and used her knowledge daily, we have said all. Other purpose in life she had none.
―  Anthony Trollope.  Barchester Towers, Chapter 9. 
Ouch!  A fit match for a husband who takes his job so seriously that he delegates it to a lesser-ranking clergyman and spends his life abroad, collecting butterflies and a salary for the work he's not doing!  But the part of the quote that intrigued me was the bit about the "great architectural secret", which sounded like a quote. 

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1919 Dress - Construction begins...

5/28/2018

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Not pictured: the cotton interlining
Here are the materials I've gathered for the making of my friend's 1919 dress.  In the top row, from left to right, we have the sheer white fabric, the blue dress fabric, the lining fabric, some flesh-colored lightweight knit (lingerie fabric), the pattern pieces and a scrap of lace.  The bottom row is the lace from my friend's mom's wedding dress.  All my stash fabrics are pre-washed, so there's never anything between me and sudden sewing inspiration. 

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Royal Wedding 2018

5/24/2018

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As you may recall from my post about ball gowns, I was looking forward to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, mostly for the clothes!  I said then of Ms. Markle's dress that I hoped I would "either love of hate it.  The worst would be boring."  As the date neared, I remembered that Royal weddings in England are generally an excuse for fantastic hats and fascinators, and I got excited about those, too. 
 
So the day came, and I gussied myself up with fantastic fifties hat and floral dress, and co-hosted a tea party for other Anglo-philes!  We shared the savory course at the table, then loaded up our tea-plates and moved to the TV to watch the recording! 

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New Lunch Bag

5/22/2018

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My old lunch bag made of oilcloth (a kind of lightweight vinyl) served me well for about a year, but even good things must come to an end!  In this case, oil from my hands disintegrated the vinyl grips, while occasional heavy lunches took out the bottom corners.  So I came home from work one day, shook my head, and pulled it apart to make a new one! 
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Sad state of handles
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I've un-sewed the bottom, but you can still see the worn corners

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A Lined Scarf

5/17/2018

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Last year, I shortened an orange floral skirt for a friend, leaving me with the bottom of it in my stash.  Now that I'm determined to clear out my stash, I pair the skirt bottom with a bit of orange charmeuse, and make a lined scarf!  It's really simple; I'll show you. 

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Simplicity 2758 - Sewing from a Pattern

5/14/2018

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For two reasons, I'd like to document a basic, sew from a pattern project.  First, because I haven't shown the whole process here before, and someone might be interested.  Second, I am trying to keep better track of my time as I work. 

Since I've recently started a new job with a dress code requiring sleeves, I shall make myself some long-sleeved shirts! 
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This time, the fabric on the left.

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1919 Dress - draping inspiration

5/10/2018

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An upcoming murder-mystery dinner, set in the year 1919, offers me an opportunity to pursue several desirable ends, viz. to dress my friend, to use up some stash, and to practice draping! 

Dressing my friend is like dressing my sister... when I care about someone, I want to dress them!  I think of Proverbs 31: 21: "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."  "Scarlet" is not a reference to color in this verse, but to the fine woolen cloth called scarlet in the Middle Ages, which was often dyed scarlet in color, but not necessarily.  So the Proverbs 31 woman isn't just dressing her family in red, she's dressing her family warmly as a sign of her love and a product of her industry.  Wrapping people in nice clothes is such a potent signifier, isn't it? 

Of course, if I can also use up some of my stash and reclaim my room, all the better!  And I do need practice draping clothes on a dress form. 



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A New Petticoat

5/7/2018

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One day I looked at my undergarments and said to myself, "Self," says I, "I need a new petticoat...!"  

I have several serviceable slips, one crinoline, and a vintage nylon petticoat, already.  The vintage one is a joy to wear, a soft apricot color with a delightful froth of ruffles around my knees, but it's also torn and mended in many places, and is too long for a lot of my skirts.  (Luckily, I know how to make it work.)  The crinoline does its job, but without the lovely ruffles and softness I like.  What's needed is something like the vintage one, but shorter, to wear with my shorter skirts.  And I do have a stash that needs busting! 

So I dig around in my whites and pull out some white sheer curtain fabric, white lace from a wedding gown skirt, and white nylon tricot from an old nightgown. 
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Crazy Jellyfish Hem!

5/3/2018

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Today a simple alteration that introduced me to a new, and not entirely sensible way to finish a skirt. 

As you can see from the tag, this is a skirt designed for bridal wear, and indeed, the owner is a bridesmaid.  Like all bridesmaid/wedding gowns, this skirt is too long on purpose, so that even the tallest women can wear it, but this means most women will need to have it shortened. 

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    Karen Roy

    Quilting, dressmaking, and history plied with the needle...

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