Note: "The Ledge of Doom" because after the dance at about midnight JB said we should do something crazy to end the night, so I suggested we roll down the hill by the library (which is quite long and steep, ending in a sharp drop over a ledge). So we rolled down the hill, and when we reached the bottom we discovered that MPT had rolled right over this ledge (at full rolling speed too!). He didn't know it was there. We think that he survived with only a few bruises because he was so disoriented and dizzy that he didn't try to brace himself for it; he just flopped on the sidewalk, his head landing on his arm. It was hilarious.

Virginia City day 2

The second day we were joined by some friends, and some very hot weather that added to the realism of wearing ten yards of fabric and a corset.

I made the red paisley dress, the green dress, and the grey vest and removable collar.

virginia city day 1

These are pictures of us on Friday. We rented a cabin and walked around the town all afternoon in our day dresses. Later, we went to a play (in different gowns of course). We were literally walking tourist attractions.

The Secret of Gracefulness

I recently made a beautiful 1930's style skirt that I just love. I put it on and I feel as graceful and elegant as if I were Ginger Rogers herself. The way it swings to and fro when I walk. The way it twirls outwards when I spin. Its heaviness and drape make me feel so feminine.
But there is nothing very extraordinary about the skirt at all until it is on. By itself it is just some dark grey-blue plaid wool that hangs almost to the floor. Very conservative. Very old-fashioned. Very ordinary. But what womanly medicine it can be!

In this skirt one must move gracefully. No matter how clumsy you feel in your jeans, the abundance of fabric swaying around your legs will give the semblance of grace, and ultimately of beauty itself.

This is just one of the reasons why I adore the styles of the past. Instead of making the human body appear awkward and unshapely (as most modern clothes do) they accentuated the best parts, lent grace to an ungraceful form, and made what was beautiful ten times more beautiful. I might even conclude that they made us more human.

Withstanding The Test of Time

I have only been sewing for about a year now. It all began last June when I was housesitting for a friend in her beautiful home on north Wallace. It was during those hot summer days of reading in the sun with Edward and Ranger (her dogs) laying at my feet that I got the sudden inspiration to sew myself a dress....by hand, of course. The sewing machine was one of my worst fears. They were associated with tangled threads, obstinate bobbins, and utter frustration. Therefore, I set out to make a simple summer dress without their "help". It was exhilarating. But I had no idea it was the beginning of a great obsession.

About a month later my sister-in-law lent me her sewing machine. My creative juices were flowing too fast for my nimble fingers to keep up. I didn't like the idea of my neatness and perfection being compromised by sub-par machine sewing, but I gave it a whirl anyway. The sewing machine won.

That last gown I sewed was the result of one year's sewing experience. I would hardly call that withstanding the test of time. Give me five or ten more years. See if I keep up, or if this hobby falls into my long list of past hobbies. I haven't even made it passed the beginning yet.

Sewing Spree

Here are pictures of what I did this weekend. Never have I been so determined. Never have I cherished the results so much.

Inspired by Bleak House, I searched for the perfect pattern to recreate an 1850's gown a few weeks ago. I had read reviews on Truly Victorian patterns, and they all seemed very positive, so I went to the site and looked around. This dress caught my eye immediately, and I ordered it. Then, I bought a roll of tracing paper and traced my size of the pattern, so that I could keep the pieces all in tact in case I needed them later (by the way, these patterns are sized differently, and are fitted much better than generic patterns).

Saturday morning I woke up early and sewed all day. Sunday morning I woke up early and sewed all day. Today I woke up early and sewed all day. Voila!

The dress above was my first attempt at this new pattern I ordered. It looks quite nice as long as you don't look on the inside or read the actual directions too closely. I purposely changed the sleeves for more of a day look, and skipped the piping altogether on the bodice. I had never made piping, and the idea was too intimidating, so I just used store bought bias tape. And, instead of sewing on each hook and eye separately I used hook and eye tape for the first time. What an invention! It worked wonderfully. For this dress I also gave up trying to sew the skirt to the bodice as I intended, and just made a waist band for the skirt and finished off the bodice with bias tape.

And then....I began again with the most lovely fabric I could find.





This one went much smoother. This morning I got up and went straight to the store to pick up some cotton yarn to make piping (an idea I found during research). I found my zipper foot, cut out the strips of fabric (on the bias), pressed them, and sewed in the yarn. Easy as pie! If only I knew. The piping made the gown look much better, and I found out why I was having trouble attaching the skirt to the bodice without it. I was so frightened when I finished sewing the skirt to the bodice. It was inside out and there was a pile of tangled fabric in my lap. But when I turned it to the right side it looked absolutely perfect! I don't know how I did it on the first try.
This time I also used the sleeves from the pattern. They are a little overwhelming when the dress is on, but I admit I like the way the look very much.







The colour is much richer in person - a deep rust red.






The end to a delightful weekend.

A New Era

I have decided to try my hand at Regency fashion for a change. Of course with all the Jane Austen hype, this is required of my sewing skills. One cannot pass by an era that has been recreated over and over in various adaptations of her novels. There is not much one can do with an empire waist gown, but I have joined the ranks of ambitious artists nonetheless, and feel that my attempts are not unworthy of that most esteemed authoress.

I used some one dollar fabric with small red flowers and blue dots. The delicate pattern is very much like some of the gowns from the 1995 Pride and Prejudice. It is lined with a soft lightweight cotton (labelled "colonial cotton"). The white scalloped eyelet around the neckline is actually part of a separate undergarment made from the lining fabric as well. I used the same pattern to construct this, omitting the sleeves and bodice lining.

Pattern used: Sense and Sensibility - a regency gown pattern http://www.sensibility.com/