Miss Philomena

September, 2008: The Red Stripy Bustle
While I'd had the undies sewn for a while, the dress itself I did in three days. I wanted something bright for Saloncon, and this definitely qualifies.

December, 2008: Revolution in a Week
Basically, the only parts of this I didn't make in a one week rush were my shoes, stockings, and hat blank. Upon extended wearing I've decided the front of my half-boned stays need to be recut, because currently they're a bit too short and wide across the bust. But that's for later.

And for 2009, I have quite the list.

• 1560s Teal Venetian
• Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, Princess of Monaco(1660s), for charlesii. I plan to get this done for Costume Con in May.
• 1775 Pink Brocade Caraco
• 1780s Chemise à la Reine
• 1791 Purple Sari Pierrot Jacket and Skirt
• 1844 Grey and Lavender Plaid, for  the Poe Bicentennial events this month.
• 1872 Watteau Bustle Gown
• 1874 Light Blue Evening Gown (left)
• 1875 Winter Striped Walking Suit
• 1920s Print Silk Dress, adaptation

I have ideas for a few more things, and I need at least one Vampires, Villains and Vixens outfit, but this is most definitely enough for the first half of 2009.

I did a fair amount of work on the stays today. I decided to go with my orange linen for the fashion fabric, with red stitching and binding. I've stay stitched where I'll slash for the tabs, but I don't plan to cut them apart until I do the binding.

I couldn't find my metal sheers anywhere, so the last few boning channels have to wait. I need to insert the diagonal bones in the front before I close them in with the horizontal channels at the top.

As you can see, I put in metal grommets for lacing. I tried to do an eyelet completely by hand, but with the heavy cotton I'm using for interlining, I couldn't get an awl through. I'm sewing over them though. to look pretty and hide the fact that they aren't all the same color.

Tomorrow I plan to do the boning and finish the channels, and at least stay stitch the edge of the stays. I also plan to get the skirts done, but they shouldn't take long anyway. Wednesday day I'll start the jacket muslin, and I'll take the stays with me when we visit family in the evening to do the binding and the eyelets.

The Idea	The Fabric	The Base Pattern
La Belle Chocolatiere by Jean-Etienne Liotard	burnt orange wool & blue/grey linen	1760-70 Jacket from Patterns of Fashion 1 by Janet Arnold

I've volunteered to help out at the Battle of Trenton reenactment next Saturday. And because I'm insane, I plan to make myself a full outfit rather than borrow one. I've decided on a jacket and skirt rather than a dress, for several reasons. For one, I don't have enough of any one color wool to make a full dress from. For another, a jacket will be easier to fit (and look better) if I don't get my stays done in time. And finally, and this is mainly a vanity thing, I don't want to be in a dress like most other women will be. I want to be a period correct non-conformist.

I should be able to knock off the petticoats in one sitting, really. I'm planning on three. An aquamarine flannel will be the innermost one, followed by wool of yet undetermined color, then topped with the blue linen. I'll have to run the linen through the wash a few times tomorrow; it's still pretty stiff.

I'll also scale up the jacket pattern and start working on that tomorrow as well. I'm not sure if I'll include the cuffs yet, that'll depend on if I have enough of the wool. I've only got about a yard and a quarter, but I'm not worried. Piecing is such a period practice, after all.

I think I have a round ear cap somewhere, but I might just make a new one, along with a stuffer shawl and mitts. I have one of the wide-brimmed felt hats from Williamsburg, but I'm not sure how to trim it, or if it's even appropriate for winter. That's at the end of the list though.

And over all of this, because it'll probably still be in the mid to upper 20s next weekend, I have a massive and heavy cape, made of dark blue wool and lined with light grey linen. I'll have to stop being lazy and finally sew a clasp on to it.

So, six days and counting.

PS- I didn't go into this intending to copy the color scheme of the painting. I spread all of my wool and linen out, picked the two I liked best together, and ran with it. THEN I went and looked up the painting for the style, and realized I'd picked the same colors. XD