Miss Philomena

What, you ask, have I been experimenting on? I've been intrigued with the 1872 bustle hoop from Corsets and Crinolines, and so I've been playing with it. I'll admit, I've made mistakes every step of the way, but as this first one is only the trial, I'm not as worried about it. It's also made of two different types of fabric, and two unmatching colors of bias tape. Apart from the waistband it's all pieced together, though because I ran out of hooping steel it only has the bustle steels and the bottom most hoop. But my new stuff arrived today, so I plan to finish it tomorrow hopefully. But even with most of it's hoops missing, I'm already loving the shape of the bustle. Have a couple (fuzzy cameraphone) pictures! (With bonus Watteau bustle).

here's my lobstertail style bustle	and this is the 1872 bustled crinoline before I put in the bottom hoop

There isn't just bustle across the very back. It actually comes around my hips, adding some soft fullness there that's a part of the early bustle silhouette that looks lovely, if I do say so. I'm eager to see how it looks once I finish it up.

I've also started covering the bonnet as well. I'm using a brown cotton velveteen for the outer fabric. I've got the crown cut, gathered and pinned on. I'll baste it down and then put on the brim. I'm leaning towards using blue ribbons for trim to match the blue stripes on the silk. We'll see what I like when I go up to M&J.

On a completely different note, I'm toying with the idea of switching out the Watteau bustle gown for my teal Venetian for Costume Con. I'll decide that once I finish everything for Poe.

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.

Because I can't work on just one project at once, I've got the bodice for an 1874 evening gown cut out, and need to work on that some. Not much else to say at this point, other than I need to scan in the plate I'm using as inspiration for that.

Only two projects at once? Are you kidding? I can't leave well enough alone, and have started on an 18th century project as well. I've pulled out fabric and traced off the pattern, and at some point soon I'll start on a set of stays. This set caught my eye, mainly because of the decorative lacing up the front, and what appears to be wavy cording. I can't consider the lacing functional, anyway, because it doesn't lace all the way down, and it doesn't look like it meant to be opened there either. "Fitting and Proper" also features a set of stays that has that bit of lacing at the front, and the angled boning. The McCord Museum's stays simply seem a more elaborate version of those. Anyway, I plan to use some hunter green cotton satteen I dug out as the face fabric, and will have to keep an eye out for a nice ivory cotton or linen tape for the binding before class next week. If I take an earlier train I should have more than enough time to run over to M&J first.