What I love most

Also wearing my new fabulous wedge shoes. The BIGGEST compliment of the night (Gangsters Ball here in Brissy) was "was my dress an authentic one?". She had no idea how much it means to a costumer to have their creations thought of as really of the period. Silk cotton blends feel sooooo lovely and move so beautifully but are a right royal pain in the ....

to have a vintage 1938 pattern in only 1 size that will require no alterations.

Metal rings or hand bound eyelets to lace my kirtle????? The metal rings will be a lot quicker - but don't want to waste time tomorrow running around trying to find them BUT The hand bound eyelets will take longer but I can start right now (and continue when I get home). Going to see Jane Eyre tonight - seems to be getting pretty good reviews so looking forward to how this one looks and relates to the book.

My group has been invited to a Medieval event spaning 200 years (1380-1580) - easy to pick my impression as my group also is planning a mid 15th century encampment for other events.  SOOO mid 15th century it is. Now I am going to cheat and use my linen regency chemise as the foundation garment as no one will see it in any case and there is at least one image that I have noticed (see below) that has short white sleeves on a (what could be a) chemise, I think it is not a huge stretch to be ok with this decision (I will make a proper one eventually as she COULD be pushing her sleeves up). This is now the inspiration for my kirtle - a sleeveless one.  At first I was wanting a front laced, long sleeved kirtle in blue linen from my stash - only to find that I only have 2 metres (DARN).  SO I might just be able to make a sleeveless kirtle with a waist seam (still front laced of course). But I am certainly not going bare armed.  I have purchased some green wool which will be an over kirtle.  I

Starting with History Alive:  (this is ma boy) Rained Saturday night and our tent held up beautifully. Irish Dance #3: Nearly killed me again, but got it all done. Bedroom makeovers: G's room - red, pink and black   Photos don't show the colour very well. My room Regency dinner (I actually cooked the main meal of beef and roasted vege ragout, fried pototo slices and cauliflower in cream sauce): I also made a set of graces for a friend (no pic though). Now I am makeing Irish dance #4.  It is for the younger sister (and I just couldn't say no) but it is a beginner dress so is A LOT simplier. Next will be 15th century costume (if I have time) for an event on the 20th August.

*sigh* Now onto Irish Dance dress, to fund my History Alive budget. *le sigh*

Needs to be shot .... Having said that, I GUESS it should really be my fault I am spending WAY too much time playing the stupid game rather than sew pants.... but I am making progress ... Waistband is on.... and the back eyelets are half done. I have tomorrow off work so by all means I should have Nick kitted out but then home alone with computer and frontierville just might be too tempting.

Nick's trousers are SLOWLY coming together, this week I have finally finished the front flap after so much procrastinating over the whole thing. I should by all means just get stuck into the rest of it now. This weekend I hope to have the trousers constructed including (fingers crossed) the waistband. I am also hoping to start on his waistcoat and cap, but that's a pipe dream. BTW - Irish dance dress is on hold until fabric arrives.

Why am I so hung up on being "historically accurate". I should have had Nick's pants done and dusted by now but I am deliberating yet again on having them perfect. It is not that I don't have a pattern - I am using the pattern from Patterns for theatrical costumes (which I have cut out as you can see) as a base and then adapting with the gaitered trousers pattern from the NWTA Clothier/Patternmaster website: www.nwta.com/patterns/pdfs/251overl.pdf It is the construction that has me baffled, I know how I would do it with my modern sewing knowledge but I am so hung up on being "true" to historical sewing that I am doing my head in. The instructions for the Gaitered trousers are confusing to me too. SO I have decided to just go by instinct and if it is not completely accurate well who will know and who will care (besides me of course). Of course if anyone has any advice I would be most grateful.

I have had a blog account for ages but never had my costuming here.... so being like everyone else I am going have both a blog and LJ about my costuming. I start with the lastest LJ entry ... Commissions: Aaahhhh here we go again... Irish dance dress .... Commission #3 for Irish dance lady. But this time I am pretty cool with it all. I attended a feis where the girl danced in commission #2 and it has me actually inspired to make this dress. Of course the design is completely different again so we are at the mock up stage which is going really well. I only wish I had a child size dress dummy. I have managed to pin it to my lady at the smallest size just to get some idea but a real size dummy would be so much better.O Once mock up is done, it goes off with irish dance lady for approval. I n the mean time I can concentrate on a couple of other projects: 1. Lower class Regency outfit for my son - 2 shirts, pants, woolen vest and cap. Pants are first. 2. Good friends of mine are exp