Personal Goals

Hello and welcome back to our Friday installment of yarns and yarns (literal and figurative)!

I'm in a weird mood today.  It doesn't help that I overslept and had bizarre dreams.  And my daughter was mad at me this morning when we left for school, but was fine and dandy when I dropped her off.  It's been a bit of a weird day so far.

Ella was mad at me because I discussed hygiene with her and how she washes her body.  She's almost a teenager and doesn't like me talking about the need to wear a bra, washing her hair properly, deodorant, etc.  But when I find little turdlets on the bath mat in front of the shower door, I have to question how she washes herself!!  So, first strike against mom.  Then I had the audacity to fix a lunch for her and make her take it to school!!  Such evil!!  She didn't want to carry her lunchbox for the first half of the day.  So... I swear I saw smoke emanating from her ears...but we talked in the car on the short drive to school, and by the time I dropped her off, she was fine, and said she loved me and to have a good day.  Kids!!!

It's a windy morning, with gray skies and hints of rain (you can feel the moisture in the air... here in Washington, we get so many different types of rain!  This is a soft, light sprinkling of rain that isn't quite heavy enough to be drizzle.  A friend told me that the native Americans in the region call it "woman rain" because it is soft and gentle).  The Marketing classes are hosting a Trade Show (something they do every year), which is a bit like a vendor fair, but with students presenting their projects.  It involves local businesses, as well, so it's an important project for them, but it does make the school a bit discombobulated.  I'll have kids actively involved in it, so they won't be in class, etc.

Anyway, it's 20 Time day again!  I have made excellent progress this week.  I've been physically tired (there's no tired like end-of-the-year Teacher Tired), but have managed to keep my hands busy while my bod rests.  I made 12 hats this week... I'm very close to my goal of 50 hats.  Instead of taking pictures on my desk at work (where there is fairly good lighting), I took these pictures on my kitchen table with mediocre lighting.

I've also transferred my hat-and-bootie sets into plastic bags, and my storage has now graduated from a fairly large shoe box to a mid-size plastic container.  I organized them by size last night, trying to figure out what sizes I need to make now.  They are fairly well-balanced, so... I kind of feel like I should make larger ones, and some holiday hats.  But... I was also thinking that I could continue doing this all summer, and do another donation in the fall.  I have accumulated a LOT of yarn!

So, what did I make this week?  Here you go...  I've organized them by pattern, so I'll link the pattern to the hats for you.

These bonnets were easy and fun to make.  Although I realized this morning that I'd posted a picture of the pink one earlier.  Still, I'll post the pattern, as it's really pretty.  All of the yarns for these are acrylic.  I used Yarn Bee (Hobby Lobby) baby yarn for the left bonnet. I used "I love this Yarn" sport in white for the blue and white bonnet. I edged it with Universal Yarn's "Uptown Baby Sport" in blue, and used a bright pink of the same yarn for the bonnet on the right.  The two bonnets on the left were made from the "Molly Bonnet" crochet pattern from Momma That Makes.  The one on the right is also from the same blog, called the "Rose Bonnet".  This particular blog has a ton of lovely items to make for preemies and babies.  If any of this kind of thing interests you, have a look at her blog!

I have made several hat and bootie sets from this pattern, the Little Babbity hat and booties from Marianna's Lazy Days.  She has an absolute TON of patterns, both knit and crochet, for babies and preemies.  Check her out on Ravelry or on her blog.  The link for this pattern takes you to her blog.  Her patterns are easy to follow and fun to make!

This is the Little Clusters Beanie pattern from Mamma that Makes.  It's quick, easy, and turns out cute every time.  I can turn out these fairly quickly... less than an hour.  And they don't take a lot of yarn, so you can make multiples while watching your favorite movies, etc.  (personally, I like to listen to audiobooks or podcasts)  I used Yarn Bee Camo print yarn for the hat at the top, and another Yarn Bee print for the one on the bottom right, and Bamboo Pop! yarn for the one on the lower left.

These two hats were made from two different patterns.  The one on the top comes from Mamma that Makes, the Garret beanie pattern, using the same Yarn Bee yarn from the picture above.  It has a slow color change that makes a lovely ombre effect.  The one on the bottom uses the Talia preemie hat pattern, using Cascade Yarns' "Fixation Splash" a cotton yarn that is blended with less than 2% spandex, making it very flexible.  Unfortunately, the stretch is a challenge, because if you don't keep the tension loose, it will be a hard, uncomfortable hat.  I can see it working better in a knit hat.  I picked it up on my visit to The Black Sheep at the beginning of May.

I've used this pattern many times, as it is quick to work up, and has multiple sizes.  I made these using Marianna Mel's Valerie pattern (posted on Ravelry and on her blog).  Both of the yarns I used for these were Baby Bee yarns... the one on the left is a variegated gray-blue-dark blue print, and the larger one on the right used a blue camo print.

Finally, I have one last pair.  This the Kaitlynn beanie from Momma that Makes.  It's a super-fast, easily memorized pattern.  You can change the size of the pattern by changing the yarn and hook.  The one on the right was made using a D hook and fingering yarn (Wool-Free sock yarn I got at Hobby Lobby--I love me a yarn sale!), but I think I miscounted my rows, as it seems rather short in length.  The one on the right uses the same yarn as the hat on the left in the photo above this one, showing you the variation in colors.

Chasing down and linking these patterns led me to discover several more patterns, so I've printed a bunch, and can't wait to try them!  One is a little newsboy-type hat, and another is an aviator style!  I have read, in my research, that boy hats are needed.  As I progress through my patterns, etc., I try to do one in feminine colors, and one in masculine colors, so that I have an equal balance.  But I still plan to make some white "angel baby" hats, too.

Well, time to grab my hook and get started!!  And it's a three-day weekend!!  Hallelujah!!  I'm planning to do some housework, and then work on my sewing room.  I need to rearrange how some things are stored, and then start bringing in bins from the dining room and garage (freeing up space!).  That will make it a functional room again, and I'm planning all kinds of fun projects, including getting back to sewing for dolls.

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to make time to do something creative....

Not the most productive week

I finished one bonnet (very cute pattern) and a bootie that I haven't sewed up yet.  And started the second bootie.

Booo... hiss!!

I have been busy every day this week, with meetings, appointments, errands, etc.  By the time I get home, I'm beat, and just don't have the energy to do anything creative, and really want to just zone out or take a nap.  And I got my hearing aids this week, so I'm having a bit of a "wow" week, as well.  I didn't know what I've been missing!!

It doesn't help that it's been very warm here in Washington this week--heat wave!  It's predicted to be in the upper 80s today, and, according to the news, it was 84 yesterday.  Heat just sucks the energy right out of me!  And we haven't got the air conditioning fired up yet.

And my daughter, who has yet to break the 15th percentile at any point in her life (she's petite and healthy), goes around the house with a blanket draped on her like a royal robe!!  She's always cold.

Earlier this week, she wanted hot cocoa!  !!!!!!  Then she asked me to teach her how to make tea.  Well, that was easy.  Showed her how to use the electric kettle, where the tea was (I have a canister filled with all kinds of tea bags, plus loose tea and tagless tea bags in their boxes in the pantry), and she's been making tea and taking it to school in a travel mug for the last three days!  I'm kind of sad and proud at the same time.  She's growing up so fast...she's going to be 12 next week.  Sigh...

Anyway... I've brought supplies and patterns to school with me today, so I can work on it during class--gotta be a good example--but it's already getting warmer, so we'll see how long that lasts.  Still tired.  Feels like I haven't slept at all this week.

Anyway...  Here is proof that I have done a few things, but not much.

The cap in dusty colors is just for reference.  The one bootie is not stitched (the cuff is folded over when it's done), and the second bootie is on the needle.  The pink lacy cap is the one hat I managed to finish this week.  I thought it was pretty, but even though I followed the directions, I think it could use a few more rows.  

And finally... It's Teacher Appreciation week!  I've been delivered something nice each day this week, from some gum (Extra, for the extra work we do), popcorn and water, to a nice little breakfast (we got to order... I got a Costco poppy seed muffin with a strawberry "kabob"--four big strawberries on a wooden kabob stick--and another bottle of water.  Keeping us hydrated!  :)  The picture shows a little wooden board with a tiny clothespin glued on and an acrostic for my name.  It has a place of honor amongst my Edgars (with a Minion trying to photobomb) and the turtle a colleague who shared a room with me brought me as a gift from his trip to Mexico.  I covered my bookcase, among a few other things, with a neutral, pretty sticky shelf paper to disguise some wear and tear.  Yes, I'm a crafty kind of a gal!!

The End!

I have pictures to share... when I was on campus, several people took pictures for me, so that I have the total effect ready.  I will post pictures of individual parts of the project later.  We are expecting more snow, so... who knows what fun we'll have?  I definitely want to show you details of the hat and the reticule, and construction details for the dress and such.

For now, here are pictures of me--these were taken by Mrs. Mulcahy, who had me do an "Oh, Mr. Darcy!" pose...

 

I did get the necklace made, and made some earrings to go with it.  Coral beads in 4 and 6mm graduated size, hand-knotted on dark rust silk cord.  The earrings have a silver filigree pendant with one coral bead as a drop at the end. 

This was actually fairly comfortable to wear.  My only problem was the stays.  If I am going to re-wear this outfit again, I need to make a new corset.  Mine was simply too big around, and I think too long in the back.  The boning in the back was definitely rubbing my lower back uncomfortably, and my arms had limited movement, due to the breadth of the front of the stays.  In future, I'll need to make a smaller size, and perhaps a shorter version--the long stays were too long for my short torso. 

It was also fairly easy to put on, if a little time-consuming.  The only part I had trouble with was the last part--threading my back ties through the thread loops (like belt loops, but to keep the sash in the correct position).  Fortunately, a colleague came in to the bathroom as I was struggling with the ties, and she helped me out. 

Otherwise, this was fun!  A lot of work, but that's not a bad thing.  Sometimes a lot of work is the most rewarding in the end. 

So... what did I learn through all of this? 

1.  My husband is destined for sainthood.  He was patient through the lack of housework, helped me make my dress form, bought me the dress form, was supportive through the whole process, and made dinner all weekend so that I could work. 

2.  I always bite off more than I can chew.  I was ambitious, and thought that because I'm a skilled and experienced seamstress, this would be easier than I thought.  But the patterns are different from modern dressmaking, and the instructions were not as clear as I would have liked.  There was much ripping out of stitches, swearing, and re-sewing.  I also didn't consider the sheer amount of fabric, and how that would take far longer than my usual sewing projects.  So this was definitely a challenge for me!  I understand patterns and construction better as a result of doing this project.

3.  I'm much smaller than I think I am.  My stays were at least four inches too large around my body.  This may mean that my dress form is too big/inaccurate.  I know I've lost a whole dress size in the last month and a half, but that doesn't account for the error.  Either I misread the instructions, or I made some calculation errors.  There's a lot more math and geometry in sewing than you'd think!  On the one hand, it caused a lot of problems, but on the other hand... I'm having a hard time finding a downside to finding out you aren't entirely as fat as you thought you were....  :)

4.  I don't need to do this again.  At least, not with a deadline--I did get stressed about it, and that's not good for my health.  I've got enough stress in my life as it is!  I'm relieved that the project is over, in that respect.  I still would like to sew more period costumes, but at my own pace, and in a bigger space.  My sewing area is very small, so I was constantly moving things around to accommodate the storage of materials and construction of this outfit.  I have multiple craft interests, and generally move from project to project according to my mood or inspiration.  I might spend a month on making cards, for example, and then spend two months on making jewelry, and during family time, work on a knitting, crocheting, or embroidery project.  So this felt confining and limiting to me. 

I hope you've enjoyed the journey with me!  I think I'm going to work on keeping this blog going, but writing about other things--perhaps other projects.  I can't be the only crafter out there!  :) 

Snow Day update

I'm a snow junkie, and I am loving every flake, drift and forecast when it's like this.  To me, it's simply not winter until we have had some snow.  And more than anything else, I'm so very grateful for a snow day.

This weekend was a doozie.  I was up late every night, working on getting this project complete.  Friday night, I stayed up until 3:30 am, finishing the sequin pattern on the last panel of my reticule.  Saturday, I cut out my spencer and finished the dress.  Sunday, I did all the hand finishing on the garments, finished my slip, cut out and sewed my reticule, and tackled my hat.  I was up late till 3, doing handwork and then worrying while trying to go to sleep, trying to remind myself what I needed to gather, how I was going to get dressed at work, etc., all the while wondering whether we would even have school today.

That doesn't sound like much, but it was a lot.  I did not sew my spencer.  The skirt of the dress was far more complicated than I expected, and when I finished it, I knew I was done.  There was no time for a spencer.  So... another time.

Checklist update:

• chemise
• stockings
• shoes
• stays
• slip
• dress
• kerchief
• cap
• hat
• mitts
• reticule

I did not complete the spencer, as I said before, nor did I do the shawl.  The shawl is actually quite simple, but I'm really tired, and I just don't feel up to it.  I'm mentally and physically done with this project.  

Don't get me wrong--I've enjoyed it!  But spending every weekend for the last six weeks doing nothing but this project (and thus, letting housework, etc. get really neglected) has taken its toll.  My back and neck are killing me, my fingers are sore, and mentally, I'm ready to do something else.  I've been hankering to do some paper crafts.  I also really want to clean up and reorganize my bead storage and my paper crafting storage.  It's a cluttered mess... sigh.  

I do not have pictures to share at this point, but I'll take some.  I thought the hat would be more fun, and instead it was a total pain in the patella.  The truly fun piece was the reticule... mostly because everything went right on it.  Except that the heat of the iron did affect the older, smaller sequins I used on the first two panels.  The newer ones were heat resistant.  So I have two sides that are shiny and sparkly, and two sides that look a bit vintage.  Still shiny, but not so sparkly.  I did enjoy making the dress and other pieces, but man, that was a LOT of fabric!  For someone used to working with smaller sizes (dolls, kids, etc.), I was actually annoyed with how much the heaviness of the skirt was getting in the way!

However, it really did work out nicely, and I'm quite pleased with the end result.  Of course, the skirt itself was 6 inches too long!  I made a 1 1/2" hem (hemstitched!), and then had to make a 4" tuck all the way around... I knew I would possibly have to do that, but still... I was kind of surprised at how long it was--and how cumbersome!  But the tuck looks nice and sort of decorative--Yes, yes I did mean to do that!  :)  I wanted some sort of decoration on the hem, but most of the decorations for the time period were complicated, so... a simple tuck will do.  

And now that I have the time today, I'll see about making myself that coral necklace.  And maybe finish the bracelet, too...  At the moment, though, all I want to do is sleep.  

As for the end of the project--we were going to begin presentations today, and I was supposed to be the first to go.  I did not have time this weekend to create a short PowerPoint for it, so I will do that next.  One of the things the presentations need to address is what you learned through the process.  So... I'll post that part next!  Until then, nap on!  

Correcting Mistakes and Progress Update

After the depressing discovery of my oversized stays, I fixed them, mostly by taking some tucks/darts to reduce the overall length around me, and shortened the straps by two inches, so that they will actually hold the stays in their proper position, although they still fall off my shoulders.  I have narrow, sloping shoulders (Oh, how I miss shoulder pads!!), and most things I put on them fall down... my purse, tote bags, left bra strap (always!!  Very frustrating).

So... after taking in the stays, I tried them on, and Voila!!  It works!  I have the correct fitting, and silhouette.  I even have space between the bones in back where the lacing is!  Woohoo!!

(no, I'm not showing you pictures of the stays on me... my chemise is rather see-through, so I'm keeping this G-rated!)

Undergarments, check.  Time to make a mock-up of the dress bodice and check for fit.  This actually took very little time (a couple of hours), compared to all the other things I've made thus far.  I tried the mock-up on, and it fits almost perfectly.  However, I had to make an adjustment in my chemise--it was too high up for the bodice to completely cover up.  I was kind of surprised by that.  But, upon reflection, I remembered that the front part of the bodice that I made goes underneath the bib front, which comes up higher on the neckline than the bodice front.  Sooo... no wardrobe errors, here!  To compensate for the slight gapping there, I shortened the shoulder pieces by 1/4", and shortened the front panels by 1/3".  When I tied the front together, the front panels were overlapping, and thus, not short enough to close up that gap.

Hm.  Thought I had a picture of it.  Oh, well...

Part of the problem is that I bought those patterns just after Thanksgiving, and I've lost enough weight since then that my rings are looser, and I've gone down a size in my clothing, even my bra!  I did a little shopping after school last Thursday, and was surprised that my usual size was too big.  Feels kinda cool, actually.  :)  In my head, I'm much smaller, even though it doesn't show much in the mirror.  So... mini happy dance!

Making a mock-up wasn't a waste of time, and those were very easy fixes.  I was also worried about the sleeves--the back of the bodice is hexagonal (loosely), so the tops of the sleeves extend into the back, and having never made something like this, I had no idea how it would fit.  So... I did sleeves in the mock-up as well.  It's a good thing I did!  To make the sleeves set in properly, you need to gather in about 80% of the sleeve, and then adjust it to fit the curves of the armscye (sewing term for armhole).  I was a little confused as to how to spread the gathers out, so I ended up with gathers everywhere, instead of just in the shoulder area.  So my first sleeve is wonky and puffy in the wrong places, and kinda hangs funny.  The second sleeve, then, was better, as I knew where the shoulder was, and concentrated the gathers just in the shoulder area, using the rest of the gathers to slightly pull in (called "ease") the sleeve to fit the armscye where it is supposed to be flat.  This sleeve hangs properly, and doesn't puff out in back, and is more comfortable.

Poorly fitted sleeve

Properly fitted sleeve

The second thing I found on the sleeve is that it was about 4 inches too long for my arms.  I was doing a half-sleeve, ending around my elbows, but this length was more like 2/3 length.  Technically, I'm a petite size on top (in terms of length--I have a short torso, and little T-Rex arms), so the sizing of most "normal" lengths is usually too long on me.  I don't mind it in shirts, as I prefer them long (because I hate my belly), but it is usually a problem for more fitted garments, where the bust darts are in the wrong place, and sleeves are almost always too long for me.  Thus, I shortened the sleeve length.

Surprisingly, cutting out the dress took a while.  The skirt pattern is ginormous, and wouldn't fit on my kitchen table, so I was having to move it around and pin it to keep it from shifting the wrong way, and then discovered that my fabric width was two inches too short!!!  At first, I was upset, but then my little problem-solving brain kicked in gear, and I realized I'll simply have to use slightly shallower pleats to compensate for the shorter width.  No biggie.  :)

Ready to sew!!!

I was concerned with what I'd line the bodice with, as my muslin is white, and the fabric for the dress is cream-colored.  But I cut my pieces out so well that I had plenty of leftover material, and was able to do a self-fabric lining.  To make sure I didn't confuse the pieces (lining vs. print), I cut them upside-down and used the wrong side (unprinted) as the "right" side for the lining.  It's a little confusing, in terms of how I'm describing it, but it worked out fine.  Not that anybody will be seeing it, of course!

So yesterday, before taking Ella to the doctor, I had some time to sew, and I managed to complete the entire bodice as well as the bib front and ties...it helps that I'd made the mock-up the day before, so I knew all the steps and didn't need to refer to the instructions constantly.  Now all I need to do is complete the skirt, figure out how much I will need to shorten the length (again, 5' 4" doesn't really meet "average" height), hem it, and do hand-stitching on a few parts.

Underlining the neckline.  You stitch the lining of the bodice to the raw edges of the neckline a scant 1/8" from the actual seam.  This makes the lining roll under the edge of the seam, so that none of it peeks out.  It makes a nice, clean edge.

Finished underlining. You can see how I made the lining of the bodice the wrong side of the dress fabric. 

These are the ties for the dress.  They wrap around the front to tie in the back, which makes this dress easy to put on by yourself.  The bottom tie has been pressed, but the top one has just been turned right side out, thus showing why you have to press/iron the things down.  Not pretty!!

The real question for me is...will I have time to do the spencer (jacket) and the hat?  Hat, no big deal.  Jacket?  Possible big deal.  We'll see how the weekend turns out!  Oh--I remembered this morning that I still haven't made up a slip.  But that's super-easy.

Finished bodice front (the upside-down part won't be seen) on my sewing table.

Finished bodice on my dress form, which I suspect of being too big.  Sleeves are shorter than the mock-up, and there is a bigger gap between the front panels.  When the dress is all sewed, I will attach ties to the top, middle, and bottom of these front edges.  That brings the bodice together, and fits it to the torso.  You can see a vertical line/seam on the right side of bodice (as you're facing it), which is what will show.  The bib front will cover the ties and front panels.  

Here are two illustrations that show you how the bib front dress works--these use buttons to close up the front panels, and my pattern calls for ties.  Some front panels actually overlap, and at the time, were closed using straight pins!  I will not be using straight pins... I'm afraid of having them poke me!  I plan on using vintage mother-of-pearl buttons to hold up the bib instead of pins.

  

My dress is not designed for wraparound ties...mine are supposed to tie in a bow in the back.  I'd prefer wraparound, actually... my short arms don't reach comfortably behind my fat back, and the way I tie bows makes them go sideways or upside-down, and thus, look funky.  I may be able to make them wrap around...we'll see how it works out.

Making Progress...kinda

Since my last post, I've made progress on my various sub-projects. These are all parts of the main goal, but they do take time.

On New Year's Day, my husband, Rob, and I made a duct-tape body double of my torso to put over my new dress form. We did this for two reasons: the dress form was a bit smaller than me, and my body has rounded parts that are not necessarily standard on dress forms.

This was fun to do, partly because I like working on projects with Rob (he frequently thinks of things I don't, and he has often helped me with my creative ideas), and partly because I've wanted to do this for years. It took longer than the tutorials I watched, probably because I'm larger than the people in the tutes, and we'd never done this before, so we needed to problem solve as we progressed. But Rob and I are both kind of perfectionists, so we both wanted to do it right.

I'm not a fan of silver duct tape...I find it kind of hard on my eyes, as it is reflective. So after grabbing a ginormous roll of silver, I opted to get a roll of extra strong white tape. We decided to use this for the second layer.  The first layer was rather soft, not what I was expecting. But that also explained why so many of the people I watched had really squishy results. The best video (linked here) recommended three layers, but we decided two was plenty. We were almost out of tape after the second layer, and as I was fairly immobile, wrapped in layers of webbing and polymer, I was not really able to travel. It was a bit like armor, and kind of cool in that respect. But I couldn't bend, slouch, or sit, and 2 1/2 hours of standing in uncomfortable shoes had taken its toll, and Rob had developed two blisters from all the tape cutting. We managed to gum up three pairs of scissors, too! I de-gummed them today with acetone.

When Rob cut the form up the center back, it was such a relief! I had to go to the bathroom, my back and feet hurt, and it was almost time for me to start making dinner. We hung the taped shell of my body on the dress form, just to see how it looked. It was a humbling experience. I hate my belly enough as it is, but seeing what I look like in 3D, well... let's just say I have inspiration for more weight loss. I'm currently at the lowest weight I've been in about 20 years, but there's certainly more to lose!

 

I've been busy with returning to work last week, but I've been working on other parts of the project. I'm tired when I get home, so I don't often have the motivation to do projects that involve several hours on weeknights. So, I crocheted one of the mitts I posted last week, and as you saw on Friday, I worked on the bracelet in class. I did more on it Friday evening...it's now about 2/3 finished.

In order to work on this project in my very small sewing space, I had to clear a lot of accumulated clutter. That actually was really good for me, and I'm donating some of what I unearthed to Ms. Sinclair's supplies. ☺️ And now I actually have room to work in there. That was Saturday.

Today, I padded and stuffed my dress form, and taped up the back to make it permanent. It's very cool to be able to try things on the form. I checked the measurements, and it's pretty much exact. When I was done with that, I got to break out my patterns, cut out the parts I needed, and figure out the measurements for the corset. This was surprisingly challenging! You have to use very specific measurements to determine size, and then what size to cut the gusset panels. It was more complicated than I expected it to be!

 


So... now I have a fully functional dress form, accurate pattern pieces ready to put to the test, and a clean sewing space. Woohoo! (ignore the crap on the floor under my computer desk...empty bag of stuffing, recycling, papers to file... and the top of my desk has accumulated clutter...I was kinda just tossing stuff on there while cleaning the rest of the area!)

Here is my progress on the bracelet:

What most of you saw me doing in class...

Just a bit more to go, and this part will be complete!

This week, I will work on my other mitt (I brought the first one to class on Friday), cut out the chemise and corset test fabric, sew them up, and hopefully finish the bracelet.

I met a friend for lunch on Saturday, and afterwards we went to Shipwreck beads. I picked up some coral beads in two sizes. Coral was a popular material for jewelry, and people from  the late 1700s through the mid- 1800s believed coral had health benefits. So if I have time, I might knot myself a necklace (beads strung on silk cord with knots between each bead).

Hair and Headwear

I'm a hat junkie.  I have an obsession with what people wore in the past, yes, but gorgeous hats are a major part of that obsession.  And I've been thinking about what I'm going to do for a topper, so to speak, for this project.  So... let me share my thoughts and ideas.

I think I may have mentioned in my last post that I ordered some more fabric today.  It's payday, and I had some things in my cart at Farmhouse Fabrics that I wanted to complete so that I can get them soon.  Many things to work on!!  I ordered some lovely, almost sheer cottons with which to make a kerchief and a cap, as well as silk for my bonnet.  I wanted to do an entire bonnet on a buckram frame, wired properly, then fulled and covered with silk.  However, time tells me that would be a bit more work than I have time for.  So... I'm going to do a straw and fabric bonnet.  These were common, and are easy to make.  Some examples:

A gorgeous vintage bonnet.

Silk-covered vintage bonnet.  I wanted to do something like this (stovepipe hat).

Gorgeous brown silk and velvet bonnet from the time period.

This is a French bonnet from a museum exhibit.

Another beauty, this one in straw with fancy ribbon as the decoration.

I also have saved pictures from the time period--fashion plates that were published in magazines for women to show them the latest styles.

 

 

 

Some of these illustrations include day caps, which I discussed in my last post.  I am more partial to a stovepipe shaped hat (kind of straight-sided, flat topped hat with a bonnet brim), but I may have to do a hat with a straw brim and a poufed fabric crown.  Some reproduction hats here:

 


I am more partial to the one on the right, but I don't like how short the brim is.  However, in the 1810s, smaller brims were often used.  

I do have another option:  The turban.  Turbans were not the kind that Sikhs or people in the middle east might wear... they were sort of like a poofy or carefully draped beret.  Some even had solid bases with draped fabric tacked down in strategic places.  Either way, most turbans were stitched into shape, and were not wound around the head.  Some examples:

This one looks a bit like a scary mushroom... not my style. And so... yellow!  Yellow was a popular color for evening wear (this is definitely a silk organza weave, fancy, for evening), as it was considered quite pretty in candlelight.

I love this one, but it's for evening wear, and made for 

the Empress Josephine.  I hope that's not real hair... 

makes me feel itchy just thinking about it!

Absolutely gorgeous, but my hair won't do that.

 


Sooo… no shroom caps for me!  Another factor is my hair.  As I said in my previous post, curls were the thing, with some exceptions.  I have a board on Pinterest that is all about Regency stuff (interested?  Click here), which I've broken into sub-sections for different things, like shoes, original garments, and one for hair.  Here are some examples of common hairstyles for the time:

Evening hairstyle

Short hairstyle, sporting the popular windswept style.

(is it just me, or does her head seem way too big for her body?)

modern example of Regency hairstyle

 
Two examples of short hairstyles.

This lady is rocking a turban.  She has also dressed rather exotically.  There was a fad for Indian-like "artistic" styles.

Not everybody wore curls.  This portrait shows a beautiful young woman with her hair in a simple, smooth style, and wearing a chemisette over her dress, which was another way of wearing them.  I think she'd fit right in these days, apart from the clothing.

So... I plan to put my hair up in back (somehow), wear curls around my face, wear a cap, and a silk and straw bonnet.  I have a finely woven straw hat I bought in Williamsburg many years ago that I think I can sacrifice for the cause (instead of buying one to cut up--the nicer ones are about $20).  I've ordered two lovely silks for a bonnet--both were remnants and on sale, so, a steal at less than 10 bucks each!  One is a soft rosy taupe, and the other is a gold and rose iridescent weave.  Leftover materials go to my doll clothing stash.  :)  

Now to get working.  Sort of.  

My work table is completely covered in beads, bottles of beads, bags of beads, beading tools, supplies, a couple of bead mats, a new pair of scissors, a special box for holding small beads (Christmas gift from my Mother-In-Law), and two rolls of duct tape.  Oh, and plain Christmas ornaments that I meant to bead as gifts, but ran out of time.  Gotta put those back in my closet for next year.  When I get that all cleaned up, then I can get started on actually sewing!  

I can't believe it's getting dark already (4:23 pm).  My husband is making a pecan pie (we didn't have time to do it at Christmas, so now it's a New Year's pie).  We are going to have our traditional New Year's Eve dinner:  fondue!  I forget when we started it... it was in the early years of our marriage, and has now become tradition.  I went to Freddy's this morning and got some Emmenthaler swiss, crusty breads (Mediterranean olive and a French baguette), a granny smith apple, and a few other things for meals for the next few days.  I think we'll while away the evening hours by playing Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit (family gift from Santa) with Ella, or playing some other game.  We also have a Sherlock Holmes puzzle we could do, too.  It's just the three of us tonight (my dad and niece went to Montana for my cousin's wedding, which is tomorrow), so we'll do something fun together.  I'm not sure if Ella will make it to midnight, but she's planning to try!

Well, see you next year!!