Ooh the excitement!!

Patience was rewarded and both the petticoat and bloomers arrived today... beautifully packaged on both counts, it felt a little like Christmas! 

The bloomers fit perfectly but are so baggy at the seat that they look quite ridiculous; I don't mind admitting that they make me smile and a little ditzy!  The lace at the bottoms of the legs is just beautiful and in extraordinary condition.

The petticoat is just divine!  Too small at the waist as I knew, but I will add ribbons to tie it, I don't want to mess with the gather at the waistband.  It is very full and sits under my fantail skirt very nicely; adding real fullness to the front of the skirt.  I will need to use horsehair braid on the hem of the skirt, but that's no great shame; I am secretly pleased to get the chance to try this out!  And although lightly stained, the petticoat looks lovely, the construction is amazing and there are no tears or holes.  It is a beautiful piece of sewing, I could almost be tempted to wear it as a skirt...

And no... I couldn't resist a can-can moment, but the legs seriously need a tan!!

That didn't take long....

eBay and I are becoming best friends this week!  I had a quick browse for bloomers and petticoats, not expecting to find anything, and was instantly caught by these.  The bloomers are in near mint condition and I think that the detailing at the bottom of the leg is just so pretty; delicate but not fussy, suits me nicely.




The petticoat caught my eye immediately with the its fantastically broad band of pleats.  It is that level of detail, on even the simplest of undergarments, which draws me to Victorian clothing.  It is so beautifully constructed.  The waistband is too small, but the gather is so tight that I can easily adjust it if I need to.  The fullness should work well under my skirt and will answer the horsehair braid issue.  It is in need of a wash as it looks to be rust stained in places but I have experience of washing vintage clothing so I am hopeful of being able to work a little magic.  Either way it was too beautiful a piece to turn down for a little staining.

So, all done.  For almost exactly the same amount as patterns and fabric would have cost, I will soon be the proud owner to some original Victoriana.  It was important from the outset to have at least one original piece as part of the whole outfit.  I am making this costume as authentically as I can because part of the reasoning behind it is to be able to truly experience dressing as a Victorian lady would; I do not want to be responsible for a pastiche.  This feels like a very good step in the right direction.

I love it when a plan comes together!

My old house was old, but the interior was sleek, cream and modern.  I've built up a collection antiques, particularly Oriental ones, over the years and in the old house we enjoyed the juxtaposition of old and new. Moving to a 600 year old timber-beamed cottage required a rethink as we had to honour the beauty of the building.  Modern would not work, so we replaced our sleek cream fabric sofa for a leather Chesterfield; our maple dining table for a dark Oak Rectory table and mixed my existing antiques with a wonderful collection of what the boyf fondly refers to as "very nice toot"!  Almost everything we own is now stored in a vintage suitcase, hat box or trunk and pride of place goes to a matching pair of antique Chinese wedding baskets (right of picture) which are the most interesting bookshelves I've ever owned, and double as coffee tables in the process.  One thing we could not find was a magazine rack, and then I found on a 1950s Atomic on eBay... I love these racks!  They are everything I love about 50s vintage: quirky but elegant; able to stand their ground, but subtle enough to mix well with other styles.  It was a small risk, but one I'm glad I took; I am so pleased with little Joan.  And no, I don't often name my accessories... but Joan Jetson would be proud!

Making the Fantail skirt... an interlude

The boyf is sometimes fondly known as the "Appliance Whisperer" at home, for his uncanny knack of making the most temperamental of electronic devices behave!  As it was yesterday evening with the iron, which positively flirted with him and stubbornly refused to work for me...

Tonight the Appliance Whisperer, is with the 9 yr old and the Dobe, whispering them around an agility course and so I hoped to plough on with my skirt.  Sadly, the iron has obviously heard of my attempt to replace it this afternoon and I have got no further than sewing the front panels to the back.  I may be a lazy seamstress at times, but I have my principles; I will not sew an unpressed seam!   It is so tantalisingly close to being finished... I couldn't resist and have pinned it back onto Miss G.  What is evident is that it will need a petticoat and possibly a trim.  Perhaps a narrow black ribbon an inch or two from the hem.  I am also going to look at some horsehair braid; traditionally used to weight and form the hem.

I feel a little vintage shopping on... I always intended to buy some vintage bloomers, I may now add a petticoat to that too :)

The Apron... design

I've been looking at 40s and 50s Apron patterns the last few days, gradually pulling together ideas for my apron pattern.  I knew I did not want an apron with a bib, and whilst I love the flirty petal edged aprons, they would not suit either.  I toyed with different waistbands too, but couldn't find one I really, really liked...  in the end I decided on a simple, narrow waistband and full skirt.  I also wanted to design an apron which at it's core was functional/utilitarian, but which I could "pretty up" with the details; ribbons, buttons etc.

Miss K's Corset Card...

It's Miss K's birthday this weekend... the girls and I, in a moment of madness, decided that we'd make her a corset one weekend: a present-girly day in-bit of a laugh all round-in-one present. So, to get things started we decided that she'd need to get measured up... a job for the boyf, not us!

The card is meant to look like an old pattern packet, with instructions inside and a tag tied onto a ribbon bow to close. I wanted a naughty but nice, vintage look for the card, envelope and measuring instructions. I deliberately mixed up various baroque elements, handwritten and ornate fonts, as I wanted a classic feel which wasn't too perfect. I'm pleased with the results and delighted to say that Miss K was very pleased too.