SP: Goals for the Week

My goals for this week are to:
- order fabric for the corset and chemise and drawers
- trace the corset pattern
- purchase fabric to make a mock up
- cut out and assemble a mock-up of the corset
- watch the corset making DVD
- go to Vokes
- update blog

That's all.

Trip to Lowell - a fashion (and textile) history

Because of vacation, I went out to the American Textile History Museum to get some ideas and do some research. It was so cool! The museum actually talked about the different types of materials used in clothing and how they have progressed over time. It started with flax and linen, moved through cotton and the labor required (think mills and such), then ended in modern day with polyester and Eco-fabrics (such as polar fleece made of recycled bottles). The museum was well laid out and very informative - plus it had dresses from all the major eras! Here are my findings below:

SP: Speakers and a 20 year old cat

I think that it is quite an adventure every time I go help at Vokes. Yesterday I was there for 2 and a half hours and I saw lots of crazy things. At the beginning of the night, I was sifting through boxes to find appropriate hats. I found 4 that worked, but also found some crazy pointed wool hats and turban-type things. I also found lots of feathers and crazy beading. Yay. my supervisor had me pin a pattern so she could cut it out, but there is hardly enough fabric for the pattern to fit, so the skirt will be not full at all. At one point, a couple actors came down to try on some clothes for us and the stuff we had pulled (*cough* I had pulled, aka. pants) looked amazing. One of the overcoats needed new buttons, so I found 3 matching buttons and after sewing them on, realized they were too big for the holes! Bummer. So next time I head over to the theater, I will have to resew buttons onto the coat.

Now about my title. Vokes has a resident cat named Beatrice (after Beatrice Herford, founder of the theater). This cat is really old and very sad looking. Most of the time she is sleeping on the couch in the green room or hiding in the office upstairs, but yesterday she was walking around the green room and I could swear that the cat is senile. She was just staring into space or looking at things like the drawer-pull on the make-up cabinet. Poor kitty. She also is very thin. I guess one of the women stays there whenever Bea is sick to take care of her :-( I also discovered yesterday that they have this ancient speaker that you can turn on and then hear what is going on onstage. Pretty ingenious. Actually, never mind. Most theaters have those, just Wayland High School is too low budget to do anything of the sort. What was cool about it was how it was like one of those old radios. It buzzed when you turned it on and then faded in and out. I can't wait to see it in action again.

I also just got an email that my corset pattern shipped. Hopefully it will be here soon!

SP: Stubby Man Pants and green houndstooth

So I spent an hour and a half last night at Vokes digging for pants. Yes pants. While my supervisor turned this suit-coat into a vest, I picked through a box to find a pair of gray (or is it spelled grey?) pants, a pair of brown  pants and a pair of black pants. Towards the top of the box I found a couple pants that would work and as I worked to the bottom, I found pants for a very heavy and stout man. The waist measurement was AT LEAST 40 inches in diameter. Yikes. The inseam (taken from the crotch of the pants to the hem) was about 27 or so inches. To compare, I'm about a 30 or 31 inch inseam. And the men's pants were probably supposed to go to the natural waist. I wear my jeans at my high hips. Shows how much some pants (or in my case about a dozen pants in that box) are one size fits one. I then found a pair of brown pants in the next box and they are about the right size for the man we need them for. After last night, I felt very accomplished - I found pants for all three men! I think there are 7 people in the cast and we have costumes for about half of them! It's exciting because they open in a couple weeks (May 6th, I believe). Before I got to work yesterday, I got to watch them in rehearsal again and they were a lot better. They are off book right now and it is cool to watch "real" actors work through a true play. I'm going back tonight to find a hat for the aunt and sew buttons on a coat.

On another note, my corset pattern hasn't shipped yet. I need it for next week otherwise I will be in trouble. I should email the company and ask about my order.

SP: Assistant to the Costume Manager?

I feel like Dwight who constantly tries to change his title from Assistant to the Regional Manager to Assistant Regional Manager. Anyway my first week of the senior project went really well - but it had a slow start. I spent some time at Vokes on Wednesday. I've yet to read the play, but it looks quite interesting. When I arrived, the woman in charge of costuming wasn’t there yet so I sat and watched the actors for about 15 minutes. After being part of acting at the high school, I noticed a huge difference between them and my peers. They were very strong actors and able to drop in emotions at the drop of a hat. I wonder if it was because they had been in rehearsal for so long or if they were just naturally good. It was cool. When the woman arrived, we went downstairs and she gave me a basis for what the costume plot of the show would entail. Hedda Gabler was written in the late 1890’s, but set in the 1860’s (meaning the original production would have had hoop skirts and bustles – something the director didn’t want to deal with). So they are setting their production in the 1890’s. Once I had ideas of what we were looking for (and approximate sizes) I helped pull costumes from their stock (a costume closet that was overstuffed with boxes). At one point the woman left me looking for blouses and I found a couple in a plastic box (with mouse droppings) that would work. We later tried the clothing on the actors and actresses and found which pieces worked and which didn’t. By the end of the night, we had potential costumes for 2 actors. Yay! I'm hoping to go back later this week. I actually really enjoy learning all this stuff.

Crochet a Bag with Plastic bags - awesome!?!

I really wish I knew how to crochet *pokes link below*

http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-tuesday-how-to-make-plarn-crochet-an-eco-friendly-tote-b-7773/

SP: Finally!

I finally started the senior project today! YAY! It was supposed to start yesterday, but I was bogged down by third quarter stuff and a 3 block long Macbeth performance. The show went really well, so I am very sad that it is over. Each night was very strong and I didn't hear one bad review. I wish there were more nights. I'm hoping to get a video of the performance so I can watch it and remember my only Shakespeare production in high school. We are doing another show this spring (another original) and I think I'll probably do it so that I'm not crazy anti-social. Because of the senior project, I don't have to go to 80% of my classes and instead I work on my project. So I don't see my friends. Odd. Anyway, I ordered the pattern for my corset today (laughing moon #100) and a DVD that gives instructions on how to fit a corset. This should be here next week when I can finally get to work on the pattern. I also got my dress form and I need to alter the cover that goes on top of it (used to conform to my measurements). This has proved to be difficult thus far, so we'll have to see. Hopefully my mom and I will be able to get it done soon so I can use it to fit my corset.

Something Beautiful

I was poking around on Etsy and found an amazing behind the scenes video of NYC Ballet's costume shop and a woman who works as a draper there. It was just so fantastic. Take a look (the video is the second on the page)

http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/espalore-the-making-of-a-tutu-7321/

Starting my Collection

Yesterday my Easter basket contained a note saying that the Kyoto Fashion Institute book was in the mail. I really didn't want lots of candy for Easter (for both my sanity and my body's health) - that really didn't work, but hey, I tried. So the book came today - all 730 something pages of full color photos of both historical clothing pieces and reproductions! AHH! It is such bliss to pour over the piles of pages and see the difference between the various headpieces and dresses, corsets and shoes. I don't think I will tire of the book for a long while.

Meanwhile, Macbeth is going quite well - we open on Wednesday. My costume is very simple. A black blazer with black dress pants, black loafers and stockings with a white dress shirt and black patterned tie. I think it looks okay - very masculine. I think I will be the most androgynous character on the stage during the next few days of performances.

SP: Dress Form!!

It came today!! I am so excited! It is really awesome to be able finally look at what my clothing looks like. I put my regency dress and chemise on it to test it out, but it looked funny because the form is currently larger than my measurements. The form is made of polyurethane and the purchaser buys a cotton cover which they them fit to their (skintight!) body measurements. I haven't gotten a chance to do this yet because the instructions are really long! I'm hoping that after rehearsal tomorrow, Mom can help me fit it. Now just to figure out a name and where to store her. Right now, she's living in my family room because I really don't want a dress form watching me sleep!

Dress Form:

 Regency Dress:

Regency Chemise:

It's Official!

(This doesn't really warrant a full post, but I couldn't wait!) I just ordered a dress form! What's awesome is it is foam so when I fit the special cover, it will squish to match my measurements. It will come in a week or so. I can't wait!

Code Name: SP. Topic: Fabric

 I am currently in the process of choosing a fabric for my dress. My options are either a reproduction cotton fabric or a solid silk. I currently don't know of many good fabric stores, so reproduction fabric will be easier to obtain (read - online ordering). The problem with any fabric is making up my mind. I found a site  that has way too many choices. Below are my favorites:

(all images borrowed from the Dargate Collections at Baumtextile.com. No copyright intended)

 

Did you notice that I seem to really like purple? Strange (well I do have two coats, a civil war hoop skirt dress and a prom dress that are all purple).

Score!

I'm into the senior project! YES!! I found out on Friday. All 10 kids who applied made it which is great to see. I am making a dress from 1830 and the correct undergarments to wear underneath - the challenge is making them as historically accurate as I can, meaning most will be hand sewn. Fun.


Right now I'm making the Past Patterns Early-to Mid-Nineteenth Century Stays and 1830-1836 Full High Gown. I'll also make a new shift from my Sense and Sensibility Regency Undergarments pattern (or modify my current one) and a couple muslin petticoats which I will starch like crazy. It will be a cool few months.

Gown (left) 

Stays (right). I'm planning to make the one on the bottom right.

Sirrah, a word with you?

Macbeth opens in exactly 19 days. Wow. It's kinda scary. Our director is ready to start running things, but we are far from finished with all the blocking.

I'm definitely wearing a suit for my Seyton character. I'm also another role (keeping people in suspense!) and I'm in solid black with a mask. This is pretty typical for our director to put us in simple costumes that create spectacle for the audience.

Senior Project?

So this year the high school piloted a new project for seniors that other high schools have. It's called the senior project and during the last five weeks of their senior year, seniors have the opportunity to learn a new skill they haven't had time to before or do an internship. I naturally chose sewing historical costumes. I figured its not a bad time to make something I want to. With the project, we need an outside adviser and I have found many people who I can go to if I need some help with my project. A couple people are local but some are about an hour's drive. One potential adviser is at Framingham State, and I've noticed they have an extensive costume and textile collection. I'd love to get help with fitting from someone there.

I've chosen to do either the Past Patterns Lowell Mill Dress or the Past Patterns 1830's Full High Gown with period undergarments. I find out about if I made the cut for the project on March 29th, so I have to wait until then. I really want to get in!

Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff. Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.

My high school production of Macbeth is slowly moving off the ground. All the parts have been cast - I'm playing Seyton and the Gentlewoman in a trimmed down version of the play. I currently don't know what my drama teacher is looking for in terms of costuming. When he passed out the cast list, he mentioned that Seyton was a version of Hilary Clinton. I certainly don't want to look like this:

But anyway. He has been saying that the show will be set in a post apocalyptic setting, so my costume may be more difficult than just a plain suit. My gentlewoman costume I'll bet will have to be similar, considering that I have a really quick change back into Seyton, unless our director fiddles with the story and makes it not linear. I just don't understand what a modern day servant to a King or Queen looks like. Hmm.

Update 2/28: The director has consolidated my two parts, so I am Seyton the entire show. That makes things so much easier. I found a of couple dresses and a blazer at Target this weekend, so I'll have to bring them in in a few weeks and see which works best. I think pants and a blazer might work better because of all the movement involved.

Second Regency Dress - Fabric

I found some potential fabric choices for a second regency dress. One problem is that several are white and see-through so we'll see. I already have a blue dress, so I'd rather not choose a pattern with blue in it. It might not be bad to wait and see what other fabrics pop up in the next few weeks.

(images from reproduction fabrics.com)

 

(image borrowed from NauvooQuiltCo's etsy page - no copyright infringement intended)

Possible Costumes in the Future

I'm really indecisive about what I want to make next. Currently lined up is:

- a 1837-1899 corset (http://www.lafnmoon.com/victunder.htm)
- Victorian Undergarments
- another regency dress with long sleeves and maybe a higher neckline
- a bustle?
- a Disney Cinderella dress (bought the pattern, just need fabric). Not sure if I want to make the famous blue one or the pink one that gets ripped to shreds

Seussical - Cindy Lou Who costume

I made this costume from a Butterick poodle skirt pattern. The director asked us for costumes that were reflective of the late 1950's-early 60's. Since my character was so young, I figured the 50's were easier to manage. The skirt and suspenders are made of yellow cotton gingham with a petticoat of tulle. The shirt is a peter-pan collared shirt from Old Navy. Shoes are white keds dyed yellow.

(image borrowed from http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/fashion-wg.htm - no infringement intended)

I modeled my dress after the one on the left.

Early Photo - I hadn't yet finished sewing the buttons on the back

Pre-Production Photo - Taken in full makeup before opening night. Please ignore my Who-like grin.

Me and the other Whos in beautiful yellow.

Regency Chemise

This is a Regency era (1795-1815) chemise, made from white cotton broadcloth. It was sewed completely by machine. It was made from the Sense and Sensibility Regency Undergarments Pattern.

 

The sleeves have a gusset at the armpit, practical for this time period.

The neckline closes with a ribbon drawstring and casing. I had trouble with it and it doesn't look that pretty :) I also had issues with the initial fit because it ran really big. The photos don't show it well, but I had to make the whole chemise narrower with a set of flat felled seams running down the front.

I'd love to make a better chemise eventually, but I have too much to sew!