Fall Update

Oh my! Where has the time gone?!

Apparently I haven't updated the blog since February! Life has certainly been busy but I will attempt to get the blog caught up.

Here are some highlights:

The Oxford look got its chance to shine at the Janesville Renaissance Faire in May of this year. Some friends assisted in giving advice on how to act more masculinely and I had many doubletakes from folks I knew from Bristol. I'm still a long way from passing but it was a lot of fun just to see people scratch their heads.

My brother's second Sidney look was finished and turned out very nicely I think. I don't have many more pictures of its construction but here's the finished product:

photo by William Dezoma

photo by Patty Smith

I also made doublet, cape, and sleeves for our Guildemaster's new look this year. Slops, and cape beading/jeweling were executed by fellow guilde-members.

photo by Freestyle Imagery

photo by Duchess W. Cortland-Canon

And in another adventure this summer, I had to have some minor surgery which made corsetting a nightmare. I couldn't bind up my chest as tightly as I need to for a corset/bodice look so I created a doublet bodice for my grey dress that was loose enough to wear comfortably but structured enough to maintain a proper silhouette.

photo by Kim Cleveland

photo by Ivan Phillips

 Just to compare to the first half of the summer where I wore the dress with the original English-cut bodice and puff sleeves with an open ruff:

photo by Emily Kirchen

I have several new projects underway including a new dress, fabric for another new dress, a first-set of men's court-wear for a special someone, and various fabric for other small projects. 

So sorry about the long absence! I hope to get back to more regular updates as we settle back into fall and winter. Thanks for tuning in!

Oxford Complete!

Huzzah!!! The first project to be started since making this blog is now finished! With the completion of the sleeves and a hat I now have a full ensemble for the Earl of Oxford. Since I've talked through most of the details in previous posts there's really not much left to be said. The "Look" isn't quite complete because I don't have my wig or facial hair arrangements yet but here are some photos of me in the suit as is:

 "I'm a real boy!"

 Overcompensation in the realest sense

So There we have it! Soooo excited to have completed it, and on deadline too!

Next up will be new doublet and slops for my brother who plays Sir Robert Sidney. Fabrics and beginnings soon to follow!

Thanks for making the journey with me and all your comments and support!

Happy New Year

So sorry for the long hiatus! The holidays and new year have been very busy! All a very good busy, but sadly leaving little time for costume construction until this week. I had a wonderful xmas and did indeed get the dress form I was hoping for. I also received Gingher pinking shears and a back up pair of 8" dressmakers:


I also received a handy dandy fantastic new camera!! I had been borrowing my mom's and now I have my own! It's a Nikon Coolpix, so I'm pretty much Ashton Kutcher now. Ok, luckily not. Anyhow.

So this evening and last I've made progress getting Oxford closer to completion. With the Bristol preseason starting to commence I've got many projects on my plate so I've given myself a deadline of this Saturday to complete Oxford. There's not too much yet to be done so I'm pretty sure this is reasonable. I've pinned and started to slip stitch the cape lining hem. One good movie and I'll be done with that. Tonight I patterned, cut, trimmed, and bejeweled two sleeves. I proceeded to construct, line, and finish one sleeve.  

So I feel fairly good about getting everything done. I have most of friday to work as well as tomorrow evening. I need to throw together the second sleeve, finish hemming the cape, and maybe figure out some sort of headwear (although I still don't have a wig yet so maybe I'll hold off still). If everything goes according to plan I should be able to have some finished project shots up here by Saturday night. Fingers crossed!!!

Well thanks for checking back in!  As always, I'd love to hear what y'all think!

Oxford update: Solstice Edition

So with a full evening and day off I managed to get some more work in before Christmas after all.

I managed to find all the buttons I needed, then after several times wresting them into the buttonholes and tearing up my fingers and nails with the uneven edges (and having one of them break off at the shank) I decided I couldn't stand those buttons and went out to seek more. So I put half of the new ones on and will pick up the other half tomorrow between a split shift at work.

Other than that I finished trimming the cape, added the filigrees, made a collar, turned out the cape with the lining and attached the collar and ties. The only thing left is to hem the lining to the cape. Because I allowed a little ease in the lining so it wouldn't pull and interfere with the drape of the cape I didn't just bag out that edge with the rest. The idea will be to hang the cape on a form and pin the lining to the cape where it wants to hang and where it won't pull in weird directions once it's on me. Problem: I don't have a form yet. Hopeful solution: I asked for a form for Christmas and I will hopefully hopefully hopefully get it. Then I can proceed with hemming the cape and that will be completed.

With the exception of a few last closures the slops are also finished. And with the exception of the missing buttons the doublet is also done. Tonight I was able to put on all three (nearly)completed pieces and get a great preview of the finished product:

Annnd again, my man faces don't photograph well apparently. But nevermind that for now, supposedly I will be getting man-lessons from my brother later...

So that's where I am as we wrap up the solstice. Unfortunately it's the official start of winter, fortunately it means every day from here out will get progressively longer! Aside from the aforementioned finishing items the next step in completing the outfit will be the sleeves. I have to order some flat back crystals and rim settings to decorate the sleeves but I can start putting the trim down once I pattern and cut the pieces. I'm quite excited at the progress so far and was ecstatic to be able to get myself into the gear tonight. Corset and all even after a big meal! Movement is great. I can sit, gingerly but mostly without fear. Kneeling, kicking, dancing, bending over a reasonable amount; all good. I can't imagine having junk though... I don't know where it would go. The slops are quite personal if you know what I mean. Everything is perfectly fit that way and I don't even need to make lacing holes and ties to tie the doublet to the slops. It all just stays put.

Anyway enough blathering on. Next update will probably be showing off any and all the goodies I get for Christmas. Should be a good haul considering the majority of my list was comprised of sewing or costuming tools. Super crossing my fingers for Gingher pinking shears and that dress form! Thanks for tuning in and Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, and/or Happy Holidays!

Collar, Cape and more!

Quite a bit more done!
With the exception of several more buttons to buy (have to hit all the Joann's in a 100 mile radius to find them all...) and sew on, the doublet is done. Did a fun chevron job on the collar and bound the armholes.

Moving on next to the cape... I picked up the velvet and a couple more trims for it and got all the trim down tonight.

 The cape is a little over 180 degrees. 240 to be exact, with layered trim radials and cord fringe along the bottom edge. At the end of each radial there will be some sort of filigree or rosette... we'll see what I can find...

Well I can't believe Christmas is next week already! Not sure when I'll get to working on it more before then but we'll see what we can manage... So excited for how it's looking so far!

Leaps and Bounds!

Wow! So I've been a little errant in my updating. I finished working on Friday with just enough time to pack up to travel to Madison. I thought I would blog when I got to the hotel that night but alas, my photos wouldn't upload on that connection. Had a whole day off today so I got a lot done from Friday and today.

With the exception of some finishing details the slops are DONE!

I made a chevroned codpiece to go with it that I'm quite pleased with. I modified a pattern from Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion for it:

*Note: I removed the tassel. It was a fun idea but dare I say it, a little TOO much... it just stuck out like a -- well you know.

Friday I spent putting the slops together and today I finished them. Friday also saw me finishing the trim on the doublet and today I put the epaulettes and piccadils on and bagged out the doublet with the lining. So I have a nearly wearable doublet!

There are a whopping four layers in the doublet. There's the silk outer that was flatlined to a layer of canvas before the trim went on and there the cotton lining also flatlined to another layer of canvas which has boning channels. It's very stiff which is perfect! It's also very tight. I need to cut down the underarms just a bit and drape&make a collar. I started working buttonholes but those will be finished another night.  With my corset on underneath I was able to give it a trial put-on.

(That's my serious man-face lol!)

It's quite snug fitting that's absolutely necessary in the slops to ensure ease of movement. I can kneel, reverance, walk, kick. I forgot to try sitting but who needs to do that anyway, we're at court on progress here folks! No time to sit around lazy-like. No really though I'll have to go back and double check that, but I'm sure if I can do everything else I should manage a perch at the least.

So that's about where I'm at. Once the doublet is finished I still have sleeves and cape to tackle. So we've still got a ways to go but it sure feels good trying something on.

And because they're just too darn cute... here's some more Chewi and Kimora:

Thanks for checking in!