Cheat week.



 reminds me of Gromit, Collar as ears?

 

This is the week when the trauma of starting the school term should have happened. So instead of that intense headless chicken activity I have set myself various tasks. Finishing old pieces, working on the full scale spencer, drawing and sketching and museum visits. I have actually done it all!

I even managed to cycle halfway to Selby quite by accident, and more incredible, then cycled back,( fruit pastilles) all in pursuit of that perfect English landscape to paint.

The sewing task-

completing a trial mini spencer begun about 4 months ago. Its purpose was testing out how to adapt a pattern, trying new shapes and techniques.

It began as a military tailcoat but, a bit like the Earl Spencer,  I took off  most of  the tails to leave a short fitted tailored jacket. The original also had front darts, fitted sleeves, rear vents and collar. The bulk of it stayed the same except the length and sleeves. I left a little skirt at the back, rather like several of the riding habit illustrations of the time.

The sleeve pattern was spread wide in the centre and the head extended to allow for a panel of tucks and greater fullness. The tucks were simple to do but they did not hold their shape once the garment was together, so a second sleeve was cut as a stabiliser, twit did not think to cut to the original shape but to the adaptation so there is a lot more fabric caught at the sleeve top than I would wish. The straight tucks still felt awkward so they were stitched into a honeycomb pattern. This was repeated at the cuff which was finished with a contrast binding. The overall effect is pleasing, The inside of the sleeve fits with a straight line while the outside is full, and falls into folds and creases. The idea for this was from a dress in the V&A publication – 19^th Century Fashion in Detail. I had intended to put a tab across the top of the cuff tucks, pulling it tight on the wrist. The front fastening is influenced by the military frogging on a pelisse somewhere on Pinterest!

Conclusion. - Like the sleeve, the tucks work well and the shape is defined. The fastening although neat enough is too close to the centre and has a rather pinched and slightly cross eyed expression. There is stiff interfacing behind the closure - perhaps it needed to be extended further across the front. The basic jacket needed much more adjustment, the shoulder is too long, the whole silhouette droops, and the shaping needed to be greater, it is boxy and has a certain bundled quality,(Paddington Bear-ish) the lining must be out of sorts. As for the back- clumsy. The back vents are a smart idea,  but are uneven and awkward. The button detail is fun but does not make good the shortcomings. I like the concept but need a neater method and approach or more practice.

 

What is quite good, is the knowledge that I would do it better now. The stitching should be better, the seams more precise and the shape!  I like a tailored back but this one has no charm, a back waist seam would have given more definition, the skirt  becomes a peplum and could then be cut separately. It may be worth trying all this out but not with this basic pattern. It is time to return to Gwendoline. The peplum would define her waist and draw attention to the long shapely back.

The illustration of this is based on the plate from Le Journal des Dames,I'm afraid I enjoyed working on him more than her. The difference in style between these and the plates from the English periodicals is quite marked. These have the feel of observed detail, the fall of shadows and the drape of the fabrics have more realism than stylisation and there is more movement and less coy pose in most of the presentation.

The faces still seem to have long noses and tiny mouths! I space the features too much still, they should be more like Victorian doll faces. I've just reduced her head size on my original drawing so imagine her less top heavy, if slightly pouty. One day I'll mange someone who looks happy!

 

 

As for my spencer - Pah.

 Toile 2 was looking good, the front fits but the shoulder seam is way too high and comes forward of the shoulder line at the neck. Hack and slash and curse later and it is beginning to behave. I don't want to disrupt the arm hole assembly but have lengthened the front piece at the shoulder. The hem line had been level so this maybe a false step and a general redraft of the shoulder seam  will be necessary. Toile 3 may be upon us soon.