pinky and dotty fights back.

1823 pelisse - Museum of London.

Found a very easy solution to shoulder seam crisis - put it onto a body!  These seams don't work like modern construction - lying flat, folding in half seem to be awkward- they work better on a 3D  form. And I have mini-body-on-a-stick!!  Nice smooth lines and beautifully contoured. Until I take it  off again.


The other crisis is the decoration - I couldn't find an exact enough match in satin ribbon or embroidery thread - This is an awkward inbetweeny pinky-browny-slightly purpley-maybe with a hint of grey kind of dusky pink. So came out with some organza ribbon, not quite right, too wide, but sheer. I have tried to do a line of ornament down the front several times now- never precise enough. Version below is coming off asap. I need to change ideas - contrast not same colour? What will go with inbetweeny pinky-browny-slightly purpley-maybe with a hint of grey kind of dusky pink?  Antique cream? or thinking back to ancient history projects -slightly soggy coffee or tea stain? I still want the same feel of intricate and delicate (don't laugh) - major compromise coming up.......                       

Including the b/w shot just because I like it. So there. It was a tester for different ways of wriggling the organza  (Does look upside down.)

 

 Task list remains much the same - decorate, collar, line. Not a positively productive week in sewing world.

Must try harder.

Or go to a bigger haberdashery.... Ummm

pink and dotty

Recut the spencer front and pulled the back  to make a false seam just to check the fit - it is better but I won't declare success until the sleeve is fitted. Obviously  I haven't managed to magically shrink to fit this or the dinky pelisse. My faith in pasta is destroyed. Has anyone come up with a cake diet yet?

• Unfortunately no photo as the camera has just hit the floor and didn't bounce that well.

The dinky pelisse.
Still don't believe that fabric is mine, but it sews up so nicely.   Whoever it belonged to, it is mine now!
 I emailed the Museum of London about the insides and lining of the original but they weren't able to give too much more information at the moment -it is on display  " From memory, but I might be wrong, I think the pelisse was fully lined with a light, off-white silk. I also think that there were no exposed seams. I’ve just checked the conservation records which definitely mention skirt and underarm lining, and the dying of habotai silk to make patches (not the technical term!)." 

 ( love this place, so accessible, and friendly! They emailed back so promptly and have taken alot of  trouble for someone making a dinky dotty pink version for fun! and to think on some museum sites all I found was the opening times and admission fee.... what a difference in attitude. )

 While this was happening I've added a skirt and put in the other sleeve so at least it looks like a garment now. Lack of brain think and I forgot to keep pattern pieces for the skirt - measured them out on the dotty and then sewed up.

Now I will have to do all that again for the lining! Paper copies I will do and then keep. I will. Promise.
Not yet happy with the back shoulder seams - there seems to be too much fabric there. - wrong angle? Still to decide on the/any decoration. Do quite like the thought of couching but not of trying to making micro rouleau- ribbon or embroidery threads to the rescue. Trip into haberdash required to see what is available ( dangerous I know, usually come out with all sorts- a fitted kitchen once)
Collar is to be done - will prob line with white cotton like the vandykes or with dotty if I can make it fine enough at this scale.
Hopefully I will do most making this week end but ....

 


Scissors are behaving well at present, the sun is still shining, things are growing happily- does anyone have a cure for marestails and goosegrass?

 

pelisse hiccups

Best laid plans and all that 

.
This new mission is proving to be a pain. I bought an 'historically accurate'  spencer pattern as a base thinking that this would speed some things up. Oops.

 

Could tell almost imediately I tried the toile on that having overlapping neck and gaping waist line was not a good look for me. So am still in the middle of  trying to adjust- smaller overall size and then cutting and splicing to give the fullness required.   On the far side is the adjustment - still pinned at present -  this side is as was, looks neater but the edge of the fabric is the centre front! 

 I would normally pop a side dart in to sort the flabbiness under the arm and to realign things but there isn't a side seam to work to. I think the back is still a bit too large,  so  still serious fiddling to be done.  oh well.

When this is right I will make it up as a spencer just to check it out properly.

What this really means is a very large delay in this project. Of course plan b is to find someone the same shape as the pattern- no problems then! or surgery.

This could not be allowed to put me off tooo much - so started a dinky one. I do not remember seeing or buying the fabric, I am not a dotty buyer, but there it was, all, fresh and ironed saying 'me'. Couldn't resist. Perhaps it is a magic fabric stash..... I wish!

 Only started redrafting from the facing trial version yesterday morning!  Cheating again - haven't bound the edges of the vandykes - these are lined. The sleeves don't look long enough now - on the informal image of the pelisse they are gorilla-length. I've gone with the same dimensions skirt as in the trial but added in an extra couple of cm width to the  hem of the centre back panel.
I wasn't intending to do this properly-properly but its coming together so sweetly that it is tempting to put more into it. Narrow ribbon couched on to give a suggestion of the decoration might be smart. Need to see how the skirt, collar and belt work - I don't think there will be much space for fancy things. 

 Even though it is giving grief I still adore the coat, I keep going back to the website and drooling.....

Scissor update - in full control of all major pairs.  Found a spare snippy pair under the front passenger seat in the car. Left them there so at least one pair can always be accounted for.  Thinking ahead.

I know just how she feels.

regency pelisse.

So much needs to be done... including this.....
got as far as making a little half version trying out the ideas.  The general look is quite good but still....AAGH!!



museum of london 1820s.

Not sure about the back skirt yet, the seams feel a little arbitary- the stiffness of the fabric doesn't work for the back gathering- it doesn't have any drape at all. I think there should be more fabric in there  so will have to try again. As you can see the collar was entertaining and I still would like  more height at the back of the neck.

It was fairly straightforward - Janet Arnold was raided again for the basics and shapes of the pieces but historically accurate ?- don't think so. I am still working at the hand stitching - 12 per inch and straight is the current aim( impossible!) .   
I now have a full size pattern for a spencer which I will try out before making this up. With any luck some problems will be sorted - being me, I am sure I can find more!




scissor update - I know where they all are! - not currently sat on any of them.
Why my heavy cutting shears were in the medicine drawer in the kitchen  I have no idea......
 

It is time to commit to the next thing.....  Tinkerbell.

 I fell for this coat in a big way from the first moment I saw it. This is an 1820s pelisse from the Museum of London. All of the pointy bits reminded me of Tinkerbell's dress right from the start. ( Vandyke - I know!) Obviously a special wear coat, from a trousseau, it is so intricately decorated and frivilous without reaching overkill. The museum's photo record is excellent but I still have queries about the construction of the skirt and the shape of the collar. The collar points do seem asymmetric - very similar to the last inspiration piece from York. Guess work and trial and error required. The overall shape seems very much the same - diamond back panel, front dart, but edge to edge fastening, lower waist and of course the skirt.                                               

museum site

  Drawing from the photos has been useful in pinpointing details and making me look analytically, but I won't really know what information is missing until I try it out in 3 dimensions. 
I am doing a mini version to get an idea of the adjustments and how the garment might work - 'doing' is optimistic as it is at the looking, thinking and making a cup of tea stage - 
I am a little afraid of starting -
 what if I end up disliking it? or over familiar so that I don't 'see' it any more?

 Courage, my duck.

 So, hopefully, next post will be about a dinky rough version....

Scissor status =  found & lost again - 2   not lost and in sight - 1
 knitted squares for yarn bombing event -  1. (pink mohair so help me!)



spencer portrait... and oops.

as promised the last vision of the Purple Regency Spencer With The Wrong Buttons ( must find an easier name for it) as  a painting.  I tried and failed to ignore that sketch of Jane Austen, I find her expression.... disconcerting.
 Lacking my own model  I've borrowed from several 1800/1810 portraits and fashion plates for style and pose. An oil sketch by Raeburn was the start - the pose is so school photograph it amused me. He looked up at his model but mine seemed all chin so I levelled the gaze but kept the leaning forward on a box idea. The quarter turn presents the shoulder which is where I wanted the focus to be.

 
The initial drawing has emerged looking very Renaissance - the exaggeration of the neck, the clothing detail- was seriously tempted to add a white ferret at this stage.  It doesn't have the snooty expression yet, looks more sulky. The initial watercolour has changed it - the face is more reserved, worried and upright  but alot more is needed on the clothing






Regency spencer portrait

I've tried to keep the face light and minimal - she looks a little upset by this but the purpose was always to show the clothing.


 I do like how the clothing detail worked out - the lawn and lace looks lighter in texture and weight than the silk, and that has appropriate body and sheen.
 Spot the big mistake? THE REALLY BIG MISTAKE. The toooo big to worry about, much too big mistake. Such a stupid thing to do!
Pretend it didn't happen, fussing would only draw attention to it.

Could I add a skirt to the spencer and call it a pelisse?

Back to sewing for next time. It hurts more but at least I can unpick.













free at last!!!

It is done. One miniature regency jacket, finished (well nearly). The visit to the Castle museum that started the whole thing seems so long ago. ( 3 or 4 weeks!)

Analysis -     my fingers hurt.  lost the scissors - have stood up to check.  Squidgy chair has eaten the tv remote. - Jane Austen works well as an audio book.

The overall shape doesn't seem too bad, could be more tapered to the band to give the triangle shape -






 sleeves seem a little wide at the top and hang awkwardly unless worn.
 The top layer is on the cross and the lining  on the grain and they argue. The sleeve caps are the high spot -  should have increased the depth by a couple of cm to show the fancy work more effectively - and the cording is back to front (oops). Having 3 layers at the sleevehead was not the problem I thought it was going to be but I did leave in a strip of interfacing to support the seam.

Buttons have been the downfall. The tiny doll's ones were covered and used on the sleeve details - it looks ok but they are so thick and hardedged that they still don't look like they belong.  the 11mm cover buttons were a menace - I even bought the gadget- just don't go there! This brought on serious tantrums, and they are too big!!


What did surprise were the fun bits -  the quick experimental makes - like the facing prototype - solving the sleeve cap questions, putting it together and it beginning to look someting like. I even began to nearly enjoy tacking- I have never done so much on one garment!
The major moans - wrong bits and pieces - need to locate sources locally or find alternatives. The time taken, and the time wasted. The fiddly finishing when the fingers were too big- like the cuffs.  Some of the problems were lack of confidence in what I was doing, not being decisive with some decision making early enough. Should not have ducked the collar - OK the same style is on the next make but I cannot stop thinking of this as a Jane Austen bomber jacket. It also lacks the delicacy and the finesse of the original.
Using the Janet Arnold pelisse drawing as a start point was sound, but did cause some head aches - while she shows the pieces they are not as pattern pieces, not marked up, with seam allowances or instructions. Perhaps a commercially available pattern would have been safer and quicker.
 I do need more contact time with the original garments, both inside and out, checking the how it is done not only what is done. Some of the museums seem very approachable and helpful so worth an email or two.
What has been great are the conversations this has started- the interest shown, and shared, and the insights and advice - I hadn't realised just how big this area is or how widespread. There is so much to learn...

Last known sighting of the lesser grumpy regency spencer?
                          It is the same colours as Connie's granite worktop you know...


Tinkerbell blue  is next!!!