Vauxhall at Kristinehof

The Vauxhall was quite lovely and I really enjoyed myself. I was also very pleased with my gown. I made a small pad for the back, which I think improved the look.



Frida kindly acted out 18th century cat before we left. Isn't she adorable? She's completely blind, but that doesn't stop her from much.










Annali was very elegant in hat and spencer, but the gown in itself was very pretty too. I love the back!




Borrowing and trying out Annali's hat.




I think formidable is the right word for carinarosen here.




Sisters








Madame Berg


It was a beautiful and warm evening, so we enjoyed a game of “Questions and answers” in the garden.




Monsieur J, obviously channelling Gustaf III...


A few more pictures can be found at Gustafs Skål's blogg:

http://gustafsskal.blogspot.com/2009/09/vauxhallen-borjar-min-bror-mangden-ar.html

The finished gown

The gown is finished! Two days before I need it, this must be a famous first for me.

As I didn’t have enough fabric to make a draped front, I decided to do the same kind of front as I did on the 1790’s round gown.



There are gowns from the early 19th century that’s virtually sewn as this gown, only with a higher waist, so it felt like a logic decision when my first plan didn’t work out.

The lining is pinned over the chest and then the front closes with a drawstring, which also gathers it. The waist is a bit higher, though not as high as Regency gown later becomes.




The skirt is cartridge pleated to the back.


I deliberately left the sleeves unlined. As the whole of the gown is lined I wanted a little skin to be seen through the holes in the fabric, somewhere. The waist sits between my real waist and my breasts.


I think I will do a small pad for the back. Apart from that, I think that the back is what I’m most pleased with on this gown.

Almost done

I feel a bit strange. The 1797's gown only need to be hemmed and then I'm done. And it's only Monday! Can it be possible that I won't stay up half night before Friday for the last frantic sewing? I'm sure I have done a big mistake somewhere... And I do still have to make a sash.

I've also sewn my fifties skirt together, next step is to press and put in the waistband. I ended up not doing it in cotton, as I realized I hadn't enough fabric. Instead it's made in rust-coloured wool. Autumn-skirt, anyone?

The adventures of the incredibly shrinking Isis

The progress of my 1797’s gown is going very well. I used my basic 18th century bodice-pattern, modified accordingly. I last used it in May, and now I found I had to remove about 2 inches, mostly in the back. I’m pleased, of course, but I realize that this is a drawback with losing weight over a long period. I progress steadily and slowly, just as I want, but my clothes don’t shrink with me. I wonder how many times I will need to change my pattern before I’m done. And how many garment I will need to change. It’s not really a big deal- the benefits of doing this slowly are far greater than some sewing hassles, but it does take away a little of the joy in sewing, knowing it will need to be changed soon.

And my chest stubbornly refuses to let go of excess fat. 14 kilos gone and I’ve progressed from a 34HHH to a 34HH. I predict that I will end up looking very silly.

But, back to the gown. Here’s the toile after the first fitting. I needed to take away rather a lot in the back. And after the second fitting, some more at the sides.


As the bodice is pleated to the lining, I cut up half of the toile and spread it out on the fabric. I did an approximate of the original bodice’s width, and how much I would need, being a bigger woman. Also, I did not try to copy the pleat placement of the original. I used them as a guide and then pleated it to fit my own body.




Here I stumbled. The original has a smooth front, and then a pleated piece of fabric is added to give the v-shape. However, my fabric, an embroidered linen, was bought on sale a couple of years ago, long before I had this project in mind. Of course, I ought to have measured and thought before I cut it all up, but I didn’t and now I have to pay the price. However, I cut the front a bit long, so instead of the pleated piece, I can gather the front with a drawstring instead. Not quite what I wanted, but period nevertheless. So now I’m working on setting in the sleeves. The skirt is finished, so the next step is to pit bodice and skirt together.

This and that

I’ve been given an award by Madame Berg. Thank you! Evidently I have to nominee people now, but I’ll have to think about that.


I’m making some changes in my sewing schedule. The Vauxhall will be in three weeks and I will finish my gown before the Regency stays. Why? Because my gown was made in 1797, and it’s quite likely that it was made for 18th century stays. I wanted Regency ones because of 1809, but the timeframe for the Vauxhall is 1772-1809. If I have the time I will finish the later stays, if not, I still have a gown. In Kvinnligt mode the cut of the 1790s round gown and one of the Regency gowns are very similar, apart from the length of the bodice. I’ll cut the 1797’s gown somewhere in between and then I think it can be worn with both kinds of stays. Truth is that with my well-endowed high-waisted body, the waist of a Regency gown would probably be lower than for someone slim and small-chested, anyway.

I’m happily reading my book about Gustaf III’s national costume, and I’ve decided to sew the common gown. Partly because everyone who has it in Gustafs Skål has the court version.


Also because that even if we don’t have personas in Gustafs Skål, I’m aiming to make clothes a woman of my family could have worn. And this means very well to do, upper-class that married into nobility, but lived in the province of Värmland, far from the capital. Which means the common gown with black sleeves instead of black-and-white, shorter train, and with the train up at four points.

The only preserved national gown is just a common one.