Summer plans; a Victorian weekend by the sea

You can see from the last posts I haven't’ been idle despite my lack of blogposts. I also have plans for
the future. For the fifth year in a row, there'll be a Victorian weekend at Villa Fridhem, a Victorian
boarding house outside Visby. It was built in 1860 for the Princess Eugénie´I have never been there,
but last year a couple of friends went, and had so much fun I felt it was time to go.

The main problem are the clothes. You need a lot; morning clothes, bathing suit, daywear and evening
wear. And I don’t have any 19th century clothes. In fact, apart from the 1830’s, the 19th century
largely leaves me cold. But there are a lot of fun 19th century things going on, and I don’t want to miss
out. The time span for the bathing weekend is 1870-1900, and after discussing wardrobe with my
friend Lithia, we found a solution. I may not be super interested in mainstream fashion, but I’m always
interested in alternative fashions, regarding time. And in the late 19th century we have the often
overlapping Reform Dress movement and the Artistic/Aesthetic Dress movement. So Lithia and I have
decided to go as two artistic ladies, and make our wardrobe accordingly. It’s not a style which is
recreated often; possibly because it's faux-medieval look easily makes them look like badly researched
Medieval clothes.

I’ve finished a reform corset and one set of chemise and drawers. For morning and daywear, I’m using
the Sense of Style pattern. I’m making an overgown in black tropical weight wool, with an undergown
in white cotton batiste.

I’m going the white gown without the overgown for daywear. The inspiration comes from the
Skagen painters who often depicted their spouses in simple white gowns.

A Stroll on the Beach by Michael Ancher, 1896

I’m also making a bathing suit in dark green wool, using The Mantua Maker’s Grecian-Style bathing
suit.

As for evening gown I fell in love with this portrait. I’m making it in green/blue shot taffeta, with
slightly different sleeves.

Mrs Luke Ionides by William Blake Richmond, 1882

And I found these lovely Victorian belt buckle to wear with it!

Even if I will be wearing the reform corset for daywear, I’ll wear a proper corset for this one.

I originally planned to make a bicycle suit too but felt it would be too stressful for now. Possible in the
future! Also, coming up is a 1520's gown.

Planning a Victorian circus outfit

Fräulein Frauke Presents is less than a month away and I have at least decided on my costume and bought the fabric. Now I just have to sew it together. I have decided to go as a line dancer, happily noticing that they look rather sturdily built in the 19th century. I plan to make a version of this costume- a boned bodice with a pair of short and puffed bloomers.




Emily Schadel



Leona Dare

Poster for Leona Dare

Miss Farrinton

Nice colours, yes? Dupion silk from Cheap Fabrics, the green for the bodice, the rose is for the bloomers.

The bloomers ought to be pretty easy to make, but I do worry a bit over the bodice. I must make a pattern myself; there is no getting around it. I strongly suspect that I would need to alter a bought pattern so much that it will probably be easier to make it from scratch anyway. I hope I can get it to fit properly, though.

The Trapeze Artist Standing on Her Trapeze by Jules Garnier

I also need to get a small parasol. Can’t be a proper ballerina without a parasol, can I?

Speaking of line dancers, if you want to know a little about a real Victorian ballerina, read the tragic story about Elvira Madigan and her lover Count Sparre at Rags of Time.

A book on Victorian masquerade costumes

 

While wandering around on the Net I found this absolutely delightful little book Fancy dresses described; or, what to wear at fancy balls by Ardern Holt from 1896. The book contain useful tips as well as descriptions to several hundred different costumes, some illustrated very charmingly, so if you ever wondered what to wear, here is your answer. I feel a strong urge to attend a Victorian costume ball now!

A few costume examples: Brown-haired ladies can, for example, dress up as a Bees, Bride of Abydos, Esmeralda, Harvest or Rose of Castille. Blondes on the other hand may go as Arctic Maiden, Canadian Snow-wreath, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Moonlight or a Water-nymph. Elderly ladies can opt to go as My grandmother, Puritan, Wife of the vicar of Wakefield or Mother Hibbard. Men’s costumes isn’t covered in this book, though there are an appendix for boy’s clothes but a married couple can go as Jack and Jill, Cock and Hen, Day and Night or King and Queen.

The book then describes what is proper to wear on the increasingly popular Calico balls, i.e. masquerades where you were cotton. Like Bo-peep, Five O’clock Tea or One of the Rising Generation. However, Calico is a rather elastic word- cotton-backed satin and cotton velvet can be worn.

As it is very uncomfortable to dance without gloves, one has to make allowances for them. Peasant-girls and other simple costumes can make do with mittens. There are also suggestions as hot to wear your hair for various types of costumes. For 18th century costumes it is advised not to wear wigs, as they are heavy and unbecoming. Instead, dress your hair with brilliantine and then powder it with Violet powder. A so called Poudré ball may see the guests in their usual finery, but with powdered hair.

Remember that a costume ball demand more attention on decorations and that also servants and musicians should be in costume. As for dances, country dances are very popular.

The main section describes all the costumes. Here are a few examples, but I think you should go and read the book in whole for all the suggestions.

ASTROLOGY. Short striped satin skirt in amber, black and red. Cabalistic sign on a band of amber, displaying cat’s heads. Bodice and paniers in red satin with the same insignia, all studded with gold and silver stars; short shoulder cape of black satin, black pointed cap with similar signs; powdered hair. Books and telescope carried in the hand.

BAT. Short dress in grey, blue and gold with long sleeves attached to arm from shoulder to wrist, in the semblance of bat wings. A bow on the front of the bodice recalls a bat with outstretched wings. Bat in hair.

DEW. White crystal tulle dress, trimmed with green grass; veil studded with crystal drops. Hair hanging loose, sprinkled with frosting powder; wreath of grasses.

FENCING. A skirt with perpendicular strips of velvet and leather. A leather jacket with a red heart embroidered on the side. A fencing mask forming a headdress; foils hung at the side.

INFLUENZA. Dress of grey tulle with a hot water bottle on one side and a packet of mustard leaves on the other. A pair of scales in the hair attached to a bandeau on which appears the word “quinine”.

OSTRICH. Ostrich all white and black feathers; an arrangement of plumes at the waist counterfeit the train; head-dress, the bird’s head.

The book end with a several pages long advertisement for Debenhams’s & Freebody.

Victorian circus inspiration

I always enjoy going to Fraulein Frauke Presents and I was a bit annoyed that I couldn’t go last Saturday. However, on November 24 I will get a new chance and this time the theme is Victorian circus.

Late 19th century masquerade costumes

I posted the clover costume in my last post, but I thought it would be nice with the whole series. These images have been living on my hard drive for some eight years, so I have no clue where I once got them. They are lovely, though and I love that you can see the back too.

I have always been fond of 19th century versions of the 18th century.

These are a few of my favourite things

Or rather portraits. It's raining and I have been looking though my Photobucket and now I'm inflicting you with some pictures I particulary like. With that I bid you a festive Midsummer and I will return next week- hopefully with something sewing related.

Elizabeth of Austria

A skirt and two petticoats

Skirt in very crisp silk taffeta. Made of straight pieces. Front and back looks the same, The skirt is slightly gathered to the waistband, and then there are three pleats on each side. Unfortunately I didn't managed to take any good pics. I think it may be from around 1910. Like the other skirt it has a very tiny waists, around 50 cm.

A petticoat made of four pieces. Two slightly gored front pieces, and two curved back pieces. Though it's in silk taffeta, it's not as well made as the other clothes. The ruffle is not finsihed, and very uneven, though that can be because it has been worn a lot. The pocket at the hem is not finsihed either. My guess is 189's.

Front is where my son holds it. Lots of fabric in the back.

Detail of pocket and hem.

Detail of inside hem.

A petticoat made of straight pieces, that has been very carefully gathered at the waist. I don't know what kind of fabric it's made off. It's quite sturdy. Early 1900's is my guess.

It has a beautful pocket,

The waist is constructed a bit oddly. I should have taken more pics, but I'll try to explain. The gathers are held in place with two gathering threads, as you can see on the pic. On the inside a tape is sewn to it, ca 5 cm wide. Then the waist band is only sewn to the petticoat with a few stitches. It seems that when it was worn, it must have looked more like a belt, than a waist band.

Actually, I'm not at all sure anymore why I think the last one is a petticoat and not a skirt. I haven't looked carefully on these clothes since I took the photos and that's six years ago. Time to check them out again, I think.