1840´s Printed Cotton Day Dresses

Third chapter of our summer photo-shoot, and it´s the 1840´s! We had these dresses (and all the underpinnings) on the day before right after we shot 1880´s dresses and a terrible rain started so we couldn´t proceed. However, next day was sunny so here we come! I´m wearing white printed cotton 1840´s Day Dress that´s making process can be found here. I have taken out the zip and replaced it with tiny snap fasteners. Hooks and eyelets would have been more period accurate but since the dress fastens on it´s back, I still wanted to be able to dress myself in it... somehow anyway. ;) I also shortened the bodice. Lily is wearing dark red printed cotton 1840´s Day Dress which actually is first Victorian dress I have made. Large pointy collar is embellished with linen bobbin lace. 

Lily is wearing white hairpin lace shawl made of wool. I´m wearing knitted Victorian large rectangular shawl with diamond pattern. It is an actual early Victorian shawl pattern from the book Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby.

Embroidered reticule.

Matching reticule with crochet lace.

Detail of engageantes (=undersleeves).

Stay tuned, more photos are coming soon! ;)

50´s Shawl Collar Coat

The weather is getting warmer and my winter coat starts to feel hot. I need a "transition coat" , warm enough to protect against the cold wind but thinner than a regular winter coat. This pattern is from last year´s November issue of Burda magazine, High Society Collection, nice! ;)

There wasn´t enough of fabric for whole coat in the store and I definitely wanted just this one so I´m improvising with the collar and facing. I got a grey-dusty pink boucle fabric which I will line with matching lace fabric.

Cutting the pattern. Since I don´t have a large cutting table (yet), I´m rolling the fabric as I´ve pinned the pieces and then I start cutting from the open end. This way I can be sure everything fits in.

The pieces are cut out. Now the boring part, transferring the pattern...

All the pieces sandwiched together. And look who thinks it is a new nest for her, Geisha cannot resist fabrics...

"This pile is mine!"

The fabric wasn´t feeding equally so I decided to try my new walking foot, aka Even-Feed Foot. It is a low shank attachment so it fits Henrietta well. And it really works, I´m surprised! The thing is, it is a bit slow for my taste. I like to sew quite fast, especially straight boring seams. Of course it might be the thick fabric´s fault it was slow. ;) I will have to try this attachment with some cotton fabric and see how it works there.  Since this isn´t a plaid, where would be lines to match, I switched back to regular presser foot.

Front view at the walking foot.

A large working space indeed! Henrietta is going strong. :)

I really like the oversized shawl collar on this coat. The right side is lined with lace fabric.

Coat awaiting the sleeves and lining. Oh, and the buttonholes!

Henrietta´s automatic buttonhole presser foot was too small for the buttons I bought. So I´ve made the buttonholes with Patsy´s regular buttonhole presser foot.

 And some knitting for a change...

Blocking the shawl wrong side up.

I have finally finished Victorian Rectangle With Center Diamond Pattern! :) This shawl is from the book Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. Although I´ve had this book for years, this is the first project I´ve made from it. The center diamond pattern was really easy to work and the shawl was knitted quite fast. But the border pattern took a while to memorize. I don´t mean attaching the border as you go, nearly the stitch pattern. Anyway, I´m very pleased with the outcome, the yarn is gorgeous as well and I shall be making more shawls from this lovely book!

A detail of the knit-on border. This is a clever technique which gives unlimited possibilities for edgings.