Sewing update - 19th and 12th centuries

[frualeydis]

You're not going to believe this, but yesterday I actually took up working on my 1850s wardrobe again. I cut (well, tore) the pieces for a petticoat with four flounces. I managed to sew one together and hem it and that's it. The sewing machine is in our sleeping room so after Maja has been put to bed only hand sewing can be done. I'm not really enthusiastic about the project, so it's okay that I can't sew more. But I want to finish at least one 19th c. outfit. The former, an 1850s summer dress in printed cotton is currently on hold, because I can't get the d-mn pleated bodice to work. So now I'm going to make another dress, that better fits the season too, from brown rayon twill. It both looks and feels very much like my silk twill so I have no problems using it. In fact I plan to use the same fabric for my Tudor dress, which BTW is way more tempting. But I'm definitely going to make the petticoats and a corset cover before I even start thinking about making a Tudor. The other ongoing projects are Rickard's tunicella, which proceeds nicely and a beret I'm knitting on occasionally. I have smocked and sewn in one side gore on the tunicella and am currently working on the smocking on the other. I was going to fell seams yesterday while watching armillary's The Lion in Winter, but I needed to press the seams first and guess where the ironing board is? So instead I started on the smocking of the second gore. And I love that "film" (I guess it's not technically a film since it's two episodes). It's very much filmed theatre, but the dialouge is wonderful and the acting, especially the interaction between Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close.

Oh, and a strange thing: I have gained two kilos since summer (I have my period so some of it could be water, but not all), but I still can almost close my 1860s corset, which I couldn't when I made it a year ago, as can be seen from these pictures. When I close it completely it has too little room for the bust though, which it actually had also when I took those pictures. That is a constant problem with corsets for me, they compress the bust too much. Because the bust is so soft and can be squished a lot and when you tighten your corset it of course tightens most where it's easiest. I probably should make a new Lavinia Foy corset that is bigger over the bust and a little bigger over the lover ribcage and smaller in the waist.

Comments

[armillary.livejournal.com]

I started rereading John Gillinghams "Richard I" again after watching it. There's no mention of the 1183 winter court, but this is close on the heels of the death of "the young king" Henry and right before Richard starts quarreling with his brothers again.

Gillingham mentions Henry's and Alice's possible relationship as a rumour. The other thing with Richard seems to be a later invention - nothing appears in contemporary sources; what relationship existed was more of a political nature. Just FYI :)

-- Björn

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I only saw the first episode, but count on seeing the second tonight. Rickard is away gaming so I need some distraction.

Eva

Lacing of corset

[(Anonymous)]

Have you tried to lace your corset with 2 or 3 strings as described in this article from the January 1901 issue of The Delineator? It should make it possible to have a looser fit over the chest area.

Scroll down to year 1901 on the page:

http://www.laracorsets.com/History_of_the_corset_10_1900-1910.htm

Article from the January 1901 issue of The Delineator discussing the new Marie Antoinette Dip, Juno Bust and how to lace a corset. 3 strings are recommended to properly lace a corset.

From 1901 so I am not sure when this idea came up.

Best regards
Heidi Sørli

Re: Lacing of corset

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Very good idea, which I hadn't heard of. I've thought about it of course, but all information I could get on lacing 19th c. corsets was to use one lace that you tie at the waist. Must be tried.

Eva