Eva's journal

Last Saturday Vendela (younger twin) was going to go to the horse that she takes care of and take photos of me in my regency riding outfit. But the weather forecast said rain all day. It actually didn't rain all day, but we didn't know that beforehand.

But today we are finally going, so now I am going to dig out my clothes and get dressed. I also need to pack normal clothes, because I am walking home the 5 kilometres from her place to where we live afterwards. She's picking me up by car though, so that I can get dressed at home.

But I finished the dress on Wednesday. I'm wearing a modern bra and no petticoat under it.

 Today the various university departments here in Gothenburg had a chance to present themselves to high school students and I had been asked my my department, the Department of Historical Studies, to represent history - and to dress up for it. Since the archaeologist showed a 12th century skull we decided that it was better with another time period than medieval. So I put on one of my regency outfits. It was a bit tricky, since hubby wasn't at home to help me with the ties in the back of the gown. I managed, but couldn't really hide the ties properly by myself. Luckily I ran into hubby downtown who not only took a photo of me, but also helped my with the ties.After the presentation I met Valeria and when we got home I made hummus and then went to the gym for 45 minutes before getting back and making the rest of our dinner consisting of salad, hummus, bread and falafel.

My friend katarian came over for tea and sewign and since I didn't have any othre project to work on I cut out, and actually finished, a bonnet to wear with my wool redingote.





I hope that I will be able to get some photos of me wearing them together this week, With better light, this is really harsh.

I will write a page about in my costuming blog, but not right now, because I am very tired and don't have the energy to sit much by the computer. I also have visitors, and I've already spent too much time beign distracted by the computer.

Now I am going to attach the sleeves. Before it's too late to use the sewing machine.

It needs ties and trimming, but otherwise it's pretty nice and will work well with my velvet spencer I think. It's from raspberry pink silk shantung. I had hoped that there would be enough velvet for a hat, but there was only small scraps left when I had finsihed the new collar.

 Well, actually I love velvet, but not sewing it, my entire kitchen is covered with raspberry pink lint.

Apart from making lint I am going to make a spencer for Saturday's picnic. Just to ensure that the weather stays nice and warm. 

I really want to start on it now, but since I'm using the sewing machine for htis and live in a flat I think I ought to wait until after 8 am.

Yeah, you all know me: I have a tendency to get very enthusiastic about new things, so what I did yesterday is not so strange: I started on a pair of late 18th century transitional stays.

Anna has chosen the very late 18th century as her period for our upcoming regency picnic which of course fueled my enthusiasm. Since I had already bought white thin cotton to make a round gown to be worn either separately or with an open gown, the idea was there already. It was mainly the timing that was affected, since I had thought about making this later in the autumn.

Well, that was not to be: having run out of hand sewing projects that I could work on in the evenings - the embroidered smock I am making for  Valeria requires good lighting and eyes that are not tired - I needed another project. I started with the skirt for the round gown, which will have two rows of very pretty coral pink silk tabby ribbon around the hem. I could not, however start on the bodice before I had decided whether to wear it with my slightly later regency stays, or make a new, late 18th century pair.

And yesterday I decided to go for it. I dug out some strong linen for the stays, my just a little bit too large effigy stays to have some idea of size, and an extremly sturdy polycotton twill that I use for mock-ups for stays.

I also looked around on the internet and found several useful blog posts to help me figure out what I wanted to do.

These were the ones I looked at the most, two of my old friends here in the costuming world, and a new for me blog.

Festive Attyre

Katherine's dress site

Rococo Atelier

Most of these mentioned the book Corsets by Jill Salen, and I have ordered it on ILL, but of course I couldn't wait for that to arrive. So by studying the pictures on Rococo Atelier, which showed both her version with cups, and the original pattern with a gusset I came up with a pattern that I tried with enough success to go on to cutting the linen.

I got as far as making all the lacing holes on one front piece yesterday, and the rest this morning, and I have now also sewn all the boning channels on machine. Yesterday I was sorely tempted to make it all by hand, but sense prevailed, I have lots of real life work and many other projects to work on.

Since I don't have any white bias tape at home, and I'm not that interested in making some I am going to take a walk downtown and get it, as well as catch some pokemon.

 Yesterday I came up with and idea for Anna's birthday present - she doesn't expect one, but she's one of my best friends so of course she should get one. Since she earns about double as much as I do buying stuff seemed pointless, so I decided to make her a bonnet for the Regency picnic. Then she won't have to worry about that.
Her dress is c. 1800 and will be made from yellow silk with blue ribbons to trim it, so I dug through my plastic tub with silk, and found some scraps from a lovely blue habotai that is now, with the help of some linen and fusible interlining (for the brim) a soon finished very pretty bonnet. All it needs is ties, and I will make those tomorrow.