WWII Reenacting woes...

So today I went to a fantastic WWII museum (dressed 1940's style in the shirtdress and a new hairnet/snood I crocheted).  I've always been interested in not only the fashion styles of a time period, but also the things that were going on.  When I get into a time period, I am interested in everything I can find out about it.  Going today has kind of re-sparked my interest in WWII reenacting.  I've been trying to figure out some way that I and a few of my friends could get involved.  I am not really interested in being a nurse (well, maybe, I haven't tried it) or a "girlfarb" (I could never, never pass for a guy.).  I am thinking about maybe doing some USO kind of things, or trying to make my own group of "home front" reenactors who could do presentations at a military reenactment, to show the other side of things.  I wish there were more opportunities for women in WWII reenacting (although I understand there are similar issues with Civil war reenacting also.).  There aren't really very many roles women (and children, for that matter) can accurately portray.  Unfortunately, even the most accurately dressed 1940's American female civilian does not belong in a 1940's war zone any more than a modern person does.  That's not going to stop me from dressing out to go to a reenactment, though.  I still feel more accurate that way, even if I'm not.  I'm going to try to find (or make) more opportunities for my friends and I to reenact.  If any readers know of any, would you be so kind as to make suggestions?

Rebecca

Finally Finished 1780's Stays!

Well, here they are!  I finished my new back- and front-lacing 1780's stays last week.  The pattern fits very well, and they are surprisingly comfortable most of the time.  They were originally intended to have straps, and they may one day, but I like them as they are for now (even with the little stubs, they don't get in the way that much though).  The chanels are all machine sewn, except for the first channel I did, which made me decide to use the machine!  The binding and eyelets are handsewn, however. 

Materials:

Top layer- Linen

Middle layer- Denim

Inside layer- Cotton muslin

Boning- Thin cable ties (Strategically placed, and they are definitely enough for my figure.  I tried a few larger ones, but I had issues with them twisting in the channels.  The boning was placed between the 2 inside layers, because it showed under just the top layer)

You can see how the stays have already conformed to my figure a little bit.  I have worn them for about 7-10 hours so far.

And a few shots of the inside...

I didn't take many in-progress shots, because I was sewing like mad to get them done so I could start some other projects.

Testing out the channel width and boning choice.

The two front panels, which were lonely for a few months until I felt like sewing the rest of them.

I hope you enjoyed seeing them!

Rebecca

Working, working...

I apologize for not having posted in so long.  The reason is that I've been sewing like crazy!  In the past few days, I have finished my 18th century stays and started a new linen round gown.  I will be working on photographing the stays as soon as I can, and the gown once it is done.  I'm trying to finish it in time for an event next weekend, we'll see how that goes...

Rebecca
(PS:  For some reason, my fabric for the Sacque back dress has still not arrived!  I'm not sure what to do about it, I've already called Joann's.)

A Summer of Sewing!

So, as I have just finished school for the year, I thought I would tell you about my summer sewing plans (In time order):

         1. A 40's/50's dance dress.

My ballroom dance class is doing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", and my boyfriend and I are the youngest couple, and we are also good at tricks, so the dress I wear has certain qualifications that it has to meet in order for me to dance in it (it can't fly up too much, but the skirt has to be loose enough for movement, etc.).  Right now I only have 1 40's dress (the one I made for my sister), but it has a tighter skirt so I can't do all of the tricks in it. Therefore, I will be making a new one, which has to be my first project because the recital is in June.  

My fabric:

I am going to make a late 40's/50's style shirtdress out of this, because I've always wanted one, it will be perfect for dancing, and it is a lovely 50's teal!


2: Finish the waistcoat.
(I am making this as a gift for my boyfriend, and I'm not going to post pictures until it's done)
I have this mostly done, all I need to do is put in the pockets and sew in the lining.


3: Finish my stays.
These have to be done before I can make any more 18th century gowns, jackets, etc., because they are the foundation for the rest of my clothes.


4: Make panniers.
I am going to make the kind that have two parts, like Leomomi's.  I'll need to make panniers because me next project is...


5: A Francaise/Sacque back gown (!)
I am so excited about this one!  I can't wait to start it, which I guess is good, because hopefully it'll help me get done with the other ones faster.


My fabric:



It's a cotton "chintz" fabric with about 5 colors, which would be more expensive than just 1 color because they would have to make 5 different blocks, 1 for each color.  It was a status symbol in the same way as silk was.  There are several  extant red print gowns, many of which are cotton print.  Therefore I feel comfortable with using this fabric. 
(UPDATE: this fabric is taking FOREVER to ship, so unfortunately it may have to be moved down the list a bit if it doesn't get here before I need it.)


My inspiration for the gown:



The Mint Museum
I like this, although it is probably silk, and I don't have enough fabric to make a matching petticoat.



MFA
This gown is closer to what I want.  It is a cotton print, with sleeve ruffles, and it has a non-matching petticoat (Mine will probably be red).  I also want to include the narrow tucker around the neckline.


6: A Quarter-back gown.


My fabric:



This is a really pretty 1-color block-print cotton, in the same fabric as the one above.  I'm going to make the gown out of this, but there is so much fabric I might be able to make more things.  (It would make a nice pet-en l'air).



The Historical New England collection


I want my dress to look exactly like this one, but in red print and as an open gown/polonaise.


7. A new "nice" apron and cap
I have some linen check material that I am going to make a more stylish cap and apron, for wearing with nicer gowns, like these.


8. A petticoat that will match both gowns.
(Probably red)


(The "If I have time and/or money" category)


9. A blue linen roundgown
This will be something I can wear to my site because it's more of a working-class type gown, but it will have trimming. It will be in this linen:

       

Sphinx, by fabrics-store.com

10. A new linen shift

11. A Costume Close-up jacket

In this material:

A grey linen-cotton material with a white stripe.

Well, I think that's about the most I'll be able to do in one summer, and hopefully I'll be able to get it all done. I'll try to do better and post some dress diaries as I go along.  These are some exciting projects!

Rebecca

Reenacting?

As of late, I have been experiencing a sort of disillusionment with 18th century reenacting. The primary site I go to is no longer offering the same reenacting opportunities, and I'm not sure where exactly to go from here. You see, reenacting is easier when you have a family that all goes to events together, but mine doesn't do that. I am, effectively, a reenacting orphan; the only member of my family who reenacts. I have a few "adoptive families" I stay with at events, but it's not the same.

However, the main thing I've realized I don't like about the reenacting I've been doing, which is site-centered, is that it limits my growth in my knowledge of historic fashion. For instance, my site encourages the use of shortgowns and petticoats to the exclusion of all else, like roundgowns, etc. which are also accurate and under-represented. If I stay with place-centered reenacting, I will never make a sacque, or a quilted silk petticoat, or anything similar to these that would further advance my skill and variety as a historical seamstress, because they were not things people in my area would have had.

So after some thought, I have decided to stop limiting my 18th C sewing projects to the styles and materials that would have been available in my area and my time period. I am branching out into a different sort of reenacting, which I think of as time-centered reenacting. No longer will I only portray a woman on the frontier, but my opportunities are opened up to being a gentry woman, etc. The key of what I am saying here is that I am no longer bound by place. I can make a silk sacque, or anything else a wealthy woman from Williamsburg might have had if I wish.

This does not mean that I am going to stop going to my site or reenacting there altogether, or that I will wear a silk sacque to a place where my persona is poor. It does mean, however, that I am now open to do some projects I would previously not have done. I am excited about my new opportunities, and this change of attitude is rather refreshing.

Rebecca

(Note: This is not to discourage anyone who is solely a site-centered reenactor, I am just expressing my views as someone who enjoys sewing fashions from different social levels and now has the freedom to do just that with 18th century!)

How to dress in the 18th century:

I am officially done with school for the semester, so Friday night I was able to open this!

"She" is almost exactly my measurements, except I can't get the hips quite large enough, but that's okay, because I don't really intend to be making pants on her (and I have two legs!).

So without further ado, my first tutorial:

DRESSING IN THE 18TH CENTURY