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I have to confess that I only liked my dress at the Epic Titanic Dinner but thanks to the revamp that Bridget and I did I now LOVE it! It's amazing how small fixes can change everything. "Small" not equaling little time of course, alterations always being time consuming. First Bridget and I pinned up the black chiffon skirt (while it was on me of course, B not having dress form), changing the angle on the side and making it more dramatically asymmetrical. I was way too conservative the first time. Once that was where we like it, we took off the black chiffon "scarf" that was on one side of my bodice along with all the beaded trim on the bodice. We moved the scarf over so it didn't end in the center front, changing the angle so it better matched the skirt. So much better! I then had to completely remove the skirt, recut the top, fold over the top edge, gathered and hand stitched it to the boned bodice lining. Once that was done I stitched the bodice black chiffon back on and re stitched on the vintage beaded trim, keeping it only on the black this time. To balance out the decoration on the bodice I added a row of spaced gold seed beads to the ivory "scarf". 
For such little changes it was a lot of work (mostly thanks to the evil natures of the fabrics involved) but so worth it in the end. Which of course begs the question why didn't I just do that the first time?! I blame the sleep deprivation and the fact that my brain had to keep track of too many things the week I finished the dress. Oh well - it's fixed now!
While I was working on the construction bits Bridget was going to town on the embellishment. She beaded the gold laces on the top and bottom then finished the beading by gluing rhinestones and sequins all over. Yay - bee bling!! *happy butt wiggle* Tags: 20th:1912-in-2012, z:archive:20th:etd.gown
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The Epic Titanic Dinner – wow where do I start?! It was everything I dreamed it would be, maybe even more. I can finally cross off "do a grand costumed Edwardian multi-course meal" from my bucket list. It wasn’t perfect by any means; we definitely had our shares of snafus, mistakes, unfortunate events and kitchen disasters but considering we aren’t professionals, we didn't have a staff of 15 and life happens really it couldn’t have gone any better. I achieved what I started out to do – cook a meal that did some justice to the great Edwardian obsession with food and extravagance, create an atmosphere that set the mood for my guests and give all involved a chance to learn about a fascinating period of history first hand. Icing on the cake was really enjoying the process, that everyone looked amazing and the time I got to spend with dear friends. Probably my biggest regret is the photos & videos that weren’t taken but in the case of my staff they were too busy serving (in more than one sense!), my guests were seemed to be too busy enjoying the experience (both of which I’m grateful for and take as a compliment) and I just plain forgot with everything that was going on. So I’m bummed about some of the gaps but oh well! 
I’ll write more about the details and how we got there over the next few weeks but for now here are the all important photos. I combined my photos and those of Valorie Mundie of For Such a Time As This Photography as well as few of my favorites from others (*wink*). I broke them into a couple of sets ‘cause that made more sense to me at the time. The Dinner & Absinthe AfterpartyBehind the Curtain (staff and in the kitchen)The FoodOther's Photos: IsabellaKatherineKatCasey
And for more on the pretty frocks, here are their blog posts: Nicole (Diary of a Mantua Maker)Katherine (Koshka's Fashionable Past)Gwendolyn (Idlewild Illustré)Casey (Elegant Musings)Aubry (A Fractured Fairytale)Tags: etd, parties&events
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The skirt toileing yesterday went really well. I played around with the seams using pins at first, trying to figure out if I wanted to go with the pleats all the way around (the way the skirt was intended to be made) or if I just wanted one in the back (more like the Cordelia). I decided I liked the slimmer front, full back so I played around with pins working on the fullness. When I was happy I stitched up the seams and tried it on. Laaaa!!! I'm so happy with this skirt, I can't even tell you. It's flattering and makes me feel like a queen when I walk in it (It really has to be seen in action hence the crappy little video...). And that is in muslin! I didn't slim the hip area too much in the back, putting my dress definitely in the 1910-11 range but I'm fine with that. I can’t wait to see this in my fashion fabric! I had Mom mark the hem (so my pattern could be more accurate) then started playing around with train options. Looking through my research files I’m mostly seeing pointed or triangle trains and squared off trains. Round ones are there too but the triangle and square seem to be more popular, the triangle especially so in 1912.
So I played around with the triangle. My first try was very slim and pointed, like a pennant flag. I liked it but pondering the train, it really was too long. This is an evening gown not a court dress.
So I shortened it, changing the angle of the train to more of a triangle. I like it! I should probably futz with it a bit more (I'm more hoping than anything that it will lay nicely when finished which makes me nervous) but mentally I'm really done with toileing. I need to move on with this project! So I declared it good enough and starting tracing off all the master patterns - skirt, bodice foundation and sleeve bodice. I got everything but the skirt back piece done last night before bedtime. Today I start cutting my fabrics - exciting!! Tags: 20th:1912-in-2012, z:archive:20th:etd.gown
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 Lookie - actual sewing being done at Chez Jenny-Rose! Shocking I know!
This week, in between headaches and general ickyness, I've been working on my 1912 loungewear. I've really been struggling with getting started on the evening gown for some reason. I think part of it is being overwhelmed with everything else in my sewing /real life and feeling little confidence about being able to actually pull the project off. (The ghosts of all those failed 1912 dresses are haunting me these days.) So I decided that I needed to get something off my list and get some costuming success under my belt. The "Flying Wrap" requires little fitting, no mock-ups and should be fairly straightforward to construct so it fit the bill perfectly.
I decided that, tempting as the other options were, I wanted to go with an Oriental-inspired silhouette for my wrap. So I started by pulling out my old black Titanic Kimono and the pattern I used for it (Butterick 6698). Thank goodness I keep dress diaries! I was able, with the help of my website, to go back and figure out all the changes I made to the Butterick pattern. I then traced out a new pattern, incorporating some new changes as well as the old.
The biggest change was to flare out the skirt. Kimonos are basically tubes, which is awesome if you want the traditional Japanese look and/or have no hips. I wanted something more loose and flowy so I drafted in a bit more fullness in the skirt, paying close attention to the hip area.
Then I cut my silk taffeta. When I started laying out the pattern pieces I paniced that I wouldn't have enough fabric. So I turned the sleeve pattern 180°, which meant I lost some length but I decided it wasn’t a big deal. With the sleeve pattern turned I laid out the other pieces just to make sure I had enough fabric and I ended up with ¼" to spare - dude it doesn't get any closer than that!
After the silk was cut I whipped up all the seams and attached the sleeves, using dreaded French seams. They aren’t hard just not my favorite! But I didn't want to line the wrap so I had no choice. Once the basic shell was together I measured the neckline, hem and sleeve hem so I could cut the velvet bands. My velvet was a great deal and a lovely color but to be honest it's not a great quality stuff. So to give it a better hand, help with the shredding issue and hopefully make it look more expensive I decided to cut all the bands on the bias. I shouldn't have worried about not having enough fabric this time around I had plenty to spare. I might even have enough to make a Flying Dress jacket out of it after all! Or maybe a Gainsbourgh hat, in navy blue instead of the traditional black. *ponders*
So that is where I left it last night. To be honest at the moment it looks (and when I wear it feels) like academic dress. Once I draped some of the velvet bias bands on it really has the feel of a doctoral gown but Mom assures me that once I get all the velvet and beads on and add my 1912 nightgown and accessories I won't look like I need a mortarboard with a tassel. Golly I hope she is right! :P Tags: z:archive:20th:titanic.loungewear
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