I just
looked at my previous plans in January for 2013 dresses, and see I only made
one of them. On the other hand, I made some others not originally planned on. So
the “Best Laid Plans” don’t actually work in my sewing room I guess. And since
many of our costume guild’s events are spur of the moment, you never know when
something will come up. So maybe after reading this you’ll understand why I try
to have so many different eras in my closet.
I went to fifteen
costume events this year; some of them were three weekends in a row. And five
of them were fashion shows. I especially liked them because I get to wear some
of my dresses multiple times. Sometimes I even get to pick out my favorite ones
to wear. And sometimes I make new ones just for the fashion shows. That was
a lot of events I went to for one year, even for me.
January
started out quiet, just how I like it, and I was able to work on some new
outfits. In February I dragged my hand crank sewing machine out and attended
the Vista Civil War reenactment at Mrs. Cressman’s Dressmakers tent.
In February
I wore a new 1886 black mourning gown that I specifically made for the
Riverside Dickens fashion show where I presented my half of the show, “One Hundred
Years of Mourning Fashion”. This show turned out to be truly a high point for
my year, especially in working with all 9-12 ladies who each made their own
gown for the time period they picked. We repeated it again, adding and
subtracting a couple ladies, at Costume College the following August. I can’t
repeat enough how grateful I was to all the ladies involved, and their hard
work to make it such a success. And now I’m keeping my ears open for another
chance to wear my gown, and maybe get the band back together again.
This also
made me open to the idea of making a couple other years of mourning dresses,
specifically 1830s, 1905 and 1910. I may keep going and end up with a whole
closet of different era mourning gowns, which, by adding some white or trims to
it, could also be fashionable little black dresses.
In March I flew
up to Washington to visit family and was again in the fashion show at the
Victorian Festival in Port Townsend. I was joined by some of my friends from
SITU, the Seattle-based costume guild, who have now started being in the
fashion show too.
It was kind
of chilly for it but I wore my 1905 Pink Floral gown, and my Red and Black Checked 1872 bustle gown. Later I wore that around town since it was warmer.
In April I was asked to be in a fashion show at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles and wear my Bloomer gown. It was a lot of fun but I never got any photos taken of me. I did take some of the other ladies and gents in it.
The next day our
costume guild held an English Authors Picnic in Balboa Park where we all
dressed as characters or authors from English books. The costumes that came out
of this were amazing and you could really see the talents of so many people. I
wore my first 1830s lavender floral gown as Miss Matty from Cranford. Someone
from the San Diego Public Library saw us and asked if we could repeat our
costumes at the grand opening of the new Central San Diego Library and we gave
a resounding YES!
I made a new
gown specifically for the Gaslight Gathering Steampunk & Victoriana fashion
show in May. The theme was Ladies Arts & Leisure Activities. It was my
first foray into the Natural Form dress era of 1878, where I portrayed a lady
photographer of the time period. I also wore my 1905 Pink Floral gown again as
a seamstress. Afterwards I walked around in my Black & White Polka Dot polonaise.
In June our
guild was invited to be part of the grand opening of the Warner Carrillo Rancho
museum in Warner Springs where it got to 112d! As much as I love being part of
any museum event, that one was a killer! Most of us wore lighter weight cotton
gowns. I wore my Black & White Polka Dot 1873 gown & it has been one of
my favorites this year. Later we drove into Julian just so we could cool off
there.
The following July I was asked if I would model
my Bloomer gown in Old Town San Diego where the fashion show would be a
timeline of women’s clothing. They wanted to show what some women wore when
they came to California, and my Bloomer was a great addition. I was happily
surprised when I found out they had one young lady wearing the same dress but
before it was converted to Bloomers.
At the same
time I was trying to get ready for Costume College on August 1, and had two
dresses I wanted to make for it, besides the above mentioned mourning gown. I
made an 1890s Seaside gown that I really really like, especially the cute
little boater hat I trimmed. On the other hand I was disappointed in my 1905
Lavender Silk Voile dress when I tried cutting out the neckline to put a lace
insert with lavender velvet ribbon on it. It made the shoulder and neckline
totally wonky and just didn’t look very good on me. Happily I have more of that
fabric, and when I have time, I’ll make the bodice again. I also found that the
lavender didn’t show well in photos and actually looked olive green most of the
time. So any trims added to it, and the belt, will be a darker purple.
I had to
take the rest of the month off from events as I was getting burned out from the
last couple months. In place of that I hosted one of Shelley Peters’ Sewing Workshops so I could get some help finishing up a 1911 corset I had
started. I haven’t had a chance to wear it with anything yet, but I’m ready!
At the end
of September we reprised our English authors and characters at the Central San
Diego Library grand opening. There were so many of us that it looked like the
books had all come alive.
So now I had
a bit of a break and went back up to Washington to visit family again. But then
I was asked by SITU since I was going to be up there, could I be on a panel
with their guild to explain and discuss the benefits of coming to Costume
College? The easiest costume to pack for this was my 1890s Seaside gown. It
was kind of cold to be wearing it but we were indoors most of the time. I may
be wearing this next March for the Port Townsend fashion show if I go again.
On the 2nd
day of November our guild again led the Dia de los Muertos Candlelight
Procession in Old Town San Diego and I made a new mourning gown specifically
for this. It’s still warm this time of year for us and I needed something other
than taffeta, and not so bulky. I made a simple black embroidered cotton 1873
polonaise and Cindy’s daughter, Amy, painted my face for me this year. And I
added a colorful floral headpiece to my outfit. I know this is going to become
my go-to mourning outfit for other events.
The weekend
right after that was our guild’s 18th Century Picnic in Balboa Park. Again our
weather was beautiful and warm, and we couldn’t have had a better location.
And then the
following weekend was our Costume Walkabout at the Del Mar Antique Show, one of
my favorites. The theme was Dandies & Divas, and was totally open to our
interpretation. I didn’t wear anything new but this was only the third time I've worn my 1795 Empire Open Robe.
Oh, and that
was another one of those three-events-in-a-row months.
December
started out really busy the first week. A couple of
us reprised our costume fun being in the El Cajon Parade of Lights, where we
rode on the fire engine with Santa during the parade. I planned on wearing my Red & Black Checked gown for as many events as I could.
A few days later I joined some of my friends who went to the holiday open house at
Heritage House in Riverside.
And finally, our showstopper: the last event of the year- our costume guild’s annual holiday
dinner. But there was no slacking off for me when Cindy challenged me to make
matching plaid gowns for it. As of today I almost have the rest of the trimmings added to it but am able to take my time now
since it won’t be needed for awhile.
So, the
total of new costumes for this year was five, along with one corset. Not bad.
And here I
end my year and as soon as I click on Publish this blog I will be walking to
another room, lay out my cutting board on the bed and start cutting my next
projects, two 1830s dresses, with one being a mourning gown. The third one was
already in progress being sewn, and these will be done on my “Assembly Line
Method”.
Happy New
Year from Chloe and me! I think I’ve worn her out too.
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