A Pink Sateen Corset with Pearl Flossing

"Properly constructed, corsets are, as articles of dress, 

the most beneficial that can be constructed" 

~ Madam Roxey A. Caplin, 

Health and Beauty:Women and Her Clothing (1864)

Time replace the old corset with a new one of blush pink sateen with pearl satin floss!

Construction Details

Like my previous model, I began with the pattern pieces from Past Patterns #708 and made modifications as necessary.  I was also able to apply some of the construction techniques that I learned in my independent study in theatrical corsetry.  From the most basic grading of seam allowances to reduce bulk, to pressing over a ham to mold the gussets (preventing those ugly wrinkles when wearing), and a better method of laying in gussets, being neat in every step of the making does count! 

Corset exterior (left) and interior (right)

For this corset, I chose to use a sturdy cotton drill with a blush colored cotton sateen as the fashion fabric.  Each individual piece was cut three times, twice from the drill for an inner and outer lining, and once from the sateen with an extra quarter inch seam allowance.  The outer layer of drill and sateen were then flat lined and basted together so that they would act as one piece.

I also added a modified "waist stay" by edge stitching a piece of twill tape to the inner lining pieces, which should help take any strain from lacing.  Next time, I would add a true waist stay, which would be a continuous piece of twill tape, usually held in by the boning tape (not needed in a double-layer corset).

The pictures above show one of the back hip gussets.  After thread tracing the stitch lines, the seam allowances were pressed under, slashing at the point, and then the gussets were top stitched into place.  This particular method of setting in gussets was a major "ah ha" moment for me during my independent study - no more ugly tucks or puckers at the points, yay!  The process was repeated for all sixteen gussets and all of the seam allowances were further graded to reduce bulk.  

Next, I installed the slot and stud busk at the front and size 00 grommets at the back, cleanly and conveniently joining the inner and outer pieces.  The sides were "log cabin" seamed, which encases the seam allowances, to finish the interior, and eight flat steel bones were added for support.  The top and bottom were bound with self-fabric bias tape and securely whip stitched in place.  

Finally, for the finishing touches, I flossed the corset with a shimmery, pearl-colored satin floss.  Flossing is a functional embroidery traditionally used to help hold corset bones in place.  This floss, however, shredded with every stitch, so I ended up switching to a cotton DMC floss for the gusset points (otherwise I'd still be fighting with that terrible satin floss!)  All that aside, I think the finished product turned out nicely!

Completed Project Pictures

Front view.

Front exterior view.

Back exterior view.

Back view.

Close up of the front with busk and flossing details. 

Now onto make a new chemise and drawers to complete the set! 

Dainty Delicate Dolladine, The Prettiest Girl That Ever Was Seen! [Doll Dress & Photo Shoot]

THIS is the way we dress the Doll:— 

You may make her a shepherdess, the Doll, 

If you give her a crook with a pastoral hook, 

But this is the way we dress the Doll. 

For all of you doll and Bustle Era fashion fans out there, this post is for you!  Greatly inspired by Lydia Ann (follow her adventures here: Lydia Ann the Traveling Doll), and the more local companions - Anna Bauersmith's traveling doll Cali & Allison's Lucinda - it's about time we had a little adventurer too!  With neither the appropriate China head, nor the craftiness to make one like Lucinda, what's a girl to do other than pull out her childhood American Girl Doll?  That's right, meet our first-ever, official traveling doll of the Young Sewphisticate: Virginia Rose, called Ginny.

To welcome our newest addition, today's double feature includes both a fun photo shoot and look into the construction of Ginny's first Victorian dress.  

The ladies - Judy & Ariana - and the doll.

Completed Project Shots:

*All of the photographs presented in this post are the original creations of The Young Sewphisticate.  Copying our photographs without obtaining permission and/or leaving proper credit is prohibited.*

During the shoots for our upcoming installments of the Historical Interpretation How Tos, this impromptu series at the Hamilton House arose after Ariana, my "museum twin," agreed to model with Ginny.  In addition to being one of my nearest and dearest friends at GCV, Ariana is a delight to work with in front of (and behind) the camera.  She just looks the part!  

The model: Ariana, standing by the desk of John D. Hamilton.

Part I - Just a Girl & Doll 

Bless the Doll, you may press the Doll, 

But do not crumple and mess the Doll! 

This is the way we dress the Doll. 

First, you observe, her little chemise, 

As white as milk, with ruches of silk; 

And the little drawers that cover her knees,

As she sits or stands, with golden bands, 

And lace in beautiful filagrees. 

Part II - Tea for Two

Now these are the bodies: she has two, 

One of pink, with rouches of blue, 

And sweet white lace; be careful, do! 

And one of green, with buttons of sheen, 

Buttons and bands of gold, I mean, 

With lace on the border in lovely order, 

The most expensive we can afford her! 

Part III - All Dainty & Delicate

Then, with black at the border, jacket 

And this—and this—she will not lack it; 

Skirts? Why, there are skirts, of course, 

And shoes and stockings we shall enforce, 

With a proper bodice, in the proper place, 

(Stays that lace have had their days

And made their martyrs); likewise garters, 

All entire. But our desire 

Is to show you her night attire, 

At least a part of it. Pray admire 

This sweet white thing that she goes to bed in! 

It’s not the one that’s made for her wedding: 

That is special, a new design, 

Made with a charm and a countersign, 

Three times three and nine times nine: 

These are only her usual clothes.

Look, there’s a wardrobe! gracious knows 

It’s pretty enough, as far as it goes! 

Part IV - Pretty, Little Lullaby 

So you see the way we dress the Doll: 

You might make her a shepherdess, the Doll, 

If you gave her a crook with pastoral hook,

With sheep, and a shed, and a shallow brook, 

And all that, out of the poetry-book. 

Bless the Doll, you may press the Doll, 

But do not crumple and mess the Doll! 

This is the way we dress the Doll; 

If you had not seen, could you guess the Doll? 

Just for fun...an outtake!  As she bolted across the room, the camera clicked at just the right moment for this...oh Ariana, how you make us laugh!  

The face of excitement.

Poem is "Dressing the Doll" by William Brighty Rands.  Special thanks again to the model, Ariana! 

Doll Dress Construction:

Ginny's first outfit and outing were successful I'd say!  It amazed me how much work went into such a small outfit.  All things worth doing take time, and doll clothing, as I found out, is no exception.

Doll sized details!

In looking for doll-sized Bustle Era inspiration, I came across Pixie Faire, a one-stop-shop for all things 18" doll clothing related!  They must have hundreds of patterns and a very dangerous historical line...so, I splurged on the 1880s Mary and Laura Pattern.

My review?  Highly recommended!  All of the pattern pieces fit together perfectly, and, though I only briefly skimmed through the directions, they seemed clear and easy to follow.  I would definitely purchase from Pixie Faire again.

Since I was in a rush to complete the outfit for photos, I machined anything that wouldn't show with finishing touches by hand.  The outfit is constructed in two parts including an underskirt:

A very narrow placket.

And the overdress which fastens in the back:  Rather than dealing with button holes, I cheated and used velcro and snaps.  The trickiest part of the project was getting those facings to play nice.  Next time, I would skip the facings entirely and add a full lining.

Tiny darts and fold up cuffs!

No outfit would be complete without the accessories!  Check out the cutest, little Victorian boots and mother of pearl buckle that I ordered through Etsy:

Hand-stitched straw hat & matching ribbon belt.

The little straw hat, made in Anna Worden Bauersmith's doll millinery workshop, that started the whole project: 

From the front, decorated with ribbon, flowers & feathers.

From the side.  I added a tiny comb to help secure the hat.

From the other side, with a floral pin serving as a doll-sized hat pin!

And finally, Ginny all put together:

Bless the Doll, you may press the Doll, 

But do not crumple and mess the Doll! 

This is the way we dress the Doll; 

If you had not seen, could you guess the Doll? 

2016 Summer Plans

With summer here today and gone tomorrow, I felt like writing my plans down on paper, or sharing them on the blog!

Comtesse de Ceres (sleeve detail, reverse image),
Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-LeBrun, 1784
(Image via: Pinterest) 

Number One - Work at the Genesee Country Village & Museum

My Goals for the 2016 Season:

(1) Research, research, research!  With all of the new buildings that I have been regularly scheduled in, being well read - not just on the buildings themselves and family biographies, but on the history of the furniture, clothing and crafts associated - is key to developing successful interpretations.  There is nothing more exciting than being able to answer just about any question thrown at you by a visitor.

In fact, I've barely been sewing this summer as I've been having so much fun compiling research (from a combination of the provided housebooks and independent findings) into interpretation binders:

I have compiled all of my interpretation notes & articles into 2" binders!
Volume 3 is entirely devoted to19th Century Fashion...

 Each building - which totals ten so far - receives its own colored divider, and then multiple tabbed sections that differ depending on the themes of that building's interpretation.  I have also started a separate binder for 19th century fashions...Devoting my days off and late nights to the quest for knowledge, I have no idea how many hours I have spent researching thus far...I may be a little very obsessed!

Yes, in case you were wondering, each page is double sided!

(2) Historical Hairstyle How-tos - In addition to the clothing, getting the hair just right is important to the look.  I don't consider myself particularly talented at hair dressing, so I'd like to work on developing better historical hair styling skills.

Here are some examples from this season:  How am I doing so far?

1800s-1820s: Part hair into two sections.  Form a high sitting ponytail with the top section (this should be fuller than the bottom section), braid it and pin into a bun.  Braid the lower section into a low, side braid, and wrap around the top section bun for a nice twisted effect.  (Also great for capturing those fly aways!  Though for my hair, it's a hopeless cause...)  Add ringlets to the front.

Here you can sort of see the low braid that trails up into the high bun...

1870s:  I've done this before for GCV's Victorian fashion show!  High braided bun with a large coronet braid (wish I also had a front view to show how high the braid stands...)  Layers of ringlets.  Some flowers or ribbons might be a nice addition to explore.

1870s-1880s:  Practically the reversal of the previous style!  I've been told the style makes me look more mature, maybe I should give full bangs a try...anyways, mid-height braided bun (should be placed higher?) with coronet braid and ringlet bangs.  

(3) And finally, to have fun & enjoy the company of my friends and co-workers!  A definite must! 

Number Two - Straw Millinery Apprenticeship TBD 

This is a secret that I've been keeping for a while...and I will not be elaborating at this time much beyond that I've always been intrigued with the craft.  How milliners of the past and present fashion straw, buckram and other natural fibers into wearable forms of art and cultural expression.  Having the chance to learn from an expert in the craft would be a dream come true, and certainly a unique skill to bring to my historical/theatre/film costume studies!  

Paris millinery shop, John James Chalon, 1822.
(Image via: Wikipedia, media file)

Number Three - Personal Sewing Growth 

An on-going goal for, let's face it, forever!  I doubt that my "to sew someday" list will ever cease to exist haha!  It's already about four pages long...

The Gold Embroideress, Vasily Tropinin, 1826.
(Image via: Pinterest) 

This summer I need to focus not just on dresses, but on undergarments and accessories, which will be imperative to the fashion camp that I will be teaching in July.  (More on this to follow)  Practice makes perfect!

The latest and greatest additions to my bookshelf
thanks to the prize money I received from a costume contest.

Number Four - Catching up on Blogging 

Another on-going goal...some posts to look forward to include a series on the costumes from Drowsy Chaperone, wrapping up some more Pittsburgh highlights (Art is Flowers, Flowers is Art - visiting the Phipps Conservatory), as well as a new series of posts featuring historical extant garments, TBA.

Duchesse de Talleyrand, Henri-Francois Riesener (1767-1828)
(Image via: Pinterest) 

And, if I ever take a break from that researching, some actual sewing should also make it on the blog!  

Cheers to a great summer all! 

Recalled to Life: Summer in Full Swing!

He opened it in the light of the coach-lamp on that side, and read—first to himself and then aloud:  "'Wait at Dover for Mam’selle.'  It’s not long, you see, guard.  Jerry, say that my answer was, RECALLED TO LIFE." 

~ A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The morning of opening day - Saturday, May 7, 2016.

Aaaaand we're back after a long, six week hiatus!  Time flies.  I can hardly believe it's already June...where did May go?  There's certainly a lot to catch up on, and the blog post backlist is several pages long from Pittsburgh, to theatre, to sewing (yes, actual sewing!) stuff...it's a little overwhelming.  But, in the mean time, let's focus on the beginnings of the 40th anniversary celebration at Genesee Country Village and Museum!

A happy reunion!

It is such a joy to be back home and around the village and people I hold so dear.  I am so fortunate to work with such wonderful coworkers, who are really more like a second family!  

Some highlights from the month of May:  This 2016 museum season, which will be my third official season as a historical interpreter, is off to a running start! 

Rainbow villagers.

Opening weekend & Mother's Day:  

I had the opportunity to assist our expert spinner and dyer, Dawn H., both Saturday and Sunday at the dye pots behind Foster-Tufts.  Tasked with dyeing silk neckerchiefs for costuming, it was both a learning experience to work with the silk and a whole lot of fun!

Have you ever seen such brilliant colors?!

Day one involved indigo and black walnut hulls for various shades of blues and a  coppery brown befitting the chocolate themed weekend:

The results of indigo (left) and walnut hulls (right) on silk.

Black walnut hull dye in the pot. 

Day two was very colorful with cochineal and weld, natural dyes that produce reds and yellows, as well as fun with over-dyeing!

Silk neckerchiefs in cochineal.
(The purple scarf was the result of indigo & cochineal).
We also tried a yellow weld-dyed scarf in the cochineal for an apricot-colored scarf.

Silk neckerchiefs in weld.
(The green was the result of indigo & weld).

The results of the weekend were so surprisingly vibrant!  (Look for our village interpreters sporting these newly dyed scarves this season.)  

The results of four natural dyes: indigo, black walnut hulls, cochineal & weld.
(Note: the deep navy scarf was the result of indigo mixed with the walnut hulls.)

Historic Dinners at Hosmer's Inn: 

This year we are offering a Mount Vernon experience complete with a new and improved menu.  I've had the chance to play both hostess as well as tour guide again this season, and look forward to serving you!

Photograph by Ruby Foote.
(Image via: Facebook - Hosmer Inn Dinners)

A Blend of the Old & New: 

I'm a time traveler this year!  From the early-1800s down at Kieffer, to the 1830s at Foster-Tufts and Hosmer's Inn, 1850s at the D.B. Munger Confectionery, and 1870s at the Hyde and Hamilton Houses, you'll find me all over the village.  They've regularly scheduled me in mostly new (though not unfamiliar) buildings this season; but I am always up for the challenge and enjoying every minute.  Hope to see you in any of the 10 buildings and counting I interpret haha!  

A visitor turns the camera, unbeknownst to me at the time!
Photograph by Bob Cornish of Bob Cornish Photography
(Image via: Facebook)

The familiar: Foster-Tufts, home of the spinning, dyeing and cyclic life (birth, marriage, death) themes.  

Naturally dyed skeins of wool (for sale as part of our crafts-in-the-village initiative) -
Just look at those vibrant colors!

Have to love those large poke bonnets!

Berlin work pincushions.

The new: Kieffer, Hosmer, Confectionery, Hyde & Hamilton...Lots of research to be done!

I am loving the fashionable dress & hairstyles of the 1870s!
Bring on the Natural Form!

I want this hat so badly!
(Mary, you're never getting it back haha!)

Just look at that perch...best hat ever!  I am sold on the 1870s...

This is going to be a fantastic season! 

Photograph by Richard Deverell.