Inspired by Emma

I watched Emma yesterday and fell in love all over again with her wardrobe. One of the things I love about this movie is the color pallet. All the pastels are so gorgeous. I love how pretty this movie is. 

 Now I'm quite in the mood for something Regency. (when am I not though?) I have a few plans as soon as I finish my Maid Marian costume!

 I'm also determined to figure out a lace fingerless glove pattern. I love these gloves Mrs and Miss Bates wear.

 I've always been in love with Emma's pink archery dress...oh if only I had pink in my fabric stash! Well, that's a good reason to use my fabric up...so I can buy some. ;)

 Isn't Jeremy Northam the perfect Mr. Knightly? I don't think anyone else could ever play him as well. He just IS Mr Knightly.

Well, I'm off to finish up a project for my grandma and clean house...then maybe I can squeeze in some work on my Maid Marian dress. I'm thinking it may not get finished this month either...but hey! The month isn't over yet! You never know...

Feeling Persuaded

I watched Persuasion the other day and it has done nothing to help cure my Regency mood. :) I'm even more desperate to pull out my fabric stash and make something. Maybe I will do that today....

I really love Anne's pale blue dress.
I love the sleeves and the neckline...
It's just lovely. :) And now I'm in the mood to read the novel again. There's time for all that aside from all the wedding stuff I have to do, right?

Anybody else getting excited?? :)

I can't wait for the new Emma to air on Masterpiece Theater. I've heard rumor it's to air sometime this Fall.
The wonderful Romola Garai plays Emma:
Jonny Lee Miller plays Mr. Knightley:

Michael Gambon plays Mr. Woodhouse: (I adore this man)

Blake Ritson plays Mr Elton. Oh dear, I love this guy too.

And *drum role please* Rupert Evans is to play Mr Frank Churchill. *sigh* I've been dying for this guy to be in another period role since playing Fredrick in North and South. Now I'll most likely fall for him instead of Mr. Knightley. Why do they always pick my favorite actors for Frank Churchill? Oh well...perhaps he'll astound us all and make us reel with hatred. We shall see.

The costumes look so amazing. Now I must go sew something Regency...

Lost in Austen

I just finished watching 'Lost in Austen' with my mom. I confess I didn't like it very much as they twisted the Pride and Prejudice storyline waaay to far. But it was quite funny in some parts and I loved the costumes.

I loved this spencer that Elizabeth Bennet wears...which reminds me of the one Jane wears in the A&E Pride and Prejudice when she gets caught in the rain on the way to Netherfield:
I just think it's darling:

Bingley looking dashing in his high collar and cravat:

I also fell head over heels in love with the bonnet Amanda Price wears. I'm so tempeted to try and make one. :)
I loved Amanda's spencer as well...when I have more time I'll look for better pictures of it. I just love those sleeves. :)

So now I'm in such a costuming mood. I feel like I haven't worked on something historic in ages. haha I guess it's only been something like a week. See how addicting it is!? :)

Jane's White Muslin

I'm pretty sure I've decided I'm going to make Jane's lovely white muslin dress from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice for my mum's Jane Austen tea.

I've always been in love with this dress and since I have a whole bolt of muslin, it seems like a good time to try out that lovely crossover gown pattern I got for my birthday. :)I still need to make my underpinnings. (get with it Anna!)

I'll be completely honest...I'd really like to wear this costume to the tea:

But I have a feeling mother wouldn't approve. ;) But seriously...isn't Wickham just dashing? Even if he is wicked. :) "I think a man looks nothing without Regimentals." ;)

Hmm....one day I'll make some men's costumes.

Regency

My mom is doing a Jane Austen Tea at the end of this month and I just realized...I haven't anything Regency to wear. *sigh* I guess I shall just have to make something new. Bummer. ;)I'm going to start from scratch as I've outgrown all of my Regency things so first off, I need to make some underpinnings! I'm going to use Jennie Chancey's Regency underpinnings pattern because it's amazing. :)

I haven't decided what sort of dress to do yet. But I was thinking it would actually be fun to go simple and do something like Charlotte Lucas' dress.

I just love love love this dress.

I still haven't tried the crossover bodice pattern that my friends gave me for my birthday so I could try that and make something like Lizzie's Pemberley dress which is one of my favorites:

Or I might just try something out of me head. We'll have to wait and see. I need to turn off Robin Hood and put Pride and Prejudice on. I need inspiration. I'm still dreaming of hoods and bow and arrows. Which wont quite fit in with the tea cups and English Country dances. ;)

Jane Bennet Short Jacket Finished!

I just finished the Jane Bennet short jacket I made for a customer. We took our inspiration from the jacket Jane wears (above) in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice and this cardigan from J. Crew:

Here are the results!

Fabric: 100% linen from fabric-store.com

See more pictures HERE.

Jane Bennet Short Jacket

I've been busy working on a custom order for a Jane Bennet jacket only shorter so it can be worn nicely as modern wear.
I got the top stitching done last week and sewed the rest of the bodice together today.
I'm loving the 100% linen. :)
It lays so nicely. In these pictures it's all pressed, but I think I love it when it's fresh out of the dryer and has a wavy wrinkle to it. (I'm just weird that way)

Alright...I'm off to sew some more. Just wanted to show you all I am indeed still sewing. Just not blogging as much this week. :)

2007 Persuasion

I've just watched the new Persuasion for the first time. :) And yes, I know I'm WAY behind. ;) But I loved it.
The only thing...Captain Wentworth wasn't quite weatherbeaten enough, wouldn't you think? But never mind, he was quite lovely.

I confess, no costumes stood out to me the first time watching it. But maybe next time I will notice more. I was quite swept away by the acting. Though I can't help laughing at Mr. Eliot's shoes in this picture. What a peacock! I loved how he carried a miniture mirror with him.

And you may recognize Anne's spencer as being worn by Kitty in the BBC mini series of Pride and Prejudice. (Or else a very similar one.)

I thought this was one of the most beautiful scenes, there's something about a man in full costume astride a horse. ;)

Overall I thought it was beautiful. Now I want to go read the book again...

A Peek...

...at what I made while you weren't looking. ;)
More pictures HERE.

My wonky lil sketch:

And the nicest button hole I think I've made yet (I'm horrid with button holes!):

Handmade Buttons for "Jane"

I made some buttons for "Jane's" half robe by making a yoyo and then sinching it up around this little bit of wood.
Voila'! Covered buttons. To sew them on I will just sew through the fabric scrunched up on the back.

I made cute little cuffs with piping as well but I haven't taken pictures of them yet. :)

A Romantic for the Rain

I watched Sense and Sensibility with my mum last night while working on some Regency projects (finally!) and I was swept away by this dress....again. :)

I think there's something so captivating about period costumes in the rain. There are moments I wish I could wear a gorgeous dress and cloak and then go out in a drenching rain and just get soaked. For some reason I've always thought the rain so romantic. Even if one does catch cold. ;)

Maybe it's because those tend to be the climatic moments in film. Anytime something important happens...it rains. ;)There's something about muddy skirts that I love as well. Makes it look and feel so real. Like the costumes are real clothing and not just a costume. Makes you believe in the story that's taking place.

I think if I'm ever a real designer and I do photo shoots of my work, it will be in the rain. ;)

Mansfield Park, A Second Chance...

I've been resting up this week as I've caught a nasty winter cold so I haven't been up to sewing. Which gives me all the more time to dream and plan more things to sew. Not always the best thing when I'm way behind on all my projects! Today I've been enjoying browsing costume ideas online and drinking some tea. I also sketched out some ideas for future business cards...I'm excited about that. :)

I've been looking at the lovely costumes in the 1999 film Mansfield Park lately and I'm suprised at how little attention I've paid to them before. They are beautiful! I think it's because I hated the movie when I watched it, but after looking over these beautiful gowns I'm tempted to give it a second chance. Maybe I was in a bad mood when I watched it before?

I was also suprised to see that the lovely Sophia Myles plays Susan Price. I love this bib front gown:

And here as well:

Look closely at the sweet little girl on the left and you may recognize a young Anna Popplewell! :) (Susan Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia) Isn't she darling?

I'm quite in love with Susan's pelisse here:

But I may love this one more: (could be the way it looks by the sea) ;)
Love Fanny's formal gown:
And this one is actually about the gentleman for me...I just love those Regency shirts and waistcoats. :D I can't wait to try my hand at some men's costumes as soon as I can afford some patterns.
*sigh* Quite inspiring. Now I may just have the ambition to finally finish my Regency Gown. And Jane's half robe, of course!

There are many more costumes...I mostly just posted Susan's for now. Maybe I'll post more another day. :)