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. :)

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. :)

Noteworthy Underpinnings

(above corset & shift from the film "The Patriot")

I can't explain why I have so much interest in underpinnings. I just love chemise/shifts, corsets, panniers, hoops, etc. It may have something to do with underpinnings being the core of the costume. They define your shape and give you that feeling of what the women from that era felt like. So often in films the costume designers make sure that every single person is dressed right down to the stockings in accurate clothing, even extras, because it gives each person a sense of who they are portraying.

Here are a few of my favorite finds over time.

18th Century

(above photo from the film "Marie Antionette")

I love this 18th century shift in this Simplicity pattern. It reminds me of one that Kirsten Dunst wore in Marie Antoinette

(above photo of the stays worn by Keira Knightley in the film "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl")

Butterick Patterns has a lovely 18th Century underpinnings pattern. This one has the option of laces up the front or not. I'm using this pattern right now for my Elizabeth Swann corset and I'm liking it so far! :)

(above photo from the film "Pride and Prejudice")

Past Patterns has a new pattern I can't wait to try. Check out these Transitional Stays.

19th Century

I love this beautiful embroidered corset from the film "Gangs of New York".

(above corset worn by Cameron Diaz in the film "Gangs of New York")

I've heard wonderful reviews of the Silverado Corset from Laughing Moon Mercantile. It's on my "To Buy" list. :) Katherine made a beautiful corset from this pattern HERE.

*sigh* Now I'm inspired. Maybe I shall work on my Elizabeth Swann corset! :)

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. ;)

Jane Bennet Half Robe

This is one of my current projects I'm working on for a friend for Christmas. I didn't finish it before Christmas because I wanted to get the fitting just right, so we had a big sewing day the other day and I got it mostly done! :)

Here is my quick concept sketch:

And the progress so far:

It looks much better on her than it does on my dress form. When it's finished I'll get lovely pictures of her wearing it for you to see!

I just love the fabric and ruffle:

1995 Pride and Prejudice Costumes

I ran across an interesting article on the costumes in the A&E Pride and Prejudice that I thought some of you might be interested in. You can view it HERE. My, I'd forgotten how much I loved this film. It's been rather neglected as the new one is shorter and therefore easier to watch in an evening.

But really...I love this adaption. :)

I think I may pull it out and watch it today while I work on my regency gown. :)

Also, if any of you are interested in notes on the costumes in this version of Pride and Prejudice, as well as the 2005 adaption, there is a wonderful site HERE.

Kitty and Lydia

I simply love Kitty and Lydia's costumes in Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice. I think they are so beautiful and colorful.

I think my favorite is Kitty's pink dress with the green jacket.

But they are all so pretty...

The bonnets are lovely as well with their soft ribbons...

Here are some pictures of dresses with out the jackets:
I love this one...(It's also re-used in the film Becoming Jane, worn by Jane's sister Cassandra)

I can't wait to make these costumes!

Regency Project

Alright...ready for your first peek at my Regency dress? I'm mixing a bunch of ideas together so it's not a replica of any one dress. But I'm sort of getting the idea of a dress like this from Pride and Prejudice: (drawstring bodice)Or this from Becoming Jane:
But with the sleeves from this pellise in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 1:

So, here is the fabric I'm using, it has a wonderful woven pattern through it. I LOVE this fabric. :)

The lining wont really be seen but I think it's pretty, little cherry branches:

So first of I started with the sleeves. I'm realizing now I should have started with showing you what the pattern piece originaly looked like but I forgot to take a picture. I changed it though by making the edge straight like the one in Patterns of Fashion and cut five horse shoe shapes along the edge.

Then I sewed the lining (wrong sides together) only inside the shapes:

Then I turned them inside out and pressed them and sewed the side seams then sewed them into the band. I then ran a gathering stitch straight up from the top of the cut outs to the top of the sleeve:

I atatched black ribbon on the inside:

Then brought it up across the gathering and tacked it to the top of the sleeve:

I also sewed the long sleeve together and then placed it under the short sleeve. Also, gather the top of both sleeves seperately. They will be sewin in as one sleeve later.

So...there you have my progress so far! I'm moving rather slowly as I'm sewing it all by hand.

But I just have this problem where I HAVE to make it as authentic as possible. I'm hoping to get the bodice a ways today. My friend is coming over for a Gilmore Girls marathon so I shall have plenty of sitting time to sew!