Regency Layers

Hello Intrawebs!!

Kelly here, again, with another blogtastic Regency blog.

I thought I would throw together a collection of photos of a basic Regency ensemble.

Step 1: Stockings & Chemise

Chemise- A loose fitting undergarment

 Step 2: Stays (Short or Long)

Stays- or Corset

Step 3: Petticoat

Petticoat

 Step 4: Dress

Round Gown or Drawstring Dress

Step 5: Accessories (Spencer, Ribbon at Underbust, Overdress, etc.)

Overdress

There you have it!  5 simple basic items you need to have a complete Regency ensemble!  

Now these are just generic guidelines when dressing for a Regency event.  Some ladies will wear additional petticoats and bum rolls too.  Just remember to have fun with it, love you, love what you're wearing and rock it!

Until next time intrawebs.  Goodnight.

Love & Lollipops,
Kelly

Another Project Done

Good evening my intraweb browsers~!

It is a lovely Tuesday evening and I'm finally getting around to updating this blog.  I've been one busy gal (socially and not sewing wise unfortunately...) but I've finally gotten around to finishing an over dress, along with starting my first Laughing Moon dress!

Here is the lovely overdress I've finally completed:

I used the Patterns of Time pattern #256 1795 to 1825 Overdress.  I decided not to add a train to this pattern since whenever you do add a train to you dress, everyone seems like magnets to stepping on it.  This is a very very easy pattern to construct.  The pattern it's self is very basic and you will really need to complete a lot of adjustments to make the fit really fit you like a glove (especially if you're a curvy gal like myself).  

All in all, I think I would use this pattern again due to the simplicity, but if you are not good or do not like fitting, this is not a good pattern for you. 

So, what is in store for me next??

I'm onto working on the Laughing Moon pattern #126 the "Bib Front" pattern.  I choose a very cheap simple blue cotton fabric to start this dress.  I couldn't believe the the amount of different pattern pieces I had to cut out for this dress.  I must have cut out at least 10 pieces! lol  I'm used to 4 pieces...max!  Though I must say I am quite happy so far with this pattern.  I've had to do a lot more thinking and reading to make sure I was doing everything correctly, but so far so good.

 

 

 Here is the fabric I chose to use.  A simple 100% cotton from Joann's.  My favorite shopping establishment by far.  Though some of their fabric choices are bloody horrible.  Every now and then you can find a wonderful fabric at a decent price.  

Here is the beginning of the bodice and sleeve of pooffiness!  I enjoy pleating instead of gathering, so I made the sleeve slightly larger than normal to allow myself extra pleats and it gave me a wonderful shape!

 
Now back to the craft room of epic for more sewing adventures!

Best to you all, until next time!

Love & Lollipops,
Kelly

Another Dress Down!

Good day my fellow intraweb travelers!

Summer is almost gone here in the Northwest and the days are slowly cooling down and taking a turn towards Fall. 

With things winding down, I finally had a chance to finish the little girls Regency dress.  They came over Friday night and finally saw the dress in full and tried it on to make sure everything fit right.  I had been fretting for a weeks that the sleeves on the dress wouldn't fit.  The little girl loved the dress.  She had the biggest smile on her face and the dress fit perfectly.

This dress was made from the Sense and Sensibility Girls Regency Dress pattern.  This is the first dress I have made from this pattern and I must say I was very happy with how easy this dress went together.  After the family went home I got word that the elder daughter now wants a dress made, along with their brother!

I'm so excited that this dress worked and so proud of myself and how well my skills are improving.

Until the next dress, enjoy the dog days!

Love & Lollipops,
Kelly

Summer Heat!

Good day intrawebs!

We are in the midst of a summer heat wave here in the Portland area.  Day after day of sweltering 90 plus degree weather beating down on us.  Yeah, I know what some of you might think "really?  90 degree weather...that's nothing!".  For us hippies up here, it's quite the shock.  We are use to, and spoiled by out mild weather all year long.  Sure we get lots of rain here in the Northwest, but usually its never too hot or too cold. 

I'm going to say it...I can't wait for fall to be here!  Thank goodness for air conditioning.

Due to this heat wave over this week, I've decided to take break, relax, and not do any sewing until next week.  It is too bloody hot to do anything but sleep.

Next week, I'll be back in the groove and starting a new dress with a new pattern I just received as a belated birthday present.  I will be trying out the Ladies Regency Bib Front Gown from Laughing Moon Mercantile .  So far, I've heard good things about the pattern and seems rather simple to use.

Until I start that new project.  Here are a few pictures from the Swan Island Dahlia Farm Picnic with The Oregon Regency Society.

Here is my roommate in a dress I made for her

Back of her dress.

I hope you all enjoy the remaining days of summer!  Until the next update....

Love & Lollipops
Kelly 

Dahlia Farm Picnic

It is time for another lovely picnic with the Oregon Regency Society.

This will be the second year the ORS has had a picnic at the Swan Island Dahlia Farm.  Swan Island Dahlias is the largest and leading dahlia grower in the United States.  Located in the town of Canby, in the rich soil of the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  The farm was originally located in Portland, Oregon, with some buildings on Swan Island, which is where the farm’s name was derived from.  There was also a roadside stand in Sellwood, a suburb of Portland, so the business was known as both Swan Island Dahlias and Portland Dahlia Gardens at that time. Swan Island Dahlias was moved to Canby, Oregon on rented land in the 1940’s.  Around 1953, twenty acres of farmland was purchased in Canby, and the business was relocated to its present site.

Last year I was unable to attend due to scheduling issues (because it was my birthday!).  This year is a perfect time, not near any birthdays or other whoop-dee-doo.  My roomate Rebecca will be joining me this year as well in a lovely floral print dress I made for her (though she did all the tough work...aka...putting the sleeves in the dress).  Pictures will soon follow after the picnic.

I hope you all are enjoying your weekends and the great warm weather (if you're in the northern hemisphere) of summer.

Love & Lollipops
Kelly

My First Commission!!!

Good day intrawebs!!

We are midsummer here in Portland and the heat is sticking with us like two fat thighs! lol 

Two weeks ago was the 7th Annual Pittock Mansion Picnic with the Oregon Regency Society.  Fun times were had by all!  It was lovely company and many good laughs.  Here are some pictures!

Here are 2 of my good friends wearing dresses I made.

Here is most of the group of people who showed up to the picnic.

You can visit The Oregon Regency Society on Facebook to check out more photos.

On another note.... I've finally taken my first commission dress~!!! WOOOO!!!

I'm making a girls dress that is a pink explosion of beauty.  This 10 year old picked out the fabric, ribbon, and buttons all on her own.  She did a great job and has been super exited each step of the way.  Here are a couple pictures of the progress.

Fabric is a pink cotton butterfly print.

I am using the Sense & Sensibility girls pattern

Two little short sleeves of cuteness

All pleats are places in the back of the dress.

Last thing left on this dress is to put in the hook and eyes and hem the dress.  This should be finished and ready for her to wear this weekend at the Dahlia Picnic with the ORS!

Time to get back to the sewing board.  Have a great night!

Love & Lollipops
Kelly

The 7th Annual Pittock Mansion Picnic

It is finally the summer here in the Pacific Northwest which means for us period reenactors that it's time for all the fabulous outings!

For The Oregon Regency Society, we have our annual picnic event at one of the most beautiful places to visit for free in Portland, Oregon.  

The Pittock Mansion was home to Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919. During the late 1800s and the early 1900s, their lives and work paralleled the growth of Portland from a small Northwest town site to a thriving city with a quarter million population. With its eclectic architectural design and richly decorated interior, including family artifacts, the Pittock Mansion stands today as a living memorial of this family’s contributions to the blossoming of Portland and its people.

Though it does cost to tour inside the mansion, the grounds are equally as beautiful as the interior.  The view alone is enough to take your breath away!

Here is where we will set the setting for the ORS picnic.  Everyone will be dressed to the nines in their summer finery in which they will be merry, enjoying the beautiful weather and each others company.

Now off to work for me, I've got a petticoat to finish for myself and a little girls dress in the works.

Pictures soon to come and share with the intrawebs!

Love & Lollipops
Kelly

Some time

4th of July has passed and it's time to get back in the groove of sewing again.

I've been working on the overdress and underdress combo. It's time for me to crush it!!! Hehehe

Pictures soon to come!  Can't believe it's been a little over year and a half of Regency fun for me.

Also I've finally took a few pictures of the cotton floral block print dress.  Enjoy!!

Its Been A While...

No not the song by the band Stained... Staind?? Whatever that bands name was with the lead singer who sung all funky...



Oh this band... lol

Okay, off topic.... It has been some time since I last blogged about the happenings in my life!

I have finally finished the cotton flower block print dress.  I pleated close to 3 yards of fabric into the back of the dress and gave it an ever so elegant baby train.  I have yet to get it picture on a person, though as soon as I do, I will have pictures up in a heart beat.  Here are the tiny pleats, which are on top of deep pleats underneath.

Hand Pleats

 As soon as I finished this dress, I started looking into new patterns.  I have been using the same pattern for all the round gowns but I change them up with different skirts and sleeves.  I really want to dive into overdress patterns which are usually typical of earlier Regency period (1795ish).  I did end up finding one through Patterns of Time.

This pattern is very simple and easy to understand AS LONG AS you are familiar with period correct patterns and the way bodices go together.  Even though I've made close to 10 regency dresses for myself and others, I still consider myself a newb.  I feel like I still have tons to learn and this patterns instructions were a little confusing at first.  I did go out and buy beautiful fabric for this overdress.  It is a cotton teal and cream damask fabric.  I will make a plain white round gown to go underneath as well.

I have the craft room all set and all 10 yards of fabric have been washed!!  Now comes the worst part of sewing...Ironing newly washed fabric...Blarg!

Now that all 10 yards are ironed, they are ready to be cut and assembled!!!  

WOOO!!  I will update once I get a little bit further in the process~!  

Have a good one intrawebs!

Love & Lollipops!

Back Home

Hello Intrawebs!!!

I'm back home and in the states again!

Sort of sad vacation is over and that I have to be back at the daily job, but none the less it has happened and I'm back in the craft room. 

I left my flower block print dress partially assembled before I left to Canada and I finally am back in the groove for sewing.  Well....sort of rusty.  I went to put the sleeves in my dress and ended up putting them too far back in the dress so the fit was completely messed up! So, the most hateful part of sewing had to happen....unpicking seams.  UGH!  I HATE IT!! I'm such a perfectionist and I like to do something once and have it perfect.  That is not the case when it comes to Regency gowns.  To make it perfect, you must try, unpick seams, sew again, unpick seams, sew again.  Usually by the third try I can have it it right and a good fit.  None the less though, IT SUCKS!!  

Putting sleeves in a Regency are such a pain in the arse!  Since the seams and fitting of the dresses do not follow today's conventions, the pleating and extra room are towards the back of the dress to allow moving room for your arms with period stays on.  Unlike seams today which are at the top of the dresses along the top shoulder seam.  UGH.  They are a pain to get right!!  GEESH!  I just need more time to practice I guess, but even doing this for about a year, I still have yet to perfect a sleeve in one sew swoop!


Now back to work and I can't wait for this dress to be finished~!

Here are few pictures from my trip to Victoria.  So much beauty in that tiny city!

Buschart Gardens

Buschart Gardens

Buschart Gardens

Afternoon Tea @ Buschart Gardens

The Empress Hotel

Craigdarroch Castle

 

Away From Desk

Taking the next few days off.  But before I left I did as much work on my dress as much as possible.  I cut out the sleeves and sewed them together and are in the arm holes of the bodice.  After that I cut a couple strips of 1 1/2 inch fabric to finish the edges of the sleeves and fabric to create the drawstring channel in the top of the dress.

Which wouldn't be possible without one of these suckers! Amazing straight lines, woo!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Love & Lollipops

Stop Procrastinating!

Buenas Noches Intrawebs!!! 

After a few days of procrastination and dragging my feet, I have finally dived into my next dress.  This is an Indian cotton block print fabric I got for super super cheap. WOO!  

 First step is to lay out the pattern pieces of the bodice (back, sides, and front) and pin them to the fabric.  Making sure that if you are working with a printed fabric that all the pieces of the bodice are the directions.  The little arrows will help you to make sure the pieces are all the same.

If you (like me) are smaller in the chest region and like additional room to gather and create the illusion of a larger bust, you can always add more.  

In the picture below you can see that I adjusted the front bodice piece to not directly align with the fold.  By moving the pattern piece back, this allows for additional room for the bodice gathering.  

Once you have the pieces together I like to lay them out flat to make sure the general shape of the bodice is taking place.

Now they are ready to be pinned together and sewen.  Be sure to always have your tomato handy!!

The curves in the back of the dress allow seem super awkward while sewing them together, but these allow for the natural curve of your body.  Be sure to use multiple multiple pins!

Once you have the pieces pinned, sew both side pieces to the back of the dress.  Once those are attached, pin the shoulder pieces to the back of the dress and then the side pieces to the front.  Then you have pretty much completed the whole bodice! 

Sorry for all the blurry pictures!  I was too excited to be starting this new dress! HOLLA!  

I always tend to sew after work so when starting a new dress after work, I always like to stop at this point.  The next day I will work on sewing the sleeves and creating the top drawstring channel in the bodice.  

I hope everyone has a great evening!! 

Love & Lollipops!

Being Lazy

It's been a while intrawebs!

I've been on the silent waves for the last few days.  My friend Jenna came up for Memorial Day weekend and we did nothing but shop until we dropped!  So much fun.

Now I gearing up and getting ready to head out to Victoria, British Columbia where some family have rented a cottage for a week.  I can't wait.  Words really cannot express how excited I am!! Though, I do have some major major concerns about the ferry ride there.  I have problems with boats ever since my cousin Corey scared the living shit out of me and my cousin Amy when we were little.  I just have major irrational fears about dying on the boat.  So for now, I'm keeping my eye on the fun distant stuff and not thinking about boat horror.

While Jenna was up visiting we stopped by the Portland Japanese Gardens up by out house.  The weather was perfect and all of Portland was out and about with us.  Here are some beautiful pictures