Haha I wish. BUT that did happen on Friday- I was looking through some stuff to see if I could find a shawl (I keep my shawls in a drawer with my fabric drawers) and LO! four yards of brown wool appeared. I need four yards of brown wool for my Reformation Gown, and for the life of me I can't remember what I'd bought if for originally...!
Well, a bit of luck! :D
Edit*- I'd gotten the wool for an 1860s Riding Habit. Which I don't need anymore, or at least not any time soon, so the wool is going to the Reformation Gown.
You see, I inherited some bedsheets that were no longer wanted, and whilst I knew I wanted to do something 18th c. with them (not enough fabric for anything else and besides, it's stripey!), I didn't know what until I ran across some linen I bought a while back because I liked the colour:
I think they look charming together!
This is the basic idea of the gown- I want a matching hat, too, of course. XP (Gown on the right). The outer of Lady Devonshire's gown looks almost like silk, but I suspect it may be a polished cotton- if you click on it you can zoom way way in, and it looks too heavy to be silk while still being light, and the shine looks too dull to be silk. Come to think of it, it may well be a satin stripe weave, with satin only going through on parts of the warp, with the weft being cotton. Hm. Either way, the sheets I have are cotton weft with cotton/cotton sateen warp, so... that'll work haha!
I've no idea where I would wear this, of course, but I have all the fabric so there's really nothing to stop me making it. I always find myself needing 18th century gowns at the queerest of times though, so mayhap it shall come in handy. And I always need new gowns to wear to school, so... :)
...I also want to have it done by the end of the year.
Not sure if those are financially compatible. Might have to stick with wool or linen.
OR I could get some cheap cotton velvet on Renaissance Fabrics and use it as trim... I wouldn't have enough for a whole gown. But the velvet trim might look lovely on a wool or linen gown!
Decisions, decisions...!
In the meantime, I'm practicing some hair for the Reformation Gown: I'll add my hairnet later, but I couldn't find it at this particular moment:
The front braid needs to be much closer to my face- because my hair is so thick, I have to only take parts of it or it won't fit all the way across my head. I am thinking of next time twisting it instead of braiding it, and intertwining both twists on the top so any tail-end hair doesn't look so conspicuous. Like so:
...and in my defence, the earphones contain John Dowland, so... XP
I can always do them next year, anyways. I was going to make a few bustle gowns for Gaslight Gathering with
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.6){kind=small}
reine_de_coudre, but since she probably isn't going to be able to go anyways, I figure I'll wait until next year. To actually stay there would be costly, and that's before we even get to how much fabric I'd need for three or four bustle gowns! Moreover, while I think I'll still be GOING to balls and other events etc., I'll just make do with the gowns I have. I just got a new ball gown from the excellent aforementioned lady, so that'll be a new gown without having to work on or pay for one.
I have a 1912 clothing presentation in April at a Titanic Tea, and while I did want to make something for that, I think I'll just buy an antique I've had my eye on. This I think will be more practical for a couple of reasons- it will cost about the same as making one would, I won't have to spend the time making one, and it's an extant, which is always good for demonstrations. Besides, it's black, which I feel like would be a nice gesture for the occasion.
I WILL get around to making some '10s things though- I have a TON of sketches, but they'll all cost a ton of money. If I have to make some for April, I will, but I'd rather not.
I do have some things I really do NEED to make, (Ren Faire, etc.), but I already have the fabric for that. Then of course there's the money I have to spend for getting INTO Ren Faire. I'm a Friend of Faire, so hopefully that'll help a bit with subsequent visits. That's another reason I'll need the 1910s extant- I don't have time for 1910s AND Elizabethan both due within weeks of each other.
It's not just the money I need, I need time, as well. Time and money spent on other gowns is time and money I won't have to work on my 18th c. wardrobe. I already have lots of 18th c. fabric, but not for winter wear, so I'll need to buy that as well as have the time to make it. I'm quilting jumps, a petticoat, and a bedgown/traveling gown (from JA POF I), so I'll need all the time I can get!
PFT Pierce Brosnan. Or Sean Connery because CLASSIC. XD
So, very very long story short, I'm spending 4 days in Colonial Williamsburg with two friends in December (19-22). We'll be staying in the colonial houses, and in a house which belonged to Martha Washington's grandfather. I am BEYOND excited! XD
Let the 18th century rush begin! I'm starting from 18th century scratch, so I'm glad I'll have a year to make everything haha!
So, that being said, I'm going to go see if I can't do some stay-fitting. Maybe use the lining for the lining of the jumps I wear on the plane. :D
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