Hi everyone,
I want to thank each and every one of my followers that I've gathered through the years. Your comments and questions have been wonderful to keep me inspired.
I wanted to make an announcement to you all, that after months of consideration I have decided to start a new blog on WordPress and no longer post on Music, Corsets, and Star Wars.
Those close to me know that I've had a lot of life changes in the last 7 months, and I felt it was fitting to start a new blog. I hope you all will continue to follow me on my new blog "Lady of the Wilderness"
Thank you!
The 3rd Annual Civil War Ball at the Athens County Historical Society and Museum
Saturday was the Athens County Historical Society and Museum's annual Civil War Ball and I had a great time! I didn't take a TON of pictures, but I took a few. This year I loaned my grey ball dress to my friend, Lizy, because she fits it in it perfectly. I wore my blue plaid ball dress with a bouquet/corsage and a flowery headpiece that I put together in a few hours before the ball (inevitably I leave it up to the last minute).
I based my headpiece to be similar to
And the headdress on the lady in yellow, below:
And here's what I ended up with!
Enjoy!
I based my headpiece to be similar to
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| Headdress and Matching Bouquet- MidCentury French from The Museum of Fine Arts Boston |
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| 1858 Petersons Magazine |
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| Right Side |
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| Left Side |
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| Back (With fake hair) |
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| The Ultimate 1860's Selfie |
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| The dancefloor halfway through the night |
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| 'Twas a good night! |
An interview for me!
I was recently interviewed for a local Ohio University student blog called Beta Fish Magazine and wanted to share it with you!
Click here to read the interview!
Click here to read the interview!
An 1860's Bonnet: Part 2
If you didn't get a chance to read Part 1 of my bonnet adventures, click here!
So, to start where I left off, I had researched drawn bonnets for the 1860's and came across a lovely image of a great specimen.
From looking at the images, it seems that the canes are not relied upon for the shape of the bonnet. Typically there are two types of understructures, wire base and buckram base (sometimes a mix of the two). Wire bases are more for sheer bonnets or ones that don't require a lot of extra structure. Buckram bases are more sturdy and structured, and can be sewn directly into to keep fashion fabric in place. I inferred that the bonnet's understructure is a buckram base, which allows for the canes to be decorative. This explains the interesting pattern on the caul of the bonnet.
From this point, I decided to start working on the base. Getting the shape is the hardest part, since I've not made one before. I made little paper prototypes to get an idea of the pattern pieces. It took a lot of tries, but I figured out what shapes make what bonnets.
When I found the approximate shape I was looking for, I made real size paper prototype. This became the pattern.
Afterward, I cut out the pieces in buckram and found that it wasn't as sturdy as I was hoping. I fused two layers together to get the right thickness. As with most buckram bases, the ends need to be wired. So, (as I am cheap and always make these kinds of things spur of the moment) I lock-stitched (by hand) galvanized steel wire from Lowes to the edges instead of waiting for millinery wire, then covered the wire with white bias tape. It worked out pretty well, I think. But in the future I'd like to see if millinery wire makes any difference.
I ended up getting a great shape for my bonnet! I'm really pleased with the pattern.
So, to start where I left off, I had researched drawn bonnets for the 1860's and came across a lovely image of a great specimen.
From looking at the images, it seems that the canes are not relied upon for the shape of the bonnet. Typically there are two types of understructures, wire base and buckram base (sometimes a mix of the two). Wire bases are more for sheer bonnets or ones that don't require a lot of extra structure. Buckram bases are more sturdy and structured, and can be sewn directly into to keep fashion fabric in place. I inferred that the bonnet's understructure is a buckram base, which allows for the canes to be decorative. This explains the interesting pattern on the caul of the bonnet.
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| tiny bonnet! |
When I found the approximate shape I was looking for, I made real size paper prototype. This became the pattern.
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| paper and tape, that is all! |
I ended up getting a great shape for my bonnet! I'm really pleased with the pattern.
An 1860's Bonnet: Part 1
A verrry long time ago I started tearing apart a straw bonnet that didn't have the right shape, got frustrated, and didn't think about bonnets again until the beginning of this year. While gearing up for Gettysburg, I simply needed a bonnet. I've never really made a bonnet before but of course I decided to make my first a hard one.
I got bit by the drawn-bonnet-bug after seeing a grad student/friend of mine make an absolutely lovely reproduction of a bonnet she found tucked away in the hat boxes at the theater department. Her reproduction was stunning. She used a silver shot taffeta and wire frame.
From seeing her process, I became really intrigued with making one, but first I had to see whether or not a drawn bonnet would be appropriate for the American Civil War years (1860-1865). In my research (and people, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) it seems that the drawn bonnet style was definitely more popular before the 1860s, and isn't as widespread up through 1865. That was kind of a bummer, but I dug a little deeper. I searched through fashion plates, seeing one occasionally, and would randomly come across a cute bonnet from museum sites only to find out that it's a child's bonnet or some other such nonsense.
A little bit about Civil War Era Bonnets: Bonnet styles progress like any other type of fashion, some years
they're in, some years they're out, some years they're round, some years
they're not. Specifically, from 1860-65 the "spoon bonnet" became
popular. The "spoon" refers to the profile view of the bonnet looking
like a spoon, having a gentle curved and slightly pronounced brim at the
top; and from the front view it has an egg like shape, much like a
spoon. Also, during these years, the caul of the bonnet was somewhat
shallow and had a pretty steep grade from brim to crown.
After having so much trouble finding an okay bonnet with the correct shape and being a drawn bonnet (that I like and want to reproduce) I was forced to use Pinterest. LE GASP! Now, I will say this with a disclaimer:
PINTEREST IS NOT A FULLPROOF SEARCH TOOL AND NOT EVERYTHING ON PINTEREST IS WHAT IT SAYS IT IS. ANYTHING YOU SEE ON PINTEREST COULD BE A FRAUD AND IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RESEARCH SAID PHOTO TO VERIFY IT'S AUTHENTICITY.
So, in essence, everything on Pinterest must be taken with a grain of salt. Pinterest can be a great search tool as there are so many photos linked with great websites. Unfortunately it is not always the case. I encourage any person who finds an intriguing photo from Pinterest to find out its original source and give said source due credit. End Rant.
The bonnet I found is from Time Traveler's Antiques. It is a drawn bonnet, which isn't altogether shocking, but the shape of it is definitely of the 1860s. You can see in the photo how high the top of the brim is, it is not round like most of the drawn bonnets from the 1850s, definitely spoon shaped. Now, the caul of the bonnet doesn't have a very steep grade, but the trimmings are concentrated at the top of the head, which also point to the 1860s.
So, this is the bonnet I am to recreate, just with a different color scheme. The next post shall be about the construction!
I got bit by the drawn-bonnet-bug after seeing a grad student/friend of mine make an absolutely lovely reproduction of a bonnet she found tucked away in the hat boxes at the theater department. Her reproduction was stunning. She used a silver shot taffeta and wire frame.
From seeing her process, I became really intrigued with making one, but first I had to see whether or not a drawn bonnet would be appropriate for the American Civil War years (1860-1865). In my research (and people, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) it seems that the drawn bonnet style was definitely more popular before the 1860s, and isn't as widespread up through 1865. That was kind of a bummer, but I dug a little deeper. I searched through fashion plates, seeing one occasionally, and would randomly come across a cute bonnet from museum sites only to find out that it's a child's bonnet or some other such nonsense.
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| Look how precious! But it's a child's bonnet :( |
After having so much trouble finding an okay bonnet with the correct shape and being a drawn bonnet (that I like and want to reproduce) I was forced to use Pinterest. LE GASP! Now, I will say this with a disclaimer:
PINTEREST IS NOT A FULLPROOF SEARCH TOOL AND NOT EVERYTHING ON PINTEREST IS WHAT IT SAYS IT IS. ANYTHING YOU SEE ON PINTEREST COULD BE A FRAUD AND IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RESEARCH SAID PHOTO TO VERIFY IT'S AUTHENTICITY.
So, in essence, everything on Pinterest must be taken with a grain of salt. Pinterest can be a great search tool as there are so many photos linked with great websites. Unfortunately it is not always the case. I encourage any person who finds an intriguing photo from Pinterest to find out its original source and give said source due credit. End Rant.
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| *swoon* |
So, this is the bonnet I am to recreate, just with a different color scheme. The next post shall be about the construction!
Photo Friday
There's some more information on her at Nutfield Geneaology. It seems that her age is often disputed, and town records have been the subject of questioning in regards to her date of birth.
Regardless of if her age at death was 120 years old or whatever, it's still amazing to think that this woman possibly saw two world changing wars. She saw herself freed and surely witnessed the beginnings of the abolition of slavery. She also lived a huge range of fashions and styles. It's mind boggling to think someone can live so long.
Anywho, I thought this was a really cool picture and thought I'd share. Have a great weekend!
Lectures, lectures, lectures!
For the past year, I've been getting into giving presentations at various organizations and I've just scheduled two more! The next one coming up is going to be taking place next week!
For this presentation, I will be dressed in my grey dress, hopefully the new bodice, and will be speaking about Women's and Children's popular fashions from 1860-1865. We will be covering popular fashions of the time period, how to date Civil War era photos, and the dressing process that goes into achieving a fashionable silhouette with my lovely model, Kitri.
If you're in the area, I hope to see you there!
Pinterest Addiction: Cocoa Hair Mask
Unlike a lot of professional internet surfettes, I don't have a tumblr or a twitter. I don't do video posts/blogs. I don't have a Wordpress blog. BUT I do have a Pinterest, which can be quite bedazzling to behold.
I have to limit my time on the blasted thing, because I spend more time looking at pins to do than actually doing them. I've decided that I should try to do at least one pin a week.
Some background on this particular post... I've been dying to change up my hair lately. I'm growing it out, but it's reached the dreaded "half point" where it's not really long, not really medium length, and lacks any interest. There was a point where I was ready to chop it for a pixie cut and dye it Christina Hendricks Red, but then I remembered that I need to have it long and "natural" colored for Gettysburg.
I mulled on the ideas of cutting and dying for a week now and I've decided I won't cut it until after Gettysburg, and red is really hard to make convincing. Sigh. Stuck with my hair as is.
I trimmed the dead ends, and then came across a pin regarding naturally darkening your hair with cocoa. O.O I think I can handle that!
This is the pin I ran across... it calls for regular cocoa, but of course, in my infinite wisdom (note: sarcasm) I changed it a little bit. I'd like to darken the ends of my hair or darken it all to a deeper shade. Soooo this was the recipe I ended up concocting:
1/2 c. Natural Yogurt (I used Chobani)
1/3 c. Black/Dark Cocoa
3 Tbs Regular Cocoa
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Olive Oil
Plastic Wrap or a Shower Cap
Mix all the ingredients together and apply to wet hair. Secure hair in a bun, cover with plastic wrap or shower cap and let sit for 1-3 hours.
According to the original post/recipe, the yogurt is supposed to open up the hair so it can accept the darker color, and the vinegar acts as a mordant to lock the color in.
I kind of panicked after I mixed up the recipe. It's SUPER dark and I was feeling kind of like Anne Shirley.... "He said it would turn my hair a beautiful raven black--he positively assured me that it would."
*cue nervousness* So here's my hair before I put on the stuff:
You can see it's kinda blah as a cut, and I don't want a blanket color for it, I'd just like to liven it up a bit and darken the ends.
Now, I didn't realize this was going to be a paste when I started this project. I figured it would be more like a watery solution to comb through the hair, so I doubled the recipe as I always do (my hair is both thick and long-ish). In order to get this stuff to get to all of the hair, I had to wet my hair to begin with, then apply the paste. Make sure you're naked and in the bathtub, with the shower curtain drawn.... the stuff gets EVERYWHERE.
I put my hair in a top-knot and covered it with plastic wrap. Make sure to keep a damp washrag with you to wipe off any that decides to run down your face or neck. I was sweating with the plastic wrap on my head, which led to some drizzles.
I left it on for 3 hours then washed my hair like normal. I had to scrub my shower after it was washed out, because it looks like I had massacred a chocolate bunny. Thankfully it didn't stain my tub, which was my biggest concern. I blow dried my hair, then went to bed because it was late, but managed a picture the next morning.
So what did I think of this whole thing?
Well, my hair was REALLY shiny, which was nice. But it wasn't as soft and had a tendency to tangle more than the oil, vinegar, and honey rinses I have done in the past.
Did it do what I wanted it to?
No. I was after this mask to darken my hair, and it did the opposite. The ends of my hair are now a little brighter and almost reddish in color. I can see it working great for someone who's hair is real brown, but my hair is a brown black, so fading into a reddy-brown isn't what I had in mind. The second picture above is closer to the color of the ends than the picture before it.
Would I do this again?
Nope. I wanted darker, and got lighter. I may go back to the coffee soaks I did in high school, they actually did darken my hair really well.
I have to limit my time on the blasted thing, because I spend more time looking at pins to do than actually doing them. I've decided that I should try to do at least one pin a week.
Some background on this particular post... I've been dying to change up my hair lately. I'm growing it out, but it's reached the dreaded "half point" where it's not really long, not really medium length, and lacks any interest. There was a point where I was ready to chop it for a pixie cut and dye it Christina Hendricks Red, but then I remembered that I need to have it long and "natural" colored for Gettysburg.
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| Such a pretty color!!!! |
I trimmed the dead ends, and then came across a pin regarding naturally darkening your hair with cocoa. O.O I think I can handle that!
This is the pin I ran across... it calls for regular cocoa, but of course, in my infinite wisdom (note: sarcasm) I changed it a little bit. I'd like to darken the ends of my hair or darken it all to a deeper shade. Soooo this was the recipe I ended up concocting:
1/2 c. Natural Yogurt (I used Chobani)
1/3 c. Black/Dark Cocoa
3 Tbs Regular Cocoa
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
1 tsp Olive Oil
Plastic Wrap or a Shower Cap
Mix all the ingredients together and apply to wet hair. Secure hair in a bun, cover with plastic wrap or shower cap and let sit for 1-3 hours.
According to the original post/recipe, the yogurt is supposed to open up the hair so it can accept the darker color, and the vinegar acts as a mordant to lock the color in.
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| that's pretty dang dark. |
I kind of panicked after I mixed up the recipe. It's SUPER dark and I was feeling kind of like Anne Shirley.... "He said it would turn my hair a beautiful raven black--he positively assured me that it would."
*cue nervousness* So here's my hair before I put on the stuff:
You can see it's kinda blah as a cut, and I don't want a blanket color for it, I'd just like to liven it up a bit and darken the ends.
Now, I didn't realize this was going to be a paste when I started this project. I figured it would be more like a watery solution to comb through the hair, so I doubled the recipe as I always do (my hair is both thick and long-ish). In order to get this stuff to get to all of the hair, I had to wet my hair to begin with, then apply the paste. Make sure you're naked and in the bathtub, with the shower curtain drawn.... the stuff gets EVERYWHERE.
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| It feels pretty weird, I gotta say. |
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| Real fun, real fun. |
I left it on for 3 hours then washed my hair like normal. I had to scrub my shower after it was washed out, because it looks like I had massacred a chocolate bunny. Thankfully it didn't stain my tub, which was my biggest concern. I blow dried my hair, then went to bed because it was late, but managed a picture the next morning.
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| Morning face! Yay! |
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| Slightly off color view of hair. |
Well, my hair was REALLY shiny, which was nice. But it wasn't as soft and had a tendency to tangle more than the oil, vinegar, and honey rinses I have done in the past.
Did it do what I wanted it to?
No. I was after this mask to darken my hair, and it did the opposite. The ends of my hair are now a little brighter and almost reddish in color. I can see it working great for someone who's hair is real brown, but my hair is a brown black, so fading into a reddy-brown isn't what I had in mind. The second picture above is closer to the color of the ends than the picture before it.
Would I do this again?
Nope. I wanted darker, and got lighter. I may go back to the coffee soaks I did in high school, they actually did darken my hair really well.
Marietta Civil War Field Day 2013
A couple weeks ago, I participated in an annual event put on by Campus Martius and The Castle. This event is much like the Civil War Days I used to participate in at my local Jr High; except this one is much bigger. Around 300 students were there throughout the course of the day.
The event calls in local schools to walk through a living history camp on the riverfront and each presenter talks to school groups about certain aspects of the American Civil War.
I participated in the event with staff from the Athens County Historical Society and Museum. Curator, Jessica Cyders, and Administrator, Laura Farrell, also presented with me. Jessica is representing a Vivandiere, Laura a women for the Sanitary Commission, and I am in a state of "half-mourning."
Our presentations included information on women on the battlefield,
women on the homefront, and the practice of mourning in mid-Victorian
society. The students were very responsive and especially enjoyed the
bloodied bandaged we handed out for them to wear during their drills
that they participated in later in the day.
We really enjoyed ourselves and hope to do it again next year!
The event calls in local schools to walk through a living history camp on the riverfront and each presenter talks to school groups about certain aspects of the American Civil War.
I participated in the event with staff from the Athens County Historical Society and Museum. Curator, Jessica Cyders, and Administrator, Laura Farrell, also presented with me. Jessica is representing a Vivandiere, Laura a women for the Sanitary Commission, and I am in a state of "half-mourning."
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| Laura, Jessica, and myself |
We really enjoyed ourselves and hope to do it again next year!
1885-1887 Corset is done!!
My corset turned out wonderfully and is by far the most comfortable corset I've worn. This corset was meant to be as close as possible to the original, but of course there are some compromises I had to make based on my budget and my location (where there are absolutely NO good fabric stores around)
Finding antique lace is always challenging, especially when you want to actually use the corset. I managed to pick up some pretty lace from a local vintage store called Athens Underground. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it'll do until I find something closer.
The pieces were relatively easy to put together, the busk being the easiest part of all (I didn't believe it would be)
Specifics Please!
Total Cost: $ 45
Cost of Materials Breakdown:
$15 Busk
$15 Steel Boning
$ 7 Antique Lace
$ 4 Khakis
$ 3 Grommets
$ 1 Embroidery Thread
$ 0 Twine (already in my stash)
Measurements fully closed:
Bust: 34.5''
Waist: 23'' (was intended to be 19-20... more on that later)
Hips: 35''
What was the hardest part of the project?
Using a pair of khakis as the only fabric proved difficult for cutting and caused a lot of stress.
I had also never put in a busk before, though it's far easier than it looks/sounds.
What needs improvement?
Beings this is the first real corset I've made (the other ones I had another seamstress build for me) this project was a giant adventure. I knew the basic procedure but had never done it before.
Seams: Because of all the fabric, I had a hard time sewing through the layers. Next time I will probably seam it on my treadle.
Lacing: I forgot to put an extra layer of fabric in the grommeted panel, which has caused a couple of the grommets to loosen and fall out upon long-term wear. An extra strong layer of fabric would eliminate the problem.
Measurements: If you examine my version versus the original, you'll notice the front panel is a little wider in mine. I believe that this, added with the general widging of fabrics during seaming, caused the waistline to expand from its intended measurement.
General Laments: If you looked at my version, you can see that somehow the left side (our right) of the corset's front closure, at the busk, is longer on both the top and bottom. I have no clue how this happened. Secondly, the cups at the bust gently flare toward the top instead of cupping back in. This works fine for earlier (pre-1870s) corsets, but during this time period a very smooth, curved bustline was desired. Thirdly, I'd love to find a busk that has such wide set closures as the original. Lastly, I would probably add a lot of more cording, as in the original, than I did for my version. I stayed on the safe side instead of going with my gut.
What do you like the most about it?
I love that it looks so close to the original. The embroidery was a stroke of luck to get it to match so well. Same with the khakis acting as the fabric. It's also an extremely comfortable corset. I have worn it for more than 8 hours at a time, and I was just as comfortable as when I put it on. My hope is to make another one, built for hard use rather than just being pretty. I want this one to actually close at a 19'' waist and have it lined in sturdy drill or coutil. I'll probably do embroidery for my practical one, too, because... why not?!
Finding antique lace is always challenging, especially when you want to actually use the corset. I managed to pick up some pretty lace from a local vintage store called Athens Underground. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it'll do until I find something closer.
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| So delicate! |
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| In progress pic: Busk just put in! |
I added the binding to the edges and then lightly tacked the antique lace along the top of the corset. She's so comfortable!!
Specifics Please!
Total Cost: $ 45
Cost of Materials Breakdown:
$15 Busk
$15 Steel Boning
$ 7 Antique Lace
$ 4 Khakis
$ 3 Grommets
$ 1 Embroidery Thread
$ 0 Twine (already in my stash)
 |
| Shown here with newly made chemise More on that in a later post! |
Measurements fully closed:
Bust: 34.5''
Waist: 23'' (was intended to be 19-20... more on that later)
Hips: 35''
What was the hardest part of the project?
Using a pair of khakis as the only fabric proved difficult for cutting and caused a lot of stress.
I had also never put in a busk before, though it's far easier than it looks/sounds.
 |
| Look at dat bust curvature! |
Beings this is the first real corset I've made (the other ones I had another seamstress build for me) this project was a giant adventure. I knew the basic procedure but had never done it before.
Seams: Because of all the fabric, I had a hard time sewing through the layers. Next time I will probably seam it on my treadle.
Lacing: I forgot to put an extra layer of fabric in the grommeted panel, which has caused a couple of the grommets to loosen and fall out upon long-term wear. An extra strong layer of fabric would eliminate the problem.
Measurements: If you examine my version versus the original, you'll notice the front panel is a little wider in mine. I believe that this, added with the general widging of fabrics during seaming, caused the waistline to expand from its intended measurement.
General Laments: If you looked at my version, you can see that somehow the left side (our right) of the corset's front closure, at the busk, is longer on both the top and bottom. I have no clue how this happened. Secondly, the cups at the bust gently flare toward the top instead of cupping back in. This works fine for earlier (pre-1870s) corsets, but during this time period a very smooth, curved bustline was desired. Thirdly, I'd love to find a busk that has such wide set closures as the original. Lastly, I would probably add a lot of more cording, as in the original, than I did for my version. I stayed on the safe side instead of going with my gut.
 |
| Complete with a proper 1880s gut! |
What do you like the most about it?
I love that it looks so close to the original. The embroidery was a stroke of luck to get it to match so well. Same with the khakis acting as the fabric. It's also an extremely comfortable corset. I have worn it for more than 8 hours at a time, and I was just as comfortable as when I put it on. My hope is to make another one, built for hard use rather than just being pretty. I want this one to actually close at a 19'' waist and have it lined in sturdy drill or coutil. I'll probably do embroidery for my practical one, too, because... why not?!
 |
| Close up of tambour-ish embroidery |
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