18thc. Gown Workshop Recap

I'm still working on my post about the "Mercy Bradford" cloak at Pilgrim Hall, but watermarking the photos is taking a while when real life gets in the way! Instead, while fresh in my mind, I'll give a recap of the gown workshop I attended this weekend put on by The Hive at Minute Man National Historical Park.

This was the second gown workshop I've been to that was put on by Hive instructors Miss Hallie and Miss Stephanie. The first one I went to was back in July 2011, when I did my printed cotton gown. I was wholly unprepared for that one; they are not kidding when they say it is a very intense weekend! Back in July I knew nothing, had really never sewn anything, and was a ball of anxiety. I know a little bit more now, and though I am not as close to completion as some of my workshop peers, I have no anxiety at all, whether about the workshop or my gown. I'm still pretty darn slow at sewing, but that will speed up with practice.

So, for the first time, I worked with silk. I had purchased this goooorgeous yellow silk taffeta from Hallie when she was clearing out some of her stash, and it's a great silk for a beginner to work with. It's not slippery, it takes a finger press really well, and it's just plain ol' pretty. The first time I pulled it out at the workshop there were some gasps, and lots of, "It's like a ray of sunshine!" comments. My silk doesn't hold a candle to the drooooooool-worthy red silk damask another participant brought; no one wanted to stand too close to it for fear of drooling on it. Seriously!

I think one of my favorite parts about these workshops is drooling over everyone's fabric (in addition to getting to handle an extant gown that is used for study). I'm becoming a fabric whore and as someone who is very tactile, working with textiles is just a pleasurable experience (when I go clothes shopping, I have to touch every. single. thing.). Everyone is always willing to chat about where they got it, how much they paid, "Of course you can touch it!" One lady had a really nice ivory linen and looks so good on her.

The way this workshop was run was different than last July, as Hallie and Steph are always learning something new and what works and doesn't work in terms of workshop flow. In July, we started with sleeves and over the course of the first day, we were fit to a pattern this. This time around, all of the fittings were done prior to the workshop, and sleeves were homework. I really liked this format better; by the time day 1 is complete, you feel confident enough to go home and make your sleeves. When day 2 rolls around, all that's left is to attach the sleeves and gown skirts; after that, you're done (unless you didn't hem, then you have to hem the skirts). Things may change for the next workshop, but I really enjoyed it this way!

So, where am I on my gown? Well, not quite as close as my fellow "mantuamakers" but WAY ahead of where I was last July. When I left the workshop for the second day in July, I only had the center back panel done. It was lined, with the en fourreau pleats stitched down, and ... that was it. This time around, I have all of that PLUS the two front bodices on! The lining still needs to be whipped in but that's an easy step. I have one sleeve done and am working on the next. First, though, I need to finish my stays.

All in all, I cannot recommend this type of workshop enough. Every item you sew should teach you something, and I've come away with more knowledge than I did the last time. I am comfortable enough with starting another gown on my own (I know, can you believe it?!). Most importantly, it seems to have finally stuck in my head that it's just fabric. There was no anxiety this weekend (well, there was, due to a dog medical emergency but it was completely unrelated to the workshop), and if I keep stressing myself out over this stuff, it's not going to be fun anymore. It took me nearly all day to cut out the pieces out for my printed cotton--and I had 11 yards of it, so if I made a mistake, no biggie, right?--but my yellow silk, that I had only 5.5 yards of, one hour. That is a mega improvement! My title of "Queen of Anxiety" is quickly leaving me, and I couldn't be more proud of that one single accomplishment.

My new mantra is "Keep Calm and Carry On." I will keep calm, and carry on, in all situations. Now, I must go sew my stays, as that gun to my head is getting awfully close ...

100%.

That's me. In my gown. At the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. It is complete, and I am in love with it.

Almost out of that tunnel.

The gown is almost done. Sleeves need to be hemmed at that's IT. I still need to attach the petticoat halves and hem it, then I'm good. Hopefully, I can get to a workbag tonight; it may not be embroidered but that's okay, it's just for practice.

Good thing my pattern pieces need to be tightened up, I'm going to need a reprieve from gowns for a little bit!

If you're in the Concord, MA area, come on down to the Battle Road open houses and historic trades/craft day!

What a weekend! Part 2 of 2.

That mound of sewing I was talking about yesterday ... oy. Though I'm nearly complete with what needs to be done, it still was stressful and intense and I can't lie, I thought there was a chance I'd be borrowing a gown for this weekend.

Luckily, I have a fabulous support system and I'm really on my way to completing my very first gown.

After the photo shoot, I donned my stays, pulled out my gown and we set straight to work. I though I was almost done; but those damned sleeves! My sleeve pattern ended up having to be redone, the sleeves that I'd backstitched in were taken off, and we found out that one of the back pleats needed to be resewn as well. At first, it was believed that we didn't actually need to take the sleeves off; I'd accidentally caught a bit of the fashion fabric while backstitching the left sleeve in, so cutting that thread should solve the problem. Right?

No.

In the eleventh hour of Saturday, the sleeves came off, and with a new pattern I cut them from my remaining yards of fashion fabric. If you've been keeping track, that would be pair number three of sleeves. Then, I accidentally made two left sleeves, so I had to redo one. Three-and-a-half. The theme of Saturday was, "Thank God I bought eleven yards of fabric!"

The skirts are pleated and basted in, but one part needs to be reworked, then I have to stitch them down in a spaced backstitch. I've already backstitched the sleeves in, both on the bottom as well as on the top, both under and over the robings. The lining is whipped down to the front of the bodice. Friday, I'm going back down to Hallie's and we're hemming the sleeves, making cuffs, and putting the back turn down on the top back of the bodice. I also need to hem the gown before then.

In addition, I have one-half of a petticoat, with a second that needs to be made, and I still have to make my linen work bag with embroidery. I would really like to get to the embroidery since it will be practice for embroidering my pocket. I'm borrowing a cap and neck handkerchief, but eventually will be making my own.

Phew. That's a lotta work! But I'm up to the challenge, and looking forward to it. I've already decided that my next gown is going to be a runaway impression; I had so much fun portraying a runaway that it would be neat to research my own for that specific event, though my main impression is middling class. Plus, runaway ads are excellent research, and I'll get to make other pieces of clothing with it, as they usually took a number of things with them.

And big huge bonus: Hallie has an extra dressform that will become mine! I've been working on the flat, and had I been working on a form, I probably could have recognized that something wasn't working and stopped. So that makes me extra excited for making more garments.

What a weekend! Part 1 of 2.

Wow, this past weekend flew by and left me in a mound of sewing and dust!

Saturday I spent the day with Hallie and her daughter Samantha, first photographing two of her gorgeous gowns and then sewing and resewing my gown (that is a whole 'nother blog post). The photo shoot was awesome; when I relaunch my portfolio website-slash-freelancing business, it will have three major components: graphic design (print and web), exhibit design, and artifact photography. I've been fortunate enough to get my hand into artifact photography through Pilgrim Hall Museum, and it combines my love of working with objects with my love of photography. Hallie and I were getting together to work on my gown anyway, and she asked me if I'd be willing to be her photographer. A resounding "YES!!!!!!" and I packed up my tripod and Canon 30D to shoot her gorgeous new blue silk sacque as well as her brown damask English gown. I have lights, but Hallie had a set at the shop already so it was one less thing to pack!

Shooting the blue sacque. Photo courtesy Hallie Larkin.

Our set up was as follows:  two large lights with softboxes, one small light behind the gown to backlight it, and a mirror to reflect light back onto the gowns. Plus, white photo paper backdrop that we wrinkled for some texture (it got wrinkled in the cutting/ripping process so we just went all out--it worked great!). I shot on a tripod the majority of the time, but also took the camera off the tripod to get in really close for some details.

Me, adjusting the lights. Had I known *my* picture
was going to be taken, I would have put some
make-up on and dressed better! Photo courtesy
Hallie Larkin.

What I found worked best for the big lights was to have one up higher to light the top half of the gowns, and the second light lower to light the bottom half. If we had had more room, I would have pulled the gowns away from the backdrop (so, closer to me), and also moved the third light closer to the gown to let it diffuse more against the paper. But, for the space we had and for only two gowns to shoot, it was a great set up. You learn something new every time!

Here's my photo shoot wishlist, if I had unlimited funds and could upgrade just my equipment:

• A better quality lens. I was shooting with my Canon kit lens, 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, which is slow and doesn't have the best glass. A 50mm prime lens would be great!
• A Canon 7D body. My current body is a Canon EOS 30D, which I love, but in order to get the better quality lens, I need a better body!
• A remote shutter release or cable shutter release, as pressing down on the shutter with my finger sometimes moved the camera.
• A long USB cord to plug into my camera and my Macbook Pro so we can view photos as they are being taken and adjust exposures, F-stops, shutter speeds, etc.
• Softboxes for my lights, like Hallie's.
• A third light, small, for backlighting.
• A fourth light with a large stand and a boom, to light the gowns from the top (using a softbox as well).

A bigger space goes without saying (and I know Hallie was wishing for it, too!) and for next time, we'll have other backdrops. But the photos came out great, don't you think?

Blue silk sacque, ribbon detail. Photograph by me.

Brown silk damask English gown, back pleats.
Photograph by me.

First two photographs used with permission. Last two photographs are mine, please do not take them or use them without permission!