A (Late) Year in Review

Hello again, blogosphere! It may not seem like it from the complete lack of posts, but I've been a very busy seamstress. I'm still not great about getting pictures of what I actually make, but I thought that I would try and compile some of the past year's projects into one post while I work on another big post for the month of March (I sewed multiple gowns this month alone!)

One of the things that I've started doing over the last few years is keeping a list on my computer of everything I sew. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to add things to the list, and if I ever feel like I'm not sewing enough, or I'm not where I want to be, I can look at the list and feel a lot better about my skills! This is my list from 2018... all 31 items.

Pink Striped Floral Jacket and Petticoat

Striped Linen Gown

Penguins Outfit (Yellow Jacket, Black Silk Petticoat)

Batwing Jacket

Garters

Banyan

False Rump

White Linen Cap

Mary's Gown

Harry Potter Knit Dress

Trailing Vines Red Gown and Petticoat

Fourth of July Knit Dress

Fox Skirt

Harry Potter Cotton Dress

Lemonade Dress

Cactus Maxi Dress

Brain Hat

Short Red Wool Capelet

Silk Gauze Cap

Red Silk Breast-Knot

Changeable Silk Petticoat

Changeable Silk Breast-Knot

Green Wool Jacket

Pocket

Market Bonnet (Commission)
Market Bonnet (Michelle)

Market Wallet

1943 Dress

Some of these things were small and quick to make (like the knots), while some took much longer (like the Trailing Vines Gown with its matching petticoat and what felt like miles of trim). The biggest thing for me with keeping this list however, is being able to see what I've learned, or what skills I've become comfortable with.

I sewed a lot of modern stuff last year - my new serger made that possible and fun, and I got better at working with knits. I started using more silk and wool, investing in the clothing that I wear every day, and becoming more accurate in my representation of the 18th century. I also made progress on building a wardrobe that is a lot more interchangeable/mix-and-match (I love my changeable silk petticoat!), and I took on more commissions too!

But I know that you came here to see pretty things, so without further ado, here are some pictures from this past year!

My floral stripe ensemble, worn earlier this month with a new mull apron. This outfit has been made and reworked a few times over the course of the year, but I'm finally happy with it now!

My striped linen gown, perfect for a hot Virginia summer!

My Garden Party outfit from last May, with a petticoat that I've gotten lots of use out of, and done up in the colors of one of my favorite hockey teams

My "Batwing" Jacket, named after the fabric that it's made out of. I added box-pleated trim around the neckline, and now this is one of my favorite jackets, a good go-to on any day, since the trim dresses it up a little, but it's still a casual jacket

Of course I made more garters this year! In addition to being practical, they're a good way to show off a bit more personality... but only to the people you choose to show!

My banyan, perfect for lounging around the house...

...or getting ready for work!

My false rump has sadly not gotten much use yet, but I'm hopeful that some of my future projects will be accentuated by a bigger derrière! (I might also modify the stuffing a bit, I was initially worried about the pillows collapsing under the weight of the skirts, but now I find they might need to be slightly flatter)

I finally sewed a cap that I like! This linen cap is perfect for every day wear, and the ruffle behaves after being washed, which is a definite bonus :)

My wonderful friend Mary knitted me incredible 18th century wool stockings, and so I made her a gown out of one of my favorite fabrics, then added silk gauze ruffles to the sleeves. She's also modeling her black silk bonnet that I made for her!

I made a number of knit dresses this summer, as they were easy to whip up with my serger, and this one has definitely been a conversation starter...

After all, most people around here love Harry Potter!

Back to the 18th century, I made a gown and matching petticoat out of the Trailing Vines fabric, and wore it as one of my first Governor's Palace outfits! (After all, once you're cleared to give tours of your favorite building, you clearly need a whole new section of your wardrobe!)

For those of you curious about my knitwear, this is how I made most of my dresses - a little quick draping on my dress form, and then less than an hour later I have a dress just like the Harry Potter one! (This sundress actually came first, and was made on July 3rd, to be worn on the 4th. I think it's my favorite modern creation from this year!)

This dress is being affectionately called my "Lemonade Dress", but I want to alter it slightly before I'll be completely pleased with it. The original pattern called for it to be a bit lower-cut than I was comfortable with, and I don't really have the bust to support the alterations I chose to combat the cut, so hopefully I'll be able to alter this again before the warmer weather hits. I still absolutely love the fabric and the skirt though, and the dress was perfect for a day of sightseeing in Boston last July!

Another knit creation, my first maxi dress went pretty well! I think I'll be using a little less fabric in the next one, as it didn't need to be gathered quite so much, but overall I am very pleased with my Cacti Dress

Towards the end of the year I started to focus more on accessories, and I just had to make the Brain Hat from the new American Duchess book. I wore it for Halloween (along with my Batwing Jacket), and even though very few people got the joke, those who did appreciated it!

If you were wondering where this "Brain Hat" could be found in the 18th century, here's a painting of Charlotte Grote, done by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and she has a fantastic hat!

I know my face looks concerned, but don't worry! I love my plush wool capelet! (I'm just telling everyone about Lord Dunmore removing the gunpower at the end of a Palace tour)

The hood is lined in a changeable silk that you'll see again on a petticoat and breastknot. This short cape is the perfect length to keep me warm, but not leave my arms immobile!

I am very proud of the work I did on this silk gauze cap, but as so often happens when sewing 18th century caps, I didn't like how it looked on my head once I finished it... I guess I just need to find a way of dressing my hair to make it more flattering!

For Veteran's Day this year I really wanted to wear poppies, but since I had to work, I chose to make a red silk breastknot styled off of some common ones from the 18th century that I thought kind of looked like poppies. My outfit was also red, white, and blue!

One of my friends in college made a changeable silk petticoat, and I was in love with it for years before finally making one of my own. Yes, silk petticoats do not come cheap - this one had at least $50 worth of materials - but I can wear this with almost everything that I've made, and in just a few short months I've already gotten my money's worth out of this... in fact, I might make another one this year! Here I've paired it with my Trailing Vines gown, and a breastknot made from a little bit of the leftover material.
***The silk isn't actually ombre, it has a blue warp and red weft which shimmers as I move, the photo simply captured it at a moment where it looks like a blue to purple ombre - a testament to how pretty and changeable it is!***

On Christmas I debuted my new green wool jacket! My petticoat was red, so everyone in my family was well dressed for the holiday!

One thing that I love about this jacket is the fabric itself. It's kind of hard to see, but hopefully it's noticeable on the sleeve here - there are stripes woven into the wool! I got this fantastic material from someone who had purchased it from a tailor's estate sale, and even though there wasn't much of it, I am thrilled to have gotten a jacket out of $4 of such beautiful wool!

 

Right at the end of the year, I managed to rip through the pocket I'd been wearing every day since 2017, and I also wore out the first pocket I ever made... which meant it was time for me to end the year on a much more practical project, and make a new pocket.

I sewed it out of some ticking I got at Fort Fred earlier in the year, and completed it in just one day, on the porch of the Raleigh Tavern

I also made some bonnets on commission last year...

...if you're interested in one for yourself, just let me know!

The last thing I have to show off is my 1943 dress, sewn specially for a program I was honored to be a part of, called "Un-Colonial Christmas". I played Lois, a young woman working at a USO in Williamsburg during World War II. I used a Butterick pattern from that year, and discovered the joys of trying to track down accurate 20th century materials! The program was fantastic, and I plan to wear the dress in my every day life as well!

There are a few things I don't yet have pictures of, but I hope this makes up for the radio silence over the last few months. I'm home sick today, so I'm going to get started on drafting my next few posts - I've already made 17 things these past 3 months of 2019!