First Victorian Ensemble for Fashion Show

[Birda]

Good evening and hello,

I have been following posts, and have been admiring your incredible creations for a year or so. Back in my younger days, I made a couple sci-fi type outfits, Star Trek and such, but have not been sewing for a decade or longer. Late last year, I heard a Steampunk convention was going to be held in my town, the first in S. Calif. A few months later, I purchased my first TV patterns - # 405, 1872 vest basque and # 208, trained skirt ensemble, and a couple others as well. I then began searching for an Inspiration Piece that I thought I could make, at least give it my best try, for the Victorian Fashion Show being held at the Gaslight Gathering event in San Diego, hosted by Ms. Emmaline. After purchasing 80 Godey's Full-Color Fashion Plates 1838-1880, I found something that sparked my interest, and my memory. I remembered browsing through a borrowed book decades ago when I first saw this bright blue dress, and I knew this was the one. I typed up my e-mail entry request, attached the fashion plate, took a deep breath ... and pressed the send key. A short time later, Ms. Emmaline responded with thanks and encouragement, and so began my sewing every night and weekend for the next 2 to 3 months on my first Victorian, first time pleating, first time making a hat.

Plate 46. Nov 1872 ltr e Godeys Full-Color Fashion Plates 1838-1880.jpg (31.19 KiB) Viewed 5971 times

I was still sewing braid on the hat the morning of the Show, but made it there in plenty of time with all in tow, except for my curled wig ... I borrowed a rubber band and tied up what little hair I have in the hat, and also ran down to the vendor room to purchase a large hat pin. I know now that a small hat needs help to stay on ones head.

Attached are photos taken by the wonderful photographer Jerry Abuan who was taking photos though out the weekend.

Thank you Denise Nadine Designs for the Dale Lynn hat frame

Aurora Byrd Darlington 1.JPG (24.28 KiB) Viewed 5971 times

my first Victorian

Aurora Byrd Darlington 2.jpg (22.45 KiB) Viewed 5971 times

Thank you to everyone who has posted on this site. Every time I felt like giving up because it was taking so long, or needed some encouragement, I would pull up these forum pages and read your posts and stories. And I was amazed at how easy the patterns were to follow, having not used them before, and Ms. Heather was so kind to respond via email to questions that I had.

Take care and thank you. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Birda (Ms. Aurora Byrd Darlington - Fashion Show persona)

[SarahMiller42]

That is gorgeous. I love that shade of blue and it looks fabulous on you. Very nice work.

[Cathi H]

Beautiful Work!!!

[steffielove]

what a beautifull dress!

[MaryGode]

Gorgeous! What a bold, beautiful color.

[AmandaDC3]

Lovely!

[Birda]

Thank you everyone for your early morning compliments.

I would like to add one note to my write up, that I actually was not sewing at a machine for 2 to 3 months. It took me several weeks to find the right materials, the right color ribbon (royal blue did not look right to me, so I went with navy), and it took some time to draft the pattern for the square collar, the bell sleeves, the undersleeves and the apron w/the bows. But what took the longest was trying to figure out how tall/wide the pleats and the ruching should be on the skirt. No matter how short I made the pleats, I could not get that empty space below the apron. It finally dawned on me that I don't have 6 foot long legs. The ladies in the fashion plates have longer legs in proportion to their torsos. Once I accepted that, I laid everything out as to how I thought it might look best.

I am also going to create another post to share a photo that includes Ms. Emmaline in her purple pleated dress.

[Bookwyrm]

Very, very nice. I really enjoy those pleated bell sleeves.