First of all, I am setting myself the goal of participating in the Historical Sew Fortnightly. I think it's such a lovely idea, and a great way to keep me on my toes with planning and following through with sewing projects. As I plan upcoming projects, I'm going to keep an eye on the challenges and find ways to participate in as many of them as I can.
The second big idea for the year will be expanding my costuming horizons. The majority of my costumes thus far have centered on the mid-19th century. It's time to branch out! Last year's Titanic Era dress project (stay tuned for upcoming post with details) whetted my appetite, and now I want to start exploring other eras in a big way.
First up is Regency. I have been huge fan of this period for years, but have never had the time or motivation to make any clothing from it. 2013 will be my year! There's a PEERS Jane Austen Ball coming up in March, and I'm going to try to have something ready for it.
To start with, I have to get going on foundations. I have a set of stays that I think will work just fine, but I need a shift to wear under them. I'm thinking it should be a simple squares-and-triangles affair, following the instructions here. I bought some nice lightweight linen today that will be just the thing. I'll be sewing this together by hand; the tiny run-and-fell seams you see in period undies are impossible to replicate by machine. I'm hoping I can get this done in time to count as my project for HSF Challenge #1. A generic Regency shift can count for 1813, right?
The second big project I have planned is a turn-of-the-(last)-century evening gown. There's a group of ladies here in the Bay Area who are planning a Gibson Girl theme for the Gaskell Ball in April, and I plan to go all out. Of course I'll be starting with a corset, most likely the Truly Victorian 1903 Edwardian Corset (HSF Challenge #3?). S-curve, here I come! I already have this book for inspiration, and I'm hoping that this one will give me a dress pattern I can work from. I've even started reading hair tutorials to give me that Gibson Girl pouf.
To set the mood, I leave you with my favorite Gibson Girl image:
She is clearly above it all
2013, here I come!
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