Clara the Barmaid Bustle Dress

I've been a very bad blogger! I haven't blogged at all in almost two months, and there are things I made months ago that I still haven't shared here. My only excuse is that I've gone from one big project to the next, and just haven't had time to stay on top of the blog. Sorry! The next few posts will be me playing catch-up.

First up, my Clara bustle dress:

Last month, I made my reproduction of the Victorian barmaid costume worn by Clara in last year's Doctor Who Christmas special (read more about the planning here). I threw it together in record time (about 2 weeks), and wore it to a Who-themed PEERS dance at the beginning of June. The ball was a huge success — it brought out a mix of swing dancers, fans of the show, and PEERS regulars that packed the venue, making dancing a bit difficult at times. Even though the dance floor was crowded, it was great fun. I danced with the Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, and Eleventh doctors, crossed my own timeline a few times, narrowly avoided some Daleks and weeping angels, and waltzed to a swing version of the show's theme music.

I am thrilled with how my costume turned out, though sadly, not very many people knew who I was. There were a couple of people who got it instantly, and quite a few who remembered with a little prompting, but I'm sure a lot of folks must have thought I had missed the memo about the theme and showed up in a generic Victorian showgirl-type costume. Nevertheless, even those people admired it, and the good thing about it being a bit generic is that I can wear it for other events in the future.

As a reminder of what I was copying, here is Clara's dress from the show:

And here's my version:

Not bad, eh?

The skirt and overskirt are based on the 1886-87 skirt from Period Costume for Stage and Screen (pg 126-7). I shortened both layers a bit, and added three rows of ruffles to the skirt. The bodice is the TV460 1885 Cuirass Bodice. I used the square evening neckline, but with the 3/4 length coat sleeves.

I used a red Kona cotton as the base for the skirt, with the outer skirt layer made from a black/red cross-dyed cotton. The ruffles were cut on the straight of the grain and fringed along the bottom edge, which is how they appear to be finished on the original costume. The top ruffle is accented with a ruche of the overskirt fabric.

The overskirt and bodice were made from an iridescent, embroidered polyester curtain fabric. Unfortunately, it was the only thing I could find to approximate the brocade used for Clara's costume on the show. It was an unpleasant reminder of why I never sew with synthetics — it was a pain to sew and press, and made me very hot and sweaty while dancing. It was a necessary compromise, however, and all things considered, looked pretty fabulous.

I trimmed the neckline and sleeves with a dark red lace trim, and used black vintage glass buttons along the center front opening.

I had intended to knit a screen-accurate shawl to go with the dress, but I got about two-thirds of the way through the knitting, when my right wrist gave out. It hurt so severely that I had to give it up and do without. In fact, over a month later, it is still giving me problems. No more knitting for me! Luckily, I found a second-hand chenille knitted scarf in a similar color that was close enough. It ended up not mattering much, because the dance was too hot and crowded to wear a shawl anyway. I left the chenille scarf in the dressing room for most of the night.

My American Duchess Tavistocks, while not exactly screen accurate, looked great with the dress and were surprisingly comfortable to dance in.

Altogether, I think this dress was a success. I'll keep it in the closet in case I ever need to attend an event as an 1880s saloon girl!

Clara Dress Planning

So I have a confession: I'm a big fan of Doctor Who. I got started on it a couple of years ago by a friend, and now I'm hooked. I love it for all its cheesy plotlines, silly special effects, and all-around campy goodness. The characters are surprisingly well-developed and it appeals to my general anglophilia.

Imagine my delight when I found out that PEERS is hosting Doctor Who-themed ball this summer: The Doctor Dances. The ball is set in London in 1941, so either 1940s dress or Doctor Who inspired clothing is appropriate. At first I wasn't certain which direction I would go in, but after viewing the Christmas special in December, I had a clear vision: I would make one of the 1880s dresses worn by Clara, the Doctor's new companion, in The Snowmen. 1940s is not an era I have any experience in, so something Victorian would be more my speed.

At first I thought I would make the beautiful and formal day dress she wears through most of the episode, when she is working as a governess to two children:

Clara on the left — I love this dress. It's elegant and graceful, and rather historically accurate for a popular TV show!

The more I thought about it, however, the more I was worried about dancing in this dress. The long sleeves and high neck don't allow for ventilation, and the whole thing feels a bit too buttoned-up for a ballroom. Luckily, this isn't the only dress Clara wears in this episode. In the beginning of the show, she moonlights as a barmaid in this spicy red number: 

Much more suitable for dancing, no? Lower neck, shorter sleeves, and though you can't tell in this picture, the hem sits about 6" off the ground. Perfect for swirling about in a ballroom!

The dress appears to be 4 separate components: the scarlet brocade bodice, a matching draped overskirt,  a dark reddish-brown ruffled base skirt, and a red underskirt. I plan on using TV460 1885 Cuirass Bodice as my pattern for the bodice, and an assortment of diagrams in books for the skirts. I'm also knitting the shawl (there's a minor plot point involving it — it would be a shame to leave it out), and I'll wear my new American Duchess Tavistock button boots with the ensemble.

This is my first time attempting a close replica of an existing costume or gown. I'm already enjoying the process immensely. I've been researching and planning for several weeks, and I've managed to find all the necessary materials The sewing should be quick and easy — I'll post again soon once I've made some progress!