The Panicked Plaid Walking Dress, circa 1897
After Georgian Picnic, I got to start my new job! It’s a bit more complicated than anticipated, but otherwise it is working out well. The only tangle is that Saturday hours are required. Many Guild events are on Saturdays, so I was worried I would have to miss the December events, Lantern Light and Candlelight. Lantern Light was actually a last minute event. We were invited on the fly to attend for free if we all come dressed in 1890s garb. I love the 1890s! And free? Everybody loves free!
When the schedule rolled out at work the following week, however, I was scheduled to work that Saturday. It broke my heart, but Lantern Light was off the table. The Thursday before the event, the schedule suddenly changed and I got the day off, but by then other plans had been made, so I still missed it. I was, however, now free to attend Candlelight. I planned to wear my 1856 day dress since I thought it was “Christmas-y” enough to fit the mood. Plus, December events are frequently frigid, so yards of heavy quilting cotton would be a welcome haven from the chill.
But the seed of discontent had been sewn by my missed 1890s opportunity and the unruly Texas weather only helped that discontent grow…
Saturday, December 6th
(7 Days until Candlelight)
The forecast predicts that the weather, which has been unbelievably warm for December, will continue to prove the existence of global warming throughout the week. Highs are listed in the low 70s through the following Saturday. I wonder if six yards of quilting cotton is the wisest choice. I have that summery cotton 1890s dress that’s much lighter. Maybe wear that? No. It’s too spring-like. I want to be festive! There’s a new Walmart down the road with an awesome fabric department…no! There’s no time! Plus, my 1850s dress is super cute.
Maintain the course, Lizzie! You’re too deep in already, what with this new job. You don’t have time to make anything new. No more last minute sewing!
Becky is a busy bee at work and has no time to sew, so we troop over to the neighborhood Goodwill to put my Easy Edwardian thrifting tutorial into action. Hallelujah! The perfect lavender formal skirt appears! One flouncy silk shirt, pair of perfectly plum pumps, and a swanky sheer jacket later and we have the perfect basic Edwardian lady! We part discussing hats hats hats. I love hats…especially 1890s hats.
Sunday, December 7th
(6 Days until Candlelight)
O…M…G…This Walmart polysatin looks so fabulous! And look! A matching plaid! I need this plaid. It is sooooo 1890s!
The Delineator January, 1898
I’ll just stash them together since they’re practically made for each other. It’ll be a good project for later. Can I get some help in the fabric department please? Thank you. Is it okay if I start stacking bolts here? Fabulous!
Ahem! What? Nope! Nothing to see here! Carry on!
Monday, December 8th
(5 Days until Candlelight)
Wow, is my head stuffy! I hope I’m not getting a cold…
Tuesday, December 9th
(4 Days until Candlelight)
Yup. Cold. Dammit.
Wednesday, December 10th
(3 Days until Candlelight)
Becky is going Edwardian. Chris is (was) going in his blue Edwardian coat. I wanna match eras! A stupid idea this close to the event, but–themes! Plus, I have this awesome, festive plaid that is just screaming holiday without being too kitschy. Yup! Totes making an 1890s dress! Simplicity 4156 has lots of pieces, but I’ve made it before and I’ve refined the pattern to the point where it fits pretty well. Sewing the skirt would take up a big chunk of time, though. Time for some thrifty cheating!
I have a red satin formal skirt I used for my Edwardian hack, and it matches pretty well. I’ll just use the bodice portion and forgo the skirt. But housework first. I’ll start tomorrow.
Thursday, December 11th
(2 Days until Candlelight)
2:34 pm: Wow, work was a bear! I’ll just lie down for a short nap to recover. Better take some medicine, too. I should probably lay out my pattern pieces fir–ZZZZZZZZ….
5:53 pm: Whoa, I did not mean to sleep that long. Time to meet Becky at Hobby Lobby for hat decorations. Feathers! Flowers! Fabrics! Trims take the most time to shop for, at least in my case, plus, you can never have too many ostrich plumes!
Chopping up a cheap Christmas wreath yields the perfect touch of Christmas cheer for my hat, too.
Friday, December 12th
(1 Day until Candlelight)
10:00 am: Probably should not have slept this late…
1:30 pm: HOLY COW HOLY COW HOLY COW! I HAVE 24 HOURS TO GET THIS DONE.
<abject panic and flailing for about 2 hours>
Maybe I’ll just wear my 1856 dress after all. But that would be quitting. I ain’t no quitter!
3:40 pm: Hmmm…I don’t really want balloon sleeves this go-round. Mutton sleeves sound better. Internet tutorials to the rescue! There are lots of methods, but I need to stay simple. The easiest two are the vertical slash for a very full, tapered sleeve and the curved slash that concentrates that fullness at the top:
Leg of Mutton Sleeve Pattern Diagrams, circa 1940
The vertical slash method is on the bottom.
Leg of Mutton Sleeve Pattern Diagrams, circa 1940
The “Gill” method is on the left.
They produce very similarly shaped results, but I don’t like the amount of fullness the vertical slash method creates down the length of the arm when used for long sleeves (for short puffs it should work just fine). Both would be correct, but the more fitted forearm of the “gill” method is much more flattering. The sleeves take almost a full yard of fabric by themselves!
I would have gone bigger, but there was no time to do another mock-up.
4:50 pm: All pattern pieces cut! I scrounge for lining and end up having to line the sleeves in cotton rather than net, so they won’t puff as much as I like. If you can, flatline mutton sleeves with net if your fabric is soft and drapes. Crisp fabrics usually don’t need it, depending on how you want the final result to look. Another option is to make 1980s-esque shoulder pads. I had time for neither, so my sleeves flop a bit. Oh well!
5:50 pm: Time to go to dinner with the family and go to Journey to Bethlehem at church.
9:40 pm: Chris drops me off at the house on his way to Magic the Gathering.
1:15 am: There’s so much to do! The lapels are giving me lots of trouble because I’ve worn out the needle and I have no more! Chris has the car way across town, so buying a fresh one is a no-go. I hand crank the needle through the thick lapel interfacing, which works great….until I realize I’ve just sewn one lapel backwards! Crap.
2:26 am: THE NEEDLE BREAKS.
2:27 am: Wailing and gnashing of teeth.
3:15 am: Chris picks me up after Magic the Gathering and we buy fresh needles from Wally World.
4:40 am: Bed.
Saturday, December 13th
(The Day of Candlelight)
9:00 am: Alarm goes off.
10:00 am: I decide I needed to make life even more complicated by adding a faux belt front to the bodice insert. I bought the buckle off eBay about a month ago for a few dollars. I didn’t really know why I bought it at the time, but it works perfectly. Must have been fate! Also the hand of fate: I have a red silk shirt from Goodwill to recycle into a belt that pretty closely matches the skirt color.
11:30 am: Insert done. The collar came up an inch short, but there is no time! Hide it with a brooch…
12:05 pm: The peplum requires a ridiculously long piece of facing. I don’t have time to hand-tack it to the lining. Iron-on hem tape that sucker!
1:25 pm: Sleeves done.
1:30 pm: Wait, I was supposed to be curling my hair this whole time?! Noooooooooo! I forgot!
2:00 pm: Becky arrives and we get her all gussied up.
3:15 pm: Chris is hollering at me from downstairs that we need to go and I am still sewing feathers on my hat. Also, he has decided to go in his western vest rather than in his more formal vest and one button has fallen off. Sew it on while stuck in Dallas traffic.
4:55 pm: Arrive late, but look oh-so-fabulous! (Sorry for making you wait, Jen!)
1910 on the left, 1897 on the right!
Our cozy little group, complete with a pair of handsome gentlemen!
Photo courtesy of Festive Attyre (and the woman who so kindly took the photo for us!)
Photo (filtered B&W) courtesy of Festive Attyre
Photo (filtered B&W) courtesy of Festive Attyre
Becky made her hat from a sun hat that she covered with velvet and trimmed with silk hydrangeas and sequined ribbon. Her first Edwardian hat-making project ever! The sequins caught the light so well.
Edwardian hats are large horizontally while 1890s hats are large vertically, so I went for big, tall feathers and flora. Like many 1890s hats, I put a big V shaped bow at the back to create the “setting hen” look that was popular at the time.
Festive 1890s Hat Cost Breakdown
Wool hat base – $18.95, Go-a-Hat
Fabric for band and bow – Scraps, so free!
Various greenery from dismembered wreath – $4.95, Hobby Lobby
Red feathers – $1.99, Hobby Lobby
Cream plume – $3.99 Hobby Lobby
Total: $29.88
Photo courtesy of Festive Attyre
Panicked Plaid 1890s Dress Cost Breakdown
3 yards navy polysatin – $6, Walmart
1 yard plaid cotton – $1, Walmart
Red silk shirt for belt- $2.15, Goodwill
Gilded brass belt buckle – $4.49, eBay
Red formal skirt – $5.49, Goodwill
1/4 yard interfacing – A gift, so free!
White beaded purse – Technically it’s my sisters, so, um, free?
Total: $19.13
You might notice something missing from this list: fasteners! indeed, there isn’t a single fastener down the front of the bodice! It’s held together by the belt, brooch and two strategically placed straight pins, but thanks to the fit and front pleating, you can’t even tell. Not bad for being totally on the fly!
Happy Holidays!
The Pragmatic Costumer 
Liz, I am constantly amazed at how fast you put your outfits together. I loved the whole red, blue, plaid look – loved the belt and buckle and the coat, and especially the gorgeous sleeves on it, was divine. I hope you don’t mind me saying I wasn’t too keen on the hat, but you still worked wonders with it in the masocistic time frame you set yourself. Thanks for a year of wonderful reading. Yours is the only blog I follow. You write so well, know how to tell and unfold a story and your photos are always excellent. Loved the one here of you amongst the materials. Haha! A bit of a crazy look in your eyes! Have a cheery festive season!
LOL! I like the 1890s because it’s kind of weird and ugly, yet playful and cute. So, basically, me! :P
Thank you for all you kind words and year+ of excellent commentary! Have a Merry Christmas, Vicki!
Beautiful!!!!!!!…..love the details.
-Deb
Aw, thank you! :)
Hey there! I have been reading your blog for a while now and I have a question for you. I love costuming and I was talking to someone about it and mentioned your blog and the thrifty tips, etc. I have no other phrase for what transpired than to say “she totally lost her $#it” berating me for even thinking of being so “furby” (?). It’s “a lifestyle, not halloween”. My question is: do you ever face this or is she just a psycho? I don’t want to offend anybody by breaking rules of etiquette.:/ Thanks in advance:) <3
You have run into the exact situation that scared me away from costuming in my younger years. The term she was likely using was “farb/farby” which is a pejorative term for a costume that’s not satisfactorily accurate. Likely, she’s a very dedicated reenactor and takes great care to make sure every aspect of her costume is exactly as it would have been done (correct materials, correct techniques, etc.). It’s a worthy goal, but it is not a goal I share. While I am very research-oriented, I costume for joy and fun. I do not have the time or money to invest in all the perfect materials, so I must find creative solutions to fill the gaps. But I love my costumes nonetheless. Everyone’s goals are different. There are many judgmental people in the costuming/cosplay/reenacting world, but there are also many more who are fun-loving and laid back. What’s important is that you set your own goals. Soon enough you will meet other people who will share and support them. :)
Thanks for the encouragement! I looked up some info on “farby” things and I’m really shocked. Public mockery for drinking bottled water?! It seems to be mostly Civil War reenactors though the person I spoke to is a “proper Victorian lady”. I may be wrong, but I see this as a kind of historical cosplay. I approach it like I do my plans for a Romulan uniform (trekkie that I am..lol). It’s for personal satisfaction and enjoyment. I’m doing it for fun and I’m glad to find out that doesn’t make me evil:) And I adore your costumes, “farby” or not.;)
I am so impressed with how you got such a beautiful outfit done in so little time! Awesome! I love it.
Thanks! Some last minute projects turn out better than others. This was one of the lucky ones! :)
I love the color combination on your 90s oufit. Well done for throwing it together.
Val
Thanks! :)
I think I still have a periwinkle blue bridesmaid two piece outfit that I may be able to use to a similar effect…. Hm….