Costume Museum of Canada pop up exhibit

I haven’t been able to do much volunteering at the Costume Museum since I started my current job so I was more than pleased when an opportunity came up to volunteer this past Saturday.  Let me show you a general over view of the show today and tomorrow, I will focus on my favorite pieces.

2005 women wool coat 1950’s Christian Dior 1937 men’s coat

1950 silk and 1850’s silk

1900 gown, 1909 gown, 1910 frock coat, 1897 WORTH gown (gasp!)

1922-24 dress, 1923 flapper dress, 1922 gown, 1929 tux, 1926 dress

1957 cocktail dress with 50’s fur, 1926 French gown

1980’s (not my favorite era….)

1960’s beaded dress, 1968 Paco Rabanne metal and feather dress, 1980 Scassi dress

2007 silk gown, 1960 tux, 1968 Paco Rabanne mini dress

 

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New pair of socks

After finishing my red and black socks, I decided to reboot the pattern and see if I could fix some of the issues (too long, wont stay up).

I have a good start on the first sock of the new pair.  I’m liking the color choices.

I have been on a knitting kick lately because I haven’t got my sewing room restored yet(dismantled for son who returned home, reassembling after he moved back out) and knitting is so easy to take out and put away.  The fact that it is chilling off outside is adding to the knitting urge.  Hopefully, in the next week or two, I will finish a sewing UFO project…a corset cover.  I want that and a hat off my table soon because I have some sewing patterns on the way.  I hope to have a funtional Edwardian outfit up and running by November.

Mother and son added to my collection

I think this is a photo of a mother and son.  They were photographed by H. Larock in Lewiston Maine in the late 1880’s.  They are both sporting jewelry (watch and earrings) and fairly nice clothes so I’m thinking they are at least middle class.

I collect cards that have women’s clothing or hair clearly shown.  But, I can’t say this dress inspired me.  I like the stripes woven into the fabric but I’m not keen on the effect on the front of the bodice.  It makes it look like the dress doesn’t fit!  What really caught my attention was not the dress but the back of the card!  So pretty.  I hope you like it too!

Red and black stockings

I finally finished the second stocking this past weekend.  (The pattern was from 1886 and I followed it exactly for stitch and row count but not color). It was a struggle to get them done because I came to the conclusion after I finished the first one, that my wool was thicker than intended and therefore messed up the dimensions of the finished project.  They fit but they are not a real reflection on how they were actually worn.  The fatter wool was helpful in making the stockings wide enough for me and my stout figure.  This meant I did not need to add stitches.  But the thicker wool also made them way too long!  I believe they were intended to be above the knee but up to the crotch is perhaps TO far above the knee!

Will I still use them?  Yes, they’d make great socks for a witches costume.  I will use them with my historical costumes on cold days because no one will be looking that far up my skirts (I hope).  I will have to find a way to keep them up.  The stocking garters I knit just wont do the trick.  I may have to add some elastic to the tops.  They are long enough that I could just sew them to undies and make leggings out of them.

I will call these mock ups and start a new pair.  I will simply reduce the number of times I repeat the pattern to get the right length.  I am going to make the next pair more colorful.  I’m debating on weather reducing the number of stitches will make them stay up.

Blending hobbies

I painted a couple more rocks.  I may have a hard time parting with them.  The first one is a portrait of my dog.  I am pretty sure I am keeping this one.

Looks like her I think.

The next one I am pretty sure I will hide on my next costume outing.  That wont be until October so I can enjoy it till then.Edwardian lady with a big hat.

Between the dog and her diabetes and my new hobby, I’ve been really bad about getting projects done.  I need to get down to business though.  For the next outing, I want new stuff and that means a corset cover, a skirt and a hat.  Chop, chop girl!  Get on that!

Out and about…at least my body was!

Victorian at Heart went to the old fort for our end of summer outing.

Shirley wore 1850’s, Lottie wore early 1860’s, I wore early 1870’s (which I ran around telling everyone was late 1860’s) but, look at  the expression on my face…. I was quite clearly strung out from the excessive heat.  I forgot the icepacks I usually wear under my hats to keep my brain functional.

In spite of the heat, it was a pleasant afternoon wandering around looking at things.  The big house, which is the highlight of the place, was shut down for renovations which was too bad. But the smaller houses were charming as were the workers.

Here are a few of the better shots.  Please excuse all the crazed, uptight expressions I am sporting.

Combining hobbies

Saturday was a good day.  I went out for lunch with my mom.  I got some new paints and some old rocks for my new hobby.  I took puppy out for a walk and today was the first time she was able to complete our usual route without looking tired (we’ve been working on her new life style as a diabetic).  While walking I found my first painted rock!  Isn’t it a beauty!

Then I made a rock that I plan on placing during my costume outing today (stay tuned for photos-baring a cancellation due to rain). We are going to the old fort so I did one of the fort. That’s “me” in the blue!