V&A: woman's jacket 1600-1625

If you go throughout the entire museum there is probably as many costume pieces in other exhibits as there are in the fashion exhibit. Finding them is a real treasure hunt! Forgive the photo quality, it's hard through glass! I think this jacket is absolutely charming and I'd love to make one for myself! I love the bow, the stripes, the C-sleeve, the cuff, the buttons, the sleeve caps, everything. It would be such a comfy casual shirt!

The white t-shirt

As much as I love men in tuxes if I had to choose a second for best ensemble I'd choose the white t-shirt with a good pair of dark washed jeans. A suit can go wrong in so many ways if the man isn't an uber consciencious one, but the white tee is very hard to mess up. It needs to be clean and lean. Baggy t-shirts are not attractive, too tight is also not appealing. V-neck or crew, it doesn't matter to me. This is also one of my favorite outfits to wear for myself as well.

also hair and glasses, yes yes yes please

source

War Horse

how cute are you Captain Nicholls?

I just got back from War Horse which I went to by myself while the actors were at rehearsal and the other costumers went to Sherlock Holmes. I saw the play in London as a part of my study abroad which forced me to read the play first. This ruined the ending for me which I didn't appreciate and I feel took away the emotional impact of the ending. I felt like seeing the play did the same for the movie. I knew what was going to happen and even though they threw a little twist in at the end I figured they couldn't change the bare bones of it. If I'm remembering the play correctly they changed and added some characters to make it more movie friendly, but overall it was basically the same plot.

Major change: no puppets. No puppets, no magic. The horse actors were phenomenal, but I just wasn't really drawn in. Honestly I never connected with the schpeal about a boy and his horse so it was the puppets of the play and the music of the Song Man that really got me. Without the spectacular puppets and eerie songs a lot was left to be desired. The score by John Williams was pretty, but nothing special, not like we've come to expect from him, although he does know how to use his French horns. While Joey the horse was beautiful I felt that he wasn't showcased enough. This might seem strange since he's the star, but the way it was filmed or something just didn't have the impact of how amazing these creatures were. The same goes for Topthorn who's the bad-a giant black horse that Joey befriends. In the play his puppet is remarkably bigger and differently built from Joey. The first time we see Topthorn in the film this is the case, but Topthorn's physical prowess is lost for the rest of it. Overall the horses just seemed tiny. Considering 14 horses were used for Joey it's no surprise that the changing of their size and build was distracting throughout. I just longed for the all encompassing theatre experience with the lighting and sound and live actors and all the audience members sharing the experience with you.

Highlights? Benedict Cumberbatch of course. I was grinning like a fool when he entered as Major Stewart even though he looks so dopey with a mustache. I was surprisingly taken with handsome Tom Hiddleston as Captain Nicholls who's getting better with age (even though it's only been 3 years since Cranford). Other than those two it was sort of a who's who of not too terribly famous British actors (Emily Watson, Peter Mullan, David Thewlis). The full length shots of the riding was of course a major highlight, even if you could tell it wasn't always Cumberbatch and Hiddleston doing their own riding, but sometimes it was, and you know how I love a good gallop.

Of course I was mortified by the war scenes and the barbed wire, but I wasn't really moved all that much. I went hoping to weep through the whole thing as others I know have done, but honestly I only got emotional during the Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close trailer and during the credits when it said "Based on the play by So and So, first produced at the London National Theatre".

Topthorn is a boss.

I think as a movie those who haven't experienced the magic and charm of the play won't mind it and will probably even like it. It's sentimental and patriotic in a "isn't war horrible, rah for getting through it" kind of a way. Albert wasn't nearly as terrible as he is in the play, that's something the movie has. It also kept the goose.

Original entry on War Horse the play (bottom of entry).

1830s corset

I rewatched Wives and Daughters right before the final semester of my undergrad so the 1830s informed most of what I did for those four months. I've already posted about the 1830s wig I styled for my hair and make up final. I trimmed the wig to match the 1830s corset I made for my corsetry class that semester. I certainly learned a lot, but I don't think it's too bad for a first attempt. The 1830s is a good starting point for a corset bc if pressed I can use it from 1800 to the early 1840s.

Kyoto Costume Institute corset

Using research from the Met, V&A and Kyoto Costume institute, and Doyle's Waisted Efforts, Waugh's Corsets and Crinolines, and Salen's Corsets I draped the corset on a size 8 form which was a little big for me. Against my better judgement we fit it like a bodice rather than a corset, and even though I took quite a bit out the back still ended up meeting instead of having a 2" gap. I guess this is alright because I'm the smallest I'll ever be, but I would have preferred a little more cinching w/ the shaping the corset gave me. I fit it while wearing a bra bc if I hadn't I wouldn't have even needed bust gussets! I have plans to sew in bust pads so it can be worn alone, but have yet to do so. I also tell myself I'll remake the straps someday so they're longer since the ones I made are entirely too short, but I'm pretty sure none of this will ever happen.

embroidery inspiration

I embroidered the bust gussets and the CF over the busk in blue. I had a heck of a time at Home Depot getting the right piece of wood for the busk, and then at the scene shop getting them to cut it in half depth-wise and then sanding it to round of the edges and to make it thinner. I can't for the life of me find the pictures I took of the busk, but of course I put my name on it all pretty with the date seeing as I had no lover to do it for me. Someday I hope to make a white and blue 1830s summer ensemble. I think white and blue are so romantic.

9 pattern pieces in the coutil, 7 in the fashion fabric (hip gussets only in the coutil)

some bumps and wrinkles, but not a bad fit overall

the busk forces the tummy in nicely, but it makes it very hard to drive.

not laced entirely right, but it works

looks like the museum corsets!

I didn't make the chemise, I did make the petticoat, but that's for another entry.

24 Hour Catwalk preview

Hulu+ posted the premiere of 24 Hour Catwalk early. I started it last night and finished it today, mostly because the first half was kind of a snooze, but I was pleasantly surprised by the second. Since it hasn't offically premiered yet I won't give away names and winners, but I will tell you the basic of the show and some high points.

James Laforce, Cynthia Rowley, Darek Blasberg, Alexa Chung

The show in general is sort of Chopped meets Project Runway meets something with a deadline between the two. The show starts with four designers that must make a cocktail dress in 2 hours after which two will be cut and the remaining two will do the 24 hour catwalk challenge. The element of Chopped is the mystery trunk with contains an inspiration item that they must incorporate into their look. The 2 hour challenge is made only for a form and must use some sewing.

The 24 hour catwalk challenge has inspiration items in a trunk as well. The designers sketch three looks and have three stitchers (they call them sewers when really they're drapers, first hands and stitchers all in one) to help create their looks. This is where I got really interested because one of the designers has some major issues with one of this stitchers, or rather the reverse. The stitcher knows the designer is being dumb about his process and causes her to basically waste 10 hours. As a stitcher I can't say I'm as confident as this stitcher was, but I trusted her rather than the designer about his process. I believed her method made a lot more sense (he basically had her make the design too big so they could take it in which is dumb and way more work than necessary when you have an experienced pattern maker, draper and sewer). At the end of the day he blamed the stitcher for his dissatisfaction for a design that looked exactly like his rendering.

Alexa Chung as the host is fine, she has a nice repore with the designers. The other judges, James LaForce, Darek Blasberg and Cynthia Rowley are all very knowledgeable and I don't mind any of them.

Downton Abbey 2:1 reflections

SPOILERS (duh)

My roommate and I started rewatching Downton series one thinking we wouldn't be able to watch the series two premiere until PBS posted it the next day, but lo and behold they posted it on Sunday night! We watched it in the dark of our kitchen and squealed and freaked out and cried the whole time. I couldn't calm down for an hour and it took me another 45 minutes to fall asleep.

Series 2 Episode 1:

handsome handsome Mathew.

:-:Mary still is entirely too narrow and square and has crocodile teeth, but I've liked her more in this episode than any other.
:-: I'm so happy there are so many uniforms. I love WWI uniforms, I love British uniforms, I love British WWI uniforms.
:-:Lord Grantham is my favorite character. Yes Bates is a close second, but he falls on his sword too often and quickly. Lord Grantham is a noble, upstanding and caring boss (as in "he's boss"). He's such a stud.
:-: I want to play with Hugh Bonneville's (Lord Grantham's) hair.
:-: I'm always a little startled by how attracted I am to Matthew considering his chin is almost nonexistant, but his eyes are so blue and his hair just gets better and better. He's been losing weight, his tux is more flattering this season.
:-: Thomas is so so evil, but so so handsome.
:-: I'm confused by O'Brien's relationship with Thomas and Lang. She seems mildly redeemed from last season. Does she have a mother/son or aunt/nephew relationship with Thomas or is she a tragic cougar that will never get her cub?
:-: So happy the chauffeur talked to Sybil, but what's the matter with her? She's always been rather disconnected from the romance of the show, which needs to end.
:-: Bates calling his wife a bitch might have been one of my favorite things ever, even though it's not very nice.
:-: Mrs. Hughes listening to Bates and Mrs. Bates was a good move. I'm glad Lord Grantham knows the sitch, but shouldn't someone tell Anna?
:-: Poor poor Anna.
:-: OF COURSE Mary wouldn't tell Matthew she loves him after she talked to Lavinia.
:-: Edith and the farmer make me furious. She should go drive ambulances and be really useful and not a home wrecker.
:-: Violet and Isobel actually agreed concerning Sybil. War is doing the Dowager good I think. She's a boss.
:-: Ya gotta wonder what the former Earl of Grantham was like to marry Violet and be Robert's father.
:-: Sir Richard seems a lot like Mr. Preston from Wives and Daughters, played by the same actor. I hope he ruins Lavinia so Matthew can be with Mary. I hope Matthew isn't noble enough to stick with her if she is ruined.
:-: Why do I want Mary to be happy all the sudden?
:-: William is going to die. Someone has to.
:-: Freshly styled wigs, I like.
:-: Carson's loyalty to Mary is always endearing.
:-: Pray that Anna's conversation with Mary about never getting over Bates will keep her from accepting Sir Richard. Of course they won't get married, but I don't even want them to get engaged.
:-: Lord Grantham yelling at Bates made me sadder than Matthew asking Mary to take care of Lavinia.
:-:Mosley makes me angry. I certainly wouldn't want to go to war and I feel bad for judging, but he's kind of a coward isn't he?
:-: Lang's a handsome dude, but Bates needs to come back.

dashing men

:-: New maid annoys me, but of course Mr. Fellowes has redeemed her by the end of the episode, mostly.
:-: Did I mention how much I like Lord Grantham?
:-: Lady Cora's way of talking still bugs me.


Here's a fun "likabilty" chart from the Masterpiece website. My feelings towards these characters are much more extreme than the chart of averages.

Great on set photos.

favorite picture: Eiffel Tower

When you go to Paris on your own it gets pretty ridiculous to see site after site and have no one to share them with. So I'm sharing some pictures I took of the Eiffel Tower. I have every intention of printing or painting these some day for my home. I think they're pretty great.