Ah, 2020. A new decade, a new year, so what's on the agenda? This is a big year for me in more ways than just costuming. You've probably noticed a theme with this blog, it's very isolated. There is only 1 blog post about an event I attended about 3 years ago, and nothing ever since. This is not because I'm an aspiring hermit, this is simply because of a slew of bad experiences at events like these, paired with my dislike of always having an event I needed to sew for (my costume wardrobe used to be very small). I wanted freedom to do whatever project took my fancy, which is why for the last few years I jump around, often sewing projects simultaneously.
Another reason I don't attend events is because there just aren't that many near me, and I can never be bothered going out of my way to attend one if I'm just going to experience what I did a few years ago (it wasn't just one specific event, it was across a few). I'm not going to spill any tea here, this was just how I felt at these events, and does by no means indicate how you or anyone else would feel if you/they attended. However, 2020 is the year that my event drought will be broken.
Outside of costuming this is also the final year of my PhD. I know, I can't believe it either. Has that stopped me from making plans to attend events this year? F**k no. Because this is my final year there's a strong likelihood I'll be returning to Scotland after my PhD, and there's even less events up there (although ironically one of the events I'm attending this year is..in...Scotland.....).
To be fair the events I'm attending this year are very much different from anything I went to before, hence why I broke my life of dedicated hermit-ness to attend. Both events, one in Scotland the other in my current home county of Staffordshire, are both 18th century events.
Hence, my sewing goal(s) for 2020 are:
1.) All the 18th century things.
Thanks for reading this sewing goals post......
Only kidding, did you think you were getting off that easily? I may jest but this is literally all I really have planned at the moment. Both events are pretty immersive, with one even being a LARP (I know, in a different continent from my usual comfort zone). This means I'm going to be spending not just a few hours, but days at a time in costume.
My 18th century wardrobe is...bulking out, but it is missing one essential garment.
1.) Robe a la francaise
I wrote a post about this a while back, teasing that it would be on the agenda for 2020, and so it is. My pet en l'air was a kind of practice run to test out the pattern, the width of the back panel for the pleats, the arrangement of the pleats, etc. And it turned out a great wee project that I love to pieces, and is definitely going to be worn to both events, but it doesn't mean I don't want to do a full length one.The francaise will probably only be worn at the LARP-ing event because it's set in 1750s French court, so I can't possibly miss that opportunity. The Scotland one's a bit different, but we'll have to see.
Despite having this project at the back of my mind for a while I still can't decide what colour, or even what fabric type, to use. Silk is expensive, and in my opinion affordable silk taffeta (i.e. under £50 p/m) comes in few colours. This is why I'm considering buying a decent faux silk, which I've used quite a few times with other projects with surprising success.
2.) 18th century undergarments
I know, I'm a glutton for punishment. I have one of those personality types where I have to keep doing something until I get it right, and this is viciously evident regarding 18th century undergarments. Do you know I've made about 4 pairs of stays, and never actually finished any of them because they're just not right?Hopefully that'll change this year. In the latter half of 2019 I began to scale up a pair of stays dated 1735-1750 from Patterns of Fashion 5. They got abandoned due to my 1840s gown, but the pieces of the first mock-up are still floating about the sewing room. I plan to finish them, and a new larger pair of hoops to go under my francaise. I'm going to have another go at the 1770s/1780s stays as well, but this time using the much-lauded Augusta stays pattern, which will be a nice change from having to scale everything up to normal size and then scale it up to my size and then do a million mock-ups....you get the idea.
4.) Italian Gown
I have the American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking and an IKEA duvet set, so what do you think I'm making. Well, they are two independent things. I will be making an Italian gown but I'm afraid the duvet set will have to remain in its packaging for the forseeable future. I'm actually making it out of very not accurate red cotton with a teenie, tiny floral motif that is in no way, shape, or form 18th century. But guess who doesn't give a sh*t? Me! The fabric is a bit similar to Demelza's Christmas gown in Poldark season 1, except the floral motif is a few shades darker than the background
5.) Chemise a la reine V2
Yes, I'm tackling another chemise a la reine. As much as I love my first one in floral cotton, I just felt it didn't quite capture the chemise a la reine because it wasn't all white. Yes, I know they came in other colours, but there's something to iconic about a plain white one (I'm actually thinking of re-making my first chemise a la reine into an 1790s round gown). I got the perfect creamy/white dotted cotton lawn last year and knew it was going to be a chemise a la reine.6.) 1720s gown
I'm just putting this one quietly here because I have a desire to make one but no idea if I'll get around to doing it, or something else will take my fancy instead.7.) Vinage
I have so.many.vintage,patterns from a specialist shop that recreates them and I haven't managed to get around to any of them, so by shite at some point this year I will make an 1940s dress!
And that's pretty much it, until the 2nd half of the year at least. My last event is in July, so from here on in all I'll be sewing is 18th century stuff, with the vintage probably coming after. Since this year is the final of my PhD I really don't know what will happen, if I'll have the desire to sew as much as I usually do. We'll just have to see.
