Jenny La Fleur

The Mother-Daughter Tea is over, I get my life back - yay!!

I think it went well, really I don't know. I was so busy coordinating & catering that I don't really know what the impact was. So far I've heard good things though. I think I can safely say a job well done. The After-Action meeting will be the test I guess.

But right now my body aches, I have some serious sleep to catch up on, my house is a mess and I have endless bins to unpack. Still I feel like my life is my own again and I can actually *gasp* costume! My pearl dress is singing it's siren's song as I type...

I've spent the evening playing games with my family, surfing the 'net and uploading videos on YouTube. The videos are from Coaching Day and Seurat Sunday, a few of my jacket, a few of Bridget and one of my chemise gown un-belted - it was just too funny not to film!

My YouTube videos
I'm feeling lazy about embedding videos so here is a boring link... I'm off to read (a fun book just 'cause I can!) and then bed...

Coaching Day - we made it! I'm sorry I've been so silent here latelybut here is the proof of why! I'm so happy, not only did we get gowns made, trimmed and accessorized but we finished days ahead and got some sleep in-between. Last year's 24 hour sewing marathon taught us the importance of sleep!

B and went a little crazy and had way too much fun taking pics, can you believe we took over 350? I decided to spare you though, below are just a sneak-peek while the rest of my favorites are to be found on my site here:
http://www.jennylafleur.com/dressup/2008.0427/album/


This all-day event required us to get up way too early but we were determined to have fabulous hair. Bridget, ie the hair goddess (TM), did our hair for us (I finished off hers by pinning up her curls in back). We all have some padding in the form of rolled and scrunched black nylon netting. I was really tickled the idea worked as it's so cheap and lightweight. Yay!

The day was on the chilly side (yay for those flannel petticoats we made!) and it misted/rained lightly throughout the day. The gray skies didn't dampen our spirits, even if it made curls fall and pics more challenging to take. Let's blame the grainy and less than brilliant colored images on the weather and not the photographer shall we? :>


I couldn't be more thrilled with my outfit. I felt very much the pretty, pretty princess. The fabric was just perfect (thanks again Elizabeth!), the muff so fun to hold and the hat heavy but wonderful elegant. I so love this later style. I should have laced my stays a little tighter at the top but was too lazy to do so once everything was on, oh well.


Bridget finally got the dress we've been wanting to make her. Her weight-loss helps and my better experience too but for once we took the time we needed rather than making her frock a last minute job. I love you B! As for her hair and cloak (she made it, I just supervised) all I can say is that she is disgusting.


sadievale's riding habit! As always there are things I'd want to tweak next time but really I'm very proud to have helped S make this. Hard to believe it's the first costume she's made huh? Nothing like starting with something easy and simple... :>


Despite the rain, it was a wonderful afternoon and a really fun event. I enjoyed the coaches but even more the tailgating contest - some of those entries went all out! B and I are already planning what we will wear in 3 years for the next Coaching Day. It's really very sick making. :>

sadievale came over last night so all three of us drank tea and sewed. S stitched on buttons, B worked on her hat (looking cute!) and I cranked out 3 petticoat hems and finished the handwork (sans hooks and eyes) on my jacket. I think three hems in one night must be a record - I'm rather proud of myself. :>

I tried the outfit on and oh my gosh it looks good! But I will make you wait to see the whole enchilada next weekend. B is going to do my hair so it will look fabulous too. I love having her home again.

I worked on the jacket a little yesterday... not sure where the rest of my day went.

I traced my toile into an interfacing master pattern (I have a feeling I'll be using this one again sometime) then cut out the fashion fabric and lining. I started sewing things together but didn't get too far. I was just too tired and not in the mood last night. So I went to bed.

I will regret that decision later I'm sure but there you are.

Thanks for your encouragement and kind words to my ranting post on Saturday my dear friends. I needed that.

I allowed myself an LJ rant over the thing but not the following pity party. I persevered with the jacket's bodice toile and refitted it right after I got off the computer. I have to admit as I started to work on it I was crying from the frustration of it all. I've never done that before, usally I throw it across the room and sulk.

It took several tries, lots of taking on and off and tweaking, but I got that sucker re-fitted and looking even better than before (when I thought it was finished). Proof there is a God and He loves me. A lot.

Once that was done I took a break to do some necessary MK work, take a long hot shower and eat the yummy sushi Daddy went out and bought me. I felt much better after all that. So about 8pm, instead of in the morning which had been my intent, I started work again on the sleeves. They went pretty well (thanks in part to the work I'd put in before discovering the bodice was wrong) and the toileing was done by 10:30pm - finally!


The finished results. I will be tweaking the sleeve slightly but no need for another toile. I picked apart half the toile but I was out of tracing interfacing (apparently) to trace my master pattern. So I decided to make it an early night and get the interfacing on my way on home from church the next day. Which I did. :>

I spent the evening sewing with sadievale this evening. We have great fun listening to B's casino mix CDs (from Maegan's bachelorette party) and guessing what CD they were from. Yes we are easily amused. :>

My new jacket toile is going quite well - so glad I switched projects. The more I look at my green and brown stripe the more excited I get. I think this will be super fun to wear. *shakes head* I just can't believe the idea never occored to me before, the fabric has only been sitting on my shelf for ages.

The bodice toileing is finished and the sleeve getting there so I figured out that I have enough fabric for a matching skirt too. I might even be able to squeeze out a ruffle. We'll see.

I do have pics but am feeling too tired to post... tomorrow. Now I'm off to bed.

Now don’t faint, it’s actual costuming content! :P While Mom and I went through the fabric stash today – watch for fabric give away later this week – I was reminded what cool pieces I have waiting in cue to be made. Suddenly I was motivated to sew – yay!

I decided I needed something nice and tactile so I started on the Bleu Jacket. After some more research and scheming I decided to go with something very different than my last Ruffled Jacket. I want something based on the pink trimmed blue jacket from Mary Doering’s collection and the Northern Society of Costume and Textiles pattern. I knew I’d have to change the NSoCT pattern quite a bit so I decided to just drape it, using that (and a 1790s bodice from 18th century Embroidery Techniques) as my reference.

I first traced the old Ruffled Jacket pattern onto my toile fabric for reference. I then took my measurements and stuffed Narcissa to approximate them. Then the draping began. Once I got it to a point where I couldn’t do more on Narcissa (she is only so helpful with the 18th century shape), I took the toile off, pressed the pinned seams and tried it on.

I’m pretty pleased with the back. It needs to be more fitted through the waist but the little peplum looks good. I think it’s a bit long and might need to be a bit wider but I don’t know. Thoughts?

I’m surprised (and a bit dismayed) at how much work the front bodice piece needs. It’s the same bodice I’ve used on all my 18th century things for heavens sake! I expected a bit of taking in (the ruffled jacket IS too big) but this was much more than that. I’ve had to pretty much re-work the whole thing. The armholes will have to be totally redone. *sigh* All in all a good night’s work though. I should un-pin, mark new seams and transfer to toile #2 but it won’t happen tonight. I’m tired and my headache is coming back. *grinds teeth*

I think part of the problem is the stays. I think I really need to work on that new pair before I go any further with this jacket, or any of my 18th century projects for that matter. I just don’t like the way the old ones are fitting or the shape they are now giving me. Bah – back to not being able to do anything without tackling underwear first. I really want to work on pretty! I also don’t know what I want to do with my stays. Do I want to try and correct my issues with these or try a new pattern? I love the Diderot (or did when they were new) but I’m intrigued with the Leloir in my new Cut of Women’s clothes or perhaps a later, like 1790s pair. *ponders*