A 40th Birthday to Remember

It must be about time I filled you in on the last 6 months right?  This may take a while......

One day, I'm GOING to get better at updating stuff.. :\

The only and only event I had during January, was my birthday!  It was a significant birthday, one that had an "0" in it.

What did we do?  why we went on a paddle boat in Bustle dresses of course!!

I had planned to make a new frock, but what with work commitments, and then going away for a couple of weeks to the Hunter Valley over Christmas, I just didn't get it done.

I was working on matching a fashion plate, and I have the base dress made out of a beautiful silk/cotton blend taffeta, but it just didn't look like the plate.  Sadly, a month later I worked out why I didn't like it, I just have to go back and revise the dress to make it look right!

Anyway, on my birthday, we all met in town at a Hotel, and checked into our rooms for the evening.We had nibbles and champagne to start the afternoon off, while some of us were still sewing.


Then we started getting dressed.... And someone thought it an ideal time to take a photo of me in my undies.  Because there are never enough photos of me in my undies.. haha



Once we were all dressed, we ordered a giant cab for the 7 of us to fit in, and off we went!  The cab driver was somewhat surprised I have to say.

Then we walked down to the river, and I have to say, we looked pretty smashing beside the boat.





We caused a bit of a stir as we got on the boat, since we took up so much room, and the crew of the boat were wanting to take photos of us...

We were a little squished at our table, which, given the heat, meant we all felt a little warm pretty soon. (Note the fan in this shot?  I didn't do much, although I'm told that sitting under it was better than NOT sitting under it)...



But this just meant two things...

1. Walks on the deck in the breeze...



Annnnnnd......

2. Keeping oneself hydrated.. ;)




Then, you know, as a result, things may have gotten a little sillier as the night went on.  One of us (incidentally, one who didn't partake of espresso martinis (or any other variety of cocktail either for that matter!) mentioned that for a group so well dressed, we were so poorly behaved... GO US!



But the hightlight for me (other than of course having a great night out with my girls), was getting to drive the boat for a bit.  And we didn't die!  Surprising though that is, since the wheel was directly at eye height.  I had to hunker down so I could see...



And finally, a slideshow....

The 2015 Year in Review...

This has taken me a while to get around to.  Personally, not my greatest year.  I don't really want to dwell on it, other than to say I didn't mourn the end of the year at all.

I feel like this influenced my costuming year.  I have spent alot of the year being tired, and I haven't finished a few things, or rushed through a few of them, so I can guarantee that I'll be revisiting them.  I'll even mention which ones I'm talking about.. ;)  This is not ALL the costumes I wore this year, that would be way too many!  But it is what I made.

My birthday is in January, so I decided to crank up the aircon and have a vintage high tea.  It was amazing, but exhausting, I literally couldn't walk the next day.  So much so I decided that my 40th (this year) would be an affair that I would organise, but I wouldn't _DO_ everything.  I did however make a new frock, and it's one of my favourites!



We also went to the Underwear exhibit, and while I was going wear a bustle dress, I decided it was way too hot for that and went in my underwear.  I made a pretty pink and blue stripe petticoat for the occasion.



It was another 3 months before my next event... (SERIOUSLY?  THAT LONG?), but I used the time judiciously, making new costumes for Gold Coast Supanova.  This is one event I'm not going to commit to for the entire weekend.  It is just too costly.  I may go for one day, because MICHELLE FREAKING GOMEZ! Oh yeah, see costume below.. ;)

 
I really want to do a better wig for my Missy costume, but other than that I just love it.  My Ingrid outfit I love as well, but nobody recognised her and I was forever accepting backweard compliments such as "I love your dress, but I have no idea who you're supposed to be!"

The spring picnic was also in April, and I put together a new bustle dress, cause I just hated everything I had.  This is one I think needs some rework, the skirt is slightly short, so I'll have to drop the hem, and the bodice is a bit big.  I also have to work out some way to clasp up the belt a bit better too.



Then, for Anzac Day (100th anniversary), I put together a 1915 outfit.  The blouse is lovely, the skirt is ok, and there should be a waist, which I made and it didn't fit.  I do love my massively poofy hat though.



History Alive came around quickly, and the only thing new I made for it was Victorian Swimwear.  I'll be making some adjustments to this too, but I love it.



Then there was a midway dinnerdance!  New 1940s needed obviously. 


Then at the steampunk ball, I decided to be thrifty  and recycle.  I made an evening bodice for my steamy bustle skirts....



Possibly my favourite outfit of the year was my new 1880s bustle. It's a reproduction print, it's cotton, it's velvet, it's broderie angalise...  it fits perfectly, and I love it.  I will be fixing a couple of things on it, but for now, I just love wearing it.



Then flash forward to September, and I made myself a new spencer and reticule in raspberry.  I love it.  Totally love it.  Not a thing to be changed.  I even have a matching reticule.



I'm not sure what it is about the 19th Century Picnics, I seem to advance upon them and think "OMG, I have nothing to wear!", so for the Spring Picnic, I decided it was necessary to make an 1890s skirt and blouse,  and it was completely from stash.  Oooooh yeah.  I'm hoping this is a trend that continues really.  I love this outfit, and have recieved so many compliments on it.



Then in October, I went to Sydney for a regency weekend.  So I made a Georgian outfit... hahahahaha.  I love this too, only I'm not sure I like my stomacher, it's a kinda MEH colour.  So I'm probably going to embroider/applique one to semi-match the jacket.



Then for a housewarming, I made a new regency frock.  Which will definitely come in handy.  I do need to work on a new ballgown though!



And then, as was in my recent posts, I made two things during December...  A sheer gown, which I need to re-hem with a facing since I cut it just a little short.  And I need to make the belt to match and a bonnet (although the sunhat did keep me from being burnt!)



And finally, my 1930s beach pyjamas... :D  I need to probably put some belt loops on this, and reinforce some seams, but so comfy, and so stylish.  I plan to make some lounge pyjamas really soon as well.



So there's my 2015.    I'm going to leave you with a favourite pic that I took of one of my lovely friends that passed away during the year.  It's still a bit surreal that she's gone, and we still stop a sentence midway through when we mention her name in almost a "oh yeah" moment.

The last costumes for 2015

I'm going to combine the last two events of 2015 together....

The first was the last firing of the canon at Fort Lyttton.  I have wanted to make a sheer gown for some time, and I've finally had the chance!  I still have a couple more things to do to the gown (one is putting a proper hem on it, the other the green belt) and I do need bonnet to go with this outfit.  I used the Truly Victorian sheer gown pattern, which went together easily.  I LOVE this gown and I can't wait to wear it again!

  

I do need to get more photos of the dress, including some detail shots.  The above right is the only "in progress" shot I have...

The final event of the year was the Australian Costumers' Guild Christmas Party.  This year, we decided on a day at the beach.  Originally, I had planned to wear my Victorian Bathers, which I had made for History Alive.  One of our members sadly passed away in October, and since we marked this down on the calendar, she was excited about making 1930s beach pyjamas (said with her delightful Australian/Canadian accent).

So, in tribute to her, a few of us made a plan to make beach pyjamas.  I had a plan, and even bought a pattern for my plan, but then I saw this ad from the 1930s for a "bathing suit".  See the naval number?  



I had to have it.

So I changed my mind (for the 3rd time) and made myself a nautical outfit.  the text in the lower left mentions that it is made form jersey.  Apparently it's almost impossible to purchase jersey in a weight that you can't shoot peas through.  Thoroughly annoying, but eventually I found some.  I used a blend of my beach pyjamas pattern and a pattern I used to make tops in the 90s... hehehe... worked out perfectly, but I do need to go back and reinforce some of the seams (I didn't use the overlocker, and possibly should have!)



I teamed it with my navy stripe espadrilles, a 1920s/30s wig and a parasol.  I can't believe just how comfortable this outfit is.  Yes, the crotch sits a little too low for my usual liking, but apparently the outfit suited me.

My fellow 1930's babes and I...



Taking a shot of 1930s ladies in their beach pyjamas from behind seems to be a bit of a thing.... 

  

So, we thought we'd do a similar shot...



Which I just love.  And, despite the two girls being so much more slender than I, I didn't actually feel like a potato in my 30's beach pyjamas.  I forsee another pair, and my SFAM (sister from another mother) may have provided me with the fabric needed to make another round.  this time out of a rayon instead with a blouse and jacket.

A Regency Tea in November

So while normally I would be posting about sewaddicted and I swanning around at Supanova, this year, neither of us were feeling it.  We had decided before it came around that due to the heat, we wouldn't be wearing costumes, and we bought weekend passes.  We went on the friday, spent a couple hours looking around, and we were done.  Instead we bummed around, watching netflix and taking a trip up the coast.  It was so relaxing and we got to just hang out.

SO!  Next on the list, was a Regency Tea that was held as a Housewarming for one of the girls.  I was her maid for the afternoon, and I originally wanted to make an apron as well as a dress, but I only just got the dress done in time.  The dress is one that was made from the latest Butterick pattern, mostly because I had that on hand, and I know I don't really have to spend alot of time altering them.  It was also completely out of stash.



I'ts pretty (although I do need to make a new chemisette), fits well, and is comfy.  It was pretty quick to make, and I din't change the pattern, except I did my usual 3 panel skirt.  This dress will be handy, and works in well with my mix and match regency philosophy, given it will go with all of the spencers I currently have, and one or two that I plan to make.

The day itself was pretty hot, and by the end of tea, I had stripped off my stockings, which I am sure would have happened in the 1800s here!  There ended up being one hell of a storm that afternoon though...


Obviously a wealthy household, they had a pineapple!

 

 

We also wandered around the garden...

 

  

As always a great group of people to hang around with!

A Regency Weekend in Wentworth

W had told me about an opportunity to go to the blue mountains, a couple of hours outside the city, for a weekend in regency.  Given that our Jane Austen Festival is prohibitively expensive for me, I took the opportunity as a potential replacement for going to JAFA.

We arrived on Friday night to our hotel, which was just down the road from the location of most of the events, and settled in.  It was an old hotel, but still clean and comfortable.  Bonus was that the hotel had a good restaurant in it, so we were set.

Saturday started with a talk on Georgian and Regnecy fashion in Australia, and since W was wearing georgian for the talk, we felt it our responsibility to join her.

I made a new outfit for the occasion, I could have worn my archery gown to match Dinah's, but I couldn't help it, having watched outlander, I knew what I wanted!

 

I'm not overly happy with the stomacher, it matches, but it's kinda... "meh".  I think I need to make another.  We were of course called up to join the talk since we could portrary several different types of georgian and regency fashion.



The hall itself was super pretty.... And I decided that if I lived there, we would be doing events in it every other weekend!



After the talks, we were free to go get our own lunch, and then come back for some dancing practice.... Which only 2 of us went to.  The rest of us went back for naps, some shopping and reading...



Saturday night, however it was time for a ball!  So once we picked our the 2 that did go to the dancing up, we came back for some dinner, and to get dressed.  Our rooms were quite.... messy!  The photo below is the shared room that 4 of us had.  We had one other member in the party who had booked after we did, so she had a not so messy room on her own.



The ball went pretty much how you would expect... There was a grand parade..


Shennanigans..


Card playing over in the naughty corner
\

OH yeah, and some dancing...


So we pretty much had an amazing night, even the supper provided was amazing!   The only thing left for the evening was Bonnetpalooza... This is a term my husband coined for when I go off for balls and weekends away involving costuming.  He apparently imagines us in historical gear with glowsticks and whistles like we were at a rave.  So now it's a thing.  And given it was halloween, our lights had to be halloween themed!



Sunday we woke up and head off to another talk, this time about the history of some Australian soldiers that fought in a number of battles that you wouldn't think happened.  For example, there was an Australian born soldier at the battle of Waterloo.  A whole family of Australians that fought in the Civil War (didn't even last a day).  And even some Australians that joined some Canadian soldiers on a mission to burn down the White House.  Erm.  Sorry about that one American friends.. ;)

I pulled out the raspberry spencer again, but lost it pretty quickly, given it was stinking hot (we ended up having a storm that afternoon!).  We strolled around the historic house we visited, there were shennanigans (when aren't there though), and generally enjoyed ourselves. There was also a picnic, but given we weren't really prepared for a picnic, it was nowhere near as enjoyable as our trips to cafes over the course of the weekend.

  

  

Eventually we had some photos back at the hotel before removing the last vestiges of Regency fashion.





All too soon our weekend was over, although on Monday we did some road tripping back towards the airport.  It was such a good weekend, so relaxing, and so much fun, that I'm probably going again this year! :)