The Return of Chopines?

I haven't blogged in over a month, but that's because I've been totally swamped: between sewing the Montagnard shirt and a retro brassiere, I just wrapped up my Spring semester at university!

Now that I'm out of school until September, I can get back on track with my blogging again! I know I've been a bad blogger (never one to keep up regular posting as I should) but hopefully this summer the quantity and regularity of my posts will improve.

First off, though, is something interesting I've observed lately. I think a few of us have seen those heel-less shoes (sometimes called gravity shoes) around, and maybe some of us have witnessed a few daring fashionistas clobbering around town in these crazy, gravity-defying monuments to personal style and futuristic high-fashion trends.

$40 from MakeMeChic

Also $40 from MakeMeChic

Image found through my Google search

Is it just me, or do these shoes possess a startling similarity to Chopines, the original 15-17th century platform shoe? Chopines not only protected fancy and delicate shoes from dirty streets, they also afforded their wearers some extra height (and with this, a greater surface area to be covered with lavish fabric). Most popular among Venetian women, the wearers of the biggest chopines are thought to have been prolific prostitutes.

Chopine via Pinterest

16th century chopines via the Bata Shoe Museum

Collection of 16th century chopines found here

What do you think, readers? Has the chopine finally made it through the cyclical nature of fashion trends and made its way, regurgitated in a distinctly 21st century and "modernistic" interpretation, back into the rungs of high-fashion influence? Does this style of shoe still possess the same negative connotations of the wearer as it did centuries ago?

Traditional Vietnamese Montagnard Shirt

The Montagnard, also known as the Degar, are indigenous people from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Montagnard means "mountain people" in French, and up until the mid 20th century Vietnam was a French colony. During the Vietnam War, American soldiers interacted with them as they were staunch allies.

My boyfriend encouraged me to make a Montagnard shirt for him, and I'm super excited to take on the challenge.

For reference, we pulled a few images from the internet. Shirts of this style are also seen in the movies Tropic Thunder and Apocalypse Now. The most helpful ones were from this Etsy vendor, who sold his version for $100--way out of my boyfriend's price range. But the images, unlike most of the ones garnered from our Google search, showed different angles of the shirt and hinted at the construction.

 

Cant wait to try all this fiddling with my handmade bias tape!

From these images, it looks like there's no shoulder seam, and that the front and back parts of the shirt are cut as one. I also figured that the sleeve seam was just covered with the decorative trim.

We found a really great black cotton at Wal-Mart, surprisingly. It isn't see-through, and has a nice, crisp hand but is still soft, for about $3.50 a yard. I'm making all the red double- and single-fold bias tape myself, out of equally nice red cotton for $4 a yard (from Jo-ann's). To help make all that bias tape, I also got a bias tape maker, which is cutting out so much time!

We couldn't find silver buttons, but got a pretty close match with some glossy black dome buttons, also from Joann's. We were able to find a really nice embroidered flat trim, but at $5 a yard, it would just bust our budget, so we chose a nice narrow gold crochet trim with a shiny red and black ribbon through it. He picked it out, so I'm confident in the choice!

Measuring for the shirt

Working on drawing the lines for a continuous strip of bias tape

Ahh, the pleasing mathematics of miles of bias from one continuous strip!

Here, you can see the dressform I got for Christmas, which is being very useful as a display for a new scarf made of silk yarn!

These photos were taken by my lovely boyfriend Josh, who is a professional photographer and filmmaker. You can see his portfolio here, and I really recommend checking it out as it's got many photos of middle eastern dancers, which can be great costume inspiration!

Portugal 2012: Part 5

One of the most marvelous places I have ever been to was the Se de Evora, the second-oldest cathedral in Portugal. This is a pic-heavy post, but it'll show you just how marvelous this experience was!

The Se was built in the 12th century (1186) but consecrated in 1204. It was only completed in 1250.  Because of this time gap the cathedral has both Roman and Gothic influences, such as the three naves. During the 15th and 16th centuries the cathedral underwent remodeling to the pulpit, baptismal font, and chapel. The Baroque aesthetic is also present in this church in the form of massive amounts of gold leaf. It's incredible how one monument could witness and represent so much that changed through humanity and ways of thought!

The entrance to the cathedral.

Can you believe I'm standing on the roof!? There were lichens all along the parapet.

The view extending for miles...and a glimpse of the Roman Temple!

The arid terrain stretched out before us. From this view I really felt like I had stepped back centuries in time!

There were several of these beautiful butterflies flitting about.

I feel like this belongs on top of Hogwarts!

The bell-tower

Along the cloister garden

Shrine in the center of the Cathedral

Just...WOW

Beautiful!

Paintings from the 17th and 16th centuries, deteriorating along the edges.

The Se is MASSIVE!

Oh, what great views of the gowns! I believe this is from the 17th century.

A Glimpse of My Lace Collection: Part 1

I'm finally back on the blogosphere! I've had posts written up, and dresses sewn, but I was just so caught up with school that it seemed impossible to get enough time in to write a sincere and comprehensive blog post.

My Grandma recently sent me her lace trim stash, since she hasn't sewn in years and appreciates the pleasure I take in sewing. So, as I've been measuring and documenting the various trims and flounces for easy reference, I decided to share my treasures with my dear readers! Most of the lace trim is American, of synthetic materials, from the 70's and 80's. Some of it is soft, crochet lace, truly lovely, and was probably purchased in Portugal (where she lives) or handmade there.

74.5 inches of 2.5 inch wide lace edging

This variety is my widest, with a great geometric floral design. There's a little over 2 yards, but just in cut up pieces--the smallest piece being barely 5 inches long and the longest, 18 inches.

6.5 inches of 1.5 inch wide cotton eyelet 

Sadly, I've only got a little over 6 inches of this super cute eyelet--I think I could still work it into an Edwardian day dress, maybe in the neckline decoration layered with other lace trims!

74 inches of 5/8 of an inch wide acrylic lace edging

I'm no lace historian, but this one screams 1970's to me. It's stiff, has a clunky but cute design, and the generic scratchy feel of the acrylic stuff from Wal-Mart. But I've got so much of it! 

84 inches of 1.5 inch wide acrylic lace trim

 This one was purchased in Portugal, but I think it's also synthetic. The design is a bit overwhelming, but rather charming.

133.5 inches of 1 inch wide daisy lace trim

This one is also from Portugal, and very similar to the one above, sort of stiff and shiny, but a cute modern design. I really can't think of what to do with almost 4 yards of it, but it's very cute.

182 inches of 3/4 inch wide lace edging

This is by far one of my favorites. For one thing, I have 5 yards of it! I can just imagine trimming necklines, chemises, camisoles...This lace edging is small, delicate, and incredibly soft--the top edge is rolled netting. But it's just so soft, light, and dainty...I can't wait to use it!

Embroidered collars

I've got four of these--it looks like it takes a pair to make a collar. There are flower appliques and embroidery on this shiny synthetic piece, which also leads me to peg it from the 70's. The material is just so stiff and shiny...ugh!

So tell me...which is your favorite? Your least favorite? 

Edwardian Shoes

The original Gibson Girl

The American Duchess has pleased us costumers yet again with her creation of a new Edwardian style shoe, called the Gibson. This is such a cute shoe, perfectly feminine and practical. And who can refuse those darling cutouts? I can easily see this model fitting into my modern wardrobe, too. My favorite? The camel colored ones!

Good News for Downton Abbey Fans!

I've found a great resource for those of you who like to watch Downton Abbey. This blog has a number of other shows available, including Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Merlin, and Sherlock.

1. Go to jetstreak.tumblr.com

2. Click on Masterposts, then Television, and select a show from the list.

3. The episode will play in a Google Docs window, and you'd have the option to download it if you'd like.

I've been watching TV shows from this site for over a month! The episodes are of good quality and consistent, great for pausing and rewinding to look at some of those great Edwardian fashions (:

Sewing Resolutions for 2013

I know I may be a little late on this, but I figured it's better posting late than never!

My sewing resolutions for 2013 are few:

1. Sew more Edwardian garments, both from early and late styles of the period.

2. No unfinished garments! This is going to be the year that I finish everything I sew; I start sooo many things and they never make it onto this blog because they never get finished!

I hope that keeping these resolutions this year will really help push the sewing envelope, and improve and augment my skills.

One of the first projects I'll be tackling this year, that ties into both resolutions, is a pintucked c. 1905 Edwardian lawn blouse that I began last Spring. I got the pattern from The Costumer's Manifesto.

Wish me luck! (:

Portugal 2012: Part 4

I should've warned you how many posts there would be in this series! I hope you're enjoying them all. After this series of photos, I'm going to do a series on vintage patterns I acquired from my Grandma, just saying that now to whet your apetite!

That same day we arrived at Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This may have been one of the most fantastic places I've ever been. Evora is a city with a lot of history; it's surrounded by a thick medieval wall, and at its center is a Roman Temple to the goddess Diana! The whole town is sprinkled with old convents turned hotels, winding cobblestone streets, and crickety churches with towering spires.

One of the first places we checked out was the Chapel of Bones, adjacent to this fantastically beautiful church. The chapel was made by monks as a place of prayer and reflection, and connected to the church via a small stone hallway. Above the entrance to the chapel was a stone inscription that read "We Are What You Will Become" in Latin.

The entrance to the church.

The walls are made with femurs stacked on top of each other, so you can guess the thickness of the bone-wall.

Skulls and other bones.

The Roman temple:

Ahhh all the history feels!

The wall surrounding the city, and a shot of the Roman aqueduct:

Next we'll see pictures of the second-oldest Cathedral in Portugal, where we had the opportunity to climb to and stand on the roof!!