Happy New Year, 2013!!! And #1 Challenge will be....

A new cover for my parasol of the period of 1913 according to the photos on the internet.  The handle and the length/type of the tip is what I used to date it.  The cover on it now is a lining material and has gotten mildew spots through the years. So, this is a good reason to redo it.  I just hope I can find material that looks like the period.

OK, JoAnn's Fabrics, tomorrow I will be visiting you!

What am I going to make for Challenge #1????

I will choose 1913 but what should I sew??


Meanwhile, garden time is coming........I have to plan what I am going to plant in the left side flowerbed.  We also will be getting a persimmon tree to replace the tree taken down in the back and probably a dogwood for the one in the front.

Callenge #0 - 1903 Chemise

I've finished Challenge #0!
Challenge #0 was a bonus challenge and was due 31 December New Zealand Time!
Finish a project, make a very simple garment or something you have made before.

Edwardian Chemise

It is like a long slip and is the first thing you put on.  Well, maybe after the drawers....but I haven't made them yet.....

I decided the yoke needed a bit of detail so I outlined the lace flowers with pink embroidery thread.
After hand sewing all the picot ribbon I REALLY admire those that are creating HAND SEWN period garments!  Thank heavens sewing machines were invented in my era, 1890-1910.

The next challenge:  #1 Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial.

 Sew something from ___13, whether it be 1913, 1613, or 13BC
Due Jan 14, 2013

A History Sewing Challenge

OK, I came up with my project - an Edwardian chemise.  Now to get started as soon as Christmas day is done.

A Chemise was worn next to the skin and is similar to a slip.  The purpose was to protect the corset from body oils.  I had just gotten my pattern and traced it while I was at Jen and Roberts babysitting the grand-dogs.

Something New in the Garden Room!

I've decided to document my "historic" interests here on My Garden Room blog.

I have been a docent at the Patterson House in Ardenwood Regional Park in Fremont, CA for a long time now.  The docents are dressed in period costumes when giving tours to the public.

We need a new infusion of knowledge and creativity towards our period costumes.  Our training has been lacking a bit for the past few years.  So I hope to inspire with more research and sewing on my part so hopefully we can bring forth a new level in period dress (1890-1910).

I used to make a new outfit every year but haven't been able to do that for several years and now I intend to start that up again.  In researching I came across " http://thedreamstress.com/the-historical-sew-fortnightly/ ".  Leimomi Oakes is the Dreamstress, a textile historian, seamstress, designer, speaker and museum professional. When I landed on her site she just happened to start a year (2013) of 2-week challenges of historical sewing projects!  Boy, was that good timing!  I had just ordered 3 new patterns and had used some of the days I was dogsitting our grand-dogs at Jen and Roberts to trace all the patterns to my size.  So I am ready to go!

The First Challenges:

• #0 (the bonus challenge): Starting Simple - due 31 December NZT.  Finish a project, make a very simple garment, or something you have made before.
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• #1: Bi/Tri/Quadri/Quin/Sex/Septi/Octo/Nona/Centennial – due 14 Jan.  Sew something from __13, whether it be 1913, 1613, or 13BC
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• #2: UFO - due Jan 28.  Let’s get something off our UFO pile! Use this opportunity to finish off something that’s never quite gotten done, or stalled halfway through.
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• #3: Under it all – due Feb 11.  Every great historical outfit starts with the right undergarments, and, just in time for Valentines day, here’s you’re excuse to make them. Chemises, corsets, 
• corded petticoats, drawers, garters, stockings…if it goes under your garments, it qualifies.
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• #4: Embellish –  due Feb 25.  Decorations make the historical garment glorious. Whether you use embroidery, trim, pleating, lace, buttons, bows, applique, quilting, jewels, fringe, or any other form of embellishment, this challenge is all about decorative detail.
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• #5: Peasants & Pioneers – due March 11. As wonderful as making pretty, pretty princess dresses is, the vast majority of people have always been poor commoners, whether they were peasants working the land, servants in big houses, or (later), pioneers carving their own space in new lands. This fortnight let’s make something that celebrates the common man.
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• #6: Stripes - due March 25. The stripe is one of the oldest patterns, appearing in the earliest textile fragments and visual records of garments, and its never gone out of style since. Celebrate stripes with a striped garment. Will you go for grand baroque stripes, pastel rococo stripes, severe neoclassical stripes, elaborately pleated and bustled Victorian stripes, or something else entirely?
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• #7: Accessorize – due April 9.  Accessories add polish to your outfits, helping to create the perfect historical look. This week is all about bringing an outfit together. Trim a bonnet, paint a fan, crochet an evening bag, sew a shawl, or dye and decorate a pair of shoes to create the perfect period accessory for yourself.

Merry Christmas!

What a wonderful day!  A great time with family!  I always panic a bit about not having enough food but always have enough.

The kids loved all their presents, especially Tim loved his camera! 

We are happily tired, the house is cleaned up and we are ready to finish the movie we started last night.

Merry Christmas!!

A New Year and New Resolutions!

Got back from our big 40 day trip across country in July, 2012 so a lot of catch up has had to be done.  We had been putting off several house repairs so:  the house was termite tented, painted, the broken roof tiles were repaired and two very big trees were removed and others trimmed.  The yards have a different look now and garden planning will be beginning right after Christmas.

Santa has brought gift certificates to our favorite garden nursery, Annie's Annuals.  That means a trip for plants will be planned for the spring!  I will have to look up when their spring sale is!!!

Meanwhile, I am adding my sewing projects to this blog as well as the garden projects.  I have been a docent at Ardenwood Historic Farm for over 20 years now.  I used to make up a new outfit every year but have not been able to the last few years.  So, this year I decided to get with it and do some sewing as my winter projects.  I have just found "The Dreamstress.com", a historical sewing website and have joined the challenge of sewing a new project every 2 weeks during 2013.  Hope I can keep up!

Ardenwood's time period is from 1890's to 1910ish.  I just traced 3 new "old" patterns to make.  So here we go!