tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56072468732781069492024-03-19T05:21:53.140-07:00Seashell BikiniAdventures in costuming, cooking, and other creative endeavorsMelusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-44816303103111817242012-12-05T13:46:00.004-08:002012-12-05T13:46:58.770-08:00Rose Volupte by Sonoma Scent Studio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m a recent convert to the cult of perfume. I’ve always really enjoyed perfume, though because of my mom’s allergies, we didn’t really have it in the house. I had drugstore ‘fumes that I wore as a teenager—Anais Anais, Sand and Sable, Vanderbilt, Vanilla Fields-- and I got a little more sophisticated in college, falling in love with Calvin Klein’s Escape and Giorgio Beverly Hills’ Ocean Dream. <br /><br />But last February, just into my 39th year, I started a quest to find a grown up every day scent and ended up tumbling head over heels in love with perfume. It’s amazing stuff, really. It always fits. It smells slightly different on each person. Scent is closely tied to memory, so a whiff of Obsession drags me right back to the ‘80s and I just know that someone in my life when I was a child wore Arpege. <br /><br />I’ve developed a real love of sampling and thanks to a thriving online perfume community, have discovered some really great small perfumers. One of my favorites is Laurie Erickson of <a href="http://www.sonomascentstudio.com/index.shtml">Sonoma Scent Studio</a> in Healdsberg—so local! Laurie was nice enough to send me a sample of her most recent release, <a href="http://www.sonomascentstudio.com/rosevolupte4.shtml">Rose Volupte</a>, even though it hadn’t even been filtered yet! So I wanted to post my impressions of this beautiful scent for internet to see. Rose Volupte will be available for purchase on the SSS website very soon, hopefully this weekend. <br /><br />The website lists the notes as rose, plum, amber, labdanum absolute, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, heliotrope, clove, cinnamon, oakmoss, subtle aldehydes. The parfum is well blended, enough so that my fairly uneducated nose can’t really pick out too many individual notes. The first 20 minutes or so are a big, fruity rose. Then the spice kicks in a bit—still really, really rosy, but with warmth infusing it. There’s a touch of dryness that I’ve come to associate with cedar, not really a smell so much as a texture. I’m about four hours in and it has dried down to a beeswaxy, ambery rose that’s stays really close to my skin. <br /><br />I have really dry skin that pretty much sucks in perfume like a milkshake. I have yet to find even a parfum strength scent (which all of Laurie’s are) that has much sillage on me after about two hours, if I’m dabbing it on. Spraying usually lasts a bit longer and has more oomph. Rose Volupte is no exception to that. But I wear perfume for me and sometimes, for the people who I’m intimate enough with to hug, so that doesn’t really bother me, especially when the scent is as gorgeous as this one.<br /><br />Rose Volupte is appropriately named. Everything about it what J and I call ‘bosom-y” when we’re talking about wine—round, soft, smooth, and full. It is intensely feminine and a little vintage feeling. It is the perfect perfume to go with a wine red velvet cocktail dress and Bordeaux colored lipstick. It’s classy and sexy and a little formal in a way that appeals to me like all the flirty “young” fragrances available right now don’t. It is black stockings with seams, heels, and set hair. <br />Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-37090353012751416132012-11-14T19:55:00.003-08:002012-11-14T19:55:44.619-08:00Turkish Trousers!I'm putting together a sooper sekrit steampunk outfit for the Dickens Fair. Why is sooper sekrit? Because I'm vaguely embarrassed to be succumbing to the steampunk bandwagon. But I spend so much time and energy trying to improve the historicalness of the costuming at the renaissance faire where I'm the Costume Mistress that I'm just tired. Pretty much everything I do is historical. I don't really do fantasy. I just don't. But I don't work at the Dickens Faire, and while it can be fun to out-historical their costuming, I really just wanted to do something silly.<br />
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So steampunk it is. But really only kind of. Because I refuse to move away from my belief that costuming for these theatrical events should be character driven, even if I'm not working and even if the character is completely absurd. So this character comes out of colonialism, the burgeoning field of archeology, and the Victorian fascination with spiritualism. She's a medium and a treasure hunter--thoroughly English, very very silly, but remarkably matter of fact, obsessed with the latest technology. She'll have the nods to steampunk convention--leather corset, tiny top hat, etc. but she doesn't really fit into the normal steampunk character categories. Oh, and she wears Turkish trousers. Because they are awesome.<br />
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More to come.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-20615483488956943992012-11-08T22:00:00.001-08:002012-11-08T22:00:14.274-08:00Christmas Eve Mac and Cheese<p>I’m doing a blogging challenge—one post a week until Christmas. Maybe it’ll help me get in the posting habit so I don’t go 18 months between posts! Ha!</p> <p>So I’m starting off easy with a food post. This is Christmas Eve Mac and Cheese, so called because it is a creamy baked mac and cheese based on traditional Welsh rarebit, perfect for Christmas Eve dinner with cider and ghost stories.</p> <p><em>Ingredients</em></p> <p>4 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus 2 Tbsp</p> <p>1/2 medium yellow onion, minced (NOT sweet)</p> <p>1/4 cup all purpose flour</p> <p>2 cups milk heated (I used 1%, microwaved for 3 minutes)</p> <p>3/4 cups dark English style beer (I used Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale; porter or stout would work well too)</p> <p>2 tsp mustard powder (prepared yellow mustard will work too, but I like Colman’s mustard powder because it’s traditional in Welsh rarebit)</p> <p>3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese</p> <p>Salt and pepper to taste</p> <p>8 oz. pasta (I like the curly kinds!)</p> <p>3 slices of bread, crusts removed, cubed (I used cracked wheat sourdough. For a more traditional rarebit, a nice hearty rye would be awesome!)</p> <p><em>Let’s Cook!</em></p> <p>1. Preheat oven to 375 and put water on to boil for pasta</p> <p>2. Melt 4 Tbsp of butter over medium heat in a large saucepan until foamy</p> <p>3. Add minced onions to melted butter and cook over medium heat until translucent</p> <p>4. Stir in flour with a whisk, stirring to keep it from getting lumpy. Cook roux for a few minutes, but don’t let it get brown</p> <p>5. Add hot milk a little at a time, whisking continuously to make a smooth bechamel sauce</p> <p>6. Add beer to the bechamel, whisking. It will look gross, like it’s curdling, but it’s not—just keep whisking! Then whisk in your mustard powder.</p> <p>7. Cook sauce, whisking continuously, until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat.</p> <p>8. Cook pasta according to package when your water is boiling. I undercook mine just a little to keep it firm after baking in the sauce</p> <p>9. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and toss it with your bread cubes</p> <p>10. After letting your bechamel cool a few minutes to prevent graininess, add your cheese a little at a time, whisking until it’s melted each time. The sauce will get really thick.</p> <p>11. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. This recipe fit perfectly in my 1.8 L casserole dish</p> <p>12. Pour cooked pasta into casserole dish and pour bechamel over it. Fold together a couple of times to make sure all the pasta is covered in sauce.</p> <p>13. Spread buttery bread cubes over the top, and bake for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.</p> <p>14. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. It will be hard!</p> <p>This makes 6 good sized servings. Serve it with a green salad with vinaigrette!</p> <p>Happy Christmas!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5lrDdJkHrGA/UJyb50tTiqI/AAAAAAAAAKA/Ebm9HWDwc8Y/s1600-h/IMG_0186%25255B1%25255D%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_0186[1]" border="0" alt="IMG_0186[1]" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Wp3ei3AHzZI/UJyb6h_FYvI/AAAAAAAAAKI/9KjEtuS8Q7A/IMG_0186%25255B1%25255D_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-64606993464039782412011-07-22T18:07:00.000-07:002011-07-22T18:19:42.755-07:00Night Blooming Peony:Shaheen-inspired Tiki glamourAKA OMG I DID A COSTUMING POST!!!!1111!!1!11<br /><br />So I should be working on my 16th century linen jacket for the Nor Cal Ren Faire. Am I? Of course not!<br /><br />Next weekend is Costume College (hurray!) and the theme for the Gala this year is Creatures of Night. Suggestions were things like an Elizabethan bat, a late Victorian owl, that kind of thing. Do I already have anything that I could wear, since I really didn't want to make anything for CoCo this year? Well, sort of. I have a black 1920s dress that I probably could have done something with. But, eh...<br /><br />But then I fell in love with <a href="http://www.alfredshaheen.com/">Alfred Shaheen</a>, or more precisely, with his Hawaiian sundresses from the 1950s. I luuuuuuuuuuuurrrves them! And I had to have one. And thus began my agony. You can find them on ebay and etsy, but they cost an arm and a leg and are almost universally made for very small women. I am not a very small woman.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.whirlingturban.com/">Whirling T</a><a href="http://www.whirlingturban.com/">urban</a> makes recreations of some of Shaheen's most popular styles and they'll make them in my size, but there we are back to the arm and leg factor. Sigh.<br /><br />On ebay I found this gown being sold by <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-50s-60s-Shaheen-Evening-Hawaiian-Dress-Gown-L-/150621442397?pt=Vintage_Women_s_Clothing&hash=item2311bcd15d">Bombshell Betty</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklsXiBAbywwXBWSDndkXTHm-h9e1_sh9ligPeFi75cfeD_Q2XPskAcgiJmy3d7HmAz4mUf3ebDPAR6QFR03SFxamOg2hfa85tU2EQMuvwL5_Aj7-QY2hcnn5RFIbPBFKkCyz4s-JgpCWe/s1600/aqua+shaheen.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklsXiBAbywwXBWSDndkXTHm-h9e1_sh9ligPeFi75cfeD_Q2XPskAcgiJmy3d7HmAz4mUf3ebDPAR6QFR03SFxamOg2hfa85tU2EQMuvwL5_Aj7-QY2hcnn5RFIbPBFKkCyz4s-JgpCWe/s200/aqua+shaheen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632349204276897314" border="0" /></a><br />If I was still the size I was in high school and had a spare $350 laying around, I would have been on this like ants on something sweet and sticky. The drape, the color, the circle skirt. Oh.My.God.<br /><br />So, I'm making one. Of course I am. Because what else would I do? I'm working on a pattern to do the style like this<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUj3TSDTyh23QQqzKDsqp4_0Yx6eOpzlux2g1h39DpOwbXYiLDefduks8zjW80K3Wv5PGlhyphenhyphenskzfAUzBKl8AO-CSau8F6vLG6xzoLCu4gQgMoMCO0c5mL-FM-ne4AcnyxEnt1lSQZ4Gal/s1600/green+shaheen.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUj3TSDTyh23QQqzKDsqp4_0Yx6eOpzlux2g1h39DpOwbXYiLDefduks8zjW80K3Wv5PGlhyphenhyphenskzfAUzBKl8AO-CSau8F6vLG6xzoLCu4gQgMoMCO0c5mL-FM-ne4AcnyxEnt1lSQZ4Gal/s200/green+shaheen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632349513090355106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />with the built in bullet bra, but that's going to take too long to perfect for this event.<br /><br />So I'm using <a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1176-products-11084.php?page_id=854">Vogue 1176</a>. Easy to scale up and modify to include the shirred side panel, easy to fit, easy to change the skirt out for a circle. Hurray!<br /><br />Here is the fabric I have to make it--a gorgeous cotton from the Alfred Shaheen line. Hard to tell, but it's accented with gold. Very glamorous! The fuschia is cotton sateen for the lining.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_FiNbfwax-Tdul3Xcds9Sw1xesfJNt1wKSdZV6z5hhu4L4XtjJEZuR5n-6MQ5Ud8JHd0YJ1Aj5Canh8-Le5-0K-GhU23DVZz_XobpzBxRZRSE5OXFFiE1-Aapk6Jky1Nom5tcncQMjFv/s1600/IMG_2007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_FiNbfwax-Tdul3Xcds9Sw1xesfJNt1wKSdZV6z5hhu4L4XtjJEZuR5n-6MQ5Ud8JHd0YJ1Aj5Canh8-Le5-0K-GhU23DVZz_XobpzBxRZRSE5OXFFiE1-Aapk6Jky1Nom5tcncQMjFv/s200/IMG_2007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632351063542653026" border="0" /></a><br />I'm gonna bone the hell out of the bodice (heh), add fun straps like on my inspiration dress, and TA DA! Night-blooming Peony! All in less than a week.<br /><br />Hopefully.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-83825425671035351922011-05-12T07:43:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:32:22.264-07:00Some Thoughts on Historical Costuming: Renaissance Faire EditionI think there is a tendency among those of us who care deeply about improving the historical accuracy of Renaissance faire costuming to be frustrated with the slow pace at which we are able to encourage the change we wish to see. What do we do at established events with established communities, where historicalness within the theatrical framework is not discouraged, but where the minimum standard is more theatrical than historical, or where there simply are not standards at all?<br /><br />I think it is important to remember that it has taken us 50 years to reach where we are. I was looking at pictures from the <a href="http://www.forestfaire.com/origins/origins2.html">very first Renaissance faire</a> started by the Pattersons. If you've never seen them, or if you haven't looked at them for a while, go check them out. The costuming is about what I expect from patrons of our current faires. In the 50 years since that first faire, some faires have gotten better, some have gotten worse, some look about the same. My point is this: it has taken us 50 years to get here.<br /><br />To terribly misuse the words of two brilliant individuals, Mahatma Ghandi and Max Weber, I think the best way to improve the historicalness of faire costuming is to be the change we want to see, and to realize that, like politics, it will be the slow boring of hard boards and that if we seek to do it we must risk our own souls. Faire fashion, like all fashion, follows trends. When actors are replacing their costumes, of course they'll make or buy what they admire on their friends. Not everyone is going to be as committed to research as we are, as much as we may wish it were so. But if we look good, then at least some of those people will be imitating us, and when they express interest in what we're wearing, we can share our research with them. I wouldn't mind seeing a faire populated entirely by cast members who imitated someone else and did no research of their own as long as that someone else <span style="font-style: italic;">had</span> done the research.<br /><br />Another brilliant, if slightly less well known person, Elizabeth Stewart Clark of the Civil War reenacting community, describes her view on historical accuracy in reenactment as <a href="http://www.thesewingacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/2010ProgQuest.pdf">"progressive"</a>. She says, "A person with a progressive mindset endeavors to recreate, as closely as possible, the lives and circumstances of the past. This applies to material culture, as well as to internal knowledge, and it’s a process, not an 'arrival.'"<br /><br />You'll never get everyone on board, and you'll certainly lose scores of people if you try to force it all at once at an established event. But you can help make historical accuracy (or at least improvement) less threatening and more appealing. Check out her piece <a href="http://www.thesewingacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/2010Missionary.pdf"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Missionary Position: Proselytizing for Progressives or a Brief Guide to Polite Progression. </span></a>It's aimed at mid-19th century impressions, but the lessons are applicable to any time period.<br /><br />The slow boring of hard boards. Hey, I'm willing to risk my soul. How 'bout you?Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-81375989266785242282010-08-05T11:23:00.000-07:002010-08-05T12:31:40.828-07:00CSA Meal #2--California Summer MoussakaSo we've doing random little things with the veggies from our first CSA delivery (we're getting one every other week to start with. There's only 2 of us, after all!)--grilling up the carrots (so good-you should try it!), we sauteed some of the zucchini with garlic, shrimp, and white wine and ate it over couscous--that kind of thing.<br /><br />One of the things we got was a lovely big globe eggplant. I love eggplant, but I've never cooked it. Hurray for experiments and new food! J isn't wild about eggplant normally, but seems to like it ok when it's in stuff rather than just on it's own. I mulled over what to do with it for a while and then I thought: Moussaka!<br /><br />For those who don't know, moussaka is a greek casserole similar to lasagne that uses eggplant instead of noodles. Traditionally it is made by frying the eggplant slices and layering them with a rich tomato sauce with ground lamb. It's then covered in a cheesy bechamel sauce. It is yummy, but really rich and heavy. Very much a fall comfort food kind of dish.<br /><br />So I came up with this lighter, vegetarian version that makes use of all the wonderful summer produce we have available in Northern California right now. I substitute tons of veggies for the meat and grill the eggplant instead of frying it for less oil and a nice charred flavor. I made my trip to the farmers market to supplement my CSA stash and cooked it up. It takes a longish time (about 45 minutes to prep with one person) and multiple steps, but if you've got a lazy day and you feel like cooking, give it a try. You should eat this in a bowl with a spoon, 'cause it'll be a little bit soupy.<br /><br />Here it is done! This makes approximately 12 servings. Unless you're like me and you want to eat it all because it's just that darned good!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh114ivkPcTk7N9H5FRHMCdQVk3naJ9JctN51B3lsEPIhtxJzHpGmdG9b_vRY7zBeEKmejWsXMakXi4zeWWVBECFWXsbpsfgdpVzzsFGdwHx7Yl7yF682f7uA7ZHaEJi6MST5rql3qLQNpj/s1600/012+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh114ivkPcTk7N9H5FRHMCdQVk3naJ9JctN51B3lsEPIhtxJzHpGmdG9b_vRY7zBeEKmejWsXMakXi4zeWWVBECFWXsbpsfgdpVzzsFGdwHx7Yl7yF682f7uA7ZHaEJi6MST5rql3qLQNpj/s200/012+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502008674736645074" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">California Summer Moussaka</span><br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 large globe eggplant<br />3 medium-ish carrots, chopped in 1/4 inch pieces<br />1 medium yellow onion, chopped<br />2 large cloves garlic minced<br />1 lb assorted summer squash (I used green and yellow zucchini and pattypans), chopped<br />3 large juicy tomatoes chopped (I used random big dark pink heirlooms. No idea what kind they were, but they were juicy and sweet!)<br />1/2 tsp ground clove<br />1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp dried oregano<br />1/2 tsp dried marjoram<br />1 tbsp fresh oregano<br />1 tbsp fresh majoram<br />kosher or sea salt to taste<br />Bechamel sauce (recipe follows)<br />breadcrumbs (optional)<br /><br /><br />1. Prepare the eggplant: cut the top and bottom off the eggplant to make it stable. Peel it and slice it into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place the slices on a platter covered in paper towel and sprinkle them with salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes or so to sweat some of the bitterness out of them.<br /><br />2. While the slices are draining, preheat your gill or grill pan on medium high. Rinse the eggplant slices and pat them dry. Brush one side of the slices with olive oil and place them oil side down on the grill. Grill for 3 minutes.<br /><br />3. Just before flipping, brush the other side with olive oil. Flip the eggplant and grill for an additional 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-3A61Tmt-QcbwDOYr8DeZZR8Bir-Z3w4pEVh3GwdtlgsEPeybKaQ0-3nPFJ2ybG3m7UD5ZyCOJ_FQlbRE4p6vLPc9HNLpapcn_U4lHs9FD7Fp2FGBkRXkMf_CwK0lc1C0Z7-_kj-oE3m/s1600/002+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-3A61Tmt-QcbwDOYr8DeZZR8Bir-Z3w4pEVh3GwdtlgsEPeybKaQ0-3nPFJ2ybG3m7UD5ZyCOJ_FQlbRE4p6vLPc9HNLpapcn_U4lHs9FD7Fp2FGBkRXkMf_CwK0lc1C0Z7-_kj-oE3m/s200/002+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502009270542034050" border="0" /></a><br />4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Over medium high heat, heat a little olive oil in a large pan until shimmering. Add the carrots to the pan and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots begin to caramelize. You want the veggies to develop a little color, since the caramelization will add to the depth of flavor.<br /><br />5. When the carrots have started to get some color, add the onions and again, cook for a few minutes, stirring occassionally until they also begin to get some color and get soft.<br /><br />6. Add your squash and garlic and stir, repeating the step above. Add two or three pinches of sea or kosher salt.<br /><br />7. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Stir and add the dried herbs and the spices. You can add more to taste, but since this is a lighter moussaka, I went a little easy on the traditional clove and cinnamon. Cook this for a few minutes until the juices are nice and bubbly and it looks like big yummy mess. You don't want to cook it too long--this is a fresh sauce and you want the veggies to be identifiable, not broken down and mushy.<br /><br />How gorgeous is this?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-LmS1Y60GuRlF3X878GTFeJF7SCLhNZUjZPSQ7o7D9FXum-ylCm8xeUMLqA4ik7wF-9RtJRQtvJ0WHo9kgCyyCTWmszaABKCyWsjp_J4diZsC63oNujTqj8e32BUZ7B_2AzP1bgpRlcE/s1600/007+%282%29.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-LmS1Y60GuRlF3X878GTFeJF7SCLhNZUjZPSQ7o7D9FXum-ylCm8xeUMLqA4ik7wF-9RtJRQtvJ0WHo9kgCyyCTWmszaABKCyWsjp_J4diZsC63oNujTqj8e32BUZ7B_2AzP1bgpRlcE/s200/007+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502009777683384306" border="0" /></a><br />8. Spread a little sauce in the bottom of a dish. I used my French oven, but a lasagne pan or other baking dish will work well too. Then place a layer of eggplant slices. Continue to layer sauce and eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce.<br /><br />9. Cover with <span style="font-weight: bold;">bechamel sauce</span> (see below) and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top if desired. Put the moussaka in the oven and bake for 45 minutes uncovered.<br /><br />10. Eat and enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pecorino Romano Bechamel Sauce<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>2 tbsp unsalted butter<br />2 tbsp all purpose flour<br />1 1/2 cups milk heated<br />4 oz shredded pecorino romano cheese<br /><br />1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat<br /><br />2. When melted and bubbly, whisk in the flour<br /><br />3. Cook on medium for two minutes<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>4. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, making sure to keep the sauce smooth<br /><br />5. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. If it gets too thick, you can whisk in a little more milk<br /><br />6. Remove from heat and whisk in the shredded cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese is melted and totally incorporated into the sauce. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-40792210350970630182010-08-02T17:07:00.000-07:002010-08-02T17:44:04.057-07:00CSA Meal #1-Ricotta Stuffed PeppersSo we started getting deliveries from a <a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php">fabulous</a><a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php"> farm</a> up in Yolo County. I have a great affection for Yolo, having spent 7 years in Davis. The folks who run the farm are second generation farmers and second generation UC Davis grads, so yay!<br /><br />I can tell already that something this Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) thing is going to do is get us thinking more creatively about our food. As part of the first box, we got an enormous bag of smallish yellow peppers, not bells, more like the tapered Italian kind. Also, a bunch of purple basil and a huge-ish musk mellon. Among other things, but this is what I'm dealing with currently.<br /><br />So what to do with these little guys? The answer was Grilled Peppers with Herbed Ricotta.<br /><br />For fresh ricotta, I used Michael Chiarello's recipe which is basically this: 1 gallon of whole milk, 1 quart of buttermilk, mix and cook over medium high heat, stirring and scraping the bottom so it doesn't burn, until the curds separate from the whey. Then remove it from heat, ladle the curds into a cheesecloth lined strainer to drain, and let it sit there for like 20 minutes. This makes about 4 cups of cheese.<br /><br />Here is what it looks like draining.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCcN7f_vw8OTx5ldiHJ2fLir3N6sI8XRZjaCBWkschGktZfAtozsGrtDMEHQS9BcNLMkhLcDLm9sPJ8u1PWweABIccSt_Ci7HilI9lMPnZpf8eZQvWhzaGoq0U7rg6pwNwNfzr-TsWBGJ/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCcN7f_vw8OTx5ldiHJ2fLir3N6sI8XRZjaCBWkschGktZfAtozsGrtDMEHQS9BcNLMkhLcDLm9sPJ8u1PWweABIccSt_Ci7HilI9lMPnZpf8eZQvWhzaGoq0U7rg6pwNwNfzr-TsWBGJ/s200/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500975356159997650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And here's what it looks like done. Kind of like really small curd cottage cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2uYRmuSc_M-wt-kFSUDGD3MXqzkPJcpCmgM1tgZDpeCeXmcRBXqkUwiD0ktIyQ9-dEnzU7qlnEPqxyfaIrqOEhvKfdmSMEixLQ8xMXkDtaHBZASNRs3_7DNirlIMknrDByMipUE6ImQI/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2uYRmuSc_M-wt-kFSUDGD3MXqzkPJcpCmgM1tgZDpeCeXmcRBXqkUwiD0ktIyQ9-dEnzU7qlnEPqxyfaIrqOEhvKfdmSMEixLQ8xMXkDtaHBZASNRs3_7DNirlIMknrDByMipUE6ImQI/s200/004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500975728886114290" border="0" /></a><br />So I took the peppers, cut off the tops and pulled out the seeds, and rubbed them with olive oil. Here they are being prepared to grill.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7dWfKoUUuQi-BQPPHwk6epF8sVEYzcZInMaB7wn3DFgaYOWvLTxyLXDHi2fNOIQx9IM9AfdMvos6b1dX_4sXgvJ_vxoCpGC6sQiw2Z2e9Mhk2-vehzETQyzzWSRz8UxqVnpfWWoHQoxL/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7dWfKoUUuQi-BQPPHwk6epF8sVEYzcZInMaB7wn3DFgaYOWvLTxyLXDHi2fNOIQx9IM9AfdMvos6b1dX_4sXgvJ_vxoCpGC6sQiw2Z2e9Mhk2-vehzETQyzzWSRz8UxqVnpfWWoHQoxL/s200/007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500976080351842658" border="0" /></a><br />Then I grilled them over medium high heat until they were a little blistery and soft, but still held their shape.<br /><br />I mixed minced garlic, fresh chopped basil, kosher salt and dried Italian herbs into the ricotta until it looked nice and herby. This is really up to you. I used 1 tsp each of minced garlic, fresh basil, and dried herbs for 1 cup of ricotta, and about 3 biggish pinches of kosher salt. Taste as you go. Here is the herby cheese.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEDO2KdyPInVKdbkNAFqoNgK8B73BdvH-bl0qGJulnGAZtM8JMsvhnwyOiwGDcwBKIt3UkKg-4I2e_Z7MGp4q2le2Pn4dxoWZW1n5pHljOqhzNGOYjaZ9wToOC4nEvV3RWuUur-kIvARe/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEDO2KdyPInVKdbkNAFqoNgK8B73BdvH-bl0qGJulnGAZtM8JMsvhnwyOiwGDcwBKIt3UkKg-4I2e_Z7MGp4q2le2Pn4dxoWZW1n5pHljOqhzNGOYjaZ9wToOC4nEvV3RWuUur-kIvARe/s200/009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500976522468290834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />When the peppers were done and still hot, I spooned the cheese mixture into them. That's it. Here they are. YUM.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrgpKCsTw2wMCoDWLJDOOIV1UE2enAfa5EocycfGDukuvmqhVKiqA9dWfRAnzXNLmuzbW28W7sxymOwQaNUO5aduiOX0mBusyiw4ceJy6Er15fglQJFOD1Bsn9PqZ9-EHHhfuF1SDwVoJ/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrgpKCsTw2wMCoDWLJDOOIV1UE2enAfa5EocycfGDukuvmqhVKiqA9dWfRAnzXNLmuzbW28W7sxymOwQaNUO5aduiOX0mBusyiw4ceJy6Er15fglQJFOD1Bsn9PqZ9-EHHhfuF1SDwVoJ/s200/011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500977048316275362" border="0" /></a><br />I served them with half the musk mellon cut into slices and wrapped in prosciutto. It was delicious and super easy. The hardest part was making the cheese, and that wasn't really hard, it just took a little while (about 30 minutes to cook). Ta da!Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-6688476125164510632010-07-25T15:51:00.000-07:002010-07-25T16:19:09.606-07:00Smock #2--EmbroiderySo I'm the worst costume blogger ever, since I never post pictures or descriptions of the finished projects. One day, I'm just going to have J. take pictures of every finished piece of costume I've made and post them all in one fell swoop.<br /><br />Until then, next project!<br /><br />I'm making another high necked smock for this season. I only had the one last year, plus the low necked smocks I'd made years ago. They work fine, but the high necked one is easier since I don't have to wear a partlet with it. But only wearing one smock per weekend is G-R-O-S-S, especially early in the season when it is still hotter than two rats getting it on in a wool sock. Plus, an excuse for more pretty period embroidery!<br /><br />This smock is based on a late-period one detailed on page 119 of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Fashion-Construction-Accessories-1540-1660/dp/0896762629/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280099250&sr=8-1">Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion 4</a> (the color photos are on page 62). The shape, anyway. The embroidery pattern is my own, based on popular flowers and fruits during Elizabeth's reign--roses, pomegranates, and carnations (or pinks). I'm only embroidering the sleeves.<br /><br />Here the sleeve pieces. They will be joined at the top seam with a knotted insertion stitch. I want to use <a href="http://dig.henryart.org/embroidery-stitches/stitch_pages/antwerp_edge_join.htm">this one</a>, but I have to wait for my copy of the book it's from to get here. Sigh.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITwoqSoD5vN1wssKBCNCQVQkQMSQFHKpWFy2sRb0sAgQvK4LZHrdmIw1mVpCw2tiB5VSs_wh_NXFOnqI_hp55Q8d46hxTFtlnAlgwgUd-NmOgrX8OmtBS0bFhiTW1WBgjlj8OOLS5Zy61/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITwoqSoD5vN1wssKBCNCQVQkQMSQFHKpWFy2sRb0sAgQvK4LZHrdmIw1mVpCw2tiB5VSs_wh_NXFOnqI_hp55Q8d46hxTFtlnAlgwgUd-NmOgrX8OmtBS0bFhiTW1WBgjlj8OOLS5Zy61/s200/002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497983550498810018" border="0" /></a><br />The embroidery is done with a medium terra cotta colored floss to give the feel of the pink embroidery of the original without being PINK. The pieces have been hemmed, but not ironed, and the copy lines need to be cleaned up, obviously.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpR9Jr7d2KuCtRq5bHT04Bcr1q871Bb2O4cuYluTvrRrF5-eI_wQC-S3vybhb-MsAQms0sTD1LxRP-O-Z0RXSfubJj6QY2eQT9ST1TAvzCBHr6BKOCKGXFB3ZZ6XBfua8Ox2DD2Q1rN5A4/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpR9Jr7d2KuCtRq5bHT04Bcr1q871Bb2O4cuYluTvrRrF5-eI_wQC-S3vybhb-MsAQms0sTD1LxRP-O-Z0RXSfubJj6QY2eQT9ST1TAvzCBHr6BKOCKGXFB3ZZ6XBfua8Ox2DD2Q1rN5A4/s200/005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497983878192743458" border="0" /></a><br />So until my book comes, I'll be doing the rest of the smock--cutting and hemming the side gores, underarm gussets, neck gussets and collar, and sewing most of it together. Sleeves will go on last I guess, once my book comes and I can figure out my stitch.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-60038066048079246932010-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:002010-07-05T21:48:48.221-07:00And now, a detour from costumingI've been asked several times over the last couple of days for the recipe I use for Carolina-style barbeque pork. Because I love you all, here it is. Just don't bring it to any potlucks we'll both be attending without checking with me first. Ha!<br /><br />Ok, so after a little research I discovered that this is Lexington or Western North Carolina style barbeque. A couple of things make it so: it's done with pork shoulder, not a whole pig, and the sauce has a little bit of ketchup in it. Apparently, true Eastern North Carolina barbecue is done with a whole pig and there is NO ketchup in the sauce. But, I'm a westerner, so Western style it is.<br /><br />Take your pork shoulder (pork loin will NOT work-it is too lean. You want all the fat and connective tissue). It doesn't matter how big it is, just keep in mind that you're going to cook it for 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound. It also doesn't matter if it's boneless or not. Leave the fat cap on. Cover it in your favorite dry rub. <a href="http://www.barbecuebible.com/featured/recipe/basic_barbecue_.php">Here</a> is the one I use, from Steven Raichlen's Barbeque Bible. Some people don't really use a rub, just salt and pepper. Do what you like. Let your shoulder sit to absorb the rub flavors for 1-24 hours. I have never waited 24 hours because I rarely plan that far in advance.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I6HwyJzPqHLXjdXGkqufwdzEftCQWtX0EINggiYYq8os8rzF9hfRk9I0KqOjYpyiQLLonJoXICotbpeRWt3Q8OttXSpUCwivrTzwUqNAoE7I-DHTE-Sl72RMskUAHJ81T-WwFdvKv8we/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1I6HwyJzPqHLXjdXGkqufwdzEftCQWtX0EINggiYYq8os8rzF9hfRk9I0KqOjYpyiQLLonJoXICotbpeRWt3Q8OttXSpUCwivrTzwUqNAoE7I-DHTE-Sl72RMskUAHJ81T-WwFdvKv8we/s200/005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490647983725974930" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When you're ready to cook, figure out how long you're going to need. Your going to be cooking this at a low temperature for a long time. You'll need 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound of meat. This piece of meat is 3.68 lbs and I'm cooking it for about 5 hours at 275-300 degrees. I do mine on a gas grill. You can use a charcoal grill, or the oven if you don't have a grill. The oven won't give you the smoke flavor or the classic red layer directly under the crust, but it's still yummy.<br /><br />Preheat your grill and get your wood chips smoking. I heat the grill on high, all three burners, with wood chips in a drip pan in the back corner covered by another drip pan. When the wood chips are smoking, turn the front and back burners to low and the middle one off, or set up the grill for however you do indirect cooking at 275-300 degrees. Put your shoulder on the cool part of the grill, or in the oven, fat cap up. Close the grill. Don't touch it for at least an hour. When your wood chips stop smoking, add more.<br /><br />When about half your estimated cooking time has passed, start adding some moisture with a mop sauce. The easiest mop sauce is half cider vinegar, half water or broth. Sometimes I add crushed red pepper flakes or sliced onion, but often I just go with vinegar and water (this is better than some other uses for vinegar and water!). Baste your shoulder with mop sauce generously every hour or so. Keep your wood chips smoking.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQaPsHPae8PRr_8gx_muka-KWZwsXMb6nApUVypwD2MWQ5qNSCqcnEHrIJuB3JyAACxTCnTViA4HWqf3qeGtCvCgSIA-ZxP59a0ll0Fa-wW_FrZLbi_eBCcUgcACWzSArZNaFJ7IFHPCj/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQaPsHPae8PRr_8gx_muka-KWZwsXMb6nApUVypwD2MWQ5qNSCqcnEHrIJuB3JyAACxTCnTViA4HWqf3qeGtCvCgSIA-ZxP59a0ll0Fa-wW_FrZLbi_eBCcUgcACWzSArZNaFJ7IFHPCj/s200/007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490648535721030226" border="0" /></a><br />When your shoulder has reached an internal temperature of 190-200 degrees, it's ready. It will look all black and crispy on the outside. Take it off the grill and let it sit for 15 minutes or so. Then just pull it apart. It will be SUPER HOT so use two forks or use latex gloves and work fast. The shoulder should just fall apart. If it doesn't, you can put it in the oven for longer until it does.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx-nErDUl6CzmM2tkd28sWpGMoQE7q6bpgvPtBPg51BVnD_kHip1TSKdUEqV2HhmkZwQ4cOTFBR0wp6amLZ08a4veP5-0f1nhI-XYjqrPjMbY_JLv0_ziWX9ftgJYtmxNCeqD-8oyf8v3/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx-nErDUl6CzmM2tkd28sWpGMoQE7q6bpgvPtBPg51BVnD_kHip1TSKdUEqV2HhmkZwQ4cOTFBR0wp6amLZ08a4veP5-0f1nhI-XYjqrPjMbY_JLv0_ziWX9ftgJYtmxNCeqD-8oyf8v3/s200/010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490649204135107794" border="0" /></a><br />After you pull it apart, or chop it if you prefer, add your sauce. Carolina-style sauce is thin and vinegar based. The recipe I use is: 2 cups of cider vinegar, 3 tbs ketchup, 2 tbs brown sugar, 4 tsp coarse salt, 1 tbs hot sauce, 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1-2 tsp ground black pepper. Again, courtesy of Steven Raichlen and his fantastic bbq books. Add enough of the sauce to the shredded or chopped pork to season it and keep it moist.<br /><br />Serve this with cole slaw and hush puppies, or on a white bun with cole slaw piled on top. I like it with traditional creamy cole slaw, Jonathan likes it with cole slaw made by adding more of the vinegar sauce to the shredded cabbage. Either way it is YUM.<br /><br />Here's what it looks like done, with my first attempt at hush puppies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH40PmdujPXESlKHmgu75cEDt90RBFHqiSCcB0BEZetaLlCV_YfCiYdWXGQSPBOyGTslECWVs7RHJNdY8RlDIdc4xXkrrx_zdafWi9QV5mj2pN2ZkVfqzPH4DctXt29Dyz0OqcPTSD_Rrk/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH40PmdujPXESlKHmgu75cEDt90RBFHqiSCcB0BEZetaLlCV_YfCiYdWXGQSPBOyGTslECWVs7RHJNdY8RlDIdc4xXkrrx_zdafWi9QV5mj2pN2ZkVfqzPH4DctXt29Dyz0OqcPTSD_Rrk/s200/011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490649999070011714" border="0" /></a><br />If anyone from any part of Carolina has an issue with any of this, feel free to tell me, but please be nice about it. I'm a California girl and there's a reason I'm calling it Carolina-<span style="font-style: italic;">STYLE</span> barbeque. I know y'all can be touchy about your 'que. Enjoy!Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-49578082742902735552010-04-18T08:09:00.000-07:002010-04-18T08:55:14.398-07:00Magic DartsSo being someone who does very little sewing of modern clothes, my dart knowledge is very minimal. 16th Century clothes don't use them at all and mid-to-late 19th Century clothes only use them at the waist, so the whole bust dart concept isn't one that I've really worked with.<br /><br />When faced with the gaping armscye on the Dior dress, I had a vague idea that I could take a dart there and then shift the extra fabric into another dart. Did I have any idea of how to do this in real life? No, I did not. <span style="font-style: italic;">Threads</span> magazine to the rescue!<br /><br />For Christmas, the Husband gave me the complete set of <a href="http://store.taunton.com/onlinestore/item/threads-fitting-dvd-series-boxed-set-031011.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Threads</span> fitting dvds</a>. I can tell right now, I'm going to get so much use out of these. The DVD made it perfectly clear how to shift the fabric from my dart to the existing bust dart. I took the dart in the muslin and marked it with a pen so that it looks like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTj24iuvSNJPMkYcn3C7JcHnoMQoXtdQmi4My3GW3nfsRTcWaNFy6JHnHNF_9Kyzpf1esCt5JKcbCuTbLqygDNI4VHldoMv1i_Ry7wxSeLD5rJtPyyrFrm3VPE6KoPVXIPPmn-v4mmodMV/s1600/Dior+003+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTj24iuvSNJPMkYcn3C7JcHnoMQoXtdQmi4My3GW3nfsRTcWaNFy6JHnHNF_9Kyzpf1esCt5JKcbCuTbLqygDNI4VHldoMv1i_Ry7wxSeLD5rJtPyyrFrm3VPE6KoPVXIPPmn-v4mmodMV/s320/Dior+003+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461505950723452994" border="0" /></a><br />Then I transfered the markings to the pattern, cut the dart, and taped it closed along the dart lines so the pattern curved from the dart. Then, I cut down the center line of the existing bust dart to release the tension, open up that dart, and get a smooth pattern piece again.<br /><br />Et voila!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8_ydm6_NA-p5LmN-a6PImgcpnJB1IMHGOFsHBvTzDks-_uvyeq6YafTQsbYWFEAFmAegfPBFJfH8jhOGWSMqsggAg1w9fRQmqf4rbPXut-5Xd9G75yh74wKkhvgEgJSxooVv7nfimo77/s1600/Dior+002+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8_ydm6_NA-p5LmN-a6PImgcpnJB1IMHGOFsHBvTzDks-_uvyeq6YafTQsbYWFEAFmAegfPBFJfH8jhOGWSMqsggAg1w9fRQmqf4rbPXut-5Xd9G75yh74wKkhvgEgJSxooVv7nfimo77/s320/Dior+002+-+Copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461506305210793698" border="0" /></a><br />The fact that you can tranfer the extra fabric into ANY dart is going to mean good things for my Victorian fitting too. Hurray for darts!Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-15770498973469270532010-04-11T20:35:00.000-07:002010-04-11T21:29:59.937-07:00I Don't Think This Is What M. Dior Had In MindSo, the first muslin of the bodice of the New Look dress. Where to begin. How 'bout with:<br /><br />Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah<br /><br />*gasp*<br /><br />Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhaha<br /><br />Ok. Here's a photo of the first muslin. Let's look at the areas that could use some, shall we say, improvement.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAdflfLZaKiKNGBXYluntkV6QEfm7XXQCqG4MGD6YZZMN60klIDXrfi-_ElHlI1ZWX3nsW40cNiNaQg2hMEfAxqQlgUsjk0Qw6M07KTsFVP2ViI8vdAU8-twxxUpk-qU4n1LiUcs6BBP/s1600/Dior+002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAdflfLZaKiKNGBXYluntkV6QEfm7XXQCqG4MGD6YZZMN60klIDXrfi-_ElHlI1ZWX3nsW40cNiNaQg2hMEfAxqQlgUsjk0Qw6M07KTsFVP2ViI8vdAU8-twxxUpk-qU4n1LiUcs6BBP/s320/Dior+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459090596921578370" border="0" /></a><br />In this photo, the shoulder seam is in approximately the correct position, as is the bottom of the back. Note the placement of the bust. See that lumpy section about halfway up my chest? Yeah, that's where the bust darts are. See the slight curve of black right between my chubby tummy and the muslin? Yeah, that's my <span style="font-style: italic;">actual</span> bustline. And let's not even talk yet about the gapping at the armscye.<br /><br />So here's the same muslin with the bust shifted to the correct position. Note the placement of the shoulder seam and the way the back rides up. Fix needed: Increase length of "strap" in the front.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFSYhyphenhyphenr1C1UeilBl49eK47O1eGv-JbUv8TpSPAF28hcp3VqVc3yv432nK3Bwx9k4hgGvE6QE9xxsJ5UYxMz-QUrbroOfZp7j_l8c-HGTCAPf5Iql-honVWUwT7PImtQi8cDxZwjaQXUaT/s1600/Dior+005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFSYhyphenhyphenr1C1UeilBl49eK47O1eGv-JbUv8TpSPAF28hcp3VqVc3yv432nK3Bwx9k4hgGvE6QE9xxsJ5UYxMz-QUrbroOfZp7j_l8c-HGTCAPf5Iql-honVWUwT7PImtQi8cDxZwjaQXUaT/s320/Dior+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459092394322835346" border="0" /></a><br />Here is muslin #2 with the front adjusted.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIB8LsnHz9GlKxbVquB6yTDvP3iM2L2pUbIPfP6Cq0s38QAGDM0ird4cJ6_yEqPde6WzVdTWMWfVIGKBX7z0wIuF9vMfUa1UhIVuRhJImvGtLamU-CMzmjiPcacODKoJ9cvOyW-YEKjFqL/s1600/Dior+014.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIB8LsnHz9GlKxbVquB6yTDvP3iM2L2pUbIPfP6Cq0s38QAGDM0ird4cJ6_yEqPde6WzVdTWMWfVIGKBX7z0wIuF9vMfUa1UhIVuRhJImvGtLamU-CMzmjiPcacODKoJ9cvOyW-YEKjFqL/s320/Dior+014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459101176874843234" border="0" /></a><br />To adjust the front, I cut the pattern piece across from the armscye to the neck and added two inches (I measured the distance from the actual position of the shoulder seam when the bust was in the correct place to the position where the shoulder seam should be). Then I corrected the curve on the arm.<br /><br />As you can see, there are still issues to be addressed. The armscye still gaps and will need to be adjusted. I'm still figuring out how to shift the extra fabric into the side dart. Also, the shoulder is much too wide. This is supposed to be a sleeveless bodice with the edge of the shoulder hitting right at my true shoulder point. You can also see that the back is riding a bit high, even though the shoulder seam is in the correct place, and the armscye in the back is a bit tight. I think this can be corrected by adding a bit to the back of the shoulder as well.<br /><br />Next up: fitting the armscye, bust, and back length.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-13105506059231776112010-04-11T18:47:00.000-07:002010-04-11T20:24:53.169-07:00DioresqueSo I'm officially the worst blogger ever. No new posts in 9 months? What the hell? It's not like I didn't do any sewing or costuming. Just no blogging. I suck.<br /><br />Anyway. New endeavor. Summer dress inspired by Dior's New Look.<br /><br />For those of you who don't know, in 1947 Christian Dior introduced his Corolle collection. After years of rationing and war-time starkness and thrift, Dior brought femininity and luxury back with one fell swoop. His new collection, inspired by the clothing of the Belle Epoque according to M. Dior, was all nipped in waists and padded hips and beautiful fabric--lots of it. It was coined the "New Look" by Harper's Bizarre.<br /><br />This dinner dress from Spring/Summer 1947, called "Cherie", is typical of the New Look (photo from the Metropolitan Museum of Art)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/C.I.48.13a,b"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHYoTSuOxS2x6o-DrqBc21yBSCXlQ911TtKn8ZyvJMTVOxAnf6Ut6vEAwKxOiIyUZ_qqRilxY2PRNDlUCynD3EtJjEwGBDEB7A4O8POlfgH45y3lvRaWeJwrv-kk7TrufuYtQ2yDjtrA3/s320/h2_C.I.48.13a,b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459065086633782914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My dress is inspired by Dior's New Look and drafted initially on my Wild Ginger PatternMaster Boutique pattern drafting software. It's the first thing I've drafted with it, so it's sort of my test. Needless to say, the measurements I entered need some, um, adjustment.<br /><br />The dress will hopefully turn out looking something like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIvcsP6PJXrO73FXEzcL7U3YFuh7T1-O08dtjkoNj1iVNKiz7obP_wI6WQLaSZ89de2DpZXvVAORU1D4zULpdQiJK1P429Lp7w71qK5grnp15vZj9KoYd3mhDXUG4yqWuc94XYpCWoAQW/s1600/Peggy_Sue_Front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIvcsP6PJXrO73FXEzcL7U3YFuh7T1-O08dtjkoNj1iVNKiz7obP_wI6WQLaSZ89de2DpZXvVAORU1D4zULpdQiJK1P429Lp7w71qK5grnp15vZj9KoYd3mhDXUG4yqWuc94XYpCWoAQW/s320/Peggy_Sue_Front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459082781724265762" border="0" /></a>For the fabric I've chosen a white cotton lawn printed with blue flowers. I wanted something light, summery, drapey and feminine. Since the fabric is very sheer, I'll be lining it with cotton the same blue as the flowers. The fabric is here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKQRR0Ws4SMQK7tkI_FQSZcStFgUMwdDzgIr2jK-_o-PX6-s2WSEa10zxAb0SkHugpWiFDlmXvP9EAbYQcVfunHEJ8xGBzn-oJ_rTcRSiYM2i8kGe0GA4Dh8rUvlKoPh6OxqslTv4ZwOg/s1600/Dior+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKQRR0Ws4SMQK7tkI_FQSZcStFgUMwdDzgIr2jK-_o-PX6-s2WSEa10zxAb0SkHugpWiFDlmXvP9EAbYQcVfunHEJ8xGBzn-oJ_rTcRSiYM2i8kGe0GA4Dh8rUvlKoPh6OxqslTv4ZwOg/s320/Dior+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459086263869383986" border="0" /></a><br />My goal is to have this done by May 8 when the Husband and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary.<br /><br />Next up, fitting the bodice. Yikes!Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-51637071483280275552009-07-14T13:34:00.000-07:002009-08-28T13:37:39.743-07:00I Lose at PostingI'm so focused on getting the stuff done that I'm being really bad about photographing and posting my progress. The linen kirtle is pretty much finished. I just need to bind the armholes.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQHLkqCO7Pvw4T0HLSniSjqglD5RRRfUEMsRhaEIQZMdHL1a0u15tCbVCmth_TfYeB3IXmJFahrfasiNWmsTiuCIg3rA-BHQ_uWgAc5Uuc3JRFcFka3D-46tISd4ACJiklBklOLjsIm4c/s1600-h/GreenDress_0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQHLkqCO7Pvw4T0HLSniSjqglD5RRRfUEMsRhaEIQZMdHL1a0u15tCbVCmth_TfYeB3IXmJFahrfasiNWmsTiuCIg3rA-BHQ_uWgAc5Uuc3JRFcFka3D-46tISd4ACJiklBklOLjsIm4c/s200/GreenDress_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358926370746424674" border="0" /></a>Ignore the weirdness as the waist point. I've fixed that since this photo was taken.<br /><br />The kirtle made of <a href="http://www.fabrics-store.com/first.php?goto=big_fabric&menu=f&menu=f&fabric_id=725">vineyard green linen</a> from <a href="http://www.fabrics-store.com/">fabrics-store.com</a>, and is sewn entirely by hand using period techniques. There's very little evidence of middling types of women wearing separate boned bodies until at least late in the 16th century, so my original plan was to stiffen the bodice of the kirtle itself with hemp cord. I changed my mind, though, and decided to make a separate pair of bodies stiffened with reed, thinking it would be a bit more versatile. Here's a photo of the bodies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvMIj7uYnQyqgZ-E7LQ1W0HtOLenefw1bq2AVxNDkHFQosZEhe_VAJwFpLOyAfYK-baj1BsIsROvuZCG7AizKJ5LbOq7Oq9ij6niUsASyIcu5LKOC0KkovSDBMTQsRo2AF5GX_6juHCma/s1600-h/Corset_0012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyvMIj7uYnQyqgZ-E7LQ1W0HtOLenefw1bq2AVxNDkHFQosZEhe_VAJwFpLOyAfYK-baj1BsIsROvuZCG7AizKJ5LbOq7Oq9ij6niUsASyIcu5LKOC0KkovSDBMTQsRo2AF5GX_6juHCma/s200/Corset_0012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358920080429548498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The bodies are made of a linen/cotton blend canvas that I got on sale 'cause it's such a blech dust color. They're boned with teeeeeeeeeny little reeds I got from <a href="http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=www.reconstructing+history.com">Reconstructing History</a>. They're essentially broom straw. They come coiled up in a huge bunch, and are an enormous pain in the patoot to try and cut down to usable lengths. I machine sewed the boning channels at about 1/4 inch, then filled each channel with 8 lengths of reed. As you can see, it looks pretty cool when it's finished. They're bound with just regular old bias tape in a shocking shade of tangerine. The binding is sewn on by hand. The lacing eyelets are also done by hand in a matching shade of tangerine. The bodies are spiral laced.<br /><br />The kirtle itself was draped by my fabulous guildmistress and partner in costuming crime, Valerie. The bodice is lined in a light green linen I picked up somewhere for another purpose altogether, which I have now forgotten. The lining and the outside fabric of each individual bodice piece are sewn to each other by turning in and pressing the seam allowances, then edge stitching the pieces. The backs and the front are then whipstitched to each other at the side and shoulder seams as seen here:<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2yA7ZWAQ34ofQTL9NZ25UEv4ly0Jx4kjRc-HnGy3qKJI02wnaWmjsInDpSbqakkqJHsw0Aci6dRZbc4zIoOJzFifXTjSVDLzA4OtNI4fWJ85QSYZz46eolUMaXI0SxTjcymwFA964XeG/s1600-h/IMG_1452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS2yA7ZWAQ34ofQTL9NZ25UEv4ly0Jx4kjRc-HnGy3qKJI02wnaWmjsInDpSbqakkqJHsw0Aci6dRZbc4zIoOJzFifXTjSVDLzA4OtNI4fWJ85QSYZz46eolUMaXI0SxTjcymwFA964XeG/s320/IMG_1452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358930076684279378" border="0" /></a><br />Outside of seam<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZtuOttrlBDY-iXmeAyGg7AQADncSLx47c-1DYLug1u7q5CeI1n-GY1ZDFkHPtEHpRmi5WlIF5rxjvb2lijAA1Yw1D1qKja5rCdDD5DPfRMZ_TD10jiCnCFsi4xt3u0YkSVTJGQYeIuJc/s1600-h/IMG_1450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZtuOttrlBDY-iXmeAyGg7AQADncSLx47c-1DYLug1u7q5CeI1n-GY1ZDFkHPtEHpRmi5WlIF5rxjvb2lijAA1Yw1D1qKja5rCdDD5DPfRMZ_TD10jiCnCFsi4xt3u0YkSVTJGQYeIuJc/s320/IMG_1450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358930869049777282" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Inside of seam<br /></div><br />The back of the kirtle is boned with cable ties for a little extra stiffness along the lacing edges. The eyelets are handbound and arranged so the kirtle is spiral laced.<br /><br />The skirt is two lengths of the same green linen, each hemmed on the selvedge then whipstiched together. It is pleated and whipstitched directly to the bodice with single knife pleats at the side-fronts and double knife pleats in the back. It's about 110 inches around.<br /><br />Next up is the wool overgown. I'll try to be better about posting the progress photos and descriptions!Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-52528781418155456752009-05-29T17:16:00.000-07:002009-07-15T22:54:03.773-07:00Almost finished!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcMCwUQX09Jupzt31-OdIvOsIqPMT6DfVCF4zF_HDczqupb4f0T_4peFnIOQTfQbbguQ5nVEAID-x49tKDpGb9yFJEKIYbp96Rg8MTG8l_B_czqVhyphenhyphenC_to6L5QR43JVzj5Dq3fgJIDeB5/s1600-h/IMG_1447.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcMCwUQX09Jupzt31-OdIvOsIqPMT6DfVCF4zF_HDczqupb4f0T_4peFnIOQTfQbbguQ5nVEAID-x49tKDpGb9yFJEKIYbp96Rg8MTG8l_B_czqVhyphenhyphenC_to6L5QR43JVzj5Dq3fgJIDeB5/s200/IMG_1447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341408279594551778" border="0" /></a>I'm almost done with my smock. All I have left to do is fasteners for the collar and cuffs. Total time so far--about 35 hours. Total number of miniscule blanket stitches--approximately 4300. I ended up making this considerably simpler than I originally planned. I didn't do any additional embroidery and I didn't add neck or wrist ruffles. I decided I really just needed to get this thing DONE, and if I decide at some point to add ruffles--well, they're easy enough to whip stitch on.<br /><br /><br />Here's a couple of pics. I need to recharge the battery in camera, so I didn't get as many as I would like. I'll add more later.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLRqI1s7AdRrLKL7fA_kz8pLKpPw4mxI8HAKEW9vgloXCYVIaPv-G6TYQx8fAat64C9sC0EmfcBaYa39v0jHkdLePXBuO-_jSwmRGYSCqKQKf4ZLWroU4oQ_6OyEoBI1k-6-An-5MlDu8/s1600-h/IMG_1443.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLRqI1s7AdRrLKL7fA_kz8pLKpPw4mxI8HAKEW9vgloXCYVIaPv-G6TYQx8fAat64C9sC0EmfcBaYa39v0jHkdLePXBuO-_jSwmRGYSCqKQKf4ZLWroU4oQ_6OyEoBI1k-6-An-5MlDu8/s200/IMG_1443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341405919131070226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJAaoheFzqRNEOyJ9HlR8SkcrDmMK0veLEEPilquQfPS0Nl3dmoMnQYsIy5k7oJxH4iwswUZjyc3XQafKNq_oUw6Q81ChyphenhyphentyyLPNb28l0fJ0kmAMzlUl71fB6FNjWn_8MRyKPIb1H2B-O/s1600-h/IMG_1446.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJAaoheFzqRNEOyJ9HlR8SkcrDmMK0veLEEPilquQfPS0Nl3dmoMnQYsIy5k7oJxH4iwswUZjyc3XQafKNq_oUw6Q81ChyphenhyphentyyLPNb28l0fJ0kmAMzlUl71fB6FNjWn_8MRyKPIb1H2B-O/s200/IMG_1446.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341407875023489906" border="0" /></a>Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-61221762170623476412009-05-08T09:55:00.000-07:002009-05-08T10:21:51.178-07:00New LinkI added a fantastic blog to the blogroll--<a href="http://thistle-threads.com/blog/">The Embroiderer's Story</a>. Tricia Wilson Nguyen is an expert in heritage needlework and one of the professionals heading up an amazing project at Plimoth Plantation. Needleworkers from across the country and the the world have donated their time, money, and skills to reproducing a 1620s embroidered jacket.<br /><br />The blog documents the efforts that went into securing the most historically accurate materials and learning the most historically accurate techniques. Thread companies were inspired to reproduce specialty threads unavailable for years. Needleworkers mastered new stitches and gathered to teach and learn from each other.<br /><br />The project is wrapping up now, after two full years of work. I just found out that Tricia was at Needle in a Haystack in Alameda talking about the project in April and I missed it! Arrgh! Anyway, the photographs on the blog are incredible, and I hope to be able to make a pilgrimage out to Plimoth to see it while it's still on display there. I've ordered their sample kit, the one stitchers used to "audition" to stitch on the jacket, even though they've come to the end. A portion of the price goes to help pay for materials for the projects, and this way I feel like I contributed my little piece to history.<br /><br />It's a wonderful project, and anyone with an interest in historical craft or costume should check it out.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-28160120536085283322009-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:002009-02-23T13:50:41.607-08:00Smocky GoodnessI've started my new smock for the upcoming faire season.<br /><br />My in-laws got me a copy of the new Janet Arnold book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Fashion-Construction-Accessories-1540-1660/dp/0896762629/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235422767&sr=8-1">Patterns of Fashion 4: The Cut and Construction of Linen Shirts, Smocks, Neckwear, Headwear and Accessories for Men and Women c.1540-1660</a>. SQUEEEEE!<br /><br />It's really fabulous, and includes some amazing things, like a smock embroidered with polychromatic clouds and rainbows (can you imagine if I showed up for costume approval with that one?)!<br /><br />There are detail shots of a couple of the high-necked smocks that show the construction. The individual pieces are finished separately, then whip-stitched together. One in particular appealed to me. The edges of the pieces are finished with what look like alternating open and closed blanket stitches. The whip stitches are done through the blanket stitches for a kind of openwork seam.<br /><br />I decided to do a simplified version of this smock (not so much other decorative embroidery). The side gores and the "skirts" of the smock are finished with a plain narrow hem and will be whip stitched together. The sleeves are two pieces edged in black blanket stitches the stitched together with white thread.<br /><br />Here's a picture of the top seam of the sleeve:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf17eeUFQ4hDNXwevj9P7CE1ClYRdhxcBLUApSLo1ZQTcfHwk3Nnpokx8ncf1Ekrk4WiUF8JsBOrZshyphenhyphen1ILmQBFq-0-F1KZ28DrwYL44PmORvQf3G4BkS7scYVFKAJF8kjNM5_JAwl0gq7/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf17eeUFQ4hDNXwevj9P7CE1ClYRdhxcBLUApSLo1ZQTcfHwk3Nnpokx8ncf1Ekrk4WiUF8JsBOrZshyphenhyphen1ILmQBFq-0-F1KZ28DrwYL44PmORvQf3G4BkS7scYVFKAJF8kjNM5_JAwl0gq7/s320/027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306107733847717538" border="0" /></a>The stitching isn't quite even on the two edges, but hey, it's my first attempt at this!<br /><br />Here's a shot of the stitching along the edge. This edge will be whipped to the underarm gussets that will be finished the same way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTsVMaJqsXn3-dnKbqzvo9APMssMYPyEtTZTEhh8Zt_50xEHdNsRk6-vVuMnR9PDJuVbjwghljv1THhafUN-q8RhI01-GCOEfBTa2iE6P9RSNRi2cRH1JRSTeQByeBES6FelT2pFGz4vG/s1600-h/031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTsVMaJqsXn3-dnKbqzvo9APMssMYPyEtTZTEhh8Zt_50xEHdNsRk6-vVuMnR9PDJuVbjwghljv1THhafUN-q8RhI01-GCOEfBTa2iE6P9RSNRi2cRH1JRSTeQByeBES6FelT2pFGz4vG/s320/031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306108960477337346" border="0" /></a><br />The fabric is a fairly fine white linen and the edges are embroidered with black cotton floss. I considered using silk, like the original, but let's be honest--I'm gonna be wearing this a faire. It's hot. It's dusty. I'm gonna need to machine wash this sucker on a regular basis. I think silk floss probably wouldn't be color fast.<br /><br />So far, I've put about 25 hours into this smock. I have to:<br /><ul><li>edge and sew together the two pieces of the other sleeve</li><li>edge the underarm gussets</li><li>sew together the side gores and the main body<br /></li><li>embroider the neck slit</li><li>embroider the neck and wrist bands</li><li>edge the neck and wrist ruffles</li><li>attach the sleeves</li><li>attach the neck and wrist bands and ruffles<br /></li></ul>Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-3909597612152756812009-02-10T18:35:00.000-08:002009-02-10T19:14:21.719-08:00Yes, it's true. I'm an enormous idiotSo, because I'm a little slow on the uptake, I'm just now discovering <a href="http://www.extremecostuming.com/">Laura Mellin's fabulous costuming site</a>. I love the look of the <a href="http://www.extremecostuming.com/gallery/embroidery.html">blackworked coifs</a> and of course, I fell in immediate lust with her <a href="http://www.extremecostuming.com/reproductions/themaidstonejacket.html">monochromatic embroidered jacket</a>.<br /><br />So now I've added those two projects to my grand faire wardrobe plan. Luckily, Ms. Mellin has a line of embroidered coif patterns available from <a href="https://www.reconstructinghistory.com/index.php?">Reconstructing History</a>, so I've ordered a couple that I like, as well as a late Elizabethan/early Jacobean jacket pattern. I'm very excited to get started on these! I also plan to sew these by hand using period seaming. Yes, it's entirely possible that I'm the biggest idiot I know.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5607246873278106949.post-5344243706757815952009-01-19T09:28:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:42:46.170-08:00And off we go!Hurray! New costume blog!<br /><br />So, plans for two new costumes in 2009. First, new clothes for the <a href="http://www.norcalrenfaire.com/">Northern California Renaissance Faire</a>. I've been wearing my blue wool kirtle for three or four years now, and while it's still in pretty good shape (needs some minor repairs to boning and hems) and I love the color, the wool is so warm that I can't really layer anything over it without risking heat stroke for the first, oh I dunno, 4 weeks of the run. Plus, I've done a bit more research since I made it, so I'd like to make some updated clothes. The plan is to make a linen kirtle and summer-weight wool fitted English gown from <a href="http://www.tudortailor.com/">The Tudor Tailor</a>.<br /><br />Second big project is a new dress for the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Since I don't work this one, I can do pretty much whatever I want. The plan is to go for c. 1858 up-to-the-minute fashionable gown. I'll be making a new cage crinoline to replace my e-bay special using <a href="http://www.trulyvictorian.com/">Truly Victorian</a>'s pattern. The dress will have giant pagoda sleeves, fringe, and a huge whitework collar.<br /><br />So, nine months to finish the faire clothes and almost a full year to finish the Dickens gown. Hmmm, doable? We shall see.Melusinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01535883947155594913noreply@blogger.com4