Some sewing !

I do realize I have neglected this blog for far too long... The kid keeps us both very, veyr busy and I've been working on personal sewing projects like a madwoman. I didn't even get to sort out all the pictures from past costume events yet. But I was relatively efficient following the victorian picnic organised by the Ministère des Modes in Lyon at the end of August. Hence, pictures from my 1872 polonaise !

The dress is a very light cotton print which almost reads like a solid on pictures. The trim is yellow cotton organdi - I normally use it to line my victorian bodices but I happened to find it in this color and I was out of fabric for trimmings. I know ruffles and pleats are more common for this year but I found a few examples of solid stripes applied as decoration as well. I'm wearing it over my black set of victorian undies, my victorian corset, my giant 1872 half-crinoline, and my flounced monstruosity of a petticoat. I patterned the polonaise with some help from Lady Fi and my 1885 bodice pattern, altering it to match period illustrations. One button that holds up the polonaise's skirt got loose on the inside of the skirt on the left side and I only noticed when I looked at the pictures - I'll have to make the ribbon loops smaller.
The hat is a regular straw hat I hacked down, wet and dried in its new shape. Then I added lots of stuff on it and kept adding things until it looked victorian enough.
On the whole, I loved how the dress turned out. I'd have preferred if the fit had been better and if the bustle hadn't had some issues during the day but it looks amazing in pictures and I had a fabulous time wearing it.