Daisy Heralds In the New Year!

Daisy's New Years Herald

Wow.  What a year this has been!  Now I'm not going to say that every single month was all hunky-dory, but coming to the end of it, I can confidently say that this year was an extraordinarily creative one.  This fall, in particular, from September through to today, proved to be as pleasant in my personal life as it was satisfying in my artistic one.  So many good things to look back on. 

In particular, I'd like to say that the friendships I made gave me so much joy, inspiration, and a wonderful outlook for the future.  The friendships I had became stronger, and when I feel loved and appreciated, my creative world is a much nicer, safer place for me. 

The Inspiration

In thinking back on all I created this year, Alice Liddell's wardrobe (to be continued), was probably my greatest achievement considering that I was throwing myself into the French Fashion world - my way, of course.  Completing the wardrobe and accessories for Katy Curls is right up there.  These were extraordinarily difficult, and detailed costumes as well.  And, let's not forget A Day At the Beach for Josephine, Gibson Girl.  This was the first petite lady doll costume I created.  And, I began reincarnating Wendy Lawton dolls.  There was, of course, Alice Liddell, Alice Illustrated, and Delight - The Delight of Fairy Tales.  Funny, but a lot of people just didn't "get" her.  They called her Red Riding Hood, instead of understanding that she's a little girl enjoying dressing up in fairy tale costumes.  Perhaps when I create a couple more for her, it will hit.

Full Length

It was wonderful to be able to take out my brushes and paints again and create the story book toy chest for Betsy.  I don't paint very often anymore.  And, believe it or not, its not like riding a bicycle.  Painting is something you have to work at, recalling techniques, have incredible patience with, if you don't do it all the time.  So this experience was very satisfying, too. 

Underneath It All

Like some, I truly do not wish there were more hours in the day.  They will come and go as hours do.  Its what you do with them, and how you feel about them that are important.  Were a day 27 hours, before long you'd wish it was thirty.  And then, when would you sleep?  I've found that on the busiest of days, if I just work on one specific piece of a costume to its completion, the outfit will get made, and in less time than I feared.  The hat one day, the jacket then next.  Fur trim on this piece one day, the closures the next.  And, speaking of fur trim, I couldn't think of any better way for Daisy to bring in the New Year than to create "the other" costume I intended to make for her last December.

The Back With Buttons

Daisy's New Year's Herald was inspired by this gorgeous antique postcard of a Gibson Girl sounding her little silver party horn over the wind swept snow banks.  The tossing about of autumn's last fallen leaves, and the crescent moon aloft in the chilly winter night.  And, snow shoes!  Believe it or not, there are snow shoes beneath that white gown.  I'd saved them all the way through the year (they are just like Polly's - see February), and she does have them on her feet.  The pink velveteen was the same used in Mignonette's skating costume and the dress was of the same velvet used for Lettie Lane's Skating Costume.  Miles of faux beaver fur trim. 

Instead of lining the dress in batiste as I normally do so as not to add weight to the piece, I lined it in the same silk dupioni as the attached chemise giving it some body.  I love the way a skirt will drape sewing in this fashion (attached chemise).  And, the ease of dressing the doll since you always must be mindful of the doll stand and the clamp that goes around their waist.

Jean's Special Gift

The hat was fun to make and its topped with a braided strand tailing a pom-pom in a sweet baby pink wool yarn.  The jacket, as all jackets are, was probably the most difficult piece to design.  Since the postcard outfit is viewed from the back, it was important to get this just right.  You also have the chiffon scarf that billows out in the wind behind the woman in the postcard, but obscuring the details of the jacket.  I could have made long, flaring jacket pieces to put together, but they would not have looked right under the arms.  So I chose to attach a peplum with several pleats to support the four covered buttons in the back. 

A Memory Of January 2014

The scarf!  Well, another brilliant light bulb idea.  How was I to make a chiffon scarf billow out "in the wind"?  I used sheer white wired ribbon for this effect.  It tickles me just to relay this to you.  The horn was made from silver scrapbooking paper and red silk ribbon.  I almost feel like Martha Stewart here (wink wink).  This outfit was made very quickly, and almost in a panic since this is but one of the two New Years postings I'll write.  Daisy shall be heralding in the New Year in her cozy-velvet-winter-snow-shoe outfit.  Listen for her little horn on New Year's Eve.

But, let's get back to friendships for a moment.  I just had to share one of the dearest gifts I've ever received.  Jean made me a sewing machine album to commemorate the costuming I did over this past year.  The time and work involved to create this for me, was equal to the talent my dear friend has.  She'd told me about her die cut sewing machine to create an album with, and asked me if I thought I'd enjoy having one.  Not a scrapbooking person myself, I had no idea what was in the works.  I just about fell over when I opened her gift that was so wonderfully wrapped, too.  There is nothing Jean Nordquist cannot do and exceptionally well.  There is even a little lined spool on the opposite page for me to make notations on of what materials I used for the project.  And, a chatelaine ring holds the pages together!  She does sell these kits, and its a perfect way to preserve your sewing accomplishments.  Maybe if I'm good girl this year, she'll make me another next!  .  Its just awesome.  So is she.

As New Year's Eve comes about this year, I'm planning on what I will do in 2015.  One of the projects will be taking another Lawton doll and creating a Godey's Girl from her.  I've been pouring over those pages for far too long not to do some real French Fashion costuming from them.  And, Candy Anderson is making Katy Curls' friend, Jolly Jane, for me, so there well be another Frances Tipton Hunter girl to sew for.

All in all, I'm inspired and on a roll I hope will never end.  However, this winter will see me tucked in and reading the second book from the Outlander series.  I never thought I was a "romance novel" reader until Diana Gabaldon's book fell into my lap.  What a fabulous swashbuckling read!  Happy New Year!

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

Another Snow Shoe Postcard

Toot-toot! 

A Postcard For Daisy

Snow Shoes and Horn

A Second Postcard for Daisy

Under the New Year's Crescent Moon

Sugar Plum On Ice

Mignonette's Sugar Plum On Ice

Its no secret that I love snow.  Cross-country skiing is one of my favorite things to do in winter (snowshoeing, too).  But, skating has always been a part of my life, my dreams.  When I was little, I used to roller skate in winter, and pretend I was ice skating.  As a young woman, I took to the ice by way of an indoor rink, and learned Freestyle Skating.  The feeling of flying with the cold air awakening your senses!  I was so lucky to have lived and visited in the eastern part of our country and Canada, just to feel real ice under skate.  Bumpy?  Yes.  But, real.

A happy, leisurely pastime.

Skating has been around for centuries, even going back to prehistoric times.  The Dutch used skates of wooden platforms with bone runners.  Around 1500, they added the narrow metal blade we would recognize as the skate today.  Skates made entirely from iron were introduced in the 1700s.  Skates were mostly a form of winter transportation until modern times when it came to be enjoyed as a leisurely pastime. 

Fur collar and Rows of Buttons

An American inventor, in 1848, supplied steel clamps which fastened the skate more securely to the shoe, and in the 1860's and early 1870's, famous skater Jackson Haines, made a double steel blade attached permanently to the boot (as well as inventing toe picks for the jumps and spins).  And, this is the era that our precious Mignonette, by Wendy Lawton, takes to the ice.

Peak at the chemise and Detail of Collar.

Back in December of last year, I found a gorgeous New Years postcard of a lady on snowshoes, in a pink and white costume, trimmed in fur, that I put in the hopper for the end of this year's New Years outfit, for Daisy.  Remember Daisy's postcard costumes?  I'd chosen an aqua blue silk affair with a party crown instead.  However, when it came down to days, I'd been really wanting to make Mignonette a pink velveteen coat.  A few days ago I ran across an extra pair of ice skates (in my stash) from the Lawton Emporium, and that did it!  Made up my mind with exactly what to make her. Since Mignonette's antique reproduction trunk wardrobe is all in pink, it would be fun to add a pink velveteen skating costume to it.

The Back

I once again used the basic design style of chemise attached to skirt as an under dress. Using a very soft and petal pink cotton batiste, I fashioned the lined chemise, and lined the entire outfit, skirt and coat, with the same.  You'll recognize the shape of the skirt as that of Alice Liddell and Lettie Lane's winter costuming.  Its just a mini version.  The cotton velveteen I used is the softest, thinnest fabric of this kind, I've used to date.  Its gorgeous, and so easy to work with when turning lined pieces inside out.  I edged the coat and skirt with faux beaver.  This was a longer fur, so the width would have to be thinner to allow the fluff of fur, and not overwhelm the costume.  This, again, is all hand-sewn on.  Two rows of gold buttons march down the front of the jacket that is closed by hooks and tiny thread loops.

I then made a collar of the faux beaver and lined it with the double-faced silk ribbon that ties the bonnet on.  This way, Mignonette can wear this coat without a collar, showing more buttons. 

Bonnet and Muff

The bonnet is lined in a darker cotton sateen.  I edged the face of the bonnet with the faux beaver and sewed a pretty bow atop.  I often look to Godey's for ideas, and this is where I found the design for the bonnet.  It does appear that girls would also wear brimmed hats when playing outdoors in winter, but I'd made this bonnet pattern earlier and somehow, it just seemed right.  Lastly I added a muff with a pretty pink bow, to keep her tiny hands warm when Mignonette wasn't steadying herself on the ice.

The Bonnet Lining

This costume is a basic lined coat and underdress, but it becomes a Sugar Plum, when all the details are added.  Pretty in pink, Mignonette catches the eye of everyone she merrily skates by!

Today, I'm going to start that New Year's costume that got passed by last December.  I haven't done anything for Daisy since April so I'm sure she'll be delighted to bring in the New Year on snowshoes.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

Bonnet on child, fourth down from top.  Godey's.

Victorian Child in Pink

Another Godey's Winter Display of Fashion

Short jackets, trimmed in fur.

Pretty, but I'll bet she's cold!

Victorian Christmas Card

Mignonette's Day on the Ice

Alice Liddell's Winter Coat - A Victorian Christmas

Alice Liddell's Winter Coat With Muff

Normally I am quite inspired to write a journal posting after completing an outfit, but I've had the flu, for a week, and am still not feeling quite myself.  However, I am hoping as I begin, the words will flow.

Oh, how I wish you could see this doll in person.  16" of precious and precocious charm.  And, with her dressed in such elegance, Alice Liddell becomes all the more endearing as a little Victorian Miss, growing up in a proper English society with her friend, Charles Dodgson, who encourages her curiosity and teaches her the magic of imagination.

The Last Paper Doll Outfit

This, the last of the true paper doll outfits from the book The Other Alice, is her Winter Coat With Muff.  This outfit, like Botanical Garden and the Greek key Autumn Stroll, had been in the planning for over a year.  I knew I would want to make it for the holidays this year, but having done so almost completes the costuming I intended for her.  There are other dresses she wears in the book, and there is a set of pajamas, under garments and accessories (like a parasol), but the Winter Coat With Muff, is the pièce de résistance.  And, so perfect in red velveteen for the holidays.

Here She Is!

I actually began this costume from the boots up.  (photos further down)  One of the reasons I hesitated in even making it, was the bowler hat.  I do not have the kinds of hat molds needed for this type of work, and it frustrated me.  To my rescue came Jenny Norden.  She collects the BJD dolls and knew of an artist that made bowler hats and ordered me one.  I am still grateful beyond words for her thoughtful generosity.  Knowing the hat was coming, I began with a pair of gray and black striped stockings.  Then the boots.  This was an entirely new pattern since the boots needed to be as close to the illustration as possible.

The Under Dress

They are constructed of two side pieces, a toe box piece, then the fur trim.  The question for me was how to create them with a closure.  These didn't appear to be side button boots, and I wasn't sure how they would "pull on", so I created elastic loops to pull over bead buttons in the back.  This seamed as reasonable an idea as any and it does not obstruct the image of how they appear.  I was quite proud of myself for coming up with this.  The elastic was colored black with a fabric marker. 

A side view with fur detailing.

The next stage was to create the patterns for the coat and skirt.  While this is called her Winter Coat, I saw it as two pieces.  At least this was fitting for dressing a doll and achieving the look I wanted.  I used a wide sweeping semi-circle skirt pattern on the fold for both the "dress" and the peplum of the coat.  The hem length of the skirt is 27" and the peplum slightly less.  Which means, a lot of fur trim had to be hand sewn on!

I used the same high-quality white silk dupioni for the bodice of the skirt, as well as the lining of the velveteen in both jacket and skirt.  I line everything.  It makes for a much smoother and prettier finish.  It has come to my attention that when I sew with these fussy fabrics, I think little on "the pills" and "frays" like I used to.  Just plow head and sew.  If you fuss over these annoyances, it will undermine the process.  Silk is going to fray.  Velveteen is going to pill.  There's nothing you can do about it, so you just push through it. 

Stocking with front of winter boots.

This pattern I made, the coat and skirt, has a particularly clean line, and lovely one.  I wish I'd taken a photo of how this looked before adding the fur trim.  It would make a lovely riding habit, and I was so tempted to omit the fur on principle.  But, that wasn't the outfit intended.  Out of character, I know I will make this again in an evergreen velveteen with a brown fur collar (only), so the pattern of the outfit shows.  Why not?  Englishwomen were equestrians, too, so why not take Alice for a pony ride.  I think she'd enjoy it.  Maybe I'll do this for spring.

How the boots close in the back.

Yards and yards of fur trim had to be cut and hand sewn on.  It took me three days, alone, to sew the fur to this outfit.  The width of the fur on the jacket is about 1/8" less than that on the hem of the skirt.  Both the top edge of the fur trim must be sewn to the garment, then you go back and sew the bottom edge.  Its a lot of work, but I did do this, if you recall, with Lettie Lane's skating costume last winter (see below).  This was such a pretty costume, that its worth another look.  I hope you'll agree.  Why not?  Its Christmas!

The Back

While working on the fur trim, I also made her a muff.  This, too, is lined in the white silk.  Wouldn't it be fun to wear something like this to a Dicken's Faire?  San Francisco used to hold a Dicken's Faire and I went twice.  I surely do miss the fun, the step-back-in-time, and the costuming of the sellers/actors that put on these extravaganzas.

Front Details

Then finally the bowler hat arrived.  I trimmed it with red silk ribbon and a feather.  Not too much work there.  The interesting thing about this hat was in setting it on her head for photographs.  I kept thinking, "Alice will get hat-hair".  Unlike the toque from the golden autumn outfit, this one sits down on her head.  I like it.  Its a smart little look for this dainty child.

Let's Make A Snow Angel

And, that's about it for Alice Liddell's Winter Coat and Muff.  This was not a difficult outfit to make, just terribly time consuming with all the hand work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process.  I love her little boots and I won't shy away from trying more interesting boot styles in the future.  I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Below are a few very special Victorian Christmas images to share with you for the holidays.  There was no reference to winter activities in the book The Other Alice, or illustrations of her wearing this in the story.  So please enjoy the holiday season.  Stay safe and well, and celebrate every single day in the magic of Christmas.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse



 

Recalling Lettie Lane's Skating Costume (2013)

Such a gentle scene.

With gold accents!

The Merriment of Christmas

The Robin

Svetlana Angel

"Now YOU have a Happy Christmas" said Alice.

The Delight of Fairy Tales - It Begins with Father Tuck

The Delight of Fairytales - Red Riding Hood

My friend, Jenny Norden, recently asked me how long it took me to make an outfit, a costume.  I wasn't quite sure how to answer this (and I know I've brought up the subject before), but it all depends on how long I've been designing the piece in my head, collecting the proper fabrics, and drafting a pattern.  Then we must take into account that I often have to make something three times before it turns out the way I want it to.  But, for the sake of today's journal, let's just say a week...at least for this Red Riding Hood costume.

Father Tuck's Fairy Land Panorama

Let me begin by introducing Delight to you.  In my quest for finding Lawton dolls that need a reincarnation, I came upon a Wendy Laton Rose In Bloom who was in ghastly distress of a new life.  She was on one of my favorite bodies, the wood body that makes up a 12" doll, and she was missing her original dress, and all of her belongings for that matter.  The seller thought she was rare, and we've heard that before, but when I told her the actual state the doll was in, and how I'd help the doll into a good home, she sold her to me (for a decent price). 

Dressed for a walk in the woods.

It was then that I had to figure out what to do with her.  She had this smile that didn't quite fit the solemn portraits I've been creating, and a friend of mine, Betsy, suggested Gigi.  As in Leslie Caron as Gigi.  I researched the clothing, the subject of the film, and in the end decided that the doll's face was more childlike than a young woman's.  I think I'd been looking, at the time, at Tonner Halloween costumes for my (Re-imagined) Patsy, and found a Red Riding Hood outfit.  I fell in love.  It occurred to me that I'd never done a fairytale doll, or costume, and The Delight of Fairytales was born.  I gave the doll hazel eyes and a dark brown wig, completely changing her look from the blonde, blue-eyed Rose that she was. 

Dress with button attached reticule.

My own delight with fairytales goes way back to childhood.  My mother had the crumbling copies of her mother's childhood Grimm's Fairytale books, and I'd spend hours looking through the strange pen and ink drawings on the thin, browning pages.  My own first fairytale book was a Little Golden Book, Little Red Riding Hood (see below for image).  I read that thing over and over again, marveling at the fabulous illustrations between the covers.  I'm certain I imagined myself as the child on her mission, but I'm also positive I was very skeptical of how the wolf, or even Grandmother, could survive the things they went through.  Yes, the wolf dies in a tragic way, but consuming an entire woman that could resurface intact, is simply amazing!  I'm sure I would tell my mother that this was just not "logical".  But, enough of that.

With the velvet vest.

Delight is a child that has a fabulous imagination, and loves the Grimm Brothers fairytales.  She also loves to play dress up, and I won't disappoint her.  She will be receiving some beautiful fairytale dress-up costumes by some of my favorite illustrators.  Today she is wearing Little Red Riding Hood as illustrated in the Father Tuck Panorama.  With all the possible illustrated costumes to select from (and they are vast), Father Tuck's had the Grimm Brothers German feel to it.

I began with her shoes and socks.  I designed the little brown shoes with the white buttons to have that peasant look about them.  A pair of royal blue stockings finished the first day's work.

Close-uo

Since Delight is the same size as Alice Illustrated, the dress took a simple day to put together.  I used cotton sateen for the aqua dress, and white shirting cotton with tiny satin dots on it for the cuffs and bodice.  The apron is of silver and white striped cotton and hangs a bit below her dress, like an old kitchen towel, as in the illustration.  Her vest is marine blue velvet, and this piece caused me lots of difficulties.  First in that I had to recut the pattern twice for a deeper "neckline", and second because I had to pull lined velvet through a half inch shoulder area.  I almost gave up.  Why velvet?  Why the richness of sateen?  Because she's a Lawton doll and they are very used to elegant fabrics.  White double-sided silk ribbon was laced through the vest.  Both dress and vest close in the back with hooks and thread loops. 

Pointy Hood on Velveteen

Yesterday was the second day of designing the hooded cape.  The hood piece is huge.  It had to be drawn in a way that would allow the hood a point at the top, and enough fullness around the face so that you could gather it.  This cape is of red cotton velveteen, lined in red cotton sateen.

Finally, I had one more piece to make.  The reticule.  I used a small key ring as the base and wrapped it in silk ribbon.  Then I used silk dupioni to make the little round bag.  It is only cosmetic and does not open.  I looped silk ribbon around the ring and knotted it on top, then sewed a small brown button to the bodice of the dress to hook the little bag to.  Hah!  Brilliant.  A bouquet of daisies for Grandmother and a basket of goodies by Lawton Doll Company complete the look.

Delight will be costumed as Gretel, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow White (no, not Disney Snow White), and possibly other fairytale heroines as time goes on.  She will need a dress up trunk, and I have the perfect Lawton doll trunk for her to store her costumes in.  Suggestions of fairytales would be welcome!

Father Tuck was chosen for Little Red Riding Hood, but will not be used again.  We have untold numbers of illustrators throughout time who've conceived their own versions of these fairytale heroines, and one will speak to me for each story.  I was telling Jenny that working with red made me happy.  Delight has a costume that will take her through the holidays, and Alice Liddell will get her red winter coat in December.  She must.

Please enjoy a sampling of a few of my favorite Red Riding Hood illustrations below.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse
 

My Childhood Book

Johnny Gruelle 1916

Unknown (to me)

Genady Spirin's Little Red Cap

Margaret Tarrnat

Vintage Paper Toy

Trina Schart-Hyman (one of my favorite illustrators, I began collecting her books when I was 16)

Fabulous!

(unknown) ...with now-a-days frocks

Carl Larrson



Off to Grandmother's House