Boning in stomachers – necessary?

Since I’m coming closer to making the stomacher, I’ve been looking at ways to go at it. I’ve been looking at stomachers ofc, and then I had a look at this tutorial (that I also used to make the pattern for the pet-en-l’air). They say to put boning in the stomacher – is that really necessary? I’ve been looking at so many stomachers and not very many of them seem to have boning (or am I just blind?).
   How did you go at it? Experiences?

Back of stomacher from MET.

Status report

All 12 buttons are DONE! Now I have no excuse not to start with the stomacher… ;P

I am working!

So, these buttons are getting nowhere near identical. But hey – I’m not a machine and they didn’t have machines för that in the 18th century anyway so… =P

Tease

Today I decided it was time to dress up once more and test and fit everything again, since I finished all the hemming. Well I didn’t need to fit it really, but I wanted to see that it still looked alright. I also wanted to take some better pics to show off my creation (this was the best I had). ;D So here you are, my pet-en-l’air so far:

Still only one arm trimmed though, and no real stomacher, hehe . And I kinda just wrapped the fabric for the petticoat round my waist… ^^;
I also used the one pocket hoop I have managed to make so far (soooo boring to seeew!) and they might work after all, what do y’all think?

Ooops, didn’t pin it very well, bah!

On fake openings

There are so many details to consider when you’re working on a project like this and I’ve been more and more attentive to these details. I love to learn! And you learn by asking questions – so I’m asking more and more questions as I go. By looking at paintings and surviving originals of 18th century clothing, I try to anwser these questions.
   Today I was browsing MAG (again) and found the anwser to one of the questions I’ve been pondering: “were there ‘fake button openings’ stomachers in the 18th century?” (Or: “could I do a fake button opening on my stomacher and get away with it?”). The anwser is TOTALLY:

Stomacher & bows from Manchester Art Gallery

The trim is also set like I’m planning to set it on my own stomacher for the pet-en-l’air! =)

An inspirational walk

When I moved to Örebro four years ago, I had no intentions of making my own 18th century outfit – maybe having one made for me when I became a millionaire. So even if I was interested in 18th century clothing, I didn’t really pay much attention to the copies of 18th century women’s clothing at the open-air museum in Wadköping. Last summer I visited the museum again with my kid sister Jennie – I had totally forgotten about the clothes! But I was a little… horrified at what I saw. I had forgotten my camera that time though and never got to visit the museum again – until yesterday! Me and my friend Anja took a walk and ended up in Wadköping, as I had my camera with me I started snapping like crazy!
   So now I want to share! The first outfit you see is actually a yellow silk pet-en-l’air with a black petticoat in tafetta. (Click the images for HUGE versions.)

But I was extremely bugged out by the synthetic decorations… ^^; Sorry! I know I’m no expert and have no right to raise my voice, but… Baaah! But hey! It’s only a copy, I understand that it’s only supposed to be a representation of what was worn during the time. ^^ Cred to the woman who made the outfit, all hand sewn, it IS very cute! I’m not sure my own pet-en-l’air will look this accurate… =S
   The second outfit is more of a every day outfit. It has: a woolen jacket, a woolen petticoat, an apron and a fichu.

It reminds me a lot of the 18th century clothes in Nordiska museet’s database, with the wool and the stripes and the colors. This outfit and the clothes in the database also reminds a lot of Swedish folk dress. Here’s a photo of me in my folk dress, as a bonus… ;P
   The last dress is… I don’t know what it is… But it kinda looks like a fantasy larp dress inspired by 18th century clothing. Which is nice too. The museum is dedicated to Caisa Warg, a very well-known Swedish woman who wrote the most famous Swedish cook cook of all time (Hjelpreda I hushållningen för unga Fruentimber – Help/assistant in the householdning for young women). She lived between 1703 and 1769 – so I guess this dress also is supposed to represent 18th century clothing. I like the stomacher and the colors! =)

The most interesting part of the museum though, I think, is the estate inventory of Caisa after her death:

I’m gonna try to translate the clothing part, bare with me (you Swedes out there who know more of the old Swedish clothing terms, please correct/help me!):

Black tafetta petticoat with rosy knee apron
Under petticoat
Brown gloves

Horsehair hat with red tafetta lining

Blue and white tafetta… something (taftditon? anyone?) or jacket of blue damask

5 fans – ivory with black white paper
Hat with silver lace
Blue damask fur lined with greywork? (squirrel’s winter grey fur) backs
Yellow damask night/dressing robe

Scarf (maybe fichu) of fabric made from nettles or with flowers
Black velvet coat/cape
Black velvet calash(?) or long hood
Robe ronde of  silk with small dots
Jacket of black lampas
Lace engagenates

2 grieving hats
Blue half silk fur with greywork? (squirrel’s winter grey fur) lining and ermine

This sure made me think of new projects! ;D

EDIT: I hope I don’t sound like a know-it-all-bitch, I’m sorry in that case! ^^;

One arm trimmed

Indeed I finished the hemming that last time, and I even managed to trim one arm!
Whaddaya think? =D

And here’s some inspiration: My cousins “in-law” are renovating a house and found this wonderful wallpaper under a few layers of newer wallpaper. It’s probably a 50’s-60’s wallpaper, but it clearly has 18th century inspiration. They also found these huge hand made nails. I arranged it a little and took a still life photo:

Hem

Just a quick post to show you the hem, proof that my hands are working by themselves… ;P

And yeah, this is the front “corner”, I rounded it cuz I liked the look:

Bum-bi-bum…

I confess – I am a period seamstress, in the meaning “woman who sews in periods”. XD The other day I entered a new sewing period, I might actually finish the actual jacket of the pet-en-l’air this week! I’m hemming and hemming and hemming right now, then there’s just the trimming! The stomacher might take some time…
   Anywhooo, the jacket looks a lot shorter than I anticipated, so now It looks quite a lot like my favourite pet-en-l’air:

Pet-en-l'air @ Manchester Art Gallery

When I started this project I wanted to use pocket hoops, so I started making a pair. My previous apprehension is now reality though; with the length it’s at now – it will not look very good with those big pocket hoops. So now I’m considering models for a bum/hip roll. I came across this some time ago, maybe a way to put that problem off a little… ;D

Oh, and we got a C on the thesis. ^^

Pinning be damned!

This pinning thing is really getting on my nerves!!! I am totally going to use hooks and eyes!!!

HMPF!!!