working with the prettiest things

Look what I got to photograph.

© Kent State University Museum, accession number 1983.1.8ab

Wow. This circa 1760 robe a la francaise will be on view as part of the Kent State University Museum's upcoming Fashion Timeline exhibit. While the curator and I were dressing it I snapped a couple pictures of the interior.

The yellow silk faille used for this gown is 49 centimeters wide, or just a bit over 19 inches. The seam allowances are a centimeter wide and the pink and blue selvedges create playful stripes running up the inside of the petticoat and robe. A plain old running stitch was used to assemble the panels of the petticoat and robe, and tiny whip stitches connect the bodice of the robe to the linen lining. Here you can see the stitching at the back of the bodice behind the pleats.

There are more pictures of the gown over at the museum's blog. The museum has such a wonderful collection, I really should to make an effort to share more of the lovely garments I work with. It seems like the least I can do since I have no progress on my corsets to share. Tsk, tsk.

fashion timeline

I had so much fun illustrating fashion silhouettes for an upcoming exhibit at the Kent State University Museum.  Here they are from the 1750s to the 2000s.

I'd like to wear the dress from the 1990s (bottom row, second from the right) and I'd like the dashing 1810 man (top row, far right) to take me out to dinner. What are you favorites?

self portrait

I know, I know. I've been away for too long. Juggling projects means that sometimes corsets have to wait a bit. Boo. Although I have no new corset update I thought I'd share one of the other things I've been working on.

That's me. It reads as plain old black and white, but this self portrait is woven with silver wire and black cotton. It's impossible to capture how the image shimmers and disappears as you view the portrait from different angles. But if you are in the San Jose area between August and October you can see it in person because I just found out this portrait was accepted for the International TECHstyle Biennial. Yea.

I have to clear a few other projects from my work table then I'll get back to the 1844 corset. And the others waiting to be finished.