Cushions.....

Since my walls went from a burnt orange terracotta to a strong Damson broken up by white and cream, I have had to find a way to deal with my old orange brown sofa.  It was a significant purchase a decade ago and I really can't afford to replace it.

Original covers

Covering up seems like a logical answer.  I am starting off by covering the cushions.  I have a couple of pairs of Aubergine curtains that were a lovely colour but sadly too short. I can do two cushions per curtain panel. 

New covers

It really feels amazing doing something myself and the fact they look fine, albeit plain, is wonderful despite it being all handsewn.  Sometimes we really feel helpless by our reliance on brought products because we feel we do not have the skill to do some things ourselves. For me, the flat has always been my weakness, because I was so busy I did not feel I had the time to make anything and too poor to buy, I actually have exchanged time for even more poverty and found that the time was actually the more important aspect, we pay SO much money for people to do things for us....sometimes quite simple things, like covering a cushion.

My costume experience

My first re-enacting experiences I portrayed a working woman during Restoration times, my costume was very simple, a wool bodice and skirt over chemise and stays and of course, period appropriate stockings and shoes.

Working women clothing pretty much stayed the same for hundreds of year with little variation so I used the same costume for re-enacting the Georgian time period also.

I also made a silk Georgian banqueting dress, which I wore for the annual Georgian Bath ball.

Later, I would make a more complex Regency style gown from La’ Mode Bagatelle Regency wardrobe that I used for Napoleonic re-enacting, I made a travel working dress in brown linen (won’t show the dirt will it?) and I boned petticoat in blue linen.

Victorian costume I made was a (very badly constructed) corset, hooped petticoat, early period bodices, fancy silk bustle skirt and over skirt, tartan skirt for hoop dress and very late period navy poplin travelling outfit.

I have quite a few antique pieces and vintage accessories also but I don’t tend to wear them.

So, I am pretty excited about doing something that isn’t a different time period but a totally different style.  Artistic reform was worn by the wives (Elizabeth Siddal) and models of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood and later Arts and Crafts aficionados’ like Jane Morris, William Morris’s wife and PRB Model.

They were not fans of the restrictive corsetry and frippery of the clothing at the time.  Having worn such clothing myself I can attest to its restriction, which actually looks very nice but it is difficult to be active and relaxed whilst wearing such clothes.

The starting point

I had to wait a month for the La’ Mode Bagatelle’s Artistic Reform Gown Pattern.  Once that arrived I got around to the idea of what I wanted to make and what fabrics to use, I have some black velvet previously brought so that will form the basis for my first under dress and so I headed to ebay for some thick velour fabric for my first over gown.  I am really enjoying the freedom to not have to use period appropriate fabric like I did when re-enacting, instead I am using Nordic wind climate appropriate fabrics, the over gown will be to keep out the cold and have enough sweep as it goes down to wrap around my legs when it gets cold, these are my first Artistic reform costumes.