Bridesmaid dresses // 1950's inspired.

Back in August last year, a good friend of mine was planning her wedding. We were discussing bridesmaid dresses and scrolling through Pinterest, when she suddenly turned to me with a very big smile and said something along the lines of "You sew, don't you?".

So obviously, I said yes.

Cut to a year later, I'm surrounded by green taffeta and about 20 metres worth of hem, which I'm sewing by hand, and I'm wondering why on earth I agreed to make the bridesmaid dresses for the wedding that's taking place in a few weeks.

BUT despite the achey back, the pin pricked fingers and the stress, I did it! I made five (FIVE) bridesmaid dressed from scratch! And I couldn't have been happier that I had said yes.

The bridal party

The bride picked out the pattern - Butterick 6094 - to match her beautiful 1950s tea-length lace wedding dress, the colours to match the theme, and then I helped to pick out some fabric. I could only fit the dresses once before the big day, so I made them up in generous sizes (better safe than sorry!) and took them in where necessary. Pink net petticoats helped to create the flattering silhouette, and add a pop of colour with each step.

The back // All lined up, just need a press!

The front // Again, in need of a press

It was a real honour to be part of such a beautiful day, and to have been one of the people that helped to make it happen. There's nothing quite like it.

The Tailor Made: the power suit of the Edwardian era

As women were getting more active towards the turn of the 20^thcentury, in society, in the workplace, and in the literal sense of the word, they needed their clothing to follow ‘suit’ (so to speak).

Enter the Tailor Made. 

1895 // The V&A Museum

A versatile outfit consisting of a skirt, a blouse - or shirtwaist - and a tailored jacket to match. Not only was this outfit far more practical than the flounces and frills that made up the rest of the Edwardian woman’s wardrobe, allowing for more movement with its skirt of suitable walking length and a jacket one could remove, but it also took on elements of a gentlemen’s suit from the time, and therefore letting women feel they had more of a presence in the workplace. It was also the obvious choice of outfit to purchase if you wanted to get the most out of your clothes. With the shirtwaist & skirt combination, and numerous styles being available in both, it meant the possibilities were endless and you could easily switch things up for a new look. It became the typical costume for travelling, and for popular activities of the day, too.

October & November, 1900

1892

1890-1900

1907 // National Cloak and Suit Company, New York City

Late 1890s

1905-1910

1912

1917

After first being considered plain and bland, and going against the era's ideals of femininity, it then started to rise in popularity amongst the middle & working classes in the 1890s, before becoming the ideal all-purpose outfit of the 'new' working woman towards the 1900s and 1910s, being particularly favoured by the Suffragettes. 

c. 1910 // Suffragettes

1912 // Women's Suffrage Headquarters, Ohio

1910 // Suffragettes armed with materials to chain themselves to railings

My website // ellenoakley.com

After many years of having my work scattered over separate corners of the internet, I've finally created a place where it can all be together. Here it is!

The Regency Bonnet

{One of my favourite quotes, written by Jane Austen in one of her letters.}

Back in September 2014, I took part in the costume promenade at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, and I made myself an outfit. Accessories included! I'll get round to doing a post for the outfit itself (I will I will I will) but let's start from the top. The bonnet.

This bonnet actually has a little bit of a history. There's a photo (which I will post if I can find!) of me with my sister when we were young, wearing two rather dashing hats our gran had given us to play with. We adorned them with straws (because, what else?) and ribbons, and strutted about the garden. One of them ended up sticking around in our dressing up box for many years. When I was looking for a hat I could cut up to make a bonnet, I came across it, all battered and bruised, and figured I didn't have much to lose since it was probably going to get thrown out anyway.

I gave it a bit of a steam with the iron, watched numerous bonnet making tutorials on youtube, and then took the plunge and picked up the scissors. Since I wanted it to be mouldable, I stitched wire into some bias binding, and used that to trim the edge of the brim. Then came the fun bit.

Ribbons and feathers and bows, oh my!

I got some cheap feathers from the local craft shop, curled them using various techniques from this American Duchess post, and got to stitching.

I know the silhouette is probably more late Regency/early Victorian, with the wide, stand-up-sort-of-brim, but worn with the right hair, I think I can get away with it.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, and am actually rather fond of it. If you've any questions about any element, just leave a comment!

Hello, again.

Hello, world. As per usual, it's been a little while since I've updated this blog, and there's only so many times I can say 'life happened', or provide you with various different excuses, but that's just the way it is.

To be perfectly honest, lately I haven't been doing many things that would be worthy of a blog post. Or that I would deem worthy, anyway, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.
I feel as if I've almost taken the last year off where sewing is concerned, and aside from the odd little project and the things I make for Polesden Lacey, I just haven't sewn very much. Don't get me wrong, I still love sewing, but only really when I take the time to sit down and do some, and that's unfortunately become a rare occurrence.

A lot has changed over the past year or so, and one such thing is me. My interests have broadened, and so I'm not as intently focused on each individual thing as I used to be, but that's ok. That's just me growing up.

So this was just a little note to say hello, let you know I'm still in existence, and that I intend to keep up with posting - maybe not about things I've made, but I'll certainly find something - and we'll wait and see what happens!

Also, if you fancied following me on Instagram, that's one of the only things I actually keep up to date // @ellenoaktree

The first corset || Repost

I wrote this post a (long) while back, and for some reason, blogger decided to delete it. I've just discovered it saved somewhere, and so I thought I'd repost it, for documentation purposes at the very least. Oh, how the temptations to make changes to this post as I was typing it up were strong, but I did manage to stop myself!

///

Once a week, I have the privilege to sit and sew away, making Edwardian costumes at a National Trust property, Polesden Lacey. My last completed project, was a corset.

There's just something about corsets I've always had a particular interest for. The look, the feel, the construction, the purpose. How undergarments really were the foundation to clothing throughout history, changing the silhouette to cater to the day's trends.

As this was my first corset, it's made from calico; a cheap fabric, but sturdy enough to wear. I also ended up trimming it with some nice grosgrain ribbon, just to add a little something and to satisfy my 'pretty things' needs. It's boned with both spiral (flexi) steel and rigid steel. Spiral steel in the seams where I need a bit of movement, as it is flexible in more than one direction, and a rigid steel in the side/back seams, to provide structure.

I used the Past Patterns #106: 1901-1908 "Straight-Fronted" Edwardian Corset pattern, and put boning on the seams.

Inside view: here you can see the ribbon I used for finishing.

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, actually. Apparently it's very neat for a first one, but I do take a lot of pleasure in making things neat!

Inside view of the bust dart, and busk.

Front view.

Better view of the inside, and lacing.

Now, to make the rest of the outfit!

Edwardian inspiration, from 1900.

There is a book that has been lying atop a desk in our sewing room at Polesden Lacey, wrapped in a plastic bag with a note saying that it was from the year 1900, and donated by somebody.

I only thought to have a closer look at it last week, and I ended up sitting there for ages, carefully turning the tattered pages and taking a bunch of photos! I thought I'd share some with you.

Unfortunately the front cover is missing and the spine is quite damaged, so I don't know what the title of the book is, but it's full of all sorts of charming Edwardian things. It must have been a magazine of sorts.

There's short stories, advice on dressmaking, patterns, hair tutorials, portraits, and fashion illustrations. Oh, and advertisements for items every elegant Edwardian lady would require.