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!

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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!