Rigoletto!

The show last Sunday went fabulously!


My two minutes of solo fame couldn't have gone better, according to my teacher, and I trust her in all things vocal. I'm also quite pleased with my performance, including my time being seduced and spurned in Act 1, which was just as fun and silly as it had been in rehearsals, nevermind the 1000+ people in the audience.


I don't have pictures from the performance itself, but my costumes were too epic to miss keeping records of. So, a few days before the show, I convinced my mom to act as photographer and co-artistic director with me on a shoot in our backyard. She did really well!

Costume and mask from Act 1. I'm glad I supplied my own mask, I love having souvenirs from my performances! That necklace is glinting a very eerie green... No idea why it's doing that. The necklace wasn't really a costume piece, just a suggestion of mom's.

Did I mention that I got to be Gilda's "stunt double" for the abduction in Act 1, Scene 2? Gilda made her exit, we switched places in the wings, and Ceprano swooped in a few minutes later to carry me off. That dress was absolutely gorgeous, I need to recreate some version of it! It's a pity that the audience couldn't see much of it, but that was the whole point of having a "stunt double". It worked; many people I spoke to had no idea I was me!

The page! Now, that's what I call a frock coat. The fabric for the coat, breeches and vest was rather low-quality and of decidedly non-period materials (I could tell just by touching it), but it looked great from a distance - and up close, for that matter! See that bit of shirt around my neck and wrist? I found a very multi-century men's shirt at a TDF costume sale some weeks ago, took it in slightly, and now it's perfect for all and sundry costumial things, possibly even for dressing as a girl. And yes, another souvenir.

Oh, the epic shoes are mine as well.

Photos of S.C. in costume by Dianne D.; Costume pieces, unless otherwise specified, from the NJAVO's vast costume warehouse in PA. (I need to visit there some time!)

Until I can secure a French Baroque estate for myself, this will have to do.

I have a flair for opulent, French Baroque-type interior design, with a color palette taken partly from that period but mostly from my continued, semi-subconscious favoring of modern goth style. When we moved into my current house, I was given the larger of the two non-master bedrooms. It's a plus for space, and at least it isn't covered with obnoxiously 80's wallpaper, but I swear my room has the worst carpet in the house.

See for yourself here, see also the rolls of fancy paper which I plan to turn into elegant wall art and possibly use to wrap around and cover things like frustratingly modern pencil cases.

Within the last 2 years or so my style has shifted drastically from modern (bold colors, simple shapes) to baroque/Victorian/1700s (jewel tones, flowing lines, and ubiquitous floral patterns), which is why this vintage tea cart I found at a vintage furniture consignment warehouse is holding my jewellery in things from the Container Store.

Did I mention that the walls in my room are stark white? That makes them easy to paint over, but horribly boring until I do. Here's a dramatic sample I painted behind one of my Venetian carnival masks. I'm hoping it will go on more evenly, and perhaps even look a bit darker, once I start on the real paint job using a roller.

Little pillows I bought from Ikea years ago, during my first, modern redecoration. I used scraps of old curtain fabric from the living room, which had a custom made set of gorgeous, sweeping drapes until my roommates got to them and decided they collected too much dust. I might try to make drapes for my window out of the remaining fabric, once I finish the other major things I have to get done in the space.

(Also, that tiny cube in blue floral fabric was once one of a set of fuzzy foam dashboard dice I bought on a whim - why waste the foam? The other die awaits re-covering.)

Fancy frame that I previously found way too feminine, but now fits my style very well. Nothing wrong with a bit of femininity.

You may note that in the frame is a photo from Forbes Life magazine of a few months ago.

It's a peach frock coat by Sete-Cento, an Italian couturier. Just by looking at the name you should have some idea of how much I love this company. I didn't find this image until I'd already started on my frock coat, but from now on I'll use this style of design as my inspiration.

This was supposed to be about interior design, but I can't stop my mind wandering back to costuming. I want to make a pair of stays or corset next, either in plain linen or with an outer covering of green fake-shantung leftover from my frock coat. Another idea I'm longing to get to before the summer is over is an odd mix of frock coat, jacket, and light summer dress in a white cotton knit that would keep me cool in the summer while staying true to my oddly nostalgic fashion sense. More on all of this when life allows.

Silken swirls of gorgeous Shantung

So the swirls aren't really done in the shantung, but I think I could have had you fooled, couldn't I? The color matches so perfectly. I found this thin cording - $0.59/yd! - tucked away in a corner of M&J Trimmings in Manhattan. M&J is a great resource for anyone in the area, I highly recommend them!

As for the coat, here's more of the pictures I promised weeks, possibly months ago.

The design on the front pleases me very much, I think I'll have to add some more around the bottom of the coat and coiling up along the back vents before I can say this coat is truly "finished." I should hurry, though, as it feels tight across the shoulders even with the inserts I added. Damn this wide, operatic ribcage! (But not really - I value my singing over my ability to fit into this coat when it comes down to it.) The worst case scenario is that I would sell the coat on Etsy for some ridiculous sum. Maybe the sum wouldn't be so ridiculous, it is a very fine coat if I do say so m'self.
In the meantime, I'll try and find an opportunity to wear it that won't involve floral pajamas and late night sewing/photography sessions.

Make that, "I tip my fancily adorned hat to you."

Hooray!

Inspired by House of Nines design, I made my first cockade tonight to go with my felt tricorne-in-the-making. I bought the ribbon at M&J Trimmings, in Manhattan. It cost about $7 total for a yard of each, which seems very reasonable considering what the ribbons became. Next time (now that I know there will be a next time), I'll try two yards, and go for a fuller cockade. The button in the center was originally meant for the frock coat, until I started using the shantung. The color works quite well with the rest of the cockade, and I somehow prefer this simple, self-covered button to one of the fancier ones available. I'll save fancy for later.

Finishing the entire cockade took approximately 4 hours.

Until the hat is finished, meaning until Pearl Paint restocks my large pieces of felt, the cockade will have to content itself with being stuck onto bags and the occasional lapel.

Oh, and an added bonus...

... It matches the frock coat very well. (Better than this picture makes it seem.)

Ze coat, she is feeneesht! (Almost)

That's right. This coat, which I've been working on for months than I'd like to count, is nearly finished! All the machine-sewing is finished, unless I decide to sew the buttonholes with the machine. All the major handsewing bits are done as well, the linings all turned under and the raw edges neatly hidden. What's left now is to sew the buttons on, probably add more embellishments in my wonderfully shiny silk shantung, and then grab up the courage to actually wear the coat some time.

Also, I've decided to try my hand at haberdashery and shoe re-covering. What internet blog-surfing can inspire me to do never ceases to amaze me.

For the hat, I plan to make a modernized tricorne suitable for daily wear from mid-fall to early spring. It'll be done in black felt, and I'll probably make a few clip-on cockades to attach or leave off depending on the occasion.

The shoes will be done in a light cream fabric, possibly silk, but most likely whatever inexpensive remnant I can find that would suit a shoe. I was chatting with my voice teacher this past week and mentioned that I plan to rework some shoes, and she said that it would be a wonderful idea for me to make myself a pair of character shoes. Plain, this pair will look 1700s, but I'll make some clips and bows and buckles to add if I'm acting the part of another period (or a higher class). Just when I thought I couldn't love opera any more, I find that it's a legitimate excuse to pursue costuming on the side. Meraviglioso!

Here's some hat progress -- exciting, right?

The shoes are a bit more satisfying to look at, at this point. There's one original shoe, on the left, and the shoe I've been deconstructing, scattered around the rest of the frame.

 

I'd rather do the hat first because I love the idea of not having to sew anything for a while, but it would be wonderful to have the shoes finished in time for this weekend's concert. Vedremo.

Oh, and yesterday my Italian genetics suddenly reared their tricolore heads, and I cooked my first real, fancy-style planning-ahead meal for myself. Sliced and fried (on the stove, in olive oil) eggplant with freshly cooked semi-saucelike grape tomatoes (sliced and cooked in olive oil with a bit of garlic powder) that were hot enough to partially melt the smoked mozzarella sitting between the sauce and the eggplant. To excuse this deviation from my normal crafty pursuits, yes, I took pictures.

The Coat's Progress

I've decided that seeing the frock coat on a hanger is simply not enough, for my sartorial or photographic purposes. Because of the way it's cut, especially in the front, it tends to hang with the fronts wide open and flaring out from top to bottom in a way that makes it resemble a rather ill-fitting A-line dress. Or a tent. But never fear! Last night I remembered and subsequently unearthed my old custom dress form (made from a large t-shirt and copious amounts of duct tape), and proceeded to drape the dress coat on it and take copious amounts of pictures of the project finally starting to come together.

Oh, and I noticed that in my other pictures I haven't shown the coat with the collar attached. Here it is, notice the fancy machine embroidery. (And on the "epaulets".)

Epaulets and color-coordinated back vent buttons, from the back.

Pinned up one of the skirts to show the lining in its iridescent glory. Despite possible matters of "taste," I think the blue, green, and purple work well together. It might not seem like an ideal color combination, but I like it.

Some of the photos are a bit washed-out. I'll edit them properly once I have the whole thing finished.

Next up: Adding sleeves and buttons, and handsewing whatever else needs to be handsewn.

Busy, but look, I found some sleeves!

I still haven't gotten around to taking pictures of my latest work on the frock coat, but that's perfectly alright as I haven't even posted all the old ones.

Here's one from when I had the sleeves on, before I ripped them off for reasons explained in a previous post.

Note the disproportionately large sleeves, and one cuff.

I remember having some trouble figuring out to sew skirts so they would lie flat in the back and look as elegant as they're supposed to. The pattern wasn't incredibly specific on that point, as on many other points, but I found a way to make it work rather nicely. Since I knew I wouldn't want to add a button to the middle vent (no matter how much my mother suggests it - sometimes enlisting your mom as your assistant has its ups and downs), I handstitched that vent closed to hide the raw edges, and I think that looks quite good as well.

Behold, I iron things! In this case, I think I was pressing the skirts flat after sewing the lining to the outer material. Stan and his peewee hockey team seem shocked by my iron -- or maybe by my aged sewing machine barely visible in the lower right corner.

Frock Coat update

More on my steady project, the sage shantung frock coat.

(Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of it with the sleeves on.)

Let's see what I've got so far.

• All 3 materials (outer material, lining, interlining) pinned and cut
• All major pieces sewn together
• Sleeves, cuffs, collars, pocket flaps sewn together
• Outer material body sewn to lining body
• Heaps and heaps and heaps of ironing 
• Collar basted onto coat
• Cuff linings handstitched to sleeves
• Inside pocket done - correctly! (It wasn't in the pattern and  I managed it with the lining already sewn to the outer material, hence the pride)

That's almost the entire coat, divided up into disproportionately important bullet points. Here's what's left.

• Handstitch lining to cover collar seam
• Sew sleeves on
• Hand-sew sleeve linings to cover sleeve seams
• Finish self-covering buttons
• Sew on the buttons, buttonholes, trim, etc.

Seems pretty easy, pretty straightforward.

Yet again, it isn't, quite.

I'm 99% sure I did not change the length of the seam that runs from collar to shoulder (connecting the front & back pieces) from the pattern measurements. However, after trying the thing on with the sleeves basted (and then sewn at 1.5 stitch length... Ugh, the seam ripping!), it was obvious that something went horribly wrong somewhere. I've got admittedly broad shoulders, but the smallest pattern size is about a men's small (or a bit bigger), which should be a very generous fit on me. Still, the coat's a bit tight in the back, across the shoulderblades, and I'm convinced, in one of my spasms of ultra-girlishness, that the high shoulder seams do annoying things to the shape of my arms.

I think I just want an excuse to add a bit more of my own style to the coat. Hopped out to Mood on Tuesday to get some more fabric, and through a twist of fate involving fortuitous pricing, I ended up with 3/4 yd of genuine silk shantung! It's iridescent blue that shines a green that matches the coat's outer material, and I'm going to use it to make a panel on each shoulder that'll give me more space to move around as well as adding a very welcome bit of extra color to the coat. I want it to be versatile, and function as a modern coat or a slightly avant-garde period piece.

Above: A hastily-pinned test run of what the shoulder inserts might look like. I used the swatches of material I got when I was choosing the color of the coat. If there'd been enough material there - I even basted one side to be sure - I would have used these. And if I could have afforded a second color of shantung I would have bought that as well, I love the look of the two opposing colors, and could have had a lot of fun with color schemes and buttons. As it is, I think I have to re-cover a few I've already done, the idea of shimmery blueish-green accent buttons is too spectacular to pass up.

More pictures to follow!

Fabric!

Real silk shantung. Yum.

So, the frock coat ended up too tight across the back and too short from collar to shoulder seam. What's a girl to do but add shiny epaulets, then? I wanted to use the same material I used for the rest of the coat outer fabric in a complimentary color, but Mood only sells it by the yard, no fractions. That would normally work fine, but this particular fabric is 110" wide and $25 a yard. It worked perfectly for the rest of the coat (3 yards was easily enough to make a coat for a slender, 5'1" woman), but I couldn't justify spending another $25 to get the 20" square of fabric I needed -- though I know I'd use the rest of the fabric eventually, I don't have $25 to toss out right now. Well, not for this.

The helpful salesbloke at Mood told me that, although this poly-shantung only goes by the yard, they have real shantung (at $14/yd) upstairs that they'll sell by the half-yard, and they might have something in a similar color to the poly I was asking about. I trot myself upstairs, and what do I find?

Genuine silk shantung, $14 a yard, and it's an iridescent weave of the exact blue I was looking for, and a green that's unbelievably close to the color of the coat outer material when the light hits it. There's the common thread (literally, oh aren't I a witty one?) I've been looking for, this will tie together the epaulets and lining, I was worried that whatever blue I used would make the lining look more random than I intended it to.

It turns out there's only 3/4 yd. on the roll, so another wonderful salesbloke gives it to me for $7. I love that store!

And speaking of Mood love, I found  two great fabrics in their overflowing upholstery remnants bin downstairs.

I plan to use this one to make a messenger bag capable of holding numerous scores and also allowing me to run without having to clutch its strap, which is an annoying problem I have with my current stock of shoulder bags and tote bags. The fabric is a thick, almost-velvety upholstery jacquard that would look perfect covering a chair, settee, or other luxurious seating apparatus. I'll sketch some bag designs and probably post them here eventually. I want the satchel to look good hanging across my frock coat, as well as at a steampunk convention or going to see an opera, and I already have some ideas in my head. Hardware, but not too much, and some modern angles without making the fabric look inconsistent with the style. I'm looking forward to this project so much!

Then we have the "Rustic Toile" (so it calls itself on the selvages). (Aren't I a fancy fabric, knowing my own name?) It's a sturdy cotton, with blue 18th-century-esque vignettes on a white background.

I'm going to make this into a sort of catch-all for my important items that have to move from bag to bag as often as my whim dictates. It'll be replacing my current catch-all, a little grey backpack that I think was meant to be a camera case. It functions, but it has a lot of unnecessary padding (to protect a camera) and hardware (zippers, lobster clips, handle, etc.), and the pockets could be arranged more efficiently to save space in my bags. As with the jacquard, I have some ideas of what I want it to do and how I want it to look, and once I've got something going I'll upload a few more pictures. I might also use the toile to line the jacquard bag, if I have enough left over.

I leave you with some pretty toile vignettes to contemplate:

Joy!

Corel PSPP X3. I haz it  - at least a 30-day trial. Looking forward to being able to edit photos well again - which means I really should finish this coat, so I can make the pictures look spiffy for free. (I moved PSP9 to the netbook, but once you go CPSPPX3, you really can't go back.)


While I ponder whether or not it's worth buying a full version (the new text tool is frustrating: I miss the old boxes), here's more coat progress.

Yes, those are shiny pocket flaps that I managed to weasel out of hand-stitching. The pockets aren't perfect, and next time, once I think I've read the pattern enough to start working, I'll read it twice more. Everyone posts "read the pattern" advice at least once, so I thought "well, I will read my pattern, and I won't make any silly mistakes."

Hm.

Well, my pockets aren't as polished as they could be, so I'll repeat the old adage with an alteration or two: read the pattern twenty times, cut once.

Still, it doesn't look that bad. I'll probably use what I've learned from this coat to make another frock coat in a year or two. In the meantime, this one's definitely worth continuing. Tonight, I'll sew the torso lining to the outer material, and maybe attach a sleeve or two. More updates soon.

You, Miss, are a Sartorial Genius!

So, more about that frock coat.


The sleeves weren't such a major problem after all. Got those working right quick, got the whole thing sewed, but it still didn't fit.
Added a bust dart.
Nope.
Added a dart down the side, under the arm.
Not a sausage.
Ripped out dart, ripped half of the sleeve off, restitched dart on a slightly different angle, re-sewed sleeve, ripped sleeve again (slightly higher up), took in a shoulder seam, restitched sleeve, tried the thing on.
Presto!
It fits! ...If only half of it. Luckily for me I don't have to worry about the lack of symmetry: the two sides of the coat are mirror images of each other, so I only need one that fits.


Marked seam lines with black sharpie in case I changed the seam allowances anywhere (meaning sleeves), tried it on one more time to make sure it fits, ripped all the seams on the right (fitted) side, sorted out all other pattern pieces (pocket flaps, cuffs, collar), made sure they were all cut and fit the new sizing, and prepared to dive into my wonderful polyester faux-shantung.


Random tangent: Silk shantung. Once I've got quite a bit of cash to spare, and a reliable coat pattern, I'd love to make something brilliant and wonderful with heaps and heaps of shantung. The texture is just gorgeous, it's usually iridescent with little knubs of thread along it. It looks kind of homespun but very elegant, with a decidedly eastern, Indian-esque flair.

 

(That's what my fabric wants to be when it grows up.)

That's enough gleeing over shantung.
I've cut the lining, interlining, and outer material, and sewn most of the coat together. I've put off doing the next step for the last week though, because I really don't want to hand-stitch the pocket flaps on. I instead finished the cuffs and collar, and found a very pretty embroidery-like border stitch on my ancient New Home sewing machine. Cuffs, collar, and pocket flaps now feature an elegant greenish-blue scalloped border.

Cuffs, collar, and pocket flaps. Note the fact that I actually ironed them all, and then used fancy topstitching to keep the seams flat.

The lining isn't really that purple, the flash on my camera just makes the iridescence of the fabric amazingly apparent. It's slightly more pinkish in reality, what some would call "spiceberry," and the green shows up in a much sneakier way.

All in all, the coat is coming together quite well, if slowly. This is my first major sewn endeavor (I don't count the hat since that didn't involve much stitching), and I'm quite proud of the way it's turning out. I'll be honest here and say that talking about this coat is a boost to my fragile, artistic self-esteem. If the project continues this well, I may yet deserve the title of Sartorial Genius (to use the latter term rather loosely).

Fie on thee, thou focking fruck coat!

So, after toiling away for a bit, custom-fitting (which meant re-pinning and re-cutting) the muslin pattern and getting everything supposedly fitting right, even going so far as to purchase the fabric, it happens.

Sleeves.

Every seamstress's nightmare, or at least this seamstress's nightmare. Why we ever left off lacing leather or fabric sheaths to our bodices at the end of the Renaissance, I'll never know.

While I ponder that, here's some pictures of lovely frock coat fabric.

Bag'o'fabrics, fresh from Mood (aren't I trendy?), with swatches draped oh-so-elegantly over the side. That beige mass in there is just the muslin. The real coat fabric is...

This lovely sage green color, it's a polyester pretending to be silk, and I think it'll work splendidly for the coat. If the damned sleeves would cooperate, that is.