Evenstar Designs

Our final day! I spent the morning trying to dry out my soaked shoes. I put the soles in the dryer, and blew dry the shoe (not sure if that was a good idea for the leather, but it survived). I also found a new way to style my hair that I quite like. My hair is 36 inches long and is a beast to stick under a cap. I curled the ends of a few strands of hair, then pinned them up, so just a few inches hung down below the cap. I braided the rest, then pinned it around my head. The cap kept it all together. I freeze sprayed the curls to make them stay put, then was ready to go! It didn't rain, but it was wonderfully windy. We met lot's of our friends from last time - I was surprised that so many people remembered us. Even the cashier at Tarpley's remembered us! Staying warm in my fleece cloak, and flannel mitts.  Liberty got a carriage ride :)  Our friend Jonah makes his clothing, so he offered to teach me a few things about sewing the proper 18th cent...

Official day 1 We went to the Cabinet Maker's and I played the harpsichord, then we went to the Raleigh Tavern for  Handle, Bach and Who . Guess what? They let us play the harpsichord in the Tavern!!   Waiting for lunch outside the King's Arms Tavern  The Midday Bill of Fare And a dish of beefy deliciousness  Because the upstairs just makes such a great place for pictures   and goofyness :)  Kristi (who is an AMAZING cellist) got to play a viola de gamba (which was the "lady's cello" of the 18th century) Then we took pictures behind the post office Remember our friend Clare we met last time? We waited for the Fife and Drum core to appear on to the street to surprise Clare.  Don't you love Kristi's gown?! When she walked out I waved to her. She did a double take, realized who we were then she  flipped out! I have never had someone so happy to see us! After ...

After watching a Facebook live stream of the milliner's at Colonial Williamsburg making a Robe a la Francaise in a day, I was inspired to make a pet en l'air . What is a pet en l'air ? Glad you asked. A pet en l'air is similar to a Robe a la Francaise , but it is shorter. I guess you could call it the 18th century "mini dress".  Pet en l'airs were considered "undress" (   deshabille in French) or in other words, casual attire . One thing I noticed that the mantua makers in CW did was that they started the gown in the front, and worked backwards, whic h makes sense. (I've had great difficulties in the past getting a gown to fit properly in the front because I had already finished the back and sides.) So I draped the pleats in the back, basted them in place, then un-basted them a few days later because I didn't like the way they looked, and then re-basted them. Story of my life. Next I made the stomacher. It attaches with hooks and eyes ...

I've pinned some trim on the edges, and finished the stomacher. I'm super happy with the fit of this dress! Here are some pictures: The stomacher Look how smooth the sides are! So super happy about that!!! Now I just need to sew the trim on, add the sleeve ruffles, hem the petticoat...

So I made this prototype of a robe a la francaise... My facial expressions are kinda weird... sorry about that. I decided that in the real thing, I'll make the side pleats deeper, and close it with hooks and eyes or laces instead of pins. That's just my personal preference. Here are the pictures! The cut out bodice: The back: Adding the laces for adjustability: The pinning in the front: Trim on the top Pleats on the side skirt Pleats on the petticoat: