American Duchess Shoes

American Duchess is at it again . . . this time with 1920's shoes!

The sophisticated "23Skidoos" are perfectly styled for any of your Great Gatsby picnics, Downton Abbey teas, or wild Boardwalk Empire nights out.  Available in classic brown/white or white/white spectator, the Skidoos are an exclusive designer shoe with all the hallmarks of Deco-era footwear - French heels, t-straps, wingtip styling, and a perfectly-shaped toe (not too round, and not too pointy).

The 23 Skidoo shoes are available for pre-order now, and they're perfect for your KC in 2016 party!!!  Come get a pair!

Monday Progress Update: October 29

I was so busy last week finishing up Halloween commissions!

First, my niece and nephews got new Halloween costumes:

 Bob the Builder's shirt and toolbelt for Monkey

Rapunzel for Thing 1,

 And a ninja for Thing 2.

I also got a commission for foam Phineas and Ferb heads for a father/son duo:

 They are so adorable, and it was a neat challenge to try and do something like this!

Monday Progress Update: October 22

Lately my time has been filled with books, books, and more books.  The Cybils cycle has begun, and, since I have made a target of reading 125 books and only have 35 right now I'm reading like a maniac!  Reading was put on hold this weekend, though, to do Halloween costumes for Thing 1, Thing 2, and Monkey.

First off, I did get a little work done on my bustle dress underskirt.  All the ruching is done (and wow did that take a lot more time than I thought it would!) and put on the dress and it's all sewn up.  It still needs a placket, a hem, a waistband, and ruffles at the bottom.

Thing 1 wants to be Rapunzel, so her dress got sewn up.  I sewed the sleeves today, so all it needs is a zipper and a hem (which grandma will have to do).

Thing 2 wants to be a ninja (because, as he told mommy, a pirate is for everyday).  Here's his black karate gi and pants, and his cute ninja hood (which will probably be a bit big on him, but the darn pattern only had one size).

Monkey wants to be Bob the Builder.  I couldn't find any red and gold checked fabric, so I took a red gingham and dyed it yellow.  I think it'll work well enough.  I've got to get a shirt made out of this tonight so I can get it mailed off tomorrow.  Yikes!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Library

The Met has put up some of their out-of-print books online to read for free.  Here are some of interest to costumers:


The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire, 1789–1815
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/The_Age_of_Napoleon_Costume_from_Revolution_to_Empire_1789_1815?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

 

 American Ingenuity: Sportswear, 1930s–1970s
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/American_Ingenuity_Sportswear_1930s_1970s?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

 Ancient Peruvian Mantles, 300 B.C.–A.D. 200
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Ancient_Peruvian_Mantles_300_BC_AD_200?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Bare Witness: Clothing and Nudity
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Bare_Witness_Clothing_and_Nudity?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Bloom! (A Celebration of Flowers in Fashion)
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Bloom?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

The Ceaseless Century: Three Hundred Years of Eighteenth-Century Costume
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/The_Ceaseless_Century_Three_Hundred_Years_of_Eighteenth_Century_Costume?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Christian Dior
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Christian_Dior?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Heroic Armor of the Italian Renaissance: Filippo Negroli and his Contemporaries
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Heroic_Armor_of_the_Italian_Renaissance_Filippo_Negroli_and_his_Contemporaries?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

History of Russian Costume from the Eleventh to the Twentieth Century
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/History_of_Russian_Costume_from_the_Eleventh_to_the_Twentieth_Century?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

The Imperial Style: Fashions of the Hapsburg Era
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/The_Imperial_Style_Fashions_of_the_Hapsburg_Era?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Infra-Apparel
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Infra_Apparel?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Islamic Jewelry in The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Islamic_Jewelry_in_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

La Belle Époque
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/La_Belle_Epoque?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Madame Grès
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Madame_Gres?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Cochineal Red: The Art History of a Color
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Cochineal_Red_the_art_history_of_a_color?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the Eighteenth Century
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Dangerous_Liaisons_Fashion_and_Furniture_in_the_Eighteenth_Century?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Early Indonesian Textiles from Three Island Cultures
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Early_Indonesian_Textiles_from_Three_Island_Cultures?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

The Eighteenth-Century Woman
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/The_Eighteenth_Century_Woman?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

From Queen to Empress: Victorian Dress, 1837–1877
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/From_Queen_to_Empress_Victorian_Dress_1837_1877?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Haute Couture
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Haute_Couture?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Metropolitan Jewelry
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Metropolitan_Jewelry?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Orientalism: Visions of the East in Western Dress
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Orientalism_Visions_of_the_East_in_Western_Dress?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Our New Clothes: Acquisitions of the 1990s
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Our_New_Clothes_Acquisitions_of_the_1990s?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Two by Two (Menswear coupled with Women's wear)
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Two_by_Two?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Waist Not: The Migration of the Waist, 1800–1960
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Waist_Not_The_Migration_of_the_Waist_1800_1960?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian and Chinese Textiles
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/When_Silk_Was_Gold_Central_Asian_and_Chinese_Textiles?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=

Wordrobe
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/Wordrobe?Tag=&title=&author=&pt=&tc=&dept=










This isn't counting the numerous books on paintings, drawings, sculpture, tapestry, and others that can depict costume or inspire an idea.  Go check it out: 
http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/titles-with-full-text-online?searchtype=F&rpp=12&pg=1

Monday Progress Update: October 8

I got a bit of work done on my bustle dress this week.  Or, actually, I got a little real work and a ton of mock ups done.  I think I finally figured out what was bugging me, though, so full speed ahead now!

Here's the underskirt front.  It took a while because I didn't want to waste taffeta on ruching more than would be showing in the final dress.  So in order to figure out what would be showing I had to mock up the overskirt and measure.  I finally decided I was safe stopping at 14", and I want the hem to be a 5" ruffle, so I marked those parts off the front, side front, and side back pieces (the back won't show, but it will be taffeta just in case).  I took what was left and made a pattern piece that was an inch wider and double the length, with ruching lines marked down the center of each piece.  Then I ran a gathering stitch down the taffeta pieces cut from this pattern and gathered them on the base muslin of the skirt and basted it down.  Once each piece was secure I sewed them together.  I still need to finish the side back pieces, that's why this is only the front.

Here's my latest mock up of the overskirt back.  It took me a while because I didn't realize that the seams on the overskirt weren't side seams, they were really more side-back seams.  Once I had that revelation it worked out why the front piece was so big and why the back seemed to not fall right.  I wanted the back part to come up to the side seam of the overskirt, so in order to do that I used the full width of the faille (60").  I put the overskirt pattern piece in the center and cut the sides down where all the pleating was to right past the pleating.  Then I pleated it up and re-attached it to the side I cut it from so that I had the fullness of the pleating but the sides extending to the full width I needed.  There are no ties in this mock-up so it's a little droopy, but I can see that it's gonna do what I want so I'll be cutting it out as soon as I finish the underskirt.

So what's next?  Finish the underskirt and put it on a waistband.  Sew together the hem facings and use them to hem the dress.  Cut and sew on a hem ruffle.  Then cut and start on the overskirt.  So much to do, and Cybils reading besides!