Another series from last years Halloween photoshoot:
Little Red Riding Hood
(Dressed in my 18th century Maids outfit paired with the riding hood cape, worn over stays, petticoats, stockings and reproduction shoes.)
Inspiration
Modell: Matilda Nilsson
In October last year I got a group of friends together for a Halloween themed photoshoot, then life happened and I never got around to post the photos.
So finally – here are my Halloween-inspired 17th century gown.
Modell: Jessie Lewis Skoglund.
The inspiration was wast for the “Plastique Fantastique” and afters some sketching I finally decided on a model I wanted to make.
Jacket/Caraco and skirt combination.
Then I took a plunge down the rabbit hole that’s my fabric stash and came up with the perfect purple and flower combination – all in fabulous polyester plysch.
Test drape to determent if the design would work.
As I’m really un-used to work with stretch fabrics I made a quick mock-up. 
Some tweaking and it will work just fine.
Then I cut the pieces for the bodice from the flowery fabric.
I used my serger to assemble the pieces.
The sewing went so fast and easy it I was bound to run into trouble…
As I discovered at the first fitting – The bodice is way to short.
I guess the turquoise fabric I used for the mock-up must have been a two way stretch while the my plysch only stretches horizontally.
Since I had only small scraps of fabric left I decided to piece it. And to cover the edge with a belt…
Perfect!
I finished the bodice by pleating the peplum at the sides and attached it, trimmed the sleeves with some plastic lace and decorated the front with purple ribbon bows.
To make the belt I cut a strip of the purple skirt fabric, pressed some interfacing on it and stitched it closed. Then I attached he plastic belt buckle to it.
To finish the ensemble I stitched the purple plysch into a tube, a drawstring at the waist, and cut a shaped hem (to accommodate for the pocket hoops).
The finished skirt (worn over pocket hoops):
As the final touch to my costume I bought a purple clown wig.
The finished Dress:
The Facts:
What: A 18th century inspired masquerade costume
Pattern: I drafted my own, using jersey pattern templates.
Fabric: 1 m flowery polyester plysch, 1 m purple polyester plysch, 0,5m white ply lace, 1m purple fake velvet ribbon, thread and a plastic belt buckle.
Time & Cost: Nothing – Everything came from stash. If new perhaps 150-200 sek (20Usd) (wig – 100sek [16Usd])
Final thoughts: I love it! Even though I had some trouble (Guess jersey’s not my kind of fabric) it came out really well. My only concern is the right side tipping of the skirt (and the fact it’s really short)
Preview:
My final fitting with wig and jewelry.
I planed to do a long write up about the 18th century Halloween party I attended two weeks ago, but now I feel more like just some quick word then on to the pictures.
As previously mentioned I didn’t had the time to make a mourning gown for the party, (I did however take one evening to make a new cap). Instead I wore my pretty recently finished Autumn Anglaise, paired with my new lace cuffs and cap.
A mirror selfie before leaving the house.
The location and settings for the party was perfect (even if it took me one hour to find the way to the house).
I had such a good time at the party. I danced, chatted and meet several really nice new people.
Photo by Jennifer Garner
Photo by Jennifer Garner
They even had a real coffin with a man laying inside.
Photo by Jennifer Garner
And a scary laboratory with lots of creepy and disgusting objects. 
Brain in a jar anybody…?
We think this is whats left from the masters latest lost servant…
The paintings on the walls are actual 18th century renderings.
One of the musicians – At least I got one sharp photo.
Elisa from “Isis Wardrobe” – If you haven’t found her blog yet, you seriously missed out…
Photo by Folke Bagger
Well at least one of the photos taken during the evening was of me…
Courtesy of Folke Bagger – or not, depends how you look at it :-).
I had such a good time and I’m determent to get some proper mourning gear for next years party…
Love my “after event hairdo”, perhaps I should consider doing the Mohawk on a more regular basis…
It’s that time of year again…
When ornaments crowds the shop windows, the candy flows freely, the candles are being lit and everyone waits in anticipations…
The best time of year is finally here…
It’s HALLOWEEN!
I’m sure most of you seen lots of pretty Victorian and 1910s fancy party costumes,
but here are a few new to me, (and some old, that I just love to much not to show).
Perhaps this can inspire some new fancy Halloween costumes.
My absolute favorite pic (I have it both printed and framed in my sewing room, and printed on a fabric bag which I love).
1920s Arabian Night, whats not to love.
Gamer, geisha or (?) green flower.
Victorian goes 18th century, regency and gypsy.
More gypsys, Egyptian and a housemaid.
I’m not sure what this two are suppose to be, but a Victorian woman in pants must be shown.
Love the Edwardian Cleopatra, and the harlequin costume looks almost wearable as it is.
A few costumes for the young adults. Why not dress as a patriot, a shepherdess, a housemaid or a which.
Speaking of witches, another one from about 1880s.
And the real deal.
They really did the witches better back then, don’t you think…
A greek column/dancer/goddess
I’ve seen lots of these clown costumes around, but I don’t get it – is there something I’m missing here? Why are they so popular?
The Victorians really knew how to dress up in costume.
And the Edwardians wasn’t that bad either.
Good to know that (evil) costuming parents existed back then too.
Here are some pics from the exhibition and workshop we had at the end of the class.
Read more about the course here.
Me posing with my costumes.
bloomers, petticoat and stockings.
From the workshop:
You can really see the “folklore” inspiration in my costume.
Posing in the sun.
And the other girls costumes:
Firsts up is Hanna:
She got some futuristic apocalyptic vibes to her costumes.
And Gunilla:
Look at that bustle…
And lastly Keit:
Some seriously 18th century inspiration.
We all had a blast during this course, And I think the other girls learnt just as much as I did.
Lets continue on the topic of past costumes/school projects.
The summer of 2011 I attended a class in “Teatre costume design”.
It was only a short course (three weeks), and just a few students attending, but it was great.
The play that we were asked to costume was George Bizet’s opera “Carmen”.
A few weeks before the course we got the assignment to read the play, listen to the music and make a inspirational board of some kind.
This is my board. 
The the real work begun.
We spent the first week working on our drawing techniques, the next making mood boards, gathering inspiration and designing the costumes for three of the main characters.
Carmen
Escamillo
Don José
Michaela
It wasn’t until week three we actually got to start working on the outfits.
Corset for Carmen (Pattern from Jill Salens “Corsets”)
Flowery decorations
And even though we only needed to make costumes for two of the caracters (Carmen and Escamilo) it was pretty hectic getting everything done until the weekends presentation.
Escamillos jacket and Carmens skirt finished.
We also had some lessons in theater history, breaking down scripts and stage make-up. 
Åsa (the teacher) shows how to change the lines of the face.
Me, Hanna and Keit working on our make-up skills.
On Friday the last week, we had a workshop with dancers and opera singers wearing our clothes, and on Saturday we held an open house to show of our work.
Hanna working on getting the stage ready for the show.
My “show room” with collages and pictures of the costumes.
And a small model of the set and stage.
Me getting the costume on the dancer before the show.
In part 2, I will show you my finished costume, as well as the costumes the other girls did.
Last year when making the halloween costume for my youngest sister I got my first try out at disressing clothes.
I started with a cute little outfit in white and blue, with an adoreble toy bunny to match.
Then I grabed the scissors and the faux blood and got to work. Ripping, cutting and dripping blood on both the dress and the apron.
I even “killed” the bunny by stiching X-s as eyes, and making the head removable (and attacheble) with a hidden snap.
And the we did an other photoshoot.
She had realy fun at the pary and the “White Rabbit” was the evenings most popular guests…
Last year my youngest sister asked me for some halloween inspiration, as she was attending a masqurade party at the university.
We sat down and searched the internet, and came across this outfit.
“Alice in Crazyland”
We both liked it and decided to make it.
I bought 2 m blue cotton and found some white cotton in my stash. I draw a simple pattern and cut and sewed the dress and apron in one day. I also made a bow headband and bought some white stockings.
Then we whent looking for a stuffed bunny. But time was running out, and no white bunnies was to be found, so I decided to make one.
I found the pattern for this little cutie on the web.
And made my own version of it, adding a waistcoat and a clock.
Then we did a quick photoshoot.
By now I’m sure you all think – “Hey, didn’t the inspiration picture show an evil Alice?”
Well, yes it did. And I will show her to you in my next post…
When my sister told me she was going to a big halloween party last year, we immediately sat down to decide on what to make. Since the time was tight we both decided to re-make one of her old costumes.
Since I’ve haven’t gotten around to write about the “old” costume yet, I will start there and then show you the alterations we did for halloween 2012.
***
2010 I took a class in costume design, and was asked to design and make a costume to fit one of the caracters in Shakespeares “The Tempest”.
Being a sucker for beautyful renessance gowns, I choose the one female character in the play – Miranda, the daughter of the king, who’s been living on a deserted island until a prince comes and rescues her.
My caracter design
All items were to be made in theatrical fashion – super easy to both get on and of.
So I made the open skirt with the forepart as one.
And the bodice with the big sleeves sewed on, and a opening in the back next to the lacing which closed with snaps.
I also made a partlet, a bumroll, a belt and a french hood.
Then me and my sister whent outside and took some photos.
***
Then, two years later, we dugg the dress out from it’s box and got to work.
This time it was going to be transformed to something fit a young queen Elizabeth I.
First we needed to lenghten the bodice (to get a better fit), and then we made the skirt and bodice connect by sewing on hooks and eyes.
I also made a simple ruff to wear around the neck, and put some pictures of King Henry IIIV and Anne Boleyn in a amulet.
This time we din’t have the time to take good pictures but I still managed to snap a few shoots of the ensamble.
Fashion Through Herstory 