Vive la Nation !

[green_martha]

Our trip to Vizille, with Heileen, Lady Darkstone (who was in a 100%-not-historical mood), and the kids was on Sunday. We were lucky to have reasonable weather (i.e. not too TOO hot). Despite a massive hair disaster, we managed to get there in time to say hi to our friend Antonia, have a picnic in the (gorgeous !) park, then went bakc home so that the kids could take their nap under the Home Geek's supervision (turns out they didn't want to nap that day, oh well...), went back to see the end of the battle and tour the museum some. It was fa-bu-lous. In fact, we had such a great time we didn't take that many pictures.

Only picture I have of Antonia's gorgeous Directoire gown...

The theme this year was 1792, so Heileen and I went with Directoire fashions. I re-wore the printed cotton I had made last year and focused on making new stuff for the kids. I just added a last minute cockade and changed the turban arrangement. I intended to add feathers but didn't have the energy in the morning, and decided I didn't want to brave the wind int he afternoon, so the feathers stayed in the car. Heileen wore her fabulous pleated back Ikea-sheets Directoire gown, that I had not seen in person yet.

Gallerie des Modes et Costumes Français, 32e. Cahier de Costumes Français, 25e Suite d'Habillemens à la mode en 1780 - Museum of Fine Art, Boston

Heimlich has outgrown last year's skeleton suit, so he got a new one. I just changed the lapels' color form the original plate to make it more patriotic. I made him a new chemisette out of linen and cotton scraps, the jacket and trousers are of plain Ikea cotton with buttons I found on eBay ages ago (labelled as ex-DDR buttons); the scarf is a simple tube from a remnant of my han bok project. Yay for a 100% from stash project ! I didn't ahe the time to hunt down correct shoes nor make a new hat, so he wore the same non-period hat as last year (which he loves loves loves. When I dug it out on Saturday he had to wear it to breakfast !) and his usual shoes.

 

My fabrics for Toad being very fine and transparent, I made her an underdress to go under the "chemisete" sic), a simple green cotton chemise-style dress fitted with two drawstrings around the neckline and chest ( a few detail shots, including growth tucks, here). The white chemise dress is put together out of rectangles and triangular underarm gores, with just one drawstring at the neckline. The fabric is a fake eyelet lace (the "embroidered" parts are actually some kind of printed puff paint... yeah, I know, puff paint... *giggles*). The cap was a last minute addition, from cutting diagrams from the Kannik's Korner infant pattern. I only had to buy the ribbon for the ties, everything else came form the stash as well. In fact, except the white fabric, everything came from the scraps bin.
All of my pictures are on FlickR, Heileen's are there as well.

Now, I obviously need to print and start carrying business cards around, especially when I'm in costume. We had one lady come up to us with stars in her eyes "Did you make that ?" "Can I touch it !" "Oooooh the back is beaaaaautiful..." I gave her my mobile phone number, but I felt like such a fool for not having the cards ready.