Faces of Impressionism and New Bustle Dress

Saturday the DFW Costumer's Guild visited the Faces of Impressionism exhibit at the Kimbell Museum.  We dressed in late Victorian and Edwardian fashions and had a wonderful time seeing all the artwork!  The museum was very busy and the exhibit was actually at capacity nearly the entire time we were there.  Lots of people were interested in us and our fancy dresses.  Some of them even thought we worked for the museum!  The staff there were very welcoming and even took some photos of us.  I found this one of nuranar on the museum's instagram:



Before we entered the exhibit, we stopped for a group shot.  I think two people had gotten there early and were already inside, but this is most of us:


It was amazing to see all that stunning art with friends.  Getting a glimpse into the everyday life of the era is pretty fascinating.  I know there's a lot of little details I'm missing because I'm too busy mentally deconstructing the clothing of the subjects.  I was so caught up in the hat and facial expression of one lady that I totally missed seeing there was a tortie cat under the table until jenthompson pointed it out to me!  I think that means I need to spend more time around art.

I managed to finish up my friend's outfit just in the nick of time - I put the last stitch in the hat just minutes before she arrived to get ready!  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  She was thrilled too, which made me feel great about it.


( Want more pics and construction details? )

HSM #1: Foundations Challenge

Historical Sew Monthly
Challenge #1: Foundations

The Challenge: Bustle-era corset

Fabric: Silk exterior, coutil flatlining, cotton lining

Pattern: Laughing Moon #100

Year: 1837-1899, according to the pattern envelope.  It's intended for mid to late 1880's.

Notions: Busk, spiral and flat steel boning, two-piece grommets, round polyester lacing, thread

How historically accurate is it? I'd give it an overall 80%.  I used some modern materials, but the pattern and fabrics are plausible for the Victorian era.

Hours to complete: About 20, which includes a fully boned mockup and fitting.

First worn: January 10th (four days ago) for a costumed visit to an Impressionist art exhibit.

Total cost: Around $75.  Most of this came from the stash, so that's my best guess.