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Georgian Picnic!
Yesterday was the guild's 5th annual Georgian Picnic. I had such a fun time! The weather was darn near perfect - sunny, dry, and warm. Well, maybe just a touch too warm, but everyone seemed to take that in stride. We had a good turnout from our regulars, and some new folks from the Jane Austen society joined us too! There was a lot of good food, drinks, and conversation. It was a really great way to spend the afternoon!
I wore my chemise a la reine. I was pretty short on time so making a new dress was out, and this is only the second time wearing the CalR. It ended up being a good choice since the day was so warm! The last time I wore it, my stays kept peeking out around the neckline so I trimmed them down hoping to prevent that this time. Well...it was better. Now they only show through at the sides of the back. *eyeroll* I think it's about time to retire these stays anyway, and next time I'll be more mindful of the straps and neckline (not to mention the color!)
First, I made a red coral bead necklace. This will also go with my striped en forreau gown that I wore to last year's picnic, as well as future regency gowns I'll make. I got the beads on sale at Hobby Lobby, but failed to grab a gold clasp since I was absolutely sure I had some in my bead stash already. If I do, I have no earthly idea where they've gone. So I improvised with other stuff I had in my stash. My silk beading cord has also vanished (maybe it's partying with my gold clasps?) so I used red sewing thread treated with Thread Heaven. It held up for the picnic and when I find my silk, I'll restring it.
I also made a miniature portrait. This will be my entry for the HSF Gratitude challenge. I used American Duchess's tutorial as a starting point, but due to more disappearing supplies I made it work with what I could find. I actually think it came out quite nicely!
I used Collage Pauge, which I already had on hand from a previous project, to glue the picture down and seal over the top. Allegedly this makes it water resistant, though hopefully I'll never need to test that feature. I brushed it on vertically, then horizontally so there'd be a slight texture to the finished piece.
These are super fun and easy little accessories! I had Office Depot print several different mini-portraits so it's pretty likely I'll make more. Maybe they'll be favors at a future dinner party I'm still hoping to throw...
I also attempted to pretty-up my hedgehog wig. I decided the frizzy curls needed some trimming up. Previously they hung almost to my shoulders, and now they're even with the hinge of my jaw as shown most portraits - HUGE difference! The falling curls needed a complete redo. Previously I used a whole hank of Yaky hair to make a single fall, which I then tacked to an awkward place in the wig. I took that out and set it aside to become a hair rat since it's in pretty rough and tangly shape. I made 5 new wefts, steamed in a rolled curl at the end of each, and sewed them onto the very bottom edge at the back of the wig. Here's what they looked like after steaming and cooling:
I tried steaming them with my Rowenta, which puts off some serious steam. I had a less-than-stellar experience with using my stovetop steamer on a previous hairpiece and I thought I'd have more control with my iron. The sweet spot must lie somewhere between the two, because those awesome curls lasted about 5 seconds.
As an added bonus, you can see the problem with my stays/the CalR's neckline.
In spite of those minor hiccups, I had a fabulous time! Here are a few of my favorites from the day, courtesy of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jenthompson:
Jen was kind enough to do portrait sketches for us. I am seriously awed by how quickly and skillfully she did them! Here's mine:
And a final moment of goofiness, lest you think our picnics are all charm and grace:
And no, it's not wine. It's sparkling cider, really. ;)
I wore my chemise a la reine. I was pretty short on time so making a new dress was out, and this is only the second time wearing the CalR. It ended up being a good choice since the day was so warm! The last time I wore it, my stays kept peeking out around the neckline so I trimmed them down hoping to prevent that this time. Well...it was better. Now they only show through at the sides of the back. *eyeroll* I think it's about time to retire these stays anyway, and next time I'll be more mindful of the straps and neckline (not to mention the color!)
First, I made a red coral bead necklace. This will also go with my striped en forreau gown that I wore to last year's picnic, as well as future regency gowns I'll make. I got the beads on sale at Hobby Lobby, but failed to grab a gold clasp since I was absolutely sure I had some in my bead stash already. If I do, I have no earthly idea where they've gone. So I improvised with other stuff I had in my stash. My silk beading cord has also vanished (maybe it's partying with my gold clasps?) so I used red sewing thread treated with Thread Heaven. It held up for the picnic and when I find my silk, I'll restring it.
I also made a miniature portrait. This will be my entry for the HSF Gratitude challenge. I used American Duchess's tutorial as a starting point, but due to more disappearing supplies I made it work with what I could find. I actually think it came out quite nicely!
I used Collage Pauge, which I already had on hand from a previous project, to glue the picture down and seal over the top. Allegedly this makes it water resistant, though hopefully I'll never need to test that feature. I brushed it on vertically, then horizontally so there'd be a slight texture to the finished piece.
These are super fun and easy little accessories! I had Office Depot print several different mini-portraits so it's pretty likely I'll make more. Maybe they'll be favors at a future dinner party I'm still hoping to throw...
I also attempted to pretty-up my hedgehog wig. I decided the frizzy curls needed some trimming up. Previously they hung almost to my shoulders, and now they're even with the hinge of my jaw as shown most portraits - HUGE difference! The falling curls needed a complete redo. Previously I used a whole hank of Yaky hair to make a single fall, which I then tacked to an awkward place in the wig. I took that out and set it aside to become a hair rat since it's in pretty rough and tangly shape. I made 5 new wefts, steamed in a rolled curl at the end of each, and sewed them onto the very bottom edge at the back of the wig. Here's what they looked like after steaming and cooling:
I tried steaming them with my Rowenta, which puts off some serious steam. I had a less-than-stellar experience with using my stovetop steamer on a previous hairpiece and I thought I'd have more control with my iron. The sweet spot must lie somewhere between the two, because those awesome curls lasted about 5 seconds.
As an added bonus, you can see the problem with my stays/the CalR's neckline.
In spite of those minor hiccups, I had a fabulous time! Here are a few of my favorites from the day, courtesy of
jenthompson:Jen was kind enough to do portrait sketches for us. I am seriously awed by how quickly and skillfully she did them! Here's mine:
And a final moment of goofiness, lest you think our picnics are all charm and grace:
And no, it's not wine. It's sparkling cider, really. ;)
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