CADD strikes again!

So you know how I had that big long list of things I was going to make? Yeah, I'm already straying from it. I went to Montreal with my Mom for Thanksgiving and we of course had to check out the fabric stores! :) And I found some pretty mauve cotton velvet that I thought would be perfect for a pelisse trimmed in white swans down (aka marabou feather trim). So that's what I'm making now for the holiday tea instead of the NA riding outfit.  That gets pushed down the list once again.  Oh well!  I want to hand sew that spencer anyway, and at this point, I don't think I'm going to have time to hand sew something completely.  And at least part of it will get done!  I'm still doing the white dress...

Where might you ask did this idea come from?  Well, other than the fabric.  I recently saw Kleidung um 1800's beautiful winter ensemble, trimmed in silk velvet that I thought was just lovely!  Perfect for cold weather!  And, my friend Antonia has been posting pictures and information about swans down.  I don't know about you, but to me, white swansdown says winter to me.  And then, I'll have a somewhat nicer coat to wear over my ball gown in February!  They will clash pretty terribly, but that's ok.  You'll see one, and then you'll see the other.

I already have my basic regency patterns ready to go, so I'm just going to go for it!  All I really need to figure out is how exactly I want to close it and how I'm actually going to attach these feathers...  I'm using white marabou feather boas (hopefully 5 will be enough?) and I guess I can just do a wide whip stitch, right?  Kind of a combo between basting stitches and whip stitches?

I've been looking at fashion plates from 1811 - 1813 for inspiration and here's a few that have struck me that I'm going to meld together.  I'm trying to stick with an 1812 theme... that way I'll have an actual wardrobe, plus, next year is the bicentenial!

This is the main look I think I'm going for.

I love the braid closures and the swooping back hem.

This was the inspiration for this reproduction.  SO pretty!

And look, here's my colors!  Perfect!

Not the same thing I'm going for, but I do love her little hat.

I also love the ones that have little hoods! Still deciding whether to do that or just a standing collar.

From 1813 I think.  So pretty though!

I love the fur around the sleeve head!

  I'll need a little hat too.  I'm thinking a soft hat from a purple silk I have in the stash that will go nicely with the mauve. Though this yellow hat is pretty fun!

The yellow hat in this one is cute too!

More progress reports to come soon!

Thanks again to nuranar and her fashion plate photo sets where I found all this great inspiration and more to feed my Costume Attention Deficit Disorder! :)