I made a pair of short stays from the Sensibility pattern, but I was really interested in making a pair of wrap stays. They seem so utilitarian. I’m always looking for historical clothing that is easy to put on without a lady’s maid, and the wrap stays promised to fall in that category.
I want to share a new project with you – three years after getting the pattern, I finally made my first Hinterland Dress. I chose the sleeveless version.
This dress is a testament of my commitment to both procrastination and perfectionism.
I have a costumed retreat coming up this summer, so I’ve been slowly working to put together outfits with the goal of having 4 complete costumes, a banyan, and some mix and match accessories by the time the retreat rolls around in August.
I had a Jane Austen-themed tea to attend this past weekend. I made a new costume, in hopes of rewearing it (maybe with different accessories) at the retreat.
Instead of knowing what I wanted the final costume to look like, I had an aesthetic inspiration painting, by Henri Francois Mulard, ca. 1810.
The Quest Vest is my third attempt at the “perfect” quilted vest. You can see my Kochi/Luna quilted vest hack here, and my reversible FibreMood Irma here. I was also inspired by this quilted vest Hinterland Dress hack, for its closer fit and its pretty, neutral palette.
There’s nothing wrong with my other versions, but because of their length and oversized fit, they only work with certain outfits (pants). I frequently wear harem pants, dresses, and skirts. In those outfits, I want to feel like I’m wearing a blanket without LOOKING like I’m wearing a blanket. I took my favorite features of each inspiration vest and made the Holy Grail of quilted vests – a more fitted version with a higher collar and a wrap front with tie closure.
I went to a Jane Austen birthday tea in December, and I didn’t quite have time to finish my outerwear, so after the tea I kept plugging away.
