Update!

Hello everyone!

Sorry I haven't been posting for a couple of days now. I just started school, so everything should go back to normal eventually.

I've just posted my older projects to this blog that I have pictures of, and I'm hoping to start up on some new projects. I'm currently waiting for pattern books in the mail which should come sometime this week (I hope!).

I'll also try to put together some reviews to post.

By the way, if you happen to be on Facebook, consider joining our fan page. I update the page when I post something new here. The little Like button is along the side of the page.

So, that's pretty much it for updates.

- Admin

Graduation Dress

So, for my graduation, my school said that all the girls had to wear a lightly colored dress and white shoes. Looking in the stores, I realized that a lot of the dresses met the standard and appealed to me. So, I decided to make my own dress. It is made out of a bridal fabric and has a blue ribbon across the waist. It is made with Butterick 5322.

Here are the Front and Back Views. There is featherweight boning in the bodice so that it will stay up. The dress is secured in the back with a zipper.

Here are pictures of the back skirt and bow. The bow was not the way that I wore it to graduation because I was the only one who knew how to tie it, so the pictures here are just for show. The bow pictured is actually made up of two pieces of ribbon: the one attached to the dress and an extra one.

So that's my graduation dress.

Kimono

This I made a few years ago. It is made with Butterick 6698 with a few alterations to make it a little more accurate.There are three parts to this kimono: there is the actual kimono, a belt (know as an obi), and the white collar.

Above are the front, back, and side view of the kimono. It is made from a cotton fabric printed with cranes. The obi is red to contrast the black background of the fabric and to match the crest on the cranes.

Here's a close-up of the "neckline" and the back. The white collar is actually a separate part and hangs a little off the neck in the back.

Here is a close-up of the obi with an attempted "butterfly knot."

Here is the sleeve. It is a long sleeve: long sleeves on kimonos are for young, unmarried ladies, while short length sleeves are for older women or married women.

That is my kimono.

Review: Lark Rise to Candleford - Series 1

A while ago, my mother was on Amazon, and soon after said that she bought some DVDs. The DVD's were to a BBC television show called Lark Rise to Candleford. When they arrived, it became something to look forward to watch on the weekends. In the evening, my mother, my sister, and I would sit down and watch this series. Now, on with the review.

Box Art

Synopsis: Lark Rise to Candleford follows the story of Laura Timmins, a girl from the poor hamlet of Lark Rise in the 1890s. When Laura's sister Annie is born, her mother Emma sends Laura to work with Dorcas Lane, a relative who runs the post office and forge in Candleford, a prosperous town.

 

Characters

Between Lark Rise and Candleford, you get a wide variety of entertaining characters. Julia Sawalha, instantly recognized by any fan of Pride and Prejudice (1995 miniseries), plays the michevious Dorcas Lane who has the propensity of meddleing in everyone's affairs. There are many comical characters. Zillah (Liz Smith) is the gossipy maid of the post office and has a lot of character. Twister Turrill (Karl Johnson) plays the part of a carefree, work-dodging old man well!

Among the comical characters, there are more serious ones. Lady Adelaide (Olivia Grant) is the wife of Sir Timothy Midwinter (Ben Miles) who is having a hard time fitting into her life in Candleford; and in addition to this, Sir Timothy spends quite a lot of time with his childhood friend, Dorcas Lance, and because of this Lady Adelaide feels neglected by him.

 

Episode Plots

Sir Timothy and Lady Adelaide outside the manor house.
Picture found at BBC

Relaxing, yet entertaining. You can be assured of sitting down to Lark Rise to Candleford and not have to worry about getting into something too heavy. Plotline range from something as simple as disputes between Lark Rise and Candleford to crime. From hidden secrets to past romances from long ago (and current). Of course, there are subplots that go along with one or a group of episodes (for example, Caroline Arless (Dawn French) being in debt and hiding from the collectors while her son takes care of her other children). Each episode is about an hour long and you may have to stop yourself from viewing the entire season in one sitting.

Scenery

Breathtaking... Absolutely breathtaking. BBC period dramas are well known for their beautiful settings, and Lark Rise to Candleford is no different. The road between Lark Rise and Candleford features a lush countryside. The manor house grounds are green and bright and the forest path is quite lovely. The manor itself is grand. Lark Rise is appropriately poor, however some of the houses did not seem to be too terrible; you could tell that they were poor, but their houses did not seem like they were falling apart, but rather that it needs to be cleaned more and maybe get some new furniture. But overall, the scenery is very beautiful. In fact, in an interview, Julia Sawalha said that many people think Lark Rise to Candleford is on a big budget with the beautiful cinematography, but that it's the crew that does a good job, and it shows! 

Julia Sawalha as Dorcas Lane
Picture Source

 

Costuming:

The costuming reflects on the characters' personalities well and is very beautiful. Dorcas, a business woman with exquisite tastes, is dressed very nicely in dresses of fine fabric. The Pratt sisters (Matilda Ziegler and Victoria Hamilton), the snobbish owners of The Stores, are appropirately dress in outlandish dresses (and trim) and accessories to match. Lady Adelaide is richly dressed as the wife of Sir Timothy from London. The people of Lark Rise are dressed like hard working people.

Overall Score: 5/5
This is the best new TV show that I've seen in years. It holds your attention with an interesting plot while being something nice to watch. The acting is well done and the characters are likable and hilarious. After watching a few episodes, you really get to know the characters, and after one episode, you will definately be hooked!

Lark Rise to Candleford: Series 1 is available on DVD and has ten episodes on four disks. You can purchase it from Amazon or from BBC America's website. Some selected PBS stations have started to air Lark Rise to Candleford; check your local PBS station to see if they are one of them!

Reviews: Coming Soon!

In addition to sewing, I would also like to put up reviews for TV shows, miniseries, and movies that I have seen. Be on the look out for them; who knows? Maybe you might find something to watch on one of those lazy Saturday afternoons?

Colonial Dress

This Colonial dress I made with the pattern Simplicity 4092. It proved to be a bit of a challenge, but it was able to come together. The dress was made from Baroque satin and was inspired by a dress worn by Charlotte from The Patriot.

Picture Source

You will see three pictures above. The top two pictures are full views of the dress, and the bottom picture is the picture from The Patriot. The dress is made up of two parts: the over dress and the petticoat. The petticoat in the 18th century did not necessarily refer to undergarments, but a visible and necessary part of the dress.

Here is a close up of the bodice (sorry the colors may be a little off). The front of the overdress skirt is pleated. The sleeves have a cuff on them and are decorated with lace.

Here is the back of the overdress. It is secured in the back by a zipper that runs a couple of inches into the skirt. The skirt in the back is gathered.

Here is a close up of the lace. This lace is actually made up of three pieces of lace that are sewn together and then sewn onto the sleeve.

That's my colonial dress. Currently a hat for it is in progress.

My Regency Era Dress

I actually made this one a while back. This was my second attempt at making a Regency Era dress with the Simplicity 4055 pattern. It is made out of white muslin and is secured in the back by buttons. It is inspired by Elizabeth Bennet's dresses in Pride and Prejudice.

Above are the full views of the dress. Obviously, it's a long sleeved, empire waisted dress that was popular at the time. The fullness is in the back (thanks to the gatherings!).

The bodice is gathered at the neckline and at the waist only in the front.

The sleeves have a little puff to them. In this picture, you can also see the gathered part of the skirt in the back.

Here is the back. There are three buttons that secure the dress. You can also see the gathering in the back.

So, that's my Regency Era Dress. I hope to one day make accessories for it.

My Entrance Into the Blogging World

Hello!
Welcome to my blog! As you can see, this is my blog and I am it's admin. This is a place on which I can share my sewing creations, needlecraft, or anything of my whim. I hope that you will enjoy my blog!