I am a sucker for cons. So when my friend Meredith asked me to Jane Austen Con (despite me never having read any of her books), I said yes! So, much to the complaints of my cat, Meredith and GilgaDave came over to my house for two weekends while we sewed and watched All Of The Movies.
We used Sense and Sensibility's Regency era patterns, which were pretty well done and easy to follow. Mer is very much not a seamstress, and the most difficult part for her was probably taping together all the print outs. Though I probably cheated a bit and just plowed through everything. And she has a fantastic tutorial.
Again, I was able to take full advantage of Surplus City's amazingly cheap fabric! Which is very necessary, because there are too many layers.
Chemise from the Underpinnings packet. We didn't have time to ALSO make stays, so we cheated with a balconet bra.
A second under dress who's name, for the life of me, I can't remember. My best guess is petticoat. This is the third of the white layers that I made and I greatly preferred the lines in these gathers.
(Edit: yes, it is a bodiced petticoat)
Long sleeved Regency gown, lined. The cotton fabric has really cute white flowers on a slightly sheerer white base.
Pelisse. Yes, this fabric is synthetic, but it was $2/yard! I got it in a fantastic steel blue and should have gotten it in dusty purple when I saw it in january, but they were sold out by the time we decided to go ahead with this project.
I had some fantastic rusty red microsuede for a spencer, but we ran out of time. Mer ended up taking everything home to hem and button herself and trim with lace and embroidery and EVERYTHING! I had also managed to cut out a gown for myself in a lovely dusty pink I had in my stash since about five Pennsics ago, but that fell to the side for me to make on my own time.
So we're in the process of closing up shop and reevaluating my schedule (and deciding whether I wanted to miss a derby game or not), when I understand that this is, in fact, not just "Jane Austen Con", but the Jane Austen Society of North America, Pittsburgh Region's Annual Festival, with a door cost of $90 plus $25 for the ball. Seeing as how I have never read any of her novels (though I did grow quite fond of the movies and mini series), I decided it best I bow out.
I also didn't yet have a job, which I finally have one now! And it even has to do with all of my degrees! Too bad I'm currently employed through a temp agency that is probably skimming way too much out of what the company pays me (which would still not be what I should be getting if I axed the middle man). But, at least I've finally been employed for the past ten weeks and it even looks like they have no intention of firing me.
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