Forsythia Fashion -- Yellow Skirt Sewing Project

Painting by Neils Frederik 1855-1944 

The Lady in the Yellow Dress *

by Charles E. Perugini

 Hello Ladies,

Before sharing details of  the sewing project, pattern and fabric, I wish to confirm to all my detractors who are making me so famous, that I do not think clothing is the most important thing in life, and I am not obsessed with clothing or material things. It is too bad it has to be said by so many bloggers who merely want to participate in "What I Wore" blog events.  It would be impossible to record here all things of  spiritual and doctrinal import we do every day, if you are expecting every post to be spiritual. There are different subjects here, and  this is a sewing/fashion post.  I love the freedom we have to make posts like this, but I also like the freedom there is to go somewhere else that won't offend your sensitive selves, so if you are in that category, help yourself to the myriad of things  away from this poor blog, that will suit your tender tastes, on the world wide web. Ah! Such a blessing! Freedom!

The daylight was nearly gone when we got these pictures taken. We waited, hoping the rain would ease up and the sun would come out and the temperature would warm up. It was very cold, but Mr. S., who claims he is not ever going to be a fashion photographer, and who is always on his way to somewhere more important, stopped for a minute and took these pictures of my latest sewing project, which I call the forsythia fashion because of the blossoms.  

I was in quite a hurry to get this outfit finished before the blossoms fell in the rain and wind.  Even in this Victorian-esque outfit, it was cold. We didn't stay out long, and Mr. S. snaps only three or four pictures and there are no re-takes.

 Yellow is not a color I wear very often,  but I wanted something to go with this forsythia bush.

This is a child's umbrella, and I have it in a couple of different colors, because it goes with some of the things I've been sewing. I actually like the child size umbrella better, as it does not get in the way or get  mangled by the wind as easily as a huge umbrella.  If you have an Albertsons or a Safeway, that is where these see-through plastic umbrellas come from. They are in coral pink, purple, mint green and yellow, and of course, I have all the colors, waiting for the dresses to match ;-) Children's umbrellas take up a lot less space, too, on the umbrella rack. I like that they are vinyl and don't soak through.

I wore my hair up for this outfit to give it more of a Victorian-era look.

Here is a  detailed look at the skirt and blouse, on the dress form. I even brought in a bundle of forsythia, which you see on the table next to the outfit to show how much the colors match.

For the fashion shoot I wore the collar up, Victorian style.

These are the antique looking boots I wore with it and the little yellow umbrella.   

The boots are Victorian style western or  lace up, and are reproductions, so you can get them for about $20. Just type in White Victorian Western style boots.  They are also available as wedding boots, so you might do a search for that. I like the low heels, and I think they are cowboy style. I've seen this same kind several times in thrift stores and Goodwill, so its possible they were worn at weddings.

The skirt has a cumber-band style of waistband, and the back is elastic.

This is a deep yellow with white dots, a  leftover fabric from some mother-daughter dresses I had made a few years ago,  and there was enough to get a skirt out of it. With some of the smaller pieces I was able to make a cute ruffle at the hemline. 

Closer view of the ruffle here; I like the way it turned out. It is different and easier than the way I usually make a ruffle. Also I put ruffles at the end of the dress or skirt to give it some weight.

There were enough smaller pieces left to make a hair bow.

Dollar Tree had silk forsythia so I cut a branch of it down to the size of the hair clip:

 This is what the hair clips look like underneath. They can either be sewn or hot-glued. I first glued on a straight piece of fabric:

I used the waistband from one pattern, on the skirt of another pattern, because it was a pattern that took the least amount of fabric and I had scraps that, sewn together, amounted to less than 2 yards.

 Both patterns are from 2016, a 99-cent sale, and this is the first time I've used them.  If you are a beginner sewist, I don't recommend either pattern. Despite all my sewing experience, I found these patterns inconvenient, and a bit of a pain to construct, although it turned out to be a very comfortable skirt.

This is 100% cotton and very, very comfortable, easy feeling, easy to walk around in, sit in, etc. and I made it to wear at home, with an apron. One think I like about the skirt is that it is straight enough so that it won't get in the way or catch on things.

I like to honor Australians in this season because I used to live there and my relatives still do. I know it is autumn in Australia now so our weather in Oregon is almost identical at this time of year to Victoria, Australia. The color will work with their autumn.  Both Canada and Australia, and some other parts of the world have states or places named after Queen Victoria and I like that. Imagine being a Victorian style person (like some of us here!) and living in a state or country called Victoria.

 During the last week, I got out my box of artificial flowers and tried them in different arrangements, which I showed here on this blog. This week is going to be dedicated to sewing, as much as possible.  

The fabric is a Waverly  print, commonly found in the Walmart fabric department. Waverly usually has a name for every color and print, but I didn't see a name printed on the selvedge of this fabric. 

Because I will be wearing this at home, I will add a tuck in the hem to raise it. I wanted to get outside and get the photo while it was still light and before the photographer went on an appointment, so I didn't finish the hem. It will have a tuck in it just above the ruffle, to shorten it for  wearing at home. I

Hopefully I will have another fashion to show here soon.

*On the painting at the top, notice the gathered material from the shoulders to the waist on either side. That is what I was hoping to do on the previous dress, since I think I thought the front of that dress was too plain, and I wanted more fabric on it.  If I do add it, I'll put a picture here.

Here is a part of a 19th century painting of ruffles on a ladies hem. Notice the layers on the white one on the left, with the long straight layer of apparently different fabric underneath. I would like to know more about this design.

 I usually make the ruffle on the left, but this time I tried the ruffle shown on the right, shown in the next picture here:

I like that coral pink, don't you?  I will take the shoes and stockings too 🙂