Outlander -finally

 I am on a roll with 18th century... or so it seems. I just cannot get enough of it. As we say, I want to do every 18th century dress/clothes too. Every one of them. I want to do the pink striped MET museum gown, I originally wanted to make with the Aidah pattern, I want to do caraco/skirt combo at least in six version, I want striped gowns, flowery gowns, taffeta gowns, linen gowns, Italian gowns, English gowns, Frances, polonaise, chemise gowns in at least three colors,, redingot style, I want to do some fantasy version as well... even if our 18th century events are... how shall I put it... severly limited. Still one set of clothes were the back in my mind, even before I started reenacting.

The first time I heard the word "outlander" uttered, it actually came from a knitter. "A costumed film, with lots of knitted pieces", and yes, my attention was captured. However, it was a while, when I actually managed to see some of it (I am still behind with a couple of seasons), but the clothing in it got stuck in my mind ever since. Even if it is not fully historically accurate, especially, the knitting in it. 

Anyhow, when I started to make historical clothes, one of the first patterns I bough was Outlander patterns, and pretty early on I started to colllect fabrics for "Outlander inspired" stuff.

I knew that a fully screen-accurate copy is totally out of reach ( I will never have many tens of pounds for just a meter of tartan, from which I would need about 6 meters) , and besides, I knew that even with my historically accurate stuff I much rather do things, that are inspired by certain examples, than full out copies. So I had the fabric, and I had the patterns, but in the midst of making historical clothes for reenactment, and actual events, Outlander kept being pushed to the end of the list.

Meeting Anna about a year ago gave me a new momentum. For god sake, the girl came to our "reenactors skating" even, as a totally unkown person, a newbie, dressed up in a fully accurate Outlander style ensemble. My mouth fell open, I, kinda grabbed her, and didn't let go, until she joined us at Mare Temporis (NOT that she needed much nudging. She came willingly. One crazy girl that one. Love her.)

So, now I had someone to go crazy with, I had fabrics, I had patterns, and, thanks to the flue, I mentioned in my previous post, I had a bit of time too. Besides, making the Aidah gown gave me such a high, I needed something to wind down a bit. And there was an event, a reenactor's piknik, that had a dress code of "come in whatever historical or modern garb, you wish". That is my favorite dress code. "Come in whatever historical garb, you wish."

Though I had a bit of times on my hands, there wasn't much of it, and I fell into such a flow with this, I forgot to make many photos of making the skirt and the jacket, you will have to do with the finished pictures. But worry not, this is NOT the last time I made either of these, so there is always hope for the next time. 

As you can see, I ended up using the fabrics I originally got for this project.

The skirt is three length of the fabric, sewn as most 18th century petticoats, that are closing in the front and the back, leaving a nice long slit on the two sides to be able to reach into your pockets. The length (allowing for bumpads) is adjusted at the top. One small change, it is not closing with ties, but flat hooks and eyes, as there are already anought ties around my waist.

I am actually wearing my linen shift, I made, the stays I made back, when I did the red dress, my double bumpad, an underpetticoat and pockets from the same time. I know in the film they use a moon shaped bumpad, and I did make one, but I've tried on the skirts with it and did not like it. I much prefer the shape the double bumpad gives me. 

The jacket, and the stomacher is made from the JP Ryan jacket pattern, its length is between its long and short version. 

You have already seen the neckwarmer, and the mittens, though I think, I might knit a pair of blue ones for this ensemble. 

Fabrics are all from I Love Textil, the place that sells factory rejects, leftovers, and such. 

Photos were shot by the incredible Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto.