Posts
What construction techniques were used to make this dress?
Here's a slideshow showing the steps to build the lace skirt of the reproduction.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
About this blog
This blog is about Vassar College's Trying on History project - but for now, it mostly follows one dress.
Yes, one dress. What can it tell us? What can we learn from it?
With a team of students, I have studied this dress down to the tiniest detail. We have measured it, drawn it, photographed it. We have patterned it. We are reproducing it. We are reproducing the corset that would have been worn under it. We are researching it, and its context. Who wore it? Why? Who made it? Why? How? (take a look at our full list of questions)
Yes, it's just one dress, but from it we're learning about New York City in the 1910's - and both the students who help to build the reproduction and the students who get to wear the reproduction will be able to step back in time.
To begin, you can start with some Highlights, or just browse around!
-Arden Kirkland
Vassar College Costume Collection (VCCC)
Vassar College Drama Department
Yes, one dress. What can it tell us? What can we learn from it?
With a team of students, I have studied this dress down to the tiniest detail. We have measured it, drawn it, photographed it. We have patterned it. We are reproducing it. We are reproducing the corset that would have been worn under it. We are researching it, and its context. Who wore it? Why? Who made it? Why? How? (take a look at our full list of questions)
Yes, it's just one dress, but from it we're learning about New York City in the 1910's - and both the students who help to build the reproduction and the students who get to wear the reproduction will be able to step back in time.
To begin, you can start with some Highlights, or just browse around!
-Arden Kirkland
Vassar College Costume Collection (VCCC)
Vassar College Drama Department
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Format Question to My Readers
Here's a question for anyone following this blog - when it comes to presenting images of our process, which do you prefer - individual images in a row, or a slideshow of images? If you prefer the slideshow, which do you like better - the format from Picasa, or the format from Flickr?
Please leave a comment below to answer these questions.
Your answers will help me to decide how to format future posts.
Thank you!
Please leave a comment below to answer these questions.
Your answers will help me to decide how to format future posts.
Thank you!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Steaming Lace
What construction techniques were used to make this dress?
I wish I hadn't forgotten to bring back the camera today - I missed a great photo op.
Today we almost were ready to start cutting the lace skirt, but when we tried to lay it out, we realized that after the dyeing, the embroidered parts had shrunk a bit more than the overall body of the lace. So, luckily Emily Leimkuhler (VC ' 10) got to steam it all out! She pinned the whole length of yardage up along the storage boxes that line one wall of the shop, and then set to steaming. It would have been a great photo, and I'm sure she would have loved to record the moment for posterity. Because the lace is pretty sheer, at times it looked like she was just steaming the boxes!
Anyway, thanks, Emily!
I wish I hadn't forgotten to bring back the camera today - I missed a great photo op.
Today we almost were ready to start cutting the lace skirt, but when we tried to lay it out, we realized that after the dyeing, the embroidered parts had shrunk a bit more than the overall body of the lace. So, luckily Emily Leimkuhler (VC ' 10) got to steam it all out! She pinned the whole length of yardage up along the storage boxes that line one wall of the shop, and then set to steaming. It would have been a great photo, and I'm sure she would have loved to record the moment for posterity. Because the lace is pretty sheer, at times it looked like she was just steaming the boxes!
Anyway, thanks, Emily!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Construction Order of the Original
What construction techniques were used to make this dress?
After carefully studying the construction details of the original dress, I think I've figured out the steps taken to put it together. Here's a slideshow with some detailed images:
For our construction steps on the reproduction, I've made a few changes to incorporate some modern conveniences, like serging raw edges.
To view a table with the details, go to:
After carefully studying the construction details of the original dress, I think I've figured out the steps taken to put it together. Here's a slideshow with some detailed images:
For our construction steps on the reproduction, I've made a few changes to incorporate some modern conveniences, like serging raw edges.
To view a table with the details, go to:
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Final Materials
Where can we find similar fabrics, trims, and hardware to reproduce the dress?
Now that the lace and jacquard have been dyed, we can show you swatches of all our fabric choices:
Now that the lace and jacquard have been dyed, we can show you swatches of all our fabric choices:
 |
| From Dyeing |
Friday, February 6, 2009
Dyeing
Where can we find similar fabrics, trims, and hardware to reproduce the dress?
Two of our fabrics, the silk jacquard and the beaded lace, needed to be dyed for the color to match the original more precisely. Here are the swatches from our attempt to make the match. Students Chloe Boxer (VC '12), Emily Leimkuhler (VC '10), and Charlie Pane (VC '10) all helped to get the dyeing just right. We started dyeing on Weds., and thought we were done, but looking at it dry on Friday morning, it still wasn't quite right. We worked on it throughout the day, taking the fabric out of the vat, adding just a few more grains of dye, and putting the fabric back in to try again - it was certainly tedious, but we finally got it just right!
Two of our fabrics, the silk jacquard and the beaded lace, needed to be dyed for the color to match the original more precisely. Here are the swatches from our attempt to make the match. Students Chloe Boxer (VC '12), Emily Leimkuhler (VC '10), and Charlie Pane (VC '10) all helped to get the dyeing just right. We started dyeing on Weds., and thought we were done, but looking at it dry on Friday morning, it still wasn't quite right. We worked on it throughout the day, taking the fabric out of the vat, adding just a few more grains of dye, and putting the fabric back in to try again - it was certainly tedious, but we finally got it just right!
 |
| From Dyeing |
 |
| From Dyeing |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)