FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY
Lady Peter Rabbit
(click images to to enlarge)
Other Credits
Photo's by my partner Jay.
Outline the story …
Peter Rabbit was a cornerstone storybook in my childhood, as it seems to have been for just over a century now for many children. As a child who loved her food and who tended to get into weird situations, I related to Peter a lot. Initially I had been thinking of making a turn-of-the-century outfit, but when I discovered that Peter Rabbit had been originally written by Beatrix Potter in 1893, and throughout the gay nineties in letters to the children of her former governess, my brain set into motion a plan. I imagined what sort of outfit Peter Rabbit may have worn if he were a lady in the 1890s. Playing a little on the story book aspects, I decided to take this more into a historically adequate route rather than completely historically accurate.
This was not helped by the fact that I absolutely love Victorian fashion, honestly all decades of it, even the most ridiculous, but the silhouette of the 1890’s with the clean fronted skirts with pleats in the back and the ginormous leg of mutton sleeves are a particular favourite of mine. So I decided on creating two pieces for my entry, as I already had a walking skirt to wear: A shirtwaist, with those glorious “Big sleeves not egos”; and an Eton Jacket, even though I have never made outerwear before.
And in true Peter Rabbit fashion, I wanted to sneak in as many sneaky vegetables as I possibly can.
Outline the construction…
For the shirtwaist I use the TV494 pattern without the peplum. Choosing a white and grey striped cotton shirting, white silk thread, and baby blue rabbit buttons. Looking at the pattern I realized I needed to lengthen the sleeves. Receiving some great advice from Constance, I was able to lengthen my sleeves 5 inches - which I had been nervous about. Luckily the first mock-up ended up fitting beautifully. I decided to challenge myself on this piece by sewing it entirely by hand. Done in French seams with a strong backstitch, then “top stitching” on the cuffs, waistband, and the button plackets with a running-back stitch. The button holes were the next to conquer - I was very worried about cutting into the fabric first, but it worked out well in the end. I then embroidered the collar with a carrot on one side and a turnip on the other. The design was free-handed with a dissolvable pen and then embroidered with cotton DMC threads.
The Eton jacket was made with the TV498 pattern. The main challenge with this piece was that I had never made outerwear before or sewn with anything as heavy as the navy blue wool I chose. I used a vegetable printed cotton from my stash for a lining. Because of my experience lengthening the sleeves with the shirtwaist I was able to lengthen these with ease. I found the trick with sewing something this thick was to go slow and clip my seams when possible.
I am in LOVE with the carrot belt! This is super creative and looks like so much fun to wear!
SO fun, Em! You know I love all the carrots, but the shirtwaist is just perfect. I’m so, so happy to finally see it all together!!
This is so lovely! The embroidery on the collar is beautiful, and the shapes of both the shirtwaist and the jacket are marvellous!
This is incredible. Everything is perfectly coordinated.
What a beautiful creation! The carrot details are so darling, and the belt really makes the whole thing stand out. Lovely!
Great job Emily! You have put a great deal of thought and effort into the making of this outfit. Such neat details ànd excellent skills are demonstrated throughout.
Drop down gorgeous!!! The belt …. OMG. The embroidery on the collar …… I am without words. Stunning!! Beautiful!!!
Ahhhh! The linking details like the coat lining and embroidery and belt and bunny buttons are so fantastic and make me so happy! The gradient colour on the turnip and the carrot greens line work are so thrilling, and the neat even stitches on the coat lining are *chef kiss* 🙂
Great job on this whole ensemble, Emily — you did such a great job on the construction that it looks like clothing rather than a costume, even though it’s included elements that might be costumey on their own.
Hands down my favourite piece! The belt blew me away and I want three!!! The embroidery is such a nice small touch and the fit is very good! I love this, excellent job!!
Your sneaky vegetables are brilliant! The entire ensemble is so well thought through and beautifully made. Very impressive!
The details are amazing – you did a great job and it looks great. I hope that you are proud of you because I for sure am.
This works very well. Looks like real clothing for the character- natural, authentic. That carrot sash is genius! Brilliant, indeed! I especially like the Eton jacket, but the entire outfit is very unified. So much so that it might fly under the radar because it’s so congruent and natural. Thorough work.
Oh, I love the embroidered veggies! So cute! As are you! This is really well done! Thank you!
Absolutely delicious!
This is adorable and whimsical and fun at the same time. A wonderfully creative incorporation of the beloved stories and character. <3