In the last month I've been working on a new children's line of clothing, Curious Child. It is Victorian clothing for Victorian children. Eventually I may expand that to other eras, but for this old year, and the soon to be New Year, I will concentrate on Victorian children.
The middle and upper class Victorian child often had a lovely childhood if they survived it. Child mortality could be alarmingly high. But for our purposes in Second Life, I'm focusing on the beloved and nearly mythical, middle or upper class Victorian child. Occasionally I may have outfits for poorer children. That's not to be snobbish, it is just a reality of what I work with. Clothing for poor children never lasted past the ragbag. The surviving Victorian period children's clothing is mostly middle and upper class clothing. Sometimes one can find handmade garments from lower class homes, but that is a rarity.
Now, having said all of this, I'd like to present my first four children's outfits from Curious Child. You will find them at the New Babbage store, which you can find in my picks. In another day you'll be able to find them on Marketplace as well. I hope you enjoy them, and I wish you and yours a lovely, Merry Christmas!
Greetings! I have several new releases, from the 1920s to Victorian beauties! So let's get right to it, because baby, it's cold outside and I need to slip into something hot!
Stunning blue sequins on a silvery silk.
How can anyone not love this hot raspberry number?
And for a cool look, shimmering white!
Now for the Victorian beauties . . . Rowena, a stunning coppery silk with black beadwork. I swear the train on this gown looks as if it's on fire!
And finally, Vivian. A dark blue black silk gown with beadwork. The parasol is pure whimsy on my part, I hope you enjoy it!
Those are the offerings for this week! They will be up on Second Life Marketplace in a day or two.
I hope you find something special to warm your holidays!
Greetings! This week I am going to start off with a lovely Victorian nightgown, Sweet Dreams.
A cup of hot cocoa is included with the gown! It is available now in the New Releases vendor at most Curious Seamstress stores. More to come, and there are a couple of other new gowns out in the vendor, but you'll have to take a look to see what they are at this point!
First, about the music. When I saw this movie originally I was struck at how they had changed this version of Dracula into a very poignant love story. I have never really understood what the attraction is to vampires, but in this instance I understood. I have recently found a lovely RP sim that I have enjoyed exploring. Yes, vampires are part of it, and that was in part what inspired Drucilla the gown. That kind of dark mysterious attraction. I also find the song hauntingly beautiful.
Now I'm going to brag a tiny bit. I think I've hit it out of the park with these three stunning Victorian gowns. Let's start with my favorite of the trio, Drucilla. She's a scrumptious, slinky vixen of a dress and yes, I had dark desires in mind when I saw this gown and made her. The cleavage dips a bit more than most of my gowns, but in a sexy, seductive way that should have the significant other in your life itch to play with it. Drucilla is all about the swish and slink!
The original gown is by Pingat, by the way. You will find details in the note card that accompanies the gown.
Golden Poppy isn't quite as dark in color or as deeply cut, but it is a beautiful, warm gown. I particularly like the color of it, and the standing lace collar which adds a bit of pizazz.
The original gown was not made by a famous designer. I only knew I loved the richness of the brocade, and so Golden Poppy joined the dance.
Next is Cherise, which is French for cherries, and this gown reminded me of that luscious fruit. It is made of a wonderful velvet and is utterly beautiful as she completes the trio offered this week.
As always, each gown comes with a complete set of period undergarments. The gloves are also included. You can find them at the Curious Seamstress stores in Second Life, or later in the week on Marketplace. I do hope you've enjoyed both the music and the gowns.
I wish you all in the States a Happy Thanksgiving.
Cordially yours,
Kembri
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Greetings!
This week we have an assortment of gowns from the earlier part of the Victorian era. It is often known as the Romantic period, with the larger crinoline and then hooped skirt look. The music is from about the same time period. While I say that these gowns are from the American Civil War era, one has to remember that the style of gown was worn by many women, from royalty to the very poor in one form or another. The music is sweet and slow, and perfect for a local harvest dance, swaying in the arms of some young man you had a crush on!
This week there are five new gowns, four of them from the American Civil War era of the 1860s. The fifth gown is from the late 1870s, is a satin ball gown, and has the beginnings of the distinct bustle shape. Let's start with Effie, a lovely cotton and silk day dress.
Effie comes with a Giribaldi blouse as well as some lace jabots that are not pictured. A Giribaldi blouse was a style of blouse that first became popular in the very early 1860s, perhaps even late 1850s. It was the first time we see women wearing a blouse with a skirt! Of course it never really went out of fashion after that. The blouse had long sleeves, was usually just to the waist, and could be made of different types of cotton materail. From sheer lawn to sturdier versions of cotton fabric.
Tabitha is a stunning ball gown that has a jacket so that it doubles as a some what formal day gown as well. This gown also comes with a Giribaldi blouse, as well as gloves, undergarments, and a hat!
Laura is what I think of as a harvest gown. The fabric has a deep chocolate background and ears of wheat as well as fall leaves and flowers printed on the skirt. This is based on a real period textile, which makes it all the more fun.
Personally, Philomena is probably my favorite out of the four larger gowns. It's a dark black velvet that looks petable, it has wonderful, intricate lace details on the bodices, and also has pagoda style sleeves as well as a Giribaldi blouse. This is another of those gowns that can be used for day or evening use depending on which bodice you use.
Hyacinth is named for the flower, not the color! The use of flower names for women in this time period was very common. Now about this gown, when I first saw it I was quite surprised. It has that lovely silk satin feel to it, and the long soft bustling affect. It really is just a gorgeous gown. I think it could as easily be used for a wedding or commitment ceremony as it could for a ball gown.
There will be some matching veils released in a day or so. These are hair and face veils for women who desire to use such things, and are based on the textures I used in the gowns.
I do hope you'll stop by Curious Seamstress today or check up on Second Life's Marketplace to purchase your gowns!
Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen
The Curious Seamstress
This week I released two new gowns, both from the 1930s. One was a request, the other was just a must do for me. First, Miss Bella . . . and she was named for the lady who requested her.
Miss Bella comes with period undergarments, gloves and headpiece.
Morning Star is one of the Satin Dolls series. A lovely white gown with a touch of gold, it really is perfect for dancing the night away!
And last, a Halloween group gift was put out at the main store of Rosewood.
It's been an incredibly busy October for me, though I haven't yet had a chance to put out all that I've done! I've several crinoline gowns, face and head veils, and ballgowns that have not yet made it to the vendors. So please check back often to see what's up next!
This week we have five new 1920s releases. Two of the dresses are day dresses, the other three are evening dresses. Let's get to it, shall we?
Ramona is a soft brown wool and silk day dress. Period undergarments included!
Marcia is from House of Worth.
It is a silk and velvet day dress complete with
hat and undergarments
Isadora is a sexy crimson velvet evening dress, perfect for the holiday season
Jeannette is another House of Worth dress, this time for evening.
Creamy velvet embellished with pastel sequins, this dress is a joy to behold
Mattie is one of those strong visual statements that the 20s were all about!
Black and turquoise with bits of white on black chiffon make an elegant statement when out on the town.
Those are the offering this week. It's a wonderful start to the fall collections at Curious Seamstress. Dresses are available both on Marketplace and in most Curious Seamstress stores inworld. If you have a catalogue, they are there as well!
I do hope you find something you like!
Cordially yours,
Kembri Tomsen
The Curious Seamstress
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Greetings!
There were several releases last weekend, and now it's time to showcase them. First up is a Victorian ball gown, Annabelle.
Next up are three 1930s beauties. I hadn't added to that line in a long while and decided to correct that oversight. My favorite of the three is the first one, Caressa.
The next two are just fun, more innocent types of gowns.
I admit, I just found the fabric patterns fun and they still make me smile to see.
As always, the gowns come with undergarments correct to the period.
Today I want to pause and talk about something other than fashion and Second Life. It is a special anniversary as most people know. Not a happy anniversary, but a somber one. It is the day that violently marked a change in the United States of America, of which I am a proud citizen. I have rarely spoken of what happened that day. But today, you get Seamstress Unabridged & Uncensored. There is no politically correct in this post, just personal feelings and observations.
I do not assume this is only an American memory, I think it is a world memory for one reason or another. People were either shocked and saddened or grief stricken. Or the harder thought, they may have been jubilant to see that shattering destruction in the heart of New York City. Perhaps they were gleeful to see the death and loss that day, but I think, I hope, that is a minority. I think for that day, and the weeks that followed, the world reached out and took our hand and said, 'We're here too. We grieve with you.' And we wept together.
I remember American planes landing all over the world, suddenly homeless as they were not allowed to fly in our air space. Not until we knew what was happening. I remember Americans in every foreign country being sheltered. I remember our neighbors to the north, Canada, taking in hundreds, giving them food and shelter, holding them safe while we figured out what the hell was happening. It was like that all over the world. And here at home, the skies above were empty, except for birds and the sound of weeping. It was so quiet as the nation stopped and locked down. I have never in my life experienced that. I have seen a few world changing events, but none like this.
We also weren't the only one who lost citizens that day. This was the World Trade center. There were people of many faiths and nationalities. And lest we forget, they were all terrified too, and when they vanished in the collapses, they too, were missed and grieved for. One of the worst things that came out of that day, in my humble opinion, was the sudden suspicion of all things Muslim. That was so unfair, and it still remains an issue. I think we struggle with this every day of our lives now, at least many do, and not just in America. However, my view is there are extremists in nearly every religion, and so I cannot hold an entire faith responsible for a few misguided individuals. I saw a Muslim family in my local Walmart yesterday. The mother and daughter were dressed in the traditional head scarf and robes. I thought, the mother looked tired, and the little girl made me smile. Her head scarf had pink sparkles on it, and my smile was because no matter what religion or nationality, little children always love sparkle, don't they?
I have been thinking about it, about what I was doing that morning a decade ago. I was working on a text RPG game, working as a writer. Yes, gaming was a bit different then. I had a teenage daughter, and her friend was staying with us for a few weeks. The friend's parents were in China on a trip. I had been up late the night before, working, as is my habit. I woke up around 11am, it was a gorgeous day. Blue, warm, and clear, much like today is. The birds were singing outside my living room window and I could sense the first stirrings of fall. I had my coffee, but no radio or tv because I was just enjoying the beauty of the morning. I worked quietly for about an hour, then connected to the internet at around noon. The first thing that happened was a co-worked IM'd me. He said, 'The world is coming to an end'. I thought he was joking and asked what he meant. He said, 'turn on the TV, you'll see.' We did not speak again that day.
I did turn on the TV, and my peaceful, beautiful September morning in the heartland of America turned into one of shocked grief and sorrow. Disbelief hung over me, and the first thing I did once I could breath again was call my husband. He was aware of what was going on, was watching it on TV too. My daughter was at school with her friend and they were safe. But all I could think of as I cried was, I wanted my family home NOW, NOW, so I could hold them and know things would be ok. But really, nothing was ok after that for a very long time.
I think our whole nation stood still that day. We stopped, and we stared with disbelief. How could this happen? How could someone hate us that much? What purpose does it serve to do such uncivilized things? And as the days went by, a growing need to strike back surged in us. I think that people should be honest with themselves, when someone hurts you, it is often a natural impulse to want to strike back and make them hurt in return. A late night comedian said that someone had sucker punched us, and by heaven, that's what it felt like. As a nation we had been doubled over with sudden shock and grief, but we were far from falling to our knees in anything other than prayer.
Toby Keith came out with a song, and it very much expressed what I was feeling at the time. I know that others have gone on to the forgiveness stage, but anger has a way of making people mobilize. I don't think everything that came from that horrid day was good, I'm not a fan of war. But I remember that this song expressed what I felt as the details were revealed and we knew who to blame.
We as a nation were angry, and what happened afterwards might not have been the best thing, but it happened. Flying changed, war happened, eventually the leader of the group who claimed responsibility was caught and killed, though I will be frank and say there was no relief in that. I knew there wouldn't be. What he had put into motion a decade ago was bigger than him. He was just a name. One man, a figurehead who got lucky because we had thought of the world as a mostly friendly place. There will always be someone to take advantage of that. I have to have personal faith that when that leader stood before our Maker, by whatever name you wish to give that Power, he felt the weight of what had been done and did not feel as jubilant then. I will say this as well, I do not hate that man, nor his family. I simply feel pity for him, if I think of it at all. When I weep, as I have done today, it is for those who were frightened, who died unfairly early, who left behind grieving families and nations. Those are the ones I shed tears for.
So today, I will go outside and do some gardening, water plants, play with the dog (and maybe give him a bath) and enjoy the warmth as summer fades away. I will enjoy the peace of the day remembering the tears of a decade ago. I will stand witness and remember that while outside forces sought to bring my country to its knees and destroy it, they failed.
I am an average woman who lives in Minnesota, the very heartland of the United States of America. I am proud to be an American, and today, I remember that I am blessed to live here.
Well, here in the States, Labor Day has come and gone, and summer is winding down. But this last weekend I released some nautical outfits. One of the wonderful things about Second Life is your summer does not have to end by the calender, and if you wish it go continue all year long, you can do that! So in that spirit, let me introduce my newest ensembles!
Seastar was issued last week but I had a duh moment and forgot to put her in the vendors. So she's here this week!
Skipper is one of those fun 20s outfits good for shore or sailing!
Marina is another fun 20s outfit, though in a different color scheme.
All the above outfits can also be found on Second Life Marketplace.
Finally, my gift for the Steamhunt is at Seraph City Seamstress in the Carrington. You can find the shop in my picks in my profile.
I do hope you'll stop by and grab a copy. I also wish you a wonderful first week of September!
This Monday I'm happy to introduce the Sultry Seamstress line. This line of lingerie has been requested in the past and now I've packaged them for customers. Each package comes with a set of undergarments, stockings, and gloves. That's the standard set. Now there are additions to different sets as far as having an extra pair of stockings or gloves. But really you'll have to buy a set to see what all is in it besides the basics.
Most of these undergarments (or unmentionables as I have called them) have been in released in the past with gowns. However I don't often show the undergarments that go with a dress or gown! So a lot of ladies don't find out about them until they have them. I think this is a nice option for those who just want the lingerie. Having said all that, may I introduce the Sultry Seamstress line in no particular order, though I do have a couple of favorites!
These will be up on Second Life Marketplace in a day or so. In the meantime, you can find them in Second Life at the Rosewood main store, or at the Carrington at Seraph City, or upstairs at New Toulouse. Those are all in the picks in my profile if you need a landmark.
There will be more released in the later genres of the 1920s and 1930s in the weeks to come.
Curious Seamstress has 6 new releases for the past two weeks. I was lagging a little and didn't post the new releases last Monday. So today, you get all 6 of them. Let's start with the Edwardians, both day suits.
This is based on a Jeanne Paquin day suit. The hat is included and period as well! Ok and it made me giggle to make it!
This is a period yachting or sailor dress. Very nautical!
Next up, the 1920s! Two day dresses . . . one a sailor dress!
For that day time garden party or outing, anything that you wish to use it for! Two hats included, as well as shoes.
Another sailor dress, this time from the 1920s! There are two sets of stockings and the hat and collar are mod. Shoes textured to match the skirt are included as well.
And last but never least, Sea Pearl swimsuits!
1960s A Go-go lime green play suit, bathing suit, and really just all round fun outfit!
A 1940s swimsuit. This one is very pretty in person!
And that's it for this week. Most of these are up on Marketplace now. If the darn thing will co-operate, I should have the rest up very soon. Barring that, you will find these available at the main store of Rosewood or appropriate era stores like the Carrington in Seraph City or New Toulouse or New Chicago or New Berlin or New Babbage . . . yes, the Curious Seamstress does get around!
Until next time, I wish you wonderful mid-summer dreams!
I've been on an unscheduled hiatus due to real life issues since early May. I try not to drag real life into my virtual world, but sometimes they do influence each other. My housing situation had to be attended too, and during that time I could not work on Seamstress items. Now things have settled down somewhat and I can get back to work again! I picked this video mostly because I love the music in it, the rhythm is catchy, and maybe somewhere, the dog days are over. Though in my neck of the woods dog days heat is setting in and doesn't look as if it's going anywhere anytime soon!
Today I'm back at work in my work shop, busily putting together new outfits for release at the end of this week. I will also be putting gift bags up for sale in a special vendor. The gift bags each hold a gift card good for a certain amount of Seamstress items. The value ranges from $500 lindens to $5000 lindens. They are transferable of course, and the gift bag itself will be modifiable. In this manner you can now give a gift card voucher to a friend or loved one if you wish.
The releases this week will be along the lines of summery items with a few new Sea Pearls swimsuits tossed in for fun. I've a little of everything, as some stuff has been sitting in packages waiting to be trotted out. So it should be an exciting Friday for Seamstress this week.
Thank you to all those who inquired as to where and how I was. You were missed too! Now, let's go have some fun!
This week I've got three new 1920s releases as well as a 1930s bathing suit!
This lovely Peggy Hoyt gown works for both day or night time wear.
Edward Molyneux inspired this day suit. The flowing lines and pleated skirts are quite elegant. Mink stole and hat as well as the shoes are included.
A blonde mink stole compliments this pretty spring dancing dress. Silver beadwork on mauve silk with a cutout back is an ultra feminine ode to the season!
Finally, Ruby, a fun wool swimsuit from the 1930s. The sunglasses and shoes are included. Yes, the sunglasses are from the 1930s!
All of these items are now up on Marketplace as well as available at the main store of Rosewood.
