Fairytale!!

Yes, I am alive!
And I have been working on my fairytale project ever since I finished my Chemisette 3 weeks ago. But I have had so much to do at work that I simply didn't get to write anything. At least not at home...

I had difficulties to find a good fairytale for this challenge, because I did not want to work with an overly popular tale and my plans for this year must be considered as well. I asked my work colleagues for suggestions and beside of the obvious ones (Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood & Co.) my colleagues came up with something very nice...

DIE STERNTALER

When I came home from work that day I fetched my copy of Grimm's Fairytales and looked it up. Sterntaler (The Star Money) is a tale written by Jakob Grimm in 1813. Of course I knew the story from my childhood, but I wanted to refresh my memory. I was surprised when I discovered a length of exactly ONE page (1,5 if you count the picture) but I can tell that I read through that tale very fast...

 

Short story even shorter:

A poor orphant girl who has nothing left but the clothes she is wearing is giving away everything to other poor people and ends up naked in the forest. By then it is black night of course! The moment she gave away her last piece of clothing the skys open up and it starts to rain stars and golden coins and she is wearing the finest linen shift in which she is colleting the money and then is rich forever.


For challenge #10 Art I have planned a lovely 18th century Polonaise. Since I never made anything from the 18th century I am lacking all kind of underwear and support garments. My plan for this challenge #6 Fairytale is now the linen shift Sterntaler ends up with in the dark forest.

I am cheating with the fabric as I don't have any linen but still have lots of cotton batist. Of course that is not at all Fairytale accurate, but it is kind of OK for the late 18th century which I am aiming for. Although the story has been written in 1813 most tales have been written in past tense so I am good with going back a few decades.

Here we go!!!!

My plan is to make a plain shift and the add some embroidered stars to symbolise the raining fortune.

For a start I made a test piece to see if I actually can do embroidery which I have never done before!!!

The pattern is a simple diagram which has been used throughout many centurys and well into the 19th so it is fine for the 1770s as well.
Pattern and Instructions
Even though it is not accurate I will be using my sewing machine to make this shift.
I am making flat fell saems for all seams.

 

The construction was easy and quick and here is my nearly finished shift. I will do the embroidery before I cut out the neck opening.

The very first star is done!!!

 

 The challenge facts:
The Challenge: #6 Fairytale - The Star Money

Fabric: cotton batist

Pattern: Marquise.de
Year: 18th century
Notions: polyester thread
How historically accurate is it? Well... The pattern is accurate, the fabric is OK, the thread is not and sewing by machine is not as well.
Hours to complete: Maybe 5 hours including the embroidery
First worn: not yet
Total cost: 8€ for the embroidery frame and thread

 

 Actually I am not overly pleased with the outcome... The neckline will eventually end up square, but since I don't have stays yet I did not dare to cut out the final opening.
I wanted much more stars but my hand keeps bothering me and so I just couldn't make more.

But I decided it would be a nice thing to keep this as a running project and so I will add one star for every finished item I am making from now on!

Edit:
My shift made it into the Dreamstress' Favourites!
http://thedreamstress.com/2014/05/the-hsf-14-favourites-for-challenges-5-8/