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(Oh that title's a knee slapper.)
No, I haven't died; I've just been really busy with work and uni. But it's over! Just two exams to go and I'm done for a whole month!
My German plastic bones arrived so I finally made my 1770s stays in a nice green cotton! I just need to buy some yellow silk to bind and lace it! I'll post pictures when I have a camera. My pink polonaise fits PERFECTLY over the new stays!!
So I have sooo much to sew in the next month.
1. I have to finish Maggie's ball dress. It's a 1950's inspired number made from embroidered muslin and accents in that pink striped silk. The bodice and shirt are finished and joined. I just have to attach the sleeves and hem and trim it. Oh and put the buttons on and hopefully make a belt for it.
2. In order to finish Maggie's dress I have to finish my robe a la francaise, so I know how much of that pink silk is available. But before I can attach the rucheing I have to bone and attach the stomacher, which still needs buttons made for it, case the decollete, and hem it....but before I hem it I have to reposition the drape and pleats on the skirt, tack down the back pleats and bone the gather in the back lining. Wow, there's a lot more to do than I though1. And I have to have that done in time for my ball at the end of Sept.!
3. I have to finish my 1871 and 1867 Victorian dresses. The 1871 dress needs work on the sleeves, trim, and front closures as well as all-around hemming on the bodice and skirt...in fact I think I still need to attach the skirt to a waistband. The 1867 dress needs some broderie anglaise on the corset cover, the sleeves need to be attached to the bodice, the bodice needs piping and a waistband made and I need to hem all the skirts. Before any of that happens I need to make to bustled petticoats though!
If I have time, which I probably wont at this current rate of procrastination, I'd like to finish the bulk of the work on my 1850s day dress too. All that needs doing is making the front false waistcoat, making buttons for it, boning the seams, reinforcing the waist and gauging and attaching the skirt to the bodice. After that I can make broderie anglaise cuffs and collars at my ease...as well as finishing off the three petticoats for it I have to finish the hem in broderie anglaise on one and make a flounced petticoat as well as a corded one.
Whew! Just typing it makes me a bit tired, but excited at the same time. Think of all the beautiful things I'll have to wear if I finish it all!
Tags: 1867 voile, blue 1850s, pink striped francaise, stays, twill 1871
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I can report a sad lack of progress. Work has been crazy, term is about to start and I had to move house! Needless to say, no sewing has been done. :( I've gotten the bodies put together for both the 1850's blue plaid dress and the 1872 dress and was working on fitting the sleeves to the 1872 bodice. I've cut the skirts and run up the seams on the 1872 dress, but haven't finished it. So I broke down and bought this beautiful cotton. The softest, sheerest cotton weave I've seen with bands of silk run through it.   I love the simplicity of the fabric and I love the simple elegance of this dress so I think I'll recreate it with this new fabric. This of course means putting aside the 1850s dress, but this way my mom and I will both match pretty much and be comfortable in the warm weather. I also, finally got my half-boned stays in the mail and although I want to make a few alternations on them I was able use them (with the help of a few pillows) and a makeshift for for fitting my polonaise! So now when I have time I can finish the front closure and officially call it done! I'm excited. It's to beautiful. I love the fall of the fabric, the colour, the shape.... I just need to buy some hooks and eyes.  NB: My tags are off because I can't decide whether the twill dress is more 1871 or '72, but one year can't make all that much difference. I'm basing it off of multiple sources, so for consistency and easy filing I'll continue to use the 1871 tag but I'll probably called it any number of things. The pictures should help maintain clarity if anyone really cares to follow along. Tags: 1867 voile, blue 1850s, oamaru, polnaise, twill 1871
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After much wavering and research, I have finally settled on my next three to four projects and the oder of them (based on imminentnecessity). My mom and I plan to go to the Oamaru Victorian Festival in Nov 2008. At first I wanted the dresses to match in era, but then I realized that that was less important than having two dresses that we would wear more than once, i.e. they had to be comfortable, alterable and generic. I also had to keep in mind the warm summer clime of Oamaru. So I've decided to make these two dresses in a light blue and mauve twill and a dark blue tartan silk crepe respectively:   (The two dresses on the left of each picture.) While I was shopping for fabric for these two I fell in love with a lovely dark olive green cotton voile that I want to use with some salmon pink velvet ribbon to make this dress.  With such a dark colour it wouldn't be very summery though so the project is on hold. I've drafted enough of the pattern that I can buy the fabric so I don't miss out on it! Finally, because I'm completely mad, I want a robe a la francaise that I can prance around in. I haven't found a pattern or a fabric but it's brewing in my mind. This painting is to blame:  And I think I'll need to make some mitts and a quilted, fur trimmed caracao so I can wear my 18th century stuff anytime...I love how conveniently the 18th century can me mixed and matched! Tags: blue 1850s, green 1880s, oamaru, plans, twill 1871, victorian
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1. Five-eighths, one-half or three-eighths?5/8, 10mm or I just eyeball it. 2. Linen, cotton, wool or silk?Cotton for feel, wool for warmth, and silk for look. But silk's the best. 3. Stripes, solids or prints?Stripes. Full stop. 4. Drape or draft?Draft, I can't afford fabric for draping...but sometimes it's the only way. 5. Pins or weights?Pins, although my foot make a good weight. 6. Nipper or seam ripper?Razor blade, quick and painless. 7. Pleats or ruffles?Pleats, I hate hand sewing ruffles. 8. Wheel or scissors?Scissors 9. Princess seams or darts?Darts 10. Flat-line or bag-line?Flat for accuracy, bag for all my modern stuff. 11. Serge or French seam?French, but the seams they use in India take less fabric and accomplish the same thing. 12. Invisible or original sliding?Invisible, 13. Hooks & eyes or lacings?Hooks & eyes 14. Corset for comfort, or corset for look? (And no, you can’t claim both.)Looks, but you get used to it, don't you? 15. Bind, pipe or face?All of the above, depending on the project, but facing's the easiest. Tags: meme, wasting time
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