| Progress |
[Apr. 29th, 2009|03:25 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | sewing, victoriana | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | accomplished | ] |
| [ | music |
| | random tv and radio to distract me | ] |
Had the final fitting yesterday!
What you don't see in this picture: the top and bottom edges are unfinished, and the lacing is done with lacing strips that I basted in. I've marked three spots on the outer shell that need to be adjusted, and the top and bottom edges have also been marked for some fine-tuning.
Since, I've gone back in and finished the shell alterations and serged the alterations so they don't fray apart. I've also messed with the back edges 3x, and am finally happy and they are bound with bias tape. Bottom has a line of stitching to follow with the bias tape. Oh, and removed the lacing strips (duh).
Okay, while I'm awaiting the setting tool, I have the following tasks left:
- stitch "sleeves" for the lacing bones and insert them -- I'm thinking between the cotton layers
- stitch the top layers together a la the bottom
- bias-bind the top and bottom
- while binding the top, add a cord to allow ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lilith79 to tie a cute little bow and tweak up the top fit while wearing
- add trim to the top and bottom
Hmm. That's not bad. Once the setting tool arrives, that will be the last step.
Like |
|
|
| OT for me: Victorian Corset |
[Apr. 11th, 2009|09:46 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | victoriana | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | busy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Michigan Radio -- Scott Simon | ] |
So, someone enlisted my assistance in making a Viccy-style corset. I'm going to use this Simplicity pattern -- I seem to remember that Martha McCain's instructions/patterns don't suck. The fabulous Farthingales' lady has assembly instructions, so I'll refer to those. Finally, I'm aware that all pieces will be slashed for sizing the lady I'm working with. I will also be transferring the pattern pieces to bond paper, because that's how I roll. No, seriously, I'm just comfortable working that way.
So, I started:
Ideally, this will be a fast, fast piece, so I'll try to remember to update. Note the surveying cat in the upper-righthand corner of the image. L-R is back-front. Off to trace... |
|
|
| Helena Snakenborg Dress |
[Apr. 3rd, 2009|08:54 pm] |
Well, after pondering and looking, and getting the go-ahead from Fiore and reading the comments from sstormwatch, I think I'll tackle (in theory) the Helena dress first. I wanna do the lovely Italian Ren, but I think I can produce the Helena dress sooner.
- My friend kylee is pondering the chemise embroidery
- is the hat fur? and are those gemmed bezants? Maybe gemmed buttons? The brooch above her ear confuses me, too (oh, wait, see the quote in the Sapphire & Sage catalog, where they have jewelry, too...)
- so, obviously, I gotta make ruffs. Little tiny double ruffs
- the dress will be a modified Margo, I think
- I'm fascinated by the sleeve caps -- the puffs look almost folded, and the edge is Really Freaking Cool
- at the neck of the shirt/chemise, it looks like a tiny gold string/trim along the base and top of the collar, it looks like the same treatment, but much smaller at the wrists. Perhaps this would work? And this for the top and center edges?
- So, since Sapphire & Sage has the chain, when will she work on the rest of the set? What's the ribbon-y thing? What does it represent? Any ideas on the ring and the girdle, folks?
- The bands look like they are sorta cutwork-y. Does that make sense?
I'm leaning more towards look than authentic construction. Since trim vendors are much better than I am at making trim-looking things, I'm using their expertise. I am, however, open to persuasion to the dark side of authenticity. I'm a sick woman this way. I know this about myself.
Continuing to think... |
|
|
| Pretty New Dress Thoughts |
[Mar. 16th, 2009|12:58 pm] |
So, I fell off the planet, sewing-wise. I got to spend yesterday afternoon with Michelle-whose-LJ-handle-I've-forgotten. Friend this journal, honey, so I don't feel like an idiot next time.
We looked through books -- QEWU, Fashion In Costume 1200-1980 (Joan Nunn), Köhler's "A History of Costume", "Blackwork Embroidery" (Geddes/McNeill). While I at it, can I get some groupthink on the Nunn and Köhler books? I seem to recall that they have... drawbacks, but aren't completely off-base.
We also browsed online -- going to go to my IE History and paste links:
http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/
http://www.cardinal-creations.com/renaissance.htm
http://www.festiveattyre.com/research/cording/cord.html
http://insaneaboutgarb.com/saianotes.html
These are all sites by people I know, if only virtually, and respect. Friend loved Kerri's dress and she's right -- it will look lovely on her. She dislikes hats for some reason, and part of my steering her to Italian is to cater to that. I can't figure out why Kerri's fabulous fabric looks a bit ho-hum in the picture. Stupid cameras. I can tell from reading the text that the fabric is drop-dead gorgeous.
Naturally, in the course of seeing garb my friend liked, I saw stuff I want to make for myself:
( Pretty Girlie Dresses! ) |
|
|
| Pink Gingham Dress... |
[Sep. 29th, 2007|07:47 pm] |
...is simply too darned cute for speech. It's, like, Hello-Kitty-cute.
Off to make skirt. |
|
|
| "Irish" Dress & Possible 1495 Veneitian |
[Sep. 28th, 2007|10:24 am] |
Working on the pink gingham dress! Interior structure done, and I'm making a green underskirt with two tablecloths purchased from Tuesday Morning when redkendrad worked there.
Realized that the green underskirt could go under this dress at realm_of_venus' fabulous site.
I am soliciting construction ideas for this dress. What I see:
- a red velvet over dress with pearls and gold stitching around the neck line. Also has horizontal slashes at the mid-sleeve at about bicep level.
- a camicia with a black? velvet border at the neck and abundant sleeves for pull-out fabric at shoulder and elbow
- underdress that may be sleeveless and have the border I see at the front neckline
- 2-piece tie-on sleeves in black velvet
- headdress baffles me slightly. One or two pieces? Etc. enh?
- thin leather belt
re: headdress -- I have short hair -- slick it back and attach hair so it hangs like the portrai?
re: underdress. I know of no evidence for separate skirts, but could I wear the green brocade skirt to get the look?
Also, I'm not skinny. Can I carry off this reproduction? Seriously. |
|
|
| Bodice, con't |
[Jun. 23rd, 2007|10:40 pm] |
The bodice is nearly done.
I remembered discovered that the reason that I stopped work on it was because I ran out of bias tape and the color no longer actually existed. Well, it may exist, but wasn't distributed to JAF for me to purchase. I changed to a wide single-fold canary bias that I have -- more of a Kodakchrome-box-yellow -- and was able to finish all three pieces by machine. Technically, it is reversible, but I'm leaning towards not-reversible...
...because I went to Hell and found these -- omg. So cute.
Also, I have a sneaky feeling that I made two left or two right straps (depending on which way you look at them). I think I need to rip one apart and re-do. Sigh. |
|
|
| Rennie Bodice |
[Jun. 22nd, 2007|06:19 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  chipper | ] |
So, I'm copying a commercial bodice. This is my experiement to see if I can do all construction with my mechanical servants (sewing machine and the fabulous serger), barring eyelets.
So far, so good... but I've learned that serging the ends of the boning into the edge seams slows the process down.
More news from the front shortly. |
|
|
| New Busk |
[Oct. 10th, 2006|12:27 pm] |
Okay, actually went to HD to get a large paint stirring stick and more washers. The washers were $.84 and the stir was free.
I'm a bit worried about the thickness of the busk. Also, I do need to shape it smaller...
...'cause it's a bit long. Also, it's 1/4" thick. Is this too thick? Will I damage myself wearing it, and will it poke out too much, making a large, unsightly bump?
Okay. More eyelets. Oh, wait! Food first. Then eyelets. |
|
|
| Chopping Along |
[Oct. 9th, 2006|09:50 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  tired | ] |
Here's the eyelets nearly finished:
I do, in fact, need more washers. Tomorrow, I think. I was going to go out tonight, but I'm too sleepy and don't trust me or the wonder van to make the trip to HD. |
|
|
| Eyelets, Again |
[Oct. 9th, 2006|03:39 pm] |
So, I have the eyelets done on one side, and I realized yesterday that there are 13 eyelets to a side (14 wouldn't hurt, actually), and the washers I bought come -- wait for it...
25/pack. So I'm at least one short, and possibly three if I decide to add a 14th on each side. Off to run errands, including a stop at the fabulous Home Depot for more eyelets washers and a longer paint stir to use as a busk, per lisette_1528's wise counsel.
3:35 pm: back home. No check cashing possible (partially credit union service center, partially Columbus Day), so no more washers right now and no busk, as I was too cranky to be nice to the Home Depot paint people, and it would not be fair to be cranky to them. They're nearly always really helpful. Grr. Back to eyelets until I run out of washers. Yes, I could make them w/o the washers, but I want them to be consistent. I'll see if I care later... |
|
|
| Eyelets & Busk |
[Oct. 8th, 2006|04:19 pm] |
Hey, does anyone know if the busk going to the waistline will work? (Actually, it seems like the only way it WILL work, but I'm picking brains instead of re-researching the thought.) The "busk" I have (paint stick from Meijer) just reaches the top of the slashes for the tabs:
Got washers for eyelets -- 1.29+MI sales tax. Sewing those and watching the TNT Law & Order: SVU marathon. Here's the first one and the other floss I'm using -- the colors are to match the machine embroidery scavenged from the kiddie jumper that I have along the top of the corset: lavender, orange, yellow, pink. All the colors are simply wrong in this image -- the first eyelet is lavender.
 |
|
|
| Onward! |
[Oct. 8th, 2006|10:06 am] |
|
I realize that I'm posting constnatly, but it's keeping me focused. Time for clothing, food, coffee, then boning & channels! Go, Matti, go! |
|
|
| Off To Meijer... |
[Oct. 7th, 2006|08:54 pm] |
'Cause I couldn't find my tin snips to cut the boning. Does tool purchase count towards my $25?
LOVE the new ones, however. They cut the duct ties like buttah. When I FIND the old tin snips, they may well be history or given to someone who can/wants to sharpen them.
Ate dinner. Watched TV. Going to bed, will rejoin the fight tomorrow. |
|
|
| Oops |
[Oct. 7th, 2006|04:36 pm] |
The instructions have me putting the facing and the outer fabric together separately. Of course, I instinctively put the thing together like faced fabric. Bother. Well, if it's too uncomfortable at the seams, I'll stitch some bias tape or ribbon over them.
Found the iron! Also, cut out the pieces of the corset.
( Go behind the cut for images ) |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
