I’m 8 days late but I’ve finally got it finished. I give you ….
The Challenge: HSF 14: Challenge #4 Under it all. Elliptical hoops.
Fabric: Cotton
Pattern: TV103
You know, when I pinned all of those freaking joints, it was straight. Then I sewed them and they are not…sigh.
Year: 1965
Notions: Grosgrain ribbons, bias tape and corner protectors used for hoops. Yup, I said corner protectors…like for keeping wallpaper from peeling in the corners.
First I peeled off the paper that protects the glue strips.
Then I folded the two edges together so the glue strips stuck together.
Yeah, you can so see the two sides stuck together in this photo that glows like a light saber.
As extra support and insurance against the glue strips “letting go” I wrapped the pieces in that tape with the string built in.
The strips were pretty long, so it was only the bottom few hoops that they weren’t long enough. This is where the string tape came in handy. I was able to attach two strips together to make one long one. These strips were then slid into the channels I made with the bias tape. They went in beautifully!
How historically accurate is it? About 50%. The materials used are out there! But the shape is fine.
Supporting the skirt made in an earlier challenge.
Hours to complete: Felt like 9,000
First worn: Not yet
Total cost: @$55
The original plan was to hem the skirt once the support hoops were done but now I have lost so much time on the bodice challenge (oh yeah, it is gonna be late too) that I’m gonna have to put that on the back burners again.
Wanda B Victorian 
Nicely done! And I love your blue plaid skirt.
Val
Thanks so much! High praise coming from you!
Hi Wanda. Looks amazing! I love the material you chose. I have a question for you. I’m going to be making a set of hoops in the near future. Would you suggest the wall corners? Do they carry the weight of all the material well? Do you think that it’s worth saving up the money and making steel hoops?
thanks for your input!
Dawn
They have been holding up my skirts now for a couple of weeks (all day every day) and don’t seem to be drooping. The skirt is a real silk and very light as is the petticoat. I think the hoops would be fine under a heavier polyester or wool but I don’t know for sure. For myself, I have hip, knee and low back problems, I’m not sure I’d want the weight of steel hoops. I think you need to consider the weight of your fabrics, what you will be doing in the dress (dancing vs standing around) and just how catastrophic it would be to you if the experiment fails and they collapse in the middle of an event. To me it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. If they fail, I still have the support ribbons built and it would be a simple matter of pulling the “hoops” out and replacing them.