Sleeve details

I have the lace sewn on to one sleeve and making some headway on the final trim layer. I have to finish that, attach it, pipe the cuff and put the lining in. Lather rinse repeat for the other sleeve then attach them to the bodice. Slow going.

You know it is time to quit when….

I have been working on the sleeves for my latest dress. I got the trim ready for attaching to the sleeve. There big plans to get one sleeve sewed, decorated and lined today. That came to a grinding halt when I sewed parts of the sleeve into the seam. Parts that were not meant to be sewed in. I was too ticked off to rip stitches and hand sew. I threw up my arms and said “walk away!” I didn’t get as far as I wanted but at least I got something done.

Dodads are on

I had hoped to get the sleeves done but that was not to be. The bones are in and the piping is finished. I also finished the trim.

When you next hear from me, I will be basking in the sun.

Progress…

Lottie is two steps closer to being wearable. The bones are in and the piping is attached. The next step is hand sewing the piping to the lineing and pulling the visable basting threads. Then the sleevils…..

What happens when you put down your phone

For New Years, I carried over a few goals from last year.  They were valid goals, that are not yet achieved but showed signs of working.

1) Do not buy more wool.  I have a hoard that rivals a dragons treasure trove both in size in monetary value.

2) Make this a stash busting/ UFO pile shrinking year.

This year I will amend goal 1 to include fabric.  I was given a lot of high quality fabric last year so there is absolutely no need for me to buy more.

Goal 2 was not as successful as it could have been because I allowed myself to get into the time vortex also known as phone video games. So this year I have added a third goal…

3) Delete all games that do not have a built in way to restrict play.  In other words, no games that do not have a set number of lives that end the play time once they are used up.

And I have added a forth goal.

4) Use the new found time to work on goal 2 as well as time doing other hobbies I have left behind and to connect more with family, friends and myself.  No point in becoming a boring, shallow hermit!

I am happy to say, I see progress!  I have finally finished decorating the bodice of the dress I have been working on (ignoring) for over a year!

The inspiration is this dress from the Met…

There are 4 more tassels to be added but I think those will wait until further along in the sewing process.  The two on the points at the bottom of the bodice need to go on once the hem is done and the two on the stomach of the bodice may or may not go on.  I need the dress to be further along before I can decide if I like them or not.

I am pleased to say that having more time has also meant my sewing room is looking a little less like ruins after a bombing.  Actually want to be in there again!

The Christmas Tea

It’s been almost a week and I’m finally getting to the post about my costume groups Christmas get together!

 

Setting the table for the gathering. I am wearing my favorite dress…a 1870’s pattern and using my 1940’s dishware that I’m trying to collect a descent set of.

Lottie came dressed in 1700’s style. Not our usual Victorian theme…I told the girls to wear something comfortable and something they have been wanting to get more use out of.

This hand made cap is so dainty!

Shirley came in some festive 1860’s wear.

After some tea and muffins we did the gift exchange.

I got a bigger haul because it was a birthday/Christmas combo.

Time for the stitching.

Shirley wound a skein of wool into a ball.

Lottie added a few more rows to her Canadian Cloud.

I worked on some trim for the bodice of my next dress...1858 Lottie (Named after Lottie who bought the fabric for me when she went to CoCo).

 

Progress Report on 1858 Lottie

I worked on, and finally finished, something I hate…hand sewing.  I hate it doubly because it was on something no one will EVER see! The interior of the bodice was a fury mess from the fabric fraying.

Now it is all pretty!  And I have nice little channels for the boning!

 

Next step is the details on the front, then the boning.  After that comes the sleeves.  I haven’t had much trouble with the sleeves in the last few projects but I still find I dread them…

The joys of pattern matching

I got all my bodice pieces flat lined  and assembled this weekend.  I really got a kick out of how nicely the patterns matched up.  Not perfect but pretty nicely!  On the front, the spot near the neck line is a bit off.

This is the other not perfect bit…but close enough for this cowgirl.

Next step is trimming all the seams.  I’m hoping the trimming and my natural fluffiness will fix this issue at the breast area…

Because of fraying, I’m going to need to finish all the seams.  That will be an evening or two of hand sewing.

What kind of hat for the Lottie dress?

I’ve been looking at pictures in a book in my library (Victorian and Edwardian Fashion a Photographic Survey), trying to decide what kind of hat to wear with the Lottie dress once it is done.

I could use ones I have if push comes to shove…

I’d have to take the flowers off…they’d clash.

The color would be okay…but the brim is too big. 

This one is the best option from hats I already have.

I’d like to make one along these lines. 

I really like those smaller bonnets!  For indoor wear I have something a bit like this…

I also don’t mind this…

Piping done

Everything is cut out and the piping is made so next available day the sewing will commence. 

I got some more de-cluttering done and now my sewing space is fit to actually work in.

In my cleaning up, I found a lost item…again. My pocket watch.

In other productivity news, I used up some wool and made a mitt.  I wonder how many days/weeks/months/years it will take me to make the mate?