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…
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.
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…
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?
Well, not really. There is still snow EVERYWHERE but it isn’t quite as cold. I had a day off so I actually got a lot done. Not quite twitter-patted but more lively than I have been in awhile!
I dealt with my Sims game families. Don’t mock me! Having ultimate control over them helps me have control over myself!
Puppy got her walks done AND I finally got the nerve (and the technique) to do her glucose curve (I have to poke and draw blood from her ear 6 times in one day-we don’t like that.)
I gave her a much needed hair cut and nail clipping on Saturday. What a job!
I made the head for a crochet horse. I ran out of stuffing so lord knows if this horse will get a body.
I cleaned out the buttons, bones and hooks drawer in my sewing room. There is room in there now to move some other stuff that is cluttering the room.
Yesterday I did my ribbons and lace drawer.
I have been on a bit of a de-cluttering thing. We either want to downsize or convert our basement into an apartment for a student. Either way, the crap has got to get thinned out!
In my efforts I finally found my sewing scissors and its case with a built in sharpener.
I’d say for the last 15 years, I have had one or the other but never the two at the same time. I’m forever misplacing one part only to find it and realize I lost the other part. Good thing too. My stand-by for the past few years, pinking shears, has gotten really dull. I found it was gumming its way through my fabric.
That was the other thing I did…I cut out the fashion fabric for my next dress. I still need to do the lining.
You can see the difference between the gummed edges and the clean cut edges.
My pal, the name sake of the dress and one of my few readers pointed out that my inspiration dress didn’t really have a lapel…it was more of a piece sewn in between the front and side front with the fringe sort of hiding the seams.
Once I zoomed the photo, I found she was right. This means the patterns I bought were not needed. I could use the pattern I used for Copper Penny and Atessa. I cut the neck line into a V instead of a scoop.
The I will Frankencut the sleeves by sewing on a ruffle like this pattern.
I think once the skirt is done (I will be putting it on a waist band and not sewing it to the bodice) I will have enough fabric left over for another bodice. Perhaps I will use the one I bought….
Then I had to clean up the mess!
Look at that photo. Puppy has a wary eye on me in case I come at her with the glucose meter again. Look at the photo again. Any guesses how I manage to misplace the two parts of my scissors?
I have decided on my next project.
I will use the fabric Lottie picked up for me a few years ago. (This is why I have a hoard.) This fabric is more of a plum and gold stripe. Not quite as loud as the material in the Boston dress. I think that is for the best.
The fringe will need to be hand done with some embroidery floss and ribbon. That will be time consuming.
I have the patterns ordered already. I love on line patterns. I just need to print them up and assemble.
For the bodice, I ordered this one.
I will need to make the lapel bigger and omit the cuff. I will also need to change the back from a split to a point.
Then I ordered an accessory pattern to deal with the under sleeve.
Also, I want a more matronly neck line like in this photo. I think the chemisette on the right is perfect.
The skirt is a basic tube pleated into a waist band. I’m sure I have a pattern for that.
Now…what am I going to call this dress…1858…um…well, Lottie picked the fabric for me so this is 1858 Lottie.
