Can’t get off the couch

I did plan on getting into my sewing room and whipping up the over sleeve on my next dress project but couldn’t get my butt off the couch.  I’m not sick…just lazy.  But I did work on the dress.

I want to use Dorset buttons on the dress and I have 12 that I made a year or two ago.  Unfortunately I have 12 and need 16.  I was unable to find more of the same sized rings so I had to buy 16 more of a slightly larger size.   This weekend I started making new buttons. (3 done)

Definitely bigger than I want but usable.

I also bought the cording I will need to go with it.  So some progress was had.

Finally started

Olive is officially on her way!  I bought the lining, closures and thread I needed to get started.

The bodice is well and truly started.  The original pattern has gathers at the waist but I did big pleats instead to try and match the inspiration.

And I want to use the Dorset buttons I made ages ago!  (Alas, I will need to make more) but I think they will work out well.

Its hard to get started but once I have, it is easier to keep going (unless I leave the country of course.)

Olive gets cut

My next project (which I have dubbed Olive) has been cut out.

I had ordered a pattern for the top but I realized that it isn’t the right one.

Which is the right one?  One I had already.

Oh well.  All is not lost.  There is a ton of fabric left over and I have a bit of contrasting material.  I could use the other pattern with that material-or not.  I haven’t decided yet.

My inspiration dress has an over and under skirt.  If I make the over skirt separate from the under skirt I can end up with 4 pieces that I can mix and match.

I love it when a plan comes together!

A goal…not a resolution

Have any of you made new years resolutions?  I tend not to do those any more.  They never make it past January.   But I do have a couple of goals.  One is to reduce the amount of stuff in my house.  I used to go through the house twice a year and ditch things that no longer served a purpose but I haven’t really done that in a few years and the amount of “stuff” that has started to amass is getting uncomfortable.

My other goal is along the lines of the first but more specific.  That is to reduce the sewing and knitting hoard by getting rid of started projects by either finishing them or getting rid of them.  So, for example, if I look in a bag and see a knitting project that I can honestly say I have no desire to finish, I will unravel the wool and either set it aside for another project or sell it in a garage sale or donate it to charity.  Some of that wool was purchased because it was on sale but now I feel it is ugly.

In terms of sewing, I’ve been hoarding fabric for 4 projects. Since I no longer do Historical Sew Monthly, I have no need to put these projects on the back burner AGAIN and run out and buy more fabric for projects that better suit the challenge.

Here are the four projects:

1. The olive dress using fabric I bought a year and a half ago at CoCo.
2. A corset with fabric bought a year and a half ago (also at CoCo).
3. An 1896 dress with fabric I bought last spring for a Historical Sew Monthly challenge but never started.
4. Decide on and make a dress with the fabric my costuming buddy picked up for me when she went to CoCo last summer.In years past, I worked out a project plan based on the Historical Sew Monthly challenges but this year I’m just saying “goals” not “plans” and I will tackle each project when I have completed a current project and I will decide on which one to start next based on what I feel like making.  Historical Sew Monthly was useful for helping me build my costume wardrobe and for pushing me into motion but now I don’t want the pressure.  I want to make what I want when I want.  I feel I can “up my game” not by rapidly trying new projects, eras and skills but by slowing down and working on quality not quantity.  I no longer need to build a wardrobe.  Now I need to fill it out with accessories and I need to start thinking about replacing dresses with ones that better represent what I know and what I can do.

Have any of you made plans or goals for this year?

Completed projects: year in review

I like these posts.  I’m always surprised at how much I’ve actually done in a year!  So lets see if this year holds true-in spite of the extra stresses and giving up on Historical Sew Monthly.

Lets start with the non wearable items: rock painting.

Next up: modern sewing projects.

Modern knitting and crochet.  There were quite a few of these, including one where I spun the wool myself.

Gads! The wrinkles!

There were a few historical knitting projects.

There were not as many historical sewing projects as in years past but more than I thought!

The total is 25 which works about to be about 2 a month.  Not to shabby!  I’m happy with that.

I hope for myself another productive year and I wish it for you readers as well.  I also wish happiness and peace!

 

The Olive dress has a hat

It has been awhile since I produced anything historical but today is the day!  And it has been a project that I amassed materials for a year and a half ago! ‘Bout time!

Yeah, I know.  The hat is made before the dress….sigh.

This is the inspiration:

And this is my version:

I was hoping for more of a sloping hill look.  And I thought I made it ridiculously huge but apparently not enough.

Some more smaller flowers may help…

The base isn’t quite right either.  This is what it looked like without flowers.

Oh “bleeeeep”

I need to get back onto the HSF bandwagon (I fell off last month when I gave up on my black leather gloves).  This month, the plan is another chemise to go with my new Edwardian dress.  The plan was a basic, no frills bag with arm and neck holes but (insert swear word here) didn’t I see a pattern for an insert for Edwardian undies on the vortex…I mean net!  I found it on this site.

And it originally comes from this book.

It would really make the chemise something special but I don’t have time to pull this off for the challenge!  Drat, drat, drat, drat!

Okay, game plan.  Make the plain chemise on time for the challenge.  Crochet the yoke and put it in later.

 

 

Christmas gift card gone

My main goal for dress creation this year is one 1900’s dress in my wardrobe.  The one I have my heart set on is this one…you’ve seen it before. 1909 in the V&A collection.

I really want it in the purple but the fabric gods were not forthcoming and it will be in green…not my favorite shade of green either but workable.

Probably wont be using those buttons.  I have some Dorset buttons that will be better.

Anyway, the hat…. Hats are always a challenge because silk flowers that actually look okay are expensive.  I’ve usually had to a) buy good stuff but not enough of them because I don’t have enough coupons or b) buy cheap Dollarama flowers that look cheap.

But, the hat for this dress will have a ton of good flowers courtesy of all my gift cards and a couple of coupons.

I think they will be a nice complement to the green in the dress-especially if I buy some more leaves to add to it.

What do you think?

 

Can you envision it?

What shall I call this dress? The woman who wore the purple dress was named Heather Firbank.  She liked to wear heather colored clothes.  My name is not Heather and there is no such color as Wanda or my real name. So a green name.  This color is close to Olive. So my future dress will be called 1909 Olive.

 

I think I have a plan

I have decided what I want to do with the linen I bought at CoCo.

It is a 1909 dress from the VA museum.  I know it isn’t Victorian but I think I want one Edwardian dress for those occasions that are more Edwardian than Victorian.  I wont be needing all the plaid I bought so it goes into the stash for some other unknown project.  I do wish the linen was in purple…even a dark purple would do but I think dyeing it would not work well.  It would just go darker brown.  So I will aim for the impression of the dress if not the color.

My dance card is full till the end of the year but come January I will be setting up my goals for the year and I think this will be near the top of the list.