Monday Progress Update: Mar 05

I've got a few weeks to update, so this is going to be a little long:

I finished my 1860's corset.  This picture doesn't have it but it is also bound and laced.  It's a good size for me now, hope that means it still fits in May!

I also mocked up two patterns from Truly Victorian:

TV 247: 1865 Elliptical Skirt and TV 202: 1869 Grand Parlor Skirt.

I made the Grand Parlor Skirt first for my waist size and it wouldn't fit over the hoop!  I had to add a 2' wide gore in the back to get it to fit.  For the Elliptical Skirt I cut the XL size and pleated it down to the 28" waist, which worked a lot better.  I'm going to finish both skirt mocks for petticoats.  I'll probably add a flounce of eyelet on at least one of them, too.  I think I decided that the Grand Parlor Skirt would be the best for my Historical Cinderella, so I'll be working on mocking the bodice soon so I can get started.  Also, speaking of, I've done a color study so I can better figure out fabrics on the dress:

I also got a lot of work done on my 1812 corset:

It's made of a single layer of Farthingales' white floral brocade coutil from the pattern that Bridges on the Body drafted from an existing corset for her 1912 Corset Sew-Along I got behind because I had to wait on an order of boning. It has the bones flossed at the top, bound on the top and bottom in white satin, and the top is trimmed with a soft raschel lace that's been gathered on the top and bottom.  The top stitching is covered by a lavender ribbon that will tie above the busk.  I've covered the garters in the same lavender transparent ribbon.  The garters still need to be attached, the bottom of the bones needs flossing, and I need to put in the grommets but I'm stuck on design.  I can do white or dark purple grommets and white, lavender, or dark purple flossing.  I can also make the garters detachable or permanent.  Let me know what you think!

I got some work done on my steampunk outfit. I'm making two different tops.  This is the underbust corset.  It's a single layer of cotton duck topped with black and silver striped dupioni.  The bone casings are covered in black dupioni, and you can see how I've cut black dupioni binding to add soon.  The busk is black, and the eyelets will be too when I get around to them.

I also put the busk in the vest top.  It is ready to have the edges finished.


I also dyed another gradient for another dress for Thing 1.  This one didn't turn out as well as the last one:

I need to darken the second and the last ones.  I've already overdyed the second because it was too blue and the third and fourth because they were too pink (and I think they might still be, I might go back and dye them more blue).



I sewed and boned the base of my little black dress and cut the fashion fabric and lace:

And I started two skirts:

Finally on the sewing front: I did some decorating/organization work in my sewing room:

I put up more bulletin boards and more pattern hooks;

and re-covered my sewing table (and promptly stained it ironing black dupioni).



On the non-sewing front I just had to make a cheesecake last night from this Design Sponge Rose Cheesekake with Raspberry Topping recipe. It's yummy, but we decided that the rose and the raspberry just don't jive too well. Next time I think I'll try pomegranate instead.