Monday, April 29, 2013

Monday Progress Update: April 29

It's still barely Monday, so hope this counts ;)  I'm so close!  The movers come next Monday, so my post might be a little later than this one is next week.

I did get a lot of stuff done this week.  The Costume Con countdown continues!


 Another outfit for Thing 2 is done.  This one is for the Future Fashion Folio show.  I used quilting cottons for the red and orange, and seersucker for the yellow.  I like the effect the patterns give from far away, but up close they sure are busy!


I think my favorite part is the big square buttons.  I love them!



I've also been working on my own FFF dress.  I chose this beautiful drawing for myself because I loved the headdress and the applique work.  Hope my version is half as pretty!





Last time I showed you this I had just laid out the mirrors.  I got some beautiful silk buttonhole twist and learned how to couch shisha mirrors from this tutorial.  I'm glad I started by gluing the mirrors in place, it made embroidering so much easier.  Although the smaller mirrors worked out beautifully I had huge problems with the larger mirrors.  The twist liked to shred, and even when I would get it to work the embroidery looked sparse.  I went through some tests (fishing line matrix, waxing thread, and embroidery floss) before I finally fixed my problem by using crochet thread.  The larger thread made the embroidery look substantial, and the twist had many strands so even if the mirror edge shredded a few there were enough strands to keep the stitching in place.  I had to hand-dye the thread because I could only find it in white.



For the dress I started at the bottom.  The first layer is a skirt of mirror organa with a muslin lining.  It's just stitched into an elastic casing.  I used the selvedges for the hems, but the organza is a little long so it might need to be hemmed more.


 The second layer is a wrap-around skirt.  I used my masking tape double that I made for Maghda's armor and darted the satin, then added a waistband.  To make sure that the hem is uneven like the picture I cut it at an angle.  I finished by hand-hemming the edges and holding it shut with a hook and two snaps.  I think it needs shoulder straps, too, but I have yet to put them on.


The top of this was really difficult to figure out.  I started using Butterick pattern 5711:



I only used the front, back, and sleeve pieces, and I changed it from a front opening to a back.  I also changed the sleeves to have a little more of a bell shape.  I'm still in the mock-up phase of the top.



Meanwhile I did more work on the skirts.  I draped a pattern for the long skirt, then dyed this gorgeous mattelaise that I've been saving for almost a decade.  It turned out gorgeous!  Then I cut "kelp" looking pieces from dark green casa, half-circles from tan and sage casa, and ovals from yellow casa satin.  I interfaced the back of them with heavy wonder-under before cutting, then I placed them all on the hem of the skirt and ironed them down.  I lined the skirt with some light cotton quilting fabric to give it a more stiff drape, and then cut some wide bias from silver casa satin.  I zig-zagged 6" horsehair braid to the silver satin and then put the satin on the hem.  The braid keeps it fairly stable and will help it to bell out like in the picture.



For the striped skirt I bought this striped silk taffeta.  I cut the pieces from my draped pattern and added a 1" wide silver casa satin bias hem.  I'm experimenting with painting plastic easter eggs silver to hang from it.



Just today I cut the short skirt.  It is lined with cotton fleece and cotton quilting fabric.  The mirrors are just glued on for now, but hopefully tomorrow I'll get some of them couched on!

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Historical Sew Fortnightly: Challenge 8

I'm so behind! I'm trying to catch up, though, and I'll be working on going back and making up the last few challenges.



 

The Challenge:Seaside Inspiration

Fabric: 4 yds Sateen

Pattern: TV 201

Year: 1872

Notions: Thread, 2 hooks and eyes, 5 yards pleated trim

How historically accurate is it?  Pretty good.  Not sure about the historical correctness of trim placement.

Hours to complete: 8

First worn: ?

Total cost: $30 in fabric, $20 in trim, scrap muslin for hem and waistband.


Monday, April 22, 2013

Monday Progress Update: April 22

Gosh, it's been almost two months since I did one of these.  Time certainly flies!  I'm not only getting ready for Costume Con right now, but also moving to another state, so to say I'm a bit busy is a drastic understatement!  I'm still managing to get things done though.  Right now it's a hobbit costume.  Thing 2 has decided that Hobbits are the greatest thing ever, so he's going to be Samwise Gamgee for the SF/F at Costume Con:



Shirt.  I'm not quite sure what it's made out of, there's a slight crosshatching to it but it has an awesome drape.  The buttons are wood, which seem to match what I can make out on the original.



Vest.  It's made out of stripey linen and lined with the thinnest cotton I could find.  There's so many layers to this costume I'm worried he will overheat, so I tried to be as thin as possible without things looking cheap.  The buttons are antiqued brass shank buttons, very nice.



The coat is brown wool.  It's slightly felted so that I didn't need to finish any of the edges.  I'm still debating with myself whether or not I'll try to take some of the color out and distress it like the movie.  Either way the edges will probably get a blanket stitch in the long car ride to the con.



 The pants are brown linen.  They kinda have a drop front/two fly system going on.  I added a seam where the flies are so that they're more durable for play after the con.  There's wood buttons that show, I still need to add some really flat buttons on the inside.



The cloak being cut.  I used the patter on the LOTR costume website:  http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/Things/FCloak/FCloak_pattern.htm  It was pretty easy to miniaturize.



The finished cloak with hood.



Side-by-side comparisons.  I think it ended up pretty good, don't you?  I've bought a cloak leaf and hobbit feet "spats" for his shoes, so he'll be comfortable and still look hobbity.  I'll be wearing my old Rosie costume.   9 years old and I can still wear it, hooray for back-laced bodices!  Thankfully I wrote up a making-of that I still have, it would have been hard to do documentation for it so many years later!

Next up: finishing up my seaside historical sew-fornightly (I know, I'm behind, but I just couldn't stand to hem tonight with my headache) and then doing fashion folio outfits for me and Thing 2.  I don't think I'll be accomplishing any new hall costumes, I'll probably take the bustle dress and Vanellope since they're comfortable and pack easy.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

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