Monday Progress Update: January 6th

Beatrice almost complete.  I haven't worked on her this week, still waiting on the bias to come in, but I got a picture of the almost-done:

I hope to get the bias in soon so I can finish this.

I also finished my pants.  This pic has only one leg hemmed, but since then both legs have gotten done.

This is where we last left the shirt.  Since I've put buttons and hand buttonholes up the front and added a collar stand.  Eventually I'll be getting a paper collar and collar studs which will need their own holes, but I'm not sure of the size and position yet.

This is where we left my Morning Coat yesterday.  Since then I've refined it, cutting the pattern and doing two mock ups.

So here's where Morning Dress is:

Pants and shirt with suspenders.  Pants are hemmed a little high, as was the style in the early 1920's.

Current coat mockup.  I think the front armscye is too large, and the back suffers from a horrid static cling, but otherwise I'm hopeful it's good.

Monday Progress Update: December 30th

I didn't get quite as much done this week as I wanted, but I did get stuff done:

Beatrice is almost complete.  I had to mail order a last spool of gold bias, but otherwise she's finished:

I also got started on my Morning Dress.  I made a pair of suspenders:

And a dress shirt is almost done.  I was especially proud of the topstitching on the patch pocket:

 And here's the shirt, with hand buttonholes on the french cuffs but no buttonholes on the center placket.  It also still needs a collar stand:

Tutorial - Gem Centered Shoe Bows

 You will need:

Gemstones (I used red in 13 and15mm sizes)

pearls (I used 3mm)

heavy thread

felt

glue (I used E6000)

beading or thin needles

ribbon

thread that matches the ribbon

shoe clips (I got mine from American Duchess)

 Instructions:

Glue the gems to the felt.

 

Cut the felt around the gem, leaving a small lip of felt around the gem.

Thread two needles with heavy thread.  Push the first through the felt and string a few pearls on it.

Work with two pearls at a time.  Hold them close to the gem in a row.  Push the second needle up between the two beads.

Then push the second needle through the second bead.  This bead will now have two strings through it.

Push the next two beads forward and hold them in line with the last two.  Push the second needle down between the second and the third pearls.

Repeat this sequence of tacking down every other pearl.

 

When you get to the last pearl tack it down, then push the first needle back through the first bead (this prevents a divot between the last and the first beads.

 

Push all the threads through to the back of the felt and knot them.  Because felt is so loosely woven I also glue the knots down so they don't pull through.

 The gem centers are complete!  Now let's make bows!

 Cut a piece of ribbon twice as long as you want your bow to be, plus a seam allowance.

Fold both ends to the center with a 1/4-1/2" overlap.  Thread a needle with matching thread, doubled over, and tie a big knot in the end.  Stitch a running stitch through all three layers of the bow.

 Gather your stitches tight, then secure the gather with a few whipstitches.

 Take a small stitch through the felt backing of a gem.

And stitch back through the bow center, securing the bow to the gem.

Optional:

 Cut two lengths of ribbon for the tails.  Cut them as long as you want the tail to be plus 1/2".  Usually I would cut the ribbon at an angle or cut a notch into it, but I'm trying to copy a specific bow here so I'm doing it straight like the illustration.

Fold over the edge 1/2" and run a straight stitch through the top of the tail.  Pull the stitches tight to gather up the tail.  Take a few whipstitches to secure the gather.

 

Stitch the tail to the bow, right side of the tail to the back of the bow.

A completed tail bow.

Attaching the Shoe Clips:

 Open up the shoe clip like this.

 Using the two holes in the clip, stitch the clip to the back of the bow.  Make sure that the clip prongs are facing you as you are stitching, so the clip closes on itself and not on the bow.  Also, if you're sewing on a bow that has tails be sure that the tails come down opposite the clip prongs so that the bow hangs off your shoe and not up your ankle.  Tie off and you're done!

A completed clip!

Monday Progress Update: December 23rd

I lost a lot of time this week because of an unplanned trip to the ER, but I still hope to have this costume finished in time to wear it to the costume ball I'm going to for New Years'.

Lets start with the skirt.  I hemmed all of those scallops, then ironed on two layers of gold trim.  I still need to put a waistband on and tack down the underlayer.  On the bodice I assembled the sleeves and attached them.  The bodice got all of its own gold trim ironed on, and I put a separating zipper into the center back.  The right hand side sleeve got an engageante hemmed and attached, the left one is hemmed but not yet sewn on.  I also hemmed the bodice ruffle and tacked it halfway on.

(Still have horrid hoop show-through, I need to make a petticoat)

I took the underskirt apart to install the swagging.  Here is one piece all cut, gathered, and pinned ready to be sewn down.  I may re-do the center bit because I don't like how it's not centered all the way up.

Monday Progress Update: December 16th

I've been plugging away at Beatrice and a secret project that I can't show you.  I will show off pictures of Beatrice, though!

Reference: 

I started out by drafting the bodice.  I started with New Look #6584:

 The sleeveless bodice had the lines I was looking for, so I made a base/lining out of cotton muslin and boned it on each seam with 1/4" spiral bones.  I then covered the chest area with burgundy Casa satin and the rest of the bodice with brown Casa.

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I left the bottom free-hanging and draped it on my dummy, since the pattern was close-fitting to the hips and I needed it to flare out over the hoop.


Next I draped out the skirt.  I used Simplicity 1910:

It had a lot of pleating I had to drape out, but I couldn't find my favorite McCalls pattern for gored skirts, so I made do.  After draping and sewing the underskirt I used the pattern to cut the overskirt and draped it on the dummy, cutting the scalloped hem.


Next I went for mocking up sleeves.  I used the sleeve from Simplicity 9891:

I was really lucky because it fit the bodice hole with little alteration needed.  I cut the base of the sleeve out of burgundy muslin, but I needed to create a pattern for those puffs, so I slashed and spread the base pattern of my mock-up to create the stacked puffs:

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 Next I ironed on the gold trim.  The sleeves are ready to be sewn together now:

 Here it is with the bodice over the skirt mockup.  Wow, this shows just how much I need to put netting on that hoop, the hoop show-through is horrible!