We are moving again!

After some very busy days, I was able to get back to the Mucha Dress.

Jen came down and we did a little playing....

 The shiny first layer and the chiffon second layer...

 And the green shiny top layer.

 Let's try a bit of lace, or maybe not.

Today, I put the bottom layer, the "modified turkish pants" together.  It has a drawstring waist at this point, that may change later.

I have the cuffs to hand sew and the buttons to put on.

And by the way, the velvet bodice I had planned on, has gone by the wayside.  It was too heavy to do what I wanted to do with it.  Instead I have a piece of black lightweight fabric that looks like it will work well.





mmm

Not much done yet

Things have been busy so not much work on the Mucha Dress, although I did cut out what I hope to be the "turkish pants" for the bottom layer of this dress.  Tomorrow, the seams should be sewn and a picture will be posted.  Jen is coming down Sunday and I will catch her for a fitting for the ankle cuff length!

Starting the Mucha Dress

This is the dress I am making for my daughter for the Downton Abbey Ball.

Getting started on the lining base.  Front

 Back

And just to get an idea of what I have planned, I pin the uncut pieces of material together on the form.

See, it is just uncut fabric and at the back is all the excess!

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Tassels are the last touch!

I need to pick up tassels to finish off the point on the sleeves and then the 1912 dress is done.  Here it is without the tassels.  It looks a little low in the front though because I changed the dress form to my daughter's measurement instead of mine.

So, now on to the Mucha Dress.  This will be my daughters dress for the Downton Abbey Dance.

In trying to figure out this outfit, it looks to me like there could be a version of turkish pants at the very first layer. It looks like there may be a cuff at the ankle.  It looks like a stiffer material than the next layer.




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The next project

Tacking down the overlay.

To keep the overlay in place I decided to tack it down......now it looks like it is a little too long.  Darn, now I will have to sew down the beading again.

Just wondering:

I have seen all these pictures in the fashion plates, different eras, where the skirts are draging on the ground...how the heck did they walk in those dresses without stepping on the skirts or tripping on them.  The Edwardian dresses often have a train of netting or chiffon-type material hanging down the back...how did they dance? how did they keep from backing up and stepping on it, and most important, how did they keep other people from stepping on those wimpy little trains?????

Back from a respite in Murphys!

A two day trip to Murphys!  Mark Twain Territory!  So much fun and the weather was just great!

Lots of Frogs, famous for the Jumping Frog Contest!

The only down part was when my Dear was tying his shoe on a rock, lost his balance, fell forward, rolled onto a second rock then flipped down into blackberry branches in the ditch!  Luckily, only bruises on his arm a few cuts and scrapes from the rocks and prickels from all the blackberry stickers.  At least no bruised ribs!

But he was fine after it all.

Taking a Break!

My Dear and I are taking a break (although I did do some beading for the sleeves). So the 1912 dress is in hibernation until Saturday.  I am planning Jen's dress though.  I think I know what I am going to do.

I need to do more beading....

Yesterday, as I was on the treadmill, walking while contemplating the dress on the dress form.  The dress seemed like it had too much fabric in the back.  After debating about it, the decision was made.  Take out 8 inches in the back.

 This is after.

 The question is to take out some of the overlay.  I think so, but that is going to mean undoing about half of the beading and re-tacking it.

Then, the sleeves are going to need more beading than I have so.....back to beading!

Sore fingers!

I spent most of the day doing hand sewing on the 1912 dress.  I finished the last half of the under skirt hem and finished tacking on all the beading on the organza overlay (except the sleeves).  I also worked on the closing, putting the last of the hooks and eyes on.


Left to do:

Under the closing needs a bit of work.  There is a bit of wrinkle there so the seam needs to be redone.

The sleeves on the overlay need to be done (cut and beading added).  The overlay gathering need to be adjusted.

I have to come up with something to attach the overlay where the fronts meet.

Tomorrow I will post a picture of the progress.

In the meantime, my dear hubby thinks maybe he will join at the Downton Abbey Ball.  It will be the first for both of us at a Greater Bay Area Costume Guild event.  And Jen and Robert are coming too.

So, since I never even pay attention to the details of what the guys wear at Downton Abbey I have to spend some time looking into this topic.  So far this is what I found.

We are going to have to go find out what his measurements are to start out with.

Beading again!

All the beading I had done ahead is now being tacked down on the edge of the organza overskirt.

And while I am doing that I am starting to think about Jen's dress.  What is the plan on that one?

This is where the 1912 dress is so far....

This is where I'm at so far.  Ready to start hemming on the underskirt.

I didn't have enough of the black organza so I had to make a trip to JoAnn's tonight.

Getting close to starting the organza finish!

Yesterday I tacked down all the lace and attached the skirts to the bodice.

And today, wonder of wonders!  It is going to Rain!! And, it is supposed to really give us a GOOD rainfall this time.  A few days ago it rained, but our ground is so dry there certainly weren't any puddles in the dirt.  My succulents have their little branches folded, praying for moisture.

I am planning to head for "Lucy", our RV to do some serious hemming and listening to the rain on the roof.  I know it sounds crazy but I love the sound of rain.  Although, I am talking California rain, not East Coast rain.  Those people back there are real troopers for living with all their wild weather.  Californians have been asked to cut back on our power usage so those back East will have more on the power grid.  We are doing that, willingly.  We saw just a smidge of what they go through on our Slice of America 2 trip a couple of summers ago.

Anyhow, I have it all planned out.  I will be finishing the waistband and closure with overcasting the lining this afternoon.  Then I plan to put in the hem for the underskirt.  Then I will deal with what I am going to do about the organza that covers the bodice/top part of skirt area.  And then, I will be sewing on that beading that I made ahead for along the edges.

Once I get to working on todays project I will take a picture and post  what it looks like so far.

THEN!  I have to get together with my daughter and get all her measurements to start on her dress!

Sleeve decision

I decided the bodice shall be sleeveless.  Most of the 1912 evening dresses seem to be.  The organza over-bodice will have a bit of sleeve.

I did change the closing from the right side to the left side.  Ahh, that feels better.

In the mean time, I am stitching the lining to the outside fabric together.   Then tomorrow I will try to get the tacking down of the lace on the bodice.


Today was our grandson's birthday so we spent the evening with him.  What a joy he is.  Grandpa gave him a flashlight, his favorite thing!

A lot of Hand Sewing

There was a beautiful sunrise this morning, nice and orange!  I ran and got the camera but the color had already faded as the sun came up.

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Then I took another and it had faded even more so quickly!

Today I dedicated myself to hand sewing.  I hemmed the skirt on the dress and tacked down the lace along it's bottom.  The underskirt hem is going to have to wait until I attach the skirt and underskirt to the bodice.

Then I corrected a mistake I made the other day.  I had put the opening on the right side, instead of the left.  I considered leaving it, but it was really bothering me so I re-did both sides, making the left side opening.  Then I put in the hooks and eyes to where the skirt will be attached to the bodice.

The new opening on the correct side.

I have to figure out what I am going to do about the bodice sleeves.  Once I do the sleeves I will attach the skirts.

Then I will have to decide how to do the overskirt in black organza.  

All Pinned Up

I have the bodice and it's lining cut and seamed to a point.  I have to make a decision on what next so I decided to pin it all on "Betsy".  Keep in mine that other than the bodice's main fabric, every thing is large pieces of fabric just pinned on.

Please excuse the magenta tee shirt on the form....too bad it isn't black.  Oh, well.  I was trying to see how the black organza changes the colors and how the lace across the bodice works and if I should do the bodice to the natural waist line or a high waist line.

 On this view I folded up the upper skirt and added the cream underskirt look.

 Then I tried adding the lace to the cream hem.

I didn't like the lace on the bottom and felt that the overskirt was too high.  So I lower the overskirt and pinned the lace on the overskirt instead of the underskirt.  I also took out the cream fabric under the bodice lace.  I also raised the waist.

 I also raised the black organza a bit.

Enough....I need to eat breakfast!












mmmm

Here's the surprise!

So, I have a few talents, and then I lack a few.

One of those talents I lack is doing creative things with my hair.....

So...

I went to:   TheHistoricalHairdresser.com

And she made this for me:

Ahh, now I don't have to work at my hair before the Downton Abbey Ball!

And I must say the Historical Hairdresser is so sweet and helpful.  And from someone that has never done a wig before, I am pretty excited!

And.....now the dresses.  I have just started to come up with a mock up on the dress form.  Think good thoughts for me.