Embellishment Step 3

I am still in the process of hand sewing the trim to embellish this blouse.  Tomorrow morning I will be finished with the front and back trim on the blouse and then to tackle the sleeves.

Pictures tomorrow morning!

Embellishment Step 2

I am bringing the trim from the bottom of the blouse front up and over the lace insert.  I have been experimenting with different designs.  Sorry it is so hard to see in these photos.

This is the trim that will cover the seam between the lace insert and the blouse front.

I've been hand sewing tonight tacking down the braid.

Buttonholes done and blouse completed!

All done!  and I am very pleased that my mock-up looks so nice and is wearable.

And the buttonholes are finished!  A bit of the marking pencil shows on them but it will come out when washed.

Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful and I am going painting!

Hand Sewing....

Today I spent some time hand sewing the braid and trim on the embroided eyelet blouse and adding the lace to the neckline.  Next I will figure out what the trim will be on the lace neck area. 

 I washed, dried and ironed the brown material I have just gotten.  It is cotton but the print on it makes it look like it is shiny.  This is going to be a skirt someday.

Tomorrow it is supposed to get up into the 70s.  So may spend the day in the garden!  Wednesday is going to be a plein air day at Sunol Regional Park!

Challenge #4 - Embellishment

 This morning I cut out a new blouse out of an off-white embroidered eyelet fabric.  This one is for the purpose of playing with Challenge #4.  The Late Victorians, in the midst of the industrial revolution, enjoyed the fruits of new machines that could make all kinds of things...like machine lace and braids and beads.  So they had to put them somewhere, so they decorated clothes and houses with all kinds of "gingerbread".

So out comes my lace/ribbon/braid stash.  Some of it has been in there for a long time.  The shortest is 14" long.


 I decided to make this blouse scooped neckline with a lace insert.  And I made the pattern 2" wider in the front to allow for a total 8 pin tucks at the neckline.

Here I actually remembered to take a picture for you as I am doing the tucks.








 And!  Lookie what I found!  A piece of embroidered ribbon that will fit right down the center front.

You can see the pin tucks on each side of the ribbon.

Then I started laying out braids, ribbon, lace to see where everything should go.

 





Tonight we will be watching Downton Abbey so guess what I will be doing!  Hand stitching down ribbon and braid.

Buttonholes and my problem with them

Challenge #4:  I plan to add a bit (embellishment) to my Challenge 3 corset cover, and to blouse sleeves. Then will tackle a new blouse with lace insertion.

First of all, about buttonholes......

This is my good friend, Elna.  She is 47 years old and is still doing her job.  I would love to know how many miles her little foot feed has gone while stiching away.  She has worked on tents, curtains, backpacks, Halloween costumes, bridesmaid dresses, shirts, dresses, historical costumes and tons of other things.  She came into the family when my sons were tiny and (don't tell him I told you, but he is about to turn 50!!)

She came with disks for all kinds of designs and a bunch of different attachments.

2 of the attachments were an embroidery foot and a zipper foot.  As you can see they are made of plastic.  Yup, they have both broken.

 Then I bought this zipper foot thing, which does work on Elna.  But I haven't had to put in buttonholes for a LONG time.  Zippers were more common.

So, now I have to remember how the thing works and actually do it.  Anyhow I miss Elna's zipper foot.  I looked on the internet and did find one so will try to get it. 

In the process, Elna found out she is now considered VINTAGE!  She is trying to figure out if she should take that as a compliment or not.

Photos and Buttonholes

Daughter #1 let me know I need to add more photos.  So...good, bad or ugly, I will try to add more.

 Buttonholes -  they are in my future. 

The Appliqued Blouse was cut out yesterday.

 I decided to do short sleeves and since the fabric comes appliqued it wouldn't be necessary to add a whole bunch of inset lace, etc.  This is such an easy pattern.  5 pieces and easi-peisy!  A beginner sewer could do it!  And it looks good in the end too!

Putting it together.

The casing at the waist is for a drawstring to gather the blouse.









The blouse done except the buttonholes....and lace around the bottom of the sleeves for Challenge #4:  Embellishment

The neck and front....The collar looks crooked but it isn't really.  It rises up to points on each side at the side backs. 

 You can see the points on the collar from this view of the back.

I had to remove some of the appliques that landed in the seam areas.  It wasn't hard to do but a bit time consuming.

Tomorrow I will do those buttonholes and explain why I don't like to do them.  I also will be sending off my photo of finished Challenge 3:  Under it all.  It will get a little more embellishment for Challenge 4 also.

Done so far!

So far I have a new chemise, a new corset, new corset cover (waiting for a bit of embellishment), a new petticoat, a new skirt (needing the hem done).

And I also have a new pair of shoes from American Duchess!

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The blouse is cut out, so far, so good, as far as fitting goes.  I decided to do the short sleeve and since the fabric comes appliqued it wouldn't be necessary to add a whole bunch of inset lace, etc.

Another Beginning!

The Navy Blue skirt still needs to be hemmed so tomorrow I will be sewing the binding to skirt bottom.  Then I will be pining the hem.  I will be sewing the hem on the evenings we watch our favorite TV programs.  I always seem to need to be doing something other just watching TV.

Today I made a copy of the pattern pieces for this blouse.

Since it is a new pattern I am making a mockup and hopefully it will turn out ok!  I am using the lawn material for the lining and this cotton appliqued fabric for the fashion material.  I'm still thinking how I'm going to do the neckline area, with lace material or not.  I don't plan to embellish this much because it is a mockup and I will save that fun job for another blouse.

Tomorrow I will finish cutting out the blouse.

Buttonholes are OUT!

I decided to skip the buttonholes on the corset cover and used hooks and eyes instead!  To much trepidation regarding those buttonholes.  I need to get a new buttonhole attachment before I put my buttonholes in front of the world.

The corset cover is finished Challenge 3) except for embellishment (Challenge 4) which at this point is extra.

In the meantime. I have the hem left to do on the "Trumpet Skirt" that I made up from the navy lightweight wool.
I will have to put up another picture since this one is so dark.
















And I added this left over lace from my stash to the blouse sleeves.  And I can officially say the  blouse is now completely done.

New Material!

New material I ordered arrived yesterday!

It is very lightweight and will be made into  skirt!


In the meantime, yesterday I cut out the navy lightweight wool for a skirt and navy blue cotton for the foundation for the skirt.  Today I sewed it up to the point of putting in the hem.  It is looking great so far!

Getting Ready for Next Project

I know, I know, I haven't finished the Corset Cover yet.  It still needs its buttons and buttonholes... well, I have to build up courage for the buttonholes.  So we are just going to wait a few days for that.

 In the meantime, today I washed and ironed the fabrics I plan on using soon.

White embroidered, appliqued cotton

I plan on using this for a blouse and I have enough maybe to make an Edwardian skirt out of it too.

Oyster Striped Muslin

I am going to use this striped Muslin for Challenge #6 which is to make something striped.

Kaufman Cambridge Cotton Lawn - Ivory

 And this lawn will be used for the lining since the muslin is pretty transparent.

Embroidered Eyelet Cotton

 And then there is this embroidered Eyelet I've had for a long time.  Enough for a blouse or to be used in combination with the embroidered appliqued fabric.

This one I didn't wash.  I'm going to be dry cleaning it.  It is so beautiful and soft.

Navy Cassimere lightweight wool

The picture doesn't do it justice at all.  First of all the color is dark navy blue.  It is lightweight wool, something I have never worked with at all.  Wool just seems like it belongs in a place that is cold......I know, that is wrong, but I've only had wool coats so.....  And I always worried about the cleaning situation, which actually I still worry about.  Just dry cleaning should take away that concern.  I did cut out a 4"x4" square and wash it in warm water with a tiny bit of soap and rinsed in cool water.  It didn't seem to shrink at all.

When I read of Victorian fashions they use wool all the time.


This is the pattern I'm going to use for it!  I need a new skirt badly so I'm thinking this might be next!




















This is the blouse pattern that I will be trying next.  It is supposed to be from a vintage pattern but redone and modernized.  At least it has more detailed instructions that the last one!!

The Corset Cover Progress

"Dolly" has the chemise on (and you can see its straight neckline), and then the corset (patterned fabric) and then the brand new, almost finished, corset cover.  

This corset cover is so easy to make.  I had it cut out already and today it is done EXCEPT all the fru fru, buttons and button holes.

Button holes are scary.  They can turn out great or...not.   And these should be hand done....they may end up hand done, or not.

All the fru fru (lace and decoration) can be done during the next challenge "Embellishment".

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Today I was able to plant some of the new baby plants and did a bit more weeding.  It got up to 69 degrees.

 I'm getting a little anxious about starting on my new skirt!

Challenge 3 - starting

Today I actually finished the Victorian blouse!!!!!  I finished the last of tacking the lace down while watching "The Americans" pilot.  (I think it is has too much violence for me.)

Anyhow, we are now on Challenge #3:  Under it all.  I will be doing the A version.  I think the skinny strap version may be annoying if the straps keep slipping down.  I don't plan on adding all the ruffles, my blouse has enough puffyness in it's pigeon puff as it is.  And... I have it cut out already!  I did it when I cut out my blouse pattern.  It feels good to be ahead of the game.

I am getting a little nervous about so many layers of clothing and how heavy it will all be.  I haven't been wearing my corset for a couple of years while doing tours...but I'm upgrading.  And I didn't have a chemise either.  Well, if the Victorians/Edwardians could do it I guess I can too!  Are we wimps? No, we're not!

Layers:
stockings, shoes
chemise
corset
corset cover
petticoats - 2 at least
then the outer garments.

Challenge #3

Challenge #3: Under it all - Due Feb. 11
"Every great historical outfit starts with the right undergarments, and, just in time for St. Valentines day, here's your excuse to make them.  Chemises, corsets, corded petticoats, drawers, garters, stockings.....if it goes under your garments, it qualifies."

OK, as soon as I finish the back closing and the belt on the Victorian blouse I will be starting my corset cover.  Just as the chemise is to protect the corset from body oils, etc. the corset cover protects the outer upper outside garments from the corset and body.  My corset cover was cut out at the same time I cut out the chemise, so it is ready for sewing!

Of course, if you have really been paying attention you will remember the lace on the sleeve cuffs of the Victorian blouse is still waiting to be tacked down.  It will just have to wait for Challenge #4 Embellish!

Now to get those hooks and eyes and the belt to the blouse done so by the time it warms up outside today I can get to the GARDEN!  It is supposed to get up into the mid 60s!  Yay!

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The back closing and belt are done!  Don't mention hooks and eyes to me, I HATE THEM!  All that is left on the blouse is the lace on the sleeves......a good thing to do while watching TV.

Meanwhile, the left side flower bed is almost completely weeded.  Supposed to be 66 degrees F tomorrow!!  I have a meeting in the morning and walking in the afternoon, then plan to plant my little baby plants!

Progressing still

Today was so beautiful and the garden was certainly calling!  And I have my new baby plants to put in!

But I held off and worked on the belt for the Victorian blouse.  It is baisted on at this point.  This evening I started putting the hooks and eyes for the back closing.  I am about half way done.  Hooks and eyes are not my favorite things to do.  When the back closing is finished then I can finish the belt.

 

I did go out and work in the garden though.  It is supposed to be even nicer for the next few days so I will be getting those plants in.  The chances for a hard freeze at this point is getting slimmer, although this winter seems like we have had a lot of hard freezes.   I will have to protect them just in case.

Tomorrow I will finish the back closing on the blouse before playing in the garden, I promise.

Challenge is due!

I got my pattern up-sized out of this challenge.  I also finished my corset project  and mended my fan.

My blouse isn't finished though.  I finished putting the lace on the collar today and came up with a solution to finishing the bottom hem (by making a belt).  I added the picture to the challenge photo page:  http://www.facebook.com/groups/144492112368133/photos/

I have yet to do:
hooks and eyes sewn for the back closing
lace tacked to sleeve cuffs
belt finished and attached to bottom hem.

Coming down to the wire!

Actually the challenge ends tomorrow!!  I'm going to be fairly close but won't be making it....

Today was lace, lace, lace....Tacking down lace.  The lace has to be tacked down well because it will catch on anything and everything, besides that it doesn't want to lay nice and neatly.  It is all done by hand and takes a lot of little stitches.

So far, the neckline is about done, the epaulets need to be attached.  The cuffs on the sleeves needs to have the lace tacked down, the hook and eyes on the back closing need to be added and I have to figure out what I am going to do about the "belt".  The pattern doesn't say anything about how to finish off the bottom hem, it just says you can use a fancy belt.  I also may get some more of the lace for the collar.

Fanny, Fan, and Lace

The challenge #2 is due tomorrow.  The challenge was to finish an unfinished project.
The only unfinished projects I had were:
A. corset hip padding
B.  fix my fan
C. upsize my blouse pattern and create a mockup

 The first 2 are quick little projects and the third is, for me, a huge project.

The Corset Hip Padding:

The Fan:

 I found this fan about 25 years ago.  It has beautiful carved sticks, but as you can see, one of them had been broken.  This is what I planned to fix for the challenge.
















The material on the fan was in fairly good shape when I first found it, but it had a bit of wear.  In order to stabilize the fabric so I could use it I covered the fabric with a black sheer material. 

This morning I super glued the broken stick.  I haven't cleaned up the excess glue yet.

It was actually harder to do than I thought it would be because it was hard to manipulate without getting some glue on the other sticks.  I certainly didn't want them to get stuck together.

And the third project is the Blouse I've been working on.  I'm not going to have this one done by tomorrow!

I am working on the trim which has to be done before the back opening can be finished.  I'm about one third donel as of tonight.