Progress Photos from Today

 I got all the muslin patterns cut out, pinned, and then cut out again on the top fabric, which I'm almost positive is upholstery weigh linen, now. It turned out much more flexible, post washing machine adventure. Anyway, two layers each of front and back of the bodice.

Sewing + wine = much more fun, albeit with much worse fine motor skills. Got the bodice all hemmed now but for the bottom edge. Probably I will hem that before I attach the skirt? But it might not be necessary, I'm not sure yet.

Aaand the bodice thus-far, as seen over the smock. It's very very pale yellow, though the lightening doesn't show that off terribly well.

Tudor Gown - First Steps

Just put some fabric in the washing machine to get started on my first late-period garb for the SCA. I'm going to try making a fitted English gown, as seen in The Tudor Tailor. I'm a bit nervous? I made a miniature version a few months ago, to make sure I understood how the pieces all go together, but it's a huge chunk of fabric to waste, if I make a mistake.

Luckily I'm using thrift store fabrics? I found 12 yards of a heavy i-think-it's-upholstery-weight-linen at a resale shop. The pattern calls for 3.5 yards and I'm washing 4, so i've got room for screw-ups, but I'd rather not make any mistakes, you know?

I'm using the thrift store fabric for the kirtle, and I have another thrift store find to use for the sleeves, but I haven't found the perfect fabric for the fitted gown yet.

Here's the miniature version, as modeled by the lovely Claire Bear:

I haven't quite finished setting up the new sewing room, btw, but it's clearly operational! I made a mock-up in muslin of a Viking style tunic dress the other day. The pattern I found needs some adjustments, though, so I'm gonna wait until I remake it to post pictures.

(It might have turned out better if someone else had done the measuring! lol...I was trying to measure my own arm circumference one-handed...)


Kirtle fabric in back, sleeve fabric in the front:

Don't know, don't care if the pattern on the sleeve fabric is 100% historically correct, but it's really pretty and i'm gonna use it regardless of its authenticity. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the darker embroidered bits are a dark sage green, and I'm hoping to find a nice fabric in a similar shade for the over gown.

The smock I have currently is also not completely correct for the period, it having originally been used for an 18th century French fur trade reenactment that my neighbor used to do, but she wasn't gonna use it any more and passed it along to me, and since no one is gonna see it... Well, that's just one less thing I have to do.

Anyway, that's where I currently stand. Have a lovely day~!

Long Time No Post

I...admit, I kinda forgot I had this blog? I got swept up in Tumblr for a while, and it's much more fast-paced and easier to navigate...

...but I'm getting a new sewing space soon, and I'm really excited to chronicle the setting-up process, so I'll probably post here a bit more. ^__^

September 26, 2012

So, more progress on my Idris costume to share. :) Skirt and bodice are all sewn, now, except for putting in zippers. Still have to make sleeves and the bit of sheer stuff at the neckline. I have the bows all put together, too.

Here's a picture of it with the petticoat underneath. :)

Obviously, some work still needs to go into changing (lightening) the color of the bodice, but so far so good... ^___^

Idris

Finally making some progress on my Idris costume...and I wish I was happy about it, but my back aches from hunching over, pleating yards and yards of fabric for trim. BLECH.

Still...it's starting to actually look like a costume, and not just a pile of fabric, so that's good. :)

Back at school. Classes start Monday, so...I'll probably feel like sewing and projecting-ing right about then. lol. Anyway, I have three amazing roomies this year, who all also cosplay. Our living room is going to look like a Chinese sweatshop exploded, come con-time.

I'm actually excited about this. lol.

I sort of did some steampunking this morning with a friend. We went antiquing, and I brought a sketchbook for ideas...but didn't wind up drawing anything. I did find a SUPER cheap Victorian-style walking skirt, which was awesome.

Also, I have my Idris costume bits all spread out right now, trying to motivate myself into actually working on that costume, since I think it's probably going to be my most difficult. UGH. So many fancy seams! River isn't going to be any easier. :/

Anywho, I'll try to be better about updating. I barely sewed over the summer, so there wasn't much to talk about, but I'm hoping that changes with my school schedule this fall...I have really easy Tuesdays and Thursdays this term, and no classes at all on Friday. Three day weekends full of costumes!!!

(Well, so I keep telling myself...)

Success!

No pictures, as of yet, but I recently stumbled across the PERFECT fabric for my Idris costume in the red tag section of my local JoAnn's, as well as some fabric for my River costume (though I'll need to dye that...).

I had been previously looking at an online source for the Idris fabric, which sold the actual fabric used for the episode of Doctor Who, "The Doctor's Wife," but they were selling it for $150 a yard! I'm a poor college student. $150 is absolutely not in my budget. I thought I'd never find another resource, but Lady Luck had her eye on me it seems, because not only was the fabric I found in the red tag section, my good friend who works there let me use her 20% employee discount. ^___^ The color of the fabric isn't perfect--it's too dark, and I'll have to figure out how to turn it from brown to blue-ish, but the pattern is spot on, and it was around $3 a yard, so who am I to complain?

In other news, I bought some lovely tea this morning, and a really neat tin to put it in. I'm excited to go home and try some!