Snow Day update

I'm a snow junkie, and I am loving every flake, drift and forecast when it's like this.  To me, it's simply not winter until we have had some snow.  And more than anything else, I'm so very grateful for a snow day.

This weekend was a doozie.  I was up late every night, working on getting this project complete.  Friday night, I stayed up until 3:30 am, finishing the sequin pattern on the last panel of my reticule.  Saturday, I cut out my spencer and finished the dress.  Sunday, I did all the hand finishing on the garments, finished my slip, cut out and sewed my reticule, and tackled my hat.  I was up late till 3, doing handwork and then worrying while trying to go to sleep, trying to remind myself what I needed to gather, how I was going to get dressed at work, etc., all the while wondering whether we would even have school today.

That doesn't sound like much, but it was a lot.  I did not sew my spencer.  The skirt of the dress was far more complicated than I expected, and when I finished it, I knew I was done.  There was no time for a spencer.  So... another time.

Checklist update:

• chemise
• stockings
• shoes
• stays
• slip
• dress
• kerchief
• cap
• hat
• mitts
• reticule

I did not complete the spencer, as I said before, nor did I do the shawl.  The shawl is actually quite simple, but I'm really tired, and I just don't feel up to it.  I'm mentally and physically done with this project.  

Don't get me wrong--I've enjoyed it!  But spending every weekend for the last six weeks doing nothing but this project (and thus, letting housework, etc. get really neglected) has taken its toll.  My back and neck are killing me, my fingers are sore, and mentally, I'm ready to do something else.  I've been hankering to do some paper crafts.  I also really want to clean up and reorganize my bead storage and my paper crafting storage.  It's a cluttered mess... sigh.  

I do not have pictures to share at this point, but I'll take some.  I thought the hat would be more fun, and instead it was a total pain in the patella.  The truly fun piece was the reticule... mostly because everything went right on it.  Except that the heat of the iron did affect the older, smaller sequins I used on the first two panels.  The newer ones were heat resistant.  So I have two sides that are shiny and sparkly, and two sides that look a bit vintage.  Still shiny, but not so sparkly.  I did enjoy making the dress and other pieces, but man, that was a LOT of fabric!  For someone used to working with smaller sizes (dolls, kids, etc.), I was actually annoyed with how much the heaviness of the skirt was getting in the way!

However, it really did work out nicely, and I'm quite pleased with the end result.  Of course, the skirt itself was 6 inches too long!  I made a 1 1/2" hem (hemstitched!), and then had to make a 4" tuck all the way around... I knew I would possibly have to do that, but still... I was kind of surprised at how long it was--and how cumbersome!  But the tuck looks nice and sort of decorative--Yes, yes I did mean to do that!  :)  I wanted some sort of decoration on the hem, but most of the decorations for the time period were complicated, so... a simple tuck will do.  

And now that I have the time today, I'll see about making myself that coral necklace.  And maybe finish the bracelet, too...  At the moment, though, all I want to do is sleep.  

As for the end of the project--we were going to begin presentations today, and I was supposed to be the first to go.  I did not have time this weekend to create a short PowerPoint for it, so I will do that next.  One of the things the presentations need to address is what you learned through the process.  So... I'll post that part next!  Until then, nap on!  

Time for an Update!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while...  busy days!

I spent my 3-day weekend mostly working on my project.  I have completed many things:

• Chemise
• Stays
• Stockings
• Shoes
• cap
• kerchief
• mitts

I am in progress on the reticule (purse).  Some of you may remember seeing me work on it in class on Friday.  

What is left to complete:

• slip
• dress
• spencer (jacket)
• Hat

The slip is easy.  The dress I may need to size up a bit, depending on my measurements in full underwear.  

Speaking of full underwear... the stays have been quite a challenge.  The first time I held the adjusted lining up to my dress form, I was floored--the area for "the girls" was HUGE!  Flopping over!  So I adjusted them to fit the dress form, and I was pleased with the result.  But then I began to think... the purpose of the stays was to create the correct form, which was to lift the "girls" up, sort of like an 1800s Wonderbra.  Making my stays fit my dress form would have it retain a modern silhouette, unlike the "shelf" silhouette for the 1800s.  So... I had to unpick all of my binding, cut the lining and front slits and insert the gussets I had done originally.  This time, I also included a ribbon in the top bias binding in front, so that it can be adjusted to fit (ribbon ends stitched in at the far ends, with a buttonhole in center front, so that the two ribbons have ends hanging out to be tied)

A little infographic for you:

The stays over my practice chemise.

Flossing over the end of the hip gussets

From the back.  It does a good job of creating a nice silhouette, but the front was all wrong!

So... that was time-consuming.  Those extra 8 gussets also needed to be flossed, so... more handwork!  Flossing was done on stays at the points of gussets where the seam allowance tapered off.  By stitching over the points of the gusset, you secure the fabric so it won't shred or come apart there.  The stays were pretty time-consuming altogether.  Lots of details, lots of hand-stitching (all the seam binding at bottom and top were stitched on by machine, but had to be hand-stitched down on the inside).  I got the reeds to lie flatter (they were still curvy from being coiled) by steaming them with my iron.  I had to set all 28 grommets in one-by-one (noisy!  I knew I didn't have time to make them by hand (to be period correct... metal grommets didn't come out until after 1825.  But I felt that metal would be sturdier), so I banged away with my ball-peen hammer and setting tools for an hour or so.

Showing you the hand-stiched binding around the top of the stays.

The Chemise took longer than I expected, because all the seams had to be flat-felled.  I'll see if I can find a quick link to explain it.  You have flat-felled seams on the long outside seam of your jeans, actually.  It's a way to finish the edges of fabric by turning them under and stitching them down.  I did my chemise on the machine... there's no way I could've done that by hand!!  I did do it by hand on my cap, though.  It was a little challenging, but it was the only proper way to finish the circular seam in the back.  

Flat-felled seams.

Speaking of my cap... I made a mock-up to test for fit, etc.  I made some adjustments to it, and then cut it out.  This fabric is so light that it is practically sheer!  I embroidered a circular back panel, using a pattern I found online (resource had three galleries of patterns ranging from the 1810s to the 1830s).  However, when I cut it out, I used the wrong pattern--the shorter length!  I didn't realize it until I actually put it on, and was curious why there weren't very many gathers.  But rather than throw it out, I decided that I liked it anyway, because it wasn't super-ruffly.  It feels like I have nothing on my head, it's so light.  I used about a yard of my finest lace--French Maline lace, which is a delicate cotton.  I bought it many years ago from my favorite lace seller, a Russian family, at Sew Expo.  

French Maline lace... super delicate and beautiful!

Fitting the lace to the edge of the cap.  To do this, you pull a thread at the heading of the lace (the plain edge) and gather it using that thread (it's put there for that purpose).  I didn't want my hat to be too foofy, so I let the gathered fabric make the ruffle, not the lace.

Ta-Daa!  stitched down.

Mock-up in plain cotton muslin

Embroidery in progress

Finished embroidery panel and mock-up cap back, showing you where the panel should go.

I have to say that I've been enjoying using fine fabrics on this project...fine Swiss batiste for the cap (soft as butter), the lovely cotton sateen for the corset (felt like silk satin ribbon), and the fine handkerchief batiste for the Chemise.  When I hand-rolled the long bias edge of my fichu, it was so nice to have fabric so fine that you could get a nice fold on the edge just by using the heat of your fingers.  Luxury!!  I made the fichu of the same material as the cap, as it would have been in the time period.  I put a nice cotton lace on the flat sides of the fichu for decoration, and hand-rolled a hem on the bias seam.  

hand-rolling...I don't know why her edges are all frayed.  

After a few stitches, you pull on your thread, and magically, the top rolls to the bottom.  

Finally, I have half the panels of my bag done.  I need to do two more, but I'd run out of sequins.  So I did a rush order at Cartwright's Sequins, which arrived Saturday.  That's all the hand work I have left to do.  I finished my second mitt Friday evening.  

The original

Main panel of the original

Whew!  But with all the basics done, I am ready to do the actual dress.  I'll do a mock-up of the bodice this week, so that I can see what I need to do to make it fit properly.  

Gathering materials

Ahh... the joys of anticipation have begun!  Last week, I ordered fabric for my ensemble, and now I'm waiting for it to arrive.  I think I got all I need for the outfit, spencer, underthings, and dress.  I got the boning in the mail today.

Boning?  Yep... to make a corset, you have to have boning.  It's what gives the corset shape and support.  There are many kids, including plastic stuff you can get at JoAnn's, but I know that is not authentic material for the early 1800s.  So, I did some research.  I could have got spring-steel circular boning (see picture), but you also have to buy a $45 tool to cut it, plus the little metal tips to prevent the steel from shredding the fabric and your skin.  So I opted for reed.  Reed is a natural material that is stripped into a specific shape, then coiled and boiled in that shape, and then allowed to dry.  It was $25 for the coil of reed, but you can't buy it in any other quantity than a coil.  It is also used to make hoop skirt supports... maybe another project somewhere down the road?

The cane is larger and more rigid than I expected.  I think it will be perfect for my corset/stays.

Reed Boning--easy to cut and shape, with sanded edges.

Spring Steel boning...I don't want those pointy bits poking me!!  These are the end caps for cut steel.  Bleah.

I have also been thinking about things I can work on in class.  I can do hand sewing, which I will do for some of the outfit (I will machine sew the parts that won't really show--skirt seams, etc.).  I am going to make a reticule to go with the outfit.  I haven't decided on the material for the outside of the bag... something soft but sturdy.  Not leather, although soft leathers do exist.  Not satin--I don't want something too fancy.  I was thinking I could dye leftover sateen from my corset material... I did order extra!  :)

The historic example of a reticule is fairly simple.  I can imitate the muted paillettes (sequins, which were metal in the 1800s) with some matte silver sequins I have in my sequins box.  Yes, I have a box of sequins!  Harville is an omnicrafter, and I use sequins in all kinds of stuff.

I've found a pattern that is very similar to this one, which I will alter a little so that it has the longer point on it than the pattern I've found.  It will be lined, of course, and TASSELS!!!

I am also going to make myself a replica bracelet.  I found a picture of this bracelet online, and it is part of the Jane Austen collection, which includes an amber cross and a turquoise ring.  I can't make things like that, but I can work with seed beads!  Looking at the details of this bracelet, I can totally make it.  I had to order a nice box clasp for it, though.  I bought vintage Venetian glass beads at Shipwreck, and have milky white glass beads, as well as gold beads.  It is simple--Right angle weave and netting.  No problem!!  Just a bit tedious, as the beads are small, and that takes time.  But I can also work on that in class on Fridays.

Here is the bracelet:

Well, it's bedtime, so... see you soon!