mlsdesigns: (sunflower)
But not quite as pink as I'd hoped.

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It's poly organza ribbon, so doesn't photograph well at the best of times, I tried photos with and without flash, and the pink is very washed out in both. Also, the hoops are wider in person, I think it's something to do with the angle?

While I'm at it, here are the fabrics and trims for my new sack. I won't be starting it till after my Elizabethan is done, but I just had to get everything out and have a play!
With flash:
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Without flash:
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I don't have a final trim plan yet, but I do know it will involve strips edged with the lace, laid on in puffs, like the ones on mummy's, but larger and stuffed. I'm not quite sure how I'll use the gold braid yet, and I may scrap it entirely, but we'll see :)

Also, I've realised I've not given any hints about my Elizabethan yet!

Photobucket

The dark brown at the top is my loose gown, the red is silk taffeta for sleeves, (I have stupid plans to do with the brown Russia braid and a chisel, we'll see if they pan out!) and I have a sari (poly I think, but looks like silk) in the exact shade of red that will be a forepart/underskirt. The goldish colour is actually a camel/caramel coloured wool melton that will be a doublet and over-skirt, trimmed with the wide gold braid (I'm not using the narrow gold/brown braid any more). I also need to make a shirt, ruffs, and a farthingale; and then shoes for both of us. Oh, and a hat for Mummy.

By the end of February.

I agree, I am insane.
mlsdesigns: (lying on grass)
I keep meaning to post about my progress, but I also keep forgetting to take the necessary photos at fittings, so have nothing to show you! I've decided not to let that stop me any more, so you get a photo-less post this time :)
The yellow sack I've been altering for mummy is now done! All I have left to do for her for the Bath ball at the end of March is stitch the trim onto her stomacher (it's pinned ATM) and make some sleeve flounces, both of which I will do when we go to Scotland for a week's holiday in Feb.
More importantly, her Elizabethan is finally almost done! The trunk hose just need points; the sleeves need hemming and buttons for attaching to the doublet; and the doublet shoulder wings are ready to stitch up, trim and attach, then the armholes need finishing, button loops for the sleeves and buttons at the centre front and it's done. I'm going to do the shoulder wings and finish the armholes tomorrow, then the rest (all hand sewing) I will leave till we go away.
All this means I've been much quicker than I expected, so I'll hopefully have time for my Elizabethan stuff too! However, tomorrow, after I've done Mummy's bits, I need to replace the back of my crossbared silk petticoat (that I stole for my pink plaid bustle dress last Summer) because I think I'm going to wear it to our dance group's Georgian ball on Feb 11th.
I also think I might make my new hoops now. I need to make another set anyway, because we can't both wear the same ones in Bath, and Mummy has to wear the blue ones under the yellow because bigger ones won't fit. I rather like the idea of bigger hoops, and the way the crossbared is made, I think they'll fit fine. Then I'll have lovely big hoops for the new sack that I'm making for me for Bath :) These ones will be ruffly too, and made of pale pink organza ribbon that I just happen to have a roll of in the stash :)

UTR rundown

Jul. 7th, 2010 11:56 pm
mlsdesigns: (chemise dress)
OK, so my main memory of UTR is of unbearable heat! Heat, and mosquitoes thinking I'm the best thing since sliced bread! But perhaps my other memory is the one that will last - spending time with some amazing people! The chance to play dress up all weekend, in the best company, has got to be worth the heat and bugs!
The only trouble is, it was so hot I didn't get around to taking very many photos. But I have a sample of my favourites, and will attempt a little write up as well, all under here )
So much for a little write up, this got HUGE! Jenny-Rose's picnic will have to wait till tomorrow I'm afraid! Hopefully, more photos, less waffle!!
mlsdesigns: (lancers)
I stitched the hoops together and added a buckle, so they're all done. Then I had to repleat the petticoat waist to new tapes, but that's done now too, and I washed some linen for a new petticoat to wear with my bumroll. Since then I've sewn the bodice back lining together, worked the eyelets for the back lacing and sewn it to the fronts, (all but one little bit of a seam anyway) so hopefully Ill get to start pleating the back tomorrow!
mlsdesigns: (plaid and bonnet)
I've been working on the hoops today, and boy are they silly! I do love them though, so much! Want to see how sill they are? Then walk this way )
So now I need to sew the hoops to the vertical strips, finish the loops the waist band goes through and sort out some kind of fastening. Then I think I can get on with the dress, starting with pleating the back :)

All done!

Feb. 18th, 2010 10:58 pm
mlsdesigns: (in window)
The petticoat for the 1820s is done now too, (the piping cord in the hem is going to make me look more like a chess piece than ever!) so I'm all sorted for the dance.
I had to go into town today to get cotton twill tape for the hoops, and I got some more silk thread for the dress while I was there. Once I got home and got warm and dry again (stupid snow!), I started working on the hoops. The buckram covered steel is working really well, it was so easy to shape it into ovals, and I've worked out the placement of the vertical tapes, so now I'm all ready to cover the steels and tapes in silly ruffles tomorrow :D

A busy day

Feb. 17th, 2010 11:34 pm
mlsdesigns: (foam moustache)
But the wrong kind of busy! Housework and baking (choc chip cookies this time!) took the morning up (as well as messing about on line for too long, I must be honest!) then the afternoon I spent at my dancing friends' house, only getting home in the evening, and they didn't go till nearly 8. So once supper was made and eaten I didn't have time for much sewing, I only managed to finish the under sleeves and tack them into the dress, but at least the dress is now done, so tomorrow I WILL get the petticoat done, then it's onto the ruffly hoops. If I don't get that far I will be very very cross with myself!!
mlsdesigns: (pink regency)
I just have to finish the top edges of the silk under sleeves and tack them in and the 1820s dress is done!! I need to finish hemming my petticoat, putting in some cord in the hem I think to help the shape ( not that this dress needs it, the rouleau is doing it's job so perfectly!) I don't think I need a chemisette, my reticule is done, my cloak is done and I have flowers for my crazy hair, so I'm all set for the tea dance on the 28th!
Tomorrow, after I've finished the sleeves and petticoat I can dress Meg up in my 18thC undies again! The first job will be my ruffly blue hoops, I'm looking forward to them I can tell you!! (They may even be going to UTR with me...)
The puppy seems to be completely over what ever was making her poorly yesterday, little monkey! But at least she's taking these tablets really easily, not like the last lot that had to be wrapped in so much bacon to make her eat them she got quite tubby! These she gobbles up with her dry food no problem.
mlsdesigns: (lancers)
I do love the half term holidays!!!
Emmy has been poorly, so we went to the vet first thing this morning - she has a temperature, so antibiotics and she's doing much better.
Then it was time to sew, did a bit more on my rouleaux, but not much because I'm watching Our Mutual Friend and had to keep looking at the hairstyles or dresses Bella Wilfa wears :)
After lunch Gemma came and we went shopping! I got lots of orange flowers to trim an summery bonnet or hat for the Victorian festival, and to wear in my crazy hair with the 1820s dress. Then we wennt to the cinema and home for supper - tagliatelle with hot-smoked salmon and french beans in a cream sauce, yum yum YUM!! Gemma and I were bad and ate it on our knees while we watched Glee ;) I do love that show!!
I must really crack on with the rouleaux tomorrow though, I need to get this dress done so I can work on my outfit for the Baroque ball.
mlsdesigns: (in window)
My hoop boning just came!!!!! And I think it's going to work perfectly as well!!! Of course, I'm still going to make the 1820s dress first, but now there's nothing to stop me from getting on with my sacque back!
Yesterday I was off work, so I spent it finishing Mummy's waistcoat (right down to covering the spare button and sewing it to the inside of the side seam!) And cutting out her breeches and making them up for a fitting. We did the fitting last night and they worked really well!! there are photos from the fitting under here )
So now I need to add the back gusset, let out the right leg a little bit, move the overlap at the cuffs over a bit and add the cuffs and buttons. I'll try to do most of that as soon as I can before I forget what needs altering, but I don't have buttons to cover yet, so they may wait till I've made my 1820s dress.
Off to work now, not home till very late, so no chance to work on my 1820s today, nor tomorrow because I'll be baking for the party on Saturday. I won't have time to sew now till next week I think :(
mlsdesigns: (pink regency)
I was at work again today, and managed to while away the hours day dreaming about the outfit I'll wear when we wassail some orchards on Sunday - I'm the queen who gives the apple trees their cake! I'm aiming for generic medieval queen, think Errol Flynn movies :) So working on that might take a bit of sewing time this week, but since I'm making it for school too I can get lots done at work tomorrow.
Tonight I did manage to get a little tiny bit more done on the sunflower dress, but such a tiny bit it's not really worth mentioning :( However, when I was looking for fabrics at school I found a scrap of upholstery material that will be perfect for a waistcoat for Clare for the ball, it will go with her current coat, so that means I don't have to make another one, which was worrying me because of the time constraints. Also, before I cut into the fabric for her new coat( a very small amount of red silk brocade given to us by a friend) I want to get a good pattern because I don't want to mess it up and ruin the GORGEOUS fabric! So my list is smaller by one very time consuming (and worrying!) item!
While I was looking through my fabric I came across the last of the pale blue pretend silk I used for my first 1860s ballgown and decided to just use that, and the sewing machine, to make the panniers. They'll look just as cute, and do the job just as well, but take a quarter of the time (and make my Mother stop fretting that I'm using silk to make UNDERWEAR!!) Serendipitously the blue silk taffeta that I was thinking of using is the perfect shade to go with Clare's coat and the waistcoat fabric I found! I bought 5yds of it, and decided not to use it for the purpose for which it was bought, and there's not enough for some projects and too much for others, so it's perfect to use some of it for her breeches!!
The rest of the blue silk has been featuring in my day dreams as the pettticoat for a blue and gold striped pollonaise trimmed with blue and gold fluffy wool used like fly fringe! And the petticoat could do double duty when I want to change out the look of my cotton print jacket (which has green linen at the moment). I think I may have a problem developing! All these ideas for fabulous 18th century outfits! When on earth am I going to wear them all!!! I may have to be a very wealthy looking English girl visiting Williamsburg at this rate!!!
mlsdesigns: (regency hair)
So, I was at work today, then my best friend brought me home and stayed for a cup of tea and a chat. When she left it was time to think about supper. I could have got on with some sewing after, but I'm at a bit of a standstill. Since I'm now making a sacque back I think I really need my panniers before I can cut and start to pleat the backs. These old ones are not a pretty shape!The photos from my fitting are under here. )
I thought I couldn't do anything else, but I've just now remembered that I could have mocked up the sleeves! Also I just reread Katherine's post on how she laced her brown wool Anglaise closed under the stomacher, so when I fit the sleeves I'll put my false backs on the fronts of the bodice to test the fit properly, I'm definitely technically challenged when it comes to pinning things straight :)
Once I've done that, then what do I do? I can't make the petticoat for the same reason I can't work on the pleats. Perhaps while I wait for the hoop boning I ordered to arrive I should start work on Clare's and Mummy's outfits? Or maybe I could work on Clare's ballgown for the Valentine's day Regency ball? Pooh, I WANT to make my pretty dress :'( Ooh, I've just thought - once I have a fitted mockup for the sleeves, maybe I could make them up and make the flounces, which will have lots of trim on them, while I wait for the boning. Yes, I know, I'm rambling like a lune! But I won't have much chance to sew tomorrow, we're going our for lunch with my best friend, and I bet we'll be chatting till late in the afternoon! And this weekend I'm supposed to be going to visit another friend up north in Manchester. Knowing me all this angst will be needless because I won't get a chance to sew till after the boning arrives! Sheesh, someone smack me!!
mlsdesigns: (puppy)
Well, I did put some ribbons on a pair of little white ballet pumps so I can wear them to dancing tonightm I put green ribbons on to tie at the ankle and will make rosettes for the toes, with something sparkly in the centres. I did green so they match my new regency ballgown, the next ball is regency so I want to practice in these shoes so I'm used to them!
But no stays progress today :( I have spent ages trying to work out what to use for my hoops though. because I'm not making pocket hoops, or a covered pannier, the spring steel crin steel I ise will be no good, it's too springy and I don't want to have to do tapes tying it into an oval because you'll see them and they annoy me! I wanted cane, but can't work out what I need, or where to find it. When hunting though I found out that buckram covered hoop steel is bendy (ie, "be careful, don't bend it, it won't spring back") so it sounds like if you WANT to bend it you can. Not having ever used the stuff, am I on the right track?
Off to dancing now, I'm teaching new regency dances for the ball, well trying anyway, we all learn together pretty much!!
mlsdesigns: (puppy)
Today started out ok, I made a yummy apple and sultana steamed pudding for lunch, but after lunch I started to feel icky, really tired, tummy ache and cold, even though I was hot! I had a long nap, felt a bit better, drank some tea, felt worse, ate a cracker, felt better! I managed my supper fine, but about 2 hours ago I started to get my gallstone pains :( I've finally put a hot water bottle down the back of my top, and it's easing, I look like a moron though :D
Needless to say I've not done anything done! I better not let this nothing doing last too long though!
Ok, here's the list!
By 31st October, Fancy Dress Ball:
Fancy dress costume fro me, hopefully just add bits to an existing ball gown
Ditto fro Mummy

By 28th November, Playford Ball:
Hopefully nothing!

By end of November, Xmas market display:
Tomato red wool dress for me
Wool hood for Mummy
Wool coat for Mummy

By 13th February, Valentine's Ball (regency)
Nothing for Mummy
Maybe a new dress for me, probably not because of:

By March something, Georgian Ball, Bath
Stays for Mummy
Hoops for me
Fix my old hoops for Mummy
Red ribbed silk Anglaise and petticoat for Mummy
Yellow Francaise and petti for me
Wig for Mummy

And I have to try and fit making us both new corsets for 1860s in there somewhere, our figures are so much better with all this dancing that our corsets no longer fit! And if Clare can make any balls she might want something new as well, I really should get on, don't you think?!

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