MLS Designs

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 :)

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!!

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 :)

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!!

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.

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!!!

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!!