First, I tried a second technique for Cathedral Window (the quilt-as-you-go one that doesn’t require batting or backing). I’m not a big fan. It’s just fiddly in a way that doesn’t inspire me. Now I have to figure out something to do with this odd little rectangular orphan:

Then I whipped up Simplicity 2613 again for yet another of Carl’s coworker’s forthcoming little humans (seriously, something in the water there, I tell ya):

And I am back to hand-appliqueing pinwheels for Organic Spins (since Carl’s racing season has started up again, I have blocks of time on weekends to work on it):

For Ms. Babbage, I’ve completed a corset mockup with a few bones, and an unhemmed divided skirt with a basted-on waistband for fitting. Based on what my ruler tells me, they both should fit okay.

I had settled on an underbust corset, but I went ahead and mocked up the mid-bust pattern as-is. I want to see how it fits C&K in the bust, and then might cut it down in person, as I didn’t have them give me bust-waist and waist-hip measurements anyhow.

Now it’s time to pack those two up, as we leave Thursday for Missouri. I hope they fit C&K without too much fiddling. Things will be quiet around here the next two weeks, since there’s a lot of packing to do and then, of course, the traveling. I hope to make more progress on Organic Spins on the long drive, though, and once I’m back, I’ll be diving back into the costume full force, along with another quilt project or two (not to mention the current ones in progress…)!

…so that the front measurement (line C-G) was the right length for my models, it worked out that the waist was also right (in other words, the measurements I needed to draft to are pretty much correctly proportioned to the book’s draft).

So, I didn’t really draft, I just enlarged a screenshot a whole lot and printed it…

…then traced the individual pieces and (generous) seam allowances onto Pellon Easy Pattern (a non-woven, non-fusible interfacing that I use to trace pretty much every pattern I make). This has the advantage of being fabric-like, so I could pin it together and see if the pieces for half of the pants actually seem to work right.

They do, so, it’s time to cut into the fashion fabric.

This is the latest of the patterns I found, but looking at the measurements and drafting instructions for all of them, I feel secure saying that they didn’t change much in the ten years’ span in style or width of skirt, so this still fits my time period, mostly.

The book explains how to make an apron for the front, but I’m not bothering with that. No need to pretend it’s a real skirt for my purposes. Also, since aside from saying that it opens between points 4 and 11, there’s no instruction on waist bands, I’m getting a bit creative and taking my cue from this extant cycling skirt in the Met’s collection:

Source: metmuseum.org via Rachael on Pinterest

I love that detail.

I probably won’t get quite that far on it before we go to MO, as I want to be able to take in/let out seams/darts as needed when I have my sisters try it on.

But, it’s progress, no? My current plan is to have this be unlined—the wool has enough body as is. However, it is a bit scratchy, so maybe I’ll ask C&K’s opinions and throw in a lining before I add the waistband and other finishing bits if they request it.

Now, the real quandary: to add bones to the corset mockup or not to add bones. Bones give a better idea of fit, no bones allows me to take in or let out seams if required…

Source: thedailyvictorian.omeka.net via Rachael on Pinterest

“Introducing the All-In-One Adventuress’ Wardrobe! All the Modern Adventuress needs to suit most every occasion in her travels!”

This is a very comprehensive theme, but perhaps the most important. The “Adventuress” part defines the idea that this is not a fancy ball gown, but rather a day “gown” (although I may find a way to include something to convert it into a fancy ball gown, yet) that needs to not be limiting in terms of movement. More importantly, the “all-in-one” reminds me that ultimately, I’m coming up with something that has mixable parts to suit multiple occasions—so each piece has to coordinate and build on the outfit as a whole, but should be able to possibly stand without some of the other pieces.

Source: flickr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

“This is historically-inspired, 1888–1895 (with a little wiggle room up through 1903 or so), so think about sportswear and rational dress, but this isn’t Steampunk Lolita here, or throwing on trousers, goggles, gears, and an exposed corset* just because ‘that’s Steampunk’.”

For a while, I toyed with doing an underbust corset and a separate, circa 1910 bra. But I restrained myself, because the look in my head was definitely an Edwardian silhouette, which is just wrong for the costume. So, the time frame is the real limiter. The rest is more caveat lector. While it seems that an exposed corset is required for Steampunk, it is not at all historical. I have seen some images that seem to give the idea, like this one that is commonly cited:

Source: commons.wikimedia.org via Rachael on Pinterest

However, my psuedo-researched opinion is that the above is simply a bodice that happens to look like a corset, judging from the same fabric on the neck and cuffs, and the buttons instead of a busk. Yes, there were times from the late ’70s through the ’90s during which the style was a layered look that could be styled to look like the corset was showing, but I am almost positive that every non-fancy-dress image of that is showing a bodice treatment, not the actual corset. Thus, you’ll be seeing no exposed corset here.

* One combination of my idea will allow for an exposed corset, however it will be considered deshabille, not proper, venture-outside-in dress. Think of it as working-hard-in-the-engine-room dress.

“That said, this is historically-inspired, not 100% historical, and you’re designing at a size for two people (we could call it mass-produced), not for one specific person, so pieces must be sized to fit both.”

Really, this won’t be much of an issue because most of their measurements fall into a reasonable tolerance, however my sisters do have one major difference: bust size (same underbust, far different cups). So, I don’t feel like a failure in making the decision to change from making a typical midbust corset to an underbust/waist-cincher one with a blouse/corset protector that will allow them to wear a properly-fitting modern bra underneath.

Timeline

It’s May 3. Where’d the year go so far!

We leave for MO on May 17, so I have two weeks to get some things done for fitting. This is probably the only chance I’ll have to fit anything to their actual bodies before I finish the costume.

I hope to have:

1. an underbust corset toile ready to fit (adapted from Simplicity 9769, but I realized I don’t have the right size! There is so much ease, I need the smaller sized packet),
2. a divided skirt toile for fitting or perhaps almost completed in fashion fabric (as discussed previously) , and
3. a Victorian blouse/corset protector finished, but we could just use a modern cami for now.

… by the time we leave in two weeks.

Some of my fabrics came in the mail yesterday, so it’s time to get started! … not that I’m ready to cut into these quite yet. Time to find the muslin fabrics, I guess!

In hind sight, regardless of how cute the woman looks on the pattern cover, this style isn’t quite right for my top-heavy body type, but I like it well enough.

The pattern itself is very well thought out and clear—no complaints on it, and if the style was a better one for me, I’d definitely make it again.

I used Free Spirit’s voile (specifically, a print from Tula Pink’s Prince Charming) and one of their coordinating solids—the voile is wonderful. Since it is a bit transparent, I flat-lined it with a cream voile of unknown manufacture—not as soft as the Free Spirit, but solves the transparency issue.

Since it’s freezing out today, I have it over jeans, but I do intend to wear it as an actual dress at some point (it’s a little too long for a proper tunic):

When my hands aren’t in the pockets, they have a strange little gaping issue–I think because I didn’t flat-line the pocket facing. When I have time, I plan to go back and tack another layer of fabric to the pocket facing to weigh it down and see if that solves the problem.

I didn’t spend much time on fit—I pretty much just cut out a size down from the chart measurements (Simplicity puts in too much ease for my liking, and all the dress diaries and reviews suggested this, anyway) and took it in a bit around the waist to try to give it a little more shape.

My only change to the pattern itself was to use a hem facing. Here, you can see the facing, the flat-lining, and the un-lined pocket front:

For a faced hem, you cut a few inches of the bottom section of your pattern which becomes the facing. Finish the top edge of the facing (where I have the decorative squiggly stitches), then seam the bottom edge of the skirt and facing right-sides together. Edge stitch the seam allowances to the facing so that you get a nice crisp hem (this keeps the facing from showing on the right side), then blind-hem stitch the top of the facing to the skirt. Because my dress is flat-lined I whipstitched the facing to the lining layer, so there’s absolutely no stitching visible on the outside. It also helps weigh down the hem with a lightweight fabric like voile (even though I do have two layers).

So, that’s that. My first completed modern sartorial creation in quite some time.

Carl’s only comment is that it reminds him of Christmas… so I don’t know that it’s a win, but it is comfortable, and will be nice for warmer weather.

Have you made this pattern?

For each 4.5″ square bag, you’ll need 4 charm squares—two exterior, two lining (or cut your own 5″ squares), and some Velcro—a couple of inches, dots, or squares; it’s your discretion for whether you need a completely closed bag, or just something to stop it from gaping open. My Velcro was sew-on, but if you have fusible, you can make these even faster.

First, attach the Velcro to the top center of the two lining squares, approximately ½″ from the top. Lazy sewist tip: fold the charms in half and finger press to quickly mark the center point, and use the width of a finger to approximate your half inch, as precision isn’t vital.

Next, using a ¼″ seam, sew the lining squares to each other along three sides, right-sides together, leaving the top open. Do the same for the exterior squares. Clip the bottom corners. If you prefer, you could curve the corners while you stitch. I didn’t bother.

Turn the exterior squares right-side out, then slide them into the lining squares (you’ll now have right-sides together). Pin at the seams, so that they’ll match.

Sew the top edge together with a ¼″ seam, leaving ~2″ open so that you can turn it later (make sure to fix your stitches or backstitch on either side of the opening). Since the bag is too small to go around my free arm, I find it easiest to sew inside the bag, like shown in the photo.

Turn the bag right side out and push the lining inside, using a point turner to get nice sharp corners, if you’d like. Press, then topstitch all the way around, 1⁄8″ down from the top edge to close the seam opening.

That’s it, you’re done. These are perfect for a few bags of tea, jewelry, or any number of other small things, and a great use of spare charm squares laying about.

Let me know if you make them—I’d love to see what you do, and what you use them for!

My muse hasn’t stopped singing about the costume in the past week. It came up with a whole backstory and character for this costume, and who am I to deny it? Now that it’s in my head, I can’t get past the character (who is about 18 years old) so this won’t be a costume for me. Luckily, I have two younger sisters with similar body types (to each other, not me. Brats got all the tall genes)—hereafter referred to as C&K—to exploit, and they’ve agreed to let me dress them up at Christmas for a photo shoot.

So, paired with their measurements, a dress form I don’t yet own, and only a single chance to fit a mockup or two in person in less than a month (unless they come visit me, which is doubtful, since they’re on college-student budgets and I’m on a recently-bought-a-house-and-am-making-a-big-costume budget), I will be creating a costume that fits them (in theory). Luckily, they have more pattern-ready bodies, so fitting should be simpler than if I were to make it for myself, I think.

I can’t really sketch, but here’s a bit of my idea on paper…

The main components being a corset (not drawn), a bodice, a bifurcated skirt, a bolero, a princess-seamed overgown, and possibly some sort of draping piece to go over the divided skirt, but under the gown so that the pieces can build on one another, rather than having to take the divided skirt off and replace it with a second skirt. (So, really, two semi-interchangeable costumes, actually.)

It’s all very late-1880s/Belle Époque, and I’m trying to keep it close to historically accurate, design wise, although it will be a bit of a mashup in styles from 1885-1900.

As soon as C&K give me their measurements, I’ll get started on a corset mockup using Simplicity 9769 (since I already own it).

In the mean time, I’m working on trying to figure out how to turn instructions like these…

…into a successful divided skirt.

I have three slightly different resources. The one above, and

• The “Standard” Work on Cutting Ladies’ Tailor-Made Garments, pub 1908. (Cross-saddle riding skirt with apron front, p. 184)
• Turn-of-the-Century Fashion Patterns and Tailoring Techniques, pub. 2000, which is just a modern reprinting of the 1901 printing of The “Standard” Work on Cutting Ladies’ Tailor-Made Garments. (Cross-saddle riding skirt, p. 144 and Divided Skirt (Bicycle), p. 138)

The 1908 book has this quote on the page immediately preceding the riding skirt.

“Read attentively, think earnestly, and you will acquire knowledge rapidly.”

I hope it proves providential.

If it doesn’t, Truly Victorian has a 1901 Split Skirt Pattern pattern, which I’m 99% sure is drafted directly off the one in the 1901 edition of The “Standard” Work, but I’d like to draft it myself instead of paying someone to do it for me.

So, that’s a start. My inspiration Pinterest board is steadily growing. We’ll see how this bifurcated skirt goes.

Also, outside the sewing room, my friend Koba and I are collaborating on a part of the costume. She makes wonderful math/science-inspired jewelry where she interprets constants and other numbers in beads. If I wore more jewelry, I’d own a ton of her pieces. But, my lack of accessorizing aside, she’s running a bit of a contest for readers to guess what we’re collaborating on… so play along!

Do you do late-Victorian or Steampunk? Have any pattern recommendations?

While I still claim that I will get photos, just as soon as Carl and I can coordinate time at home together during non-raining daylight, I realized that I should figure out a storage solution for keeping the gown and accoutrements together.

The Dreamstress to the rescue.

I whipped up a garment bag based on her tutorial. Mine has a slightly larger pocket to accommodate the shoes and reticule and such (10″×16″). It’s a bit short, though. I think I’ll make a longer one soon, and use this for something else (I have a few other dresses with shorter skirts that could use a garment bag).

I also made a quick tag from the scraps, similar to my gift tag tutorial (but without the custom printing). Perhaps someday I’ll have a full closet of historical outfits!

We were busy this rainy weekend. We bought a bedroom set—we’ve been sleeping on a mattress on the floor since we moved in back in December, because our box-spring wouldn’t make it up the stairs (at the apartment, we just used the rails that came with the mattress set, no headboard or anything, but they require a box-spring). Now we’ll have two dressers (exciting, as we only have one small one now), a bed, split box-springs, and a nightstand.

We decided to paint the room green before it is delivered.

The color clashes with the blue carpet, but we hope to replace that this summer. And, I scraped more wallpaper in the spare room, which is a scary mess right now. I found the plaster!

I even spent time in the sewing room, working on Simplicity 2245. I’m almost halfway done, but I ran out of thread (this always happens to me, it seems—the curse of finding the right color in the stash, but it being a small spool that was already used for another project, I guess). I bought more thread, but the painting and scraping and everything intervened.

I hope to get more work done on it this week, but I have until mid-May before I want to wear it. We have to finish painting by Wednesday, though, so that comes first!

How do you store your costumes/historical gowns?

Aside: speaking of literature, I’m biased, because I’m totally in love with the (now completed) series and have been since the first book was published, but if you like Steampunk, the paranormal, and absolute absurdity at times (packaged in extremely well-written prose), you needs must endeavor to read the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger (starting with Soulless—at least read the online preview available for the Kindle version). Go on. I’ll still be here when you’re done.

You’re back? Ok. So, anyway… where was I?

Right, Steampunk.

I said I needed to lay off things with deadlines for a bit, but then the other day I was perusing Your Wardrobe Unlock’d, checking to see what their 2012/13 challenge theme is about (first mistake), and… get this… one of them is “Steampunk: Historical Inspirations”. Danger, Rae Arnold, danger!

Or in other words, Oh, the temptation, how strong, it is.

So, while I try to remind myself that I have plenty else to do between now and the deadline and shouldn’t even think about this, I’m simultaneously making a Pinterest board all about it and dreaming of an alt-reality where Babbage’s great-granddaughter and her adopted great-auntie Ada Lovelace (who didn’t really die at 36, just ran off to New Zealand with a clan of the Babbages and is totally rocking her 70s like Betty White is doing her 90s) decided to get the Analytical Engine working while wearing absolutely fabulous clothing circa the late 1880s… (uhh, yeah, I’ve put just a little thought into the backstory already).

We’ll see who wins out… logical Rachael or head-in-the-clouds Rae come February of next year.

It’s a dangerous time-sink, with the ability to do some very super zooming on many of the garments—you can really see the details. Some even include shots of the interior. I love it. The interface is a bit clunky and slow otherwise, but don’t let that deter you.

I have no doubt that if you’ve seen a Worth gown (I’m not as familiar with Mainbocher), you’ve wanted to see how it was constructed—this gives you the opportunity to get up close. They even have the famous “Electric Light” fancy dress gown worn by Mrs. Vanderbilt II (complete with photos of the inner bodice).

So really, just get over there already.

First, we’ve started Cathedral Windows (on machine) at Sew You Want to Quilt, and we made one using one possible technique in class yesterday. Since I haven’t decided what I want to do for my project, I just grabbed some coordinating scraps that were large enough, and ended up with this pincushion/pattern weight/thing-that-takes-up-space:

Plus, I stuffed it with all those teeny tiny scraps and slivers from squaring up fabric, instead of using fiberfill. I’m amazed at just how much can fit inside something so small. So, that made a very, very small dent in my scraps. It’s about 5.5″ square.

It was way easier than I expected (although somewhat slow going). The major difference between machine-done and hand-done is the obvious machine topstitching, although had I tried a blanket stitch with invisible thread, it might be less obvious.

Here’s a video demonstrating the technique we used:

I also started on one of my very long-term projects, a timeline of my quilts using leftover 2.5″ squares. Not every fabric will be represented for each quilt, but a good selection from the first two quilts is all set (baby and bargello):

The two blank strips will eventually have years embroidered on them… 2010, during which I made only one quilt (my very first), then moving on to 2011, for which I still have many strips to make.

So, it’s a small step, but a step none-the-less.

Am I the only weirdo out there making some concentrated effort at a “meta” quilt, so to speak?