Bloomin' gussets

I hate gussets. No matter which way I put them in, they don't work. I have two large hip gussets for this corset, and they will not play nice. So I have top stitched them in with a close zig zag on the inside layer, and will cover them with binding or tape on the outside. And to think, I chose this corset because there were no gussets! (Until I added them to make a good shape!)

Slow progress this week

I finished the shift with some narrow broderie anglais trim, after fighting to make it look neat. I was determined to hide the edge, so I used bias binding to put on the broderie anglais. (Found out it was 1/4" off, so had to be unpicked and redone.)

There has to be an easier way to do tucks though. I am putting tucks on the petticoat, instead of cording and it is taking for ever. I hoped I'd got some more wide broderie anglais to trim the petticoat, but the piece isn't quite long enough. I have some narrower, gathered on an insertion heading, which might work.

I'm having a slow week, as I am putting off finishing the corset - the alterations worked, so I really have no excuse. I have to decide how to the boning/stiffening. Then I have the dress to do and the cap.

I have been discussing 18th century fabrics with a friend/colleague who is planning a dress. I love this blue from William Booth Draper, very similar to the dress in the Kyoto collection.

http://www.wmboothdraper.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=1335

Another good fitting - 1827

Yesterday I had another fitting with the couple of musicians who are getting 1827 clothes. She loved her underwear, and I sorted out to armholes of the shift so it fits better! The drawers have tucks and broderie anglais, and some lace on the shift will complete the pretty. (Don't have small scale broderie anglais so the trim won't match.)

The corset is a bit of a problem. Drafted from a pattern in "Waisted Efforts" which I don't usually like, I then altered it because this lovely corset was posted, and the alterations made a big difference to the fit, as she is somewhat "straight" up and down, and gussets at the bust didn't help. The single piece centre panel, and seams that go over the bust made a big difference.I added large hip gussets, and will straighten the back a little as the gap isn't even when fully laced.

The bodice pattern worked very well, although not truly correct for the period. There are no darts at the waist, but a shaped side seam under the arm. The darts simply don't work - to do with the straight up and down shape again. However, the fit was good, and the original white muslin collar which I found in my stash, fitted the neckline perfectly - a real bonus. Sleeves drafted from Hunnisett, then altered slightly, also worked - she needs flexibility for playing the violin. The front will have a band to hide the hooks and eyes - totally impractical to have it open, and pins simply won't work in this situation.

His fitting also went well - I'd added a bit to the trousers width - they are meant to be looser fitting. The wasitcoat, which I had agonised over for hours, was a perfect fit, and the collar, which I had despaired of, worked like a dream - and it all fitted together well - hope it ends up like that!

Caps and corsets

I made up, mostly by hand, the 18th century cap in a firm linen, and only have to add some lace. I realised , once I'd finished, that I had reversed the curve on the "ear flaps" but it looks fine - just need to alter the pattern so as not to do it again.

I undid the sleeves on the shift, plus the gussets and will replace them tomorrow - I think I know what I did wrong, and if not I can fudge it. I also made the alterations on the corset and cut that out in drill - I need to cut a couple of backs so I can make it up with the lacing holes for the fitting. I also made the bold decision to add gussets - I hate gussets - but I think it will make all the difference. Lots of putting bits together tomorrow and doing a bit to the gentleman, so I am ready for the fittings on Monday. I seem to have lost more than the week I spent in Manchester!

Real sewing today!

Today I actually picked up a needle! I moved the bar on my green matka skirt, stitched the zip up a cit as it was rather long, and stitched an inexplicable gap in a seam where I must have had a thread break or something, and not noticed.

Then I took the padding out of a pretty grey bra - my size doesn't take kindly to padding! However, I ended up with bifurcated boobs as the seam lines ran straight across them, and no amount of tweaking could improve the shape, so that went in the bin (a cheap buy from E bay.)

I then carefully darned one underarm sleeve of my lilac shirt - I have exactly the same linen, so was able to reinforce it underneath too. I plan to make a pair of trousers, or a skirt, or both, to match. (The sleeve rubs on the velcro'd crossover strap of my back pack - I need to find a way of covering that.)

And finally, I started the fine hem on the front edge of the 1750's cap I am making for the Mary Blandy outfit.

Then I went to a free "The Sisteen" concert!

Another sewing-less weekend!

Went to the Wallace Collection http://www.wallacecollection.org/ with my colleague, and spent ages staring at lovely paintings, especially the miniatures! That was Saturday, before she left for home.

Sunday we drove over to my son's, again, as his Dad had killed his computer, again, and the son is a genius-geek top class. Shopping brought several goodies, including 3 new t-shirts for £1.00!! (My credit card gives vouchers for the store I use, and I had several!) But no sewing.

And today I spent writing letters regarding the tour, and clearing up the jumble sale that was my bedroom, again, and this time actually throwing dead clothes away - and having bought a great fedora in Manchester, finally threw away the broken trilby I got in Disneyland, far longer ago than I care to remember!

Visiting costume displays!

I just spent a few days in Manchester, running round looking at all sorts of things. Owing to circumstances beyond our control, we scooted in to Platt Hall seconds before closing, so had no time to study anything , but were able to see a dress patterned by Janet Arnold, below.

We also saw this well known chemise dress. There were other wonders, but no chance to examine anything. That's for the future!

We also visited the Whitworth Art Gallery which also has textiles and garments, one of which jackets is mentioned in "Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd" - with clouds on it. I cannot work out how to search the database, but they did say that most things are on there.

I did take sewing with me, but needless to say, nothing got done!

Two caps on the way.

I've not had much sewing time in the last few days, but today I managed to make a pattern of the later cap, with which I am well pleased. I made it in a fine cotton, so it weighs very little, and the ruffles will be silk organza, to keep the stiffness. As I am travelling for the next couple of days, and plan to hand sew the hems, the ruffles will be coming with me, together with the brim of the earlier cap.

That will also have a hand sewn hem, and the lace will also be sewn on by hand. Two nice little jobs to do while chatting with my travelling companion.

An outing

Went to a medieval fayre, so called, and bought fabric, but it was a very tiring day. I wanted some really cheap calico for making toiles, but all he had was something very similar, with a dobby spot all over. I ended uop getting 15 metres, at £2.00 a metre - a steal really! A friend said she'd bought the whole roll, but not till after my metres had come off it! The rest of the fabrics were rather disappointing - he's usually good for some decent linen, or wool - good job I didn't need any. Keith bought earrings, mead, and some books, and I bought some odds and ends for stocking fillers - yes I know it's 6 months till Christmas, but buy where and when you see is my plan. Work tomorrow, then off to Manchester scouting places for our next Sensibility tour in 2012.

A quiet "me" day

After having  a couple of injections in preparation for our autumn cruise to the Eastern End of the Mediterranean, I looked at every stall down my local market to try and find a black leather shoulder bag like the one I broke an important zip on. I can't mend the zip, unfortunately. None of the stalls had medium size bags - useless tiny ones, yes, and huge ugly and equally useless ones, also yes. None of the shops locally had any, nor did the myriad of charity shops. (I saw one at the weekend where my DS and DIL live, but thought £22.00 was too much - now I regret not getting it.)

After all that activity I didn't feel like doing much, so I put bands of towelling in two of my straw hats. I lost yesterday's hat to a swift gust of wind, and was most grateful to the young man who snagged it for me! Since I bought the hat, I am wearing my hair much shorter, so it came off easily, and another was just a little too big. So I made hat bands of towelling and sewed them to the existing headbands. Hopefully they won't go flying off again, and the towelling will absorb sweat - oh yeah, a lady doesn't sweat - she glows. Well, it'll absorb the glow!!

Fittings, good and bad

Yesterday the couple who are having 1827 ish costumes came for their first fittings. He went first and I was really pleased with almost everything. The "Cossack Trowsers" were a good fit apart from the waist, which was a bit tight. I talked it through with him, and we were agreed that a couple of inches all over would be a good idea as in the original painiting that I am attemping to replicate, the young man's trowsers are even baggier. The coat was a good fit, but in spite of me lengthening the body, it still needed another inch on the length, easy enough to do, and three inches on the skirt, also easy. (My note on the paper pattern, self made for an earlier costume, said "lengthen", which I did on the body but not the skirt - that needs to be checked on the person, as each coat needs to be different.) He loved the original period shirt I loaned him, so I need to copy that. It would make sense to make and keep a pattern, although  as I still don't plan on going on working, I can't think why, right now!!

The sleeve was way too tight and not long enough, but as I drew it pretty much freehand, I wan't surprised. I have a good enough shape to work from though.

The lady loved her shift and drawers, and I showed her the calico for the petticoat. (I made a funny cobble when putting in the underarm gussets, which I haven't yet been able to sort out, but I will take the **** thing apart, again, and try and sort it out! The stays were not succesful. I will have to recut them, but in the proper fabric this time, and much wider on the hips, somehow. She doesn't normally wear a bra, and is rather soft, so I had a little local difficuly getting her to understand what I wanted, but I got a fit, which I now need to make corset shaped!

We spent some time discussing the dress itself, and it's a combination of the two dresses from "Costime in Detail" plus a couple of ideas and a sleeve pattern from Hunnisett. I will take photos I promise! Oh, and she might well have a cap as her hair is rather modern. I rather like the second one - she can't have her ears covered because she is a musician and needs to be able to hear, so I think the second one is rather good, and pretty!

Much Business and progress.

Cut and made up the shift, and a toile for the stays, which underwent a radical change after seeing this one from E Bay. I cut my centre front to the fold, split the front at the darts, on the grain, shaped the edges to resemble the shape of the gussets, and sewed the whole thing together - much better, and more places to alter the fitting.



I've also cut the man's trowsers and made them up in toile, and am in the process of altering the coat to make the body longer. That will be finished tonight.

I hope to have the drawers and petticoat at least basted before I go to bed. I don't sleep well the night before a fitting, but am not good first thing, so staying up late is my usual solution - we'll see.

A very busy day!

I have patterns for the gentleman to go with the lady of 1827. I cut a new patterns for the Cossack Trowsers, but was saved making a shirt pattern as I inherited a genuine 1820'ish shirt, which he can try, and as I keep all my patterns, from way back,was able to find a pattern for a frock coat, and waistcoat to work from, instead of drafting from scratch. Another busy day tomorrow, cutting and making up toiles for a Wednesday fitting, or two!

Update and new blog

Owing to the vagaries of Google, I have had to start yet another blog, after tearing my hair out for several days and going round in cicles as I could not sign in. I won't go into the details but Google - sucks!

Anyway. last week I finally drafted a corset for the 1827 dress, based on a tiny drawing in Workwoman's Guide, various patterns in Cut of Women's Clothes, and photos of extant garments that various people sent me, together with stuff I found on line. And then today, on E-Bay there turned up a charming but unboned set of stays with embroidery all over, which I might also incorporate.

The dress is based on these two in "Costume in Detail", but not exactly like either - the finished dress will incorporate what the lady wants as she is a violinist and may need cerain modifications.

I also found this similar dress.

I also cut out patterns for drawers and shift, (from Hunnisett, via Workwoman's Guide) and today I need to check my pattern for the man's coat and a draft a pattern for a pair of "trowers", which are gathered and quite full at the waist. That will come from a couple of books - "Cut of Men's Clothes" and a book of Regency patterns the name of which I can't remember.