The Two-Week-Edwardian is done!

Well, as done as it can be for maggie. There is only a minor amount of hand sewing of the lace that is left.

I'm sorry I have been a super slacker in posting anything. I will tell you why in pictures! For some reason I have documentation of this.

First.

Ikea is the devil.



This is a dresser. It took me two days to build.





By by jove I did it.

And then this happened.



That would be me. Sick as a dog. Snuggled on the couch in the middle of summer. Hello misery. Thank you Anton, for taking this lovely shot. Notice the edwardian blouse draped not so gracefully on the arm there. There was an attempt!

(side note: God my apartment is a wreck still. Stupid bedbugs.)

Anyhow, after I recovered I got back to work FURIOUSLY and tadaaaa! It is done!



Now I just need to fish my hat out of out little outside cabinet.

And re sculpt my wig very carefully.

I'm already over halfway there!

It is a known fact that there is no priority over sewing with a creeping deadline. Like food or sleep.

So I have been working tirelessly on this blouse, since I need it by the first..That is devilishly close at hand!

Last night I told myself I would work on it right when I got home! By work on it right when I got home I mean take a nap. So post nap and post nomming of edibles as quickly as possible I went back to work. It was time to mount the one finished sleeve I had onto the actual body of the blouse.

But before that here are some pictures of what the sleeve looks like completed and waiting to be mounted











Side note: It is SO ODD working with a shirt that is not structured at all.


Ok now that those are out of the way It was mounting time. The sleeves are curved. Guess who didn't pay too much attention to that one. So I ended up staring at the mirror going WHY IS THIS SLEEVE SUDDENLY SO SHORT?!?




This does not compute.

So I held it up and noticed..oh...Wrong side. So that was a minor set back but I finally got the little bastard on the right side.

Sewed that bad boy on. Rinse. Repeat!

I was mondo pleased when I got to put it on finally.




Its just pinned closed right now and gathered up so i dont look like a balloon.

SLEEVES!! THEY WORKED!! that to me was the pinnacle of this garment, the big drapey sleeves. It looks a little silly right now because I don't have on the belt or the skirt.




Now all that is left is making the buttons to close this bad boy, then making the false front as shown on the picture then the belt!! Im thinking I should be done by early next week. I better be considering the picnic is a week from tomorrow!!

This bizarre monster that is slowly turning into an Edwardian Blouse

Well, I started this about three days ago, but as you all know I am HORRIBLE about keeping up with pictures because I'm so busy you know..working.

So be prepared for a very long update as I took pictures of what I had done until last night, then during all the crazy shenanigans (read: frantic sewing) I was actually taking pictures of LITTLE THINGS!

Let's start from square one: The pattern. I ordered a pattern from Ageless Patterns. I had never heard of them before, but it looked like a nice blouse. I probably should have read a review or..eight. Now, the shirt itself is not really all that complicated to me, a tight fitting lining, a loose flowing outer shirt gathered in strategic places to fit to the lining.

Well, thats all well and good but I need SOME direction. Instead; this is what I got for instructions


Wat.


Yeah, that Was my reaction when I opened the envelope, frantically looking for directions. Just so you know, that is on the BACK of the drawing. A paragraph of partially misspelled 'directions.' Oh well.

So I lobbed those out the window (frantically scrambling to find them actually a bit later.) and continued on how best I saw fit. So I started with the lining. One very odd bit about this pattern is there are NO SIDE BACKS. I understand that modern dress shirts, and all shirts also dont have side backs, but being so used to making older things (early victorian, elizabethan etc.) this caught me off guard and I actually did hunt for a side back piece..but nothing. So onward I went.

Sewed it all up, darted it all up, and I had a tight fitting lining, not so tight around the bust. Its not supposed to be, pigeon breast and all and the shirt is floppy so I suspect that since the outer shirt is sewn to the lining on the front edges, it should mimic that looseness.





Now the lining is NOT loose around the waist, therefore the shirt will be tight there, but that area is not of much consequence considering there is the belt that goes around the waist. The shirt will puff out around that accordingly.

So I mentioned that there was a great need of gathering. No really, there is. it seems almost EVERY SEAM needs to be gathered to meet the lining at the places required: shoulder, neck, back, elbow to the cuff. That will come later though so lets start with whole thing laid out flat.





I wish I had laid out my lining to compare the size but just take my word for it. It's pretty friggin big. I had taken this unfortunately after I gathered up the shoulder seams but thats ok, still plenty is left un gathered, as shown by blue dots where it all will eventually need to be gathered. Don't worry those are drawn on by the computer.


That is a lot of gathering. But soldier on I did andm as I mentioned before started with the shoulder seams to gather it to fit the front peice.






So with this successfully gathered I was able to sew the shoulder seams together, and move onto gathering the back to fit the lining back (which yes, I made sure fit me.)



Start








Aaaaaand Finish. That was the beginning of my sewing the outer fabric to the lining.

Next was the gathering of the neckline so that it would fit nicely into the standing collar.




Start




Finish! As you can see at this point I've completely mounted the outer fabric to the lining around the neck and down the front. The armscye and the bottom has been left untouched.

At this point, since the majority of the BODY was done, it was time to take on the sleeves. Which..might I add, were terrifying to look at. Now, the sleeves themselves, ONE SLEEVE was bigger than the enitre blouse body sewn together and laid out. I'm not even stretching the truth there.






As you can see by my enthusiastic blue scribles, this also requires a shit ton of gathering, and a box pleat at the top there running down the sleeve. It gives a nice effect.

This took me a couple of tries to figure out how to attach it to the lining sleeve that has the cuff already attached to it. So I decided lets start from the bottom up, and I gathered all around the bottom of the sleeve from dot to dot and pinned it like there was no tomorrow to the cuff and under sleeve.





I AM A SQUIIIID ok no not really, its just the outer fabric pinned right side to right side on the lining sleeve which is tight.

I then pulled it up, pins in not sewn just to get an idea of the look




So I noticed once I accomplished this step, that the outer fabric was not only must wider, as it should be since the sleeve is baggy, but it is also much longer. I couldnt figure this out and by this point it was eleven at night and I needed to go to bed. So I folded it all up prepared to do the other sleeve tomorrow. It dawned on me this morning that the sleeve is supposed to not only be puffy but baggy too, hanging over the cuff a bit. That explains the longer. Sometimes showers cause bouts of smartness.

Anyhow, I have a long way to go, including the front placket that makes a false front to hide the buttons, making button holes for down the front to close the thing, and making the belt.

More to come tomorrow as I will be working tirelessly tonight.


And this is what the final product should end up looking like.



Lets see how close I can get. Keep your fingers crossed, this has gone together way too easy and its making me nervous.

Adding to the amount of projects with creeping deadlines

Since Golden Gate Ren Faire was canceled this year, it opened up the PEERS edwardian picnic for us on August first.


Guess who didn't have any semblance of a costume and is a freak about having them?

Yeah, this chick. Thankfully, I bought some nice floaty sheer printed cotton at the antique trade show in Alameda, which will make a very nice edwardian blouse. The patterns are in the mail, and cream colored cotton and snow white lace need to be bough stat.


Here are the sketches.



Front








Back




The sheer fabric has these little orange flowers and black polka dots, so i devided to make the wait cincher i black. I might just make it out of the white lace or if i can match the orange in the flowers then that too, but for now its black.


Woot.

Votes, and personal choices have been tallied

Thank you bunches to AlohaAroha for sending me voters and for helping me out! Don't apologize for giving me suggestions you silly goose! I greatly appreciate it.


So the winning verdict will be the Number 4 style, which matches the period for young unmarried girls wearing light colors, whites pastels, yadda yadda, and is the easiest because there is Never a shortage of plain white cotton. Joy.


Also easier to clean.

The new design sketch to come soon!

Time to vote because Maggie can't make up her own mind

I came up with some varying ideas for this stupid day dress that I want to make but have to be super trifty with the limited fabric that I have.

I have taken into account a few peoples suggestions and formulated four ideas-





The first idea I had in my last post, and number two is the same but with a tiered skirt, white plaid then white again, with the lavender ribbon edging them all.



The third, which is kind of the opposite of the first, the white on top adn plaid on bottom, and this last one which Im thinking might tie between the second and fourth, which is mostly white with the plaid under bodice, and the two [maybe three] flounces edged in the plaid fabric almost like flounce hem guards. so really, lets all just vote on two

Number 2

Or number 4?

The secret I couldn't keep a secret

In other words it is a regency gown with Egyptian esque influences for the next picnic, and for gaskells as a backup random handy ball gown.

I was at hancocks the other day and realized that I should see what I can do with the Egyptian theme. I also had been hankering for that simplicity regency pattern, so I put two and two together.

Then found this STUNNING FABRIC that screamed make me into a regency ballgown. And then though black trims. Win win win win.

Now to be attacked with pictures!





Of course I have family guy on in the back ground. This is post construction as a whole, as in buttons, sleeves finished and the ribbon. [Hemming always comes last.]




Back view!

So that was just when I had it wearable, now i've been trimming it out like nuts, shown here late last night


Just the thing on a whole, the trim detail around the bust is not done yet so that is why it looks odd.

Detail shots....





Bodice




Neckline




Under bust detail



Back



Sleeve





Things that you can't see;

The back is a little bit longer, making a tiny itty bitty train because I like things like that, and horribly done hand sewn button holes because i didnt want to make buttons and loops.

I'm also in the process of of making a sewin in petticoat, or hanging lining so that I don't have to scrounge regency under things.

It is very near to completion, then the crazy summer dress can start!

Partner in crime, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

I have just been informed of the accomplishments of my beautiful and forever smart and witty partner in crime. She has won a prestigious award for her fanastic American Duchess blog, by this lovely blogger.

http://mrswoffington.blogspot.com/



Congrats a million times on the success!! You well deserve it!

Not the secrets, but something else and new entirely

Good afternoon ladies and gents.

Yesterday I discovered that I was invited to vic pic, a victorian picnic with a cast from Dickens Fair, called Other Books.


This means i needed a victorian summery day dress. Stat.


Enter this bad boy.






Oh yeah. It's a monster of victorian insanity. I found the fabric at the close out bin at Joanns, three yards of this intense taffeta silk. It has a white base with, and those are not the exaggeration of colors, lavender and bright blue plaid.




It is pretty epic. Since I only had three yards of the cheapy taffeta, I decided to make a split skirt. [something like this.]




If I can get away with making three tiers since the fabric is very wide then I will attempt to do that. The idea is not settled just yet, but I will work with something.

everywhere that there is white is just a plain white cotton. Include lots of lavender ribbon and I have myself a victorian daydress that looks like easter and little girls vomited on it.

I'm so excited.

there is a wind in the east

Things are happening. Secrets.

Cue the heavenly angels.

After what seemed like an eternity sans a sewing machine device maker thing, I now have a replacement that is MINE not one being borrowed as I have been doing pretty much since I started sewing.

(My mother was kind enough to let me borrow/give me hers. Too bad its broken.)

So here it is, the debut of the most amazing sewing machine I have ever had in my possession before.



This is my brand spanking new hasn't even been home for ten minutes Husqvarna Viking sewing machine.

It does pretty much anything on the face of the planet short of being an alarm clock and making me breakfast.




Shiiiiiiny.



Enough decorative stitches to please me. This pleases me.

Ok, im done gloating


Please don't beat me partner in crime. You are the only other person on this planet who is allowed to even touch it.




And because I was just called 'an ungrateful little shit' I have to point out that Anton just purchased this for me, for a ridiculous amount of money, but I am paying him back of course.

He doesnt like me THAT much.


Cheers!!




M.W.