planning for a sewing retreat

I've got a weekend sewing retreat later this month, and I need to make sure I have a plan for my sewing time. I'm going to take more than I can physically sew - after all I do this for each Sewing Guild day. The smart thing is to also take things already cut out, so that it's all jam on the toast.

I thought I might as well start with some UFOs that I can use now.
- brown wool Burda WOF skirt, partly sewn
- aqua knit top - cut out
- 2 cotton shirts cut out.

I'm also going to cut out the khaki twill in my fave decades of style skirt pattern #3004, and the olive green in Butterick Retro 6257. I'm thinking of cutting out another knit top, to see if the SBCC T is a good fit for me - short & plus size sounds like me!

I may also take a corset with me - Sydney Supanova approaches and I'd like to make a new costume for it, but that requires an functional undergarment version of the 1890s, page 71 one from Corsets

femme Doctor leaves the production line

I stood no chance of getting the frock coat equivalent made, but it was so hot that I was glad about that.

I need to paint the bullet shaped part of my sonic with red enamel paint, but still got some appreciation from other fans. It's a solid heavy piece of skilled work - turned rather than cast. So, here I am ... though I'm sure 99.9% of those there had zero clue what my costume was but I made it for me & not them. Also I am even more of a McGann fangirl than I was before.  What a charming man. Most of the Who guests complimented me on my costume - it must be something about a well fitting corset.

Daphne Ashbrook told me I was beautiful, and even included that in her autograph for me ... which was lovely to hear (even if my inner voice says that I'm gilded, stout mutton).

And if you weren't sure, it's a femme version of the 8th Doctor.  I only let myself buy brocade, and it's nothing like the screen accurate fabric.

 



The reason my lacing cord is wrapped to the front is that it originally wasn't but I made it half way along my street & it came undone. Eeeek, had to try to fix it asap, and after that I didn't trust it to stay tied properly behind me. Stash used 10.5m (with more to be used in the jacket), and 1m brocade bought & used)

femme Doctor - the corset

I'm still being a bit of a neat freak, so it's a quick & dirty corset for someone with a perfectionist streak.

When I mocked this up & tried it on way back at the end of July, I completely forgot to mark the waistline on it, and it's not marked on the pattern.  So, yes I didn't include a waist stay on this corset.  If it only survives a couple of outings that's ok ... as I'm happy to make this corset pattern again.

It's a single strength layer, with the brocade flat-lined to the coutil. I pin basted it, and am patting myself on the back as it's worked so well.   I also graded the seams coutil only, and pressed them to the sides.  I used 1: cotton tape for the boning channels and stitched all seams from top to bottom ... read somewhere to do this with boning channels so just did it for everything so I wouldn't forget.

I cut the brocade one piece at a time, flipping the cut piece & matching the brocade pattern & cutting the other side to exactly match.  Ugh.  because the pattern isn't cut all on straight grain the brocade is cut on the same grain as the coutil.

The only things left to do is stitch down the grey satin binding & set the grommets.  Oh, must make a modesty panel for the back. aaargh.

Double argh, need to make a narrow scarf in the silk satin I have.  It may be more of a tube so that I don't have to hand sew rolled hems ... have I mentioned my loathing for hand sewing

my mental checklist for the femme Doctor

The blouse/chemise is done.

The petti just needs the waistband stitched - and it's pinned, ready to roll.

The skirt has the hem pinned & very late last night when I was about to pin the waistband onto it, I realised that I should insert a zip in the side seam - a placket would be period but it's a costume. Also depending on how I pleat the skirt the zip will be hidden anyway.

The corset strength layer is cut out & I didn't want to risk bodgy cutting the fashion brocade layer. I need to do that when I'm not so tired, as after cutting the strength layer I had a D'OH moment. I should have cut the back with a seperate facing to sandwich the fashion layer in, rather than not. But I'm not willing to sacrifice more coutil for this. Though I could cut a seperate facing from drill. Hmmmmm, yes this is tempting. It won't help the front, for which I should also have done the same thing, but meh, will figure it out when I get home.

I must remember to make a modesty panel for the back - more because I want the back to look neat and tidy as I'm not getting the jacket made in time.

Plus, NB make a silk satin narrow scarf to use as necktie.

Logic dictates that I could have got more done last night but I had to have a massage due to an increasingly tight left shoulder. That had me a bit zonked, until I mentally cracked the whip.

My grommets weren't posted on Monday, so I'm hoping like hell that they arrive tomorrow. Express post isn't guaranteed overnight delivery and it's xmas post season slowing things down.

I also ordered a gross each of 00 in black, pewter, antique brass and nickel from Richard the Thread and they were posted before my local stopgap order. I should have had a more structured order from these but I had the "order bulk grommets now before you forget" moment.

motivation slump, micro progress

I'm struggling to motivate myself to sew - this usually isn't a problem. I'm not sure what a solution is but I'm doing something every day. Today it was pinning all the petticoat pieces together, bar the side seams as they'll be joined after the rows of ruffles go onto the back.

Note for my memory, I'm using a short version D from Hunnisett's pattern sheet no 27, in Period Costume for Stage & screen 1800-1909.

I also pulled out the corset pattern pieces, well there was 1 piece missing when I packed my sewing explosion up in Brissie, but I have the mock up and can take a pattern of that piece.  I need to add height to the side front, thanks to the acreage.  I'm going to have to get a busk & grommets at Metro on Saturday morning - and some steels. I'll take my mock up with me so I can get the right length.

Its hard to get an impression of it from the mockup laid flat on the floor, but it's a good shape. It's the 1890-1910 corset on page 71 of Jill Salen's Corsets. The black with gold flossing.

the brain spins while picking a corset pattern

I'm going to go for the black with yellow flossing corset in Salen's book, page 71, it's 1890-1900, and very similar to Waugh's 1880 but it's a larger size to start with. wahoooo.  less adding of inches to it.

I enlarged at 200% on th copier and the scale equaled 3", so I'm at the original size already. :D  I can do the cording lower from the top edge as per Waugh's pattern.

Or both!

AND THIS WASN'T EVEN A CONTENDER ALL DAY.

I started off on Wednesday with the 1885 "exotic" in Salen's book.  Only to later on switch to "yes I'll do the 1868 Foy", only to later decide that I'd make the 1870s Waugh pattern. {pause} and a couple of hours later decide on the 1860s red & black pattern (the cover on Salen's Corset book) but with a busk. 

Only to decide on something that completely and utterly hadn't even been considered. At all. Ever.

That day was so mentally exhausting that I'm sticking with Salen's 1890 Black with yellow flossing.  In white with pink or blue flossing.  Or cream with pale yellow.  I've got 2 pieces of coutil. One a stark white, and the other a soft white almost creamy in comparison.

I'm doing a single layer with applied casing (if I need extras).