burn and bleach tests for fibre content

I've been looking out for new Ma Dola fabric - a royal blue cotton - to make the dress version of her costume. I hadn't found anything in the easy to get to fabric shops, not even at a higher price than I'd like to pay.

But I did find something interstate on eBay and there is up to 20m available.  So I asked for a sample so I could check the feel/drape & content.  The colour was ideal & weight was slightly lighter than I want, however the seller wasn't sure if it was pure cotton or not.

So Wednesday night I cut my small sample in half and did a burn test.  The result was a bit puzzling cos it had a black flame & ash, but not beading nor behaving like a poly cotton blend.  I admit to scratching my head in confusion. It didn't smell like poly either.  So I thought I'd follow up with a bleach test.

Last night I popped the other half of the sample into bleach and it *is* 100% cotton, so I did a bit more researching on why was the flame and ash black.  (Natural fibres completely dissolve in old fashioned plain bleach).

Answer: it's mercerised cotton. The chemical process (and possibly chemical residue??) causes the black flame and ash. So after years of sewing I've learned another new thing.

So I ordered some yardage of the mercerised cotton.   I've realised that the ideal bodice pattern is Truly Victorian 446, but I'm not going to order it. Instead I'll use one of the mccall or simplicity costume patterns.

a dizzying round to end procrastination

Bolting out the door of sanity and running madly past the ideas of which corset I actually will make to wear with my next steampunk and my Ma Dola costumes. And others.

I'm tempted to make an 1860s, as that's suitable for both these ideas, but then my brain says make 1880s and then you can use it for both ... even though there are differences with the ideal body shape for these decades.

Once the costume is made to fit over the corset, it's the one I'll have to keep using.  I've got a scaled/sized up copy of the 1868 Foy patent which a former LJer sent me, and the red/black 1860 corset on the cover of Salen's Corsets book. Which I'd need to size/scale up.

Also in my grabby hands are the scale patterns by Hunnesett (late 1870s?), Salen's exotic 1880s, Salen's 1890s pretty housemaid, Salen's large blue jean corset (1890s) which is almost my size, Corsets & Crinoline's 1880s, and ageless #1298 (1890s) which also needs grading to size.

I may just flat measure the foy pattern and see if it's close to my size or not. Otherwise I may just plump for the red/black (looks to be about 24"+lacing gap waist).

I can dither forever but I need to decide really quickly so I can mock it up this weekend.

stashbusting for the corded petticoat

aiyyy, much as I'd love to be buying cotton organdy for my corded petticoat, I'm not going to.  I gave myself a mental headslap as I've 3 lengths of white hanky-weight linen in my stash. I've got 5 linen chemises already and even if I make a bodiced petticoat with one length, that still leaves 2 sitting waiting to be used. And are money already spent!

Corded linen petticoats are period so I need to just do it! Lunchtime tomorrow I'll go to the knitting shop in the city and get some heavier crochet cotton to use so that I have all the things, and can start it as soon as my Winterfest sewing is done.

Yesterday i didn't get anything sewing done, I've a mild headache that's been around for a few days. And I worked late, which is good as I need to make up time already taken. By the time I got home at 7.30pm I was tired, grumpy, hungry and my inner toddler was in ascendency. Time for takeaway, avoiding the news/interwebs cos of that stoopid sports match that was on which I have zero interest in. Along with an early to bed to get some zzz.  Except I had a crap night sleep due to being woken up by neighbours etc. Oh and I remembered dreaming - an anxiety one where I had so many deadlines and the only way I could finish everything was to do a bit of everything each day.  Oddly enough just like my real life scenario.

If I can do a couple of rows of my corded petti each day then I won't be spending my week's holiday before Steamfest sewing endless row after row of cording.

lets not forget about shoes and underpinnings

Eep, I just realised that I've made zero thought as to what shoes Catelyn Stark wears.  Or maybe she wears boots.  I'm looking at my shoe collection and wonder what I can wear that's comfortable and closely appropriate - given that I have freakishly wide feet and can't just go out and buy shoes.

Part of me says that if I can't even see the hem of her skirt as it's covered by her coat, then surely I can chose whatever works best for me.  I've got some black hush puppies that I can wear all day, and I've pair of navy shoes I got for a costume that I could wear. Must see how comfy they are.

I also need to get some cotton organdy to make a corded petticoat. I need to start sewing this sooner rather than later, as I need it for the end of July. As I'm at Steamfest the weekend before SMASH, I can't leave it until I get home.

Plus I need a new corset to wear under my steampunk (in August) , and Ma Dola (ditto), and Clara ( at end November).  I could make an 1860s and a natural form, but I can wear the natural form corset under the 1860s.  So inspired by Before the Automobile I'm going to mock up both the 1880 in Waugh's Corsets & Crinolines and Salen's 1885 to see which is more suitable for my very different physique. Salen's because I've already scaled up the pattern and graded it to my approx size.  Even in my younger, slimmer years I was short-waisted and stocky.  Sadly I'm going to be not so elegant in appearance, and that's not even taking into account my hatred of hand sewing vis a vis flossing. But either one of these will have to do, as there is no perfect pattern.

eeee, I have Ageless #1288, a 1890 corset for a stout lady (though not as stout as me!).  I can't do this one too!

an japanese movie costume for August

Some long term planning here, well August this year.  I'm going to SMASH, and I need to upgrade my Ma Dola (from the movie Laputa).  It's now hugely big for me, which is a good place to be unless you want to wear it.  I'm going to make her skirt version as I overheated in the britches.

Though I'm not sure if overheating was cos I used a stretch woven as that was the stashed fabric in the right colour. Which isn't that of these screencaps. The standing one is darker as it's night-time, and the one below is just wrong. 

I need to watch the film again to check her skirt length. I may make a corded petticoat if it's a shorter skirt.

Ma Dola, from the movie Laputa

It was great to make a costume from the movie Laputa ... there aren't many characters in anime that are suited to a woman no longer in the bloom of youth. Thankfully I really like Ma Dola - she's cranky, bossy but with a kind heart (at least some of the time). One of the lines that most amuses me in the movie is when her sons wonder if all women grow up to be like their mother. This horrifies them!