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.

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.

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.