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!

fun with scissors and sticky tape

Tonight I went to the library after work.  They've got a great long bench that I've used for cutting out fabric in the past. 

I sat down with my paper scissors and sticky tape and put together the A4 sheets of paper that the pattern was printed on.  Then I measured the waistline.  11 & 5/8" per each half.  then I worked out how much difference I'd need, and typing this I realised that I forgot to allow a gap in the back of the finished corset. {foreheaddesk}.  So I'm going to have to remove 1" from these 5 pattern pieces.

I didn't divide the total difference by 5, as there are 3 pieces in the front half, and only 2 in the back.  So I split the increase into 2 - equal amounts into the front and the back.  So the front pieces were increased by 1/3 of the quarter body difference, and the back 2 pieces increased by 1/2 of the quarter body difference.  I hope that makes sense to you!

This is what they looked like when I'd done.  I'm also going to extend the upper edge by 4 or 5cm, so that the Huge Tracts of Land are supported by this corset.

the probable fabric for my Austerity corset

I located the cotton I bought 4m of around 2 years ago.  It's a tightly woven cotton, with the stripes about 1.5cm or 5/8th inch wide.  There's plenty and I thought it would be useful for 20th century underpinnings. 

I also have pale putty green canvas that I got for an edwardian corset - might use it for the denim 1890-1910 corset in Salen's book.  I've scaled that pattern up already, but don't think it's suitable for this sew along.

not so Utility corset

I'm sewing along with the 1911 corset sew along as it's possibly the only titanic related event I'll get to this year ... however tenuously linked.  There's an 10 course dinner in the Blue Mountains, however it's the same weekend as JAFA so I'll be in Canberra. I'd love to do both but without teleportation it can't happen.

I'm going to be a little non-conformist and sew the 1918 Utility 1917 Austerity corset from Jill Salen's Corsets.  I've long wanted to sew my way through all the pretties and the less pretty, so I'm seizing the opportunity.

I'll not need to use hessian like textile, phew I can afford better than that. I'll do the patterning next week as my local library has printer issues since xmas. :(

I'm cutting out  the 1790 Jumps tomorrow :D   I'm using a single layer coutil with steel bones and metal eyelets.  mwa ha ha ha.  I'm such a lazy re-enactor.   My group's costume authority will allow it cos it's internal and not external clothing.