Red, Pink or dye+pink cloak decisions

Yesterday I forgot to take the red wool to work to cut out on the large meeting table after work. Ugh.  Last Sunday I pre-shrank 5 woollen fabrics - these 3 are on my cloak list.  The red for scarlet regency,  the pink for a backup wool cloak and the green tweed check for steampunk as we've got a new event this July in Sydney.

I'll use any of them in real life in our few weeks of winter, as I find it easier to regulate how warm I am than a coat. I haven't even had a coat for around 25 years,  and it was teal.  No black coat or suit for me,  much as I love crows and ravens.

The pink is 100% wool and dyes really well,  so I can change it if I don't want to be a short wide vibrant pink blob on the horizon. Then I could make it a colour more likely to be worn c1800. That's the cut I'm aiming for.

If I don't dye it,  then I have two short lengths of vintage cotton I can use for lining the facing and hood. Back in the day they used silk (pics look like taffeta not crepe de chine) and my stash only has ecru,  putty green and cyclamen pink satin IR crepe de chine. The wrong pink for this.  Decisions.

Rounding up my dress-a-month fabrics

So that I don't have the same "oops where's this month's fabric choice" I've started putting all the dress-a-month fabrics that I spot in one single place - at the moment the end of my chaise lounge.

I have the chocolate with mint, mermaids and blue flower sprays on black. If I can't find the vintage fabric I could switch to the blue flowers on black and 9030 (with extra skirt width by pleats/darts). Way way back when I made a rough plan it was my April choice so this would be early. Also, it would push me towards switching the overlocker to dark. Incentive to finish the February and the poor sadly unfinished March 2016 dress so that I can stay with dark on the overlocker (martini, lobster, blueflowers, mermaid).

Vintage buttons for Lost at Sea

I raided the stash for a zip, and begrudgingly settled for a white zip. I don't have a pale blue thread, which I find hard to believe. I have a memory of being so excited when this fabric arrived that I raided the stash for thread + zip. I know that I had them, but they weren't with this fabric. Mind you I hadn't put them all in a ziplock bag together so it serves me right. I have another "current season sewing" box to look in before I buy thread.

When it came to buttons I looked first in the gift bag labelled 1940-1965.

Thank goodness there's enough of this navy ridged button, plus it's the right size. The ridges are reminiscent of the lines in the background and ship so it's a clear winner.

Lobster dress gets Vintage buttons from the stash

The only sewing thing I did on Sunday (in the air-con at my friend's place) was to separate out all the red buttons from the vintage stash I was given last year. These are pre-1965, and as much as I like the larger button, they're coat size and far too large scale for a dress.

Given my sewing deadline, I shouldn't be so excited that I slept in until 6.30am today, but I am. The cool change has made it easier to sleep, even though the heatwave returns on Friday.

Edited to add: In my lunch break I pinned all the darts, so that I can start stitching as soon as I get home. I'm fudging the waist dart on the front bodice, partly because I did a dodgy split of the side dart, which meant something creative to keep the arms of each dart the same length. Ultimately I'm doing this by the seat of my pants. I also cut out the interfacing for the collar and facing, so they're also ready to go.

Oven like weather, also known as a heatwave

It hit 43.4C (110F) out west yesterday, and "only" got to around 34C or 93F in the city where I work, and the forecast  out west for today is 42C, so I've already bought a cheap movie ticket for in the city after work. Anything to delay travelling back out to the oven.

We've already had a 44.5C day - which was insane but bearable cos once it got over 40C the humidity went away.

Sadly, the humid days before I came back to work triggered an auto-immune flare that has been ridiculously painful. I'm grateful that I have some endone tablets (oxycodine!) left over from after being in hospital. I've not taken any yet, but knowing they're there has helped me cope mentally.

It took me longer than I expected to get back to feeling well, so I've not started sewing yet.  I'm definitely getting twitchy to do that, which helps me feel even closer to my normal.

I wanted to make a loose/light weight dress or two for wearing around the house, and got out of stash a 4m length of lawn that I was going to use for a caftan-like gown. Instead I decided it would be better as a 1920s day dress. Scratch than from this project.

I have a couple of other fabrics and will locate them, but suddenly realised that the babydoll woven cotton nightie with a built in bra (wire free) that I bought from Bravissimo a few years ago would be an ideal style, providing comfortable support but it's too short for this purpose.  I'll take a couple of photos to share of how they manage the back closure without the dress back being fixed to the bra band.

I scoped out wirefree bras in my size (giant boobs of doom) and found Ulla by makebra.com and it was and will be available as a PDF download, except they're updating their website so their shop is down at the moment. So hopefully it'll be up again by the end of the month.  They still have the page available for instructions on making Ulla style.
















At home, once everything is unpacked properly - or enough to be seen as a reliable tenant - and I have some $ saved I'll ask the real estate for permission to install ceiling fans in the bedrooms. It'll make sewing and sleeping easier in weather like this.  Heatwaves suck, it only got down to 29C/84F overnight and was already 34.5C/94F at 7am when I got up to get ready for work.

raiding the stash for 1740s underpinnings

I raided the stash for fabric to make the bum pad using the Simplicity pattern by American Duchess.

I was looking for a 1.5m piece of grey linen with a woven self-stripe that is in my discard pile. If I can't use it soon, it's going to a craft charity shop.  Before I found that piece I came across a piece of wide ribbed twill pink cotton (2m x 150cm) that I don't even remember buying. It's lighter than drill, but more robust than the swiss cottons I have so it's been selected. I even preshrank that this morning before coming to work.

I'm also going to use any left over from this to make a boned stomacher (?) piece to go under the stays that don't really fit. I'm hoping that's a quicker easier fix than making new stays cos I just don't have time. My brain can't quite remember if stomacher is the right word, it is for a gown, but for stays I think it is too.

Something like this one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Item: C.I.39.13.206 1750-75.

an outline for nine months of dress a month

In my mind I've got a loose plan for the order I think I'll use the fabrics, and the pattern I'll use with each.  Except for me plan sounds too close to rules and as said by Captain Barbossa of the Pirate Code these are more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.

I do have some self imposed deadlines for a couple of fabrics.  The retro nautical print slated for December has to be used before I go to Canberra in late Dec/Jan to see the Versailles exhibition. That was the actual rule I imposed so that I could buy it (photo below). I don't want it stashed and I promised a bestie that I'd use it by then. This week I ordered a 5 yard piece of large scale red lobsters on black cotton to make a dress that I'll wear to see the B-52s in concert later this summer (can't remember the February date right now).  I'm looking forward to wearing it long before the concert though so I picked November because right now the mermaid, martini and vintage blue/green cotton have an emotional priority.

In brackets after the month, print & pattern are fabric amounts and when I bought them. EG 13Q3 was bought in the 3rd quarter of 2013 (between July-Sept).

August - Inky Martini, frankenpattern B9796 bodice with AA4571 (8m of 150cm, 14Q2)


September - Mermaids, AA4571 (4.5m of 112cm, 16Q1)


October - vintage green/blue abstract, AA4843 collar on AA4571 (5.5m of  90cm, 16Q2)


November - red lobsters on black, AA4571 (4.5m of 112cm, 16Q3)


December  - retro nautical, bodice 4803+skirt4571 (4.5m of 112cm, 16Q3)


January - brown with mint, NY 1930s wrap dress (4.0m of 150cm, 14Q4)


February - vintage maroon floral, AA2163 (5.5m of 90cm, 16Q2)


March - grape/purple splodges, AA4483 (4.0m of 112cm, 13Q3)


April - teal flowers on black, MO 9030 (5.5m of 112cm, 13Q4)


Most of my dress lengths are more recent purchases - recent compared to the bulk of my stash. Partly because when I first thought about making a couple of dresses I realised that I didn't have much in the way of dress lengths in the stash. In fact at the time, I literally had hundreds of metres of fabric but only two pieces long enough for a non-costume dress. Plus the long in progress before being tossed Lilly Rose dress. I'm sad about having to toss that but it didn't fit and was a series of one mistake after another. I think that even if it had fit, wearing it would only be a reminder of them.

Back on topic, I gave myself the option to buy a couple more pieces and the impulse to buy was under pretty good control until I got my Dress a Month idea. Of course I  then had a couple more purchases to replace those I'd cut out and *boom*. My job uncertainty hit and the mojo did a runner.

If I include (and I should) this year's January dress that is barely started, then I have 10 dresses to make from fabrics I already own.  No more buying dress lengths until I've 3 more dresses in my wardrobe.

rethinking my next dress - cocktails not mermaids for September

I'm enjoying wearing my new dress to work as well as my wonder woman inspired dress, so am rethinking the plan to make up the mermaid fabric next.

I have an 8 metre length of 150cm wide inky dark blue cotton with a cocktail themed print - lime slices, martini glasses - that I can probably wear on a more casually dressed Friday.

So I think I shall do it. I'm going to frankenpattern with a different neckline/collar on the same pattern as my strawberry dress. Time to preshrink it so that i can cut it out soon.

Inspiration by Outlander, through others

My productivity isn't matching my inspiration, so I thought I'd better write the ideas down while I have them as they've been missing almost all year.

I've watched a few episodes of Outlander so far and the 1740s clothes are earlier than my fave decade in the 18th century - the 1780s.

The St Ives medieval fair is in September, and I'm aiming to make something inspired by Outlander though not scottish and more mid range instead of silk or peasant.  Prosperous middle class is my hope.  I definitely have the stash for it.

Years ago I bought some polycotton sheets (despite thinking that blend is an abomination) because I loved the print so much. This was way back in 1989 or 1990, so long before I did more than dream of making & wearing costumes. It's not historically accurate but it's good enough for a costume I'll be wearing in a possibly muddy field and not with a re-enactment group.

If you're not into niches in historical clothing you mightn't realise how mashing up stripes, prints & checks has been around long before, including the 18th century.  Jen of Festive Attyre had created a Pinterest board of them here 18th Century Mixed prints

I love this image from "An album containing 90 fine water color paintings of costumes." Turin : [s.n.] , [ca.1775]. In the collection of the Bunka Fashion College in Japan.

This one also from the same book owned by the Bunka, even though it's less clear if it's working class or middle. I suspect it's not working class - the lower hemline is my clue.

So please don't be shocked that I'm making a petticoat (these days we'd say skirt) from the yellow print at the start of this post, and a caraco (aka jacket as bodice) from this cotton in my stash. Using the JP Ryan's Ladies jackets pattern.

I've a check type neckerchief and a plain white cap to wear over a short wig (any wig is more to cover my own modern hair). I've a 1980s straw hat that I'm altering to be more like this 1750-60 hat in the UK National Trust  collection (at Snowshill, Inventory Number 1349843)

I'll need an apron, and new stays cos I wore out the old ones and possibly bumpad (aka no costume is complete without extra junk in the trunk). I already have chemise, pockets, shoes, and aforementioned neckercheif+cap

Hard to focus on a project (also known as sewing ADD)

Today I'm excited about using a different fabric in my stash - also not quite work appropriate. This time I've had it a few more years, and it's a J Crew fabric I got in an 8metre length via eBay Australia.

The background isn't black, but a very very midnight inky navy.

I had another look at my stash spreadsheet and I have 5 work appropriate print dress lengths, and 2 non really work appropriate, but somehow my brain has fixated on the not-work.

Part of me wonders if it's the perfectionist streak that wants work clothing to be perfect but has more tolerance for casual or not-work wear.

Finishing my 1920s dress has fired up my missing sewing mojo, along with seeing an impeccably groomed and presented woman at Starbucks in Brissie. I part-jokingly said to my bestie "why don't I look like that" followed by "cos I threw things in my suitcase without thinking or having stylish clothes".

hmmm, things to focus on.

Needing a non dress-a-month 1920s dress

Last night I got my January dress fabric out of storage and pre-shrunk it. I also discovered that it's only 112cm wide, not the 150cm. I'd thought for the past 6 years.  Thankfully I have enough fabric for the pattern, though there won't be enough for a dress and blouse.

My Dress-A-Month plan is external to any costume sewing I have to do, so the Australia Day weekend I'll be making another dress to wear early in February.

The Roaring 20s festival is on next month in the Blue Mountains and I've nothing suitable in either my real life or costume wardrobes (yes I have one for each).  To be honest I'm so not a flapper era shape. What I am is a bit of a nerd/geek/dork who cares about being well dressed.  So I also scoped my 1920s suitable fabrics, and with a lot of flip-flopping on decisions I'm going to use some silk/cotton voile I bought near the end of 2007.  It's seafoam, a colour that isn't out of period and angular enough a floral to be art deco.  I don't think I'll ever get around to using it as a sheer crinoline era dress - my original vision - but I can get use from the fabric now. I still might have 10metres left at the end so we'll see if I can have my cake and eat it too.

I'm borrowing a pattern - mainly cos I refuse to have bare arms as my shoulders are narrow and my arms and bust are not. It makes me feel uncomfortable and I can't quite see this fabric in the dress pattern I have (Past Patterns 3212, a 1925-26 dress) or maybe I should.  I'm borrowing a Vintage Vogue pattern 2535 from Desir Brulant, which has a capelet to cover my upper arms.

Now I'm flip flopping on the pattern to use.  I'm not usually so indecisive, so it shows that i can't see myself in this era.

picking my fabric and dress pattern for January

I had chosen a 1930s pattern for this fabric, but it's been impossible to find a dark contrast for the collar.  I definitely don't want white, as white makes me look unwell and I've looked for at least 5 years to find a suitable match. Time to use update my thinking for the fabric and chose another pattern.


I looked at my vintage patterns, and fabrics and have picked this Home Journal pattern as being most likely to work with the swiss cotton fabric. The instructions will be hilariously brief on the back of this envelope, so thankfully I've sewn from original unprinted patterns since I was in my very late teens.

summer dresses I might make - 6 each of fabrics and patterns

I've looked at my stash & vintage patterns (as I've failed to live up to my vintage pattern pledge this year) to see what my options are.

Here's a pic of my 6 vintage patterns of choice, and 6 dress lengths I already own. They're not in any particular order, except the top 2 patterns are in the mail to me. 

I've let my subconscious think about it which fabric and which pattern.  The top left pattern gets the martini fabric; the top right pattern gets the 4th teal/navy trefoil print and maybe the red + black print; middle right pattern gets the top splodgy print; bottom left dunno really maybe the olivey print; the bottom right gets the flowers on  black? maybe.

I may not use all patterns, but I want/ need to use all fabrics.  I can't buy another dress length until 4  of the 6 pieces are made.  Must shop the stash first!

MAGAM: October plan

The MAGAM theme for October is "Opalescence - sew & shine". Opals being the birthstone for October.

This was an easy one for me ... the fire opal is far more appealing than the milky ones. I have my two Anne Adams pattens and this fabric. Thats' as close to fire opals as I have in my stash.

It also counts in my Vintagw Sewing Pattern Pledge, which I've kinda let slide all year. Oops

working my way through UFO projects

I went to another sewing guild retreat not the weekend gone but the one before, and will have some photos to post after tonight. I got one of my UFO shirts completed - though I need to adjust the bust dart length, so will do that tonight before taking a photo of it. I realised this after wearing the shirt on Saturday and thought it was too close to bust point cos I was wearing a bikini rather than bra ... all my bras were in the wash. (The bikini is to be built into my next swimwear). I couldn't take the blue UFO shirt because my brain decided not to see it right next to the pink shirt. Selective vision is way too harsh at times. I also finished a navy pinstripe wool/rayon skirt that hadn't reached UFO status and have loved having that in my work clothing rotation.

I also had to fudge the facings on my paisley UFO blouse - cut too short cos of my bodgy pattern drafting. I also lost the buttons for that in the grotto/dungeon. They're probably buried under the fabric & patterns on top of my cutting table. I bought different buttons for it on Saturday & forgot to take the thread with me to the sewing guild day, and as I already have 4 or 5 white spools of thread I wasn't going to buy yet another one to do 5 buttonholes. So I'll stitch them tonight and take a photo. Seeing as I found the blue shirt as soon as I got home, I started sewing it on Saturday. The darts are all done, but I need to unpick one side of the front, cos I did them on the incorrect side of the fabric. A woven fabric with a definite right and wrong side. {foreheaddesk} I blame sleep deprivation cos of family stresses.

I've decided my storeage room should be called Loki cos it's a place of chaos & transformation. I think my new habit for the year should have been putting things away properly instead of just dump+running. I'm also having to start my own shell game, partly inspired by the certain knowledge that I had to do it. Not just put things away properly - but cull my patterns and fabrics again. This time being a little more ruthless in passing on the fabrics that no longer suit me the best. I reviewed my stash spreadsheet and identified 9 fabrics that I've held onto but that I really don't need to keep. Nowadays a little darker suits me better than lighter and they should go to someone who can use and SUIT them. I still have plenty of fabric

I'm happy to at last having more work clothes in my wardrobe, and continuing to add to it for summer (and beyond).

moth nibbles on stash wool yardage (and a jumper)

I'm going to order some jumbo size ziplock bags to put each piece of wool yardage into for my winter fabric cupboard, as something has nibbled at a jumper - I hadn't worn it for about 10 years and I got it out of my winter clothing tub (not kept with yardage) to cut up & remodel.  Lots of tiny little holes. :(  One piece of yardage I got at The Fabric Cave also has a few tiny holes in it but as I don't remember holding it up tot he light I don't know if that had them before or not. And a piece I gave to Sharon also had some moth holes (which I didn't realise). Once they're ziplocked I can freeze each piece - my freezer is small so I can only do 1 at a time so I need to separate out each piece to prevent any further damage while I do them all.

In other stash news I've cut up & sewn pieces of cotton or rayon lycra knits that I bought for fitted Tees, but realise the colours no longer suit me. I used them for KS2529 - prevention of thigh chafing seeing as 99.9% of the time I wear skirts or dresses.  I cut the legs longer because I find that more comfortable and don't even finish the hem .. in a knit they've never frayed or run and these wear out before the hem is ever an issue.  So underwear or underpinnings but NOT underpants!  I'm very quick to correct that idea. The last batch of yardage I bought for these was skin colour and I realised that I do not like that. A bit nanna-boring if you know what I mean (as in my-nanna not modern nannas).


Of course, I'm not immune to the lure of more fabric. I tossed out a loved but worn burgundy rayon skirt and bought a piece of burgundy pinstripe wool ... more of a flannel than a worsted but I'm looking forward to making it up next autumn.  It's a colour I love, and that suits me but is fairly hard to find. So although I'm trying to reduce the stash, a hard to find fabric made it home. It's not going downstairs until it's safely bagged up.


Editing to clarify: It's freezing that kills moth eggs, not the plastic bag. But to quarantine each piece (I have about 30) and stop it sticking to anything in the freezer I'm putting each in an individual ziplock bag.