HSF/HSM April and May challenges all together - L

The April challenge was War and Peace.  I was going to just skip it since I ways traveling for most of the month but I really wanted to do each challenge, even if I was late.  The very first thing that came to mind was socks.  How often in novels have I read of women knitting socks for 'the men'.  Specifically, I was thinking about the Civil Way, WW1 and WW2.  And, of course, I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything big or complicated because of travel and other costuming commitments.  I'd never knit toe-up socks so I chose that.  This would give me a chance to make the leg part as tall as my yarn allowed.  Of course I screwed them up.  Sort of.  I didn't watch the video tutorial about casting on that came with the pattern.  So I didn't do the proper closed toe cast on.  I ended up just sewing them closed.  I knit them in a week, though I wasn't actually knitting every waking moment.  Partly because of....

The May challenge was practicality. I didn't think I'd get it done.  I figured the socks were practical and would have to make do.  But I also really wanted to try a drawn thread hem (is that the right description?) for a handkerchief.  I love the look of drawn and pulled thread embroidery and want to use it in an early 20th century summer dress someday.  But I clearly didn't have time for a project that complex with a week left in May.  Plus, I figured I should start on something small.  A simple 14 inch square handkerchief seemed perfect.  I pulled out 4 threads on each side.  Each about 1/2 inch from the edge.  Then I folded the hem twice and pressed it a LOT.  Then it's simple but time consuming.  Pull the thread thru the hem edge, wrap it thru around 4 threads at least twice.  Put the thread thru about 4 threads of the hem edge and repeat.  I was a little sloppy.  Even though it isn't complicated it is incredibly fussy.

Next month is 'Outside your comfort zone'.  So looks like it's time to get back to my 18th century masquerade court gown.  Long overdue.

Sewing Sunday and a Doublet - R and L

Last Sunday was a sewing day.  We wisely decided to target ONE THING for sure with a couple of backups if we had time.  Lisa needs to make a dress for the Gatsby Picnic.

One thing I know, is that I don't want to make a traditional 20's dress.  It just won't be flattering.  I've been looking into early 30's and actually settled on a 1911 dress with modifications. 1911 Dress   I made a muslin of the top of the pattern modified for size and styling.  It fits!  I also had Rob help me choose between 3 fabrics I had targeted for this dress.  I plan to use the middle picture, shorter, and with the collar and cuffs from the picture on the right.  My fabric is lawn, similar in color to the middle dress with ivory trim.

Robin is still immersed in multiple projects. She is plugging away at a renaissance outfit for her bf, and also has a plan for a pirate costume with a very funny alternative vision targeted for the WEHO Halloween street crawl.  She posted earlier as Pirettes of the Caribooban.

Robin:  OK, I HATE that this photo is snapped with me and my hair in "work mode", but that's the way it is. I modified the pattern to hold giant boobs (it's actually one of those Halloween tie-on butts" but worn upside down on my chest. I added 8 inches to the front of the pattern and, instead of making it elastic, I put in a facing and made it a drawstring close. No idea if it works, as I haven't modified the "butt" yet. Still need to finish the sleeve casings and maybe put a little lace on the sleeves, as I am a girly pirate.

With this accomplished, I actually was able to re-trace the pattern for the pants (which the dog had eaten) and cut out the fabric for both mine and my bf's pirate pants. I'm a fancy, girly pirate and he is a dirty shipwrecked deck hand, so I'll have the fun of distressing his outfit and the fun of decking myself out in "finery".

And now for the doublet progress: The wings are interlined with some REALLY stiff stuff so these suckers WILL stick out like... well, like wings.

Here's the skirt decoration. I later found that it will intersect the body, so I have to hand sew on another line of piping to make it match the body of the doublet.

 Here's the sequence of hand sewing on three different sets of trim to make it into one really pretty line of decoration.  Velvet is very shifty and it is a tiny bit wonky in spots, but the overall effect looks straight.

After sewing was done, Lisa actually fixed what she thought was a terminal error in a sock she was knitting.  You can sort of see what's left of the problem in the light grey lattice near my fingers.

After that, she lay about like the lady of leisure she is soon to be, while her cats convinced her it really was the ONLY option.

Princess Slip - Nightgown is done - L

Here's the lace detail on the finished challenge pattern that I reworked.  FOUR kinds of lace.  And when I say finished, I actually mean finished except for buttons and buttonholes.  I think my machine needs help.  Can't get buttonhole attachment to work.
This was primarily a mental exercise.  Once I figured out how to make this work for my body it was just a sort of a jigsaw puzzle with a lot of long seams.  I posted last week about all the measuring and mental gymnastics of changing a pattern for a short and slender woman into something for a tall and substantial woman to actually wear.  And it worked!  I added the sleeve caps as a visual way to balance my hips.

Here's the whole thing.  Pleating is a pain.  Pintucks are a pain.  I think I have it out of my system for a long while.  And really, only the center front insertion lace offers a possibility of embarrassing the offspring.  The part I ended up liking the best was deciding to use bias binding around the armhole.  I looks tidy and solved a multitude of small problems.  Here is a close up of the bias binding. I did it by hand since I felt I would suffer more trying to machine sew it in all the tight spots.  Actually, I did one of them riding in a car on the way to see my daughters new flat.

Now I'm starting the frock coat.  Actually I'm blogging in an effort to avoid the frock coat.  It's cut out and marked.  Now I have to do the welt pocket.    And YES!  I finished another pair of socks!!!