The Big Sewing Saturday or The Many Levels of Dante's Inferno We Didn't Know Existed - Robin

We had plans, big big plans. The material exchange was the only thing that went off without a hitch. Lisa and my beau were trying to convince me to use duct tape to secure the hoops, but I was having none of that until.... my frustration level grew to such a pitch that I caved and used translucent duct tape to secure them. But the damage was done.  Frustration is evil, because, once there, it imbues itself into everything you do.In making the cage crin, I found that, although all my measurements were exact according to the pattern, nothing was right, but as Lisa kept telling me all day "It's only underwear",  I finally just left it NOT PERFECT. I really hate that and am bumping up against my need to "have-to-be-perfect" vs. the need to "get-it-done" in order to get to the actual outfit. I threaded the encased hoop wire through the slots incorrectly three times before I got it right and then, Voilà! I had a cage crinoline. It was a beautiful sight.

Lisa had her own form of hell that day:  miles and miles of gathering for multiple layers of ruffles, a particular level of Dante's Inferno never mentioned in the book.  She survived.

We also managed to hem her brown skirt and petticoat and fit the muslin for her Polonaise.  Progress! I put on my first corset from Steampunk and Lisa measured me and I whined and whimpered. The numbers made me cringe and vow to get back on my road bike post- haste.

We shared our trim and material choices with each other.  Lisa got to see my Vic trim and fabrics, I got to see her crochet lace and trim choices for the Polonaise and I finally got to see what the heck she was talking about for her Ren outfit.  It all worked.

Lisa's skirt hemmed.

Miles of gathering ruffles

Hoop-de-doo

Lisa's polonaise trim choices

Robin goes to the dark side of duct tape

Why does "boning the hoop" makes us laugh?

 Then we finally got to uncork the wine bottle!

Attack of the Hoop Wires - Robin

OK, so plan A didn't work, on to plan B. I drilled tiny holes between the wires in order to stitch the hoops together (and while I was at it, I applied the Dremel to my dog's toenails - not a success, but that's another story).  Since I couldn't find any white tool dipping liquid anywhere (local or online) I bought some clear spray, sprayed it into a plastic cup and dipped those suckers.  Unfortunately, hoop wires were springing all over the place, duct tape was sticking everywhere I didn't want it to and I couldn't get them to hand straight down (it didn't help that boyfriend was in the garage completely revamping the tool bench, so finding anything became a chore in itself...)Here are the drilled and dipped hoops in all their glory. All I have to do is wait for 4 hours until I can play with them. On to something else.
Next, I had to apply aluminum tips to hoops 1 & 2.  What a pain in the posterior this was. I had 7 tips. I needed four. I really did destroy three until I resorted to super glue to keep the suckers on.  Won't know if this works until tomorrow. There's GOT to be a better way (there is - a machine that does it for you, but unless you are doing this as a business, it is prohibitively expensive - hence, the super glue.) So, the stupid tips are on and now I have to cut material for the hoop casings. Not a good thing to do when one is pissed off, so I'll go watch some Dr. Who, have a glass of wine, and continue tomorrow. (I'm also a bit peeved because the dog I wanted to adopt was adopted 21 hours before I could get to the shelter - rats! Wasn't meant to be...THAT calls for yet another glass of wine!) See ya tomorrow for the big sewing get-together.

Things I did, Want to do, and a BIG day tomorrow - Lisa

I've been making some crocheted lace, just to see if I can, and to use on my polonaise.  I made big ruffled lace for the sleeves, and something a bit 'less' for the hem,  Here's what it looks like, finished, with my fabric.

I still need to finish making more of the smaller stuff.  It gave me the idea of trying to make some that looks like toothed gears. 

I've got most of the material I need to make a Renaissance dress.  I'll post pictures of the fabric soon.  There are a plethora of images on-line that I might post, but the only thing that has captured my interest is how to treat my sleeves.  There are nearly no limits on what I can do, however what I want to do requires lots of layers and fabric which sounds ghastly uncomfortable.  So here I am, balancing comfort and style.  If you knew me, you would know that comfort nearly always wins.  I never wear skirts above mid calf for that reason.  But since I agreed to do this, I don't want to do a half-assed job.  Guess I'll see when it comes time to make them.  I'm looking forward to trying cartridge pleating.  And my steampunk jacket is bubbling up to the top of my mind.  I searched some images yesterday that each have a component that I want to include:

  

My fabric is a lightweight charcoal wool with a red (faux) silk lining that will show in the turn-backs and possibly at the cuffs.  I've got black and gold braid and little brass buttons with tiny elephants on them.  So lots of those.  I will have tails.  I like how they button up in the first picture, but definitely not that long.  I have a pattern for a jacket with a diagonal close up the front, and a riding jacket pattern, along with a cutting pattern for a violin bodice.  I should be able to scramble something together out of those.  Then I got some crumpled looking silk-like stuff to use for a skirt.  I think I will have it button up the front so I can have some fun with petticoats and/or bloomers underneath.  And I'm on the hunt for old belts to use for holsters and straps.

All this has to wait until AFTER tomorrow when we meet to catch up on fittings, hemming, trim choices and pattern work.  Here's what we have on the docket:

Lisa
Fit the muslin for the polonaise (final).
Hem brown cotton skirt.
Hem new petticoat, check for 'fullness'.
Review trim options for the polonaise and both brown skirts (one skirt is still an idea).
Pick up the 3 or 4 fabrics Rob is holding for me.
Look over fabric for Renaissance dress and review trim options.
Cut corset for Renaissance dress (at least copy the pattern).
Remember to bring all the things to wear under the skirts getting hemmed...don't FORGET!

Robin
Measure length for skirt over crinoline.
Measure for patterns she will cut in the near future (Pagoda top and corset).
Review trim for Victorian dress. There are lots of potential ideas here.
Work on bonnet pattern.
Cut the skirt for the Victorian ball gown.
Measure Renaissance patterns for trim requirements.
Make final decision on Renaissance fabrics.

This is do-able IF we multitask a bit and IF we don't open the wine too early.  (I do have to drive home) So we should have a lot fun pictures for next week.  I'm itching to start cutting and sewing again.  Something other than the interminable petticoat ruffles, and something that isn't beige.

Comments seem to be fixed

Please email us at lisaandrobin@gmail.com  if you have a problem, but comments seem to be working. 
(and, ya know, comment PLEASE!)  The comments come to us before they post so be patient.  Sometimes they expect us to work while we're at work.

Wow. I cannot comment on my own blog - Lisa

I've heard from a couple people that comments are not working well.  I just tried to comment and got in a vicious cycle of logging-in in a new window.  Clearly one of Dante's modern circles of hell.  We will look into this.  In the mean time, if you want to comment, please email us at lisaandrobin@gmail.com  We'll post your comment for you.

And, for the record, I wouldn't duct tape the hoops together.  I was suggesting creating a duct tape sleeve at one end of the hoop for the purpose of holding the other end.  If you have two sleeves you can alter the hoop diameter.  Duct tape is strong enough to keep the hoop from punching through, and it's durable.  This would replace steel sleeves that used to exist and are, apparently, no longer available.  That said, I agree that duct tape is not pretty. 

Sad Face - the Epoxy/Snap idea was a failure - Robin

Two days total of gluing and curing and the suckers flaked off the hoop wire quite easily.  Back to the drawing board.  I think I'll try Margo Anderson's (at margospatterns.com) of drilling and stitching. I just don't want to duct tape them together.  It's a thing I have.  Lisa would happily duct tape 'til the cows came home, but I want to have something....less industrial.

A Rant Whilst Purchasing Supplies - Robin

Why IS it that your local craft/fabric store (Jo-Annes, you know who I mean) never, ever has all the things you need at one time so you can get in and out and back to your project. A simple list: snaps to epoxy to the hoop wire for the experiment and rounded covered button kits in two sizes. No, I'm sorry i don't want to buy the size you have in hopes that just MAYBE you'll have the other size I need someday. Then you see some fabric (canvas, stiff stuff, on sale) that you need for a piece of your other project and, after standing in line forever to get it cut, then forever-and-a-day to check out, you realize that, although you've signed up on-line and in the store twice, you still haven't gotten any coupons and you've wasted two hours.

Maybe THAT'S why people shop online instead of bricks-and-mortar stores.

OK, enough of that.  I got the epoxy, got the snaps, but can only do one side at a time until it cures, so here's a pic of one side of the snaps on one side of the hoop.  Stay tuned.