Gah!

So, I fail badly at this regular posting idea.  This is partly down to a holiday and partly down to a manic social life and partly down to be useless at actually taking pictures off my camera and putting them on this computer.   Oopsie?

So anyway,  I finished the project I mentioned in my last post!  It's a skirt, made to my own pattern and I am very pleased with how it turned out.

Here it is!

It consists of 5 A-line panels, interspersed with 4 kite shaped panels.  I started by hemming each panel, as I've found it's easier to do this at the start then try and hem the odd shape I ended up with!  I sewed all the panels together in a long line, then stitched the A-line panels together for a quarter of their length so that the kite shaped panels were stuck behind them. 

Then I pressed the kite shaped panels and then put in a zip and connected the 2 back A-line panels.  I finished the skirt with a waistband attached at the front, folded over and then machine stitched again.  Not entirely invisible but it will be stronger and as this is for LARP kit I decided strength was better  than aesthetics.

As you can see it contains a fair amount of fabric!

I think it looks really cool, and I am very tempted to make one for me :D


I also made a lace over skirt to go with it, for more formal occasions.

Ta-daa!

 

 

This is much simpler.  I made a rectangle of fabric into a tube and pleated it attaching it to a ribbon for a waistband with a hook and eye fastening.  The fabric is very lovely and it swishes nicely.

I'll try and do another entry soon.  You'll either get to read about how I make satchel style bags or my struggles with wizard robe design!

And last but never least, many thanks to the lovely Ruth for letting me post about her skirt and modelling for pics :D

Sewing and What I Make

I was going to sew this evening,  but I've run out of thread, halfway through trimming a skirt.  Oopsie?  Luckily I'm off fabric shopping on Saturday so I'll remedy that then, and in the meantime I shall amuse myself with this blog!

Ok, so I mainly make costumes.  For me and for my friends.  The reason being I LARP and I love /any/ excuse to dress up.  But dressing up clothes from costume shops cost money I don't have, and due to the fact that I'm tall and not super skinny I can't ever find anything that fits that well.  So I make my own.  Some I use patterns for, and some I make up entirely!

With that thought in mind, tonights post is pictures of a few of my favourite costumes.  And the reasons why I love them. :)

  So...  This is kit I made in a rush, late at night.  I love it!  I made the robe and skirt.  The skirt is simply a tube with an elasticated waistband and not massively exciting.  I am however, very fond of the robe.  It's in made of 2 pieces, a rectangle on the shoulders with a neckline cut out and a long rectangle with holes cut for the arms.  There are pleats, front and back where it joins the shoulder piece, which gives me more fabric at the bottom, so I can stride around easily.  It currently doesn't have any fastenings or decoration, but I may change that, as it gets used a fair amount.

This is also made to my own design.  Though the rabbit ears were sewn by me, but design and inner framework is Caroline's genius!  The dress is an over dress, kind of dungaree style and an under dress in medieval chemise style.

The over dress is meant to look as though it button on the straps, but it acutally has a side zip.  This is because dressing in a tent is hard enough already!  I love the skirt, and I can dance (and run away from scary foxes) easily in it.  Also this dress contains a lot of firsts.  It's my first completely designed on my own pattern (and what a lot of struggle with tissue paper that was!), it's my first zip (not bad, if I say so myself) and it's my first costume that I really loved, when I put it on.

This is a picture of the under dress.  It's a pattern I made, with copious help from my very patient mum.  I made the sleeves in different fabrics to match the dress.  Oh, the other thing I love about this costume?  The fabric was all on sale so the whole outfit cost me less than £10.  I love a bargain!

And my other favourite costume of note is

This is a pattern I bought, which I adore!  I didn't have a lot of time when I made it, but I am planning lace edged petticoats to go underneath and fluff the skirt out a bit.  The jacket is so lovely and worth every penny I splashed out on the cotton velvet.  And the buttons are just darling!  I need more victorian events, so I can wear this more!

So yeah...  Some of my favourites, that I've made so far.  I'm hoping to do a blog about my current project next week, but I need to check with the person I'm making it for.  What are you all making right now?