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Monday 30 April 2012

The Letter S

The things I have to show you this week all begin with an 's'!  So today we are going to look at a suit I made.  It's the first complete suit I have ever made and though there are mistakes I'm still pretty pleased with it.


It was made for a friend who wore it to a Titanic evening.  This is also one of the first costumes I've done historical accuracy research for (I normally just check out a 'look' as opposed to worrying if it's accurate).  Once we'd found patterns I had a lovely time visiting all my favourite fabric shops, getting advice and coming away with samples.  We then chose final fabrics and I placed orders and got to work on a muslin.



Sadly I forgot to take photos of the muslin, but it did help a lot, especially at the times when I couldn't work out the pattern directions and more or less had to wing it...





As you can see I made the jacket, trousers, shirt and waistcoat.  The jacket and trousers are wool and the jacket has satin lapels.  The shirt is linen and the waistcoat cotton pique.  Incidentally, isn't pique a lovely fabric?  I most definitely want to use it again!


I think my favourite thing to make was the linen shirt.  The bosom panel was confusing, but then when I worked it out, a lot simpler than I was expecting!  And I'm quite a fan of pleats, so yes, it in particular was a lot of fun.


It's been an interesting project and I have learnt loads from it!  Fly construction, sleeve plackets, how to pad stitch and all sorts!  I hope you've enjoyed the pictures and I'll see you on Thursday with spats and a scarf!





Thursday 26 April 2012

A Long Time In The Making!

I started this top in January and have been far too busy ever since to finish it!  This week however has been kind so I finally managed it.

Its New Look 6677 and I originally got the pattern to make the lodger a birthday present way back when.  So now we have matching tops!  Hers is red.  So Christmas twins perhaps?






The fabric is the jersey stuff from the wrap around dress and the fake satin is remnants from the cape lining I made last autumn.  I should probably have more to say, but it's taken so long in such little dribs and drabs that I don't have a lot to say about it.  It was a fun sew and I'm reasonably happy with it.

I've also been messing around with a special fascinator and a spats prototype.  So hopefully I'll have shinies to show next week!  I am also hopeful about being able to show off one of my recent projects that I haven't shown yet.  1912 evening wear anyone?

Monday 23 April 2012

My Weekend

Was busy!  We went off to our first event of the year for my local larp group and I played Katrin and Rose.

Katrin had the trousers I showed off in my last post.  They held up to the rigours of larp reasonably well, but I think the waist elastic needs tightening a bit more. Trousers with a tendency to fall down over time are not useful under several layers of armour!

Rose also had a new frock.  I've actually had this one in the cupboard for a couple of years now but it was it's first wearing on a larp (originally having been made for a murder mystery party).


This is made to the same pattern as the brown dress (and was the prequel in fact, to the brown dress).  It has rosebuds on the sleeves and is very pretty, but perhaps not technically brilliant!



I also made the green tunic.  I made Andy an original tunic for Caled shortly after I started larp and was quite recently back to the whole sewing malarkey.  It's served its purpose, but wasn't pretty or well made and the fabric was an itchy non cotton, so when Andy asked nicely for a new one how could I refuse?



 I also managed to get him to agree to collar embroideries.  The pattern is meant to represent Rose and Caled (seeing as IC it was made by Rose).  It;s just a simple back stitch but I do like how it's turned out!
Yes I am faintly green.  It's a long story!
So yes, in spite of  the weather we had a lovely time!  This week I shall be mending (a commission), finishing a top I started in January and working on a new spring coat.  This mean with any luck I should be back to the Monday and Thursday schedule for a little while again.  I'm also busy dreaming up steampunk pretties I want to make.  Too many ideas, not enough time!

Thursday 19 April 2012

Trousers In A Day...

Well, more or less.  I did redo the waistband today.  But yes, I made a pair of trousers yesterday!  My first attempt at a pattern for trousers for me!



 The pattern is New Look 6005 and I used cotton drill fabric.  I'm not completely happy with them, but pretty thrilled for a first go run up quite quickly!




The combat pockets on the side took almost the same amount of time as the rest of the trousers in total.  But I'm loving how they look.

These are for Katrin my guard, as I ripped a hole in her old trousers.  I'll be testing them this weekend as we are off for our first long event of the year.  I've also made her a new tabbed, but as it's more or less identical to the old one I haven't bothered to photograph it.

I should hopefully have an old dress and a new tunic to show on Monday.  See you then!

Monday 16 April 2012

Fish and Isoflex

Though not together, because that'd be incredibly cruel to the fish...

First up, my friend and manager had a little wire cage that she wanted a toy fish for.  Quite why, I'm not sure, but there we go.  Anything to oblige!



I made two fish, because I didn't like my first attempt...

I got these little scraps of orange fabric in the shop a few weeks ago.  It's lovely to look at, but horrible to feel, so making it into something for display only seemed fitting.

As you can see my fish drawing and design skills aren't up to much, but the recipient was pleased which is the important thing!


The weapon repair is also coming along well.  Tonight we're going to coat them in some spray (I've forgotten what sort!) and then they're done.  Which is handy because it's our first event of the year coming up at the weekend and I need my shield, and my sword!






I might have a post on Thursday, if not expect me on Monday with a new tunic and an old but as yet unshown dress!


Saturday 7 April 2012

Dropping off the Radar

I think blog posts are likely to stay sporadic for a while.  I'm working on big projects that  don't want to show until they are finished and my free time has been occupied with non sewing projects!

Here's a few quick pics of the weapons repainting we've been up to today!

This will eventually be green!
Sorry for the messy garage pictures!

The isoflex only corner

As you can see I'm not very good at painting...

Latex and paint!    
















The fumes from the isoflex are really quite vile though!  So in between painting baking has happened and much tea has been drunk!  And with that cheery thought I'm off to put the kettle on again and then settle down to sewing so I have something to show sooner rather than later.  I miss this little blog when I don't update it.


I piped the crosses on, badly!