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If correlation and causation are the same, then I can state for a fact that a severe cold can be improved mightily by a long bitching session with one's friends on FB chat about how sick one is feeling! ;) Felt rather better yesterday (but still managed to snag a snow day, since the store called me with an "if you're still feeling sick we don't really need you on tonight" ten minutes before I was going to call in to say they hadn't yet plowed my street!), and vastly better today, though I'm still a little snuffly and have a charming post-nasal drip. And, snow! I think my area ended up getting between 5-6" yesterday...the perfect amount to really enjoy, but not quite enough to make shoveling horrible, or really foul up the roads. Helped that it wasn't during the workweek...
A few of us went out to![[livejournal.com profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sewloud 's local tea house for a little 12th Night(...ish)/Holiday Regency tea this afternoon; same place we went for our (pompously named) Farewell to Summer tea, which is really nice for a low-key event with a few people. I must be feeling better, as yesterday afternoon I realized my green silk pelisse from last year was very nearly wearable... So I got that into a wearable if not finished state, and once I can snag pics from Robin I'll post them.
I've also officially revised my plans for ice skating. I still want to make the Very Smart plum wool suit, but I can't kid myself anymore that I'll have time for it! Losing almost a week of sewing time just won't allow it - I know how fast I can sew, and it's not that fast! So! Plan...what are we up to? C? D? Heh.
So I brainstormed a bit, and went down the "well, what would actual me in 1898 or so have worn?" (Not that Actual Me would be exactly the same in 1898 as 2017 Me, but you get the gist.) Not a fashion plate, like the plum suit! I like pretty things, but don't have an unlimited budget to spend on clothes or places to wear high-fashion things, and I strongly prefer separates over dresses. Well...that can work for 1898 Me, too! And that should work for 2017 Me's time constraints, too. :P
Almost definitely still going to make a jacket out of the plum wool - partly because it's really very nice wool, partly because if I want to trim it up later and make the plum wool suit I can, and partly because my new winter coat this year in Real Life is a very similar shade of plummy burgundy, so it amuses me. I haven't actually dragged out the fabrics for the waist and skirt yet, but mentally a skirt of navy wool-cotton flannel and waist of tiny burgundy and cream check silk look nice and neat together! Reserve the right to change that if they don't look nice when I put them next to each other in real time and space though. ;)
And a new hat if I possibly have the time! Heh.
A few of us went out to
sewloud 's local tea house for a little 12th Night(...ish)/Holiday Regency tea this afternoon; same place we went for our (pompously named) Farewell to Summer tea, which is really nice for a low-key event with a few people. I must be feeling better, as yesterday afternoon I realized my green silk pelisse from last year was very nearly wearable... So I got that into a wearable if not finished state, and once I can snag pics from Robin I'll post them.I've also officially revised my plans for ice skating. I still want to make the Very Smart plum wool suit, but I can't kid myself anymore that I'll have time for it! Losing almost a week of sewing time just won't allow it - I know how fast I can sew, and it's not that fast! So! Plan...what are we up to? C? D? Heh.
So I brainstormed a bit, and went down the "well, what would actual me in 1898 or so have worn?" (Not that Actual Me would be exactly the same in 1898 as 2017 Me, but you get the gist.) Not a fashion plate, like the plum suit! I like pretty things, but don't have an unlimited budget to spend on clothes or places to wear high-fashion things, and I strongly prefer separates over dresses. Well...that can work for 1898 Me, too! And that should work for 2017 Me's time constraints, too. :P
Almost definitely still going to make a jacket out of the plum wool - partly because it's really very nice wool, partly because if I want to trim it up later and make the plum wool suit I can, and partly because my new winter coat this year in Real Life is a very similar shade of plummy burgundy, so it amuses me. I haven't actually dragged out the fabrics for the waist and skirt yet, but mentally a skirt of navy wool-cotton flannel and waist of tiny burgundy and cream check silk look nice and neat together! Reserve the right to change that if they don't look nice when I put them next to each other in real time and space though. ;)
And a new hat if I possibly have the time! Heh.
(no subject)
16 Feb 2016 11:34 pmToday I finished the second side of the CF of the pelisse - by lamplight, because the rain and 50mph wind gusts in our area knocked something out and we didn't have power for a few hours. Not too long, happily, because I really wanted a mug of tea (and we have an electric stove, which I will never stop bitching about). Also because I wanted to finish wiring and binding the last buckram piece of my bonnet, and I had no intention of doing that by hand!
So I did that when we got the power back, and started whipping the pieces together - unfortunately by hand, haha. I've decided to prioritize bonnet over pelisse, since the forecast is staying stubbornly in the too-warm-for-fur temp range.
So I did that when we got the power back, and started whipping the pieces together - unfortunately by hand, haha. I've decided to prioritize bonnet over pelisse, since the forecast is staying stubbornly in the too-warm-for-fur temp range.
productive Sunday
14 Feb 2016 11:57 pmImagine that. I made myself sit down and get boring grownup stuff out of the way (ordering checks, filing taxes, other extremely exciting things of that nature), and then even got some sewing on the pelisse done! Hemmed the sleeves, the skirt, and bound one side of the CF.
And now it's supposed to be close to 60 degrees next weekend when I wanted to wear it. Ffffffuuuuuu...
...I may not be wearing it next weekend. We'll see.
I suppose that means I should also finish the new bonnet I wanted to wear with it, so I'll have something new, sheesh.
And now it's supposed to be close to 60 degrees next weekend when I wanted to wear it. Ffffffuuuuuu...
...I may not be wearing it next weekend. We'll see.
I suppose that means I should also finish the new bonnet I wanted to wear with it, so I'll have something new, sheesh.
(no subject)
13 Feb 2016 11:57 pmExcellent weather today - the coldest temps of the winter so far and snow flurries were somehow very inspiring to make the most of my sewing time!
First I got the fitting done on the shoulder straps of the green pierrot jacket, and marked the CF while I was in stays. Sewed the shoulder straps and pinned in the lining for the tails - the body of the jacket is linen, but I decided to line just the tails in bronze silk scraps.
And then I felt motivated enough to actually try on the pelisse over all my gear, and decide exactly what I wanted to do with the fur. I decided I want an overlap at the front rather than edge to edge, which means there's not quite enough to do a real hem, oops. So I'm binding the CF edges instead of finishing them properly. You'll never know under the fur! Mwahahaha.
First I got the fitting done on the shoulder straps of the green pierrot jacket, and marked the CF while I was in stays. Sewed the shoulder straps and pinned in the lining for the tails - the body of the jacket is linen, but I decided to line just the tails in bronze silk scraps.
And then I felt motivated enough to actually try on the pelisse over all my gear, and decide exactly what I wanted to do with the fur. I decided I want an overlap at the front rather than edge to edge, which means there's not quite enough to do a real hem, oops. So I'm binding the CF edges instead of finishing them properly. You'll never know under the fur! Mwahahaha.
(no subject)
6 Feb 2016 11:59 pmGot the second sleeve all sewn in, and the back bodice edge taken up, so now I get to actually finish all the edges, thrilling. Except for the neck edge since that'll be enclosed by Fur Collar. Actually remembered to buy a little piece of wide twill tape from work tonight to cover the waist seam, too.
Oh, and I made a skirt from a late 1950s pattern. Cut it out earlier this week, which probably took almost as long as it did to sew the thing together, since, plaid. I cut it all out very precisely, managed to sew it together somewhat less precisely. The lines got a little wonky at the side seams...a few mms off. I tried to get myself to care enough to rip them out and resew them; couldn't manage it. So it's done except for the zipper, which I will put in by hand, because it's quicker than putting it in by machine and having to pick it out and redo it three times. I am so entertainingly stupid at putting in zippers. Damn newfangled contraptions. xD
Oh, and I made a skirt from a late 1950s pattern. Cut it out earlier this week, which probably took almost as long as it did to sew the thing together, since, plaid. I cut it all out very precisely, managed to sew it together somewhat less precisely. The lines got a little wonky at the side seams...a few mms off. I tried to get myself to care enough to rip them out and resew them; couldn't manage it. So it's done except for the zipper, which I will put in by hand, because it's quicker than putting it in by machine and having to pick it out and redo it three times. I am so entertainingly stupid at putting in zippers. Damn newfangled contraptions. xD
Another sleeve
5 Feb 2016 11:47 pmHaha, I sewed! I even sewed the thing I was supposed to be sewing! I put the second sleeve together and got it pinned in the armscye.
...well, okay, that's it. Better than nothing!
...well, okay, that's it. Better than nothing!
ugh, sleeves.
2 Feb 2016 11:16 pmNot that these have done anything particularly horrible, but sleeves are always at least vaguely annoying. I ended up using the sleeves from the red spencer, as they fit over the cream striped wool dress with only a wee bit of discomfort, so I added a little bit of width to the pattern and called it Good Enough.
So I got all the sleeve pieces cut - the interlining of one is navy tropical wool, the other is leftover cream stripe wool from the aforementioned dress. They're almost the same weight so it shouldn't matter, but it does amuse me. The left sleeve is sewn together and put on, and the right has the green silk and wool interlining basted together, and that's all I'm doing tonight.
Also discovered I need to take the back of the bodice up a very little bit, maybe 1/4", so it doesn't droop in a very sad manner. At least the back of the skirt's long enough that I won't bother unpicking, can just sew that part of the seam again, a little tighter this time.
So I got all the sleeve pieces cut - the interlining of one is navy tropical wool, the other is leftover cream stripe wool from the aforementioned dress. They're almost the same weight so it shouldn't matter, but it does amuse me. The left sleeve is sewn together and put on, and the right has the green silk and wool interlining basted together, and that's all I'm doing tonight.
Also discovered I need to take the back of the bodice up a very little bit, maybe 1/4", so it doesn't droop in a very sad manner. At least the back of the skirt's long enough that I won't bother unpicking, can just sew that part of the seam again, a little tighter this time.
Sewing! A thing I do!
31 Jan 2016 11:59 pmI know I'll be moaning about how long it takes once I get to actually sewing the fur on, but I'm very pleased with how quickly the pelisse is coming together! Regency (sans embellishment) is very satisfying. Especially when it's a coat and you don't have to fit it. ;)
I even thought about sleeves tonight! I didn't do them, since it's PBS-tv-night tonight, but I thought about them! (Related: I just a few days ago discovered that they did make a season 2 of The Hot Vicar Show, and that's on once Downton is done. Which, yesssssss.)
Gawd, I love this silk. It doesn't look like much in the dim light, but I promise you it's really delightful!
( Read more... )
In other news,miss_philomena's set a date for her birthday outing, and as I've been hankering to do some pre-Raphaelite only since forever, I've started plotting that in earnest. Well, I would have probably waited another year so I could grow my hair a bit longer (my har grows slowly and it's just at that length where it's sort of dumb to buy a wig to wear once that's only 4-6" longer than my own hair...I don't need mermaid hair or anything!), but I guess I can make do with what I've currently got. ;) I can just do another photoshoot next year, haha.
Wasn't sure whether I'd copy a costume in a painting or just make something up, but I did find a Waterhouse that I kept coming back to as I trolled Google images, so I think I've decided on it. Even ordered swatches of silk for the under-dress! More on that later.
I even thought about sleeves tonight! I didn't do them, since it's PBS-tv-night tonight, but I thought about them! (Related: I just a few days ago discovered that they did make a season 2 of The Hot Vicar Show, and that's on once Downton is done. Which, yesssssss.)
Gawd, I love this silk. It doesn't look like much in the dim light, but I promise you it's really delightful!
( Read more... )
In other news,
miss_philomena's set a date for her birthday outing, and as I've been hankering to do some pre-Raphaelite only since forever, I've started plotting that in earnest. Well, I would have probably waited another year so I could grow my hair a bit longer (my har grows slowly and it's just at that length where it's sort of dumb to buy a wig to wear once that's only 4-6" longer than my own hair...I don't need mermaid hair or anything!), but I guess I can make do with what I've currently got. ;) I can just do another photoshoot next year, haha.Wasn't sure whether I'd copy a costume in a painting or just make something up, but I did find a Waterhouse that I kept coming back to as I trolled Google images, so I think I've decided on it. Even ordered swatches of silk for the under-dress! More on that later.
A very little pelisse
30 Jan 2016 11:22 pmDid a whole bunch of costume-related research today, that was basically totally irrelevant to anything else I have on my plate at the moment...but it was still very interesting! Thank you, internet...what would I do without you?
So all I got done on the pelisse was to baste the green silk and lining together at the top edge of the skirt. Um, yay?
(Slightly related: I haven't watched any of War & Peace, but I've been reading recaps, and the costumes are just so exhaustingly bad...it makes me tired. I did see the top of a furry pelisse on Lily James that didn't make me want to stick a fork in my eye? On the bright side, this series can provide abundant education as to why The Correct Bust Support in Early 19thc Costume is So Very Important! All the boobs look so sad and dumpy...and, like, a fair amount of these actresses have perky 20-something-boobs, so you really gotta try to make them look bad! Congrats, you've succeeded.)
So all I got done on the pelisse was to baste the green silk and lining together at the top edge of the skirt. Um, yay?
(Slightly related: I haven't watched any of War & Peace, but I've been reading recaps, and the costumes are just so exhaustingly bad...it makes me tired. I did see the top of a furry pelisse on Lily James that didn't make me want to stick a fork in my eye? On the bright side, this series can provide abundant education as to why The Correct Bust Support in Early 19thc Costume is So Very Important! All the boobs look so sad and dumpy...and, like, a fair amount of these actresses have perky 20-something-boobs, so you really gotta try to make them look bad! Congrats, you've succeeded.)
