A Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Me: I'm going to update more!

Also Me: Doesn't update anything.

I posted one or two IG posts, but nothing here, oops. I've mostly been working on the 1780s stays, as I felt most inspired to do that, I guess! I stopped at Home Depot on the way home from work and picked up more cable ties, so got the stays all boned as of tonight. Basted one half of the pieces together for a try-on and decided I was tired. Unless I'm super distracted, I can probably finish basting and try those on tomorrow at some point after my couple of morning classes.

I did also get my box o'dirndl fabric fun over the weekend, along with one of the Burda patterns I ordered, so after I check the fit of the stays I'll probably switch to dirndls for a bit (provided there isn't any awful fit crisis with the stays. I'm going to a small stitch-n-bitch on Saturday so I would like to have the stays at an "easy to sit and and sew for a few hours" point by then).

Also I stopped into my (former) Joann's for glue and somewhat accidentally came out with some fabric (and many half-serious pleas to come back and do sale sets please! Ha ha ha, sure, if you want to match what they pay me at school)... I grabbed a few quarter yards of fall & Halloween fabrics for new masks for this school year, but also I was absolutely unable to resist the skeleton cats! Unable to resist to the point of placing a pickup order for another local store to grab on my way home tomorrow, because Cherry Hill only had 1+ yard, and I NEED a dress out of this, you guys.

(Will I actually make it for this season? Doubtful. But I LOVE IT AND NEED IT.)

Sewed too much last weekend; had to balance it out by sewing almost nothing this weekend!

I didn't actually mean to be terribly flighty this weekend... but it was absolutely glorious fall weather so I had to spend at least one full afternoon outside, and it was a Tom weekend so I had to catch up on snuggling (45 degree nights are so much better for a damn radiator in bed with you than 80 degree nights!), so my only day to be remotely productive was Friday.

I did intend to be remotely productive; I got my impulse purchase of a yard of orange plaid wool in the mail this week, so thought maybe I could make a new skirt this weekend. I even posted something to IG with a pattern and a gleeful air. And then I actually opened the pattern envelope and discovered that Past Me had decided to try making the skirt at some time in the distant past, because it was not in fact in the envelope. Um...oops? So I spent a chunk of Friday afternoon digging through Piles of Random Crap piled around the sewing room. I did not find the pattern bits I was looking for (they have to be somewhere because I never throw anything out), but I did manage to sort and disappear some of the piles. And I finally just said OH FINE WHATEVER I'LL USE THIS ONE and cut the damn thing out. And sewed one seam. And that was it.

Better than nothing...I guess? I am officially recording my doubts right now that I'll finish anything for Poe, though! Maybe I should focus on making the bonnet before the dress, because then at least I'll have something new...

I am not that picky with fabric, except for when I am, and this is one of those times! Moral of the story: just shell out for the $30/yd stuff and have done, it'll be less drawn-out and annoying.

Let's recap:
What I want(ed): 5 yards of black wool for tailcoat, and 2.5 yards of black wool for evening trousers. These do not have to be the same fabric, not do they have to be 100% wool, but I do require that they aren't too nasty polyestery, nor a weird weave that would be inappropriate for early-to-mid Victorian tails/trousers for a fancy dinner or ball. This is apparently a tall order.

Part One: In Which Joann.com Cannot Count.
Ordered 8 yards of heavyweight black wool suiting and receive 6, because someone is dumb. After 3 emails and...5? 6? days, am refunded for the missing yards and "can re-order the two yards if you need it, because we can't re-ship from the same order." Hahaha if you think I am ever going to order from this website again if I can possibly avoid it, you have another think coming. Consider returning it all at this point, because the fabric's okay but definitely tainted by association.

Part Two: FFC to the Rescue!
But wait, FFC is having a pretty decent sale and free shipping! Let's see what they have! Ooo, simply scads of black wool, and all of the blends are less per yard than I paid for the Joann's. Mostly-wool melton! Flannel! A couple of other options! So...I bought 5 yards of the melton, 5 yards of the flannel, 3 yards of a plainweave blend, and a 2.5yard twill remnant. (And 6 yards of stupid cheap black cotton lawn, because all the cool kids have been making black Regency dresses and I want one too! Not right now but...*squirrels fabric away) Will almost definitely return the Joanns stuff. But will wait for replacements to arrive, because am not total idiot.

Part Three: ...Or Not.
Two days ago, a package from FFC on my doorstep when I got home from work. Record delivery time, btw. Highly unusual for them! Pull all the black fabric out, and...hang on, shouldn't there be one more in here? *looks at packing slip* Oh GOOD, they were sold out of the melton. Of course, it was that one. And I don't like any of the other options for a nice tailcoat! Flannel has a good weight but a weird visible "waffle" weave, twill is slinky and offensively shiny, and plainweave is too lightweight and fuzzy-looking. Okay, good thing I didn't return the Joann's wool! I'll probably send the twill back because I don't think I'll ever have any use for it, but the rest of it I will because...well, I have a wool problem, people. (Plus sending back anything would put me under the free shipping price point in the original order, and then they'd take that shipping charge out of my refund, which would make the refund not worth the trouble! It was a heavy package...) What to use for the trousers? Who knows at this point! The flannel is probably the least offensive choice...

Part Four: Gorram Twowsers.
No school job today; had some other stuff to do, but figured I could work on the plaid day trousers and see how far I could get. Ha. Ha. Ha. Not Very Far! I have been completely defeated by the weird front pockets. They really should not be that hard, but the directions for this part are, if you'll pardon the pun, absolutely pants. Nonspecific references to sides of pockets and "refer to the pattern" when the pattern doesn't clear things up AT ALL, THANKS, got the rage o'meter pretty high today. I'm quite sure I effed the pocket pieces up because they now can't be sewn in so that the pants actually connect to the waistband, but judging by the pattern directions I have no idea where I effed up. Good times.
In summation...I am rethinking the whole "I need fabric for evening trousers" thing anyway! There are passable fly-front trousers out there for sale - not in my fun plaid, but plain black that'll work for dinner, and possible later balls? Sure. The price might be worth my sanity! I'd rather spend time fussing with a tailcoat than stupid-ass trousers.


Cliff Notes Version: I am way too picky about black wool, and trousers are eviller to sew than frock coats.

I bought one more attempt at navy flannel for the bathing costume, since the FFC wool sale goes through tonight...and if it shows up and is also not flannel/ too heavyweight, I will give up my somewhat ridiculous quest and use the backup fabric I also bought! (Needed a certain amount to get free shipping, as usual, so...might as well. And if all other use fails, well, I do need to step up my school-appropriate wardrobe sewing and I'm attempting to transfer my natural-fibre-snobbery to my everyday wardrobe as well as my costumes, so I can use it for that.)

In sewing news, I finished the long skirt apart from fastenings and the pocket that I just now remembered that I forgot! I have a tendency to make skirts a titch too short, so I made this one longer...unsurprisingly it's now a titch too long. Typical. It's quite floor-length, which I don't love, personally. Not long enough that I want to take off the binding and shorten it, though, so I'll just have to hoik my skirt when I walk. ;)

Primary accomplishments for today including doing most of my giant pile of laundry, and buying fabric I didn't remotely need. That's what happens when you're responsible for putting away new fabric...

Sad picture is sad...it's off-white ground with a much brighter red print than the pic. Time for a new Regency dress, y/y?

(It's not actually time for a new Regency dress. But I'm madly jealous of everyone who did the 1812 event in Halifax this past weekend, and it's been ages since I've made anything early 19thc, so I couldn't resist snapping this fabric up! Maybe I'll have time for it next year...)

So, for those of you who don't know, this is me with my fabric stash.


I have, however, finally reached a tipping-point and after my last fabric purchase ("found better 1882 dinner dress fabric! but really must then sell original dinner dress fabric if I'm going to buy the new one. also, yay squirreling away some random fabric for an 1850s dress!") made myself go through the Stash (that I should probably call the Hoard if we're being quite honest) with a fine-tooth comb to find a few pieces to sell off. A very few, when compared to what is still piled up, but...now it's piled more neatly? *curls up on top of wool stack and tries not to look dragonish*

Posting them here first to give you all first dibs - if there's no interest I shan't be offended! It'll go up on etsy in a few days if nobody wants it here. Price is for the piece + shipping...I won't cut up yardage except for the one striped sateen. Paypal only, please! Message me with your zip code if you'd like to get a shipping estimate first, as some of these yardages fold up small and some...don't.

(And those are sun-and-shade lighting issues in some of the pics, not weird fade marks, I promise! My only space big enough for pics is lighting-challenged...)

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I might add a few more plain-cotton-types to the sale pile in the next few days, but this is kind of annoying to put together and I don't know if I feel like digging through that box, so...maybe not. ;)

- Mailed out the rest of the etsy things, so I am now all caught up.

- Remembered why I put the plaid linen apron aside. TOO much flat felling! With tiny tiny fold-overs, about 1/16"! Annoying! Swore I would finish it though, so I will. Grumbling all the while.

- Got my other extravagant silk purchase in the mail today! I enjoy how prompt these companies are. The horrible green is very horrible indeed; a most virulent shade of chartreuse. I am very pleased. xD The chartreuse, hot pink (to potentially accent the chartreuse) and ivory (small piece, because that's all they had left) are fairly soft, as taffetas go, but the 2.25y of black is much stiffer, like a taffeta really ought to be if it possibly can. Still, all in all very pleased with my new silks! *snuggles*

- I did indeed finish my 1940 lemon print dress. Wore it today, thought it was very cute, and didn't take any pictures of it. Oh well.

- Got my faille yesterday in the mail - very pleased, it's very yellow indeed. I wanted it for maybe an 18th century Thing but we'll see. Not something I remotely needed! xD

- I got my correct swatch in the mail yesterday - the sparkles are actually made of little flat bits of metal rather than spangles (just like the original inspiration for this dress). Yay! Went to order it this evening - sold out. Not Pleased. You know, if you'd sent me the correct freakin' swatch originally, it wouldn't have been sold out! Grumble grumble grump. (It comes in a red colorway as well, but it's $7 more/yard for some reason, and I don't like it nearly as much as the blue. Yes, they got a cranky email from me.) Back to the drawing board.

- I shouldn't go fabric shopping when I'm still miffed about not getting the original fabric I wanted. I tend to, uh, acquire fabric for consolation purposes! To be fair, fabric is a GREAT consolation...

I'm feeling complacent about how well the hats are going (though Alice's needs to be done by next Thursday, so she'll have it in time to trim by the Allaire wedding. So I do need to keep on that!), so I was lazy today and only cut out the flannel and lining.

Also got my FFC order, finally - naturally two fabrics were already sold out before they got to my order, but as every fabric but one in this order was entirely superfluous, I'm only mildly irritated, haha. Happily the voile I really wanted wasn't sold out.

Yellow/white polka dot shirting, white/red shirting, tulip-print voile, and blue floral print silk/cotton voile, left to right! All for vintage dresses. :D So really not unreasonably large amounts...

Not pictured: ten yards of an-actually-very-nice black cotton poplin, probably destined for historical stuffs. No idea what for, but one can always use black poplin for something Victorian, right? Very cheap, couldn't resist!

Aw yiss. All the fabric.

I ordered a bunch of bolt ends from Fabrics-store recently, since they had a really nice selection up - partly for the Indian King Tavern's stuff (since I feel vaguely guilty I said I'd sew for them and have made them a grand total of one apron so far), and partly to replenish my own stock of white and natural linen. That finally was delivered today:

Well, this is only the kerchiefs-and-aprons-for-the-IKT half. Everyone knows what white linen looks like! The red's a little more brilliant than expected, I might not end up using that (and the orange's a little bitty bit for sewloud), but I think the others will make for some fun accessories.

(The yellow was flown in from France, dontcha know. HA HA HA sorry, old joke...)


And my silkies from Belvidere! I haven't put them away yet because I keep going over and petting the satins. It's quite sad none of them are dress lengths, but I guess I can struggle through. ;)

The windowpane taffeta on the left is already being made into an 18thc under-petticoat, for fluffy purposes. And it's not even long enough for that, so I'm putting a panel of the quilted silk at the hem. Whatever, it's an under-petticoat! I think that one's the piece I most wish was a dress length, actually; it's such a nice thick taffeta with great body! Would make a fantastic Victorian Something. Oh well, it's making a very nice petticoat too, haha.