Wash complete!

Aubrey's "Wash Overskirt" was not awash! Whoo hoo! It's gorgeous! I really didn't think I could pull it off, but I did and it's even prettier than I expected it to be. This overskirt design was seen in an 1884 Butterick catalog and can be worn with or without a bustle. I may make a small bustle to wear underneath, to pouf her butt out more. We'll see how it looks when she has all of the undergarments on. The wash has 5 ties sewn underneath, two which are in casings that draw up the skirt and tie, to make the poufs. There is also a tie sewn near the waistband that loops over a button and you can raise or lower the center of the pouf. It sounded so complicated but I figured it out and it works great. The waistband turned out perfectly, with no puckers, and is nice and flat. The trim is very pretty and really adds a lot to the look. I can't wait to start on mine! I still need to buy my wash fabric, although I've had it picked out for months. Jo Ann's still has plenty of it in stock so I'm not worried about not being able to get it. I don't know if I want to start working on Aubrey's corset mock up, or start my underskirt first. I need to do the mock up as I have no idea what size busk to order and won't know until the mock up is finished. The pattern maker lists three corset making suppliers, and I'll be ordering from them very soon. I'd say the thought of making a corset scares me, but dang, it all scares me and I've done alright so far! I'm really glad my patience has increased over the years, or else I would have given up on this months ago.

Two raves and must haves for this project. My dummy and my fantastic sewing machine! If I didn't have the dummy to try the clothes on, Aubrey would be screaming at me by now...lol. It's such a big help! And my Brother sewing machine is so slick. The only issues I've had are operator failure, not the machine..lol. But those have been few and far between :) 

Here are some pictures. Now there are no undergarments underneath, so the underskirt looks rather squished. When it's on Aubrey it will be more full looking. 

Alright, back to work!

Back view

 Side view

 View from the front

 Front view

Close-up of trim

You can't really see it, but there is just a hint of purple in the wash skirt fabric. It's very nice.

Making progress

Two days in a row! I'm surprising myself here. I have the wash cut out, darts sewn in, apron hemmed and now I'm getting ready to sew the sides together. As soon as my hubby gets home from school I'm heading out to Joann Fabrics for apron trim, (maybe, if Aubrey wants it) tie strings and buttons to hook them to for the poufs. I should be outside mowing the lawn, but I'm on a roll :) 

At last

I finally finished Aubrey's underskirt! Pinning the ruffle on was a pain in my ass and scared the hell out of me. Once I finally got the nerve to actually sew it on, it went easy as pie (thanks to my calling on Bridgid for help) I was so worried that I would mess up and the fabric is too delicate and expensive to handle a massive ripping out. I think it turned out really well and the ruffle just adds to the whole look of the skirt. Of course now I have to sew the "wash", which is the overskirt. I'm scared of that one too, but I just need to stop psyching myself out and do it.

I get really weird when I sew. It's like riding a roller coaster for me. I get really wound up, tense, impatient and pace the floor. I make a lot of strange noises, sing, laugh and HAVE to watch comedy on youtube to break the tension. I have bitten off way more than I can chew with this project and I don't want to fail. I've spent way too much money on fabric and patterns to give up or do a shoddy job. I'm proud I've accomplished as much as I have, but I have so much more to do! I CAN do it! I WILL! Aubrey and I will look fabulous and the memories will last a lifetime. Hopefully I'll still have hair on my head or I'll have to buy a weave...lol

Really....break's over!

I need to haul ass if I'm going to finish these costumes! I finally finished Aubrey's petticoat today and realized it's basically useless :(  I'm skipping mine and going straight to her skirt. If I finish everything else and have time I'll make mine, but I can use the wedding petticoat I found at the Salvation Army instead of wasting the time sewing the annoying piece of underwear. Here are the pictures of it.

Break's Over

I took a little break from sewing to bake birthday cakes for my oldest and youngest, but now I'm back at it.

I finished mine and Aubrey's drawers and they are very cute, albeit oddly shaped.  I'm not sure how I'm going to like the open crotch design, but it will come in handy when wearing a full outfit. That's a lot of layers to wrestle with in a cramped public stall. I'd compare it to using the facilities while wearing a wedding gown....not an easy task.

I started on Aubrey's petticoat and if I didn't have so much running around to do today and tomorrow I'd probably finish it, but I don't think that's going to happen. I should be able to finish it this week though.

This past weekend Aubrey and I went shopping and I found a nice cameo brooch that I'm going to turn into a necklace to wear with my gown. We also found several bits and pieces of possible Steampunk costume items, but nothing was in our sizes. Ah well, we have plenty of time.

Back to work. Don't forget to vote tomorrow! Vote for experience! Vote David Townsend!

Another Ball = More Costumes!

I haven't gotten much accomplished since my last post. Aubrey's drawers were giving me a hard time. That just doesn't sound right, does it? Hahaha! They are all finished except for the leg hem and trim and they are HUGE! They're supposed to be, I've read, but that big, really? I'm making mine shorter so they don't drag on the ground. I should be able to finish mine today after a trip to Joann's for more lace. I need another bolt of fabric so I can begin working on the petticoats this week. I think I need a bigger table for that. I'll have to make due with what I have.

I purchased 8 yards of the Sea Pine Taffeta from Fabric.com and it's supposed to arrive tomorrow. The swatches they sent were just what I needed to make my fabric decision. Aubrey and I drove straight away to Joann's after receiving the swatches, and the tapestry fabric I had picked out weeks ago will match perfectly. It should be lovely. Hopefully! They don't look like they'll match, but they really do. They both have the same iridescent sheen to them and the colors really work well together.

Guess what I found?! Another ball!! This one is called The Endless Night Vampire Ball, Steampunk Soiree. Last year's party was voted the #1 Halloween party in the WORLD by Tripadvisor.com  I'm so excited! This one is being held on Saturday, October 29, 2011. The Theatre of the Vampires Ball is held the day before. I'm going to be exhausted! But you only live once, right? I have wanted to dress up and go to a  costume ball like this for 11 years and this is my chance. So now I have to create 3 Steampunk costumes. I have lots of ideas and we can probably mix and match pieces I already own. It'll be fun to see what we come up with. 
http://neworleansvampireball2011.eventbrite.com/

                                                                       

Two down and a lot more to go!

I finished mine and Aubrey's chemise last night. I'm pleased with the results. Mind you, these are from an original 1885 pattern, so they are not fancy, but functional. I could have added prettier lace, but there is so much more to sew and these are the bottom of the clothing layers. I'll save the more extravagant trims for the garments that will actually be seen. Both are identical and the top picture makes it look like it's uneven, but it's my form that tilted to the right.

On to the drawers!

Patterns are here!

I got my patterns yesterday! I'm impressed with the super fast shipping from www.trulyvictorian.com I ordered the patterns Friday afternoon and got them yesterday from California. Thanks Heather!

Here are the patterns and fabric for Aubrey's skirts.

And here is an up close picture of the tapestry fabric. It's gorgeous!

And of the four gore underskirt fabric. Aubrey will be breathtaking in this!

I'm waiting on fabric swatches that are coming in the mail from www.fabric.com before I make my final fabric decision. I have plenty of time to figure it out. I actually bought a bolt of fabric yesterday for our undergarments. I cut the chemise and drawers patterns, cut 4 yard sections of the muslin fabric (we're going with the natural color) I'll be using and washed, dried and ironed it all. I'm about ready to start pinning and cutting patterns this morning. When I first opened the patterns I wasn't so sure about them. They're made on paper. I love it! You never realize how lousy the tissue paper patterns are until you try these out! These will last for years, not just for one garment. Fabulous!

Alright. Back to work!

It's a machine!

Not a lot to report except to say I LOVE MY SEWING MACHINE! It's awesome! I never realized how cruddy my last one was until I started using my Brother. The different stitches are fantastic and it runs so quiet and smooth. I tried out the different stitches on some scrap fabric and Anna decided I needed to turn it into a purse for her. She's happy as a clam. I think I'll pull out some super cool fabric Aubrey bought me a while back and make myself a new apron. I'm still waiting on my NOLA patterns to arrive from Cali so I'm just goofing off with the machine, trying to learn it so I'm good to go when I'm ready to begin the real sewing.

I did start on Aubrey's dark elf bodice. It's sort of fun building your own pattern from just a photograph. I wouldn't be able to do it without that dress form. Very wise purchase and I'm sure it will prove invaluable for our costumes.

Back to "The Machine"!!

One step closer

Guess what I got today? My sewing machine AND my dress form! I'm so excited! Aubrey and I also hit up Joann Fabrics in Janesville and discovered they have a much larger selection of everything than the Beloit store. I found the fabric for my skirt and the "wash", which is the overskirt. I think I might  use a combination of the two for the bodice but I'm not certain. I think Aubrey has hers picked out too. I also ordered our patterns this afternoon and I believe they have already shipped from California. I can't wait to get them!

The fabric Aubrey picked out.

And the fabric I picked out....so far. It's much prettier in person. The blue has a sort of bronze sheen to it which matches the bronze sheen to the tapestry fabric. I may only use the tapestry for my wash skirt, or I may use a small amount in the bodice.

Alright, time to play with my machine :) 

Antiquing

Monday of this week Aubrey and I went to the Roscoe Antique Mall www.roscoeantiquemall.com on Gardner Street in South Beloit, IL. We thought it would be a good place to start looking for jewelry and possibly boots for me. I found a beautiful cameo necklace and earring set that I might go back and purchase at a later date. I don't know if I go with my gut on dress color or buy an inspiration piece to influence my choice. I haven't decided yet. I found several pair of boots, all too small and for chicken legs, but oh so cute! They were obviously well-used but I think it would be neat to own a pair. Maybe I'll start collecting them. I found several possible pairs of boots on www.goodgoth.com I'd probably choose black boots except for the Wonderland pair which are black and gold.

My sewing machine is in Bever Dam. I sure wish it would get here!

Trip to Rockford

Yesterday Rick, Aubrey and I drove to Rockford, IL to check out their Goodwill store and Hancock Fabrics. I had never been to that Goodwill and I was at first pleasantly surprised by how well organized and nice it smelled. Like freshly laundered clothing. That's always a good sign. We found a very nice, very long black suede skirt that I'm going to tear apart for another project. Aubrey is very slender and when I look at her I see "elf" immediately because of her dainty facial features. She says her ears are pointy, but I don't think so. She sees herself as a female warrior-type and since we have a Renaissance Fair to go to in May and Pirate Fest to go to in June, I'm creating her a Warrior Elf costume. Not quite a Dark Elf (I refuse to paint her blackish/blueish/purple). We found the inspiration on Etsy Shops (Love them!) and the black suede is going to become sort of a riveted one shoulder bodice with buckles and a belt. Like this one.
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/52624713/gula-asymmetrical-over-bust-leather

The design is awesome and best of all, requires little to no sewing. Other than that skirt, we didn't really find anything to use for NOLA. Once we hit the men's section of the store my nose detected some really stinky men and I wanted to leave soon after.   It was a bad smell. Really bad. Bad enough that I don't ever want to go there again. Yuck.

Down the road from Goodwill we found Hancock Fabrics. I had forgotten how much I liked that store. When Rick and I lived in Wausau, WI there was a HF right down the street from our apartment. I love the 5 patterns for $5! Patterns are so expensive so that is a great deal. Not only do they have a better selection of fabric than Joann's, they have all kinds of cool "stuff" related to sewing and crafting. I really try to shop my own community, but I may end up back at HF for fabric. They had larger size dress forms for a really good price but not the one I wanted. I guess I'm just going to have to order one on-line. Aubrey and I poured through the fabric, oohing and aahing at the beautiful textures and colors, deciding on nothing...lol. I *may* go with crepe backed satin  for some part of my costume, but the duponi silk is nice as well as the elegance taffeta, which has a bit of texture to it and that delicious "swoosh" sound. Maybe I'll go with all three! There are certainly enough parts to the costume to do that!

After HF we went to one of my favorite places to eat in Rockford, Stone Eagle. I had the Muffaletta sandwich and Beignets shared with my companions for dessert. Yum! Had to get in the New Orleans spirit, ya know ;)

No trip to Rockford is complete without a trip to Borders. I love that bookstore. Borders and I go way back. I picked up a couple of Laurell K. Hamilton books (She's the guest author at the ball) and the most recent copy of Gothic Beauty magazine. Rick picked up a book and then we were on our way home. Not a very productive "shopping for NOLA" trip, but fun nonetheless.

Scrounging the community

My friend Aubrey and I hit up some thrift stores yesterday. We found a wedding slip for Aubrey that will be her petticoat and a pair of granny-type boots that will work if we don't find anything more suitable. I made her get them, as they were brand new, super cute and $6. You can't beat that! I found myself a Fleur de lis charm that I can attach to something on my gown. It's heavy and looks old and I laughed when I got it home and realized it's from Avon, last year, and it's a perfume solid....Outspoken by Fergie. LOL! Well, it's neat looking and doesn't smell too bad either. I also found a black Gothic gown from Lip Service that should fit my oldest daughter Emilie. It will make a great Halloween costume or dress for Goth day or something. We also look for interesting fabric when we're out "thrifting" and I found a wrap skirt with beautiful fabric....the same skirt I already have and now have two of, that I can possibly cannibalize for my husband's vest material. The sleeves on Emilie's dress are beautiful and I can always take them off and use them on something else.

My sewing machine has shipped! I should get it between March 3 and the 10th. I can't wait to begin sewing!

The Mission!

Outfit 3 adults in 1890's Parisian evening attire. In 7 months. Yeah I know, I'm nuts. I'm talking complete outfits for the women. Chemise, corset, bodice, drawers, underskirt and overskirt. Possibly a petticoat and shawl too. For the gentleman in our company, just a spiffy vest, shirt and pants. I think I can get away with purchasing him the shirt and pants, but make the vest myself.

I ordered my new sewing machine yesterday. Mine was inoperable. I'm thinking of purchasing this serger too. I've never used a serger but with youtube and the instruction book, I should be able to figure it out.

Now for the patterns.

Above is the underskirt, which goes over a petticoat.

 Above is the "Wash" overskirt.

Then there is the corset

Followed by the bodice. I'm thinking of the bottom pattern.

And possibly this petticoat, bustle and drawers.

And the gold vest style. I think a pocket watch would look spiff.