I'm back!!

Well, after a rather long hiatus I have returned :)

TAFE exhausted most of my time (and energy) while a little overseas trip in April brought many new experiences and fabric to play with!! Yay!

Speaking of TAFE, I just wanted to rant about the horrible shirt I spent two days making for an assessment...only to hate the thing.

I'm sure we've all been there with our projects, loved the idea and the inspiration but as the project progresses the love turns to frustration and disappointment.

If I had the time to make it properly I don't think I'd hate it like I do. But as it's to be handed in tomorrow it will have to suffice.

Mens Shirt. Basic enough in theory. Add some machine embroidery, some topstitching..yeah. Now it's sounding better!! Maybe some ombre dye to the hem.... Lets get this missing creativity working again!

Nope. Two days....TWO DAYS and I only had time to put one sleeve in. What happened to me? I'm out of practice with my speed. Luck it's the holidays and I can work on that =D

I used the wrong interfacing for the embroidery. I didn't have the right stuff, and no time to buy some.. so I experimented with epic fail. The embroidery puckered :/ Ok, take two. And I didn't leave enough room to actually cut the yolk out. Good one!! Let that be a lesson not to sew when exhausted. So I just had to use the puckered one.

Then the topstitching tension was off. I did a few checks, decided it was time for another service of my machine and carried on. Two things I now don't like about the project. To top my night off, I ran out of topstitching thread halfway through. Oops. The last thing that wasn't on my side for very tired self...was the rolled hem. It just didn't want to catch properly so I just turned off my machine and called it a night.

I used this tutorial for the cuff placket, because I had forgotten how to draft the thing. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/25307/how-to-make-a-precision-placket/page/all

I stood back and took a look at my creation. I hated it. I had wasted two days making something that was truly horrible.

 The consolation? I can now sleep (or rather write this before sleep), hand in the ugly, horrible shirt. And pull it apart to fix all the things I hate with it when I get it back.

But as it was the last sewing assessment for the year, I can now relax with wine glass in hand for a night before getting to the pile of personal projects that are piling up....like getting back to the bustle dress =D

The Underskirt

Thursday 30th May

YaY!! I'm finally up to the underskirt!!

While I can make the skirt up to the waistband, without a properly fitting corset (since I've lost a little more weight) I cannot sew the skirt to the waistband, and with my current stress levels (bah life getting in the way!!!) I really can't be bothered with the stress of trying to figure out how to tweak the corset to get a proper waist reduction from it, just yet. Would like a bit of a break thank you life! =P

The pattern!

TV261-R 1885 Four-Gour Underskirt

The pattern is a little confusing when looking on the back for yardage, but I decided for that EXTRA large bustle butt to go with the bouffant option. I bought the yardage for the bouffant and ruffle; well at least I tried to.....but I got the end of the roll! There was 3.6 meters left, which is 3.94 yards. I needed 4 1/4 yards (3.8mtr) according to the pattern :s

I know most sewing patterns tell you to buy about 20cm more fabric than you need to allow for shrinkage in the wash (at least thats the reason I can assume for it lol) So I'm really hoping this cotton doesn't shrink too much and that this pattern does tell you to buy that extra.

If not I guess I'll be going without those ruffles!! (The bouffant only pattern asks for 4yards fabric) I did want to decorate the skirt hem, however if I don't have enough self fabric I guess I'll have to go searching for a black that matches! Finding matching blacks are notoriously difficuly however, so maybe change the fabric type and go for a linen/silk/taffeta/ect decoration on the hem? The change in the weave would account for the change in dye colour. 

The pattern is very easy to trace and cut out ^^ As the name suggests it's only four panels and a waistband lol. I flat lined the skirt as its a period technique. I wasn't going to do this....but thinking about it I decided it really would be best to flatline it if I'm going to trim the hem and if I'm wanting the skirt to last a little longer. I'm really glad I made this choice!!! Because in cutting out the fashion fabric I discovered just how much of a loose weave it was and how much it was going to twist and stretch out of shape =[ As it was trying to get the fashion fabric to sit perfectly flat over the broadcloth lining was close to a nightmare! I ironed both serperatly and then tried to lay the flimsier fashion fabric over the lining and pin, smoothing out as I went. This went ok....but I thought I'm going to iron them together as well, just to make sure it's perfectly flat. And I'm glad I did, because parts of the fashion fabric weren't as flat on the lining as I thought, and other parts stretched =[ The big back panel, which I can assure you was cut on the grain, still managed to stretch on the grain to be around an inch longer than the lining. Blast.

Another thing I did was to lengthen the centre back hem by about 10cm and shaped it to the original side seams of panel. This way I hopefully won't have the same bustle length issues I did with the petticoat. 

I added a layer of netting, as suggested by the pattern, to the bouffant area, stopping where the bouffant stops and shaped to the hem, on the inside of the flatlining before flatlining. This should give the bouffant some extra volume =D I zigzagged the bottom of the netting, so it didn't get caught on the petticoat or anything else. I was going to sew this by hand, until I realised no one will see it, and if it's maching stitched it has a better chance of not catching. It also keeps the netting in place, prevents it from rising up into the bouffant. 

The shaping of the netting to the lining

Showing the zigzags to stop the netting getting caught.

The Petticoat

Friday 10th May

After another interstate trip to help a friend with his photography, I have somehow managed to make a start on the petticoat! =D

I managed to trace the pattern and cut it out in one day. But cutting out the fabric took two days...my goodness! 4 of this and 6 of that! Next time I think I should trace out 6 of those pattern pieces. Wo make my life easier.

The pattern! TV170 Victorian Petticoats by Truly Victorian

http://www.trulyvictorian.net/tvxcart/product.php?productid=28

I made view 3 which is the late bustle era and the image on the left. The pattern called for 5 1/2" tucks on that panel at the back. After seeing photos of other people having made the pattern to that specification I decided to make smaller tucks, pin tucks if you will. So I have chosen to double the amount of tucks and make them half as small so the final length of the panel will remain the same; 10 1/4" pin tucks. These pin tucks will also match the width of the stripe in the fabric I'm using :)

So this project is teaching me many new skills!!! (and frustrations =P )

The setup I had on the foor of the self-contained unit we had interstate for the week.

The pin tucks in progress...and frustration attempting to get the first lot straight.

Not too bad for my first ever attempt!

Both back panels sewn together and pin tucked. Remind me to read the instructions BEFORE I go ahead and do my own thing. I pin tucked both panels individually, read the instructions and realised I was supposed to sew the panels together THEN pin tuck lol. So I spent more time than I needed to unpicking about 20cm either side of the seam and having to resew it lol.

Wednesday 15th May

I have the petticoat mostly sewn together and pinned on the mannequin over the bustle. Oops!!

Should have listened to the instructions on the tornure pattern. It states that the skirts may need to be lengthened to fit over the imperial tornure (the big butt bustle lol)....I thought "it's just the petticoat, it'llbe right" and forgot to alter it *grins innocently*

So now without the bottom ruffle I believe I have fixed the uneven hem as best as I can without cutting a new back piece. I did this by taking a bigger seam allowance at the waist at the front and sides only. This didn't fix the problem completey, but it did help a little bit. Obviously don't do this to a skirt that is already at the right length, eause it does take the length up, and you will need to then alter the fit of the waist to the waistband at the seams because taking away that bit jst made your skirt waist slightly bigger (mine by 2cm)

Friday 17th May

Woo hoo! done =D I also added some insertion lace to the to of the bottom ruffle for some extra decoration. I havn't tried it on for length yet, but as I'm house sitting again and my overlocker is getting serviced I thought I would take a weeks break and work on an unfihished corset instead.

Cost in $au

$11        Pattern cost (not including shipping)

$14.40   Fabric cost (4.5x$3.2)

$05        Lace (guess, as I bought the whole card)

Total=$30.40

The Corset

The corset took me much longer than it should have with two cats vying for my attention and constantly sitting on my work and chair and me! Lol. I also had TAFE work to complete and hand in, I'm sure you all know the lovely end of semester rush =P

So! Without furthere adu, here are the corset specs.

The pattern http://www.etsy.com/listing/98061146/ref-v-black-royal-worcester-style99-12x2?ref=shop_home_active
Atlier Sylphe on Etsy sells some amazing antique corset patterns amongst her own magnificent work, one of which I own =P

I am learning two new things on this corset. To cord and to insert gores. Although I did run out of cord for my mockup so only half of it is corded lol. However this allows me to see how the cording effects the shape and appearance of the corset.

My mockup is made from two layers of calico (Americans call it muslin) with one of them being fused/interfaced. It is supposed to have a busk, however I'm house sitting and forgot to bring a busk with me, so I sewed the centre front together and boned it, it does the same job, just makes it more difficult to get into lol.

As you can see, the bust needs to be raised a little for modesty. The corset hips are a little too big, as they close fully at the back, and this also causes the stomach area of the corset to jut out.
The corded side buckles a little more at the waist than the non corded side, I think I'll add a spiral bone there when I fix up some of these issues for the next mockup. I'm also going to add a little to the back bust as there's a bit of a gap there at the lacing.
All in all, for a pattern that's over 100 years old, I think the fit on a modern body is just amazing! I'm quite lucky that the historical corsets measurements were very close to my own.

As I'm quite behind on the bustle class (most students are up to fitting the bodice, and the videos are only online for another month) I'm going to use this corset to fit the dress, and play around with the finery details of the corset fit after the dress is almost complete. Because the corset fits so well now, it won't alter the fit of the bodice very much when I change these minor details.

Progress pictures (mostly of the cats sitting on it =^^= )

The Tournure (Bustle Support)

Friday 5th April

The evil T word I not only have NO idea how to pronounce, but keep forgetting how to spell as well =P

The word 'tournure' is French for bustle (in this case);"Any device used by women to expand the skirt of a dress below the waist" It also means Turn; contour; figure.

I'm using the pattern TV 163 1887 Imperial Tournure from Truly Victorian. 

The pattern calls for two packs of extra wide double fold bias tape, but because Australia doesn't have a wide range of bias tape available to buy, I decided to make my own (plus, how wide is extra wide supposed to be?).
Seeing as I'm using 11mm boning, I needed my bias to be slightly bigger than that. I have the Simplicity bias maker, trust me.. it beats sitting there with the iron yourself for 7 meters of bias tape!! So I used the 19mm thingo.
I made my bias tape using this tutorial, using the vintage loop method. It's far easier than sitting there and trying to attach all the little bits perfectly together, you just need to be able to cut them perfectly straight instead.

Bias tape in progress.

Sunday 7th April

 So now I have my bias tape finished, and my tournure cut out, and sewn up to the boning stage....I can't do much more until the boning arrives. Booo!!! =[

I'm going to go and trace my corset and petticoat patterns...after I watch Dr Who =P hehehe

Tuesday 25th May

I finished this a while ago (aprox 20th April) however I didn't have the images to add to this to show the prgress. now I do =D

The side of the tounure bunches where the wire stops, I think this is due to the fabric I used. I plan on addin a strip of bias tape to cover that seam just to ensure that over time the wire doen't poke through. But the tape will also cover the wrinkles so you won't see them =D Solves two problems in one =D 

I also NEVER plan on pleating that much again! But I think it was worth it. Took me DAYS literally, to pleat just those strips to go on the bottom of the tounure.....I then set it ith water/vingar to ensure that the pleats will never come out...ever...lol.

Cat trap!! While applying the bias tape to hold the boning the Missy cat decided she would help =p

And back home my Sophie has decided it's now her tunnel =P

Cost in $au

$15        Pattern cost (not including shipping)

$22.40   Fabric cost (2.25x$9.95)

$20        Steel boning (including shipping)

$19.95   Cotton fringe trim (1x$19.95)

$3         Self made bias tape (0.5x$6)

Total=$80.35

Introduction to the dress

Just thought I would start this blog to keep a record of my 1887 bustle dress. And guess what! It's blue!! (and black) Sadly not, Tardis blue.. but give me enough time.. and I shall have one of those too..and a Clara dress replica <3 *nerd much*

This blog will cover the process from undergarments all the way to the outer garments, including a hat and overcoat if I have time. They won't be made in order from undergarments to outer garments though. They will be made as I find the perfect fabric and lace/trims for them. I have the intention of including little tidbits of historical information on each post, along with progress pictures and what I learnt from each project/pattern.

The undergarments included are: (will be linked as I make them)
The chemise and drawers, or possibly combinations (as combinations were more popular during this era)
The corset (maybe a corset cover)
The tournure (bustle support)
The petticoat
The underskirt
The overskirt
The bodice

If I have time:
Overcoat
Hat

Godeys January 1887

My dress will be based off the dress on the right, stripes included. I will list with images the fabric I intend to use, or might use, in the next post. But as a teaser, I found this GORGEOUS black, blue, metallic taffeta fabric on sale a few months ago and instantly thought BUSTLE DRESS!!! I had been waiting for the next 'Bustle Day Dress Class" with http://historicalsewing.com/ to open up, and just had to buy the fabric! I have been sewing for many years, but I wanted to enroll into Jennifer's class to learn more on historical techniques as I made my first ever bustle dress.

It took me ages to decide on the design I wanted. I knew I wanted the false vest look; something very fitted, almost uniform like. That meant some time from the late 1880s. I like big bustles and I cannot lie! (although now that I have been talking to the other ladies in the class, I wouldn't mind trying my hand at a pretty pink, VERY girly 1870s dress as well....)
Then I saw that image and it struck me as THE perfect design base. It displayed that stripes were very in at that time, and almost matched the design I saw in my head completely. Now off to spend all my money at Truly Victorian on patterns!!