Feeding the Demons

The sewing demons, that is -

Spent about 16 hours at Lady Jolie's house sewing like a maniac on the Italians. I got both Geoff's & mine to the handwork stage. Photos will follow.

On vacation in Sedona, I have completed the necessary handwork on Geoff's Italian so far. All I have left to do on his is to sew his Camisa, block his hat, & make a belt to hide the handwork at the waist.

I'm still handsewing on mine. I need to finish the bottom of my bodice, tack the box pleats on my sleeves, finish the inside of the bodice, cartridge pleat the skirt & tack it to the bodice, & hem the whole beast. Oh, & I also need to sew my lacing holes on the bodice. Sigh.

Work to do. :)

Patterning extravaganza

Ok, so I don't really want to cut into my lovely fabric until I'm certain that it's goinng to look the way I want it to, so I spent this weekend patterning like a madwoman.

Geoff's Italian -

• used his favorite button up shirt to pattern the top part of the outfit. Drew everything out on newspaper
• drafted the sleeve from the armhole of the shirt & designed it in three parts so that it can slash properly. Realized that I'm going to have to line the entire top, so had to go digging for my linens again (decided to line the bits that show with red linen so that it just flashes).
• did the math (roughly) for the skirting panels. sigh.
• I'm basically ready to cut out fabric & start sewing things together at this point.

Mary's Italian -

• duct-taped the bodice (always a challenge when ductaping oneself). It became rather a comedy of errors with various members of my household grabbing bit of duct tape & attaching them to my person where I asked them to. Directions were something like, "see that bulgy spot? - Yes - Tape over it." Was absically able to reshape the bodice after I cut it off, though.
• cut the pieces of linen, canvas, & silk & realized that I needed to add about an inch into the measurement, so in went a small panel at the shoulder. marked in where bones would go since it laces at the sides. glued down support canvas at strain points (sides & shoulders)
• Decided that my sleeves would be partially attached to the bodice.
• Drafted the sleeve pattern, including the box pleating on the cuff piece (that was a very frustrating couple of hours - finally figured out how to get even pleats by using the grid board to help - lots of fold, mark, turn)
• Still need to draft the outer sleeve & cut those out. Have decided that all of the rest of the fabric will go into the skirt once the sleeves are cut.
• Still need to pattern the Turkish coat. Will Likely do this on the dummy when the dress is done.
• Still need to make my mask & hood.

progress is being made!

Fabrick-ey goodness

Ok, so this past weekend was the pilgrimage to Downtown LA for fabric. I scored a gorgeous champagne & black satin (3 yards of each) for 2 dollars a yard. I'm fairly certain that nothing naturally occurring died to make the fabric, but it looks spiff & will be very washable. I also found these lovely red harlequin patterned bugle buttons (which cost more than the fabric) that accent everything perfectly.

For my dress, I found this amazing burnt orange silk for $4.00 a yard & another embroidered sheer for my hair for $5.00. Then, to go over all, I found a stunning red velvet brocade embroidered with gold medallions that will become a Turkish coat. I am very excited. pictures will drop in after a while.

Also this weekend I cut & sewed his half cape. It is not as full as I'd like, but it ought to work for him. Pictures soon.

Somehow, in the depths of my insanity, I thought it would be fun to handstitch his camisa. Eep. This weekend, I hemed the gussets.