Continue reading »]]> The last toile for ‘Fallen Angels’!  I feel like I’ve done nothing but sew muslin for the past week.  Oh, wait…

The actual fabric is a lovely, drapey crepe – which should skim over the actress much nicer than the muslin.  Of course, princess-seamed dresses never look quite right until you get them on the wearer and tweak the seams to match their figure perfectly – so it looks a little wonky on my dress form.

What I’m really loving about these Vintage Vogue patterns is that they graded them up, but kept all the vintage construction techniques and details – so you do end up with a garment that could have been made back in the 30′s.

Next week: fittings, and then the actual construction can begin!

Continue reading »]]> Toile #3 of 5!  This one is a charming day dress with pleated inset panels at the front and back, and a neat tab neckline:

And, the toile:

I am ridiculously in love with this pattern – it’s utterly adorable.  The designer has chosen a sheer printed chiffon with some nice weight to it – the pleats will fall in loose folks (as opposed to the crisp pleats in the cotton muslin), and it should just float over the actress beautifully!

Continue reading »]]> Bodice is moving along.  I got the fashion fabric sewn to the lining, flipped, and side seams basted together.  Right now the eyelets aren’t done – I just teased my lacing ribbon through with an awl to see if I was on the right track.  Overall, it’s a good fit  - the bust/underbust are supported.  I tend to err on the side of “too big” on these, so I’m wearing it around the house this afternoon to see how things settle down.  I might let the belly out a scant 1/2″, to release a few of those wrinkles.  I think the rest will go away once the waist is cut where it’s supposed to be, and the skirt gives it some weight.

Next up: eyelets.  A little on the tedious side, but I really prefer hand-sewing detail stuff like that.  Looking forward to it!

Continue reading »]]> This year, I’m participating in the Italian Renaissance Costuming Challenge – primarily to get myself out of my sewing rut.  (Well, my sewing-for-myself rut.)

Project:  Anyone who has spent any time talking with me about Renaissance clothing knows that I don’t DO fancy-schmancy stuff.  I feel silly wearing it –it feels awkward and just too MUCH.  My preference, when making clothing for myself, is to focus on working class and middle class clothing.

I’ve spent the majority of my time over the past few years exploring late 16^th century working class Italian clothing, as depicted by Campi.  For this project, I decided to go about a hundred years earlier than that, and explore the working-class women in Domenico Ghirlandaio’s frescoes at the Tournabuoni Chapel:  specifically ‘Birth of St. John the Baptist’ and ‘Birth of St. Mary’.   Although these are religious/allegorical scenes, the clothing matches the style of the mid-late 1480′s, when these frescoes were completed.

'Birth of St. Mary' - Domenico Ghirlandaio

Detail from 'Birth of St. Mary' - Domenico Ghirlandaio

Detail from 'Birth of St. John the Baptist' - Domenico Ghirlandaio

Detail from 'Birth of St. John the Baptist' - Domenico Ghirlandaio

For the challenge, I plan on making the following:

Underlayer – white linen camicia, with embroidery or smocking at the neck

Petticoat – Linen – something from the stash!  I love that the detail picture in ‘St. Mary’ shows the serving girl wearing an orange dress with a green-ish petticoat underneath.

Gamurra – A dress in dark moss green summerweight wool

Accessories – Coif, apron, partlet

I decided to start with the gamurra, since I have an event coming up at the end of May and desperately need new clothes.  (I have older underthings – but really need a new dress or three!)

Since there is no evidence for boned bodices in Italy at this point, my goal is to make this dress without the use of a corded corset or inner layer.  I started out with my trusty Gothic Fitted Dress pattern – which I had to size up a bit, since I’ve put on weight since it was fit.  Luckily, my proportions have stayed about the same.

I started out by cutting out my lining and interlining pieces – three layers of 5.3 oz linen.

Next I quilted two layers together:  this will be the interlining:

Putting it together:  I ended up having to take the side seams in quite a bit (which was a nice surprise), and tweaked the center front to get better bust support.  With this style, it’s best to fit the underbust fairly tight, to support the bust – but let the fabric skim over the torso below that.  The bust should be supported and rounded, not squished.

(Excuse the “camera in the mirror” photos – my photographer is out for the day, and I hope to start the next phase of the project this afternoon!)

Next:  marking the neckline and cutting the fashion fabric.

Continue reading »]]> Today’s project was the toile for Vogue 8767 – the dress.  Fairly basic construction, although the jabot facing was a little fiddly.  We’re doing this in a medium weight silk with a nice drape, so hopefully the bias facing will go in easier than the bias tape I cheated with for the toile.

And, the bodice detail.  The jabot will be in a sheer fabric – so it should lay in very soft folds, unlike my muslin mockup here!

And: with the jacket!  LOVE it!

Continue reading »]]> Drive-by posting: the toile for this jacket is super cute! I don’t usually do finishing work on toiles, but the construction on this was a little different – so I wanted to run through the finishing before I faced it on the real thing.

A few folks have asked why my toiles only have one sleeve – it’s not laziness, I promise.  I like to have an open armscye to play with during fittings, to make sure I get the best fit for the actor.

Closeup of the front detail:  itty bitty pleats!

Back:

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A muslin toile of McCall’s 7345, from the mid 1930′s.  As with the majority of vintage patterns, they were printed one size per envelope – so there is a lot of adjusting one has to do if your actor is larger or smaller than your pattern.  Here, the pattern was on the smaller end of the spectrum – so my actress was a good 8″ larger in the bust than the pattern.  It took a fair bit of grading to get it sized up correctly, but I think we’re looking good here!

There is SO much to love about this pattern – the bias-cut of the skirt, the little kick-pleats in the front and the back, the bow detail on the cute puff sleeve… I’m in love!

See?  Super cute.    The finished product will have a self belt – this will do for the fitting, though!

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Blog entries discussing this project can be found here, here, here, and here.

The Pattern:  Embroidered coifs were popular in England in the 16th and early 17th centuries – and it was common for women to purchase patterns or have a pattern traced out for them, so they could do their own embroidery.  Keeping with this tradition, I purchased the ‘Frances’ coif pattern from Reconstructing History.  These patterns were meticulously researched and drafted by Laura Mellin of Extreme Costuming.

The Materials: The body of the coif is fine 3.5 oz linen from Fabrics-Store.com.  The lining of the coif is also white linen from Fabrics-Store.com – but a slightly heavier weight.  The embroidery is done in Rainbow Gallery’s ‘Splendor’ silk embroidery thread, purchased from Reconstructing History.  The coif is hemmed with Gutterman silk sewing thread, and the lining is slip-stitched to the coif with Gutterman silk.  In these photos, I just have a piece of cotton twill tape as the drawstring at the base of the neck – this will be replaced with lucet cord or fingerloop braid at some point.

The Techniques: This was my first major embroidery project, so there was a LOT to learn!

I traced the pattern out onto the linen using a light table and a fine-point sharpie:

The outlining is done in stem stitch, which was a common stitch for Elizabethan embroidery.  The majority of the fillwork is basic speckle stitch.  After I finished about half of the fill stitches, I purchased a copy of the Royal School of Needlework’s Blackwork guide, which has some great information about fill stitches in general, and a lot of detail on speckle stitch.  Since this was my first major embroidery project, I’m pleased with how it came out – but I hope that the next project will be even nicer, with that book to guide me! I did attempt some non-speckle fill stitches, but they came out so messy looking that I pretty much gave up.  I’ll have to practice on some samplers before I incorporate any complicated fillwork into a major project.

Once the embroidery was complete, I cut the coif out with a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.  I turned a very narrow hem, using a slip stitch.  Although extant coifs are not lined, I chose to line my coif to protect the interior from dirt and body oils.  The lining is slip-stitched to the coif, and then the edges are bound with a blanket stitch.  I whip-stitched the center seam together, and gathered the remainder.

Reflections: Overall, I am very pleased with this project.  I loved having something small and portable that I could bring with me to events.  It’s nice to have something that I could put down for months – literally – and pick up right where I left off without having to think about it.  Although I’m glad that it’s finished (so I can wear it!), I think there will be more embroidery projects in my future.

Continue reading »]]> Blog posts discussing Mason jar salads (for example - here, here, and here) have been popping up all over the place lately.  I’ve been working out and trying to eat healthier for the past month or so, and this seemed like JUST the thing to try.

Now, I KNOW I have a bunch of Mason jars in this house, SOMEWHERE… but I couldn’t find ANY tonight.  Of course, I had already bought all of my yummy, yummy ingredients, so I had to made do with what I had.  This is the end result:

Don't they look yummy?

We’ll see how it works.  The jars on the bottom have a rubber seal, and seem to really hold the seal well – so I’ll save those for later in the week.  I’ll eat the salads in the Gladware on Monday and Tuesday.

Included are all sorts of yummy things: ginger or raspberry vinegarette dressing, carrots, broccoli, red and green bell peppers, granny smith apples, a handful of nut/sunflower seed mix, sugar snap peas, grilled chicken and a lettuce mix with baby spinach and romaine.  The leftovers ended up being dinner tonight.

This is an experiment – but I followed the “rules” as laid out in other blogs.  Dressing on the bottom, dense veggies directly on top of the dressing, and lettuce on top.  Packed in fairly tightly, to reduce air between items.  Hopefully this will help me in my quest for a healthier life!

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Today we went to the Festival of Legends, a new faerie/fantasy faire here in North Carolina.  It’s definitely a small show, in it’s first year – but lots of heart and tons of potential.  Since this was a fantasy faire… I really had nothing to wear.  Anything fantasy-ish that I own is either WAY too small (sad face!) or simply isn’t up to my standards anymore.  So I ended up wearing my pink and gold kirtle with the green linen sleeves from my Italian working class outfits.  Straight sleeves are so interchangeable and versatile.  I LOVE THEM!

Unfortunately, since the dress is 100% polyester, I just WILTED.  I didn’t realize it was going to be so warm today, and I have been wearing linen and wool to events for so long that I had forgot how oppressive polyester truly is.  I spent a good bit of the day trying to find shade.  But I looked pretty…. so there’s that.  I still love the dress, but from now on it will be relegated to indoor events or cool-weather events.

The event was fun, though – lots of faeries and Steampunky people walking around.  I felt a bit out of place in my kirtle – oh well.  I DID score a very nice top hat on the cheap, though, and Himself picked up a lovely bowler hat.  So, if we ever get around to Steampunk, we at least have something to start from!

On the plus side, I got to test out my new turnshoes!  They were remarkably comfortable, considering that I didn’t think to get insoles for them yet.  They seem to be holding up well.  On the list of things to do is make a pair of patens.  I’m not a woodworker, but I figure I can handle THAT.  

Continue reading »]]> …as Julie Andrews has told us, it’s a very good place to start!

For NC State University Theatre’s production of ‘Fallen Angels’, I’ll be building a series of 1930′s day dresses and evening gowns for our two female leads.  At State, we are lucky to have an extensive vintage pattern archive, with original patterns dating from the mid 19-teens through the present.  For ‘Fallen Angels’, the costume designer has chosen McCall’s 7345, a very cute dress and cape pattern from the mid 1930′s:

When working with vintage patterns, I have a few personal ground rules:

• Don’t cut your vintage pattern!  Almost all vintage patterns, like modern patterns, are made out of tissue paper, and 80-year old tissue paper is extremely delicate – so to preserve the integrity of the pattern, always trace a clean copy of the pattern onto muslin, craft paper, or pattern paper.  When taking the pattern out of the envelope, you can smooth out the crease lines by running the pattern under a warm iron.   Be sure to transfer all pattern marks – darts, grain lines, and notches – onto your working pattern.
• Make a toile.  A “toile” is a mockup of your pattern, typically made out of muslin or other inexpensive fabric.  A toile serves two purposes – it allows you to work out any tricky technical details prior to cutting into your fashion fabric, and it gives you a working model to fit on the body.  Typically, I will make a toile, fit it on the actor, and transfer any fitting notes to my working pattern.  Although a toile is always recommended, it’s imperative to do one when using vintage patterns.  Vintage patterns use pattern shapes and sewing techniques that may be new to you – and you’ll want to make sure you work out those details on your inexpensive fabric.   Also, these patterns are reflective of the time they were originally made – meaning that ease and proportions are set for the undergarments the women of that time would have worn.  A dress designed to be worn over a 1940′s bra is going to look very different when worn over a modern bra.  A toile will help you work out all those little kinks prior to cutting into your pretty fashion fabric!
• Have your Mom’s sewing guide handy!  I have a 1960′s version of the ‘Better Homes & Gardens Sewing Guide’ in my shop, and it’s a lifesaver for working with vintage patterns.  Sewing terminology has changed a lot over the years – and these guides will walk you through vintage sewing techniques, as well as help you decipher odd names for pleats that are no longer used.  It’s a lifesaver!
• But it’s not in my size!  Grading and resizing patterns is a whole other series of posts – in the meantime, this excellent article from Threads will walk you through the basics.
• Read the directions.  Admittedly, the directions in vintage patterns are not usually extensive – the pattern companies assumed that women knew the ins and outs of putting a dress together.  However, there usually are instructions on how to put together some of the more unique aspects of the garment – using sewing techniques from the period.  If there are instructions, follow them – your garment will look the way it’s supposed to look!

So… on to our garment!

Step One: Read the instructions.

As you can see, McCall’s didn’t give us much to work with, here.  But this DOES clear up a few important details – like how the sleeves go together, and the placement of the little tabbed collar.  Helpful!

Step 2: Trace your pattern

Here are my pattern pieces, all laid out onto craft paper.  These pattern pieces came pre-cut, which made my life a lot easier.  However, the pattern pieces INCLUDE 3/8″ seam allowance – which makes my life more difficult.  I prefer to trace around my pattern pieces so I have a clean stitch line, and then add in my own seam allowance.  Since I work in theatre, I typically use a larger seam allowance to allow for future alterations.  So HERE, I’m going to trace around these pattern pieces, making sure I transfer all of my notches, dashes, and grainlines – and then I’m going to measure in 3/8″ to get rid of that seam allowance.

Step 3: Tracing out my toile

Once the pattern is transferred to craft paper, I can start tracing out my toile pieces.  Here, I’m using plain unbleached muslin.  First, lay the pattern out on the muslin, making sure your grainlines match the marking on the pattern:

At State, we’re lucky to have pinnable cutting tables – I can use those big silver push-pins to tack my pattern directly to my fabric.  At home, I use fabric weights or straight pins.

Next, I’m going to transfer my pintucks there at the top of the pattern piece.  The easiest way to do that is by using some dressmaker’s carbon (waxed carbon paper) and a tracing wheel, as shown:

It’s easy to do:  simply place the carbon between the pattern and the fabric, with the waxy side down.  Run the wheel over the pintuck lines – and your markings are transferred onto the fabric.  Easy peasy!

Next, I trace around the pattern using a plain #2 pencil.  This will be my stitch line – in the next post, I’ll discuss how we can use this line to create precise seams, every time!

Next step:  add seam allowance.  I use a clear ruler, and line up my desired seam allowance (here, 5/8″) with the edge of my pattern.  Tracing around that gives me a nice cutting line with accurate seam allowances. Like this:

(Isn’t that pretty?)

Now – this pattern piece told us to “cut on the fold”.  Most instructions will tell you to place the pattern on the fold, and cut out both sides at once.  I’ve found that, even with the most careful pinning and cutting, this creates shift in your grain – which can affect the drape and hang of the final garment.  I prefer to lay out a single layer of my fabric, trace one side of the pattern, and flip it to trace the other side.  It’s a little more time consuming, but it makes for a more accurate cut:

And: the final traced piece:

Yes, it’s a lot of work – but in the end, it creates easy-to-follow stitch lines to help you create a beautiful, well-fitting garment.

I hope this was helpful!  In the next post, I’ll cover the basics of pinning and stitching.  Stay tuned!

Continue reading »]]> Well, complete… except for hemming, lining, and finishing.  But the HARD work is done.

I learned a lot with this project – my embroidery and hand stitching definitely improved over the past year.  I don’t know if I’ll do another embroidery project like this again, but it was definitely a learning experience and I’m glad I did it.