I am participating in the Historic Sew Monthly Challenge (http://thedreamstress.com/the-historical-sew-monthly-2015/) and the first challenge is Foundations, so I thought I would make an 1865 elliptical Cage Crinoline using the Truly Victorian pattern TV103. The pattern was super easy to transfer onto Vilene (to preserve the original pattern for future use) and construct and some 20 hours later ...voila, one lovely crinoline. Now I just need to finish a corset, some petticoats and a dress to wear over it. The dress will have to wait till the March challenge.
Over the Christmas break I also did some work to a couple of Disney princess costumes I am making for a costume group I am joining that does a lot of charity work, visits hospitals etc.
Snow white is progressing, but the skirt is just too full when compared to the original Disney version, so I have taken two panels off the back and am reshaping the skirt panels to give less fullness at the waist without loosing too much fullness at the hem.
There has also been progress on a tulle petticoat for under the Cinderella dress. 20m of silver bridal tulle in 9 layers.
I have also been making a cotton under dress similar to the 16c kirtles I wear under my Elizabethan clothing. It makes it so much easier to fit over bodices when you have a consistent shape underneath - does that make any sense? The bodice will be boned, probably with a mix of flat and spiral steel to give the support I am after. The skirt is in two layers cut in a full circle trimmed with a frill on each layer. I am hoping that this will help hold the over skirts out a bit more. Pictures of this one to come.
After fitting the under bodice, I will have to take in the blue Snow White bodice a little, between 1.5 and 2cm depending on seams. the shoulder seams will have to be dropped a little as well.
And because it was coming up to a new year, I thought I should try a new dress pattern. This is the Vogue Badgley Mishka pattern V1374 and literally took me 4 hours to transfer pattern to Vilene and get to this stage (hems and binding left to do) it has a lovely cowl back and the fit is just amazing....did I mention 4 hours? At this point I threw it in the washing machine and left it to hang so any stretching can take place before I finish the hem....nope, still haven't finished it lol. But I did make a second version in blue jersey, knee length and I raised the back a little so I can wear it to work.
In an effort to be organised, I have also created a table of all of the projects and events I would like to either make or attend this year. The other thing I am doing is keeping a sewing diary to keep track of what I do or don't do on a daily basis, so I can get an idea of how much time things take and cost. Both are already starting to have benefits. I remembered what I have done so I could do a blog post and I have ordered some supplies for future projects, although this year I am going to try and work my way through some of my existing stash.
And lastly, one of the projects I finished off in November was a sad clown tutufor a lovely ballerina.
