sewloud

I'm struuuuggling here with the motivation for Gettysburg. Besides Amanda who is definitely bringing the inspo it feels like most of my group is re-wearing or done or making-under-duress. JESS SHARE MORE I KNOW YOU'VE SEWED A BUNCH and I'm just...slogging. But perhaps if I'm better about talking about it I'll be more inspired to sew.

so far the only thing I've touched is my rational dress. and to be fair it's the only thing I NEED

I've mostly made a very questionable pair of pants. But really you're only going to see from the knee down so who cares.



Also I just cut the same length Alice did...spoiler alert I look like I'm 7 and wearing my dad's pants. She got waaay more leg than me.

I didn't feel like putting a waistband on them so I skipped that and started the dress portion. I mean it's all got to be done anyway right? I basted in the half lining and sewed the pieces together. I had to whip down the seam allowances over the lining as it frays like a mofo. Tonight I cut out the bias strips for the edge finishing and a wider bit for the hem facing.

To Do:
- pants waistband
-pants buttons
-hem pants

-finish CFs
-finish neckline
-sleeves
-hem

I had said I wanted this dress and the body of Amanda's shawl done by Halloween. hahahahahahahahahahahahaha At least the shawl is coming along well.

Hey look my laptop is working for a hot second. Let's update!

Belvidere: Short version. SO FUN. LOVE MY FRIENDS. LOVE EVERYONE. HAD A BLAST.

Long version: Woke up suitably late on Saturday and dawdled getting my act together. But so did everyone else. When I rolled in Amanda was half dressed on the curb, Adrienne pulled in behind me and Jess and Alice were already on site visiting. I had planned to wear the yellow dress on Saturday day, new dinner gown Saturday night and Tea gown Sunday...but saturday was drizzly and Sunday was a predicted wash out. Amanda had to leave after breakfast for a paper and Jess had to leave after breakfast for family so I made a half dressed decision to swap and wear my tea gown on Saturday because I was so happy with it and wanted to be sure and get pictures. (spoiler alert: none of us managed to dress Sunday due to the cold wet weather and our sleeping in).



We did our quick sidewalk change (a Belvidere tradition) and then wandered off to find Mick and Shane and Alice and Jess. Found the boys first as the girls had gone off shopping. We said hello to a very crowded tent and then wandered off to do our own shopping. There were less vendors and tragically my very favorite jewelry vendor wasn't there this year. *sob* But Lara was vending as Lara Corsets so it was nice to see her and be tempted by her lovelies. Overall though there wasn't anything that blew me away. I think they tried to be selective and in the end they just didn't have much. So one lap around the square did that for us. Then we checked into the hotel (spartan and small but functional and couldn't beat the location. no complaints). And while we were waiting around for a tintype it started raining and was deemed too dark. That was the one real drag for me, we always get a tintype and this year we just couldn't.

My consolation for the lack of tintype was we finally took the carriage ride Amanda and I have been joking about taking for...seven? years?...and I have to say it was a lovely long ride in a comfy carriage. Would do again.




After the carriage ride we chilled in camp under the fly out of the drizzle. Then wandered to the hotel to change for dinner. I had a total moment of "omg they have all these lingering friends and we planned a formal mess for eight due to limits on china and when all the food shows up and us in dinner wear it's gonna be aaaawkward, but by the time we changed it had cleared out.







Despite fighting me the whole way and needing to be rescued by Adrienne I didn't end up hating the dinner dress. Although I tried REALLY HARD to drop a few pounds before and I had fitted those darts two weeks ago so I ended up being able to stick a finger up each side of my bodice. ah well I'd rather be wrinkly and feel svelte ;)



Everyone looked AMAZING. and I managed to get zero good photos of them.






"Quick. Alice look like you're mad at me"

And I have NO GOOD PHOTOS of Jess' STUNNER. I'm really mad at myself. I have nothing but blurry photos. I have to get a real camera one of these days.



For dinner Jess had taken care of a caterer (Jess gets an award for awesomeness) and the food was delicious. We had stuffed cornish hen, lamb, pasta, salad, rolls and cake for dessert...alfresco at a camp. I felt so very silly and victorian. And the really magical thing is once it's dark and the site is all alight with lamps you can't really see out of the island of light and all the modern park around you just fades to black. Much drink was had and mirth made. It was magical.




Jess changed into her tea gown for the relaxed portion of the evening. She was STUNNING.

On Sunday we slept till 8 (except Alice who woke up, did laps, walked the town, ate breakfast and found Jess) then wandered to breakfast. We had a chilly breakfast on the balcony as the tables downstairs were full. Amanda and Jess left. Alice, Adrienne and I wandered to camp. Adrienne left. Alice did dishes and I supervised. Alice and I hit up some antique stores, found nothing. and finally home. I had a delightful nap.

And now I'm attempting to sew 3/4 of a fop in two weeks...I SWORE I wasn't going to do this. I mean yes technically I started more than two weeks ago but I made very little real progress. wish me luck! 

I started working on a new overskirt for my purple victorian for the tiara and jampagne party this year. (I'm going to have an entire wardrobe of separates at this rate). I bought the fabric in NYC when we took blackcat452 for part one of her bachelorette party.

This is the fashion plate bethhsh found (she gave me five, I liked this one best). I have no idea where it's from :-) I just like it.



I started by referencing the TV208 that I used for my last overskirt and measuring where I'd like changes to be.  This is what it looks like tonight (the back isn't poofed well just has a few pins wadding it up to get an idea)





I need to round the bottom corners of the back piece and fold the top edge of the over lap down to get that point. But I think it'll work. And I do love the orange and purple together. I know it's loud...but I like loud fabric choices.

Tomorrow I'm going to start roll-hemming a million yards of ruffles. won't that be fun.

Clearly the new crazy bird lady dress won't be done in time for Belvidere, but I'm really okay with this. I'm looking forward to wearing the purple Victorian again because it makes me feel DAMN PRETTY. It's actually silk so it swishes in such a delicious way. I think it also has to do with the fact that the fabric came from dear friends in a moment when I most needed friends and it just makes me feel loved. 

Anyway this is what it looked like last year. I did make the evening bodice for Dress U, but the day bodice is what's appropriate for Belvidere. 



I think I'm going to add a few things I ran out of time for last year. Firstly I'd like to put a kick pleat around the bottom. Something to add a little swish and fullness there. Secondly I'd like a different over-skirt. I know that one as modeled after an original and all...but it just has never "sang" the way I'd like. I'm thinking of doing the apron front pieces from TV208 (can you tell I have it) with the sash back peices and just putting them on a seperate waistband. I can't think of a reason it wouldn't work. I am pretty sure I have more of that cream silk so I could do a band around the bottom edge with it and more lace. And I definitely have more fringe I could put below that. (for some ungodly reason I bought 10 yards...what on EARTH was I thinking!) 

I must say thought it is nice to feel like even if I get NONE of that done, I'm still fine! It's all just extra now. 

So roll call! Who's going? What time are we meeting? mandie_rw are you still planning to carpool? Rob may or may not go, his work is rather up in the air. 

I had my first day of microbiology today, sounds like it's going to be really interesting but I was mildly terrified to learn we'll be doing labs with live pathogens! yikes! I suppose I should get used to being around diseases and using proper precautions...still a dish of e. coli wasn't what I had in mind.

Tonight I got the waistband sewn onto the base skirt for what I have dubbed the CRAZY BIRD LADY DRES of CBLD for short. I'm going to need to pick up one of those plastic birds from the halloween section to throw at small children.

Here is a terrible picture taken with Rob's phone, apparently it's flash is crap. But look proof I sewed some! 



Please be sure to admire my odd colored panel! Tomorrow I shall start decorating it! 

I feel like I haven't blogged about or made a new costume in ages, and I was on such a roll this year! I have one more week before I start classes for the fall so it's time to think about what's on my event plate. 

1. Belvidere/madamekat's victorian party - NEW DRESS (more on that later)
2. Germantown - if it's warm I'll wear the chemise, if it's cold either the evil teal dress or possibly my francaise weather dependant
3. Can't think of anything else, but I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

For Belvidere (which you ALL should come to) I think I'm going to make this blue dress with the blue taffeta I got too late to use last year. It's a synthetic but it's a really good synthetic and frankly I'm a broke student the stash is where it's at. 



I don't have as much fabric as I'd really like to so I'm going to have to be thrifty with my cutting. I plan to make the base skirt out of a matching colored cotton then apply on the rhomus shaped appliques and the bottom pleats. I'm going to start with the bottom layered skirt from TV208 as I have it in my grubby hands and that's a good enough place to start! 

fastest way to ruin something I was kind of proud of.. My machine just does asinine ones.

I'm out of fraycheck...do you think fabric tac on the back would serve the same purpose?

While I did buy the hooks for the Titanic dress I wasn't feeling into sewing them on so I decided to skip ahead and work on the ballgown bodice for the Jampagene party. Yeah Yeah I know this means I'll end up sewing them in the hotel on Friday night but we'll pretend I'll get to them before then. Just smile and nod it's the easiest way.

(  Here's where I'm up to on the ballgown bodice: )

Yesterday was B-day for the dress. I didn't get it 100% finished, it's missing most of it's trim, but I got it wearable. It even had hooks and eyes on the skirt! I didn't have time to wear a hat, but madamekat was so horrified at my uncovered head she lent me a smashing bonnet she made.  The forecast was decidedly cloudy with a chance of frizz so my hair less than behaved. 

Rob and I rolled in around noon, dressed at the curb (a Belvidere tradition) and made our way to find the encampment. We found B, her lovely daughter C, Bob, the Host, madamekat and ladyxjade we also met some lovely new friends. K and V. K was there last year but we didn't really get a chance to chat. 

We did a little shopping, I bought an antique straw hat, and had our pictures taken A LOT as we walked around. I have to say everyone looked really stunning! It was a little hot in the sun but a breeze came out in the afternoon and we had none of the showers the weatherman predicted.   Mick serenaded us with his pipes and we enjoyed a lovely lunch spread. 

Then while wandering amongst the antique cars an owner asked if we'd like to get in the car for a picture. Would we ever!! and then..HE TOOK US FOR A RIDE!!! You'd have thought we'd never been around the block before! It was sooo awesome. 

We took another group tintype which looked marvelous. I can't wait to get my copy of the scan. All in all it was a great day. Good weather, good people watching, great company.



My pictures are all here

Well I had all these grand plans of bodice construction last night...but life happens.

Rob's brother broke up with his serious-thought-it-was-forever girlfriend. He came over here last night and the rest of my night was spent hearing about the whole story. I feel really bad for the guy. And I now know more about what they've done for the last two weeks than I think I remember about my own. 

So this morning we went to the diner for breakfast and now Rob took him off to a movie so I can try to salvage any attempt of having this dress to wear to Belvidere...but I won't lie, hope is fading fast. 

So far this morning I got the mock-up taken back apart and drafted out a new pattern from it. Next step cutting out the bodice.