Sorry for the long absense

So just wanted to pop in and say that I haven't forgotten the blog or the costume but these past couple of months have been crazy with other more immediate projects so it was temporarily put on hold.  


On Halloween was the big Woburn parade which required an approved costume (yes the very parade I wanted to finish this by but as it got closer I decided quality was better than meeting my arbitrary deadline and decided on another costume I had more done) but as both my approved Padme's are rather revealing and thereby cold I needed to finish the shawl for my Frustration (Fireside, Black Corset - pick the name you prefer...) so I could get that added to my approval and stay warm(er) at the parade:

In November I went to a Victorian Ball and had to finish a gown for that: 

Then came Christmas and the need to make presents - namely a vest for my sister, scarf for my dad and jewelry for my other sister and cousins... And of course the whole tons of parties, cleaning decorating (for Halloween party then Christmas - like the same day I undecorated from Halloween after I got home from Thanksgiving...) 

I am still sewing sequins... I have the top 2 rows around the whole skirt done and will be working on this a lot more in January, now that things have calmed down other-project-wise.  I will start the Embroidery on the corset as soon as the sequins is done - only one intricate thing at a time.  And I will sew the dress together and hem around the same time - to take breaks from the detail work.  I'm hoping to at least have the sequins done by Martin Luther King weekend, and the dress together with 2 colors of embroidery done by Feb break.  And perhaps all the embroidery and the headband sewn together by the beginning of March so I can focus on assembling the corset and edging the shawl in the first couple weeks of March and have the whole thing done by St Patrick's Day.  

Wish me luck!

Meadow Gown: the making of Saga, Part 2

Step 22: Finally finish the sequins on the sleeves. Then start corset so you can mark out where to start the sequins on the skirt. 

With the flash 

without flash

top of sleeve with flash

Top of sleeve without flash

Step 23: cut out all corset pieces, sew inner 2 together on all necessary seams then pin over dressform and dress to determine sequins placement on skirt.  For my inner layer I used the gold crushed fabric and yellow cotton so that the inner most part is the crushed which matches the very  outermost layer.


Step 24: Sew together the outer layers of the corset.  I used duck cloth in gold for strength, gold satin wrong side out (so it was matte not shiny) and the gold crushed fabric on the very outside.  Before putting each section on I cut the little squares out of the crushed fabric and used a fray protectent/ liquid stitch around the entire opening.  

Square cut-outs with flash

center panel of corset with cut outs and sewn in to whole layer set.

Step 25: Sew sleeves together.  I did the underarm seam in both layers then sewed them together at the top.  Then turned them the right way out.  I then measured out for the elastics.  2 per arm in the right spots, one slightly above my elbow the other 2 inches above that.  I sewed in a channel and strung through the elastic sewing the ends together and finally sewing the channel shut.  

Sleeve

So much done and so much left to do...

Meadow Gown: the making of Saga, Part 1

Step one: Decide you are going to make all of Padmé’s romantic costumes.

Step two: buy all the fabric and supplies you will need except for the embroidered outer fabric.

Step three: Price out outer fabric and realize it is prohibitively expensive to get it right. 

Step four: put project on the back burner until you can find the perfect fabric.

Step five: Go to camp to work for the summer, live alone with amazing new staff member.  Talk about nonsense and seriousness, go out to dinner, get to know each other well.  Actually hang out outside of camp, go camping, pick blueberries, swim in quarries, and waterfalls.  Agree to visit said new friend at school overseas when credit cards completely paid off.

Step six: Have world fall apart, delay trip, get closer to friend online and over next summer.  Say forget about being totally paid off you only live once.

Step seven: Fly to Egypt to see friend, have the time of  your life, go to fabric market on the last day.  See perfect fabric – twice.  Negotiate a price in a three way, two language conversation where the two people who don’t speak the same language know fabric well and the one that speaks both does not, twice.  Buy both fabrics for less than you would have spent for less yardage priced out here – that is both combined! (Buy one then find one you like better after and buy that too.)

Yes I really did fly across the world to get fabric!

The fabric I bought.

The real reason I flew around the world - the fabric was just a bonus.

 Step eight: Fly home and spend months debating and soliciting opinions on which fabric to use – end up deciding to go with original impression and use the second.  Gather together the rest of the materials previously purchased.

Step nine: delay starting because Egypt is an awfully long way away if you ruin the fabric.

Step ten: decide you want the costume done in two months.  Frantically start – by giving away a yard of fabric (they threw it in for free anyway as it was the end of the roll). Realize that the fabric is twice as wide as you thought – cheer silently.

Step 11: dye fabric gold.  Wonder if you need to do more, photograph it many times over and solicit opinions before deciding it is correct. 

All the fabrics, post dying the gown fabric - pre-dying the shawl fabric (still not done)

Step 12: pre-prepare underlayer silk by bleaching it out.  Worry that it didn’t get white enough.  Solicit opinions, wait for it to dry, decide you are being paranoid. 

Step 13: cut out pattern and cut a modesty lining for bodice and skirt (I will not wear something completely sheer!) I did find the out of print McCall’s 3797 a few years ago – benefit of living in the country and having a JoAnn’s nearby whose other patrons generally don’t do as much clothing – patterns are easy to find even after being discontinued – and usually on clearance when discontinued! I did not alter it at all for the modesty lining but I did change the skirt for the “real” layers.  I used cream colored dancewear lining fabric for the modesty layer as it is light weight but very opaque. 

Trying on and shaping my mom's (now my) dressform so I can fit things properly - not on me!

Step 14: Sew modesty lining – I did not make the sleeves for this layer – it wasn’t necessary so it is just pinned to my dress form at the moment. 

Step 15: I made a muslin proto type of the circle skirt and a ¼ circle pattern piece and pinned it to the lining to make sure the skirt would attach ok.  I used the pattern pieces layed out on the muslin to determine the length of the skirt and the size of the opening at  the top – where it will connect to the bodice. When I was happy with how it went together with the edge of the lining bodice I used it as my new skirt pattern for the 2 outside layers.

Muslin skirt hanging normally.

All stretched out so you can see the real size.

 Step 16: cut out rest of fabric.  I cut the pieces out of the silk for the middle layer before dying the blotches in so that I could target just the fabric I would be using  as it was too hard to work with the whole long yardage.  I only got 2 half circles out of the silk but three out of the Egyptian fabric as it was much wider.  I had to put in pieces to fill in the bottom of the silk as well to make it the right length. 

Step 17: sew the skirts.  Just to keep the pieces in order and get them out of the way I sewed each layer of the skirt (separately) leaving the back completely open as that is where the zipper will go.  I did not sew any of the bodice or sleeves as they would be harder to dye that way and both layers get sewn together. 

Egyptian fabric skirt pinned in place.

Step 18: dye the blotches on the underlayer.  I put the yellow (RIT Yellow) and pink (RIT light rose) in cleaned out laundry spray bottles and sprayed each piece individually then rinsed them in cool water til the water ran clear (follow instructions on the dye).  I let them air dry most of the way then used my hair dryer to finish drying it and to heat set it.  The skirt was all sewn together so I had to keep sliding it to the side to get it all but with patience I managed in a decent amount of time.  I ended up making too much dye so I used the rest to tie dye a tshirt and some socks (also by spraying it on), I discovered you really only need 1 inch in the dye bottles to cover it all nicely – perhaps 2 or 3 inches, not over half the bottle. 

Dyed skirt draped over dressform to show blotches.

With scraps of the Egyptian fabric over it to show how it will look put together.

Step 19: sew the sequins onto the bodice and sleeves.  Because multiple layers get sewn together for each of these I put the sequins in them first – then I will sew them together.

Step 20: take sequins breaks – cause really they are tiny and take FOREVER to sew to iron mid-layer pieces and pin skirt to dress form in all layers.     Bonus: You feel like you accomplished more and your eyes don't pop out at the same time! 

Step 21: be so busy sewing sequins that you don't have time to photograph it...  More pics will be posted with Part 2 so stay tuned... Up next - more sequins... sewing the corset together, embroidering the corset, cutting and putting together the shawl - then dying it, making straps for the gown, putting the whole gown together, adding flowers to the straps, making the headband, and embellishing everything with the ribbons...

Yeah there is a lot to do!