10/27/04: The toile, again
A friend helped me with the final fitting, these are the resulting pattern pieces.
I was hoping I could cut out the interlining today and start sewing the boning channels, but fortunately I remembered before cutting, that this particular fabric has not been prewashed. Now I have to wait until Friday when there is a free slot at tvättstuga and I can wash fabric. Or I will just decide never to wash this gown in a machine.
What will it be? Tune in tomorrow to find out.
14 days to the event.
10/28/04: More about fabric
I got lucky and was able to wash all the fabric today. I was working on shoes today so I'll cut and start sewing tomorrow.
13 days to the event.
11/03/04: The gown, cutting
After having some major jitters about cutting my red fabric, I finally plunged ahead and cut the dress out today.
This is the rough cutting diagram. The V-s in the front and back pieces will be fitted once the bodice is finished and I can drape the skirt on me. I cut the bodice pieces from the 35cm wide strip that is left over from the skirt. Since I have no pattern for sleeves yet, I didn't cut them out. I want to wait until the bodice and skirt are finished and sewn together before developing the sleeve pattern. If there is time, that is. All measurements are in centimetres, cf = centre front and cb = centre back.
I also didn't know what to do with the two layers of linen interlining. This is not a noble class dress and hence not boned. I'm going to reinforce the front opening with cord, but that's it. So I had to decide what to do with the back and sides to make them behave like one layer.
After studying Patterns of Fashion (1560-1620) by Janet Arnold, I decided to simply pad-stitch the layers together (ill 176, 182 and 325). I also contemplated going out and buying three placemats, but decided to keep that idea in mind if two layers of medium weight linen do not work.
When the interlining layers were stitched together I sandwiched the red wool and interlining like Emily has illustrated in her kirtle sewing tutorial and is also seen on PoF ill. 197. I will follow Emilys tutorial for sewing in the lining too. Although I will stitch the lining closed at side seams because in PoF, the lining extends to and covers the seams (ill. 117, 140, 151, 174, 325 and 360). Ill. 151 shows that the lining seam has been whipstitched. Perhaps even separately from the outer shell.
Tomorrow I plan to cut the lining, finish the bodice and maybe begin sewing the skirt.
8 days to the event.
11/04/04: The gown, sewing the bodice
Sewing the bodice has gone well, although I have yet to cut the lining.
When I had finished the outer shell, I stitched it together and tried it on. The good news is that it fits, the bad news — I need a corset. The bodice flows around my curves (which I had underestimated) rather than squishing them to proper shape. Putting the bodice together has been quick and easy so far, so I don't expect much trouble from the corset. Hah! Famous last words.
Before beginning to work on the corset (I need to get cable ties tomorrow) I will continue on the gown. I can still cut the lining and put it in without finishing the front edges.
7 days to the event.
11/06/04: The gown, bodice stiffening
After the initial panic, I calmed down and considered things. I came to the conclusion that: I do not have time to make a slip and a properly handstitched corset, therefore I'll try to make the bodice stiffer and live with my curves.
I'm trying out this idea Since I wasn't able to get cable ties yesterday, I went to Åhlens today to check out their placemats. The stiffest thing I found was not a placemat, but a discounted table runner. Score! Now I can stiffen the whole bodice instead of just the front. The table runner is 2 cm narrower than I need, but it is no problem to make the bodice point less pointy.
5 days to the event.
11/08/04: The gown, sewing
The placemat idea worked surprisingly well. The bodice does not provide a perfectly flat silhouette, but it is not necessary for non-noble gown anyway. The bodice keeps everything in place and smoothes all the bumps, which is exactly what I wanted it to do. For the next outfit I'll definitely make a corset.
Since I didn't want to unpick the outer shell, I made the placemat and blue lining into an inner shell and hemstitched it to the outer one. Then I whipstiched the pieces together.
I stitched the red wool with double thread first, and then the blue fustian with single thread. It is an experiment to see how strong a seam like this is. This is a scan of the seam from outside (red fabric) and inside.
There are two things I might have to alter — the waist is too big and the armholes trifle too high. I'm hoping that after I've attached the skirt, it's weight will adjust the armholes sufficiently. The adjustment to the waist must wait until after the event. The only thing that remains to be done to the bodice is to put in the lacing rings.
The skirt is assembled, but not pleated or sewn to the bodice yet. I need somebody to help me pin the skirt to the correct height at the bodice points and mark the hem. After that I can pleat it, stitch it to the bodice and hem it. I doubt there is time for sleeves, but we'll see. I don't mind if I finish them on Friday evening at the event, as long as I can wear them on Saturday.
3 days to the event.
11/10/04: The gown, finished
The gown is finished! There is no time or light for pictures now, I'll take my camera to the event and ask somebody to snap a couple shots.
On Tuesday the friend came over and helped to pin the skirt and mark the hem. I tried to attach the skirt by gathering it and then sewing it to the bodice, but the gathering was too even and the result looks like cartrige pleats. I didn't leave the gathering thread in, but still the gathering is too regular. I'll fix this after the event, if I can figure out how.
I must move the lacing rings inwards at least on one side. When I tested the lacing, the rings showed. I did try to sew through the placemat while attaching them, but apparently it wasn't enough. I have to remind myself again — this is not a noble gown, little imperfections are okay. They will be corrected, though, as soon as I get the time.
I'm experimenting with the placement of the lacing rings. I'm offsetting them a little to compensate for the pulling. I haven't tested it on myself yet, so I won't know if it works until Friday.
The dress is wearable as it is, but I'm going to cut out the sleeves tomorrow. They have some outdoor activities on Saturday and it's cold in Finland at this time of year.
1 day to the event.
11/11/04: The sleeves
There will be no sleeves, I simply don't have enough fabric left. This is not what I expected. I expected them not to fit or some sewing difficulties or running out of time, but running out of fabric was a surprise. To make things worse: I could have pieced the sleeves if I hadn't cut out one full length piece. Darn! Now I'm exactly 1/4 sleeve short.
Now I know that I need at least 4 metres of 150cm wide fabric to make a gown with sleeves.
I chose to model my sleeves after 1570-1580 woman's kirtle in PoF (ill. 312 and schematic #44). These sleeves were closest extant sleeves to my time and their shape is precisely what I was after. I was going to use hooks and eyes to attach them to the dress, like sleeves in PoF ill. 275-278 and schematic #39, to make them detachable. Oh well, there will be other sleeves to make.
The event is tomorrow.
P.S. The day counts were off by 1 so I fixed them.
