Feburary Updates and Plans

I actually would like to make another dress like this.
If JoAnns still has the fabric I saw for it on sale, I might by some.

I started this year off with wanting to make so many historical garments and blog posts. Just for the first 3 months I had 13 posts plan and 14+ projects. But, for me that isn't reallistic, with work, school, and trying to be a functional member of society I just can't do it. Fabric is expensive and my plans for weekends get put off for other people. But, end of January I had a historical sewing kick, then I got sick and lost my seam ripper. When i went back to school from being sick, I had tons of work I had to do. As reading blogposts my historical sewing kick turned into a modern sewing kick. I originally created this blog to make more modern garments, I have only posted one so far and that was made the april before I posted it. This dress was ok, I wore it alot, but the upper chest would beome itchy while wearing it nad it eventually got to small for my chest.

Simplicity 4721 View C

I got to thinking about dress my mom made for me in the past the ones I remembered, were made years ago. When I was about 4 my mom made my sister and I matching purple butterfly dresses. About when I was 6 or 7 my mom made me a pink butterfly dress that I wore for several years, that I stopped wearing when I could not get the dress over my butt (it had already been to small for me by this point for a while I just refused to stop wearing it). At the same time my mom made my sister a dress, the only thing different about it and the pattern is there is supposed to be lace around the neckline.

Simplicity 3902 view C

At same time we got the pattrens for my pink butterfly dress and my sister's dress we got a pattern for a skirt and coat ensemble. I got one made from a darker pink fabric with yellow and black butterflies. My sister got one from a pretty blue cotton with a green and purple pattern in it..

Simplicity 4669 View C & D

A couple years later, I begged my mom to make me a dress from a white cotton with little apple on it. She made me one. It was really hot to wear in the summer, so I had only worn it once, by the time the weather got cold enough to wear it, it was to small.

Simplicity 4721 view A

Last summer I bought myself some patterns that I planned on using. At the store on Sunday McCall Patterns were on sale and I picked up two patterns. I also picked up thread, zipers and fabric. So now I have 2 dresses planned to make this weekend out of McCalls M7714.

I also been thinking about doing a missionary trip this summer through Adventures in Missions. Which I plan on making my clothes for. I also have plans for some historical acessories but not many unless I can get to a few places. I have a week break coming up and I plan to get stockings and main under garments done. This I plan to get done on the 19th and 20th. Then I have material to make guinea pig cage liners, so the rest of the 20th I plan to figure out what I need to do, I also need to get coroplast and a small kitty litter box. The 21st, 23rd, and 24th I plan to make them. I will try to get this all done the 21st though.

But this weekend I plan to make 2 dresses and 2 aprons. The aprons shouldn't take me very long probably an hour each, the dresses on the other hand will take me longer, probably 2 hours for the first dress, and 1.5 hours for the second.

Paige

Redoing Some of My Civil War Things HSM #1 Mend, Reshape, Refashion

New books that I am really excitd to memorize where everthing is :) :) :)

Back ont he 11th I got my new books, Cosume in Detail and the American Duchess Guide.

In my previous post I said I needed to redo/fix several things several things. most of this is my civil war items. There are some things that I wll not be fixing like my crinoline for this project. I do want to redo it. I just want to do a lower class impression.

1. Hairnet- I think I need to redo it completley, as I have a huge hole in the net.
2. Petticoat- When I originally created the garment I made the opening so you can get the skirt on to big. So all I need to do is make the gap about 4-6 inches
3. Early 1860s wash Dress- There is to much room in the back of the bodice. I need to make the top 4 inches smaller and the bottom 1/2 inch smaller. Also it might look better it the bodice was at least 1/2 inch shorter.
4. Sunbonnet- add a few tapes inside to gather the back part.
5. I would like a new corset but for now my old one is fine, as long as I close all the boning channel gaps.

I was able to get a majority of the stuff done in about 2 hours, deconstructing the hairnet, emboidering the petticoat, closing the gap in the 2 skirts, and fixing the pockets each took about 10-30 minutes. I did the majority of this on a Saturday. Then Saturday evening I ripped out seams for 3 1/2 hours.I never want to rip out hundreds of tiny stiches in an easy fraying and low thread count fabric ever again. 

Hairnet

Hairnet Parts

I first took out the piece of metal out and took out all the stitches that held the ribbon to the twill tape. I then cut of the net to pretty colse to the twill tape as I wont be able to use it. I then took all of the rest of the stiches out of twill tape and the hairnet. Leaving me with just the ribbon, twill tape and metal piece.

Petticoat

Hard to see but my initails are there

Little whipstichs to make the gap smaller

Very simple I took the gap in so now it is about 6 inches instead of 15 inches. I also, emboidered my intials on the hem at the back.

Dress

Old Fit
See how the bodice looks very saggy and large?
It is also a bit long

I removed all of the hooks and eyes. I made the skirtgap to be 5 inches long. I then removed pockets and handsewn them back in.

Then I removed the dress (skirt & bodice) from the waistband (which took me about 2 1/2 hours to do) and removed the neckband from the bodice (took me about 1 hour). I am never going to usee such tiny stitches again on sewing manchine. I then made darts in the back on both sides and sewed them in place.

Inside at the neckband

I went through my scrap fabric stash looking for a strip of extra white fabric from my bodice lining. I found a piece a little short, but wide enough for me to cut down to 2" wide strip. There was no extra fabric to cut bias binding, but there was a piece long enough to use as a binding for the neck band. I cut the binding strip down to a 1 1/2" wide strip.

Outside at neckband

I set the edge of the strip, right side against the lining and sewed a long the top, I then fliped binding over the top and tucked the raw edges down and sewed.

I only need to sew both waist bands on and the hook and eyes and that should be up soon.

Sunbonnet

Casing that I completley handsewn on :)

Ribbon ties on the back

I finshed sewing the tape in to hid some of the "guts". I also put on some ribbon ties on the back to draw the top portion in. This is going to be a fancy sunbonnet to go with my nicer dresses. That I have planned.

Corset

I simply just handsewed all my gaps closed.

Love,

Paige