School

Hi, everybody school is starting for me in a week. (nooooooo!), I don't like the school I'm going to. I'm only going there because they are offering some french courses from Middlebury, Vermont and this school has the best Cross Country team. 

 I have gotten plenty of patterns from the McCall Pattern Company Website, they have frequent sales. McCalls also own Butterick, Kwik Sew, and Vogue patterns. There a few patterns I still want to get,  but, I also want to get the Violet Shirt and the Penny dress from Colette Patterns. Right now I'm going through a break with sewing

   

I have been reading The Ring & The Crown by Melissa De La Cruz, it is pretty good and Feed by M.T Anderson, Part 1 is awful, but i have to read it for school, I plan on reading for 30 minutes, everynight before bed, I will read Feed first, so it will be done by school starts, it took one hour to read part 1, so I plan to have the rest read in 3 hrs, so I will finish the book on the 5th.

I also got a book a few weeks ago called The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin.

Spindles

Over a week ago I made some spindles. I want to create my own yarn.

But I still want a

Turkish Spindle
Ashford Spindles
A lazy Kate for spindles
And a wooden kniddy knoddy

Knitting?

Knitting

I have been wanting to knit for a long time. I started watching Yarngasam Podcast on YouTube. If you are not familiar with the Yarngasam Podcast, the host Kristen talks about what she has been knitting, crocheting, spinning, sewing, has bought, and what she has been doing in each episode.

A few weeks ago my cousin gave birth to a darling little girl. After watching Kristen's Podcast I figured why not knit the baby a Tweed Baby Blanket by Jared Flood. I'm going for the large version. The original pattern calls for 6 skiens of 140 yards of Color A, 2 of Color B, and 1 of color C. The yarn I'm planning to use is 218 yards, Which means I will have plenty of yarn leftover. For all 3 colors I want to use Knit Picks Brava Worsted Yarn (I originally wanted to use Knit Picks Swish Yarn, but the skiens of yarn are smaller)

Also, why not tackle some doilies? My grandma has made hundreds of doilies. I found a pattern called Dawnglow by Draiguna.com. I figure I can make this out of Knit Picks Curio. They have a sample of 20 full size balls each in a different color so you can figure out what you like best. My grandma can't crochet with dark colors any more, so the balls that are to dark will go to be used for this.

Crocheting

I have started a Granny Stripe Blanket. Just to use up leftover yarn.

Sewing

I have been looking at patterns to make school clothes. Also, I found a 1967 child dresses pattern in my basement. If I wanted to I could always make up the largest size.

Books

I have been reading Feed it is awful. I have to read it for school though.

TV Shows

I have been watching criminal minds and reruns of Hawaii 5-O on Netflix

Makeup/Hair Care/ Body Care

I have been using the new Beautycounter Hair Collections. I also ordered the limited edition Ocean Breeze Palette. I get my products from Jen.

Paige

Updated Sewing plans

Back in March I did my yearly plans for this year. But, I haven't really stayed with them. I have been thinking about very general basic sewing for a year and then breaking the plans down to Quarters and then months. This way I can stay on track. Even though the year is almost over.

My 3rd Quarter plan (July, August, and September) is:

• 2 Sunbonnets
• Finish my hoop and dress
• Apron
• 3 pairs of Stockings
• 2 chemises
• 2 drawers
• Spin 2 skiens of yarn
• Finish my UFO project of emboidering a breadcloth

I have already in July finish my hoop, dress, and 1 Sunbonett. I plan on having my Christmas sewing in Quarter 4 (October, November and December).

For August I plan on finishing all reenacting projects. 

• Apron
• Stockings
• Chemises
• Drawers

I also plan on 

• Spinning my first yarn
• Finish emboidering my UFO breadcloth

September I go back to School. Yipee! 😒 So I have very little plans just spin my 2nd Skien of yarn and buy wool for October projects.

Paige

Historical Sew Monthly #3 The Great Outdoors: Quilted Sunbonnet

I based this bonnet after Romantic History Victorian Sunbonnet Tutorial, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. I think this was supposed to be a 5 part Tutorial as she did say she was going to do a post a adding the ties. And because of being new to historical sewing I used The Sewing Academy free Corded Sunbonnet Pattern to add the ties. At first I was only going to make one out of a Pinky Peach Plaid Cotton Lawn from fashionfabrics.com, but I was in Jo Anns and found a beautiful lightweight semi-sheer Plaid.

Fabric from Jo Anns

Brim fabric

Crown Fabric

Shaping the Crown

Shaping the Curtain

Cutting the Cotton batting

I was going to use 2 layers, but decided against it as this was for the summer

Rows of Quilting

The only thing I didn't do was gather the back.

I sewed on the curtain

I then decided I was going to do a drawstring to gather the back. But I got tired of Sewing the a piece of fabric on to the bonnet

What it is: Victorian Sunbonnet- Quilted

Material: A cotton Orange and Brown Plaid from Jo Anns

Pattern: Romantic History Victorian Sunbonnet Tutorial Parts 1-4 and for the ties The Sewing Academy Free Simple Slat bonnet pattern.

Year: Later war years

Notions: Thread, Teal Blue Ribbon, String

Hours to complete: Don't remember

First Worn: 

Total Cost: For the Pink Plaid one $6.68 for 1.5 yards of fabric. I know I didn't need quite so much, but it was extra. I also got 1.5 yards of plaid from Jo Anns which cost $8.99

How I clean my garments

I clean my laundry a very special way, to prevent shrinking in the waist.

My chemise, drawers, petticoat, and stockings (when I get them):
Are washed in warm water on the deep water wash cycle with 1/8 to 1/2 of a cup of white vinegar (depending on smell and how big of a load) and soap nuts (soap berries). I get my soap nuts from and the vinegar is store brand.

Then dried on  Regular Timed Dry for 40 minutes. If still wet I put them on fluff-no heat Time Dried setting for 20 minutes intill dry. Or when we get a clothesline I will dry them out in the sun in the summer. I use Seventh Generation scent free dryer sheets.

For my cotton dress and purple cotton? (I think it is Cotton) shawl, I do the same thing as I do for my chemise, drawers, petticoats, and stockings.

For my gloves, bum pad, and corset I use a spray that I made of water and essential oils. I spray it on the bum pad and corset. For the corset I then Pat it down with a Kleenex. I then hang up my corset and bum pad. I then spray the Kleenex lightly with the spray and pat my gloves down

Spray

Pink gloves

Bone Gloves

Bum pad

Hanging the Bum pad to dry

Hanging the corset to dry

For my orange and brown plaid sunbonnett. I will not put it in the washer machine because it bleeds terribly even on cold.


Paige

Bum Pad

When I first tried on my finished hoopskirt I realized I need a bit more support in the back. So I quickly made this out of scrap fabric and some poly-fil.

The shaped filled out to a nice pillow.

I quickly sewed on some ties and was done.

What it is: A bum pad

Challenge: None

Material: Cotton check of blue and tan

Pattern: My own, shaped the one part around my back and a general shape to the back of the pad.

Year: 1800s, not sure about the time period though

Notions: Thread

Hours to complete: Probably 30 minutes

First Worn: 7/15/17 for an event

Total Cost: Free the fabric was scrap

1860s Blue & Tan Checked Cotton Working Dress

Well I have really like working on this, It went together really well. It is made of a Blue & Tan checked cotton homespun from Jo Anns. And made from The Sewing Academy Girl's Dresses Pattern. I choose the Natural Waist Bodice, Short loose sleeves, and a Lined Bodice. I aslo chose to pleat my skirt instead of gather.

The bodice went together really well and I mostly hand sewed it.

I then hemmed the sleeve

Then gathered the sleeves

And finished the skirt the same way I did the petticoat attached the Bodice and skirt to the outer waistband

What it is: A 1863 styled dress

Challenge: None

Material: Cotton check of blue and tan

Pattern: Elizabeth Clark (The Sewing Academy) Girls Dress pattern. Natural Waist, Short Loose sleeves, and a bateau neckline, I also added 2 darts.

Year: 1863

Notions: Thread, hook and eyes

Hours to complete: I don't know

First Worn: 7/15/17 for an event

Total Cost: Fabric or lining I don't remember.

Cage Crinoline

I was going to do this for my Historical Sew Monthly #5 Literature, but, I decided not to. I have something else that will be good for HSM. I promise my blog will not turn into a mostly historical sewing blog. There will still be other things to.

I made the waistband to fit my corseted waist which is the same as my normal waist. I do have the waistband overlap some bit, so when my waist gets wider, I can get move the hook and eyes.

I hated with passion sewing the tapes. I had to iron them in half to find the middle. Then, I folded the raw edges in an ironed and the sewed them down. Then I made the tapes by taking to strips the wrong sides together and sewed the top and bottom edges. This gave me 7 2" tapes. I should have just ironed to find the center. Fold in half, ironed again and put the 2 pieces together. It would have been a lot quicker.

By this time I realized I did not sew the raw edges down of the waistband before sewing them together. Oh well. I took a blue water soluable pencil and marked were the waistband edges overlapped. I pinned the strips in place. and then pinned the waistband of cage together, so I can see how they looked were they were at. By this time it was 10 pm, and I was exhausted. So I unpinned everything and picked it up. I wasn't going to sew for the most part next week, except I did make my hairnet for HSM

Then I procrastinated for almost the entire month of May and June. I finished my petticoat and about half of my dress before coming back to work on this. So far this has been my least favorite project. Just because it is all repetitive sewing.

Then I went on Vacation which was cut short by the camper catching on fire. And it is very rare for campers to catch on fire. But my mom said she would help so I set her to work on this. So I could work on my dress.

I'm very thankful for my mom finishing Sewing this. My dad helped me cut out the metal pieces. I still need 3 rungs. I have 10 pieces each in a length of 45", 50", 55", 60", 65", 75", 85", 90.5", 100", & 104.5". I still want ones in 70", 80", and 95 inches.

And under my dress

What it is: A 1863 styled hoopskirt/ caged crinoline

Challenge: None

Material: Cotton Muslin, Steel Hope Boning

Pattern: My own. Based off Romantic History's Cage Crinoline from May 2013

Year: 1863

Notions: Thread, Hook and eyes, plastic tubing connecters

Hours to complete: I procrastinated a lot.

First Worn: 7/15/17

Total Cost: Fabric came from the fabric bought for my corset and Chemise, I think the plastic tubing and hoopsteel was a total of $50. And I want to buy another roll to get my last 3 hoops.

GCV&M Reenactment and Encampment 2017

So I have went to my first Reenactment in period dress😀. I didn't get many pictures I got 2 on Saturday.

Saturday we lost the first battle and protected the town from the Union.

Confederate calvery

Confederate soliders

Sunday we won the first battle and lost the town. I only got pics of the battle on the field though.

Paige