elizabeth_mn

First I made another set of Truly Victorian combinations. I love my other set and it fits great. But when I made this one, it mysteriously ended up WAY too tight across the bust.

Later I told my HB about it, and he suggested adding a strip of fabric along the CF. Yeah, I guess I could have done that, but what actually happened is I grabbed the scissors for an immediate solution. I cut the neckline down so the bust would not longer be an issue, then threaded a drawstring to pull in the neckline as needed. Now I have a low-neck version for evening dresses.

I will not be modeling them at this time.



I have no idea if this will actually work or if it will stick out or slip down. If it doesn't work I guess I can cut the top off and make it into drawers.

Okay, so then I used Liz Clark's drawers directions to make these.



The directions were good but I don't know if I made my crotch length correctly. And my waistband ended up a little snug, I think. I guess the proof will be in the wearing.

I had intended to leave them totally plain but ended up doing a few tucks and a little lace.

I got sick of knitting this. And I ran out of yarn. That means it's done.



I used 4 skeins of black and 1.5 of grey Knit Picks Wool of the Andes superwash. They are 50g, half the size of a skein of Cascade 220 (but basically the same yarn).

The Girl LOVES it, but can't sit still for a picture. Too busy adventuring. She wants to wear it all the time and can't stop talking about how she is going to greet everyone for the Little House Party wearing this and holding a lantern.

Details at my ravelry.

The weather the past week has been wonderfully cool. I put the fluffy goose-down comforters out and got the urge to turn on the oven and bake stuff. And since the historical food fortnightly has fizzled out, I have missed doing cooking posts! So here you are. These are three things I make all the time (though usually not all in one day!).

First I made cookies. I decided to be smart and mix up a double batch so I could freeze half my dough for later.



These are my favorite cookies ever. They give me serious Frog and Toad moments.



( Cookie recipe )
Then while those were in the oven I mixed up a batch of granola. This is a breakfast staple at my house, to eat either with milk or with plain yogurt and fruit. If you eat sweetened yogurt, this might be a little too sweet to go with.



( Granola recipe )

That was enough sweets so finally I made vegetable pasties.



( Pasty recipe, sort of )

I washed my kirtle wool and while I wait for it to dry I will post about my latest knitting.

I cast this shawl on during our recent trip up North. It doesn't look like much yet (ooh, a black triangle!). The Girl specifically requested black with grey stripes. The pink bows are my RS markers.



The pattern is the Godey's shawl that mala_14 recently made.

The pattern is so super simple, but I have to admit the archaic language threw me at first. I don't like admitting that because I have knitted Many Complicated Things! But here is a row written out:

Slip the 1st stitch, that is, taking it off the pin without working it; then to increase a stitch, knit the next stitch plain, but before taking it off the left pin, insert the right pin in the back of the same loop on the left pin, and, bringing the wool between the pins, knit the stitch, taking it off the left pin; there will now be 3 loops on the right pin; knit the next 4 stitches quite plain.

Which, in modern knitting, would say: Slip 1, kfb, knit to end. Because these days all knitters know what "kfb" means, but in 1864 I guess they had to write it out.

Once you get started it is just a mindless two-row repeat. It feels like I got to this point in the project really fast, but of course since every row is longer than the last, the shawl seems to grow more slowly as you go. Since it is for The Girl I am not going to make it huge, but who knows how long it will take me. I am a slow knitter. Just as long as it is done in time for winter.

I am using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes superwash worsted and US 6 needles. My Ravelry project page is here.

Yay! My Knit Picks box has arrived!



Is there anything more thrilling than getting stuff in the mail?

There is yarn for a shawl for The Girl, deep turquoise roving for me for thrums, some needles, a few random notions (because free shipping), and a new "feeling superfine" bag to replace the one I lost (Lost! Me! A whole knitting bag! Project and all! What is wrong with me!?).

Decided I'm going to cheat a little with the non-visible buttons on the grey linen suit; so now I only need to make 46 fabric ones. I'll use grey MOP for the breeches waistband and fall opening.

Been busy creating our new Treadle class schedule. I'm also making lots of new adorable handouts for beginning sewing and others.

Loving everyone's Costume College pictures!! More please!

Already dying to know what next year's coco theme will be so I can start planning. And I'm already thinking about what I want to teach.

Irish Fair is coming up and I am back with the dance group for this one. Should be fun, if tiring - it'll be two performances of a very full set after a whole day at Treadle.

I had her try it on yesterday and it was so goshdarned cute I just couldn't even. It's less cute on the floor, but you get the general idea.



It's off-white cotton eyelet with a sweet, simple pattern of circles and a nice scalloped border. I underlined the bodice with light cotton lawn and lined it with the same. Just a single lining of the lawn was too sheer. The skirt will also have a lawn lining, just one layer, gathered very full.



I used a dirndl pattern for the bodice, Burda 9509. I cut a 4 chest and a 6 length. I eliminated the darts and instead took in the side seams very slightly. I didn't want to dart the eyelet and her shape is still so girlish anyway so darts really aren't necessary.



For the skirt I just cut plain straight panels. She wanted the dress VERY long, so I used the full width of the fabric to make a skirt about 24". On her that's about ankle length. She was kinda sad about it not going all the way to the floor but I pointed out that she does have cute shoes with flowers on them and this way everyone can see them.

Left to do:
Add skirt lining
Put in zipper (invisible)
Hand finish inside lining at waist seam and zipper

I think there is going to be a sash and some kind of fake flower crown also. And I am still looking for a tiny white wicker basket for her to carry some fresh flowers in.

Y'know, like usual.

We have our 18th century picnic coming up this weekend and my HB needs something to wear. He has his blue suit, which I love, but I promised he wouldn't have to wear wool this year if it was hot out. He has some almost-done linen breeches that I am going to finish up, now he just needs a coat.

I have spent the last couple months trying in vain to find a perfect, or decent, non-wool fabric for this. After coming up empty handed repeatedly I went once again into the stash. I found a 4 or 5 yard length of a brown and blue/grey shot cotton with a 'homespun' texture. It's a little bit lightweight; more like a heavy shirting than a coat weight. And when I bought it, I was planning to make myself a nice plain round gown and I hated letting go of that idea. But it's a nice color, and I thought I could make it work, so I went for it and cut out the JP Ryan frock coat.

Last night at work I picked up some smooth cotton lining. It's black and really stands out against the brown/grey so I have been experimenting with brief bleach dips to dull it a bit.

So far I am just working on the small detail pieces: the pocket flaps, collar, and cuffs. I am giving them the same machine sewn seam + hand topstitch as the blue suit. But mostly this is going to be a machine project, especially if I am going to finish it by the weekend!

It's very nice to be sewing something other than the wedding dress. But the year is almost half over and I have so many more projects I want to get to! I really don't have too much more boring stuff I have to sew, mostly just fun stuff I WANT to sew!

The wedding dress is coming along. Today I worked on the veil and the dress lining. Next up is hems. Then just the sash left.

The veil is the only finished thing though, so here's a peek!



Ignore the pin.



I sewed some hair clips to the underside to attach it.



The length is to the inside elbow, with wide rounded corners. It's the full width of the tulle (108" I think?) by about 23" length.

To make this I first made the lace assembly. I took three of my lace pieces and arranged them on a piece of buckram, then stitched them down (reattaching any loose beads as I went). Then I cut, shaped, and gathered the tulle and machined it to a piece of Peltex interfacing. I laid my lace piece over the tulle and hand stitched it down, then cut away any excess interfacing. Finally I added the clips.

If I were doing this again, I might skip the buckram step. I'm glad I did it because it gave me more time to play with the lace design before making it permanent, but the finished product doesn't really need it. And I might cover the underside with white felt before adding the clips, just to hide the stitches and make it prettier.

This is F's other new costume, a cotton 1860s/70s dress for Little House dressup.

She is doing her "Sunday face."





Again, these are from the hotel at the con so they are not great pictures. But you can see the dress, more or less.

I used the Truly Victorian princess dress for girls pattern (TV600) and used it pretty much as it came out of the envelope. My girl is a little slim for her height so even though she is 6 1/2 years old I cut a size 4 in the chest and waist (and that even came out roomy!) but lengthened all the bodice pieces to the size 6. I cut the skirt extra long in order to sew tucks. The tucks are 5/8" deep and about 3/8" apart (from fold to next stitch line). I like these as a cheap and easy skirt detail but also for practicality - I can pick a couple of them out next year to lengthen the skirt if needed.

The fabric is the one she picked out last year on our fabric and candy store trip down at Reproduction Fabrics. The apron is a Moda print from work. It was totally last minute. The dress is very plain and I knew it needed something. Plus what's more Laura Ingalls than an apron? I planned to make a bib section for it but ran out of time. It needs it, because as you can see, the half apron slides down. I still have the fabric set aside for it, though, so the bib section will be easy to add later.

It buttons up the back with antique shell buttons I got from a coworker, and she is wearing it over two fluffy petticoats.