elizabeth_mn

The DFWCG picnic was awesome! So worth the minor trouble of lugging all the costumes all that way. We had a lovely afternoon.  I was so glad to be able to meet so many amazing people, especially those I’ve been LJ-friends with for years:jenthompson and christylee.  I also got to meet nuranar and I know a few more people I met there are on LJ, but I didn't catch anybody else's username.


photo from Jenthompson.

My photos for the event are here. I’ve got more, but I got sick of uploading. My hubby took most of these.

LJ is being stupid and not doing cuts today so I'm going to try to shove everything else under( one giant cut )

I'm so eager to see everyone else's photos!

Please forgive the deer-in-the-headlights expression.



CF bodice and skirt (and the little slit) are are finished; sleeve ends are finished also.  The sleeves do not cup my elbow as much as I had hoped, but this sleeve is worlds better than my first few attempts.  It ought to be, since I practically re-drafted the thing from scratch.  

The neckline and hem are still unfinished, and there are no closures yet.  There will also be trim on neckline and sleeves.

The waistline wrinkle is not bothering me so much with this soft drapey fabric.  What does bother me is the unevenness of the slits on either side of the bodice point; I did not notice this until just now!  Maybe it's just the way I am standing in the photo (hope hope hope - because I really don't want to pick it out and do it over.)

Ok, I normally find sleeves to be basically a breeze, and when I hear people complain about them and throw the word "sleevils" around, I am arrogant enough to think I am past such troubles.

Obviously, I was ripe for a humbling.

I am currently on Version 4 of the caraco sleeve.  It seems like your basic one-piece 18th c sleeve, with a little dart in back to curve it over the elbow.  But it has given me so much trouble!  I really want to figure it out, but really, next time I think I'll just skip straight to a 2-piece sleeve.  More seams = better fit, every time.  Plus I'm just more familiar with a 2-piece sleeve.

There is a disconnect between the sleeve cap curve and the elbow shaping.  When the highest part of the cap is positioned at the shoulder point, the back-of-elbow dart is on top of my arm.  I thought at first I just had the sleeve backward, but on the other arm, that put the seam on top of my arm, and that's not right.  And anyway, the dart was still in the wrong place.

Then I thought maybe the top of the sleeve cap is not in fact, supposed to be positioned at the shoulder point, but adjusting the sleeve back caused all kinds of ugliness.

The elbow dart in the pattern is in line with the top of the sleeve cap, and nobody's shoulder point falls in a line with the back of their elbow, so I had to shift the pattern around a bit.  Unfortunately, I only realized this was the problem after 3 tries.

To make it worse, Janet Arnold omitted a.) sleeve seam placement in the sketch of the dress, b.) hash marks in the pattern diagram detailing where to connect sleeve to bodice, and even c.) which side of the sleeve cap is the back and which is front.

I realize now that what I ought to have done is fit the cap, then create the elbow curve.  I think I may have a working pattern now with #4, but if not, I am going to basically start from scratch and chuck the original version.  The next mockup is now in order.

I have the feeling that I am in way over my head with this project!  Not only do I not have the relevant information to make it work, I also have no idea where I might get it.  All my current resources seem to be exhausted.

I enlarged and mocked up the Patterns of Fashion caraco a few days ago.  A bit loose, neckline a bit too low, and a few other minor glitches, but it was not too bad.

I also had a yucky horizontal wrinkle at the waist, looking like it needed a fish-dart or some such thing.  I don't want to do that unless I really need to, because I'm trying not to deviate from the original too much.  I think adjusting the pattern elsewhere might reduce the wrinkle enough.

I've transferred the changes to the pattern and cut a new mock, just waiting for the time to sew it!  Then the construction seems pretty straightforward.

Besides the jacket, I also need/want:

plain lawn sleeve ruffles
a cap
a new kerchief
stockings (but I will totally buy these)

Then F's dress!  Eeep!

Okay, so maybe it's not even so much about not wanting to pack my pocket hoops as it is about not wanting to wear them.  

I love wearing bustles.  Bustles are fine.  They are comfy and don't annoy me.  But my pocket hoops ride up, crumple up, twist around, and generally bug the crap out of me.  Plus I just want the look of a softer, less structured line.

In theory I could do a bumroll, but a.) I already have petticoats, and b.) I've never been able to make/find a bumroll that doesn't look like a shelf, a silhouette I don't like and have never, ever seen in period documentation.

This morning I got out some plain petticoats and my padded petticoat and tried everything on for comparison.  I originally made the padded one for my ren fair dress, not for 18th century, but if the look is right, I'm not too concerned about the mechanics. I think I may also slightly pad the pleats of the last (really outer) skirt for my dress for just a little extra oomph.

I tried on the padded petticoat with one plain petticoat, and then two plain ones together.  The plan is to then layer the outer petticoat (which I haven't yet made) over one of these sets. 

 

I realize now the outer one desperately needs to be ironed.  Mirror-pics as usual, but hey, I cleaned the mirror today!

( side and back )

Thoughts, anyone?

 

I bought this printed linen a while ago on the cheap, hoping I could do something costume-y with it, but now I’m really not sure about the border print, since I can’t find any good historical examples like it. 

It's black on cream/natural linen; the print is floral with a wide paisley border. 



Thoughts, anyone?  Remotely 18th century at all?  I think I have enough to (frugally) get a jacket and petticoat out of it.  Or is it just destined to be a curtain?

Or if I do use it for 18th c, any ideas on how to get some color in there?  Trims?  A sash?  Dye it?