Now, that I should work on my (first) bustle ensemble, I am having a total executive block. I know I can do it, I know I should start work on it, but I just cannot, so to feel less ashamed, I am working on anything else, but...
Well, in all honesty, I did the basic two layers of the ensemble: the bustle (or turnure) itself - right away in two version, because I could not decide which one to do, but more on that later in another post, when I will write on that bustle ensemble)... Also done the petticoat for the bustle period, but I will write on that later as well.
And all three items I did after I made the understructure has a story, as they always do...
The Edwardian underthings... well, at the end of last year, I made a "historybounding" ensemble to wear, when I need to look more presentable, where my usual, haphazard lagenlook mixed with handknits would not do (like in theatre or more serious - not pop/rock concerts), and for that I made a petticoat (umm, still only a phone-picture of that, you can see it in the summary of last year, but we really should do some proper photos). Since it was for historybounding (curious about that expression? I will write about it, when we manage to photo that set, I promise. Okay?) it didn't really needed to be fully historically accurate, so the lasercut "whitework" fine cotton I found in I love texile was ideal. I mean, with the cut out patterning it did resembled embroidered fabric, and had a nice romantic feeling. But then I needed less for the petticoat than I counted for, and I had about 1,5 meters of it left. So I thought I always wore my early Victorian underwear for the Edwardian period too, but always wanted to make something that is more in line with the period.
Then while I was working on the turnure, and were looking for fabrics, and stuff that damn piece of leftover fabric fell on my head.
Like three times.
The third time I got angry, so I said, do not mess with me, or I am gonna cut you up. Then the thing fell the fourth time. YOU WANTED IT. Right?
I already had the pattern from Folkwear printed taped and cut out to my size. Patterns coming in many sizes, in envelopes -like from the big 4 McCalls, Simplicity, and such- I do not cut to size, but copy the appropriate size. Printable PDF's are a different animal, as I can print them out as many time as I want or need. Okay, it needs paper and ink, but if I would copy them, they would still need paper.
Anyhow, as I said I had the pattern, so I only needed to cut and sew. What I find enchanting about victorian and edwardian underwear, all this decorations, tucks, pintukcs, lace and lace insertions. Over here we do not have the selections of lace other countries west from us might have, so I tried those cotton laces I had in my stash. The technique still have space for improvement, but I am not unsatisfied. With the drawers I have one complaint, but that is my body, not the pattern... I have the crotch too low. I mean, I know, I have a short waist and a dislke for high waisted pants... Next tme I shall take off a few centimeters from the waistline. It is perfectly useable this way, but will be more comfortable.
Then, I made the petticoat for the bustle gown, from stripy fabric. Why not white? I do have fabric for a white one, but my dress will be blue (ahh, such a surprise, right?), so a blue striped petticoat would be fun, Anyhow, once again, I had a bit more than meter of that fabric left over, which I did not want to put away, besides, I can always use another edwardian blouse (even for modern dressing), so I went out, got another half meter, and thus it was enough. But I knew, if I put it back to the shelf, it would be a loooooong time, before I take it out again... besides, I still needed some distraction, something to work, while I am thinking about how to attack the bustle gown, so another edwardian shirtwaist was born. I used the same Angela Clayton pattern, that I used the last time for the white shirt, mainy, because its shoulder yoke gave me place to play with the stripes. And good I did, as I still remembered the changes I needed to do (shorten the shoulder yoke, narrowing the sleeves. etc), and I could try add some bits of laces I had left from the petticoat.
Then I could not procrastinate anymore, as the event I need the bustle gown is coming ever so fast...
But wait!!! There is one more thing, that would help me put away doing the actual bustle gown, but I cannot really call it procrastination... I need a new Corset! Yes, I made one a year ago, but I lost a considerable weight, and while that corset still gives me good enough foundation, and it is a great example when I talk about corsets do not NEED to be so thightlaced you cannot breath in them. But then never hurts to practice, like making corsets, each I make is better than the previous one, and I could really use a smaller one. I would have preferred a fun fabric, but none of the I Love Textile stores had anything suitable. The best fabric for corsets would be coutil, a specially woven canvas, but we don't have it here. I could order, but that is expensive and takes time, and, in my experience a good, strong canvas is just as good. Like a denim fabric... I would love it to be printed, but as I said, there was nothing I liked, okay, there was one, but that had ELASTHAN which is a bit no-no for corsets, and generally for historical clothes, though I do cheat sometimes, but with corsets, cheating is a big no. So I dug into my stash, and I had a piece of lavander-blue fabric, I got for stays and corsets. So that is what I used. It was not as thick as I would have preferred, but it would do.
I used the same red-threaded pattern that I used earlier. Back, when I bought it, they only came in one size (I mean, if you buy one, they only sent the size you selected) and since they serialized it, and if you buy one, you get the whole seria, but I already spent enough money for patterns on this project, was not about to spend another 25 bucks, so I took the last version I used, and redraw it, took out a centimeter here, a half a centimeter there. Now, once again I have a lacing gap, I can have it laced looser or thighter if I want (with the
earlier version - there you have more pictures of the sewing too-I had to lace it totally shut and there was still a bit space).
But now, I realy must concentrate on the bustle dress, or I am going to the
Vigadó event in my underwear,
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