Merry Wives Progress

I've been meaning to update more for you all, but I've basically been sewing my ass off for this show. We had the photoshoot last Friday, and I had such a blast styling Mistress Page (red silk) and Mistress Ford (blue velvet). The hair and makeup were just quick-and-dirty 1940s, but I think my girls looked absolutely fabulous.
I'll make a post about the construction of the costumes after the show!

                                   

                      

Pattern Review: Colette Sorbetto

I'm going to attempt to do a pattern review for you all every so often, we'll see if I keep this up. 

Y'all, I love this pattern. This will probably end up being a rave. 

The facts:

Pattern name: Sorbetto (Colette 0003)

Size range: 0-18

Size I made: 18

Difficulty: Very easy!

Fit: On the snug side, but I'm on the top end of their measurements, so I expected that. Didn't expect it to be on the short side though. I have adjusted for future versions.

Fabric requirements: I can easily get one out of a yard of 55"-60" fabric. 1.5-2 yards for narrower fabrics though.

Make again?: Absolutely!! This version was a wearable muslin, which I'll probably end up giving to my mom. I have one in the making, and fabric for at least 3 more. I have a feeling I'll be living in Sorbettos all summer.

Recommend to a friend?: Absolutely! I actually have recommended it to a friend.

Overall rating: 4.5/5! I wish the size range was larger, but I'm honestly used to having to adjust patterns, so it really isn't a huge deal. It's also a free download, which is a huge plus!

You are the worst, Burr

I'm the worst blogger ever, I'm so sorry! Life has been wild. I made two gowns that transformed from sheath dresses to mermaid gowns for a production of Dreamgirls (while in the early stages of recovering from my breast reduction), ended a 2 year long relationship, and started costuming a production of Merry Wives of Windsor, which I'm also acting in.
Here's some Merry Wives progress! This costume is for Mistress Quickly, and I'm using a great vintage flannel from The Tin Thimble on etsy, and a (poly/silk blend??) taffeta my grandmother gave to me a while back. Our concept is post-WWII film noir.

Just pinned on Phoebe, minus sleeves

That back-bodice plaid matching tho

Also to make is a royal blue stretch velvet dress for Mistress Ford, a red silk dupioni dress for Mistress Page, an emerald green rayon challis dress for Anne Page, and slacks and a blouse for myself (Hostess of the Garter). I'm nervous about making my slacks because I've never made pants before. But the director wants my character to be a Lauren Bacall/Katharine Hepburn kind of woman, so fabulous pants are a must.

Historical Sew Monthly 2016 Planning

I wasn't exactly successful at completing all of the challenges last year, but I'm hoping to do better this year!
The challenges are:

January –  Procrastination – finish a garment you have been putting off finishing (a UFO or PHD) or make something you have been avoiding starting.

I plan on finishing a mid-19th century apron I started a while back!

February – Tucks & Pleating – make a garment that features tucks and pleating for the shape or decoration 

Maybe a chemisette with some pretty tucks. Or a petticoat; petticoats are always a good idea.

March – Protection – make something to protect yourself (from weather or injury) or your clothes (from soiling etc.)

I'm thinking an earlyish 19th cent. chemise (which protects your outer garments from sweat and other gross things)

April – Gender-Bender – make an item for the opposite gender, or make an item with elements inspired by the fashions of the opposite gender

Maybe a shirt for Dylan. I've been wanting to make him one but haven't gotten around to it.

May – Holes – sometimes the spaces between stuff are what makes a garment special.  Make a garment that is about holes, whether it is lace, slashing, eyelets, etc.

Corded stays. I've been wanting to make them forever, and I think I should be recovered and "settled" enough to get a good fit in the bust. (holes would be the eyelets for lacing)

June – Travel – make a garment for travelling, or inspired by travel.

I have no idea, I'll have to research a bit! Maybe a bonnet veil.

July – Monochrome – make a garment in black, white, or any shade of grey in between.

Ooh I don't know!

August – Pattern – make something in pattern, the bolder and wilder the better.

My green 1830s dress! I have sleeves and a skirt cut out and sewn. The pattern is rather bold and wild!

September – Historicism – Make a historical garment that was itself inspired by the fashions of another historical period.

Maybe something regency. Regency drew lots of inspiration from classical greece/rome.

October – Heroes – Make a garment inspired by your historical hero, or your historical costuming hero.

Who knows!

November – Red – Make something in any shade of red.

A dress out of my beautiful pink cotton print, maybe. I think pink counts as a shade of red!

December – Special Occasion: make something for a special event or a specific occasion, or that would have been worn to special event of specific occasion historically

I shall have to find a special occasion for which to make something!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate! I hope your Christmas (or just a regular Friday) was wonderful!

I got a lovely new dressform! It's actually my size, and it's so much prettier than my adjustable one!
Her name is Phoebe. Bought from here in size 18/20. I'm currently a bit bigger than her, but I am scheduled for a breast reduction and a bit of lipo in January, so it's all good.

Isn't she so beautiful?

I also got my very first serger! I don't have a picture of it because I haven't been able to set it up yet, as I'm currently bunking with my mom. I got the Brother 1634D. I'm very excited, well excited and scared, to use it.
As my Christmas present to myself, I've bought a gorgeous vintage cream and green floral taffeta that is dying to become a 1950s dress, and I have some very exciting fabric on the way from Fabric.com.

xx,
Kate

1950s Inspired Floral Lawn Dress

Finally a finished project! I finished it in late August, but haven't been able to get a picture of it until recently. This is probably my most-worn dress. It's so comfy! 

It's made of vintage cotton lawn that was gifted to me. The bodice is flatlined and fully lined in basic white cotton, and the skirt is lined with white cotton gauze (such a good skirt lining! Super soft and almost like a built in petticoat.) Side zip and hook/eye closure.

The bodice pattern is one I draped a while ago for a failed dress attempt (mostly bad fabric choice, most quilting cottons are not good for apparel), and I adapted it to fit my design. The band sleeve pattern is one I drafted for the same failed dress (it looks so much better in unlined cotton lawn than in a self-lined quilting cotton!)  The skirt is literally just a rectangle. I think the skirt circumference is a bit above 100", and the skirt lining is 2 panels of about 48".

Tsk Tsk

I've been such a bad blogger, I'm so sorry! I have been sewing though, even if its not as much as I'd like. Most of my projects have been modern ones, for every day wear. My wardrobe is desperately in need of revamping, and treating myself to some pretty new clothes (almost) always helps with my depression.
I've finally ordered fabric to make some early 19th cent. stays. I'd started on some over the summer, but they just weren't coming out right, so I'm counting those as practice!