My Most Recent Project

Waaah, I can't seem to motivate myself to start a project, even though I feel like it would be really therapeutic right now. I find sewing to be very meditative, and I've been really anxious lately. Unfortunately, I can't find my sewing basket, and without that, I can't really start anything. I thought it was in my would-be sewing room (currently, it's storage for boxes that we haven't yet unpacked), but if it's in there, it's hiding! There's a good chance it's in my boyfriend's grandmother's garage, and I most likely won't get a chance to look for it until the weekend. I really want to make a new pattern for a corset that will give me the late Tudor/ early Elizabethan silhouette. I've decided to go the pair of bodies route, probably half boned, front and back lacing with a hint of an S-curve to support the bust. Right now, I don't even have my measuring tape; if I really wanted to, I could find some string and a yardstick and get drafting that way, but I'm just not feeling enthusiastic about it. I felt the faintest twinge of costume-enthusiasm when I saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows the other day, but not enough to throw me into a productive tizzy. That being said, my last big project (quickie Star Trek uniforms don't count!) was a Victorian-inspired outfit for a Vampire-themed costume ball.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take really good photos of this costume; please excuse the tiny messy apartment surroundings and slap-dash photos!

I'm wearing a camisole, a corset (made for the costume), a small pillow bustle with a bit of tulle to soften the line, the striped skirt, the train, the apron, and then the bodice. I made all the pieces separately because it was a rush job and I wasn't sure if I would have to re-do a piece, or want to re-use parts and pieces for other projects. I drafted the train, bustle, apron, and skirt myself; the corset was based of of Simplicity's civil war corset (9769), and the bodice is a slightly modified version of Truly Victorian's TV442. I ended up throwing this together relatively quickly, using white and red striped silk I'd been lusting after for months. I love working with silk, especially something with a shantung/ taffeta finish like this, which was an absolute joy. I wanted to make a dinner bodice to match the skirt, but there was none left when I went back; I was lucky I bought up the fabric for the skirt when I did! I had some deep red silk velvet left over from a Regency gown that I used for the train; the apron and the bodice were of some poly blend masquerading as a silk shantung, which fit my budget, but ended up not behaving. Surprise surprise, right? Well, you get what you pay for. I had all of the accessories, including the faux-fur capelet, except for the headpiece, which I whipped up specifically for this outfit.

I'm not sure who to credit with the following photo, which I stumbled across on the interwebs. It's the only one I have of my boyfriend and I at the event; if you are the photographer, please let me know so I can credit you!

My very patient boyfriend escorting me down the stairs at the event! 

So, that was the last "big" project I did, and that was over a year ago! It's time to start something else relatively major, I just need to get organized enough to do so. It will be so nice once the spare room downstairs is cleared out and I finally have my sewing room. I painted it a dusty lavender-grey with a dark peacock blue accent wall, and I can't wait to get some inspiring artwork up on the walls, a cutting table all set up, and maybe a cork-board to tack images pertaining to my works-in-progress on. We'll see what happens with all of that; as always, settling in is a process!

Long time, no see! And, a new project...

Hi All,

Ok, back on the sewing band-wagon! I haven't sewn since I finished costumes for my boyfriend and I for the Star Trek convention. I royally screwed up the back of my mini-dress, to the point where I don't even know how I could have done it according to the pattern. As a result, there is no back pleat, just a seam in the center back below the zipper all the way down to the hem. It doesn't look bad, it's just not *right*. What DOES look bad is the hem; I did this at 2am in a Vegas hotel room, by hand. I may or may not have been drinking. (Ok, ok, I wasn't... but I wish I could use that as my excuse!) I don't really feel like posting pictures of it, since there are enough things I'd go back and change in the future, but for something I made in 2 days, and for my first time working with knit fabrics...It could have gone worse.

Anyway, I've moved and am soon going to have a sewing room. But can I wait for that space to get cleared out (it's currently un-unpacked box storage)? Nope! I'm already planning to make a couple of throw pillows for the couch (that's easy-peasy, I'm just lazy!) and a corset for my perpetually-in-planning Tudor gown.

I have too many options! Do I want to do something that's more 1520's or more 1540's? Do I want to use a russet damask or brown velvet? If I choose brown velvet, do I use the cut velvet or the solid velvet? And don't even get me started on all of my underpinnings, the different options for corsetry still have me in a tizzy.

I am pretty much decided that I will use my russet damask, but conservatively. I have a huge amount of the stuff (I want to say 12 yards?) and if I cut carefully, I'm hoping I can still make an Elizabethan out of it at some point in the future. I'd already decided against a train and that I would make contrasting sleeve linings, so I think this may be feasible, but we'll see. I've also decided to go for a more 1540's silhouette as well, since I think that the damasks do better in the slightly later style, and I'm still planning on basing the gown off of the Simplicity pattern, which lends itself to that shape. I may try to draft my own skirt (again, to save on yardage... I'll have to take a look at what's going on with the Simplicity pattern), and I'll probably end up fiddling with the bodice, but it makes me feel safer to start with something familiar, and a commercial pattern (Simplicity, no less!) certainly fits the bill.

As for the kirtle/corset/pair of bodies debate... Well, I have decided not to use Simplicity's corset pattern, since corsets from commercial patterns tend to be a nightmare. At least with the gown bodice, I'll have my corseted measurements to go off of, but they never do a good job drafting patterns that squish you in the right ways and places. Besides, having a custom-fitted corset is kind of important for comfort. So, I'm drafting my own, with the help of numerous online tutorials and the ubiquitous Elizabethan Corset Pattern Generator. I still don't know what to do about the boning, though. Do I stiffen it aggressively with some sort of buckram or pasted cloth? Or bone it with flat steel for a rigid, unrelenting line? I am thinking of using cable ties or something with a bit more give, since I tend to prefer the paintings where a bit of swell is visible in the general breast area. It looks more natural to me, and I feel like my eye always reads the perfectly conical torsos in paintings as either a liberty taken by the artist, or someone wearing their most unforgiving Sunday Best to be painted in, rather than something they could actually have a good time in. I've also always been partial to Holbein's portraits, and most of his show a bit of curve where the bosom is. AND (as if I needed another justification...), I think it will be more comfortable. As a bosomy girl, I don't think that something that flattens my breasts to roughly the same measurement as my ribcage could possibly be comfortable, nor do I think it will work very well. The ladies would probably just migrate south-wards and look and feel rather silly. Therefore, I am planning on building a bit of a backwards S-curve into the danged thing. This doesn't seem out of line to me; a couple of portraits show what appears to be a very very slight curve in this direction. Almost all of the Holbein sketches I've stumbled across that show women in profile or 3/4 tend to show a bit of this action happening in the bodice line.  Like these:

Thank you, Holbein! It's certainly not pronounced, but it's just enough to make things a bit more comfortable. I'm also planning on doing boned tabs, front lacing (possibly back as well!), and straps, though I haven't decided if I want to do Effigy Corset style straps or if I want to have a corset that is basically strapless and then lace on straps, in case I decide to use this corset with a variety of necklines in the future. I am rather inclined to make this as versatile as possible, even if it comes out less historically documentable. Obviously, this was never high on the list, since I'm considering using materials like cable ties. My goal is to have a garment that works, is practical, and has a period feel to it, whether or not it is as period as current scholarly research allows.

So, for now, I am still busy scouring the web for tips, tricks, and research as I move towards drafting a pattern and trying it out. Wish me luck!

Starting is the Hardest Part

So, I still haven't started my Star Trek costumes. I just can't rally my enthusiasm for it; I don't have a good space to sew, I am working with the bare minimum of supplies, and even the very first step- tracing the pattern- is going to take longer and be more difficult than it would normally be, since I can't find pattern-sized tracing paper anywhere locally and my stash of it is in a box somewhere; I am reduced to using paper bags and wax transfer paper. Plus, my "workspace" (I am using this term loosely) is  covered up with mail, makeup, movies, books, dishes... It's become a storage area of sorts for the living room. So I guess technically cleaning the table off is the real first step! Mostly, I think I just don't want to be sewing this. It's funny, it's a costume I'd like to have, and I think it would be fun to wear. That doesn't mean I want to sew it; I don't anticipate it being a "fun" project, and it won't be pretty. I know, those are random criteria, but I enjoy sewing for the chance to wear long, beautiful gowns and elaborate styles that I don't get to wear in normal life. A mini-dress just isn't doing it for me. Historical costume is my first love, and making something that is closer to just a plain ol' costume isn't nearly as exciting. Honestly, I'd give up on the project except I already have all the fabric, and I do think it will be fun to have.

On that note, my goal for today is to clear off the table and get started tracing the pattern.

When it rains, it pours!

So, I've been faced with a minor setback.

 I can't find my sewing kit! If you knew the state of my life right now, you wouldn't be surprised; most of what I own is in boxes right now, split between my dad's place, my place, and my boyfriend's place. Both my boyfriend and I are in itsy bitsy apartments, and I'm spending most of my time at his place, so it's gotten pretty messy over here, despie the relative lack of boxes... So I assumed that my sewing basket was here! Under a pile of rarely-worn winter clothes. But I guess it's not. And it might be in a box. Somewhere.

At any rate, I'm frustrated to the point of thinking I may just buy whatever basics I need and then just have backups once I find my sewing kit. Honestly, it's not a bad idea to have a second "backup" sewing kit in case something breaks in the middle of a major project with a deadline, or I need to take a smaller sewing kit traveling with me. And of course, re-purchasing these tools is probably the fastest way to find the originals. Doesn't that always happen?

However, I did make it out to an awesome fabric store, Mill End Fabrics in Reno, and just about bought the whole place up before showing some restraint, and leaving with a cool 16.5 yards of fabric. I found cotton twill to line corsets and bodices with (only 3 yards though, boo!), a red knit for Star Trek TOS uniforms (11 yards, so I can self-line!), dusty eggplant cotton velvet (this is what I really wanted for my Tudor corset, so that pink silk is getting repurposed for something else), and a black and white herringbone wool that looks surprisingly light from a distance. I'm thinking I want to do a steampunky corset with this, but we'll see; I bought enough to make a skirt, if I change my mind!  They  had a bunch of really neat things, but also some glaring omissions. For instance, I couldn't find a basic black knit to save my life. Navy, yes, other very specific colors (they even had the TOS medic blue, but not enough!), yes, but no true black. I couldn't find a heavy twill fabric, either; what I bought was with the bottomweights, but is actually kind of medium weight. Oh well, I guess that's how it is with these fabric stores that get the bolt-ends from the textile industry; they have a ton of awesome-sauce things, but they might not have all the bases covered.

 Anyway, I guess I'm off to JoAnn to buy pins, thread, needles, a measuring tape, tracing paper, chalk...

Name Change! The Fabric Mistress has become The Petulant Needle

Hi Guys! I was never really happy with the first name I came up with for this blog, so I've changed it from The Fabric Mistress to The Petulant Needle. Update this mentally, in bookmarks, whatever! Hope this hasn't been a nuisance; I figured it was better to make a change like this sooner rather than later.

Star Trek: TOS?

So, as I mentioned in my first post, I'm going to a Star Trek convention in August and wanted to throw together a costume for it. I'm really torn, since part of me feels like I'd rather be putting my time toward the Tudor, but I also know that if I go to this thing and don't even make an effort, I'll be really sad and disappointed with myself. I'll feel like the kid who didn't get invited to the party. So, with that in mind, I am thinking I will try to make something quick to wear to this event. I have this pattern from Roddenberry.com and JoAnn had some acceptable fabric, but only in red. Darn! I'd really like a blue medical uniform, but oh well. I am going to try to approximate a tunic for my boyfriend as well, but I don't have the time or resources to wait for an "official" pattern to ship, so I found a weird raglan sleeve sweatshirt pattern that Simplicity puts out; I may try to make some simple modifications to that and push out something that approximates the look of the mens' TOS uniform. Time permitting, I'd like to modify a pair of black pants to give them the flared cuff, but we'll see.

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience sewing "modern" things, so I'm not sure how sewing on a knit fabric is going to go. I know I need a ballpoint needle, and other than that, I guess I'll just do some fabric tests to make sure the tension on my machine is correct and then go for it. Am I supposed to line knits? I didn't see anything about that in the pattern, and I believe some of the pieces are self-lined, but I may buy some extra fabric and self-line the entire thing. That might help for smoothing out any bumps and lumps, as well.

I must say, I'm kind of excited at the prospect of having a Star Trek uniform, even a poorly done one! It will be a great thing to have for costume parties and Halloween, since I don't have to worry about how much space I'll take up or having people step on skirts in close quarters. I think it will be fun to accessorize, too; the remastered TOS episodes are up on Netflix now, and they're gorgeous. The makeup the women wear is pretty awesome, so it will be fun to put together a look for that, and while I'm not fancy with the hair, I think one of those awful plastic bump-its may be in order!

Indecision!

So, while doing some more research on The Bodies Issue, I remembered that making a kirtle really *is* the more period (and obvious) solution. It's what I had planned on doing with an earlier period Tudor I had planned (think 1520's), but I was going to just do the pair of bodies for this gown, in order to have a reusable and more flexible foundation garment for any future projects. However, having a boned kirtle would be really handy... I could make sleeves for it and wear it on its own to the Renaissance faire and have a kind of historical-ish pink princessy gown for faire before I'm even done with this gown. However, the down side of that plan is that I would have to wear the kirtle (and skirt!) with every single gown I make from here on out... Which isn't necessarily a problem, since it needn't always show through a split skirt. I could always wear another petticoat over it or pin a forepart to it to switch up the look. If I did the kirtle, it would definitely be side-lacing,which would be great for either front or back opening gowns. I guess I could just make a pair of bodies with a matching petticoat for a similar look, but the kirtle would look better on its own than those two pieces worn together, *and* be a more period undergarment... It would also give my pretty silk a chance to shine, since it would show under certain styles if I didn't pin on a forepart or wear another skirt over it.

I have a feeling I'll be going back to Jo Ann's to get some more of that pink silk!


(ten minutes later)
Nevermind. I got my hands on some paper and a pencil and realized that I'd have to build straps into a kirtle, whereas I'll just lace straps onto a pair of bodies, making it more versatile for different necklines. Oh well, it will be easier to stick to the pattern; the gown is drafted to go over the corset from the accompanying pattern, so hopefully that will mean fewer fitting issues. I'll play by the rules... This time!