Colors, colors, ah, so many choices :)

Colors, colors, ah, so many choices :)
Originally uploaded by marcailgaelyn

But which to choose for my 1920s dress? I went to JoAnns 'cause I decided (rightly so) that I couldn't wait any longer to pick fabric for this 1920s dress and Ordering Online was no longer an option. I needed my fabric NOW. So I'll just have to find something at my local JoAnn's mega-store. Here's the 3 colors I finally settled on to pick between. Now realize that the colors appearing on your monitor look WAY different than what they looked like in person (to me) when I was browsing the fabric selection, so here are the colors:
Navy Blue Crepe Back Satin on Right. Teal ("Legion Blue") Crepe Back Satin on Bottom. Pink ("Carmine") Crepe Back Satin on Left.

And just what did I end up picking for my dress you are probably asking? Well...
.
.
.
I picked the Teal! :)

Ah ha! Found it! :)

Ah ha! Found it! :)
Originally uploaded by marcailgaelyn

Success! I KNEW I had this stashed away someplace. :) Now to get inspiration & figure out my 1920s dress for Saturday, 9 April. So glad I kept my Mock-Up from that class (not that it probably fits *exactly* the same way, but its a good reminder of what my new mock-up should look like, & how it was put together, etc. ;-). Yay for attending this class at Costume College ® in 2007 & getting this CD as my Class Handout for attending the Demo Class! :) Awesome stuff on this CD!

Yarn Bought! (Molly Weasley Outfit)

Pile O' Yarn for the Molly Weasley Sleeves

It's official! I've bought the yarn needed to start crocheting the Molly Weasley sleeves. (Chamber of Secrets movie, outfit worn by Molly in the Burrows)



I think I bought enough of each color...but we'll see as I start to crochet it.
=)


Guess that means I better get cracking at this project, now that I've bought the yarn.
;-)


(Of course, I'll still need to go Thrift Store shopping to find a pink knit cardigan that I can rip off the sleeves and attach these sleeves too...I'm better at crochet than knitting, so I'm not about to knit myself the sweater just to attach the sleeves to it! =).

Regency Corset Progress

Current project: trying to finish up a Regency Corset that I promised to make for my sister.
Goal (finished date): this Saturday!!!

Yup, that's right, I'm mid-project and trying to finish something up so that it can be worn on Saturday at the Jane Austen Evening. (Only this time the item I'm hurriedly trying to finish won't be worn by me! =)

A week or so ago, I was held up cause the wooden busk I had made for this corset was too long, so I had to get a friend to shave off 1/2". (I was SO bummed that after my careful measuring of the length needed for the corset, I was off by 1/2"). At the same time, I discovered I needed a few more bones (especially 2 spiral steel bones in lengths I didn't have on hand), so I ended up placing an order through Hedgehog. (Fortunately, I got in on the super sale that they're having right now...and of course, Hedgehog is always great on customer service and shipping things out right away =).

Anyways, just when I get my wooden busk fixed and the newly ordered bones arrive...I got sick was out of it for a few days and then had a super busy weekend (last weekend). So, now, after getting back into a more normal routine, I'm back to focusing on FINISHING this project.
And I'm SO close, too! =)

Earlier this evening, I bound the two sides of the bottom of the section for the wooden busk (so that the busk is removable), made 4 hand sewn eyelets (2 on the fashion fabric side, and 2 on the coutil/lining side) so that I can tie the busk into place, made a casing out of some (100% natural cotton) batting, and inserted all the bones and the wooden busk. Whew!

(And that doesn't even count the fact that I took a little time away from this project to finish pinning my 2nd row of eyelet lace ruffle to my half-finished over-petticoat - for yet another project/'era' - and then sew down that ruffle...and of course iron my seam afterwards.)

So, right Now...I'm pinning the bias binding in place, and sewing that on. I probably will have to finish the pinning & sewing on the bias tomorrow, but seeing how much progress I made tonight, I'm actually hopeful I can finish this up in time. (And still have time to play with my hair tomorrow and figure out some kind of hairstyle for me to wear on Saturday =).

Later!
=)

sewing/progress update (1950s outfit)

Just finishing up the last of my tulle petticoat right now. Had a setback yesterday in my sewing when my machine broke on me.

Spent like an hour trying to fix it, but I eventually gave up. I'm going to need to take it in. Something is wrong and causing the needle thread to catch on the works down where the bobbin is. Also, was having difficulty in catching the bobbin thread when attempting to pull it up so I could sew. The needle wouldn't return all the way to the right position. It'd get almost there, and then stop...and not pull up the thread. Needless to say, I was frustrated and had a setback in my 'quick' sewing projects that I had left for Saturday.

Eventually I remembered that my roommate Jill had a machine boxed up, and I asked her if I could use it. She graciously let me borrow her machine, a Shark Automatic (with the basic stitch functions at least), so I could finish my projects for today. Yea for my roommate! =)

So, that's my status report. Finished my belt for the dress, and got really close to done with the tulle petticoat, but was just too tired last night (after 10pm) to be productive at sewing, so I'm finishing it now. Need to stitch down the pinned tulle to the base, then add in a waistband (haven't cut & interfaced yet), and add in my hook & bar closure. And then I'm done and can get ready.

I was hoping to be able to get ready in time that I could wear this outfit to church this morning, but looks like that's not going to happen. Oh well.

At least I should be done with the outfit in time to wear it to the Movie, my original goal, and that's the important part! =)

We're meeting at 1:15pm outside the theater (movie starts at 2pm), then headed to Clifton's cafeteria (place has been in business since the 1930s) for an early dinner afterwards. What fun! =)

Ok, must get back to sewing so I can finish and then get started on my hair/makeup, etc.

Later!

Current Sewing Project: 1950s outfit

So, I'm doing a quick project so I can wear a 1950s outfit on Sunday to White Christmas (showing at the LA Theater - see my previous blog posting in November =).

Well, Colleency was nice enough to loan me a dress so I don't have to start from scratch (with basically a week to make an outfit). Yea for Collency! =) You rock! So all I need to do is make a belt and a petticoat (with tulle) to make the dress 1950s. And of course accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!

=)

Maegen loaned me one of her set of pearls (her grandmother's I believe she said) and a pearl bracelet (which she made), and I have a little black velvet headband hat (with black feathers) that I'll be wearing. And of course some gloves (white with black polka dots - also loaned by Collency), stockings, heals and a nice hairdo/make-up will complete the picture! (I might even have a small purse that will work with this outfit too).

What would really be nice is if my recently ordered book, How to Handle Long Hair -- Recreating Glamorous 1950s Hairstyles (http://www.amazon.com/Handle-Recreating-Glamorous-1950s-Hairstyles/dp/1934268720/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228418453&sr=8-1 ), arrives in time for me to try out one or more of the hairstyles and see if any will work for Sunday's outing.

I'm so excited about Sunday.

=)

Which means today's goal for my Lunch Break Errands: purchase supplies (such as tulle) needed at JoAnns...so I can get started with cutting & sewing tonight!

sewing progress (9/6/08)

Well, clock's ticking down, and I'm running out of time to make my new outfit (1930s) for the upcoming Jeeves & Wooster party. Having to deal with the remodel of my kitchen, the laundry closet, & the hall bathroom has been fun...and now the focus is about to switch the bathroom attached to the Master Bedroom. (My room). Ack! That means not only do I have to stop & pack up practically EVERYTHING in my bathroom (including the seperate vanity) area, and find a spot to put all the packed up stuff), I have to clear away things around the bathroom and through the center of the room (so they can get things in and out of there). Just what I needed right now. When I COULD be sewing!

Fun, right?

So anyways...after taking time on Friday and Saturday morning to pack up a lot of stuff, I buckled down to tracing out my patterns onto banner papper (so I could make my modifications later on that pattern piece, instead of the original). While I was working, I decided for the heck of it to use my camera's self timer and take a photo of me working. Brilliant! :D So included in this post is one of my two self-shots. (Yeah, I looked at the camera for this one. So what? Who cares, really? LOL! =).