Halloween Costume
Okay, it's that time of year when one should have figured out a couple of weeks ago what they were going to wear for Halloween. Especially if one is going to make it. Well, luckily, the job is half-done for me.
In September 2006, I bought tickets to go to a Costume Ball in Cape May's Congress Hall, established 1816. Being the geek that I am, I decided to go as an 1816 Party Girl. I didn't have much time, and my sewing skills at the time were limited to an Irish Leine, a couple of pairs of baggy salwar and two pillbox hats. I did some research, found that Sense and Sensibility's Regency Gown pattern was the best for what I wanted (quick and easy Regency, not totally accurate, but good in a pinch, good cardstock and less than $20). I bought a load of Duipioni, which was a mistake in hindsight, but I was under the impression at the time that other silks were harder to obtain, more expensive or hard to work with. I know better now. I also bought a yard of thick decorator trim for the waist ,10 yards of thinner matching trim for the gown, headdress and matching reticule, and appliques for the reticule. It's not very accurate, but pretty. My intentions were to make a very nice costume.
Given my sewing skills, I didn't do badly...at first. I drafted a shift out of a pattern in a book, made a bodiced petticoat from the directions on the pattern, had no issues sewing the skirt together, no issues with the bodice.
Then came time to put the bodice and skirt together.
In my ignorance, I pinned the pleats and pinned the pieces together, and stitched the whole shebang together using the tiniest stitch setting--didn't want it to fall apart, you know. The pleats bunched on one side, fell out on the other, and a pucker formed in the underskirt. Cussing like hell, I tried to pick the pucker out, and ended up tearing the fabric. I thought "no biggie, this is only the underskirt, no one will see." I turned the skirt right side out and IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALF INCH SPLIT IN THE OVERSKIRT. It also took me a week to pick out the stitches.
I obviously didn't have time to finish this before the dance. The day of, my parents found me downstairs in my PJs crying my eyes out with the dress pieces everywhere. They yelled at me because I was supposed to be doing chores before I went to work (by god, am I glad I don't live there anymore--things are so much better!) Luckily, I had this gothy dress and a piece of lace I fashioned into a veil, so the evening was saved.
The dress was thrown in a zipper bag and forgotten. I pulled it out this morning to examine it. Turns out I didn't pick the whole thing apart, I still have an inch or so on one side to pic out or work around. The hem on the underskirt is fraying like hell along with the unfinished bodice edges. I think I'll start working on it tonight--fixing the odds and ends and being a smart girl and BASTING the pleats. The hole in the front will be covered by the trim, but I have iron-on repair stuff I can put on the back, and leftover silk I can cover it with so the hole doesn't get bigger. After that, I'll hand sew the trim, and hand-work the buttonholes and hem. After the gown is finished, I'll worry about the reticule and headdress.
In Other News: Going to the PA Renaissance Faire this weekend with Becki. She has a free pass, and who am I to turn down free? I would rather go tomorrow, but instead we are going on Sunday. It puts a wrench in how I planned my weekend, but that's okay, I'll just do it all backwards. Not sure what to wear: I'll either wear my Turkish Dancer costume I made last year or my 18th century campfollower kit Scotsed-out with a kertch and arasaid. It depends on how warm or cold it will be. And if my Turkish pillbox hat wants to cooperate. The headwear makes the outfit, you know. :)
In September 2006, I bought tickets to go to a Costume Ball in Cape May's Congress Hall, established 1816. Being the geek that I am, I decided to go as an 1816 Party Girl. I didn't have much time, and my sewing skills at the time were limited to an Irish Leine, a couple of pairs of baggy salwar and two pillbox hats. I did some research, found that Sense and Sensibility's Regency Gown pattern was the best for what I wanted (quick and easy Regency, not totally accurate, but good in a pinch, good cardstock and less than $20). I bought a load of Duipioni, which was a mistake in hindsight, but I was under the impression at the time that other silks were harder to obtain, more expensive or hard to work with. I know better now. I also bought a yard of thick decorator trim for the waist ,10 yards of thinner matching trim for the gown, headdress and matching reticule, and appliques for the reticule. It's not very accurate, but pretty. My intentions were to make a very nice costume.
Given my sewing skills, I didn't do badly...at first. I drafted a shift out of a pattern in a book, made a bodiced petticoat from the directions on the pattern, had no issues sewing the skirt together, no issues with the bodice.
Then came time to put the bodice and skirt together.
In my ignorance, I pinned the pleats and pinned the pieces together, and stitched the whole shebang together using the tiniest stitch setting--didn't want it to fall apart, you know. The pleats bunched on one side, fell out on the other, and a pucker formed in the underskirt. Cussing like hell, I tried to pick the pucker out, and ended up tearing the fabric. I thought "no biggie, this is only the underskirt, no one will see." I turned the skirt right side out and IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALF INCH SPLIT IN THE OVERSKIRT. It also took me a week to pick out the stitches.
I obviously didn't have time to finish this before the dance. The day of, my parents found me downstairs in my PJs crying my eyes out with the dress pieces everywhere. They yelled at me because I was supposed to be doing chores before I went to work (by god, am I glad I don't live there anymore--things are so much better!) Luckily, I had this gothy dress and a piece of lace I fashioned into a veil, so the evening was saved.
The dress was thrown in a zipper bag and forgotten. I pulled it out this morning to examine it. Turns out I didn't pick the whole thing apart, I still have an inch or so on one side to pic out or work around. The hem on the underskirt is fraying like hell along with the unfinished bodice edges. I think I'll start working on it tonight--fixing the odds and ends and being a smart girl and BASTING the pleats. The hole in the front will be covered by the trim, but I have iron-on repair stuff I can put on the back, and leftover silk I can cover it with so the hole doesn't get bigger. After that, I'll hand sew the trim, and hand-work the buttonholes and hem. After the gown is finished, I'll worry about the reticule and headdress.
In Other News: Going to the PA Renaissance Faire this weekend with Becki. She has a free pass, and who am I to turn down free? I would rather go tomorrow, but instead we are going on Sunday. It puts a wrench in how I planned my weekend, but that's okay, I'll just do it all backwards. Not sure what to wear: I'll either wear my Turkish Dancer costume I made last year or my 18th century campfollower kit Scotsed-out with a kertch and arasaid. It depends on how warm or cold it will be. And if my Turkish pillbox hat wants to cooperate. The headwear makes the outfit, you know. :)