The smock is done! (w/pics)
I did work little by little and finally pushed through the last of it a few days ago (Sunday).
I hand sewed in both underarm gussets (having to rip both out twice because of mistakes), machine sewed on the gores, curved the side gore bottoms, finished sewing the seams, machine sewed the hem, and hand sewed the neckline with a narrow double folded edge.
I then finished the overly long sleeves and put them into the cuffs mostly by machine. The cuffs are interlined in silk organza, which is giving it a nice crisp finish without much weight & little bulk. I liked that. The directions for the cuffs were very straight forward and with the trick I learned at CoCo a few years ago on pressing the seams open, and how to get a nice sharp corner by folding the seam allowance fabric into the corner using my presser/clapper, the cuffs look very nice now. I can't wait to do that again for a modern shirt - someday.
My smock ended up a bit on the snug side, as I wanted it to fit in the shoulder area and forgot to angle the sides for my larger chest & waist measurements. Thankfully that underarm gusset adds in just enough room for my bust, and the side gores are more than enough for my lower portions. It also means little worry about having my smock being bunched under my fitted petticoat bodies or kirtle.
And yes Bessie Blunt now has removable arms! I picked them up for a buck a piece at CoCo's Sunday Sale which was a steal! Not that they are super expensive, but it would have required a trip to the Bay area or paying for shipping in order to get them new. I will eventually pad them up a bit to be closer to my real arms, but for now they work for mannequin like use.
So, here's the photos I've gotten so far. As most of the work was white on white, it didn't make sense to take many progress shots.
Cuff on presser/clapper
To show that opening up the seam allowance (in this case from the right side) helps to give a crisp edge to the cuff.
Cuff corner
Showing crisp corner of cuff.
Smock front
French smock in the Italian style (not a camicia) front view.
Smock arm view
Extra long sleeves are gathered at certain areas to poof between sleeve openings - currently only pinned into position
Smock back
Back view - shows that the arms are longer than the body, which is about knee length. Also shows how snug this smock ended up.
Neckline handsewn detail
The neckline was hand sewn. The corners are reinforced.
Bessie's got arms!
One is pinned on, the other waits on the table.
Next up... the red silk petticoat.
I hand sewed in both underarm gussets (having to rip both out twice because of mistakes), machine sewed on the gores, curved the side gore bottoms, finished sewing the seams, machine sewed the hem, and hand sewed the neckline with a narrow double folded edge.
I then finished the overly long sleeves and put them into the cuffs mostly by machine. The cuffs are interlined in silk organza, which is giving it a nice crisp finish without much weight & little bulk. I liked that. The directions for the cuffs were very straight forward and with the trick I learned at CoCo a few years ago on pressing the seams open, and how to get a nice sharp corner by folding the seam allowance fabric into the corner using my presser/clapper, the cuffs look very nice now. I can't wait to do that again for a modern shirt - someday.
My smock ended up a bit on the snug side, as I wanted it to fit in the shoulder area and forgot to angle the sides for my larger chest & waist measurements. Thankfully that underarm gusset adds in just enough room for my bust, and the side gores are more than enough for my lower portions. It also means little worry about having my smock being bunched under my fitted petticoat bodies or kirtle.
And yes Bessie Blunt now has removable arms! I picked them up for a buck a piece at CoCo's Sunday Sale which was a steal! Not that they are super expensive, but it would have required a trip to the Bay area or paying for shipping in order to get them new. I will eventually pad them up a bit to be closer to my real arms, but for now they work for mannequin like use.
So, here's the photos I've gotten so far. As most of the work was white on white, it didn't make sense to take many progress shots.
Cuff on presser/clapper
To show that opening up the seam allowance (in this case from the right side) helps to give a crisp edge to the cuff.
Cuff corner
Showing crisp corner of cuff.
Smock front
French smock in the Italian style (not a camicia) front view.
Smock arm view
Extra long sleeves are gathered at certain areas to poof between sleeve openings - currently only pinned into position
Smock back
Back view - shows that the arms are longer than the body, which is about knee length. Also shows how snug this smock ended up.
Neckline handsewn detail
The neckline was hand sewn. The corners are reinforced.
Bessie's got arms!
One is pinned on, the other waits on the table.
Next up... the red silk petticoat.