Ballgown updates...
So today was a complete bust! I decided I'd quickly get the frill for my second petticoat done before moving onto the overskirts, as I was still thinking about the maths involved with that and frills are easy, right? YEah... right....
So I fold my skirt in half, measure the hem, multiply this by 2.5 to get the length I need for my frill. Then divide it by the width of my fabric to work out how many strips I need. Cut my strips, sew them all together, hem both edges, sew lace around the bottom and gather the top edges ready to put onto the skirt. This ended up taking me most of the day as I had a bit of a play with my laces to see which would work best. So then I start to gather the frill and pink it onto the bottom of the petticoat, only it doesn't seem to be gathering very much considering it should be 2.5 times the HEM (the frill is 40cm wide, so where it's being pinned is a lot smaller distance). So I got a quarter of it pinned on, after much frustration trying to work out how to do it best, especially as I don't have a dressform. Then it hit me, the reason why it wasn't gathered very much? I forgot that I had the skirt folded in HALF so I should have DOUBLED my original hem measurement! ARGH! I could have sworn I did, but I didn't. *cries*
So actually my frill should have been about 15m long, instead of the 6m it currently is. I can still use most of what I've done, I just need to cut another 6 strips, hem them and join them onto the current frill. Unfortunately, it does mean I need another couple metres of fabric, and I'm going to have to unpick the lace I've already sewn on as I have less than a metre remaining, so no where near enough! I'm so sad because it was looking so fantastic! I only have one other lace with enough yardage for the frill, but it's a nylon one, so I'm not sure I'm keen on using it on a cotton petticoat. We'll see.
So there is a waste of a day, and I'm really upset with myself as a)Today was a 'student free day' as such, and I only have Sat/Mon/Tues remaining (plus evenings) and b)Cold #2 is getting worse, which means I'm getting sicker. GRRRR
Still To-Do:
- Draft, cut, sew, trim overskirt
- Toile and sew bodice
- Hem and ruffle underskirt
- Draft, cut, sew ruched chiffon underskirt
- Hem and frill for petticoat #2
- Accessories
I'm still certain I'll get it all done, it just means my time for decorating and trimming the dress will be much less. Still deciding what trims I want, and I found a few other flower options, but they're just as expensive as the previous one, for less (large and small roses though, which are nicer). I'll need to decide and order them by Friday, and hope they all arrive in time! Eeep...
So I fold my skirt in half, measure the hem, multiply this by 2.5 to get the length I need for my frill. Then divide it by the width of my fabric to work out how many strips I need. Cut my strips, sew them all together, hem both edges, sew lace around the bottom and gather the top edges ready to put onto the skirt. This ended up taking me most of the day as I had a bit of a play with my laces to see which would work best. So then I start to gather the frill and pink it onto the bottom of the petticoat, only it doesn't seem to be gathering very much considering it should be 2.5 times the HEM (the frill is 40cm wide, so where it's being pinned is a lot smaller distance). So I got a quarter of it pinned on, after much frustration trying to work out how to do it best, especially as I don't have a dressform. Then it hit me, the reason why it wasn't gathered very much? I forgot that I had the skirt folded in HALF so I should have DOUBLED my original hem measurement! ARGH! I could have sworn I did, but I didn't. *cries*
So actually my frill should have been about 15m long, instead of the 6m it currently is. I can still use most of what I've done, I just need to cut another 6 strips, hem them and join them onto the current frill. Unfortunately, it does mean I need another couple metres of fabric, and I'm going to have to unpick the lace I've already sewn on as I have less than a metre remaining, so no where near enough! I'm so sad because it was looking so fantastic! I only have one other lace with enough yardage for the frill, but it's a nylon one, so I'm not sure I'm keen on using it on a cotton petticoat. We'll see.
So there is a waste of a day, and I'm really upset with myself as a)Today was a 'student free day' as such, and I only have Sat/Mon/Tues remaining (plus evenings) and b)Cold #2 is getting worse, which means I'm getting sicker. GRRRR
Still To-Do:
- Draft, cut, sew, trim overskirt
- Toile and sew bodice
- Hem and ruffle underskirt
- Draft, cut, sew ruched chiffon underskirt
- Hem and frill for petticoat #2
- Accessories
I'm still certain I'll get it all done, it just means my time for decorating and trimming the dress will be much less. Still deciding what trims I want, and I found a few other flower options, but they're just as expensive as the previous one, for less (large and small roses though, which are nicer). I'll need to decide and order them by Friday, and hope they all arrive in time! Eeep...