I feel like I'm in the last quarter mile of a 5k here.
I'm trying desperately to catch up on everything. I have no idea how I got this far behind in ALL THE THINGS, but I have and it's frustrating. I was over 200 entries behind on LJ reading. I know this because they won't let you go back farther than 200 entries on your friends list. I've got it down to under 80 now and still plugging away. If there's something that happened at the end of September or the beginning of October that you think I might have missed (i.e. beyond those 200 entries), do tell.
My velvet still isn't in. Impatient mellymel is impatient. ETA: In the time that I posted this, picked up Jonah from school and returned home, the box from Sy Fabrics was sitting on my doorstep. I guess I was expecting USPS for some reason, though I don't believe they specify. My first impressions of silk velvet are always underwhelming until it's been through at least one wash. Also, I think the red is too... red. The trim I wanted to use with it is a touch deeper, maybe a shade towards burgundy. So, I've got some burgundy dye on hand and though I cringe to think about it, I might try an overdye to darken it up a bit. The other option is overdyeing the trim. I just tested with a fabric paint marker and it makes a subtle but noticeable difference to the color of the red bullion and casts it more toward the blood red of the velvet. I don't know, I'll consult the bride first.
In the meantime, I'm trying really hard to get my mockup completely finished before the final fabric arrives. Would be nice to switch over and finish up Brandy's stuff while I ponder the mockup a wee bit more. I like some leeway before cutting and I know once that velvet arrives, I'm going to want to play with it. I still need to draft a skirt pattern for Brandy's stuff, too.
The very fitted look of this is growing on me. I have to remember the whole thing is going to look much more relaxed in silk velvet rather than the muslin I'm working with. Even still, there are a couple of areas I'm going to have to add to, and I'm considering adding an inch or two of length in the back. Also, for any number of reasons, my center back line is not matching up. I can only guess it's because women in the 30s did not have butts. I did figure out how to work with the ties. They will tie, but they'll only be decorative, not a method of fastening the dress (sticking with the side seam zipper idea). I feel like those unpleasant wrinkles across the real-life model's midsection were caused by the ties being used this way, not necessarily overfitting in the hips/underfitting in the waist.
Front side
Back
Back side
Front
Ties
ETA2: I've heard from the bride and she wholeheartedly approves of the color (or at least the best representation I could give of it in photos). So, full steam ahead and the 5 yards are in the wash now. I should have ordered more Synthrapol and Milsoft though. :/
That's still a touch more muted than it is in person. This is some seriously vivid, saturated color here! Think the color fresh blood. For my own piece of mind, I will do the "overdye" on the trim with the fabric paint marker. No one will probably notice but me, but that's enough for me to do it. It takes so little effort to do.
Just keep working, just keep working, just keep working...
My velvet still isn't in. Impatient mellymel is impatient. ETA: In the time that I posted this, picked up Jonah from school and returned home, the box from Sy Fabrics was sitting on my doorstep. I guess I was expecting USPS for some reason, though I don't believe they specify. My first impressions of silk velvet are always underwhelming until it's been through at least one wash. Also, I think the red is too... red. The trim I wanted to use with it is a touch deeper, maybe a shade towards burgundy. So, I've got some burgundy dye on hand and though I cringe to think about it, I might try an overdye to darken it up a bit. The other option is overdyeing the trim. I just tested with a fabric paint marker and it makes a subtle but noticeable difference to the color of the red bullion and casts it more toward the blood red of the velvet. I don't know, I'll consult the bride first.
In the meantime, I'm trying really hard to get my mockup completely finished before the final fabric arrives. Would be nice to switch over and finish up Brandy's stuff while I ponder the mockup a wee bit more. I like some leeway before cutting and I know once that velvet arrives, I'm going to want to play with it. I still need to draft a skirt pattern for Brandy's stuff, too.
The very fitted look of this is growing on me. I have to remember the whole thing is going to look much more relaxed in silk velvet rather than the muslin I'm working with. Even still, there are a couple of areas I'm going to have to add to, and I'm considering adding an inch or two of length in the back. Also, for any number of reasons, my center back line is not matching up. I can only guess it's because women in the 30s did not have butts. I did figure out how to work with the ties. They will tie, but they'll only be decorative, not a method of fastening the dress (sticking with the side seam zipper idea). I feel like those unpleasant wrinkles across the real-life model's midsection were caused by the ties being used this way, not necessarily overfitting in the hips/underfitting in the waist.
Front side
Back
Back side
Front
Ties
ETA2: I've heard from the bride and she wholeheartedly approves of the color (or at least the best representation I could give of it in photos). So, full steam ahead and the 5 yards are in the wash now. I should have ordered more Synthrapol and Milsoft though. :/
That's still a touch more muted than it is in person. This is some seriously vivid, saturated color here! Think the color fresh blood. For my own piece of mind, I will do the "overdye" on the trim with the fabric paint marker. No one will probably notice but me, but that's enough for me to do it. It takes so little effort to do.
Just keep working, just keep working, just keep working...