I gave in with the corset. My heart just wasn't in it and I couldn't be bothered to make it, and fit it, and hurt my fingers trying to get the needle through something. Honestly I think it's because I already made one that another is just boring. I bought one, which someone had luckily already made to my sizing (fate?). Cheaper than custom made, obviously, but with the cheeky customs charges it was still reasonable, and worth the prevented tears and frustration. It's made better than I ever could, and fits the same as my made corset (I've never had a problem with fitting).
I kept procrastinating sewing the boning channels to the ribbon on the cage; the job sounds, and is, so odious that I started on the mock-up/petticoat. I'm not a fan of mock-ups, but I do them because they're necessary, but if I don't have to waste fabric, even if it's muslin, then I won't. No one sees the petticoat, cotton is cheap, and that means I won't have wasted my time, and have had to make 3 of the same thing, all in different fabrics, one of which isn't wearable.
It was easy....so easy it had me unsettled. The pattern fit perfectly, the pieces matched together with no problems, no one panel longer than the others, no wonky hem, no pinches or wrinkles in the fabric, the waistband was not bulky, and all the pleats were the same size, and the placket was easy too. It unsettled me, I'm not going to lie. There's always something that goes wrong, proof in my crinoline and chemise, but maybe piecing together panels of cotton is actually something I can do without error.
The pattern I used was for the skirt, but I knew from research into hoop skirts, that ruffles are needed to stop the hoops from sticking out and being seen under the outer skirt. I bought a gathering foot for my sewing machine.....and have yet to get it to work. The last petticoat I made was for my bustle skirt and I did that all by hand, so I just did the first ruffle manually, but I'm determined to get the foot to work (I did follow the instructions on the packet but to no avail).
Still it only has one ruffle on it, but I plan on doing more. I couldn't put the fastening on it until I had the corset, which I didn't until a few days ago.
The next job was the mock-up for the bodice, which I made of muslin. I genuinely didn't know how complicated this would be, The destructions for the skirt are a page long, if that, and the ones for the bodice are practically 3. The curved seam at the back proved to be a bit of a stumbling block, and I had to google how to pin and then sew it together. Mock up done I thanked the Gods of sewing I'd done one.
I discovered the bodice was a little snug (but the corset wasn't on and by the time I'd actually laced it the fit was ok. the biggest problem was the length. Due to the jutting out at the back from the crinoline the bottom of the bodice wouldn't lace up. I decided that shortening it might help. the bodice ends in two points, one at the back and the other at the front, and to be honest the whole thing was a little too long on both sides. Another mock-up, this one not as well made as the other, and it should be alright. Since my outfit is from 1865-ish this was when bodices didn't have to end in points so I might chop it off at the back so it lies straight, but leave the point at the back. Either that or shortening the points because the sides of the bodice are as short as they can go.
Do you ever get those moments when you do something and then think of how badly it could go wrong, however you do it anyway? I do this a lot, and I never listen to those bad thoughts. I got a coffee machine a few weeks ago and instead of making tea I now have decaf coffee from the machine. I made a cup, and put it on the floor beside where my patterns were folded, the scissors and pins, etc. The taffeta was also near, but not that close. Of course the inevitable happened and I knocked over the cup. Thankfully the damage was contained to the pattern pieces (pictured above with coffee stain) which are made of quality paper so didn't disintegrate either. However due to an apparent slope in my floor the coffee made its way to the edge of the taffetta and I had to cut out a small chunk because I was sure it would stain.
Lesson learned, no drinks and or food near expensive material and paper patterns.
I'm currently sewing together the panels of the outer skirt. I made the outer one 2 inches longer than the petticoat because I have a feeling my petticoat may be a little too long and therefore the outer skirt will need to be longer than that. The bad thing about a massive crinoline, you can't see the hemline. On my mannequin it's too long, but the mannequin is also not my height.
Remy and I also had a bit of a to do. He decided to eat street leftovers and get sick, so after a trip to the vet and an x-ray they thought there was something in his intestines. When they opened him up this "foreign body" had miraculously disappeared. I received back a traumatised lethargic dog that gave me my first weekend in peace since I got him (a warning to those who are taken with the cuteness of Cockerpoo's, they are as full of beans as any dog comes). Needless to say after the bandage was taken off his wound he got a cone of shame, which he wasn't too pleased about. I got to sew in peace for a change.
Needless to say not that he's getting his energy back that'll be the one and only weekend of peace i get.
