I feel such a beginner

No seriously I do and at sewing as well!

Just come across this entry by The Sewing Divas. I have always tried to stress the importance of pressing garments as part of the process of making them but shear amount of equipment they have has me gob smacked. I didn't even know some of it exsisted though i can see the reasons for most. It has reminded me I need a couple of hams though.. The frock coats haven't pressed as well as I would like because I only have a flat board. The tip about pressing bound buttons is one I will try and remember too.

Table and 1/144 scale roombox

This is the table I made at BMW7 it still needs waxing but is otherwsie finished.

The room box is in 1/144 scale so dollshouse scale for dollshouses.

Cold porcelain flowers

Here are the flowers I did on Diane's workshop.

Peonies, arum lilies and a dandelion.

videos on how to make a polymer clay animal

This is the lady who made the chickens I bought for my courtyard.

Pug dog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2--vWGPvc8

Parrot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNFAbxGUXoQ

Mini weekend

Just got back from BMW (British Miniatures weekend). A weekend on making minis with a bunch of like minded people. I went with Mary, both of us were newbies and as such got pink badges and were described as virgins! For Mary it was the first time she had made anything mini not just her first time at BMW.

Everyone was very friendly. We started on Friday night with food (carvery so no major gluten problems) then we had roundtables, which are short informal workshops. We both make a photo album which was great fun.

Saturday started with cooked breakfast then a whole day workshop. I did a marquetry table and Mary made a baby. Both came out very well though I still have to finish my table. Lunch was sandwiches, potato wedges, coleslaw and sauces, so I could only have the wedges really, still the breakfast was so big it didn't matter and the evening was a carvery again. In the evening were more roundtables but I just bought some kits and did some more work on my table. I showed someone how to needle felt and then had a fairly early night as I was knackered.

Sunday was more of the same food wise and another full day workshop, this time making cold porcelain flowers for both of us. Now I did this because Sue who I made a courtyard with last year says they are wonderful as did most of my fellow students. I thought they looked nice but was happy with my paper ones but I thought give it a go. Unfortunately they are right! Why unfortunately? Well I really need to buy cutters now and powder colours and.. you get the picture! I made some peonies and arum lilys most of which are in a vase plus a dandelion. I bought the dandelion and a foxglove cutter to use for the courtyard scene. She gave us a recipe for the cold porcelain so i will try making some soon.

this is her site

We all got a small present, mine was useful storage box which came in handy bringing my flowers home. We also did three swaps through the weekend and I got a jewelry box, a boxed rose, framed pic and full sized tablemat and coater and finally a dressing table set.

Finally there was a charity raffle for which i only bought one strip being short on money but I won anyway and got to pick a set of molds which is something I've been meaning to try so I was very pleased.

Also spent a fair about of time taking to one of the guys about lasercutting and it's uses. No I'm not planning to get one but it sounds fun. I think the boys might balk at spending the price of a good car on one though!

needle felting

Just a pic of the first teddy I made plus my new rabbit.
The ones I made in between have gone to new homes.

they are about 2.5" high seated.
just to prove they are jointed

Frock coats

I don't have a proper picture fo the frockcoats as they never got worn but I will try and get one taken in the next few days.

dress pics

My assistant has agreed I post the photos. I would never as got as far as I did without her so a big thanks for that.

back from the event

Well i spent a lot of time finishing costumes, including at the event itself then in the end it wasn't worn! The In character wedding it was all for didn't go ahead as the bride was ill Out of character. It will probably happen at the next event and roleplay wise it was probably a more interesting thing to happen but it was a bit frustrating. Various people insisted they see the dress anyway so i have pics of the lass who helped me make it wearing it and will post pics assuming she doesn't mind.

Frock coats

2 frock coats mostly done with ming the mercyless collars. Had a bit of a problem with mis calcualtion of fabric so i need to get another piece to do the last two backs of waistcoats. Will post photos soon.

All fittings etc done so final slog over the next two days to finished as much as humanly possible.

lots of pattern making and fitting of mock ups so very little to photograph.

Now the beast AKA industrial sewing machine is skipping stitches. It was fine one minute and skipping the next for no obvious reason. Keep your fingers crossed I sort it out cos I don't want to have to use the domestic machine it's just a lot slower that thankfully the fabrics I'm using arn't to think to do that which isn't always the case.

pocket hoops

Yea, boning has turned up !

One set of pocket hoops. the jacket looks a tat silly over the top without the skirt but I couldn't start work on that till i had something to drap it on as I'm guessing the length willl not be the same alround!

Thursday

Pattern making of waistcoats and starting drafting out frockcoats.

It is very strange making a thin man a waistcoat that is bigger in the waist than the chest! To explain one of our friends wears a false stomach as his character, so he goes from a very lith bouncy person to a fat swaggering fop. Fitted it to him this evening.

Need to draft his breeches tomorrow so we can do a test fitting Sataday as they will be a funny shape to fit the stomach. We did joke about making him a wedding stomach ie a smaller one with lacing so he can claim to be wearing a corset :)

It changes his whole way of moving and acting, very effective if a little hot!

shift

Wensday I made a shift with lace cuffs. Also helped my assitant draft a circular cloak which she then sewed herself.

Can't do any more on this outfit till the bones turn up so on to the guys outfits.

pics from tuesday

Tuesday

We attached sleeves and after much discussion ruffles. I like them but I need to see if they fray as at the moment the edge isn't finished and apart from something like fray stop i couldn't think of a way of doing it which wouldn't effect the hang. I might end up cutting the scollops off and binding the edge or something but we will see. Have faced the back neck line too.

I have tried to post pics but everything is running slow today so I'll try again later.

We also made two sets of pocket hoops but till the boning turns up they look like piles of calico (for my american friends that is plain unbleached cotton, what you call muslin I believe.. For us muslin is very light weigh loosely weaved cotton you can see through)

pattern to pleated body

Ok specially for Julie but also so I can log how I get on.
The pattern for half the body is a full width of fabric and only just fits on my table. It comes from Janet Arnolds book.


We have now tested it with the lining, adapted the arm hole to be a little more modern ie less tight and pulling the arms back as I don't think the person who it is for is ready for that amount of historical accuracy and isn't going to be wearing a full corset with a narrow back to force her shoulders back.

Pleating up the main fabric and lining was a long job and I was very glad to have a helper on this. We have finished the body and sleves are ready to go on in the morning. Just deciding on type of flounce for the elbow.

Ordered boning for pocket hoops and bodice as well

18 C Jacket pattern

We drafted the pattern for the 18th century jacket today. It's like a sackback gown but only knee length. It was decided it is the biggest pattern peice ever! Actually I have done bigger when doing circle skirts and the like but it's pretty big. The fabric is a bit shy of 60" so we have decided to make the peats a little smaller to fit it across the fabric. So one jacket takes two pieces of 60" wide fabric side by side to make without sleeves.. just a few pleats to do then! The lining is the same except that the back panel is sans pleats in the body which means it then holds everything in place.

Fabric Buying

We bought lots of fabric today ranging from 6 pounds a metre to 50p ! I now need to do MUCH sewing over the next two weeks.

everything is 18th century
We need some liveries
A court dress plus all the underpinnings
Three 18th centtury mens outfits plus an extra waistcoat
A riding jacket and skirt (for me)

Does look like I have aquired a helper though we may need to make her something to wear as well so she doesn't need to go home to get her other outfit!

Needle Felting How-To

I thought some people might like to see a very basic how-to I did for a group I'm on a while back.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4190505&a=31909639&f=

Hope it is useful