Prequel to the last post

I was going to bust sooner, but... Yeah. At least I have been sewing, a lot!

But this post is going to about the things I made to wear to the outing a few weeks ago. And also, about the things I didn't make to said event.

The thing is, I really, really wanted to jump-start a Regency wardrobe for this event. After all, it was an 19th century themed event, and I have longed to study and understand Regency fashions better but always had things come in between. Now, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. I had the materials needed. I even had an unfinished pair of Regency stays that had been collecting dust since Spring... So it was just to finish said stays, and...

Ah. This was where things got awkward.

There was a reason I had left those stays in a miserable little pile since Spring. They had issues. Huge issues.

Unfixable issues, to be honest.

I won't bother you with the gory details, but things were very bad in the bust area. Think a very sad muffin top and a profile that associated more to mammography than those magnificent shelves we wish for from a good pair of Regency stays. I just don't have sufficient understanding of corsetry to pull off a project like this easily, I think. 18th c. stays, I can manage, if I try, but this... I need to learn more.

So, there wasn't anything to be done. They had to be scrapped (but saved and used as a "don't do this!"-reference for when, or if, I try my hands at Regency stays again). So now what?

To try and whip together a new Regency stays was out of the question (and impossible to boot), and I really didn't want to make a nice Regency gown without proper undergarments. I had to settle for a compromise, and then things got rather muddled.

With no real plan anymore, I did what any reasonable person would had done: I panicked. Something told me I should make something 1790s, since it's the precursor of Regency fashion and I could still wear it to 18th century events if I wished to, so I started to think of what gown I could make with fabric I already had (because I did NOT want to but new fabric for a quick-and-dirty scheme like this).

I dug up a pair of curtains I had bought at a flea market at one time, and for some reason decided I should make a wrap-front gown, like the one in Cut of Women's Clothes, or the Tidens Töj one. You could argue it had been smarter had I settled for a simple design like the ones I have made earlier (1, 2), but no. No. We couldn't have that.

So some time after I had this (pictures - FINALLY! you all think, right?):

I hadn't done a proper fasting here so it did look better on me than on the mannequin, but my overall sentiment was pretty much: Meh.

The fabric was very nice though - delicate and very sheer. Very suitable for frigging Winter weather.

But wait for the punchline, or whatever we shall call it...
I didn't take sleeves into account. I used up nearly every little piece of fabric, but didn't actually think about sleeves!
I know I can be easily distracted, but this is ridiculous even for me. This is what happens when you don't have a proper plan, folks!

So, as things stand, the poor dress still haven't got sleeves (although I recently scored another curtain at another flea market that I think will do the trick) but at that time, I didn't let it bother me much, because I was going to make a half robe to go over the dress! Yay!

I naturally thought of the half robe in Costume in Detail, and for the first time I could even see what it looked like in the flesh. So I got to work.

Some time after, I had this:

Disregard the ugly bathrobe belt I used in the shot.

Again, I couldn't afford new fabric so I turned to the stash. It is - you guessed it - another curtain, and the pattern is kinda 18th century, if you squint. It was free, and it was there, more importantly.

Anyway, the half robe was wearable and it would hide the fact that my gown had no sleeves. I had planned to wear one of my cloaks over it all, and make a cute little hat, and everything would be as fine as could be...

Until I decided that I wanted a spencer instead. With only days to go until the event. This is what happens when you don't make up proper plans™ .

So I actually made a go for it. Optimistic as always, I didn't think it would take as long as it did, and I chose a very unfriendly fabric for the task. Lovely green velvet, but heavy upholstery velvet (they were probably curtains, now that I think about it), which is not very good for a project like this. At least I knew that when I started so I' not complaining, and it also meant I could use a fabric from the almost forgotten corner of my stash.

I imagined some kind of combination of these two very late 1790s jackets...

...and the result was this:

Yeah. I was pretty "Meh" about this one too, but it looked like it should be (relatively) warm and if nothing else at least do its job. I guess it did.

So, that leaves me with three very "Meh" projects completed in a very short period of time. I guess I learnt a lot in the process (for example, that it's good to have a proper plan) and put my hand sewing skills to a few tests (everything was hand sewn, after all) but now I really, REALLY long for a huge, long-term project where I can spend hours and hours on planning, detailing and picking out fabrics I want and make something I can be really proud of!

Luckily, I can see such a project somewhere on the horizon, but first I'm going to finish the Pierrot jacket I started to work on many moons ago. Welp!

But that's another story!

Until then,

all the best to all of you!

Something old, something new

Believe it or not, but I have been working on things during my blogging hiatus. It's just that I'm terrible at documenting what I do and I don't abuse my husband's mad photographing skillz half as much as I should. There must be change.

Last Friday, I went on a small gathering with Gustafs Skål. I wanted something new to wear (well, isn't that strange!) and after much pondering, I realised that I needed something along these lines:

From Christie's

Perhaps minus the embroidery. For now.

So I got started and things did go rather well, but in the end there just wasn't enough time. At least I realised it before things got ugly so I decided to let it rest.

I used a fabric I've had in my stash for a long time (originally intended for my husband, but... Tough luck, honey) and based the pattern on a 1780s-90s Pierrot jacket from a Swedish book. It doesn't look very promising at this stage but I actually have great hopes for it. So it's a good thing I didn't rush it after all.


So for the event, I wore an old gown that I made two years ago (two years ago? Yikes!).

It's never been a favourite, but the sad truth is just that a lot of my things no longer fits! Isn't that wonderful? I blame delicious cake and soon turning 30.

Good thing that hats don't care about your increasing waist measure - instead of new outfit, I settled for new hat:

Sorry 'bout the tounge.

I've had the ribbon for some time and I always knew I'd use it for a hat. Said, and done!

Yes, hat pin is a bamboo skewer. I was desperate.

I'm rather pleased with new hat, but when I saw it on me, my mind started to visualise a gown in blue and white stripes... A Polonaise... Or retroussée dans les poches à la Kyoto...

It could look stunning... Or it could look like this:
I'm not sure yet. Any thoughts?

I hope you don't get too disappointed about missing out on an "It's Caturday!" post this Saturday. We're going for a mini-holiday to the old, old town of Vadstena, and since my phone is old and steam-powered, I can't do blogging stuff on the go. We're going to stay at an old mental asylum. Fun!

All the best!

Stays for a young lady

My stepdaughter is returning from her internship in Wales this week, so I have spent the last days finishing the stays I promised to make for her. We didn't had much time for fittings before she left so I really hope they will work!

The outer layer is linen, the interlining and lining cotton. I machined the channels and the assembly of the stay pieces, but the rest is made by hand. Because there isn't really any other way to finish a pair of stays, and you can't watch DVD's when you machine-sew!

The shoulder straps are only pinned on as of now because I want to make sure they are the right length. Other than that, they're ready to go. I hope!


I added a little piece of ugly embroidery in the shape of Ellinor's initials - I hope she'll forgive me!

I'm very excited about Ellinor trying the stays on, because I really hope they will look better on a non-pillow shaped figure...

This is the lining

My own stays... are coming along too, albeit slowly. I have one more piece that needs lacing holes and channels (it's the second back piece) but it's pretty narrow so it should be done rather quickly. Then I can assemble the pieces, add boning and actually try them on!

The give-away project is also coming along - I promise! But it's taking much longer than I though, as usual. But watch this space, maybe YOU are the winner?

Stays, stays & stays

I may not have been busy blogging, but I have been busy sewing!

After licking my wounds caused by the rather disencouraging debacle with my black taffeta, I decided to march on to a project I had planned for a while: a new pair of stays.

While my current pair fits me very well, there are a few things I don't like about them. The armscye is to big towards the back, and since I had no idea what I was doing while I made the stays, they're basically a patchwork à la "make up as you go". It's not noticeable to anyone but me, but that's enough.

But the biggest issue is that I really need a pair of front-laced stays. I can't depend on others to lace me up every time I want to do a fitting or go to an event, and it's impossible for me to lace myself up in a pair of back laced stays - I've tried and I almost had to see a chiropractic afterwards!

So these new stays will have lacing in back, and in front. That's a lot of eyelets, but I have brainwashed myself into liking them so that's not an issue. Historical accuracy may be, because I can't recall seeing a surviving pair of stays, with shoulder straps, from the later decades (70's-80's) of the 18th c that has both front and back lacing (if you know of one, let me know!).

And since I'm obviously suffering from both hubris and a masochistic streak, I decided to go 100% hand sewn this time. Why, I will never know but that's where I am right now.

The helpful ladies at the forum (still online! Yay!) recommended 12 stitches per inch for the boning channels... Let's just say that I'm getting closer... The two front panels look like %&##¤&¤## but I'm progressing and now make 10 stitches per inch. If I make even further progress, the stays will appear to have been made by 5 different persons in different stages of intoxication.

When I started to make plans for these stays, the idea was that I would work on them on and off, between other projects, with no pressure but now I have decided that I won't sew another garment until I can fit it off these stays. Hopefully I have got everything right this time, so I can use the master pattern for new stays to come without having to change my garments over and over again.



No close-ups because I'm too ashamed of my terrible stitching!

Outer layer of blue linen (doesn't look so bright in person) and two layers of heavy cotton. I will add the lining later. Binding will be from natural linen tape (if I don't try to dye it pink... Hmmm...). And cable ties for boning - allright! Although I have to order more.

As you can see, there's a lot more to be done. One stitch at a time...

...so I decided to start on a simultaneous project where I actually could feel I made progress!

Miss Ellinor, my stepdaughter, wished for a new pair of stays for Christmas and I liked the idea. Yesterday she went to Wales for two months of internship and I had initially decided to make the stays after her return, but a few days before she was about to go, I got a sudden urge to quickly make them up just enough for a fitting so I then could work on them while she was away, and so she would return to a brand new pair of finished stays!

Said, and done! Ellinor is about half my size but surprisingly enough I could make a draft from my own stays, and since such a petite figure as hers does well with half-boned stays the (machine sewed) channels and assembly went real quick.

So now all I have to do is to sew the eyelets and the binding... That's right - most of the work actually...

Here the stays lie with a lot of raw edges and seam allowances ready to be trimmed down.

She also got blue linen for an outer layer but it's not the same as on mine. Cable ties FTW! I will definitely use pink binding on these for cuteness.

And as if I hadn't my hands full already, I purchased fabric today for something that some day may become a pair of regency stays. Madness, madness. I need to do a lot more research for this, though. I want the stays to be appropriate for ca 1810 (any help/suggestions/encouragement extremely welcome!). I'm terrified of cording and bust gussets. I really need to end this post now.

Bye.

Mini-project completed. Now onto a big one. Of madness.

I started on this little linen fichu yesterday and completed it today. It's rather smallish since I only had scraps left of the fabric.



One day I want to make a BIG one, the kind that wraps around you! But that will have to be in a time when I have forgotten how tedious rolled hems can be.

***

And tonight it was time to start on my new project of madness...

It is going to be a dress heavily inspired by an extant gown belonging to the museum of Gothenburg.



This gown was in its turn inspired by the National Costume that was launched by king Gustaf III in 17778 (Read Isis's great post on it here), but this gown's first owner must have been a fashion-conscious lady for this gown shows very few traces of the National gown, like this one,


but the much more fashionable profile of the 1780's.

What I like about it are the simple lines and the lack of embellishments (I am going to leave out the bow in the back, I think) and that it's black! When I stumbled upon this dress I had had thoughts about a black robe á la Francaise but I quickly changed my mind.

So tonight I made a working toile for the bodice (I had a pattern I could alter so it wasn't too much work) and I then cut out the lining for the bodice. Then I went on an extended break, lasting until tomorrow evening, post-dinner.

The lining is of grey linen and I have lots and lots of black silk taffeta for the gown itself.

What I can't tell from the museum's vague description is if the back is cut en forreau or not. I think it is and I have decided to make it that way because it will look awesome!

So the only cloud on my sky, and the madness part of this project, is the deadline. 12th night. Yeah, I'm crazy but if there's hope and all that. I may be able to hire my poor relatives for some sweatshop work if things get out of hand.

Wish me luck?

Time for the rush

I knew something was wrong with my last finished project, the 1809 gown, that I finished more than one week before the event to which it would be worn. this was a most disturbing experience and I promised myself it would never happen again.

And I always try to keep my promises, so here I am, with less than a week left to finish the IKEA pet-en-l'air I have been hinting about so that it can make its première on the Christmas dinner.

For once, I have some progress pictures (with bonus views of our messy living room!)

Since I made myself a new pair of stays my dress dummy Glendora 2.0 no longer works as she is supposed to for fittings and mostly serves as a glorified clothes hanger. I can assure you that the pet-en-l'air looks much better on me.

OK, mostly the same picture, but you can see our messy living room better in this one.

What the ruching looks like, but I see that I could have done a better job in this spot. Will fix that.

I did add some more ruching to it after the pictures were taken, but this is pretty much how far I have gotten.

Left to do:

- Add hooks and eyes to one side of the stomacher (the other side is sewn to the bodice. I have no idea if this is anywhere near period correct but it saves my sanity. I can't pin stuff to save my life and that's why you never should walk around bare foot in our livingroom when I've been sewing).

- Add some kind of trim to the stomacher. I don't know what kind yet though.

- Add ruching to the sleeves and all way 'round the bottom edge of the pet-en-l'air.

- Possibly add a flounce to the petticoat (that I thankfully finished months ago!) but this depends on whether I have the time and if I have fabric enough left.

Those plans I had on making a better pair of pocket hoops and a nicer under petticoat simply will have to wait.

I should easily make it if I only put some effort into it. Last week I tried to make some sewing every evening, even if it was only a couple of stitching, just to feel that I was going somewhere. It's not that I don't want to sew, because I do, but I'm usually very exhausted from work and to be honest, I haven't had much love for this pet-en-l'air for some reason (and sometimes it's also very tempting to play Age of Empires III over LAN with you husband and ignore everything else, including housework. We got a new computer not long ago, you see...)

When this business is finished, I have a brand new project of lovelyness waiting for me. But more about that later.

A man and his clothes

I have probably hinted here and there about making clothes for my husband. I think it's about time I presented the project, so at least I know what I have gotten myself into... I haven't sewed for anyone else but myself before and I can already tell that it's a completely different challenge. Mostly because you must nag about fittings here and fittings there to the victim all the time, which isn't always appreciated.

Anyhoo, the inspiration for my husband's outfit comes from this three-piece suit, worn by king Gustaf III in 1777 when he visited his cousin and neighbour, Catherine the Great.




It is merely for inspiration; I don't plan to recreate the clothes in any way.

So far, I have almost completed a waistcoat in silk taffeta. Here it lies on our rug, probably trembling with fear from the treatment it got when I worked on the five thousand buttonholes* (remove -on from the word, and we're much closer to the truth...).



The pocket flaps isn't attached yet and there are no pockets. Other than that, it's finished. It's more eggshell than snow white but my camera is worthless.



That leaves me with... Let's see:

1 shirt. I have already scrapped one shirt with one sleeve because it sucked. I think I'll leave the shirt to last.

1 pair of breeches. I purchased this pattern for drop front breeches from Eagle's View because I had read good reviews on it but I haven' touched it as of yet. If you don't count that time I opened the envelope, looked at all the lines and strange marks, quickly stuffed everything back and spent the rest of the evening under the kitchen table rocking back and forth. Breeches = scary stuff.

1 coat. The only good thing about the scariness degree of the breeches is that I still haven't realised how scary the prospect of making a well-fitting coat is. A coat must fit perfectly, it's pretty useless and a waste of fabric if it doesn't. I don't have a commercial pattern for this, I was thinking of using the 1770's frock coat pattern from "Cut of Men's Clothes". I see maaaany mock-ups in my crystal ball...

1 stock. This shouldn't be too much of a problem, I think.



I have this striped silk in design for the breeches and the coat.


Beige and brown - nice and earthy, and it also leaves me with a greater possibility of talking my husband into actually wearing the clothes! I love the more bright and what we may call feminine colours in 18th c male clothing but it's not worth the risk in this case.

There will be no embroidery or other embellishments; partly because my husband would disapprove, and partly because my embroidery skills are non-existent.

I will set the deadline to May 2011, I think. I agree, it's a little soon, but I was always the over-ambitious type, ya know. I think I'll make it.

*That's how much I love you, dear husband! Even if you probably prefer me showing it in other ways.

Gustaf III's clothes are described in the book "Kläder för tid och evighet" by Lena Rangström

Pockets finished - finally!

I finished a pair of pockets made from the embroidered fabric mentioned here a few minutes ago.


It's not quite the same as if the embroidery had been designed for the pockets but nevertheless, I think they're very cute if I may say so myself.


The tape is made from scraps from the same fabric I used for my pink-stripe polonaise. Hand-sewn. It only took a few "Monkees" episodes and the first 3½ parts of "Aristocrats". I have a very varied taste.

To think that it has taken me so long to get y first pockets - for shame!

Now, back to the regency gown.

Photos of different stuff

I'll try and make up for the lack of pictures in the last post (pictures are pretty!)

Here are two different shots of the mantelet I'm currently working on. It need ribbon for tying and endless meters of trim at the bottom edge (sigh!).

I think it's cotton whit a shiny effect. The burn test confirmed this, to my bief knowing, but even if it's polyester I don't care because the colour is so gorgeous (and, as usual, the pictures can't do it justice).


It's not as shiny as in the first picture, but not as dull as in the other, either. Think somewhere in between. It kinda shimmers when the fabric moves... Ah, sweet thrift store find!


Remember this post, where I mentioned a pair of embroidered pockets in the making? You don't? Good, 'cos they ain't gonna happen. Sorry, but embroidery really isn't my thing. I wish it was because the possibilities for a skilled embroiderer are endless, but such is the sad truth. I have great hopes for my stepdaughter, who now have inherited one half-finished pocket. I'll whip her until she is good enough to take commissions for me. It'll keep her from drugs and gangs too!

No, my pair of embroidered pockets will instead be made from this machine embroidered silk remnant i bought this Tuesday. It'll not be quite the same, but just the feeling of not having a sad, neglected embroidery project staring at you anymore is well worth it.


The silk is a little goldish, which doesn't translate very well in the photo, and quite lovely in its own right.

I also bought this lace fichu thing on the same day. It's not even very old, and probably not very period correct but it just screamed: "BUY ME!" so what else was there to do?

The shop where I bought it is the best place in this town. They mostly carry early to mid-20th century garments but also older dresses and accessories, antiques, trinkets, porcelain et c. They have lots of old embroidered tulle lace that I will buy tons of when I acquire the wealth that rightfully should accompany such divine beauty as mine. Vintage ostrich feathers to die for! OMG shoes! And guess what? The prices are quite affordable, considering the usual over-prices that one normally sees in shops like this one.

So, if you come to Stockholm, don't miss out on Old Touch or you'll regret it forever and probably longer. Yeah, free advertising FTW, but I like them so much so I do it gladly.

I'll be occupied with non-sewing related things this weekend, but whenever I can I'll continue the work on my regency bodiced petticoat.

A question or two...

Question N:o 1
How can one take out pencil marks from silk dupioni? (I already tried with an eraser. It didn't work). [insert sad emoticon here]

Question N:o 2
Why is Madame Berg an idiot?

If you can answer these two questions correctly you may be the lucky winner of a bumper sticker that says: "Madame Berg is an idiot (and sucks)"! Send in your answers today!

All wrapped up

Me and my stepdaughter made us a duct tape double each yesterday. And it was so much fun!

It didn't take as long as I thought it would and it wasn't very hard standing still during the process. With "Pride and Prejudice" running on DVD in the background, it all turned out to be a quite enjoyable experience.

I won't write any step-by-step instructions because those already exists, and way better than anything I could produce. See, for example, here and here and here.

My stepdaughter is very petite and I'm... well, not, and we used up two rolls of tape - altogether 100 meters! My double ended up a bit larger than I am, about two centimetres extra in waist and bust, but overall I'm very happy with how it turned out and I think it will be of great value during future fittings. And as I said, very fun to make! It would make for a great "party" with a bunch of friends (who would actually want and need a duct tape dummy, of course).

And some pictures that I probably will regret posting, but here we go:

I have about one layer of tape on my body here. And loving it! As you can tell.



Two layers. Warning! This be my seductive look. Don't view this picture too long if you're easily aroused.

The finished product, not yet completely stuffed because I didn't buy enough stuff to stuff it with.

Make a list. Check!

As I mentioned here, I was going to attending a church service commemorating the death of king Gustaf III on March 28 (it's then 217 years since the king passed, minus one day).

But now the minister who was going to give the sermon has gotten ill and won't make it, unfortunately. Instead of completely cancelling the event, we will go to the church and put down some flowers. A transcript from the original protocol regarding the king's demise will be read and there will be some music. And then we'll drink to the king at a tavern nearby! Not bad at all (if you know Swedish, you can read about this event at Slottsfrun).

I had no clothes suitable for an event like this (everything's too bright and cheerful) so I made the silk dupioni jacket for a start. But as I went on, I realized that I also needed a few other new things and "a few" soon became "several", "many" and "let's just make a completely new wardrobeZOMG!".

But for once I had plenty of time (there's even I chance I won't have to sew hysterically with a watch in one hand on the day of the event. I might even rush off without pins and loose threads everywhere. Who knows?) and a quick check confirms that the most vital parts of the ensemble are finished or very close to being finished.

List? Why yes!

• Jacket - Is finished. Like, REALLY finished. Not one stitch off.
• Petticoat - Is finished. As above. RLY!
• New, smaller and cuter pocket hoops - Quite finsihed, I just need to replace the plastic failboning with something sturdier.
• New cap - Finished it yesterday! I had to remove the self-fabric ruffle from the band and replace it with some lovely lace to make it look less like a Victorian baby bonnet which isn't flattering for any face, least mine. Now I don't look incredibly stupid wearing it!
  
• Fischu - Finished. It was my first experiment with rolled hems, which worked out much better than I anticipated (but my fingers felt sore after the first 5,000 stitches).
• Hat - Nearly finished. Must fasten the trim around the crown. I don't know why this has taken me a month. I'll do it tonight, this I promise myself.
• Shoes - Haven't touched them yet. I bought these quite accurate-looking shoes for practically nothing in a thrift store in January and my plan is to add fake latchets and buckles. Somehow.
• Mitts - Half-finished. The lovely grey silk taffeta I had wasn't enough for outer fabric and lining and I feel that these mitts really must be lined. I'm not sure what to do yet because I'm so freaking broke right now!
• Necklace - I butchered a very ugly fake pearl necklace and all that is left to do is to add ribbon to tie it 'round the neck with.

(Hmm, this weekend will be busy so maybe I should start to feel a little bit stressed soon. Just not right now.)

Whaddyaknow: I also have long-term plans for this year and since you all DIE to know about them, here goes:

• Striped polonaise -If you lurk the costumers' diaries at LJ, striped polonaise's seem to be all the rage this year and I too wanna hang out with the cool kids! I have a pink-on-pink striped fabric that is very much destined to become a polonaise for parties in the summer (which is quite funny, since I've never owned a piece of clothing in pink in my whole life. I'm so making this polonaise into a little girl's dream-dress! Think lots of trims and frills!)
• Pet-en-l'air - Maybe, if what I have of the yellow fabric mentioned here is enough . If not so, i'll make a jacket of some kind. In either case, I'll need a...
• Black silk taffeta petticoat to go with it.
• Janet Arnold caraco - I have an Indienne-type printed cotton that I'd like to turn into a caraco à la Patterns of Fashion. A low-priority project.
• Finish the IKEA Robe á la Francaise That Guards The Gates Of Hell (will be referred to as "the IKEA robe" in the future) - Oh my, I don't know where to start. But you got it right, it is a robe á la Francaise, made from an IKEA fabric. But that's not the only reason why it sucks, I think the main reason is that I suck. I should have known better than even thinking about pulling off a project like this in the first place, but here we are and I will complete the whole thing, even if it kills me in the process. Even if I get killed for wearing it.
• New stays - This should be first on the list really. My current stays are OK but I learned much from the process of making them and if I made a new pair today, they'd turn out much better. I've also lost some weight since I made my current stays and the "gap in the back" is almost non-existant now, even though I managed to take a few seams in. All I need is the motivation to start this huge project. That, and time. Please? Send me your spare time.
• ca 1810 daydress - Because I've needed one all of my life.
• Masquerade gown from Russian painting - BIG "maybe" on this one
  

It seems I'm going to be busy this year, doesn't it? I'll be one happy camper if I manage to not only start but also finish half of the things on that list! Stay tuned...

Jacket

And there was rejoice: I just completed my latest project - a frilly jacket!


It may not look much to the world, but it's actually the first piece of clothing I've sewn entirely by hand. And if you knew just how lazy and impatient I really am, you too would consider this an extraordinary accomplishment.




But it wasn't at all that bad as I had feared - on the contrary! It felt quite pleasing and relaxing, and it's nice to watch (or, in my case, mostly listen to) a film while you work. I'm not 100% converted to hand sewing, and I probably never will be, but I'm going to do it much, much more. Right now I'm working on a petticoat from the same fabric, and I'm going Old School on that one as well (but the new pocket hoops I just made was 100% machine sewn on the other hand, quick and dirty. Things must even out!).

The fabric of the jacket is a silk dupioni, slubby as hell, so not much Period Correct this time. But I'm on a rather tight budget right now (aren't I always?) and had to use something I had lying in the stash (and since this was kind of an experiment, both on the hand sewing and the pattern part, I didn't want to use something nice...).

The sleeves thankfully doesn't look so puffy and weird on me as they do on Glendora, the not-really-a-dress-dummy, but the jacket came out a bit too tight, no matter how nicely the toile fitted me. Sigh. I will re-work the pattern later on, because I want to use it for a lovely brocade I have. This jacket was more of a 1.0 really.

I'm going to wear the jacket and petticoat on March 28, on a church service in memory of king Gustaf III, and I really hope I fastened the hooks and eyes hard enough. I wouldn't want them to projectile on the minister, he's a very nice man. Yes, that's how tight the bodice is! But I guess there's still time to lose some weight.