Hello all!
It has been a while since I've updated this blog! Sorry I've been away, I graduated university and started a new job, and with the holidays it has been just crazy.
Last post, I discussed the rose pleated skirt I was making! I did finish it, back in October, and at the time it fit like a dream! Since then, I have lost a little bit of weight, and will be going back to take it in somewhat so that it fits a bit better.
Here is the photo of the finished result!:
I think I am going to add a band of tan fabric around the upper edge, as I had initially planned, with buttons on the inside and a button hole so that as I lose weight I can continue to tighten the waistband so I can continue to wear the skirt.
As for the garb for the SCA that I began, I have a few preliminary things to share. First: My first attempt at a sideless surcote looks very well and good from 10 paces, but has an unsightly seam at the waist that would fit a different sort of gown, and does not quite fit or reach the ground the way I'd like.
Secondly, the fitted undergowns that I sewed to wear underneath the surcote never had their seams felled before they were washed, nor were they lined, and so the inside is a mess of fibers and unraveled linen seams. The first gown I sewed had seams that all twisted to the left and is in general a hot mess. The second gown was much better, but still needs to be taken in quite a bit before it can be called a "fitted" gown again. It is my hope to enlist the aid of my sewing buddy and get this taken care of before I go to the next big event.
My second sideless surcote was sewn from the Burda pattern 7977. I borrowed my friend's pattern and made a mockup based on her pattern pieces. Once I'd cut down the mockup to fit properly, I cut out the pieces from a light blue cotton (lined with a heavier white cotton for weight) from the mock up pieces.
I sewed first the lining pieces together and then the top layer together and attempted to sew them together in a way that just plain did not work. I tried to use the sewing machine to sew them together inside out and then just turn it right side out and hem it. This did not work AT ALL because the shoulders had already been sewn together and I started with the collar. Physics did not allow for this to work the way I wanted it to.
So I scrapped that idea, and just hand sewed the two layers together. Then I went around the sides and the collar with a red thread in a herringbone detail that you can sort of see in the photos.
After I had completed the red herringbone embroidery, I realized it was lacking in the pizzaz and emphasis that I had wanted from it. It was boring, didn't stand out, and honestly? Didn't look finished. So I went back and added some yellow in there, too.
My initial thought was to have a large intricate pattern in the yellow thread around the red and yellow border but I tried to do it free hand and it was very messy and didn't look good at all, so I ripped it out. I added the yellow herringbone underneath the red, which gave it a good contrast. Then I added two yellow borders, about an inch apart, on the outside of the red and yellow herringbone with the intent to put another embroidered design within the two borders. I have not yet put the yellow border on the outside of the sides, nor have I added the third border line on the inside of the collar as I want to. I'm hoping to complete the embroidery within the two yellow borders before I finish up the sides, just in case I wind up not liking any of it and ripping it all out. I don't think I will, but the embroidery is at my tender mercy.
The embroidery design I've chosen for the center is a bit subtle on purpose. My plan is to include little bits of yellow flair, or perhaps a thin yellow or red sections within the blue to make it pop. I'm not sure how intricate I'll go yet, because this is my first real embroidery project and I want it to look cohesive and, well, good at the end of it all. As of right now, I really like what I have, and am looking forward to continuing work on it.
Hopefully it'll be done before my next event and I can wear it, but if it takes longer than that, then it takes longer than that! We shall see.
I shall update this post with the finished product, hopefully before too long!
It has been a while since I've updated this blog! Sorry I've been away, I graduated university and started a new job, and with the holidays it has been just crazy.
Last post, I discussed the rose pleated skirt I was making! I did finish it, back in October, and at the time it fit like a dream! Since then, I have lost a little bit of weight, and will be going back to take it in somewhat so that it fits a bit better.
Here is the photo of the finished result!:
As for the garb for the SCA that I began, I have a few preliminary things to share. First: My first attempt at a sideless surcote looks very well and good from 10 paces, but has an unsightly seam at the waist that would fit a different sort of gown, and does not quite fit or reach the ground the way I'd like.
Secondly, the fitted undergowns that I sewed to wear underneath the surcote never had their seams felled before they were washed, nor were they lined, and so the inside is a mess of fibers and unraveled linen seams. The first gown I sewed had seams that all twisted to the left and is in general a hot mess. The second gown was much better, but still needs to be taken in quite a bit before it can be called a "fitted" gown again. It is my hope to enlist the aid of my sewing buddy and get this taken care of before I go to the next big event.
My second sideless surcote was sewn from the Burda pattern 7977. I borrowed my friend's pattern and made a mockup based on her pattern pieces. Once I'd cut down the mockup to fit properly, I cut out the pieces from a light blue cotton (lined with a heavier white cotton for weight) from the mock up pieces.
I sewed first the lining pieces together and then the top layer together and attempted to sew them together in a way that just plain did not work. I tried to use the sewing machine to sew them together inside out and then just turn it right side out and hem it. This did not work AT ALL because the shoulders had already been sewn together and I started with the collar. Physics did not allow for this to work the way I wanted it to.
So I scrapped that idea, and just hand sewed the two layers together. Then I went around the sides and the collar with a red thread in a herringbone detail that you can sort of see in the photos.
After I had completed the red herringbone embroidery, I realized it was lacking in the pizzaz and emphasis that I had wanted from it. It was boring, didn't stand out, and honestly? Didn't look finished. So I went back and added some yellow in there, too.
My initial thought was to have a large intricate pattern in the yellow thread around the red and yellow border but I tried to do it free hand and it was very messy and didn't look good at all, so I ripped it out. I added the yellow herringbone underneath the red, which gave it a good contrast. Then I added two yellow borders, about an inch apart, on the outside of the red and yellow herringbone with the intent to put another embroidered design within the two borders. I have not yet put the yellow border on the outside of the sides, nor have I added the third border line on the inside of the collar as I want to. I'm hoping to complete the embroidery within the two yellow borders before I finish up the sides, just in case I wind up not liking any of it and ripping it all out. I don't think I will, but the embroidery is at my tender mercy.
Hopefully it'll be done before my next event and I can wear it, but if it takes longer than that, then it takes longer than that! We shall see.
I shall update this post with the finished product, hopefully before too long!
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