Paper vs Fabric

SEW ALL THE THINGS!

While I'm too busy sewing my @$$ off and prepping for Saturday's class to do a proper post, you can go check out what I've been up to at my day job by peeking at my Instructable on making a paper corset mockup.  For more info about the pattern this was based on, check out Jo's beautiful version of this corset at Bridges on the Body.  The paper mockup is about as far as I'm going to get for the next week or two, but rest assured I'll tell you all about all the bits and details when I can get back to the project.

Lest you think my job is all fun and games, making and writing that was the only thing that kept me sane during a week of doing stacks of paperwork and billing.

Now BACK TO WORK!

Materials for Bustle Class

Well I'm a terrible tease.  There's just a few small details left on the accessory I showed you a glimpse of in the last post, and I still haven't found the time to finish it!  In the meantime, I wanted to do a quick post on materials for the upcoming GBACG Lobster Tail Bustle class I'll be teaching this Saturday.  If you're not already signed up, what are you waiting for?

If you're taking the class and you're not sure you're getting the right materials, read on!  I'll show you what they look like below, why we're using them, and where you might find them.  I'll also mention some good alternatives, and some bad ones as well.  Ready?

First off, the 1/2" spring steel hoop boning is already included in the class, so you don't have to worry about finding it!  So moving on...

For hoop channels:
The materials list calls for six yards of either cotton twill tape or grosgrain ribbon in a 3/4" width.   In the photo below, both the top and bottom examples are cotton twill, and the grosgrain ribbon is one down from the top.  These are good choices for boning channels because they are strong and will prevent the ends of your hoop bones from poking through.  You can generally find these at most fabric stores, though sometimes they are hidden in the trim section, or they have different widths (we'll discuss widths in a minute).  Stone Mountain & Daughter mentioned that they carry these in the 3/4" width (make sure to get their coupon here), and I've also bought them from Lacis.

These aren't all the correct width; it's what was in my bin :)
Click the photo to see them close up.

Hoop Channel Alternatives:
If you're having difficulty finding cotton twill tape or grosgrain ribbon, you've got some other options. Petersham ribbon is nice and strong, plus it comes in a variety of colors and widths.  In the photo above, the blue ribbon in the middle is Petersham.  It is generally more expensive than grosgrain, but it's nice stuff.

Bone casing is the real deal!  It's a tube of very tightly woven fabric meant specifically to encase your bones and keep the ends from poking through.  It comes in black or white.  I believe the only local supplier is Lacis, but I could be wrong.  It is, of course, pricier than the other options.

Not Recommended Alternatives:
Polyester twill tape is NOT your friend.  This stuff is easily found in packages at almost any fabric store, but it shreds when you look at it!  It will not hold up to hoop steel, plus it's more difficult to sew.  I do not recommend using it.

Trust me, it won't hold up.

Bias tape is widely used for this purpose, but I don't recommend it.  It's thin, and won't hold up to hoop steel in the long run.  I do not recommend using it.

Not gonna go the distance.

Regular ribbon that is not grosgrain/petersham is too thin and will likely end in poke throughs.  I do not recommend using it.

I can't find this stuff in 3/4" width!
The above mentioned store do carry it, and I have seen these widths at many (but not all) Joanns and Hancocks.  But maybe your local store doesn't have the right width, and you can't get all the way to Berkeley, so...

We'll be using 1/2" plastic coated spring steel hoop boning.  However, even though it's sold as such, it's not really 1/2"!  It really measures something like 3/8".  I prefer using 3/4" tape to make channels for this boning because it's wide enough to give you some room for error if you sew kinda wobbly, but not so big that your bones twist around.  However, if you're confident that you can sew very closely to the edge of your tape without veering off track, you can get away with 5/8" tape.   The photos below show the hoop boning in relation to various widths of tape/ribbon.  Remember, this boning is also about 3/16" thick in addition to it's 3/8" width, so we need to leave a little extra room for that as well.

Hoop boning against 3/4" cotton twill tape.
This is the ideal width!

Hoop boning against 5/8" grosgrain ribbon.
You've got to be more accurate, but it works well.

Hoop boning against 1" cotton twill tape.
This is really too big, but you could make it work.
You'd have to make sure to not make your channels too loose.

For Waistband:
I've called for 1" wide cotton twill tape or grosgrain ribbon.  See above for sources.  Remember, you need your waist measurment + 12".

For Buckle:
I've been using D-rings with much success.  You can use any buckle you wish though!  Just make sure it fits your 1" wide waistband.

D-rings in action!

Fabric:
You can use a variety of fabrics, but a medium weight cotton is best.  Basically, you want something that's fairly tightly woven and won't rip under the pressure of the hoop bones.  Thick fabrics won't work well.  Your fabric doesn't have to be plain white either; go crazy with colors and patterns if that's your thing!  Remember that you're going to need some sort of marking implement (chalk, water soluble pen, whatever) that you can see on your fabric, so if you pick a dark one, you may have to find some light chalk.  If you think your fabric fabric is so crazy that it might show through your skirt, make sure you plan to wear a petticoat to conceal it.  Heck, you should be wearing a petticoat anyways!

Lacing:
Your bustle is going to be adjustable via lacing.  You'll want some kind of ribbon, shoelacing or whatnot to lace it up.  Just about anything goes here, but you'll want to stay within the 1/4" to 3/8" width generally. 

Thread:
Well obviously.

Tools:
You can find the list of tools that you need to bring on the signup page.  

I hope that helps!  Can't wait to see you all in class :)

Teaser

MOAR RUFFLES PLZ

I'm making a little accessory for one of my bustles. It's not done yet, but here's a quick peek. See you with more tomorrow!

Undressed

I'm just now getting around to photographing the wrapper I started two months ago, and I figured that while I was posting about an undress garment I should show you my current set of mid-Victorian underwear all together too!

A couple of months ago I volunteered to test Laughing Moon's newest wrapper pattern.

BTW, can I take a moment to say I'm in LOVE with pattern companies that actually take the time to test their patterns and correct errors before unleashing them on the public?  I've seen "completed" patterns sold where the pieces REALLY don't fit together (seriously, how is any seamstress supposed to fit a piece 4" long to a piece 2" long smoothly with edges matching, without any gathering, pleating or magic?), patterns with nonsense instructions, drawings that don't match anything, etc.  I don't expect a pattern to fit me right out of the envelope, but if I pay money for it I do expect that it is at least basically functional.  Anyways, rant over, back to pretty things...

Like I said, I got to test out LM Pattern #118.  I pretty much finished it by the end of February and sent in my feedback, but I wanted to add some trim to it before calling it completely done.  I've really been dragging my feet on handsewing the trim though, so I haven't posted about it.  Right now the black velvet ribbon is still only pinned in place, but I wanted to show the wrapper off anyways.  Perhaps posting about it will light a fire under my ass and I'll finish it.

Please note that the copy of the pattern I was sent was an in-progress work, and that there may be differences between it and the final published version.  That's the entire point of testing it!

To our modern eyes wrappers look like a day dress, but to the Victorians they were undress clothing, so they wouldn't normally have been worn out of the house.   However, that's not to say they weren't worn in public by poorer women, or pregnant ladies, or by frontier folk.  This style has a fitted back and a loose front, comes with three different sleeve and collar choices and can be worn several different ways. 

There's a separate lining that can be left loose or darted to fit.  I chose to dart mine, but I fitted it to my non-corseted measurements so that I could wear it with or without a corset, so it's still a little loose here. 

Fitted with belt

Loose with no belt

The front can also be darted to fit, or it can be left loose and fitted with a belt when needed.  If the front was left unfitted, pregnant women could easily wear this same garment for all 9 months by simply letting the belt out as they grew.  (For those who read into such things, please note that the previous sentence about pregnant women is in no way a hint about any future children.  I'll stick to dressing my future nieces and nephews, thanks)  Leaving it loose allows me to wear it with or without a corset, so that's what I chose to do.  I also decided to leave it open below the belt to reveal my petticoat.  It could be closed all the way down, but I didn't feel like sewing that many buttonholes :)

The back fits awkwardly on my mannequin, but just fine on me.  The skirt is cartridge pleated to the back waistband.

I used the standing collar from View B and the coat sleeves from View C.  One of the things I love about the Laughing Moon patterns I've used is that there's often a lot of mix-and-matching you can do. 

I picked up some beautiful black glass buttons at an antique store in Grass Valley some months ago and decided to use them here.  I've blown out the exposure here so that you can see the intricate detail each button has.  Jet was extremely popular in Victorian times, and black glass was a cheap substitute for those who couldn't afford the real thing, so these are perfect!

There's super tiny piping around the armscye.  I LOVE me some tiny piping!

All in all, I'm very much enamored with my new wrapper.  As soon as I've got the trim finished, it will become my everyday around-the-house robe (so much cooler than modern ones!) as well as something I may wear to more rustic events.  If you're in need of a wrapper, I highly recommend the LM #118 pattern.  For more examples of what wrappers can look like, check out JoAnn's Wrappers Pinterest board.

So now that I've shown you my wrapper, what all do I have under there?  Let us peel away the layers one by one...

I used Truly Victorian's free pattern for my petticoat.  I made it with cotton organdy, which gives it loads of body and floof.  It's a total PITA to iron smooth after washing though!

I'm still getting tons of use out of my custom drafted hoop skirt.  It's survived two seasons of dancing at Dickens Fair, as well as several events.  I love the perfect bell shape it has!  For instructions on how to make your own , see my post on drafting a round hoop skirt to whatever shape and dimensions you wish, as well as the post on how to sew up your custom made hoop pattern.  If you make your own, I'd love to see pictures!

 

And still there's more...  Under all that there's a chemise, drawers and corset.  You've seen the blue corset in previous posts, and in all honesty it looks much better on a body than on my poor mannequin, who doesn't have the shape to fill it out.  The drawers are my reproduction of an antique pair.  Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my promise to post the pattern!

The chemise is one I made up based off of a mishmash of patterns.  It has a squarish neckline, underarm gussets and lots of tiny pintucks.  Sometimes I wish I wasn't so in love with pintucks, because they're so difficult to do.

That's all the undies I have to show you today.  But not to worry, the future holds lots of bustles and late Victorian underpinnings, plus some Regency underthings as well!

Baby Got Back

Add a little junk in your trunk (or a lot!)!  Come make your own adjustable lobster tail bustle with me on May 11th!
 

Baby got back.  LOTS of back.

Those fabulously over the top bustle era dresses are simply gorgeous, but having the proper support structure underneath is absolutely essential.  If you've been wanting to tackle such a unique undergarment, you're in luck.  The GBACG puts on some fabulous classes and events, and they've asked me to teach their upcoming bustle workshop.  Now you won't have to wrangle that hoop wire into submission alone!

You'll make a fully adjustable lobster tail bustle that's just the right size for you from start to finish.  Along the way I'll show you lots of tips and tricks, plus fun variations to make your bustle unique.  This tail uses spring steel hoop boning and can easily stand up to heavy skirts.  When not being worn, it collapses flat so it doesn't take up space in your closet.  Space in this class is limited, so snap up your seat today!

But What Has It Got On Its Feetses?

What with injuries, work and general craziness I haven't been sewing a lot lately, but I have been planning up a storm!  I've got nearly all the pieces of Boyfriend's Regency wardrobe in progress, and most of the fabric and patterns for the basics of my wardrobe have been gathered and are waiting patiently in my sewing room for me.  Most everything, that is, except for shoes.

Trust Lauren to have perfect timing!  She's done it again with a beautiful pair of dyeable satin Regency slippers, complete with interior lacing loops so that they can be worn with ribbons.  She even recorded a fabulous little video showing how to dye them.

I own four pairs of American Duchess shoes (soon to be six!  *happydance*) and I can vouch for their comfort and quality.  Hell, my Astorias have braved mud and rough trails.  So get your preorder in now, and poke around the American Duchess store to see what else you've been missing.

Now the only question is... what color do I dye them?!?!

Fabulous, Fabulous Shoes

If you haven't already placed your order yet, head on over to www.american-duchess.com and pre-order your Gibson shoes!  I'm so excited about these!  I plan to wear them for both historical events and for more modern events, just because.  I already own 4 pairs of American Duchess shoes, and I highly recommend them.

They come in 3 colors, and if the pre-order quota isn't met then the color with the lowest number of orders gets booted, so make sure you get your order in!

(Psst... get the butterscotch ones, they're super sexy and I neeeeeed them)