tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80710825235016393802024-02-19T09:10:52.255-08:00The Laced AngelThe Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-69165494221536932332016-08-10T09:30:00.000-07:002016-08-16T13:54:42.563-07:00The Lotta Bustle: Running Around In My Underwear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjaNqvKgqOLTcaqG6VfkIiiBKwQcsg_j-ueZ8gt1eCFyfXH1FM4HT3lm7Vd2VTlG27QapJIX36qX5dUZdHY1rf8lRdUgVAJQmXsTXTo33_VOwMvv5b1HS2tT_TSZpNIRqt8pDGW2jP1Mq/s1600/Friday+night+Coco+ensemble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjaNqvKgqOLTcaqG6VfkIiiBKwQcsg_j-ueZ8gt1eCFyfXH1FM4HT3lm7Vd2VTlG27QapJIX36qX5dUZdHY1rf8lRdUgVAJQmXsTXTo33_VOwMvv5b1HS2tT_TSZpNIRqt8pDGW2jP1Mq/s400/Friday+night+Coco+ensemble.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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The tragedy of making period appropriate undergarments is that no one ever gets to see them. All that hard work, and they're always hidden under layers of fabric! Unless you're me, in which case you take every possible opportunity to flaunt your historical skivvies in public. Rather than make a new frock for Friday night at Costume College, I decided to give my "Lotta" bustle its first wearing outside of the sewing room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB2YIUmS25oleRCcurZfso3R2GjtUVSuJL5KnfnToRjXJ2RwwOvqh-vqm_h7zSyZphNIvGezuAbDC9zcbK5Dkjk2fdb1B934FAHr2CeGDtGimTDL8qoC-RH-F_q9BTP0axtzkqi1KD2eX/s1600/Lotta+Bustle+Extant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB2YIUmS25oleRCcurZfso3R2GjtUVSuJL5KnfnToRjXJ2RwwOvqh-vqm_h7zSyZphNIvGezuAbDC9zcbK5Dkjk2fdb1B934FAHr2CeGDtGimTDL8qoC-RH-F_q9BTP0axtzkqi1KD2eX/s400/Lotta+Bustle+Extant.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extant "Lotta" bustle from a defunct Ebay sale.</td></tr>
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Last year I happened to find a photo of the weirdest, most wonderful extant bustle. I figured it was a strange custom one-off, until I stumbled across a photo of a second surviving example. It had a different number of bones, so it couldn't be the exact same one. Then I noticed the same design hiding in a <a href="http://heckyeahedwardians.tumblr.com/image/3733216867" target="_blank">period print advertisement</a> among several of the more familiar types of bustles. The ad called it the "Lotta" bustle. Intrigued, I dug further and found several patents that described similar contrivances. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHUYIufud7xCbrQoxExzRSQzDo-SNSXjiBYgSV3Ovt5OA6fcfRa06VZmbDL4EjZEeFcGbQL2BNr5wbMIhynsH-E-iplhyphenhyphenJXYOu2jwgAYDkWjT8iX2qa5Vg9O_z3DrwZFnqqVqTmIV0fbL/s1600/Lotta+bustle+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHUYIufud7xCbrQoxExzRSQzDo-SNSXjiBYgSV3Ovt5OA6fcfRa06VZmbDL4EjZEeFcGbQL2BNr5wbMIhynsH-E-iplhyphenhyphenJXYOu2jwgAYDkWjT8iX2qa5Vg9O_z3DrwZFnqqVqTmIV0fbL/s400/Lotta+bustle+in+progress.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempting to mock up the Lotta bustle.</td></tr>
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This spring I wrote an article for Your Wardrobe Unlocked that involved <a href="http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/victorian/victorian-general/944-bustles-bustles-and-more-bustles" target="_blank">reproducing and comparing 6 different bustles</a>. (Psst, use my <a href="https://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel?i=1" target="_blank">affiliate link</a> to sign up for access!) Of course, one of the six had to be the Lotta bustle, because I am insane. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOcSDCBPuPipxG2bHdWEnHM6pfY1WsikepidN-SNNADexBfOHkFwi-krvb_54nYTnhmyvlNr7HYeEZJJ1tzTKnGFvM7bzVx8xVju2CFXRDBmpbWRmvXzfO08x1GRRJ0YjLGLaOEpGipqC/s1600/Lotta+Bustle+in+Progress2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOcSDCBPuPipxG2bHdWEnHM6pfY1WsikepidN-SNNADexBfOHkFwi-krvb_54nYTnhmyvlNr7HYeEZJJ1tzTKnGFvM7bzVx8xVju2CFXRDBmpbWRmvXzfO08x1GRRJ0YjLGLaOEpGipqC/s400/Lotta+Bustle+in+Progress2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the strangest bustle I have ever made.</td></tr>
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Twelve yards of hoop boning, some seventy plus rivets, much frustration, and a pair of very sore hands later- success! I had my New Favorite Bustle. Now if only I had a bustle dress...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlkK5lzLzSJIvC9s7_qhcSOtewilk1R02jQs-Bc9Gh8iA4hyphenhyphenns9mlETd3g8f1KElrgSyPTbKZx0zJLPOGE10W-RF-a-JEhh2hAYKteEUJMEeFDjr12U5IS5tSJe41Dj2mL0Dp80qhxEao/s1600/Red+steampunk+corset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlkK5lzLzSJIvC9s7_qhcSOtewilk1R02jQs-Bc9Gh8iA4hyphenhyphenns9mlETd3g8f1KElrgSyPTbKZx0zJLPOGE10W-RF-a-JEhh2hAYKteEUJMEeFDjr12U5IS5tSJe41Dj2mL0Dp80qhxEao/s400/Red+steampunk+corset.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marsh corset worn at Maker Faire, steampunk style.</td></tr>
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A fabulous bustle needs some fabulous undies to go along with it, so I paired it with the <a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/articles/corset-patterns/1870s-corset-patterns/595-patent-challenge-1878-marsh-corset-part-1" target="_blank">Marsh Patent</a> <a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/articles/corset-patterns/1870s-corset-patterns/601-1878-marsh-corset-part-2" target="_blank">Challenge Corset</a> that I made for Foundations Revealed (here's my <a href="https://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel?i=2" target="_blank">affiliate link</a> for that site too) and my reproduction of a <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2012/11/antique-undies-up-close-and-personal.html" target="_blank">pair of drawers</a> in my collection. The leather used in the Marsh corset is the same leather I used for the sides of the Lotta bustle, so they match!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIA_NzPtB__tiM0nyPpXYvmNK464QuPjUKMuNH8ovzjb2A20pfqxdg7JYCFARC3AcM0q753NZwH9ydrM2dkBDhgXF5gu2GT8VVqXP5rYP3SxH4B9d0WD8zs34euF26QIkPDTRZZ9JbPDB/s1600/Balmoral+Boots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIA_NzPtB__tiM0nyPpXYvmNK464QuPjUKMuNH8ovzjb2A20pfqxdg7JYCFARC3AcM0q753NZwH9ydrM2dkBDhgXF5gu2GT8VVqXP5rYP3SxH4B9d0WD8zs34euF26QIkPDTRZZ9JbPDB/s400/Balmoral+Boots.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That scalloped foxing. That swooping top line. That contrast stitching. YES.</td></tr>
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Even better, I got my AMAZEBALLS <a href="http://www.american-duchess.com/edwardian-victorian-shoes-boots/balmoral-civil-war-boots" target="_blank">Balmoral boots from American Duchess</a> just in time to pack them for Coco! (Not an affiliate link; I just really love AD shoes.) What's super comfy all night long, beautiful, and has curves that don't quit? These boots, y'all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaitlBpWxD8BcjZ1r94-FwEfKXWmrvHYFs7fqOFGoHLFzDo5ltsX5LYFuSlz1g9NEbO5M442votgVt3P_vN6eIjDiKUDwMRx8VUC090s6-iYsy2Mqgf6Z6hM6XrGJ3HPOKAFSG4DlAdEA/s1600/1890s+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaitlBpWxD8BcjZ1r94-FwEfKXWmrvHYFs7fqOFGoHLFzDo5ltsX5LYFuSlz1g9NEbO5M442votgVt3P_vN6eIjDiKUDwMRx8VUC090s6-iYsy2Mqgf6Z6hM6XrGJ3HPOKAFSG4DlAdEA/s400/1890s+hair.jpg" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why yes, it is all my hair. I paid for it.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfdWT2fgQ3lUXU6QyvEAiHX7hj3qUwXQIBPG5_RjWkU1CNoD-ZS03cVPhXDgxhRLHQTnBuKI8DKhwaJs3RVgDuzydRDysQpoMMBFmfzUApqTRr2rNWavxdGcErIZ5pHKjwglYsryEVnEF/s1600/Hair+Pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfdWT2fgQ3lUXU6QyvEAiHX7hj3qUwXQIBPG5_RjWkU1CNoD-ZS03cVPhXDgxhRLHQTnBuKI8DKhwaJs3RVgDuzydRDysQpoMMBFmfzUApqTRr2rNWavxdGcErIZ5pHKjwglYsryEVnEF/s400/Hair+Pieces.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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To top it all off, I threw together a Bustle Era updo from a donut, two thick braids, two twists, a few clip in barrel curls, and one of the curly bang clip ins from my <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2016/08/romantic-redux.html" target="_blank">crazy Romantic Era hair</a>. If there's interest, I might be able to do a how-to post or video of the process.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdhXSNpNRnutbVDj5sw2h0KQGxqF0B9ZXZUWNcGSH7bgsQw5OVriEY-636rt2VFFVZuG7vHU_HP5QHmJG4_Gg9y27p8PVJ49btvAJnzojmKSpk97xZqFlptp5uyAYQ-AweTSFQMkilppB/s1600/Hair+destruction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdhXSNpNRnutbVDj5sw2h0KQGxqF0B9ZXZUWNcGSH7bgsQw5OVriEY-636rt2VFFVZuG7vHU_HP5QHmJG4_Gg9y27p8PVJ49btvAJnzojmKSpk97xZqFlptp5uyAYQ-AweTSFQMkilppB/s400/Hair+destruction.jpg" width="352" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking it down at the end of the night was... interesting.</td></tr>
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I had a blast rocking my undies and hair! I'll be sad to cover them up once I get around to making that dress. Bonus: we discovered that the Lotta bustle has a high carrying capacity, resulting in fits of giggles all night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVl08KuT-Eagh6bvMr1P5gzmsQgUI2xiB_rk2Zc9OkZnwHE_LsROG08JUrVkbYRCmeaFbHfEjUXPRRRorZxIkRJeSHXVJXFcHFIMq0_sxxHfpdLwLbPPYiIlijejyh2RjYlwRJVwpraqC/s1600/Lotta+Stuff+in+that+Bustle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVl08KuT-Eagh6bvMr1P5gzmsQgUI2xiB_rk2Zc9OkZnwHE_LsROG08JUrVkbYRCmeaFbHfEjUXPRRRorZxIkRJeSHXVJXFcHFIMq0_sxxHfpdLwLbPPYiIlijejyh2RjYlwRJVwpraqC/s400/Lotta+Stuff+in+that+Bustle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A whole "Lotta" junk in that trunk, and absolutely no apologies for that pun.<br />
Photo courtesy of Lauren from American Duchess.</td></tr>
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Hey, at least all those snacks were handy when we got hungry.<br />
<br />The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-65133168298204371322016-08-05T09:00:00.000-07:002016-08-05T09:00:32.107-07:00Romantic ReduxFor a woman who wore a buzz cut for 4+ years, I have become more than a little obsessed with 1830s hair.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIZtJuiHPH3FfGyK6rHP89mzE1VEGAXRtot8Qm3ArxB7Gk67IzT_LA24QzV4FEgb_vhWeiGBB_8jwWk9NgmZX1S4sIR0A5APkJagEtaI7xWDrHdFM02oq63ZDj8hmrJgmWFMso3mZ_ncO/s1600/1830s+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIZtJuiHPH3FfGyK6rHP89mzE1VEGAXRtot8Qm3ArxB7Gk67IzT_LA24QzV4FEgb_vhWeiGBB_8jwWk9NgmZX1S4sIR0A5APkJagEtaI7xWDrHdFM02oq63ZDj8hmrJgmWFMso3mZ_ncO/s320/1830s+hair.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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While staring down the gauntlet of a rapidly approaching Costume College weekend, I realized that I simply wasn't in the mood to run myself ragged trying to finish new outfits. Instead, I focused on spiffing up some old ones with fabulous hair and accessories. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YNgqGj4l893DXZHcLgeviTyyVCOXU1IBq6PBtP_jK5cLr7YndEh4_kG3iDyFrdTqwPS0EmJBslwjw2i6qi7hkJkGcroxJvWYxfMGs1cyAlr6skm65G65Xu1XoRZJDAuqEGwBUwrtfcfW/s1600/Back+of+hair+1830s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YNgqGj4l893DXZHcLgeviTyyVCOXU1IBq6PBtP_jK5cLr7YndEh4_kG3iDyFrdTqwPS0EmJBslwjw2i6qi7hkJkGcroxJvWYxfMGs1cyAlr6skm65G65Xu1XoRZJDAuqEGwBUwrtfcfW/s320/Back+of+hair+1830s.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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Like many historical costumers, I used to loathe the 1830s. Since then, I've figured out the secret: go big or go home. If you're attempting to out-ridiculous the original Romantic era, you're pretty much doing it right. The 1830s simply do not accept any sort of half-assing it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8bwIVdpJWs_OUJGjmuQkm4WcX9n59tL3tyACr2fZYm9lYKS8kM0uxexI-ytzEv11Rl2iEgFb-6hduk99-sojDV1vBi9E-dwBtzsntdocwxseC9HLjVu2iTVeDaIFPK0JMTghn9_97N89/s1600/Look+at+this+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8bwIVdpJWs_OUJGjmuQkm4WcX9n59tL3tyACr2fZYm9lYKS8kM0uxexI-ytzEv11Rl2iEgFb-6hduk99-sojDV1vBi9E-dwBtzsntdocwxseC9HLjVu2iTVeDaIFPK0JMTghn9_97N89/s400/Look+at+this+hair.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like you wouldn't make this exact face.</td></tr>
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Apologies are in order, because I didn't take a single photo of the construction of the hair pieces. It was based it on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/455074737328602422/" target="_blank">this fashion print</a>. I carved down a styrofoam disk to form the ring structure, then wrapped 24" hair wefts around it. A touch of glue at the end of each weft was enough to keep the hair in place. The ring is stitched to a buckram base so that I have a way to bobby pin it to my head. The rest is just various 3 and 6 strand braids arranged in various loops, also stitched to the base, or to the ring as needed. I clipped the buckram base down as closely as I could, then pinned it atop my head. I French-braided my own hair from the nape of my neck upwards, then wrapped my braid around the base to disguise the join.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWni4mQN4e8N7sEBdJ2BdYyBMwmf2cklUCe9OxttjmZMaLSCx6dykSRz_PDby1zNX_JlXQfXw1WE_FYD9d0A_HHTqhoZD6gFcUs29HmlffJNQj2tNhrLDh7PlMKTmnp_LGFfiUUJaIS_g/s1600/Taking+off+the+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWni4mQN4e8N7sEBdJ2BdYyBMwmf2cklUCe9OxttjmZMaLSCx6dykSRz_PDby1zNX_JlXQfXw1WE_FYD9d0A_HHTqhoZD6gFcUs29HmlffJNQj2tNhrLDh7PlMKTmnp_LGFfiUUJaIS_g/s400/Taking+off+the+hair.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm taking it off here, but you get the idea.</td></tr>
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While I usually use my own hair for the front curls that are so common in this era, this time I purchased <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UXZH3MK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">two of these bang extensions</a> and curled them up ahead of time. SO MUCH EASIER. I'm never using anything else again.<br />
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From there it was simply a matter of adding flowers, a butterfly, and a bird. If anything, there's not enough STUFF in it. I need to add more ribbons and flipperies. The 1830s did not skimp.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nepA93wiE08pGcmhNOyXVW_Qpvqv5noka4IXy0vOJQ3aEEOQyGlpWTc9B5pi1s86sRSKhMlEmC6gW5eDZBAHH3Z3QZQgzaA4ypfs3rBcHuAkH7tfYNua4gRFR4QkzTY9NrdItkC26UjV/s1600/Hair+test+on+wig+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nepA93wiE08pGcmhNOyXVW_Qpvqv5noka4IXy0vOJQ3aEEOQyGlpWTc9B5pi1s86sRSKhMlEmC6gW5eDZBAHH3Z3QZQgzaA4ypfs3rBcHuAkH7tfYNua4gRFR4QkzTY9NrdItkC26UjV/s400/Hair+test+on+wig+head.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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I've also come to accept that I may have been a bit harsh on the pink dress in my last post. I wore it again with a few improvements for the 2016 Costume College Gala and fell in love with it for the first time since I made it. The inside may still be a hot mess, but the outside is looking good!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQAqwUf9e_z77XbYfu4DvRvfxyM598ay5SMwCZjTEMY2IBUmli9IcnhrwxLbIowAVR7k0A3MA8OMkBQ5QR7uJyzpps9U6EgGmoqACeLasikO9St1ePJnpTZrSmS-fGAGdWL4xFHphM4TN/s1600/3%253A4+back+view+1830s+outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQAqwUf9e_z77XbYfu4DvRvfxyM598ay5SMwCZjTEMY2IBUmli9IcnhrwxLbIowAVR7k0A3MA8OMkBQ5QR7uJyzpps9U6EgGmoqACeLasikO9St1ePJnpTZrSmS-fGAGdWL4xFHphM4TN/s400/3%253A4+back+view+1830s+outside.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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To be fair, when I originally made this dress two years ago, it was a last minute compromise. I needed an 1830s frock for an event, but knew I didn't have time or cash to make the dress I wanted. I threw this together in less than a week. I used a reject sari that had moldered in the stash for years because it turned out to be super synthetic and the complete opposite of what I thought I had bought. The sleeves were the first wearable prototype of a pattern I was trying to create, and fell short of the mark I was aiming for. I took every shortcut I could while making the dress; the seams were so badly finished that it barely survived its first outing. On its debut there was no sash, not enough petticoats, and my hair was kinda sad; all of this contributed to my dislike of the dress.<br />
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Even when I fixed some of the shortcomings, added a sash, better hair and wore the <i>much</i> improved version out this last spring, I couldn't shake the disappointment that accompanied its first outing years previously. Though the dress was vastly changed, that original discouragement carried over to my post about it.<br />
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Flash forward to this last weekend: I made a new bum pad that worked wonders, re-vamped my Ugly Puffer (see <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIiK2awgimH/" target="_blank">HistoricalGarment's instagram photo of American Duchess and my scandalously unhistorical puffers</a>) and worked up that FAB new hairdo. The low hotel lighting mellowed the shiny metallic-poly shine of my sari into a lovely soft sheen. I listened to my friends, who loved the dress (thanks again Lauren!). I forgave my sleeves for not holding the sharp pleats I originally ironed into them, and simply reveled in the ridiculousness of the poofy wonderfulness. AND IT WAS AWESOME.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZlS5o6hbk2LLDkPrMO1m47AlXFr2SQNiMgDR3706VwzoCLbwbnR2HfUr8lCrxhnMxNo9otltuANILpnMzScrUOxyAoJmoKOGDX2e8wlxoEnue3RFpcV0_CwgdKtHBP6rpqcTdtHGjp_H/s1600/IMG_8940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZlS5o6hbk2LLDkPrMO1m47AlXFr2SQNiMgDR3706VwzoCLbwbnR2HfUr8lCrxhnMxNo9otltuANILpnMzScrUOxyAoJmoKOGDX2e8wlxoEnue3RFpcV0_CwgdKtHBP6rpqcTdtHGjp_H/s400/IMG_8940.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sash, undergarments, hair and<br />ATTITUDE make all the difference.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sometimes a few tweaks are all it takes to turn a disaster into a success. Sometimes it takes a while to move past perceived shortcomings. Sometimes you've got to just let it go.<br />
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And sometimes you just need really fucking awesome hair. The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-79334101737557671892016-03-10T10:00:00.000-08:002016-03-10T10:00:01.643-08:00Romantic Era ConfectionsBig floofy sleeves? Check. Sari fabric? Check.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyfgeX9kNNEKjaalMx2O1IqO-4Fwiiwij1zm4BiY8XbZ13a26SR_L5S8dpMElAU14872M9rVMbZHqHJRVFFsas3g6oYBZXITEhARosOiPsDOo6NLSIprZzqnLxWqxE8T-AA_qyjUzANsv/s1600/IMG_6038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyfgeX9kNNEKjaalMx2O1IqO-4Fwiiwij1zm4BiY8XbZ13a26SR_L5S8dpMElAU14872M9rVMbZHqHJRVFFsas3g6oYBZXITEhARosOiPsDOo6NLSIprZzqnLxWqxE8T-AA_qyjUzANsv/s400/IMG_6038.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even though sewing errors doomed my attempt to finish the 1890s dress in time for last weekend's ball, I still wanted to go. Trouble is, I didn't have anything from the later end of the Victorian spectrum, so I decided to dig out something from the closet that was similar to what I'd been working on (sari fabric! giant sleeves!) only from the <i>opposite</i> end of the Victorian era. It's a good thing PEERS isn't overly picky about sticking to the costuming theme!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R8shB9yiPdJugjfRhCrPtcC2eFVohvP4bDLRma8CvwxKPzeaQH-Vp_k3mYjGZmjkci8GPrKKwfbrToS3WHqeB6RGqlOWYKd36wK5le2gnPt1jU6i31XSKVpxoo9bpWfF03KU8HlctERa/s1600/Sari+Embroidery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R8shB9yiPdJugjfRhCrPtcC2eFVohvP4bDLRma8CvwxKPzeaQH-Vp_k3mYjGZmjkci8GPrKKwfbrToS3WHqeB6RGqlOWYKd36wK5le2gnPt1jU6i31XSKVpxoo9bpWfF03KU8HlctERa/s400/Sari+Embroidery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Remember <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2014/04/all-that-glitters.html" target="_blank">this old pink romantic thing</a> from two years ago? Turns out that it was such a rush job, I never showed you what it looked like after I finished it! I originally threw it together in a week, and it shows. While it will never be anywhere near decent quality, I was able to patch it back together enough for another outing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEapj2FY0FsZ3GlxwUg65aIfienPA6uChwPpu_o3NXdmVZQOtG3dZvymDlvU-uE9ke5anU-SGJZUnTL3sK4fNlYEDcJNXvRPACLnaWtTqBBXyQ7MEl3gvVjOHWyMrZA4qi-_s_xz-CfuOi/s1600/Pleated+Sleeve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEapj2FY0FsZ3GlxwUg65aIfienPA6uChwPpu_o3NXdmVZQOtG3dZvymDlvU-uE9ke5anU-SGJZUnTL3sK4fNlYEDcJNXvRPACLnaWtTqBBXyQ7MEl3gvVjOHWyMrZA4qi-_s_xz-CfuOi/s400/Pleated+Sleeve.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They look great before you try to move in them...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The fancy pleated sleeves were one of my early (failed) experiments to recreate those glorious origami confections from <a href="http://collections.lacma.org/node/214648" target="_blank">that pink romantic era LACMA dress</a> we know and love. These days (and many, many iterations later) I'm much closer to a viable repro sleeve, but at the time this was as close as I could get. They're not full enough, they collapse and pull weirdly, and there's some funkiness with the shape of the underarm portion, but unless you've got your nose in my armpit they look decent for a first wearable try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5QdeXhXyucVsix6JNcQuZnqBYqKw1N3H6pfZrS0kqCzd0CZCZHd9w0B2RsoJpD_5AUbFTWwRurTubVhchsOzVX80ulBBgSTzl15J_oRe6YG9GJvJIzGldi1hrXtEvZLTxqUwsD64lhb8/s1600/Pink+Dress+on+Dummy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5QdeXhXyucVsix6JNcQuZnqBYqKw1N3H6pfZrS0kqCzd0CZCZHd9w0B2RsoJpD_5AUbFTWwRurTubVhchsOzVX80ulBBgSTzl15J_oRe6YG9GJvJIzGldi1hrXtEvZLTxqUwsD64lhb8/s400/Pink+Dress+on+Dummy.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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Of course, the damn things ripped right out at the underarm during the original wearing, so I sewed in some hasty gussets to give me a little more range of motion. I also mended some other tears, tacked down some bits that never got properly sewed in the first place, and patched the areas where the fabric had frayed so much it had disintegrated.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlV3dnbTNwcXPR2XV0c3-z1AO0NS2xOvcvFFuQb0Lxr8hvwmnJxOaKBV_qT_XJPl058LxPJ2PNc3qJIaQX0GrN2vvN6jqiUAfig1XsZo9D4i8taUgYGR_jQrK0bYKy0NMtsUVq4zFwcqU/s1600/IMG_6034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlV3dnbTNwcXPR2XV0c3-z1AO0NS2xOvcvFFuQb0Lxr8hvwmnJxOaKBV_qT_XJPl058LxPJ2PNc3qJIaQX0GrN2vvN6jqiUAfig1XsZo9D4i8taUgYGR_jQrK0bYKy0NMtsUVq4zFwcqU/s400/IMG_6034.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By range of motion, I mean my right arm can<br />go about two inches higher that this, tops.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I added a silver silk taffeta sash and bow- something that the original outfit sorely lacked. For whatever reason, the sash takes it from eh-just-some-random-nonspecific-fancy-dress to 1830's hell YEAH.<br />
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While the pink dress is fun to wear but is still a bit of a hot mess even with repairs, my hair game for the ball was SPOT ON.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4WsOHNSaFMyLT20_1bDxrFlgOMH5i2sAmvahbXPz2BiPY_RZyZFKtmUsPUhrOyar23UroQ8e6-8RSZjeMA5SczYy-CBhes2v5KQo35j93ptUeWqopdYQ2Qz7eeH0jg9Wbs031VxbS4pS/s1600/Romantic+Era+hair+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4WsOHNSaFMyLT20_1bDxrFlgOMH5i2sAmvahbXPz2BiPY_RZyZFKtmUsPUhrOyar23UroQ8e6-8RSZjeMA5SczYy-CBhes2v5KQo35j93ptUeWqopdYQ2Qz7eeH0jg9Wbs031VxbS4pS/s320/Romantic+Era+hair+back.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the end of night somewhat squashed<br />version, and it is still EPIC.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Mind you, just before I started my hair, a big storm blew out our power. <i>This was all done by the light of a camp lantern!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp2eahpvRfAFu67ptDVOMGBB9CCZLO_Y2cbb4SdO6scCSMfisqi3lDPuAymbawckrvm6KgyC9yJKIhBKxsZJeLyadBpRhYr7kP_reZBr6qzzzxsSbJ2s8aG2hglddhAWFqszkBZbzboSe/s1600/Apollo+knots+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp2eahpvRfAFu67ptDVOMGBB9CCZLO_Y2cbb4SdO6scCSMfisqi3lDPuAymbawckrvm6KgyC9yJKIhBKxsZJeLyadBpRhYr7kP_reZBr6qzzzxsSbJ2s8aG2hglddhAWFqszkBZbzboSe/s400/Apollo+knots+side.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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To make it even more challenging, I had to find a way to take this towering monstrosity through ferocious rain and wind to get from the house to the car, and car to the venue. The paper bag I used as a shield wasn't quite up to the task, but my hair made it mostly safe and sound. Shoes, not so much...<br />
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My front curly sections were quite high and bouncy to start, but after wind, rain, and hours of dancing and sweating, they lost their buoyancy. After the ball I experimented and discovered that I could pin up the bottom-most tails to revive the original look, so that's something I'll keep in mind for next time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg057ytaPqGFhwozFYU0BELdcfYm_HdaP9WdC43zbttGw0JQO8t2EKrPo8A5CXE7N3qhEvQ-aLsmXLqki7EuATyuIgKSdz5TM8w5cYGJ5LISD1B6m-z7eFb_MC_BR6d8PHc6nAboDIPaFyR/s1600/Romantic+Era+Hair+Front+Long.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg057ytaPqGFhwozFYU0BELdcfYm_HdaP9WdC43zbttGw0JQO8t2EKrPo8A5CXE7N3qhEvQ-aLsmXLqki7EuATyuIgKSdz5TM8w5cYGJ5LISD1B6m-z7eFb_MC_BR6d8PHc6nAboDIPaFyR/s400/Romantic+Era+Hair+Front+Long.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad, floof-less curls by the end of the evening.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TvyMMQe5ATzxd-C9764us5WxeaRywPQVWipD3GOnlIyUr5IX-438ywaQc7OmISdijwniqbFnNHC0GnGTxNA8aAuTsRo0jIKexqbtF8RnklZvaadSo0gl5kJibz5lC0TypTwcXc3apZal/s1600/Romantic+Era+Hair+Front+Short.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TvyMMQe5ATzxd-C9764us5WxeaRywPQVWipD3GOnlIyUr5IX-438ywaQc7OmISdijwniqbFnNHC0GnGTxNA8aAuTsRo0jIKexqbtF8RnklZvaadSo0gl5kJibz5lC0TypTwcXc3apZal/s400/Romantic+Era+Hair+Front+Short.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floof revived!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All in all, the dress was a sparkly, fun bit of nonsense to wear again, the hair was a great conversation piece, and the night was a success. I love the ridiculous 1830's, so you'll be sure to see more floofy sleeves here in the future!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-jaHGnJj4ya48Fyk_9lVWCFSwKYtYlJByR3aL4Sjn1FZwhdSNlrW5i6TJ_emAB78ZcvPinR-CuE85YLm5nFNMr09Hok4-txSfsqvMa9NmyiqegwfA_uCpQou9w_92dfycYFah4zf4nrg/s1600/1+Trio+of+lobsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-jaHGnJj4ya48Fyk_9lVWCFSwKYtYlJByR3aL4Sjn1FZwhdSNlrW5i6TJ_emAB78ZcvPinR-CuE85YLm5nFNMr09Hok4-txSfsqvMa9NmyiqegwfA_uCpQou9w_92dfycYFah4zf4nrg/s320/1+Trio+of+lobsters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One last thing before I bail- I've got <a href="http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/victorian/victorian-general/958-lobster-tail-bustle-pattern-how-to" target="_blank">another bustle article</a> up at Your Wardrobe Unlocked, and this one comes with <b>a free pattern</b>! It's a <a href="http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/victorian/victorian-general/958-lobster-tail-bustle-pattern-how-to" target="_blank">complete how-to on making a lobster tail bustle</a> with removable bones. Even better, the pattern is not just multi-sized, it's also designed to let you swap out the bustle pattern piece so that you can go bigger or smaller as needed. Go have a look!<br />
<br />The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-15970782474637415792016-03-03T19:31:00.000-08:002016-03-03T19:31:10.567-08:00Don't sew after midnight<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-hlm0oCtucCE6G0do1L6P5KKQiY2kEDOy5AEBruQpqHmf_KAyVin4AgFlfO3CnYJd8M6MhUIhyphenhyphenAgAEc9t7HFbWOoLTZ2wgMniliPDPKIAOXWrAPkPle6A9aY49SQQO-PzQ6RUvpoYXKT/s1600/Skirt+Fail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-hlm0oCtucCE6G0do1L6P5KKQiY2kEDOy5AEBruQpqHmf_KAyVin4AgFlfO3CnYJd8M6MhUIhyphenhyphenAgAEc9t7HFbWOoLTZ2wgMniliPDPKIAOXWrAPkPle6A9aY49SQQO-PzQ6RUvpoYXKT/s400/Skirt+Fail.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the mistake?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp-cefh8pNaA3ttFBD_lcQCrSdMl-kTGmJ_q-C05oHktPjuA76aASW7zBVN3TQMc0VHv7J-F8U4rfy3za8Y9_yNQOHp2kggIerkGE8Ih11W-MH6jkGLIUb0NsynjTiqJ7jTXT4Y_ZWO-h/s1600/Facing+fail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKp-cefh8pNaA3ttFBD_lcQCrSdMl-kTGmJ_q-C05oHktPjuA76aASW7zBVN3TQMc0VHv7J-F8U4rfy3za8Y9_yNQOHp2kggIerkGE8Ih11W-MH6jkGLIUb0NsynjTiqJ7jTXT4Y_ZWO-h/s320/Facing+fail.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How about now?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Yeah, that's my combo facing/hem support pinned <i>wrong sides to wrong sides</i> with the skirt. Sewed all the way around before realizing it. <br />
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I'm being an adult and allowing myself to let this one go for a few days. I will not completely drain myself struggling to finish the skirt and the as yet un-started bodice in the very little amount of time left before the ball. I'm going to have a nice bit of dinner, snuggle the cats, and watch a comedy or read a book.<br />
<br />
I will wear something else to <a href="http://www.peersdance.org/events.html" target="_blank">PEERS</a> on Saturday, and will not bemoan my lack of a train or ginormous poofy sleeves. I'll tackle the gown again starting Monday, and will have time to finish it at a far more leisurely pace before the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/403478439827448/" target="_blank">Rite of Spring Ball</a>.<br />
<br />
This is progress, yes?The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-54279390661260159052016-03-02T11:00:00.000-08:002016-03-02T11:00:20.832-08:00Trained Skirt in ProgressWhile I finished my petticoat, you'll have to wait till the weekend to see it as I've gotten completely sideswiped by another large, last minute project! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislHpfQDpyB48_MAD13jZRYPTw9HXRqwMEdzp6hl0kuPCfzM4LwsFU6Xpu3QXVrc-NOlzKg-iOPDaCbfiqTwAdjKDRdc_-uplFBMkgns-nfJ7ri7ZoYmsOQ11LhsUAeu-Qplf8oQgrPfEM/s1600/trained+skirt+with+overlay+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislHpfQDpyB48_MAD13jZRYPTw9HXRqwMEdzp6hl0kuPCfzM4LwsFU6Xpu3QXVrc-NOlzKg-iOPDaCbfiqTwAdjKDRdc_-uplFBMkgns-nfJ7ri7ZoYmsOQ11LhsUAeu-Qplf8oQgrPfEM/s400/trained+skirt+with+overlay+in+progress.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quality control by Kitteh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've only squeaked out this quick break to post because I'm waiting for the fray check vapors to clear out of the sewing room. (There's a reason they card you when you buy that stuff!) With luck, I'll have this dress finished for the <a href="http://www.peersdance.org/events.html" target="_blank">PEERS Ball</a> this weekend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GA6p3FreHt5y8vfFGJBieUypYAlYScvPtDMjWX-Syybuu50VOliti3bo-OuM7Q2pkWeFlEpU3C0a5oVd08novnb-qtpQTjPkf1QOYnQyS5akUpGY46aY9T5ipd_IwLMJqAwG-74zlrci/s1600/Trained+skirt+piece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GA6p3FreHt5y8vfFGJBieUypYAlYScvPtDMjWX-Syybuu50VOliti3bo-OuM7Q2pkWeFlEpU3C0a5oVd08novnb-qtpQTjPkf1QOYnQyS5akUpGY46aY9T5ipd_IwLMJqAwG-74zlrci/s400/Trained+skirt+piece.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Until then, I've only got a few teaser photos of the skirt and its overlay (another sari, who would have guessed?) in progress. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCCeYLfvh9uKH8bkk149y485RjUPPXaaBkxYZ2wCfp3SgJcH2gzbDHQkVhyphenhyphendOptaiIM-SBTzEPjYaFt98nf2nfRsugZqcr3Yh9KJbOBLPMIrEIgBjFbBpWHeo8VK1xRCUbpuTYnTkJfWQ/s1600/Trained+skirt+trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCCeYLfvh9uKH8bkk149y485RjUPPXaaBkxYZ2wCfp3SgJcH2gzbDHQkVhyphenhyphendOptaiIM-SBTzEPjYaFt98nf2nfRsugZqcr3Yh9KJbOBLPMIrEIgBjFbBpWHeo8VK1xRCUbpuTYnTkJfWQ/s400/Trained+skirt+trim.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Square peg, meet round hole</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We'll see if I finish the whole shebang on time, or if the fray check does me in first.The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-64451772711648226302016-02-07T10:44:00.001-08:002016-02-07T10:44:40.373-08:00Every Day I'm Bustling2016 is already shaping up to be FAR more productive than the previous year. If I haven't posted here much yet, it's because I've been busy making SO. MANY. BUSTLES. for a <a href="http://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel" target="_blank">Your Wardrobe Unlocked</a> article.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAV-LQbrcNE2c-HXlxJXbujauzwTzat7Ek73v4Bir8yjiXm8LVrmfFkU3vouKoK7ey8PNyIow3ll3J6dpN8fFdcoqtSG7p9BN7mGp2feea_ICXPSHUWpy2lKsFynUuL6IbWgoGqXmVPYq/s1600/28+Tea+Tray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAV-LQbrcNE2c-HXlxJXbujauzwTzat7Ek73v4Bir8yjiXm8LVrmfFkU3vouKoK7ey8PNyIow3ll3J6dpN8fFdcoqtSG7p9BN7mGp2feea_ICXPSHUWpy2lKsFynUuL6IbWgoGqXmVPYq/s320/28+Tea+Tray.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now including combination bustle/tea service</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you want to break out of the lobster tail mold, or just see what your other options for increasing the square footage of your rear end are, <a href="http://www.yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/victorian/victorian-general/944-bustles-bustles-and-more-bustles" target="_blank">go have a look</a>! I've constructed 6 unique bustles in order to contrast and compare size, shape and wearability, among other things. Included is this fabulous monstrosity-<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8yLYpBIn1khlMQ5ZzcchIJ0h1XGvVaPleIEzd4ZF8Y7G4GFn7Z4IrG5Dn0WWkxABaWNKo_CGxPTQKquC8H-5qToCHYVCo8sxHHkpCuCpt8jFaOlIDBEigjNKxwNNoZHv-yvrmIXpCgL5/s1600/Lotta+Bustle+Recreation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid8yLYpBIn1khlMQ5ZzcchIJ0h1XGvVaPleIEzd4ZF8Y7G4GFn7Z4IrG5Dn0WWkxABaWNKo_CGxPTQKquC8H-5qToCHYVCo8sxHHkpCuCpt8jFaOlIDBEigjNKxwNNoZHv-yvrmIXpCgL5/s320/Lotta+Bustle+Recreation.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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Have a gander, and I'll see you here next week for some petticoats to cover up all that glorious badonk-a-donk.The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-51283727236080925232016-01-02T17:21:00.000-08:002016-01-03T00:30:33.420-08:00The 2015 That Wasn'tThis is literally everything I managed to complete in 2015 (it ain't much)-<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuxkccr77VdD4R9GKsHlndb6HMK5uookrvjrmx17ObeFZVrD2aiCUAbVG-LfpQanmGRE23IqEr4E_CiKAXv1jvGWeGqKAXyvv9y-BFxFz3ZArq1q_hz9pLGFXM1wyA_XbN_fLpIwuDNkf/s1600/1920s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAuxkccr77VdD4R9GKsHlndb6HMK5uookrvjrmx17ObeFZVrD2aiCUAbVG-LfpQanmGRE23IqEr4E_CiKAXv1jvGWeGqKAXyvv9y-BFxFz3ZArq1q_hz9pLGFXM1wyA_XbN_fLpIwuDNkf/s320/1920s.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "1-hour" (hahahahahhaha) 1920s dress that was so<br />
awful, I have no photos from the shoulders down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_W-8Artwf8VQN4Z-7QNE_akPdaySe_ZvlXGsmlhbZogHAllNpfm9GflvQAK0Ui1ivDlwngDfegc5pq80zM2erc5g-Eiru5zFcfFPpHFoiBXfRjFXYntc_56LFre58KVJE1JJWWVTW4uM/s320/Red+steampunk+corset.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marsh Corset worn steampunked out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZVxytn0TYOQA3Pq9G5W46my6YYeLIyMD07hA8gV8VmSAgUjP0Alr0bpkdBjz3D2sW4RIcRtCcD67gM_KX9uJBpNg2CbvN3195xbOCgTCLZSp1B3nzOZ1_iyRhl6olgmwLG9z3uCZXFeY/s1600/Gold+corset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZVxytn0TYOQA3Pq9G5W46my6YYeLIyMD07hA8gV8VmSAgUjP0Alr0bpkdBjz3D2sW4RIcRtCcD67gM_KX9uJBpNg2CbvN3195xbOCgTCLZSp1B3nzOZ1_iyRhl6olgmwLG9z3uCZXFeY/s320/Gold+corset.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remake of the Marsh pattern with added 3rd<br />
bust gore, more hip room and revamped back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ENpxmBMlKq80LTwZKa2npDmWj8YrgnVGYTEKUYRaTAS-4BiB0TT1N0GYlhrlYndlIskj364MtonMZC17-ZTg55zuV12Np8XTN5IkWoPuue49OltT0CFBkhLx-Utuw7R1s7ppFJwyLeZ3/s1600/Misers+purse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ENpxmBMlKq80LTwZKa2npDmWj8YrgnVGYTEKUYRaTAS-4BiB0TT1N0GYlhrlYndlIskj364MtonMZC17-ZTg55zuV12Np8XTN5IkWoPuue49OltT0CFBkhLx-Utuw7R1s7ppFJwyLeZ3/s320/Misers+purse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crocheted miser's purse. That only took two or three years...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaAhaOjtK1J_UuHIL6Di-oP8Fb2g1mXmFBL6wyQWOOApYMiMqO5BrcyOt-3oS9yYiG7R1Eaeqd9A-SLPiTS9hGjToSwwx56oN-XIwe-FqUN7RxLLLLHx5LCQ1L99HgDxUMh7UC_U0TDEZ/s1600/Whales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaAhaOjtK1J_UuHIL6Di-oP8Fb2g1mXmFBL6wyQWOOApYMiMqO5BrcyOt-3oS9yYiG7R1Eaeqd9A-SLPiTS9hGjToSwwx56oN-XIwe-FqUN7RxLLLLHx5LCQ1L99HgDxUMh7UC_U0TDEZ/s320/Whales.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuffed whales for nephew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDQw2FdQHjaQpeusilliPJaFpzqjghbXZhG2GDwcFZlR2PsbA8ne4zTwfDkSluUtBL4faiMYSgr6HZzs_Q43RyaBjrZgII71LUmkMNKYqKcGv1WljUy6PagMLCNe8KGXTWlsv2ne4UTYe/s1600/Spoonflower+Skirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDQw2FdQHjaQpeusilliPJaFpzqjghbXZhG2GDwcFZlR2PsbA8ne4zTwfDkSluUtBL4faiMYSgr6HZzs_Q43RyaBjrZgII71LUmkMNKYqKcGv1WljUy6PagMLCNe8KGXTWlsv2ne4UTYe/s320/Spoonflower+Skirt.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spoonflower pleated skirt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1a5GiOG-dC4p8Fny4rFjYE4b-qJaPuiC5j8w2dvaMpWh55Na7j6UKIg9iPM9mbvms8rwxdyDm85Z1eiYDyVRi0rNH_ghxuP_gLyKCp0ORUftY693aorkkHDnGAjlrHOq7BpnWSFSueo1/s1600/Lattice+bodice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1a5GiOG-dC4p8Fny4rFjYE4b-qJaPuiC5j8w2dvaMpWh55Na7j6UKIg9iPM9mbvms8rwxdyDm85Z1eiYDyVRi0rNH_ghxuP_gLyKCp0ORUftY693aorkkHDnGAjlrHOq7BpnWSFSueo1/s320/Lattice+bodice.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Redo of the lattice gown bodice; TBD a third<br />
time because I don't like how it turned out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ezMFfHZ09Zj63RonjpvjQoWM9OMoQaS2umbpqQly15Uzll7E8H9lqpE1WIiAmlPZqJWDlhG2WabgCFWxWh8ekv9aXb-wjt8kidI2ripaEddezoVPTYi0dQ3cHvcY-tCzTAbmJNS_QsRo/s1600/Tiered+ball+gown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ezMFfHZ09Zj63RonjpvjQoWM9OMoQaS2umbpqQly15Uzll7E8H9lqpE1WIiAmlPZqJWDlhG2WabgCFWxWh8ekv9aXb-wjt8kidI2ripaEddezoVPTYi0dQ3cHvcY-tCzTAbmJNS_QsRo/s320/Tiered+ball+gown.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reconstructed the ugly ass day bodice<br />
from the Polka Dot Dress into an evening<br />
bodice; still unfinished but it's wearable!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-pJMObrNOzlAPO2Je2D1Ev_w90tFjeeX7m3qdOBWfTHBHVgvgKa_CYi87yWhN8IPvC0GCH6_ZcS01zsKUCBkXJTmRsUVk7txpD6yWfRxJy6PjmfMAyG8o_HOh_uivhdQqBvho3OXxN2O/s200/Tree+skirt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skirt for the Christmas tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And fully half of those were items started or remade from previous years. 2016, we have to do better.The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-74614351303391595562015-05-03T20:31:00.001-07:002015-05-03T20:31:44.149-07:00Lattice Gown Revisited<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoFkTVRpWH_UZmTPSmhfvulr-99A7mQ3E5wfKWnU0lUadEt4osPl-PEpTBn0BFfLNg06FwUb6mw03heHOqbbJbX-Ay8vL7x_pFc8tLC7jA6z6K-FW2QzzKT1lqr4sZdVF3nGHzpYBqWZ1/s1600/latticefront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoFkTVRpWH_UZmTPSmhfvulr-99A7mQ3E5wfKWnU0lUadEt4osPl-PEpTBn0BFfLNg06FwUb6mw03heHOqbbJbX-Ay8vL7x_pFc8tLC7jA6z6K-FW2QzzKT1lqr4sZdVF3nGHzpYBqWZ1/s1600/latticefront.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remember this old thing?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
After 6 years (and a lot of butter, bread and cookies) the bodice to the Lattice Gown doesn't quite fit anymore. I have a little bit of each of the original fabrics squirreled away, and with very careful design and perhaps some piecing, it might be possible to make a new one. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wxXoaOK5-wfZyLIEN20FPEk924hKCPeBrb_RK0h2BfomEmPMPsgnCmiK5abYxAb3kEwpjLOWluGSz1_9TmXvGYqYyPpmr2kYFXNXZjrsrFwszyIL4c9Kc6xBlY5sKnYLoR0ePvtmoGtE/s1600/Lattice+Wide+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wxXoaOK5-wfZyLIEN20FPEk924hKCPeBrb_RK0h2BfomEmPMPsgnCmiK5abYxAb3kEwpjLOWluGSz1_9TmXvGYqYyPpmr2kYFXNXZjrsrFwszyIL4c9Kc6xBlY5sKnYLoR0ePvtmoGtE/s1600/Lattice+Wide+View.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Question is, what should the new bodice look like? Should the lattice
design from the skirt be echoed in the top? Where, and how? Should it
include the evil gauze of evil? <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SA8kciJYQrG3pyi43lKKAYin0enIaUWAClEX_5C8V4rIVdOrppoz6BJXHMFU5nseTRR7a3EEGPGbrGDuuBMHyHiI-8MjuUgrIJ1Niy5KmLNUQ69_BsN3TBBEt8wLOtV18pNnVsd5uTbA/s1600/Lattice+inspire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SA8kciJYQrG3pyi43lKKAYin0enIaUWAClEX_5C8V4rIVdOrppoz6BJXHMFU5nseTRR7a3EEGPGbrGDuuBMHyHiI-8MjuUgrIJ1Niy5KmLNUQ69_BsN3TBBEt8wLOtV18pNnVsd5uTbA/s1600/Lattice+inspire.jpg" height="400" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fashion plate I based my skirt on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The original fashion plate that inspired my skirt (above) has the latticework across the bertha of the bodice. It didn't strike me as something I liked at the time, but now... maybe?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1JRG2yn00diNEFyk7k3eAGwxG1aW5ShBYT_C040G4t4Qwwg0DMMhB4mhkGCoUa_nvp6vLWNH8HBBAl5KaLaqhq-MML3SnxwDVgQLNRortmpoVTN1DnueONZgRej47QGEPnMROQ1nybFM/s1600/Green+Laced+Romantic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1JRG2yn00diNEFyk7k3eAGwxG1aW5ShBYT_C040G4t4Qwwg0DMMhB4mhkGCoUa_nvp6vLWNH8HBBAl5KaLaqhq-MML3SnxwDVgQLNRortmpoVTN1DnueONZgRej47QGEPnMROQ1nybFM/s1600/Green+Laced+Romantic.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October fashions, 1837 France,<br />Journal des Dames et des Modes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I found this green dress while researching for my <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2014/04/all-that-glitters.html" target="_blank">Romantic Era Gown</a>. I like the idea of a relatively simple lattice front, though the sleeves are too early era for my elliptically-shaped skirt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-NsSaoP2ftMqk_fad5qof8CFHV_D0j_PoHmc1BOq8I34DjEx2SGSTm2WW59ALptBSqud6K33nZ4V8QGg2FvDxw3zvMQWGXOMxEwf9HDuo7xc0qNLhLF6pPbdmmL3fzXOTy8qz_okl2aQ/s1600/Lattice+redo+idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-NsSaoP2ftMqk_fad5qof8CFHV_D0j_PoHmc1BOq8I34DjEx2SGSTm2WW59ALptBSqud6K33nZ4V8QGg2FvDxw3zvMQWGXOMxEwf9HDuo7xc0qNLhLF6pPbdmmL3fzXOTy8qz_okl2aQ/s1600/Lattice+redo+idea.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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I might split the difference between the green romantic dress and this one. I'm not digging the tassels, but the shape and design is well within the right era, and I like the look of the lattice work.The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-36079224707354196072015-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:002015-04-27T15:08:40.046-07:00Reveal: This is Pure Insanity<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwB5k9WRJudRiAIDA24JvkbBnZKPEQI8ezaocGnLmdiYdD8kLobmjX8mxQup0VVdM3lz_zbpuvzI3GnIsj7qKF-hhQe4YRuV02vgShn00P5Q-lPxdT3-IYdQEOG292X63GEcB646TZ7PXS/s1600/Fabrics+with+Luna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwB5k9WRJudRiAIDA24JvkbBnZKPEQI8ezaocGnLmdiYdD8kLobmjX8mxQup0VVdM3lz_zbpuvzI3GnIsj7qKF-hhQe4YRuV02vgShn00P5Q-lPxdT3-IYdQEOG292X63GEcB646TZ7PXS/s1600/Fabrics+with+Luna.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luna approves of the current fabric selection.</td></tr>
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Remember the circular ruffle tester I posted last week as a teaser? Well, there are a LOT MORE of those ruffles in my future, because my crazy ass decided to replicate the Cinderella gown from the live action film! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8lWt2TIJQwd88lWRf_elpvLeqVWDiRP2j7JPcfPGV8xHwgNiqIsH11SLfJsGWC-bW-vHXuJwV7xpl1RMjY3p-awrYNqVnt9x8C_HjG-cEwhsEYunXP5LioAuCndKkguUAkfUEim8dYJo/s1600/Cinderella+2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8lWt2TIJQwd88lWRf_elpvLeqVWDiRP2j7JPcfPGV8xHwgNiqIsH11SLfJsGWC-bW-vHXuJwV7xpl1RMjY3p-awrYNqVnt9x8C_HjG-cEwhsEYunXP5LioAuCndKkguUAkfUEim8dYJo/s1600/Cinderella+2015.png" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, that one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This is an enormous undertaking. I've spent the last few weeks <s>researching</s> obsessing over how the dress was made, and I'm determined to get as close as I can to the original (well, without spending $200+ <i>per freakin' yard</i> to get the exact fabrics). I've already bought about 90 yards of fabric, and I've my eye on another 60 yards, at minimum. Estimates put the original dress at 270 yards total, so even that is short of the mark!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYuZYszOHK0jqqNSjyeOh5B_ABJyaG37ynx5cXVGiVQp7Kjf-CL4l10m966c7GzGLtDADk6F9dSqL6WM_KyObd6xyRo3HZN1MCDeZ3r4NPIwpaEmQMCWz6FQPxGo__z-4DKetOqapNSPg/s1600/Dye+Experiments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYuZYszOHK0jqqNSjyeOh5B_ABJyaG37ynx5cXVGiVQp7Kjf-CL4l10m966c7GzGLtDADk6F9dSqL6WM_KyObd6xyRo3HZN1MCDeZ3r4NPIwpaEmQMCWz6FQPxGo__z-4DKetOqapNSPg/s1600/Dye+Experiments.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've already started experimenting with dyes and different fabrics, and have<br />
had some interesting surprises along the way. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've already got a whole <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thelacedangel/cinderella/" target="_blank">Pinterest board of research and screencaps</a>, and I've gone a bit cross-eyed staring at any photo that shows the under structure of the dress. Of course, I'll be sharing all the trials and tribulations as I go here on the blog. I've already learned a few new techniques, and I can only imagine how many more I'll pick up along the way! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSqRa4DdAUKgdwN4T1QL-WBVwSKfPPRqlvgLdjPgD6KYibk2GVfIN3O-7-uY2OgB8XxZxjp8ynnTrWpkZn8f1kf_ygvQFYHZ9r_cJDCwewNQpe_29tzu9zqIP_3f6W5qAltHNAMieyWzi/s1600/Layered+Fabrics+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSqRa4DdAUKgdwN4T1QL-WBVwSKfPPRqlvgLdjPgD6KYibk2GVfIN3O-7-uY2OgB8XxZxjp8ynnTrWpkZn8f1kf_ygvQFYHZ9r_cJDCwewNQpe_29tzu9zqIP_3f6W5qAltHNAMieyWzi/s1600/Layered+Fabrics+.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early experiments in blending fabrics are looking good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Speaking of crazy large projects, my friends/neighbors have an awesomely insane project of their own. They're opening a vintage clothing store/event space in Oakland, and they need help to make their dream come true! <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/877339113/overattired-vintage-fashion" target="_blank">Watch their awesome video, spread the news about the OverAttired Kickstarter, and donate if you can. </a><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/877339113/overattired-vintage-fashion/widget/video.html" width="640"> </iframe><br />
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<br />The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-72328613073990504402015-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:002015-04-20T08:00:06.788-07:00Teaser: Circular Ruffles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cHl4CaLpJfOZj_BYHxZnxLG0by_J8Q6zk_qYAphtodZDXmodORga4AuGyJFLFTwzK9z12z9UKD103Vw2KcPOPKreLRXif8b7-dEdabhOnJmCKcR1lGsZi1ex9kufuC-iZ8aXq8Mzgbjk/s1600/Circular+Ruffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cHl4CaLpJfOZj_BYHxZnxLG0by_J8Q6zk_qYAphtodZDXmodORga4AuGyJFLFTwzK9z12z9UKD103Vw2KcPOPKreLRXif8b7-dEdabhOnJmCKcR1lGsZi1ex9kufuC-iZ8aXq8Mzgbjk/s1600/Circular+Ruffles.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Care to guess what my next project is? Hint: this isn't the final color, this is just me testing ratios and techniques with the fabric I happened to have on hand. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4cxGyDc4i45IVaQ6h2daz495PiXACF6QQVJArCQHzKAumNy4F3qZUIli50YTwqEVXGTQF-qaiUMHmjGOKG0DVVd8OAsvupaEiIn9TohNNsrqoBTnBAC5lE2tWtErPK8ky6W6ndlmDBQw/s1600/Cutting+Circular+Ruffle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4cxGyDc4i45IVaQ6h2daz495PiXACF6QQVJArCQHzKAumNy4F3qZUIli50YTwqEVXGTQF-qaiUMHmjGOKG0DVVd8OAsvupaEiIn9TohNNsrqoBTnBAC5lE2tWtErPK8ky6W6ndlmDBQw/s1600/Cutting+Circular+Ruffle.jpg" height="370" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pHNX3zfLoS1LIo4GxAGpla0Ie_yopC_D8GVKy-iIvhJqqu5-LJX012_exX30W4DQRe1c3parq2SlObfX682qYw1-N80bq3kJ6six4lmsXomcQjA0xjgp5gfX-KgyRlrSGCmfD1IWX7me/s1600/Circular+Ruffles+From+Below.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pHNX3zfLoS1LIo4GxAGpla0Ie_yopC_D8GVKy-iIvhJqqu5-LJX012_exX30W4DQRe1c3parq2SlObfX682qYw1-N80bq3kJ6six4lmsXomcQjA0xjgp5gfX-KgyRlrSGCmfD1IWX7me/s1600/Circular+Ruffles+From+Below.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The material is silk organza, and there's fishing line running through the bottom edging to give it more oomph. This little tester is only 12" wide at the top, but the bottom hemline measures 100"! That's a LOT o' ruffle packed into a small space.<br />
<br />The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-23507463382352706552015-04-06T09:40:00.002-07:002015-08-06T16:40:59.744-07:00Completed Marsh CorsetWoohoo! The second article is published! I think the combo of leather and coutil turned out pretty great. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQs_Qfo1l2qbNIW8X_vRlVlHYwJKAPLwajvzwUC70DaXTBuu1N7bguvQ0ydgPrrl5pmNJhGLMK5ahyphenhyphensPiJDioF_h2IkQZT9aadEbgO4co8x065glFn85j7F5T27CRlKRMOIqltMGdCQ3v/s1600/27+Final+Three+Quarter+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQs_Qfo1l2qbNIW8X_vRlVlHYwJKAPLwajvzwUC70DaXTBuu1N7bguvQ0ydgPrrl5pmNJhGLMK5ahyphenhyphensPiJDioF_h2IkQZT9aadEbgO4co8x065glFn85j7F5T27CRlKRMOIqltMGdCQ3v/s1600/27+Final+Three+Quarter+View.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<br />
If you subscribe to Foundations Revealed, go take a look at the making of <a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/articles/corset-patterns/1870s-corset-patterns/601-1878-marsh-corset-part-2" target="_blank">the final 1878 Marsh Patent Corset</a>. If not, here's some of my favorite articles on the site; take a look and see if a subscription looks more interesting! (Some are viewable for free, others you'll need to subscribe to access). If you'd like to subscribe, please use my affiliate link <a href="http://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel/?i=2">here</a>!<br />
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Y&N Diagonally Seamed Corset, <a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/free-articles/163-yan-diagonal-seamed-corset" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/corsetry/corsetmaking/167-yan-diagonal-seamed-corset-2" target="_blank">Part 2 </a><br />
<a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/component/content/article/113-fitting-the-secret-skill-by-laura-loft?start=5" target="_blank">Laura's Jelly Fitting Method</a> (shows how to create realistic squishy boobs for your mannequin) <br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/corsetry/decoration/101-matching-stripes-in-corsetry-by-laurie-tavan" target="_blank">Matching Stripes in Corsetry</a> (Ah-MAZ-ing)<br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/articles/bra-making" target="_blank">A whole <i>series </i>of courses on bra making</a><br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/corsetry/corsetpatterns/350-cad-corsets-are-digitised" target="_blank">CAD: Corsets are Digitized </a><br />
<a href="http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/victorian/victorian-natural-form-1877-82/370-natural-form-era-hats-and-bonnets-from-modern-hats-by-lynn-mcmasters" target="_blank">Hats and Bonnets from Modern Hats</a><br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/free/beginner/74-draft-your-own-corset" target="_blank">Draft Your Own Corset Pattern </a>The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-18499911429074640592015-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:002015-08-06T16:42:52.755-07:001878 Marsh Corest PatentA few months ago, I responded to a post by Foundations Revealed asking for people to take on corset patent challenges. Last week, the <a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/articles/corset-patterns/1870s-corset-patterns/595-patent-challenge-1878-marsh-corset-part-1" target="_blank">first of my two articles on the 1878 Marsh Corset Patent</a> was published on their site!<br />
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It's subscription only, but I have been a member for years before I started writing for them and highly recommend it! In addition to weekly articles, you get access to their whole back catalog of articles; quite a steal. If you'd like to subscribe, please use my affiliate link to sign up- <a href="http://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel/?i=2">Foundation Revealed: The Corset Maker's Companion</a>.<br />
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Take a look and let me know what you think. I can't wait until part 2 goes live; I really like the way the final corset turned out and can't wait for everyone to see it!The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-27501696501959985652014-08-29T20:12:00.000-07:002014-08-29T20:12:00.876-07:00If You Must<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-54240307668379334632014-08-24T15:56:00.000-07:002014-08-24T15:56:49.704-07:00Orange Regency Sari Gown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNY69oXGvGH9pY1sKwCiSoSkT-iM0iymUowh-LwmjPhpybTmnHzdtK14VhNfSQRJNBJY_ad4eDJ-wwoJqTjEvI1CSPl2jnROWq8dCIwEE5RAd2CXhRhg4x6uhKvTtfti-U4Kipk7fchlg/s1600/Gown+Sitting+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNY69oXGvGH9pY1sKwCiSoSkT-iM0iymUowh-LwmjPhpybTmnHzdtK14VhNfSQRJNBJY_ad4eDJ-wwoJqTjEvI1CSPl2jnROWq8dCIwEE5RAd2CXhRhg4x6uhKvTtfti-U4Kipk7fchlg/s1600/Gown+Sitting+Side.jpg" height="400" width="221" /></a></div>
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I made and wore this last fall for Maggie's Regency wedding, but despite turning out well it's been hanging around unworn and unloved since then. I finally got the chance to pull it back out and give it another spin around the dance floor for Gaskells last weekend.<br />
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You might recall this beautiful cotton sari from one of my last <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2013/01/this-n-that.html" target="_blank">ebay sari buying binges</a>. The fabric is a beautiful cross weave of orange and wine threads, which gives it a subtle sheen that changes depending on the light. It's a bit odd to photograph, because the color comes out completely different in every shot! In person the color shift is much, much more subtle. It's covered in a small repeating block print, with a pretty floral border all along the bottom edge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAoNieZOd48k9y-nteoFsuFlqtcPYshFtKBd-_BVaClYaXnkvrURqQS3mIUp7UgFttbnJgJrDvFX0Dryh4cbbwvf8YD923w00csDicfG_3ifGi13fY95KpHNttofi5EppZxzvYXc8hE6F/s1600/Changeable+Cotton+Weave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAoNieZOd48k9y-nteoFsuFlqtcPYshFtKBd-_BVaClYaXnkvrURqQS3mIUp7UgFttbnJgJrDvFX0Dryh4cbbwvf8YD923w00csDicfG_3ifGi13fY95KpHNttofi5EppZxzvYXc8hE6F/s1600/Changeable+Cotton+Weave.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine colored warp threads and bright orange weft threads.</td></tr>
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Finding matching thread was a bit of a challenge. Which part of the fabric do you even attempt to match?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMXPCXhlmumJmHUnjO2hH7nAtd8Hv2HOM25IOodI1__RgaEsh3OHcBa7iCgU50vzXPRFiSB-FSGNIWx8LTG9SBz6502V7aR1X4Mlx15bQf5p2Z_AyOnBUKRJmdv_ZAviYpNymSI_ngJVp/s1600/Thread+colors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMXPCXhlmumJmHUnjO2hH7nAtd8Hv2HOM25IOodI1__RgaEsh3OHcBa7iCgU50vzXPRFiSB-FSGNIWx8LTG9SBz6502V7aR1X4Mlx15bQf5p2Z_AyOnBUKRJmdv_ZAviYpNymSI_ngJVp/s1600/Thread+colors.jpg" height="377" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The left thread matches the warp strands, the right one matches the weft,<br />and the middle seems to match the overall color mix the best.</td></tr>
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I settled on doing a fitted back with a gathered front and 3/4 sleeves. I dressed my Uniquely You in my stays and some rice boobs (<a href="http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/2012/07/v185-polonaise-jacket-of-doom-and-hell.html" target="_blank">a la Lauren's Bean Boobs</a>) and got to work draping. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUA2cII8i3m3VsKCOzRycr4eZyMh7svnl0XVpbozNpIG5a7LW7PNduY0RfwHJEK9JnMnBFhXprxup-0RV09VLiGlFuX10UdaMAoW4Yo8pJd9xshC8bUUrXQeyAWQLI-op47f-hvXVfnkW/s1600/Draping+Bodice+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUA2cII8i3m3VsKCOzRycr4eZyMh7svnl0XVpbozNpIG5a7LW7PNduY0RfwHJEK9JnMnBFhXprxup-0RV09VLiGlFuX10UdaMAoW4Yo8pJd9xshC8bUUrXQeyAWQLI-op47f-hvXVfnkW/s1600/Draping+Bodice+Side.jpg" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_o2-36PlNoG0yZV0GkqiWpz_4T43RZSosKyCgcq8fLtHMgNChYsGp_yHC6izZXaYZrdiAva11yw1T4blzIVMsAFVqxSQiGGBgEqZQk_yQgki16zrQdp5wNl-gf5bXNgXOgksI4gQ5bgP/s1600/Draping+the+bodice+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_o2-36PlNoG0yZV0GkqiWpz_4T43RZSosKyCgcq8fLtHMgNChYsGp_yHC6izZXaYZrdiAva11yw1T4blzIVMsAFVqxSQiGGBgEqZQk_yQgki16zrQdp5wNl-gf5bXNgXOgksI4gQ5bgP/s1600/Draping+the+bodice+front.jpg" height="263" width="320" /></a></div>
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I ended up with a fitted underlayer on the front of the bodice, with a second layer gathered over the top of it. All the pieces are on grain, with the exception of the side panel, which was cut on the bias.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUR0hYBKR8opplozodpB_QoOE5Rn5v5pfhhp3oYvffZRr9laTh4gmlGlA2kjVbrY6fPxP7LkjP2IhuV7GNKcV1VDyYxXEhYL4a3E2gFmRlJbvVQWJ7PfRfdfKnHRBRXSLHrR2CQSWCzuK/s1600/Mock+up+at+3am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUR0hYBKR8opplozodpB_QoOE5Rn5v5pfhhp3oYvffZRr9laTh4gmlGlA2kjVbrY6fPxP7LkjP2IhuV7GNKcV1VDyYxXEhYL4a3E2gFmRlJbvVQWJ7PfRfdfKnHRBRXSLHrR2CQSWCzuK/s1600/Mock+up+at+3am.jpg" height="400" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late night mock ups are no fun for anyone.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_E7WKHPxve5JnX54JjcfNGZ5y-IL7JLxAXgl8SBnEnv8i2tQFz0GjgyfxRiVnJMDLchprz78phTWzAWH_eOPLsZeC8TamfHuCLUjGg3HXn4nj60pfkTrp50c27cxxC0kMAH3MX1YIkjX/s1600/Bodice+Fitting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_E7WKHPxve5JnX54JjcfNGZ5y-IL7JLxAXgl8SBnEnv8i2tQFz0GjgyfxRiVnJMDLchprz78phTWzAWH_eOPLsZeC8TamfHuCLUjGg3HXn4nj60pfkTrp50c27cxxC0kMAH3MX1YIkjX/s1600/Bodice+Fitting.jpg" height="400" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No idea why the front is longer here. Pretty sure it got chopped off later.</td></tr>
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I knew I wanted to use the border for the lower edge of the skirt, and for the bottom sleeve edge if possible too. Besides looking pretty, doing so allowed me to use the selvedge edge at those spots, saving me from having to hem all that nonsense. That was an excellent bonus feature since I was on a major time crunch to get outfits done for both Curtis and I in time for the wedding! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ao5ur5sTzewI6h8-UAIfvz6gTi_mR5SI8y9YLCczFhYRVQSmO6nM7_xGfmZpqN2jv0SSZhF-Uf5JTfnT3HdPGGbLoDeOf-TRH1iHpgzxkBX0uthAV8L12RdhCrT8-TZ_QjfK4DG3l7F9/s1600/Cutting+Sleeve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ao5ur5sTzewI6h8-UAIfvz6gTi_mR5SI8y9YLCczFhYRVQSmO6nM7_xGfmZpqN2jv0SSZhF-Uf5JTfnT3HdPGGbLoDeOf-TRH1iHpgzxkBX0uthAV8L12RdhCrT8-TZ_QjfK4DG3l7F9/s1600/Cutting+Sleeve.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making use of that border and the selvedge edge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_4eO6YoUIeEUvxH9jmYKHFf1CxEy3CdP0Uo3scE8W8hcqrtkxonvlUN0fxJWra0XqEBIh5vJldy3I3h9A8PYGj3o_JkqmVk6WASpPUIAlWwwUfapWf6X7HigNHhew2XTbbv2UaxAgzbL/s1600/Fitting+without+sleeves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_4eO6YoUIeEUvxH9jmYKHFf1CxEy3CdP0Uo3scE8W8hcqrtkxonvlUN0fxJWra0XqEBIh5vJldy3I3h9A8PYGj3o_JkqmVk6WASpPUIAlWwwUfapWf6X7HigNHhew2XTbbv2UaxAgzbL/s1600/Fitting+without+sleeves.jpg" height="400" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a fan of the jumper look, good thing I'm adding sleeves!</td></tr>
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I had wanted the lower edge of the bodice to go up in back rather than being level all around, but was limited by the width of the sari fabric. Had I raised the back waistline further, the hem of the gown would have been far too short in the back!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI-Jp0U_UPpW-3Qqk4nCvTAJvWwbNerQGVzj_fUszFKqLg9KTm1deM_4cJ2wLx-1KF7aa8-bt2-0zAifhduv9I8hRfrIVC2D2mf9axkqOZwGDFp7pxAbjxae6YpofLQGBrlt_Jp68HKYJ/s1600/Petticoat+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUI-Jp0U_UPpW-3Qqk4nCvTAJvWwbNerQGVzj_fUszFKqLg9KTm1deM_4cJ2wLx-1KF7aa8-bt2-0zAifhduv9I8hRfrIVC2D2mf9axkqOZwGDFp7pxAbjxae6YpofLQGBrlt_Jp68HKYJ/s1600/Petticoat+back.jpg" height="400" width="192" /></a></div>
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Underpinnings for this gown include a shift, my gravity defying corded stays and a petticoat with tucks (woefully un-ironed in these photos, sorry). I dyed my <a href="http://www.american-duchess.com/shoes-18th-century/highbury-dyeable-regency-slipper" target="_blank">American Duchess Highburys</a> a soft yellow to complement the gown. For the daytime wedding I wore my <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2013/09/i-like-big-hats-i-cannot-lie.html" target="_blank">giant blue and orange silk bonnet</a>, but for last week's evening ball I turned a scarf into a turban and stuck a feather in it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtuJKHGb6wooWRU2pn2QNSlfGtozkqaBN8mtv0D9NPZnsJq6Dkps3N2ZtymK2XXmGp3CF4HX9xWN3lDK6OhledchAagwEpV56FF3gRMdlcPmCuRobDFwvAUSNpKK78zmK4J4DKSRrPyki/s1600/Petticoat+and+stays+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtuJKHGb6wooWRU2pn2QNSlfGtozkqaBN8mtv0D9NPZnsJq6Dkps3N2ZtymK2XXmGp3CF4HX9xWN3lDK6OhledchAagwEpV56FF3gRMdlcPmCuRobDFwvAUSNpKK78zmK4J4DKSRrPyki/s1600/Petticoat+and+stays+side.jpg" height="400" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravity defying indeed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu739H9vw1cp9DKJes46i_Ow2ss2ci7rT5qhxOfEJol6xTyodugWZBm4X7ktlF1Lk7D2Dkx8UBsdfqsC4g-QjWNPQOzbnenYS-13wTn5XLJ7d5-UXGG3sZsi997qWG7ux-sLIOgOIYqFYo/s1600/Regency+hat+on+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu739H9vw1cp9DKJes46i_Ow2ss2ci7rT5qhxOfEJol6xTyodugWZBm4X7ktlF1Lk7D2Dkx8UBsdfqsC4g-QjWNPQOzbnenYS-13wTn5XLJ7d5-UXGG3sZsi997qWG7ux-sLIOgOIYqFYo/s1600/Regency+hat+on+table.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonnet for daytime...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix241qWlLwY6_3iFkOI3UHd69LgrhOlvYauMy2_QdaWBp48-4IUd4u64D6HsNivR4s47qsnbfkq26FBk0YjaF21n8-u3p7PiqBzGzZzvTuBdQiG00eBDWu-wQp10jAwYLOqx4DHRDqyejM/s1600/Gown+sitting+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix241qWlLwY6_3iFkOI3UHd69LgrhOlvYauMy2_QdaWBp48-4IUd4u64D6HsNivR4s47qsnbfkq26FBk0YjaF21n8-u3p7PiqBzGzZzvTuBdQiG00eBDWu-wQp10jAwYLOqx4DHRDqyejM/s1600/Gown+sitting+front.jpg" height="400" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turban for night!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK4qNV2sAJheLAugdjciJs4qYf-8JdTFEUG19CpOavY5MX_NwZoRJVVjdFIaN6KMBncW4PaSEnZyjQMKMxsHBdP1PQ97nVT7jEiUK_VIkbbC6kdGwsb_mtOv15EqvQzlL0vL-pXsG99xL/s1600/Gown+Sitting+Side+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK4qNV2sAJheLAugdjciJs4qYf-8JdTFEUG19CpOavY5MX_NwZoRJVVjdFIaN6KMBncW4PaSEnZyjQMKMxsHBdP1PQ97nVT7jEiUK_VIkbbC6kdGwsb_mtOv15EqvQzlL0vL-pXsG99xL/s1600/Gown+Sitting+Side+Back.jpg" height="400" width="207" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBqDxPJjKwjtFzn01pkVYrjR5Rza07oW8cP3mFiTVCaidLMzsRwPCW2v3w_VU3QE4z40zqBKnfPMUdpNIponmSHsAtXCixs9IaSHpbo8xLO4mpka672ULAUKbUgOG71ugqTt3h8FYp0om/s1600/Gown+Standing+Side+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBqDxPJjKwjtFzn01pkVYrjR5Rza07oW8cP3mFiTVCaidLMzsRwPCW2v3w_VU3QE4z40zqBKnfPMUdpNIponmSHsAtXCixs9IaSHpbo8xLO4mpka672ULAUKbUgOG71ugqTt3h8FYp0om/s1600/Gown+Standing+Side+Back.jpg" height="400" width="185" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifg96wPA8hRGWg-aT_mwGqLvnfhxTvkbrleWAaBfVYjZ15Aj63KZv1v0XOyO9-8RdHtkWnB4ICtO7YoHjVEelEbEzVunTr4m6HCEmyqELkK4s3DakRWqH7qI_DdtVkUhALLjBZeMci23xE/s1600/Gown+Standing+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifg96wPA8hRGWg-aT_mwGqLvnfhxTvkbrleWAaBfVYjZ15Aj63KZv1v0XOyO9-8RdHtkWnB4ICtO7YoHjVEelEbEzVunTr4m6HCEmyqELkK4s3DakRWqH7qI_DdtVkUhALLjBZeMci23xE/s1600/Gown+Standing+Side.jpg" height="400" width="168" /></a></div>
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I love this gown! It's comfortable, lightweight and cool, and doesn't require too much in the way of crazy underpinnings. Hell, I managed to get into my stays and fully dressed almost entirely on my own for the ball; I only needed a bit of help with the last few hooks and eyes up the back. I have a feeling this dress will be one of my staples whenever I need something pretty and easy!<br />
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And what the hell, how about another <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/festiveattyre/regency-ladies-wedgie-society/" target="_blank">Regency Ladies Wedgie Society</a> shot? :P <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N_DXBJIF5m-d29bqjK7RCyCo2wBuTn94KXeWHnycxaeI38BVxNMF9q207J_vxB6s9Za3Zw94ZeGUO42RK7f0eTVLqhZ6KfbnGRF72ASkCE3PsBIBE2aW1cXPFFw53cWRvThwntNxpmga/s1600/Wedgie+the+second.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7N_DXBJIF5m-d29bqjK7RCyCo2wBuTn94KXeWHnycxaeI38BVxNMF9q207J_vxB6s9Za3Zw94ZeGUO42RK7f0eTVLqhZ6KfbnGRF72ASkCE3PsBIBE2aW1cXPFFw53cWRvThwntNxpmga/s1600/Wedgie+the+second.jpg" height="400" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So hard being a lady, ya'know?</td></tr>
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The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-64445088699458755212014-08-22T19:53:00.001-07:002014-08-22T19:53:58.499-07:00CoCo Follow UpThis was my first time attending Costume College, and I was super busy having way too much fun to take photos! Too bad, because holy shit did people ROCK their amazing outfits all weekend long! <br />
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Here's a mish-mash of the few in-progress photos I did manage. I spend an awful lot of time in the lead up making guy clothes, something I'm not super familiar with. Things turned out all right though, because Curtis didn't end up attending CoCo naked :P <br />
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First up, the first Men's corset I've ever made! There was a bit more of a learning curve here than I expected, but all in all it turned out well, and I know more for the next one. I used a super heavy busk, only to find that it ended up sticking out from his chest weirdly. I had to bend it into the correct shape, which is something you sometimes see on period corsets. It worked so well I think I'll be doing this with my own corsets from now on!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmOYBTbhPQ6N1aOh_TLAEqNaJFi0aXmR87_E-8XLtZ5k5TeBeFXeocXNZLmTR1xrnVwsbo3g5WgptRKf1vZEsmeo-ej9fsGSwGLhc2JmTgOS1kIwFN4AIjphOuCg9LNJhk2ElKFe9A34W/s1600/Curved+busk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmOYBTbhPQ6N1aOh_TLAEqNaJFi0aXmR87_E-8XLtZ5k5TeBeFXeocXNZLmTR1xrnVwsbo3g5WgptRKf1vZEsmeo-ej9fsGSwGLhc2JmTgOS1kIwFN4AIjphOuCg9LNJhk2ElKFe9A34W/s1600/Curved+busk.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bent to fit. Totally using this on all my own corsets now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhslBzW6whgaKF1G2iX0tfHSkKc7-p_pwEBLMIi8t846iLM9yktrcrU87EagkjmLiJgOqWrCVG_fRZytisCfMUHw57lCAIFnVb9Tuvjwb0RO_GEeOet_YJeVkL8yLFvk_GpDasHqEJmFy/s1600/Curtis+Good+Sport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhslBzW6whgaKF1G2iX0tfHSkKc7-p_pwEBLMIi8t846iLM9yktrcrU87EagkjmLiJgOqWrCVG_fRZytisCfMUHw57lCAIFnVb9Tuvjwb0RO_GEeOet_YJeVkL8yLFvk_GpDasHqEJmFy/s1600/Curtis+Good+Sport.jpg" height="400" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being a good sport after several fittings.</td></tr>
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Of course I had to make him a banyan for the Sunday Breakfast. This damn thing gave me fits. First I couldn't get the shoulders right, then the collar misbehaved, and the silk would shred if you looked at it wrong. We won't even talk about how many times I redid those sleeves. Bonus points if you kindly ignore the giant fish dart I had to put in under each arm as a desperate last measure. <br />
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Totally worth it though, because it looked beautiful and he stole all the attention wherever he wore it. <br />
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Also worth it because he loved being dressed up so much that he's already further ahead planning next years costumes than I am! What's more, he's<i> </i>planning on sewing his own stuff, which lets me off the hook. Let's cheer him on, shall we? <br />
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I'm missing photos of Curtis and I during the Gala, but let's just say that his outfit earned him a new nickname of Sexy Pants ;)<br />
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With all the making of man clothes, I didn't have time to make a lot for myself. The corded stays went on the back burner, because there was no way they'd be done in time. For Friday's Ice Cream Social I paired a teal silk taffeta corset that I'd finished a few months before with a gorgeous sari encrusted with metal embroidery. Now that I've finally gotten to wear the sari as is a few times, it's time to cut it up and turn it into a gown, but what era?<br />
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I did rush to make my green 1830s Gala dress in time, and just barely squeaked it over the (mostly) finished line, though I had to skip the late night parties on Friday to finish cartridge pleating the skirt on! It's based off of <a href="http://venividivoom.tumblr.com/post/56452068886/ornamentedbeing-quick-i-need-48-000-yen-link" target="_blank">this bodice</a>, though it's missing a lot of detail that I'll be adding in later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQ7rf7hC6aIzdCBa5VBBRNgv3wWnhN4yhMYmGTKDFwpU9ba5RLqbgbKfg2T_xS0bbdw-8FYPjMicaOFYZTXl2nWsVQU819bU6zbV2cXyBdanWLG8MGFnwZhARQnP07VHZlFmn9sSqYIkq/s1600/Binding+Points.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQ7rf7hC6aIzdCBa5VBBRNgv3wWnhN4yhMYmGTKDFwpU9ba5RLqbgbKfg2T_xS0bbdw-8FYPjMicaOFYZTXl2nWsVQU819bU6zbV2cXyBdanWLG8MGFnwZhARQnP07VHZlFmn9sSqYIkq/s1600/Binding+Points.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Psst... I did this by machine. I know, right?</td></tr>
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Binding around all those points was a bitch and a half, but I pulled it off! <br />
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The underpleating at the top of the bodice work out exactly as planned. I cut strips of golden silk organza on the bias, folded them in half and tacked them to the bodice layer by layer.<br />
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I had the bodice fitting well enough at home, but once there it
seemed to suddenly decide it wanted to fit oddly, with weird wrinkles
popping up everywhere. I'm seriously considering redoing the entire front of the green part, but on the bias this time. Only problem is, that would mean having to rebind ALL THOSE POINTS. *whimpers*<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinned on in the hotel room, waiting to be basted it.</td></tr>
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The sleeves also gave me fits, and ended up being more like giant floppy
wings rather than the stand out origami pleated wonders I was going
for, but now I'm armed with more info for the next round of redrafting
this style.<br />
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My hair turned out smashing, though I ran out of time to put all the extra bits and bobs in. I did put a bird on it though! (In the back where you can't see, whoops) I also needed to put the loops a little further to the front on my head, since despite the fact that they were firmly anchored, their positioning made it look like they were sliding off the back. <br />
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I'll be making some thread wrapped buttons and fancy cord to add to this gown, just like the original. I also want to cut the skirt into large points to echo the bodice, but that needs to wait until I get more of the organza to cover the space that would be left bare at the base of the skirt. In the meantime, I've been a bit busy...<br />
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Almost 3 weeks after CoCo I've finally dug my sewing room out and made it back into a usable workspace! I've got at least a dozen half done projects laying about that need finishing, so stay tuned!The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-27713653180369171562014-08-17T10:56:00.000-07:002014-08-17T10:56:25.694-07:00Regency Ridiculousness<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFKCd1VirzoZRxyugTeFNAkrucmky370zuEnWu1YhgP19z2sQu72bma_e3tJq8G7GyWVxnR5R7XjUSlJRtS3HgI3fkF0ynGfUTtnTiMPEtk2seQwgfDOA-N29jamwvr6lVrrkCcFuLdfy/s1600/Regency+Wedgie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFKCd1VirzoZRxyugTeFNAkrucmky370zuEnWu1YhgP19z2sQu72bma_e3tJq8G7GyWVxnR5R7XjUSlJRtS3HgI3fkF0ynGfUTtnTiMPEtk2seQwgfDOA-N29jamwvr6lVrrkCcFuLdfy/s1600/Regency+Wedgie.jpg" height="400" width="180" /></a> </div>
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A la Festive Attyre's <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/festiveattyre/regency-ladies-wedgie-society/" target="_blank">Regency Ladies Wedgie Society</a>. Happy Sunday! </div>
The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-40948030904504094152014-07-18T21:30:00.000-07:002014-07-19T11:07:18.105-07:00Stays Cording Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These stays are certainly the most complex cording project I've done, so I wanted to share how I've been going about it! First off, I'm using a totally different cording method than the ones shown in my <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2013/01/making-corded-petticoat.html" target="_blank">Making a Corded Petticoat</a> post. In both methods shown in that tutorial, the cord was put in place first and its channel was sewn around it. Those methods work just fine for a corded petticoat, but won't work very well for these stays. Instead, I'm sewing channels into the fabric first, then inserting the cording afterwards. As a reminder, this is the pattern I'm working with:<br />
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<b>Fabric Prep</b><br />
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Since the criss-cross cording is the most difficult part of these stays, that's what we'll focus on. Each of the squares that make up the criss-cross pattern are only 0.25" wide, so they're very small and difficult to sew accurately. The space between each square forms the channel that the cord threads through. I'm using a green shot cotton as the pretty outer fashion layer of the stays, with two layers of thin but tightly woven white cotton as the strength layers. My stitches will go through all three layers of fabric, but the cording will be run between the two white layers of cotton. <br />
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The first challenge was figuring out how to mark the stitching guidelines on the fabric. I could have made all the markings on the back of each piece, but I find that the top side of my stitching often looks a bit more precise than the back, so I needed a way to mark the green fabric so that I could stitch accurately, but not have the markings visible later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkkqKbwVDZDV3O4dNL2I1kmRL0Vgp4uj7UvsnCiFIzZSfwQJPEPeO93eM__7jDeOGtoD3H5uzoKZKYwA2G6ChdkXqVEcGVNle7tA_jiLrKcL-1cLOvCZYSm-8UdYkxwN3gzY8LA87AoCG/s1600/Squares+with+Water+soluble+pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkkqKbwVDZDV3O4dNL2I1kmRL0Vgp4uj7UvsnCiFIzZSfwQJPEPeO93eM__7jDeOGtoD3H5uzoKZKYwA2G6ChdkXqVEcGVNle7tA_jiLrKcL-1cLOvCZYSm-8UdYkxwN3gzY8LA87AoCG/s1600/Squares+with+Water+soluble+pen.jpg" height="400" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squares marked with water soluble pen, with a penny for scale.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At first I tried using a water soluble fabric marker that had a relatively fine tip. It showed up very well on the fabric, but since it is a marker and the fabric wicked the ink out a bit, the line it left was fairly thick. The thicker line made it very hard to see where exactly to stitch. Some of my test squares were more parallelogram than square, and the width of the squares varied between 5/16" and 3/16" wide. It may seem like I'm being overly picky, but that is a difference of 1/8", which means I was off in some areas by the width of half of a square! When working at such a small scale, even a little bit of deviation becomes extremely obvious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefqfhDVrqgu4P1m6SVYRVhleNL33yatg7yHVfitddN-KaKpZf570d9tyFc2e15q2FjKK9RgtKyZb_kytNFyAOlFgMLUzLeFSxqkdwoXSbLU42rlX78rS2-CaFIIGjag4VSzsKYCak_c3w/s1600/Crooked+stitching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefqfhDVrqgu4P1m6SVYRVhleNL33yatg7yHVfitddN-KaKpZf570d9tyFc2e15q2FjKK9RgtKyZb_kytNFyAOlFgMLUzLeFSxqkdwoXSbLU42rlX78rS2-CaFIIGjag4VSzsKYCak_c3w/s1600/Crooked+stitching.jpg" height="400" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wibbly wobbly stitching due to wide fabric marker guidelines.</td></tr>
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I considered using a fine mechanical pencil to draw more precise, accurate lines, but there were two potential issues. One, I was worried it wouldn't wash off well, leaving me with pencil lines all over my stays. Two, it's actually pretty hard to draw an accurate line on this fabric with a mechanical pencil, as the pressure of the lead warps and distorts the fabric as you're trying to draw.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vre0P36PEzxHWsKxbFYr2-MOhYY2VFocoiZC7pYhkp34vw4vK-ySx_4oBBWq6JDfTaaUYRobGNmrSI81HnH3fUj-V2J6-GT3y2qCqBUYBvHqLn2T2iSM01Yfb8OIwJ4929364lS4h5yd/s1600/No+starch+wibbly+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Vre0P36PEzxHWsKxbFYr2-MOhYY2VFocoiZC7pYhkp34vw4vK-ySx_4oBBWq6JDfTaaUYRobGNmrSI81HnH3fUj-V2J6-GT3y2qCqBUYBvHqLn2T2iSM01Yfb8OIwJ4929364lS4h5yd/s1600/No+starch+wibbly+line.jpg" height="400" width="357" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't draw a straight line b/c the pressure of the lead warps the fabric.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Luckily, I was able to solve both issues at once with my favorite secret weapon:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNO8vbv7C_bwdclQih3pRbZXxKB5BnL3l31Uw4L_rBCsXDZA3ZlwLDMKZ5Se6T0Rwl4F0tVxs2Kg_48NwZBAj5YCG1dsflQ4PyPlVCGwZsPGRRWqj4xQU9eGMAubxxj_DsuFLwECFMwJe/s1600/Starch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNO8vbv7C_bwdclQih3pRbZXxKB5BnL3l31Uw4L_rBCsXDZA3ZlwLDMKZ5Se6T0Rwl4F0tVxs2Kg_48NwZBAj5YCG1dsflQ4PyPlVCGwZsPGRRWqj4xQU9eGMAubxxj_DsuFLwECFMwJe/s1600/Starch.jpg" height="400" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mah super-sekrit weapon. Shh, don't tell!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Starch has saved my butt on many a sewing project. Here, it serves two purposes. First, it stiffens the fabric so that it is almost paper-like, so now I can easily draw on it using the mechanical pencil without the fabric distorting. Now I can get perfectly straight, thin, highly accurate stitching lines! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIfBpBE7MziwVh8MRWp7Mw6Zz_NAqELYjdpcVYFQihlMd2PW2akijH6fWa2Y_LOd3jHasozY9EZ9fbrizJJBIR6e4xwSfEyfBmwzl6SR8nAVAQC8YEMqGB85WkwYNmpo7703cnZmGCaGi/s1600/With+Starch+sharp+Line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIfBpBE7MziwVh8MRWp7Mw6Zz_NAqELYjdpcVYFQihlMd2PW2akijH6fWa2Y_LOd3jHasozY9EZ9fbrizJJBIR6e4xwSfEyfBmwzl6SR8nAVAQC8YEMqGB85WkwYNmpo7703cnZmGCaGi/s1600/With+Starch+sharp+Line.jpg" height="393" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With starched fabric, no distortion!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNDojqAEDvj1NMbEpcmyE9IUL0t_Fd07tFT4ioQVCYlN043ly3YlOM83NAhsb6ERYDJIOVT7FcO4MGrca7shihXAYUSHFH-bEr22INqBtWM7lnGiQszKg_IbwsZxsALUAPli9nOfIZPJB/s1600/Squares+pen+vs+pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNDojqAEDvj1NMbEpcmyE9IUL0t_Fd07tFT4ioQVCYlN043ly3YlOM83NAhsb6ERYDJIOVT7FcO4MGrca7shihXAYUSHFH-bEr22INqBtWM7lnGiQszKg_IbwsZxsALUAPli9nOfIZPJB/s1600/Squares+pen+vs+pencil.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparison of marker lines vs mechanical pencil lines.</td></tr>
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Second, thanks to Lifeofglamour's <a href="http://lifeofglamour.livejournal.com/792163.html" target="_blank">various experiments </a>with <a href="http://lifeofglamour.livejournal.com/709457.html" target="_blank">tinting starch</a> for <a href="http://lifeofglamour.livejournal.com/764895.html" target="_blank">use on ruffs</a>, I know that very often, pigments and dirt that are mixed in with or sitting on top of starch wash out without staining the fabric. When I tested this theory on my fabric, washing the starch out washed the pencil marks down the drain too! You can buy spray on starch or the liquid kind you dip your fabric into from the store, but thanks to <a href="http://frolickingfrocks.blogspot.com/2013/03/1830s-1840s-underpinnings.html" target="_blank">Frolicking Frocks</a> (dude, check out those petticoats!) I'm a convert to making my own out of cornstarch. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwFxTzUOJ6RAvOk_lr5dJkuBC9fXQaqgZMXu0rn9IZr38pEEaQZ5dti_z430FXyhPqz17z8x06zsN6Hw38C4KH7WSPrSu4_SfaPiNmZDpScw_DpAm6x_-ONSLNEpsX05Lhq8xcgjtBB2i/s1600/Straighter+Stitches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwFxTzUOJ6RAvOk_lr5dJkuBC9fXQaqgZMXu0rn9IZr38pEEaQZ5dti_z430FXyhPqz17z8x06zsN6Hw38C4KH7WSPrSu4_SfaPiNmZDpScw_DpAm6x_-ONSLNEpsX05Lhq8xcgjtBB2i/s1600/Straighter+Stitches.jpg" height="363" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My test stitching proves much more straight and accurate with the pencil<br />
guidelines, and after washing all evidence of the pencil lead is gone!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now that I've got that settled, the last step before stitching is to use a lightbox to trace my design onto the fabric.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7fiWQ1XHqWm8lI6zXBCeRo8ruTPEMap1TM1gOuLT52dWrmAVozVMDh8ugFC05ayjSzlqOBqCTEsAom0E0LOqt3i3MKnvxHpROrgM8udCoHitgfDoNpSwUxxVrFDbTjEZ0N5lahy0XLcn/s1600/Tracing+over+Lightbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7fiWQ1XHqWm8lI6zXBCeRo8ruTPEMap1TM1gOuLT52dWrmAVozVMDh8ugFC05ayjSzlqOBqCTEsAom0E0LOqt3i3MKnvxHpROrgM8udCoHitgfDoNpSwUxxVrFDbTjEZ0N5lahy0XLcn/s1600/Tracing+over+Lightbox.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Stitching</b><br />
<br />
My original plan was to hand-stitch the stays, but I came to my senses after attempting a sample. I tried using my modern sewing machine, but it's very hard to stitch a line precisely 0.25" and stop in exactly the right place using the pedal control, so I pulled out the little <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2011/09/getting-down-and-dirty-with-your.html" target="_blank">Singer 99 hand crank machine I refurbished</a> a few years ago instead.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico9p68J0CRVXDxOxzLAntH7Dy3Z-OKTYfXxRZLKsqPKtZFmNLPl1uvWOC9oU_Nnz4C10dwkZkRIJRd3hcQ78C4dcYUUhiVLcJWVm2do47qz2OiGrR2yuD5Li_8fsycDXf1thpfzvGxBR4/s1600/Hand+Crank+Singer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEico9p68J0CRVXDxOxzLAntH7Dy3Z-OKTYfXxRZLKsqPKtZFmNLPl1uvWOC9oU_Nnz4C10dwkZkRIJRd3hcQ78C4dcYUUhiVLcJWVm2do47qz2OiGrR2yuD5Li_8fsycDXf1thpfzvGxBR4/s1600/Hand+Crank+Singer.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remember this one? Isn't she pretty?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With a hand crank, it's really easy to stop right at the exact number of stitches you want. A lot of fiddling and several tests later, I settled on a stitch length calibrated to precisely 1/16 of an inch, giving me squares that were 4 stitches wide on each side. Getting the correct stitch size is no mean feat on these old machines, since you set the length by screwing an unlabeled knob in or out as needed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiNr1rTWPodIRpf8uMzJggBUOkVv61yT7ObriaAPUsUzBgwW63P66Eu2WjKx9HLGtf9eVEqrM7hholXCX0dA5pdkw6cK_iwAgHJzpOrEYVisXvcICg8DG73y2Nr81DTY4Y-x9p6vpJbAG/s1600/Stitch+length+knob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiNr1rTWPodIRpf8uMzJggBUOkVv61yT7ObriaAPUsUzBgwW63P66Eu2WjKx9HLGtf9eVEqrM7hholXCX0dA5pdkw6cK_iwAgHJzpOrEYVisXvcICg8DG73y2Nr81DTY4Y-x9p6vpJbAG/s1600/Stitch+length+knob.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That knob is the stitch length regulator. Notice the distinct<br />
lack of numbers or any useful markings of any sort?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now that I've got the length set, sewing each square is now as easy as starting the needle in the right place, sewing 4 stitches, sinking the needle on the 4th stitch, raising the presser foot, turning the fabric, putting the foot down again, sewing 4 more stitches, etc, all the way around the square. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU2eNXxN9xCgtVDhKJ-X0JtF2RHpxCsgCaq5FXp4DzywQTqefexBVHXr5ALLWnN8xYwnA3_2xB7Q1faH6tETC14CB00283NcaFxcLncAwxSgd-Lwon1NvL9otPaOd2EMWcIOZqrnnwfw2/s1600/Threads+everywhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU2eNXxN9xCgtVDhKJ-X0JtF2RHpxCsgCaq5FXp4DzywQTqefexBVHXr5ALLWnN8xYwnA3_2xB7Q1faH6tETC14CB00283NcaFxcLncAwxSgd-Lwon1NvL9otPaOd2EMWcIOZqrnnwfw2/s1600/Threads+everywhere.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This leaves a bunch of thread tails all over the place. Of course I can't just trim them because the stitching would come out, so the loose threads are pulled to the back and tied off. Since I'm a bit paranoid about the knots coming undone, I put a dot of Fray-Check on each to prevent unraveling. Remember to test the Fray-Check on an inconspicuous spot first! My layers are thin, and on the first few knots I used too much and it soaked through to the front.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz-DJpzi2gaIalhrivqBmrWzJoPMe0c2eMZrSkF6ZUafzT0HAnU5mTc3baN13Ohu9ftJGV3EbpKkaYs8qDWV1mggDqPl1efCSxRCu5TNYiYUPHLlZ4_Hoa8LZqH7G7H4SimxFAHA8BnWy/s1600/Knotting+threads+to+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz-DJpzi2gaIalhrivqBmrWzJoPMe0c2eMZrSkF6ZUafzT0HAnU5mTc3baN13Ohu9ftJGV3EbpKkaYs8qDWV1mggDqPl1efCSxRCu5TNYiYUPHLlZ4_Hoa8LZqH7G7H4SimxFAHA8BnWy/s1600/Knotting+threads+to+back.jpg" height="400" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threads pulled to the back for tying.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At first I was tying the threads after each square, but it's more
efficient to sew several squares, then flip to the back and start
pulling through/tying off. The problem with doing it that way is that those loose tails get in the way of stitching, and if you sew through the tail of a square a few rows down it's a mess to untangle. Luckily, I'm owned by two exceedingly furry felines, and thus have a clothing de-furring brush that doubles as a way to clear all my loose threads off to one side with a single swipe. Guess the fuzzbeasts are good for something.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqP9KjC5YszY4WoWEQzUsyHcDjtTdetZW4ELp4BvTW_5Xoisj41VtQcxeKioFjycFKBLmwF0CkCyDovqkQNPb4UOVjPD1dluxERg5mcmG4vn4wMHCjqEpDMuLJYh240ATbHIQBLpNuH-G/s1600/Brushing+Threads+away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqP9KjC5YszY4WoWEQzUsyHcDjtTdetZW4ELp4BvTW_5Xoisj41VtQcxeKioFjycFKBLmwF0CkCyDovqkQNPb4UOVjPD1dluxERg5mcmG4vn4wMHCjqEpDMuLJYh240ATbHIQBLpNuH-G/s1600/Brushing+Threads+away.jpg" height="400" width="398" /></a></div>
<br />
There's something like 200 tiny squares on just ONE front panel, plus more on each side panel, so you can see why this has been taking me a while!<br />
<br />
<b> Cording</b><br />
<br />
After washing the starch out, drying, and pressing each piece, it's FINALLY time to stuff some cord in there. I'm using the same Sugar n' Cream cotton cord that I used in my corded petticoat. You'll want a cord of a width that fits fairly snugly in your channels, so choose accordingly, or stitch your channels to accommodate the cord you wish to use.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRpHBNnpyl0FRPmRxkt2hC0_AFHNryStT4YXdb8BM78wVe_0vEjggvOShNduzt1Herej3icVBtBXreCkKHn_FwWaibQmlZa6iH-zahjZSoLv04rKd58x_WYxgdww85TS8gkr-UTwYK2YX/s1600/Sugar+n+Cream+Cording.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRpHBNnpyl0FRPmRxkt2hC0_AFHNryStT4YXdb8BM78wVe_0vEjggvOShNduzt1Herej3icVBtBXreCkKHn_FwWaibQmlZa6iH-zahjZSoLv04rKd58x_WYxgdww85TS8gkr-UTwYK2YX/s1600/Sugar+n+Cream+Cording.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm using a thick, blunt needle with a wide eye. Tapestry needles are perfect. The eye should be large enough that the cord just fits through it, but not so big that the needle won't fit through your channels with the now doubled cord in tow. I also have a pair needle nose pliers, because despite my best efforts, the eye of my needle still gets stuck in the fabric sometimes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXalbyoLXTIEkui4lUwomoogb4kwnJLoNjLUfUNwo3fWgUGC6K2c7etdHbQUjm69fFIuHf0xAO_YFImWIWsrWGVGWNGlcGdoFoWeInoA9HyscjbRIozRHxFJqekw3FZrRhfCI5_HnBoMz/s1600/Packaged+needles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXalbyoLXTIEkui4lUwomoogb4kwnJLoNjLUfUNwo3fWgUGC6K2c7etdHbQUjm69fFIuHf0xAO_YFImWIWsrWGVGWNGlcGdoFoWeInoA9HyscjbRIozRHxFJqekw3FZrRhfCI5_HnBoMz/s1600/Packaged+needles.jpg" height="371" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoa-bf7BDXDm0j0EVpvjD7ef_us0C4-VgwuF7xtdBVaxyFKIptHOa6-S4loXXoe-0CLdZnQLYUzQJJ1JjzIKsMu0UeibNWCMlTrU39Gm0rUiN_Qcn9NSPesUIss5R5FyN76xyr6-C8zM9/s1600/Needle+nose+pliers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoa-bf7BDXDm0j0EVpvjD7ef_us0C4-VgwuF7xtdBVaxyFKIptHOa6-S4loXXoe-0CLdZnQLYUzQJJ1JjzIKsMu0UeibNWCMlTrU39Gm0rUiN_Qcn9NSPesUIss5R5FyN76xyr6-C8zM9/s1600/Needle+nose+pliers.jpg" height="337" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
When I made my last pair of corded stays, I broke the only good needle I had and swapped to one that was nearly the same, only sharp instead of blunt. It sorta worked, but the sharp tip kept shredding the fabric on both sides, and those scrapes later unraveled into larger holes, allowing the cord to poke out. I wouldn't have minded if they were all on the inside, but most of them were on the pretty outside! If all you can get is a sharp needle, grind the tip down.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztPImbMAyD_6g-3lROP8589qaXd1c_oGy2MwG1khDUkge98bYQkzXfIh1bT4kqi-3x9khEFZPN0KVmxoQLJB4U14eQcje50QEQ_9ur7cYhLXOJuQ3C21E_5q0RpWKXTIcbpmnmFFu7lGV/s1600/holey+channels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztPImbMAyD_6g-3lROP8589qaXd1c_oGy2MwG1khDUkge98bYQkzXfIh1bT4kqi-3x9khEFZPN0KVmxoQLJB4U14eQcje50QEQ_9ur7cYhLXOJuQ3C21E_5q0RpWKXTIcbpmnmFFu7lGV/s1600/holey+channels.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holes in channels caused by sharp needle shredding fabric.<br />
Sadly, these are on the front, so they show when I wear it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On the backside of the stays, I poke the needle through just one layer of fabric right at the start of a channel. Since the needle is blunt, with some fabrics an awl is needed to start the hole. It takes a bit of practice to get the tip to go through just one layer of fabric, but practice makes perfect, right? <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMugofHfQ8ppXu6owUd9t09d8_-ttcILJdqOtn4Dv7tsGCVn3uTwo5PEWO6IT_g-7RB_qtC3RtXiiLR5Ts-dsEGNqtfHYDBKqC6erjFQF2gOrmy2AO8S5Ho_ih3DEEG1ww4iOi1RzWQnng/s1600/Awl+starting+hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMugofHfQ8ppXu6owUd9t09d8_-ttcILJdqOtn4Dv7tsGCVn3uTwo5PEWO6IT_g-7RB_qtC3RtXiiLR5Ts-dsEGNqtfHYDBKqC6erjFQF2gOrmy2AO8S5Ho_ih3DEEG1ww4iOi1RzWQnng/s1600/Awl+starting+hole.jpg" height="350" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using an awl to start the hole.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnceKvU3Tladdae7o6LX6yO6TYqrfuRB7Tj7MVg4R9py1kUzqubBWPR8rljSTFDZ-71W3Uw5bO-e6QfwVJD-YeIgUn1821cUBnk6Eaq9IvnnOfTWFRALlb5GMfkQ6iDguyJgsqaPrLP7k/s1600/Poking+needle+in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnceKvU3Tladdae7o6LX6yO6TYqrfuRB7Tj7MVg4R9py1kUzqubBWPR8rljSTFDZ-71W3Uw5bO-e6QfwVJD-YeIgUn1821cUBnk6Eaq9IvnnOfTWFRALlb5GMfkQ6iDguyJgsqaPrLP7k/s1600/Poking+needle+in.jpg" height="327" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threading the needle into the channel.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once inside, the needle is pushed down the length of the channel, dragging the cord behind it. It's tight, and I have to moosh (super technical term) and manipulate the fabric around the needle to move it along. Sometimes the pliers are necessary to pull the needle through the channel too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrogcyfKbZ986xQmoHm_LzBwcAMu7D8gQrIdhZwTM4mSPVc6ORTU34KYDyt5c67VDXfwuXp4zTDsCOrNMIMRzW2qrP6ccc63MyMe9Br3SNE5hgGn3fBTHI95BhXr0vtP4HNXwVNZmuxjDl/s1600/Pliers+pulling+needle+through+fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrogcyfKbZ986xQmoHm_LzBwcAMu7D8gQrIdhZwTM4mSPVc6ORTU34KYDyt5c67VDXfwuXp4zTDsCOrNMIMRzW2qrP6ccc63MyMe9Br3SNE5hgGn3fBTHI95BhXr0vtP4HNXwVNZmuxjDl/s1600/Pliers+pulling+needle+through+fabric.jpg" height="372" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eye is stuck at the entry to the channel, so I use pliers to help it along.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
At the opposite end, I poke the tip of the needle back out through the back fabric and pull it out, taking care to not pull all the cording out with it! The pliers are also super useful here, as the eye of the needle generally gets stuck on the way out. All the pushing and pulling on the needle is pretty rough on my fingers; using the pliers instead solves that problem. The downside is that I'm more likely to break a needle when pulling on it with the pliers. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQF2h5ALaoDlhx3LcC8L02llSGyLXrZwmuBtmz11Hxl1aZadGxtzhXQZMltjH7d80icA5miFErLmElKr_y-3B5EwuqyaRvFT-QpcODmTsXocz7H6d8PlKfb8MCbYnWWwcr0dHOJRRLGf_/s1600/Pliers+needle+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQF2h5ALaoDlhx3LcC8L02llSGyLXrZwmuBtmz11Hxl1aZadGxtzhXQZMltjH7d80icA5miFErLmElKr_y-3B5EwuqyaRvFT-QpcODmTsXocz7H6d8PlKfb8MCbYnWWwcr0dHOJRRLGf_/s1600/Pliers+needle+out.jpg" height="356" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's easier on my fingers to just use the pliers to pull the needle out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I don't trim the cord close to the fabric just yet; instead I cut it so there's about 1" still hanging out, then move on to the other channels. The places where the cords cross are a bit tricky to get through, but it's doable. Eventually I end up with a small forest of cord ends growing out of the back of the stays. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGkdMmdjPikMgNjvEZVtNl1tkEzvvC2gq8yYO_cYAysFCB-4J-8C08AycK9NwlcUxJachobOHKEjjuzLcEVMnMoypBKG5d7W0irvCYkFBe9ZA1QZvs6ctVd_vcEGmhTPDiFu-mJkN7sCt/s1600/Tail+ends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGkdMmdjPikMgNjvEZVtNl1tkEzvvC2gq8yYO_cYAysFCB-4J-8C08AycK9NwlcUxJachobOHKEjjuzLcEVMnMoypBKG5d7W0irvCYkFBe9ZA1QZvs6ctVd_vcEGmhTPDiFu-mJkN7sCt/s1600/Tail+ends.jpg" height="313" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that's a right mess.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once I've got a whole section done, I start trimming the stray tails. I cut the cord pretty close to the fabric, but not right flush with it. There are till some tiny tails hanging out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4nprWDYttocTeX9kBRW62X4EVBxnXU9sZ2UpV5_8zA7epL2zXSO9Y6go4tn-re6W28vQntFdnuvXxpdslnd14zXLZcsddCGyLthG51vB93Vtje3sdrBiYPsIJx6f3nFbLlbAvugQDUhx/s1600/Trimmed+ends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4nprWDYttocTeX9kBRW62X4EVBxnXU9sZ2UpV5_8zA7epL2zXSO9Y6go4tn-re6W28vQntFdnuvXxpdslnd14zXLZcsddCGyLthG51vB93Vtje3sdrBiYPsIJx6f3nFbLlbAvugQDUhx/s1600/Trimmed+ends.jpg" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trimmed close, with just a little bit hanging out.</td></tr>
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Then, without holding onto the cord, I tug on both ends of the channel, stretching the fabric slightly. Most of the tails pop back into their holes and disappear. A few are still sticking out a bit, but this is the inside of the garment, so I don't care overmuch. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dBbmZiAhFqvufW4KlLy4Ex6sJ4bLgXZ51AT7kfF6HWZaLUyxiYcbjPI3dpRai9MEuIfdTs9QyPDO7R4XvRMHwe-m-4MkQ6usQKIo7QjPp_kFqBXE2RPXFKUqJxBAlcXa40WzfTo_4QjB/s1600/Pulling+on+channels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dBbmZiAhFqvufW4KlLy4Ex6sJ4bLgXZ51AT7kfF6HWZaLUyxiYcbjPI3dpRai9MEuIfdTs9QyPDO7R4XvRMHwe-m-4MkQ6usQKIo7QjPp_kFqBXE2RPXFKUqJxBAlcXa40WzfTo_4QjB/s1600/Pulling+on+channels.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gently stretching each channel.</td></tr>
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There are still holes at the start and end of each channel, but again,
it's the inside, and they close up a little with time anyways. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWdGV_HOL4MRcWD8k-QJ_vsXLeNV_1Oo3Gm7YvzCubh0M8w1jCz4RxIRuAP_f6gorI4LV2QihpDWaxHpQDzBhYKNOHkkRePNl8cZuM2R0vxV-p3oQSZLmm0HkM0wPhH6E4UMVY9AvZ1P7/s1600/No+tails+anymore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWdGV_HOL4MRcWD8k-QJ_vsXLeNV_1Oo3Gm7YvzCubh0M8w1jCz4RxIRuAP_f6gorI4LV2QihpDWaxHpQDzBhYKNOHkkRePNl8cZuM2R0vxV-p3oQSZLmm0HkM0wPhH6E4UMVY9AvZ1P7/s1600/No+tails+anymore.jpg" height="220" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more tails!</td></tr>
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Wow, that got lengthy! If any part of this tutorial isn't clear, let me know and I'll try to unmuddy it a bit. If you've got a cool cording project you're working on, show us in the comments! I've still got a few panels to go, so I'm off to the sewing table again for another late night. The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-33784140940049501442014-07-13T01:46:00.000-07:002014-07-13T01:46:02.619-07:00Stays Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImZBrKnFEufXbhbzn8A6EFbi0XdnuLz_Q2i1X0aBxo5ARWYiRJgTK62ET50qULzrXXPeArhz_p2n1aslBIZYwmTTzCbp4ZozCruzA94WfKmrFfbCC53-F0FSNceOZgW5_eR5MwHuIS3d4/s1600/Front+of+Stays+With+Channels+Stitched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImZBrKnFEufXbhbzn8A6EFbi0XdnuLz_Q2i1X0aBxo5ARWYiRJgTK62ET50qULzrXXPeArhz_p2n1aslBIZYwmTTzCbp4ZozCruzA94WfKmrFfbCC53-F0FSNceOZgW5_eR5MwHuIS3d4/s1600/Front+of+Stays+With+Channels+Stitched.jpg" height="400" width="311" /></a></div>
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I'm still plugging away at the stays! I've avoided posting updates on them so far, mostly because your feed would end up looking like this:<br />
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Finished another 20 little squares. Hooray!<br />
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Finished another 5 little squares. Dammit.<br />
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Finished another 35 little squares. Have a hand cramp. Send tequila.<br />
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... and so on. <br />
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However, I've gotten several requests for a tutorial on how I'm cording these, so I wanted to let you know that I should have one up by midweek! I've learned a lot of nifty tricks to make this process go smoother, so even if you're a cording pro you might learn a new thing or two. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihokS1XDYcc4KDKWd7kAxI_E9VgkAiW5vMhO_rSRafRrSgxzBIDSJQ836a6m1UuY7lZMe9T_jq36hWbd_tigfZzRzja6x8XTqXD0PIrY_W_rDy5qd4quvWJFPiB6AuYJq_VcCOFC3X44xM/s1600/Threads+everywhere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihokS1XDYcc4KDKWd7kAxI_E9VgkAiW5vMhO_rSRafRrSgxzBIDSJQ836a6m1UuY7lZMe9T_jq36hWbd_tigfZzRzja6x8XTqXD0PIrY_W_rDy5qd4quvWJFPiB6AuYJq_VcCOFC3X44xM/s1600/Threads+everywhere.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the meantime, I've got another bagazillion little squares to stitch, so see you soon!The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-24993079062702071302014-07-05T21:35:00.002-07:002014-07-05T23:47:28.847-07:00Quick and Easy Way to Mark Cartridge Pleats (On Some Fabrics)It's not every day that a mistake turns in to a Eureka! moment, but luckily yesterday was that kind of a day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVPZbA2nT1nYBoa4z7_VSnmneXDsWqt9hksrtJRmggfdrUwmUnHX1usRMeiMJsUxCtzV0dTE6CFRr4drZSMkgmNU1KpR2VbrYGUBd_o9Vs-6TZGCz-JKr1-2BwSyue6fPIXCE-_CjVMrv/s1600/Cartridge+Pleated+Petticoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVPZbA2nT1nYBoa4z7_VSnmneXDsWqt9hksrtJRmggfdrUwmUnHX1usRMeiMJsUxCtzV0dTE6CFRr4drZSMkgmNU1KpR2VbrYGUBd_o9Vs-6TZGCz-JKr1-2BwSyue6fPIXCE-_CjVMrv/s1600/Cartridge+Pleated+Petticoat.jpg" height="368" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petticoat cartridge pleated to waistband.</td></tr>
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If you need a neat, historically accurate way to cram 5+ yards of fabric into a teeny tiny waistband, cartridge pleating is your insane but awesome friend. I LOVE the look and extra volume cartridge pleats give skirts and petticoats, but they are labor intensive and take forever and a day to do. If this type of pleat is a new thing to you, check out <a href="http://historicalsewing.com/how-to-sew-cartridge-pleats" target="_blank">Historical Sewing's tutorial on how to make cartridge pleats here</a>, and you'll see what I mean about how time consuming they are!<br />
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Since I wanted as much floof and poof as possible for my 1830's tucked petticoat, cartridge pleats were really the only way to go. I pulled out the partially finished petticoat and resigned myself to spending an hour or more painstakingly marking out the usual dotted guides for stitching. Only then did I notice that I had made the silly mistake of flat felling the back seam all the way up to the top, leaving no opening for getting in and out of the petticoat. Curses! Out came the seamripper, and out came the stitches. But look what they left behind on my nicely starched fabric...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q8bnS7H9Ob3Yl-fgVDuqGjWnBWV8viAs5chvf1RLNYWAD1d_KcQCKJL8u4_Hvwi8Wdrd_zyGtdLXK6itq6yy-UP9E_4W2x-0HWG4RbKps00APAtEMf41aE0HWHLE0A2_TDIVAyi2cSrT/s1600/Seampicked+holes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q8bnS7H9Ob3Yl-fgVDuqGjWnBWV8viAs5chvf1RLNYWAD1d_KcQCKJL8u4_Hvwi8Wdrd_zyGtdLXK6itq6yy-UP9E_4W2x-0HWG4RbKps00APAtEMf41aE0HWHLE0A2_TDIVAyi2cSrT/s1600/Seampicked+holes.jpg" height="400" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Usually this is a bad thing.</td></tr>
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Extremely clear needle marks that could possibly act as stitching guides. Of course, the holes left by the two separate lines of stitching don't match up, but what if I used a double needle and stitched two rows of marks at the same time?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5z6oZbp34t7W-3k6uS1EzuYXfhva2d5U2UmxUTvPSgyJ6aRzCOsTElRnjANa78YYwPeczixOtW6KFfnSRNHGsc6_c1wmNEeMG6w-V8WS-EINQeATSBB4faUKvF9MWim7Gn0IdiKiW1L8/s1600/Double+Needle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5z6oZbp34t7W-3k6uS1EzuYXfhva2d5U2UmxUTvPSgyJ6aRzCOsTElRnjANa78YYwPeczixOtW6KFfnSRNHGsc6_c1wmNEeMG6w-V8WS-EINQeATSBB4faUKvF9MWim7Gn0IdiKiW1L8/s1600/Double+Needle.jpg" height="341" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now with twice the stabbing power!</td></tr>
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I've got a pretty big double needle meant for topstitching jeans that was left over from a failed pintucking experiment. The needles are spaced about 1/4" apart, which is a little close for cartridge pleating, but totally workable. Since the double needle is meant for heavy denim, the needles are quite thick and sturdy, which means they'll leave pretty clear holes on certain types of fabric.<br />
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I popped the double needle in my sewing machine and set the stitch length to the longest possible stitch. I only wanted the marks left by the needle, so I took the bobbin out and unthreaded the machine, then stitched all the way around the top of the petticoat, keeping the right needle about 1/4" away from the edge of the fabric.<br />
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It worked! Clear, even marks that are perfectly aligned, and it only took a minute or two to do the whole top edge of the petticoat! <br />
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The largest stitch my machine can make is about 1/8" long, which was a bit small for what I had in mind. However, it's really quite simple to skip every other dot, or more for wider pleats. I've stitched a sample with red thread so that it's easier to see, though of course you'd use a matching color.<br />
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Sadly, this method won't work for all fabrics; only those that will show the marks left by the needle will do, so YMMV. The marks are extra clear on my cotton petticoat fabric because it's been starched within an inch of its life and is practically paper-like. I tried a sample of wool fabric, but the holes closed right back up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-dkCdnBArup3krU5-rZFwIg5TXOF3f4p0h9y3vpAKR1Yfi2tXv4z-KEoqfHF0lt7ckufVn-4JzcxyMOykKsdi-nlJITC0u3-Gbs2QW6qKHfyIshl7U5k05ox7P1tkJVPm-ypRv_8BXmY/s1600/Wool+Fail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-dkCdnBArup3krU5-rZFwIg5TXOF3f4p0h9y3vpAKR1Yfi2tXv4z-KEoqfHF0lt7ckufVn-4JzcxyMOykKsdi-nlJITC0u3-Gbs2QW6qKHfyIshl7U5k05ox7P1tkJVPm-ypRv_8BXmY/s1600/Wool+Fail.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wool experiment fail.</td></tr>
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However, silk taffeta worked splendidly, as did various types of crisp cottons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHI8a3iNDgv0i41BF-hgsPI-jCz5w5iZ44QZKmw3pslXvqT_jFUyQrX_ZDYjw7nQqiOq8iO2ToNK8t0JaBU9J9JcowcM67DALoJWistMCsQckEDL0OfYqYHSh2WsPqtEucc9MyVKwC-Yb/s1600/Holes+in+Taffeta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfHI8a3iNDgv0i41BF-hgsPI-jCz5w5iZ44QZKmw3pslXvqT_jFUyQrX_ZDYjw7nQqiOq8iO2ToNK8t0JaBU9J9JcowcM67DALoJWistMCsQckEDL0OfYqYHSh2WsPqtEucc9MyVKwC-Yb/s1600/Holes+in+Taffeta.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silk taffeta works!</td></tr>
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I still have another hour or so of hand-sewing each individual pleat to the waistband ahead of me, but using this trick shaved off more than a third of the total time it takes me to complete cartridge pleats, so I'd call it a win!The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-10224562584203167352014-04-25T12:18:00.000-07:002015-08-06T16:45:43.530-07:00A Valued Resource Over the years I've learned a lot by simple trial and error, and plugging away at a thing again and again until I've wrapped my brain around it. I'm always excited to find other folks who have done the same, and choose make it a little easier for the rest of us by sharing that knowledge. I've tried to give back by sharing some of the things I've taught myself to do on this humble blog.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9oxk4j7h_1ptGbVgAdcNIMEIaJYFi_h4KVRuY2uBnoWUfCdi3-WqCw6icQVoGxawIZJ7ObKi7b1nbyX_o2o20Vw7wZSbWuRbdAKUlE9RMZ3VQtdBU_lmOznVIhi2uoT1V5IKXZPIG-2Q/s1600/DCsewn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9oxk4j7h_1ptGbVgAdcNIMEIaJYFi_h4KVRuY2uBnoWUfCdi3-WqCw6icQVoGxawIZJ7ObKi7b1nbyX_o2o20Vw7wZSbWuRbdAKUlE9RMZ3VQtdBU_lmOznVIhi2uoT1V5IKXZPIG-2Q/s1600/DCsewn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would never have figured this out on my own.</td></tr>
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But the truth is, that know-how is hard won, and it's silly to expect that professionals and skilled amateurs will want to give away their knowledge for free all the time. I'm more than willing to pay good money to learn new things and support the people who can teach me something new. There's a lot of great info floating around the internet, but there's also a lot of bad info, so I'm also happy to support a source that I know to have consistently good information.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC44u0wBzgpj0pshJxxFpe4gsXObO17-RN7-JmXVRuR8JxpUEzDzcrHHlw0WdjjBrY1KwAFaxi3CJDBkyl4EdBzLS9iVsHgLayCz4mUdtS0fGx0I7caBxhyltnDVALQQupc_VE2wsYbZq/s1600/DCpattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC44u0wBzgpj0pshJxxFpe4gsXObO17-RN7-JmXVRuR8JxpUEzDzcrHHlw0WdjjBrY1KwAFaxi3CJDBkyl4EdBzLS9iVsHgLayCz4mUdtS0fGx0I7caBxhyltnDVALQQupc_VE2wsYbZq/s1600/DCpattern.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advanced patterning, learned via <a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/free-articles/163-yan-diagonal-seamed-corset" target="_blank">Foundations Revealed</a>.</td></tr>
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Enter <a href="http://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel/?i=2">Foundation Revealed</a> and <a href="http://www.harmanhay.com/amember/aff/go/thelacedangel/?i=1">Your Wardrobe Unlock'd</a>. Both are subscription sites with a wealth of how-to articles, historical research, fitting advice, pattern making instructions and so much more. These sites have taught me so much over the years, and they are in danger of shutting down if they can't get more subscribers. The monthly fee is quite low, and allows them to pay their writers and maintain the sites, so by signing up you are supporting your fellow costumers! Please take a look at both FR and YWU and consider signing up.<br />
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Some of my favorite articles (some are viewable for free, others you'll need to subscribe to access)-<br />
Y&N Diagonally Seamed Corset, <a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/free-articles/163-yan-diagonal-seamed-corset" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/corsetry/corsetmaking/167-yan-diagonal-seamed-corset-2" target="_blank">Part 2 </a><br />
<a href="http://www.foundationsrevealed.com/component/content/article/113-fitting-the-secret-skill-by-laura-loft?start=5" target="_blank">Laura's Jelly Fitting Method</a> (shows how to create realistic squishy boobs for your mannequin) <br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/corsetry/decoration/101-matching-stripes-in-corsetry-by-laurie-tavan" target="_blank">Matching Stripes in Corsetry</a> (Ah-MAZ-ing)<br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/articles/bra-making" target="_blank">A whole <i>series </i>of courses on bra making</a><br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/corsetry/corsetpatterns/350-cad-corsets-are-digitised" target="_blank">CAD: Corsets are Digitized </a><br />
<a href="http://yourwardrobeunlockd.com/articles/historicalperiods/victorian/victorian-natural-form-1877-82/370-natural-form-era-hats-and-bonnets-from-modern-hats-by-lynn-mcmasters" target="_blank">Hats and Bonnets from Modern Hats</a><br />
<a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/index-of-articles/free/beginner/74-draft-your-own-corset" target="_blank">Draft Your Own Corset Pattern </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBLl_9rNWJLz9RjFXRWsPpbYLV6l39EATd6472AFt0NEb77GovNpespIRb0nBfCgZTRHk7iqyL9N0u1PgbzGl0pNK8-fkbyu0AZJZqjDyeM8kysPXR9foR7nBZAL6yahn0mrtylamQ2E5/s1600/Corset+on+Dock+Close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBLl_9rNWJLz9RjFXRWsPpbYLV6l39EATd6472AFt0NEb77GovNpespIRb0nBfCgZTRHk7iqyL9N0u1PgbzGl0pNK8-fkbyu0AZJZqjDyeM8kysPXR9foR7nBZAL6yahn0mrtylamQ2E5/s1600/Corset+on+Dock+Close.jpg" width="365" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My corset was a runner up in one of the <a href="http://foundationsrevealed.com/competition" target="_blank">Foundations Revealed contests</a>.</td></tr>
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There's so much more, so head on over and browse away!The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-65359142027666299782014-04-21T22:41:00.000-07:002016-03-09T21:04:29.782-08:00All That Glitters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc_OW7GkIGbHy0bwe6Wc21NJYW9OfXtILSsZA5Svqcu2-vqZtnm8Y7BVECk1WCt6vKV2Iz2JwnF9ItTHhdABXOj98lpD9e11XD3KPx862Y8bLz8B8aHzbItz_gb9ndRcVXrCKnutMNZ9q/s1600/Close+up+of+sari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhc_OW7GkIGbHy0bwe6Wc21NJYW9OfXtILSsZA5Svqcu2-vqZtnm8Y7BVECk1WCt6vKV2Iz2JwnF9ItTHhdABXOj98lpD9e11XD3KPx862Y8bLz8B8aHzbItz_gb9ndRcVXrCKnutMNZ9q/s1600/Close+up+of+sari.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I realized last month that I didn't have the time/money to really splurge and make the intricate silk Romantic Era dress that's been lurking in my brain, and would have to change my plans a bit. I still wanted something ridiculous and over the top though, so I raided my stash of saris for something obnoxious and awesome. Problem is, most of the saris I have are so beautiful I'm still afraid to cut into them! Luckily I found a pink one that I mostly like, but am not so in love with that can't hack it into bits without too much worry.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xKxuUglJbftCcv6ePJBWsAauLXYpEfJk8RVGYb_zabmvp3FA-LoZvjpIrjte5RMgWAtnORY93Yno6e5kWj3ZoHacR79kB2OMP-3pWhtJPlK5JV3eQPxoNzv1eJkJbbGatrJMbe_0ik14/s1600/Sari+roughly+pinned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xKxuUglJbftCcv6ePJBWsAauLXYpEfJk8RVGYb_zabmvp3FA-LoZvjpIrjte5RMgWAtnORY93Yno6e5kWj3ZoHacR79kB2OMP-3pWhtJPlK5JV3eQPxoNzv1eJkJbbGatrJMbe_0ik14/s1600/Sari+roughly+pinned.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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The sari was sold as "tissue silk", which sounds soft and lovely, but apparently means a loose, coarse weave with a weird stiff drape. The weave is open enough that its effectively see-through. It's got a floral brocade-style design woven into it that you can sometimes see in various lights. It also looks extremely shiny in a super synthetic way, which was really off-putting when I first saw it in person. However, it does have the most beautiful metal embroidery work on it, so I've been looking for something to do with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0OeTxqEg0HaEY6OMY00oXsdRjlbErnA-UOyjJBkJopIMYIzrKIQgdcYmMDk4SxuUjY1MEso6VmXjXNIYnie5YOy89CY7MsvFJQdsfWc03w_KPvsDTm6j4r7u0sAjNpXNXjXx9sAx6KGY/s1600/Sari+fabric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0OeTxqEg0HaEY6OMY00oXsdRjlbErnA-UOyjJBkJopIMYIzrKIQgdcYmMDk4SxuUjY1MEso6VmXjXNIYnie5YOy89CY7MsvFJQdsfWc03w_KPvsDTm6j4r7u0sAjNpXNXjXx9sAx6KGY/s1600/Sari+fabric.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's weirdly shiny and kinda stiff.</td></tr>
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Despite the "silk" description I was convinced that it was entirely made out of some weird poly fabric due to the super shine and strange hand, but it turns out I was only half right. On closer inspection it's a cross weave, with a pink synthetic thread in the warp and a silvery metal thread in the weft, which is what gives it that strange shimmer!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcGRAO8mxEwANvuIqJshKVNsXnJdZWBEUAF9UlRY8GmJ0Pk9G5PJ6bobnCSfyAxy_j4A08Zzj1azu5AKacjd6wqSNYvE9xzQ2HGlgJJyvKq2FI-aC3TIY5p5vAi5zVNAP92covNHSOqD6/s1600/Sari+threads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcGRAO8mxEwANvuIqJshKVNsXnJdZWBEUAF9UlRY8GmJ0Pk9G5PJ6bobnCSfyAxy_j4A08Zzj1azu5AKacjd6wqSNYvE9xzQ2HGlgJJyvKq2FI-aC3TIY5p5vAi5zVNAP92covNHSOqD6/s1600/Sari+threads.jpg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Threads separated</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPouv5t1LWWEtz7L8yT2StxsTLiAJAPAzvBevbJ2nmoiJVFaScCtz2aMzIdR_NYUFzsvaRY6J6lG8hJj4se6dlM47SMJNwhWbvYQ_jXtUI7yHekoJidjEy9O_6F7ooZzbjplLQBf32_1oO/s1600/Silver+threads+in+sari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPouv5t1LWWEtz7L8yT2StxsTLiAJAPAzvBevbJ2nmoiJVFaScCtz2aMzIdR_NYUFzsvaRY6J6lG8hJj4se6dlM47SMJNwhWbvYQ_jXtUI7yHekoJidjEy9O_6F7ooZzbjplLQBf32_1oO/s1600/Silver+threads+in+sari.jpg" height="400" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of pink and silver cross weave.</td></tr>
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I'm fairly anti-synthetic fabric when sewing for myself, but I figured I'd make an exception this once. I can always call it my Glinda-the-good-witch-meets-the-1830's dress! So far it's turning out well, despite the fabric handling oddly and being a general PITA to deal with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSF3XyAZjfHfaRvM_rHxtt6mU9QI-uPWUhOFg1vKh05pVEeZ9MIwwtX1WtMa1GUEFuGTv8LhjulojF5xII7JDTDx-RI9iJxUoeE3aOci6yhqJYalQB5QOHxXm_1o55NIOt-qFTwWryYBE/s1600/Back+piece+laid+along+edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSF3XyAZjfHfaRvM_rHxtt6mU9QI-uPWUhOFg1vKh05pVEeZ9MIwwtX1WtMa1GUEFuGTv8LhjulojF5xII7JDTDx-RI9iJxUoeE3aOci6yhqJYalQB5QOHxXm_1o55NIOt-qFTwWryYBE/s1600/Back+piece+laid+along+edge.jpg" height="320" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lining up the embroidery with the neckline.</td></tr>
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Since the metal embroidery work is hands down the best part of this sari, I'm making sure it gets featured wherever possible. I'm placing the bulk of the embroidery at the neckline, which was relatively easy on the back, but a little harder to get to work on the front pieces. I managed it by criss-crossing the front, but had to change the shape of the neckline and cut the shoulders down a bit to make it work. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwJjh3Xx5CRAydEg-uaY_0g81WxvO4jj-R1HBVXA-fc5t1cvwk2vFR6QztQD7MUZ-8Z4EJGDHwRyZdwJ1iEBiNIpjwC_FBdvbzVE3xdCDsWtk_flvFWeuXVjSh_Z0I6g45kT6piqUE0KE/s1600/detail+of+back+trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwJjh3Xx5CRAydEg-uaY_0g81WxvO4jj-R1HBVXA-fc5t1cvwk2vFR6QztQD7MUZ-8Z4EJGDHwRyZdwJ1iEBiNIpjwC_FBdvbzVE3xdCDsWtk_flvFWeuXVjSh_Z0I6g45kT6piqUE0KE/s1600/detail+of+back+trim.jpg" height="240" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJe1UjWGSFouPRU3mPgPdenzHZWoFzIWxPf3aDnYqbIl4B5-CfoSR-YIP456f7DyrEA3xpGbD3j6ed73wj18jsar8CCD6TMSu9aL3ern5z5QqUZbqTkFEi-UPzGqt4DbGQetTObljfbtSc/s1600/Side+back+attached.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJe1UjWGSFouPRU3mPgPdenzHZWoFzIWxPf3aDnYqbIl4B5-CfoSR-YIP456f7DyrEA3xpGbD3j6ed73wj18jsar8CCD6TMSu9aL3ern5z5QqUZbqTkFEi-UPzGqt4DbGQetTObljfbtSc/s1600/Side+back+attached.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXujyrPLirLiP3oL3OQ6LLRHiv3RPpljVw81Q4HhnIT5JIqoVIAthsRHCVC1VNDaUmPURTwIeAkf4duAz6joI1FagIEpPTxhdhzcQBdpU15tuVcSdG_KARVqET-ig-pohAKi0Iz4hNyC6k/s1600/Bodice+front+darts+cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXujyrPLirLiP3oL3OQ6LLRHiv3RPpljVw81Q4HhnIT5JIqoVIAthsRHCVC1VNDaUmPURTwIeAkf4duAz6joI1FagIEpPTxhdhzcQBdpU15tuVcSdG_KARVqET-ig-pohAKi0Iz4hNyC6k/s1600/Bodice+front+darts+cut.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm still working on getting the darts right. Generally I don't cut them out like above, but I had to here b/c there was actually more of the fashion fabric to dart than the lining, and in order to get the two to play nice together it was easier to just cut it up. The darts are also waaay too low right now, but I'm still trying to figure out how to raise them when I'm running into the embroidery on the right side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-TEo1kNSq569E9bbmcqWK5xipPkaOhVESH18zmtVhjZ5WnUnhcRLUd2qVsCuYfB2J98Y84ntLZk23mIR-xUhbGKWpUGku9uQybbDPp466TAhsZJOtXZds4B_jBCYJPWOVSe0PltcAV8J/s1600/Front+with+low+darts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-TEo1kNSq569E9bbmcqWK5xipPkaOhVESH18zmtVhjZ5WnUnhcRLUd2qVsCuYfB2J98Y84ntLZk23mIR-xUhbGKWpUGku9uQybbDPp466TAhsZJOtXZds4B_jBCYJPWOVSe0PltcAV8J/s1600/Front+with+low+darts.jpg" height="371" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dart placement way too low; I've since raised it but still need to go higher.</td></tr>
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I've still got to finish tweaking the bodice, figure the skirt out and finish solving the mystery of the pleated sleeves from <a href="http://collections.lacma.org/node/214648" target="_blank">that pink LACMA dress</a> (nearly there!). I'm also going to need a corded petticoat and some tucked petticoats, and to figure out how on earth I'm going to make a slightly shaggy mohawk into a proper 1830's hairdo. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCUXiFvYELCv4yiAeUHWopRxRuOWmhVmiV8nriHx-b4hIRqoZpiJvBh-W63oCNIip91U5jZwcpvzAAtkXiJbwYMkKZa44XTCe7U20zTZAAVnLNTAzL5Y4ZFUnBSgwYDVMtIxaFRvDJRuL/s1600/Back+of+bodice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCUXiFvYELCv4yiAeUHWopRxRuOWmhVmiV8nriHx-b4hIRqoZpiJvBh-W63oCNIip91U5jZwcpvzAAtkXiJbwYMkKZa44XTCe7U20zTZAAVnLNTAzL5Y4ZFUnBSgwYDVMtIxaFRvDJRuL/s1600/Back+of+bodice.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back is looking pretty good though!</td></tr>
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I've got a week. Let's do this...The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-30407207123689391602014-04-18T16:16:00.002-07:002014-04-18T16:16:38.372-07:00Downstairs<br />I briefly set aside the Romantic stays & gown project to throw together a quickie outfit for another event. PEERs hosted a Downton Abbey ball recently, so of course I needed something to wear! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEJ0x_qg7QYpgPmCfxzpZOiz_gh2MABvaCuMWWQQVWFvSqt0leYkRpRgv_pBwBUftCWamwRYeqihDNZ45WGycYQXO5qbobQaaYlPk65nrQo6rP6P9GS5yxeXaymAcnlOMdMfgBKZI8abh/s1600/Skirt+with+apron+3quarter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEJ0x_qg7QYpgPmCfxzpZOiz_gh2MABvaCuMWWQQVWFvSqt0leYkRpRgv_pBwBUftCWamwRYeqihDNZ45WGycYQXO5qbobQaaYlPk65nrQo6rP6P9GS5yxeXaymAcnlOMdMfgBKZI8abh/s1600/Skirt+with+apron+3quarter.jpg" height="400" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my usual ball attire.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Since Curtis and I just happen to live in what may have been the servants quarters of a 1913 house, and our friends and neighbors live a floor above us in the fancy parlor of said house, we decided to combine forces and floors to throw a pre-ball Upstairs/Downstairs Downton shindig. We left the elegant clothes and manners to them, and prepared to attend an event dressed <i>down</i> for once. There was just one issue- I only have fancy dresses!<br />
<br />
Rummaging around online, I came across the Ladies Treasury of <a href="http://www.tudorlinks.com/treasury/freepatterns/index.html#Edwardian" target="_blank">free patterns</a>; specifically their <a href="http://www.tudorlinks.com/treasury/freepatterns/w191214cdgoreskirt.html" target="_blank">1912-1914 Ladies Custom-Drafted Skirt in 3, 5 & 7 Gores</a>. Following their instructions, I was able to quickly and easily draft up the 5 gore version to my measurements. Since I found a pretty stripped cotton fabric I wanted to use, I did change the suggested grainline to run down the center of each piece so I would be able to pattern match the stripes in a more pleasing manner along the seams.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H98W1j_5iUQ_2dCHsJiMFt0IPAluOjkn-s7o4yCSDJTS2H4p0186JX7g9hn105jJwhY5N-jNT4lmZ3WQPb8bOOd5I5gLD6agQXGpPq3K-02Y4Fe9sOD38jzGL0-YJ1WC1xsZjDjSAa2R/s1600/Strip+matching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H98W1j_5iUQ_2dCHsJiMFt0IPAluOjkn-s7o4yCSDJTS2H4p0186JX7g9hn105jJwhY5N-jNT4lmZ3WQPb8bOOd5I5gLD6agQXGpPq3K-02Y4Fe9sOD38jzGL0-YJ1WC1xsZjDjSAa2R/s1600/Strip+matching.jpg" height="400" width="95" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet stripe<br />matching, yeah!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I wasn't able to start the skirt until about 10pm of the evening before the party, but I did manage to knock it all out in that one late night session. It might have gone quicker had I not had to stare at my pattern layout for a good forty minutes trying to recall how to properly lay the pieces to ensure the stripes matched. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDshBYItm4EDYAxvdx0WxjtLaJtEcHzxKU1L_HBY9ojCOjj9PihOgJBgRa3SPtqIPBrysS3M1mMPgyzs5ouFdhyvqMfT-dXbRrJq-n2rufSxH4FCfiZsYvPKMemXyM6O2hwxDiWDkAYWdZ/s1600/Skirt+Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDshBYItm4EDYAxvdx0WxjtLaJtEcHzxKU1L_HBY9ojCOjj9PihOgJBgRa3SPtqIPBrysS3M1mMPgyzs5ouFdhyvqMfT-dXbRrJq-n2rufSxH4FCfiZsYvPKMemXyM6O2hwxDiWDkAYWdZ/s1600/Skirt+Front.jpg" height="400" width="208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNArU17se-y5rdvS5RF0BOxG0wie5ECrWuqhUdGsVe28dFGt_56bkcLqQ_c7-uIdK7al5Z94PFa7YaF5oswh0qsWCDU4CIEzJ5TZpcv2qWPqUc7Z4w116GI_anVabB3fVpBxxsDlCMKL2/s1600/Skirt+side+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNArU17se-y5rdvS5RF0BOxG0wie5ECrWuqhUdGsVe28dFGt_56bkcLqQ_c7-uIdK7al5Z94PFa7YaF5oswh0qsWCDU4CIEzJ5TZpcv2qWPqUc7Z4w116GI_anVabB3fVpBxxsDlCMKL2/s1600/Skirt+side+view.jpg" height="400" width="195" /></a></div>
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I wanted the bottom edge of the skirt to stand away from my feet a bit, so I added some stiff crinoline fabric behind the wide facing I used to finish the hem. It's actually a bit too stiff, and makes the skirt have more of an earlier line, but I still like it. I figure this skirt could end up working as a casual skirt spanning the 1890s through the early teens, especially if I'm pretending to be behind in fashion a bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_FR_fWs6ahQbh_bc43XiuAPdZMxzIAz7NoFE3sYhxLSw3y3IfCdxtNVV5sB85Rv82zyHWKHIPiDF0PnSAr_eFxhH7nzdBuINRNrtHXtE69BrozsAtRiwJqOt0HKmHrLcfu0AcCr4bzSD/s1600/Skirt+Hem+with+Crinoline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_FR_fWs6ahQbh_bc43XiuAPdZMxzIAz7NoFE3sYhxLSw3y3IfCdxtNVV5sB85Rv82zyHWKHIPiDF0PnSAr_eFxhH7nzdBuINRNrtHXtE69BrozsAtRiwJqOt0HKmHrLcfu0AcCr4bzSD/s1600/Skirt+Hem+with+Crinoline.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 4" band of crinoline tucked 'tween the skirt edge and its facing lends support.</td></tr>
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The back of the skirt swoops out just a bit, which I love. Cat alert on the left!<br />
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In the rush to get it done, I didn't have time to add hooks and eyes, so the skirt back was pinned closed for the party and ball. Once I get around to sewing them on, the closure should be nearly invisible.<br />
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I couldn't find my pin-tucked shirtwaist the day of, so I wore a striped shirt meant for a man. With an apron over it and the sleeves rolled up, only the collar gives it away, and I don't care for this event. With a scarf to cover my hair, I think I made quite a lovely kitchen maid!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccHqy5c1DHIerDscZResDRrlS11bVFpTVdfghLJMQoXhik3i_riW5CVYchzUTbcqSHt2BPeINunNpKaOYHJiUaTUsm63s0H0Hx2yiD9k8WNKhwbc112jKLUVn0JAQ0DwDwFl4cqVZy7o0/s1600/Skirt+with+apron+front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccHqy5c1DHIerDscZResDRrlS11bVFpTVdfghLJMQoXhik3i_riW5CVYchzUTbcqSHt2BPeINunNpKaOYHJiUaTUsm63s0H0Hx2yiD9k8WNKhwbc112jKLUVn0JAQ0DwDwFl4cqVZy7o0/s1600/Skirt+with+apron+front.jpg" height="400" width="212" /></a></div>
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It was pretty awesome wearing this and not having to worry about getting my nice clothes dirty. I felt perfectly comfy bustling about the kitchen baking bread and prepping food in costume. If I got some flour or whatever on me, no worries, it just adds to the character!<br />
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Never fear, this quickie outfit didn't derail me from my Romantic gown project. I won't likely have the stays finished in time (let's face it, as complex as they are, I was never going to get the stays done on time). However, I <i>will</i> have a ridiculously over the top 1830s gown done in time for the Gaskell ball. Here's a few sneak peek photos to tide you over!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvMtxaLd-jcAN7XRCMh4HMlaTzAVNA2azK_GOu8WYIB3GYbJ4Qku7ulIgnNdXhE12bbwtJ5VMMZjcZWZDhSPJHt3CJiGVwvJEr_RZyG2FuO4ZgQt0ivvB2LsuwEUPOajPnYoPRcgceGO-/s1600/Romantic+corset+side+panel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvMtxaLd-jcAN7XRCMh4HMlaTzAVNA2azK_GOu8WYIB3GYbJ4Qku7ulIgnNdXhE12bbwtJ5VMMZjcZWZDhSPJHt3CJiGVwvJEr_RZyG2FuO4ZgQt0ivvB2LsuwEUPOajPnYoPRcgceGO-/s1600/Romantic+corset+side+panel.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corded side panel of the stays.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZA_HWS803y_08axGqT5FXh_PcE4b09ifSE7yizhqrSvxqEHrdbEY8k86w76dyNwZzeZh14X1AUZ_JUxUYGk8EhOjob_eknM3itjtIejKzGULg_rBbPrc4rgPgW-CsRtcz8_NHUzJTFOB9/s1600/Pleated+Sleeve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZA_HWS803y_08axGqT5FXh_PcE4b09ifSE7yizhqrSvxqEHrdbEY8k86w76dyNwZzeZh14X1AUZ_JUxUYGk8EhOjob_eknM3itjtIejKzGULg_rBbPrc4rgPgW-CsRtcz8_NHUzJTFOB9/s1600/Pleated+Sleeve.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing, testing...</td></tr>
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The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-41524607080981500052014-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:002014-03-19T21:25:39.971-07:00Beginning the Romantic Era CorsetBack to that Romantic Era corset, shall we?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9nWBR33GVuV-0T6joYRpTCCwIuLGLF82DZfrmfFKGQflzTTj-KAaX0oKTptzcY8WPIHcb20IAq7SZcrhHv4jIyoX2WIAaheVNZGK3FFFw5byOHZokCXmBIgs7D37F5eTy4XYq_lF2OhV/s1600/Corsets+and+Crinolines+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9nWBR33GVuV-0T6joYRpTCCwIuLGLF82DZfrmfFKGQflzTTj-KAaX0oKTptzcY8WPIHcb20IAq7SZcrhHv4jIyoX2WIAaheVNZGK3FFFw5byOHZokCXmBIgs7D37F5eTy4XYq_lF2OhV/s1600/Corsets+and+Crinolines+.jpg" height="278" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late 1820's stays from Corsets and Crinolines, page 76</td></tr>
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The drawing above is of a late 1820's corset from Corsets & Crinolines. Page 76 features a pattern taken from <a href="http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/search-the-collection/display.php?EMUSESSID=b065e9d0b9093734f6b4fe8223a4f938&2102364166" target="_blank">this corset in the collection of the Manchester Art Gallery (Accession Number: 1948.250)</a>. All those crazy lines and patterns are cording, quilting or embroidery. I've set my sanity aside long enough to convince myself to make this, or something quite like it.<br />
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The image provided by the Manchester Art Gallery is not the highest quality, and it's difficult to see the details. Luckily, the V&A has a VERY similar corset. So similar, in fact, that I thought the C&C pattern was taken from the V&A corset for a while! A closer look reveals small differences, but overall the two are remarkably alike, right down to the vine embroidery in the curved waist sections and the scalloping in between the bust gussets. I wonder if these were made by the same person?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9GaBDmJEgtH_otEuY0nEFDfLEJ6mwrsUqtl5Z3Nbj_SbAgG4nIt_rBWJ7nPcNhXyPf7kZIsARV0PgXblakbUjw71XGOYEF3C733B1YtwZtiPkawGKbRP02MXuIxpNdh1dYCUeNXXUjCn/s1600/Corset+V+and+A+1830s+T_57-1948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9GaBDmJEgtH_otEuY0nEFDfLEJ6mwrsUqtl5Z3Nbj_SbAgG4nIt_rBWJ7nPcNhXyPf7kZIsARV0PgXblakbUjw71XGOYEF3C733B1YtwZtiPkawGKbRP02MXuIxpNdh1dYCUeNXXUjCn/s1600/Corset+V+and+A+1830s+T_57-1948.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138890/corset-unknown/" target="_blank">Corset, ca. 1825 - 1835, V&A museum number T.57-1948</a><br />
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London</td></tr>
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I decided to use the pattern and design from the Manchester corset, fleshed out with details from the V&A corset. I'm updating it to fit into the 1830s (though as we saw earlier, <a href="http://thelacedangel.blogspot.com/2014/01/romantic-era-corsets.html" target="_blank">there's not a whole lot of differences between 20's and 30's corsets!</a>) with a slightly more nipped in waist, and I'm making it strapless so that it can be worn under an off the shoulder ballgown. I chose to swap the straight wooden bust for a split busk for ease of dressing. It's not common on corsets of this era, but the split busk was invented in 1829 so it could have been in use in the 30's. Keep in mind that for this project I'm not going for strict accuracy, though I do prefer to keep within the bounds of possibility. <br />
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In switching out the type of busk, I wanted to maintain some of the super strong support in the front that would have been provided by the original straight one piece busk. The most commonly available type of split busk today is fairly flexible and doesn't provide strong support, so I went looking for an alternative.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWXVIkWba1iOouBbZVO7HolngIrUtUuI8QkfEywGBhtHb5RRvalr_EWdUEelLhm72777HqXhAJKhq0o_jeLqyuo5Cfb38Z2-j8bM6KZEJMVv-02wSYgSkL2MVRG_xcQovLlXBsL7iXihM/s1600/Busk+comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWXVIkWba1iOouBbZVO7HolngIrUtUuI8QkfEywGBhtHb5RRvalr_EWdUEelLhm72777HqXhAJKhq0o_jeLqyuo5Cfb38Z2-j8bM6KZEJMVv-02wSYgSkL2MVRG_xcQovLlXBsL7iXihM/s1600/Busk+comparison.jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can bend the lightweight white busk nearly in half with no effort at all,<br />
but the heavy duty busk doesn't want to bend much, even under pressure.</td></tr>
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I found an extra wide, heavy duty stainless steel busk at <a href="http://www.sewcurvy.com/corsetmakingsupplies/prod_2125226-Wide-stainless-steel-corset-busk.html" target="_blank">Sew Curvy.</a> Each side is 1 inch wide, for a whopping 2 inches across! I'm confident that this super stiff busk will provide plenty of support. <br />
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Scaling up the pattern proved to be pretty tricky. At first I attempted a rough method that sometimes works, or at least gets you in the ballpark. I scanned it into CorelDraw, then scaled it up proportionally until the total waist measurement of the pattern was 1/2 my desired waist (because, of course, the pattern is only half of the corset) and printed it out to see what it looked like. The results were... comical.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9CXp1M7hqPEu7VdZ24yTA8hJ03L3fSt0JzpRM_NOn-PAnSsSGecxvepIc8cMWBxb6BLnMK0yLnJ-lFnGXh-_7-vaczjzu-QVPOxk9XQXSCQGzClitjT7qXSp2C8oFWLlz__ybro_d792/s1600/Bad+Pattern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9CXp1M7hqPEu7VdZ24yTA8hJ03L3fSt0JzpRM_NOn-PAnSsSGecxvepIc8cMWBxb6BLnMK0yLnJ-lFnGXh-_7-vaczjzu-QVPOxk9XQXSCQGzClitjT7qXSp2C8oFWLlz__ybro_d792/s1600/Bad+Pattern.jpg" height="400" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just... no.</td></tr>
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Yup, that's the bottom of the corset hitting well below my crotch. It's practically a minidress. So much for that method.<br />
<br />
What followed was a lot of unscientific smooshing and mooshing of lines in CorelDraw until I felt it was more or less in my size, then mocking it up. I was able to Hulk out of the first mockup simply by flexing my abs (seriously, it burst at multiple seams and fabric went a-flying everywhere), so it was back to the drawing board to add more around the upper chest and hips. After I got the fit right, the pattern pieces were proportioned very differently from the original, so it was a challenge to redesign the cording and embroidery to fit in the new shapes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVaajYPZiJdMSz41GjKukDHD3RffP4rDaqNWm8qb_p6eMbkww7TIC_O-jVME8kpbJDPDaYf1VvC-jNlxabSxFAieBrxtVUoGUYMRsZGo9t-p6TQedznQbu9gXPsFOsVOPKvz_AD9YqSJ-/s1600/Stays+pattern+front.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVaajYPZiJdMSz41GjKukDHD3RffP4rDaqNWm8qb_p6eMbkww7TIC_O-jVME8kpbJDPDaYf1VvC-jNlxabSxFAieBrxtVUoGUYMRsZGo9t-p6TQedznQbu9gXPsFOsVOPKvz_AD9YqSJ-/s1600/Stays+pattern+front.bmp" height="400" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The redesigned front piece. I used multiple colors to<br />
help me quickly differentiate between lines indicating<br />
boning, cording, embroidery, seams and cut lines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It's quite a bit shorter overall, and obviously a lot wider. I think it will end up looking like a slightly strange hybrid of late Regency and early Victorian, which is pretty much what I'm going for. Now I just have to actually <i>sew </i>all of it...The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-62473332963710700362014-03-14T13:33:00.001-07:002014-03-19T00:19:31.789-07:00Cording SampleJust to show that I haven't completely been derailed from that Romantic Era corset we talked about in January...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczGZQ4x3n3GeGvn0Py9ZMPILv5SfNrZfDFPPiEyNgYssanwd7rdIJ1zaQGxdr8Ab3YHL-7GiyoOe8eE1Z5sHV7y2aT9_jtYsZJmDeXqRwFe0nevECpk6Zv2qiYxCA56gGk-v-WGEuM0Ee/s1600/Cording+with+penny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczGZQ4x3n3GeGvn0Py9ZMPILv5SfNrZfDFPPiEyNgYssanwd7rdIJ1zaQGxdr8Ab3YHL-7GiyoOe8eE1Z5sHV7y2aT9_jtYsZJmDeXqRwFe0nevECpk6Zv2qiYxCA56gGk-v-WGEuM0Ee/s1600/Cording+with+penny.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cording test stitched on a hand crank Singer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This sample was just a tester to see if I was in way over my head, but the real deal is on it's way and will include detailed instructions on how to deal with all those crazy cording channels!The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8071082523501639380.post-19525404399521468092014-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:002014-02-10T09:00:02.760-08:00Destruction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPocJcPHbpdamrjvvXZaFPjTQLhBYEKFnJqotE_qQ6E0gBzz8qWlvRnmngA0kFvHiJx41esQcqTAvsP1U3opL1-lkGIOjVhZDsfcYt3ZuU4_eBLVp9vZiDIiPnVlbXFvMIqimjeQ0uUA-Q/s1600/Scrap+corsets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPocJcPHbpdamrjvvXZaFPjTQLhBYEKFnJqotE_qQ6E0gBzz8qWlvRnmngA0kFvHiJx41esQcqTAvsP1U3opL1-lkGIOjVhZDsfcYt3ZuU4_eBLVp9vZiDIiPnVlbXFvMIqimjeQ0uUA-Q/s1600/Scrap+corsets.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
A couple of days ago I tore apart several of my old corsets. Problem is, my lazy butt has not gotten much further than the destruction portion of this project, so I'm posting this as a kick in the pants to myself to get it done so that these corsets will not have died in vain. The Laced Angelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18098291155808824251noreply@blogger.com1