Some more progress last night. Making up the corset cover sleeves. I finally got a pattern where the length of the sleeve/shoulder join matched the length of the arm hole. Once I had that all the careful measurements and form went out of the window as it was going to be extended and distorted to make a puff topped sleeve.
I stitched the seam by hand as it wasn't worth getting the machine out for 3 inches of stitching and doing backstitch is quite cathartic. Two attempts on the second sleeve as I had done it inside out giving effectively 2 left hand sleeves. Then a gathering running stitch was put in around the top.
Hopefully i will get a couple of hours machine time this evening and put the whole thing together.
Victorian Project
Re: Victorian Project
Getting there.
A frustrating evening, with the sewing machine being a pig. However I eventually managed to assemble all the pieces of the corset cover including the sleeves.
DSC00082 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
Sorry I'm not modelling it this time, but there are lots of button holes and buttons to be added. It's not going to be easy (or quick) to get into or out of this!
A frustrating evening, with the sewing machine being a pig. However I eventually managed to assemble all the pieces of the corset cover including the sleeves.
DSC00082 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
Sorry I'm not modelling it this time, but there are lots of button holes and buttons to be added. It's not going to be easy (or quick) to get into or out of this!
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 04 Oct 2019, 13:56, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Victorian Project
More progress.
I have added the buttons and their associated holes. The good news is that lots of dabbing with an appropriate Stain Devil seems to have had the desired effect on the ink spots.
Hopefully I will have time to do bustle repairs and have a modelling session tomorrow.
I have added the buttons and their associated holes. The good news is that lots of dabbing with an appropriate Stain Devil seems to have had the desired effect on the ink spots.
Hopefully I will have time to do bustle repairs and have a modelling session tomorrow.
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 15 Feb 2015, 18:25, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Victorian Project
Bustle repairs completed and more photos as promised.
Corset cover
DSC00093 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
and for the full effect
DSC00088 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
DSC00089 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
This completes phase one. For a couple of reasons I need to take a few weeks away from practical stuff. However, I will share any plans with you and if anyone knows about fabrics, I would appreciate some advice.
Corset cover
DSC00093 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
and for the full effect
DSC00088 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
DSC00089 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
This completes phase one. For a couple of reasons I need to take a few weeks away from practical stuff. However, I will share any plans with you and if anyone knows about fabrics, I would appreciate some advice.
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 04 Oct 2019, 14:03, edited 1 time in total.
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bounddosster
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- Posts: 2007
- Joined: 30 Jan 2014, 23:23
- Location: England. East of Midlands.
Re: Victorian Project
I know nothing about sewing but even I can see that is some serious work you have done there and it looks good. Nice work.
Although I have to say it is a shame to cover that sexy corset.
Although I have to say it is a shame to cover that sexy corset.
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Re: Victorian Project
I've been looking at the picture e showing the back of the flounced petticoat and haven't been happy. The gap between the top and second flounce is too big. So I have added another flounce.
DSC00002 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
I think it may also have improved the profile.
DSC00002 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
I think it may also have improved the profile.
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 04 Oct 2019, 14:04, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Victorian Project
It looks very nice, I've often wondered what it was like to wear clothes from that era....
Re: Victorian Project
I've been looking for fabric for the outer garments. The fabric stall in the local market had nothing inspiring so the next stop was Ikea.
I quite like this one for the under skirt.
With the ruffles at the hem in either black or the same material as the bodice. The material is intended for curtains so perhaps a little on the heavy side.
On the same theme I was thinking of the meterial used to make up these for the bodice and over skirt.
The problem is that I'm useless at colours, so your comments would be welcome.
I quite like this one for the under skirt.
With the ruffles at the hem in either black or the same material as the bodice. The material is intended for curtains so perhaps a little on the heavy side.
On the same theme I was thinking of the meterial used to make up these for the bodice and over skirt.
The problem is that I'm useless at colours, so your comments would be welcome.
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 04 Oct 2019, 14:07, edited 1 time in total.
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bounddosster
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- Posts: 2007
- Joined: 30 Jan 2014, 23:23
- Location: England. East of Midlands.
Re: Victorian Project
I like the red curtain colour but not so keen on the flower pattern. But then I prefer plain colours to patterned anyway.
Here is a few I like, maybe not the same style as your doing but I like the colours anyway.
Here is a few I like, maybe not the same style as your doing but I like the colours anyway.
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That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
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boundsissy
- **
- Posts: 196
- Joined: 07 Jul 2010, 01:51
- Location: sub of Chicago
Re: Victorian Project
The fabric pattern and color choice are spot on, I love the satin red. I do agree with you on the choice of using curtain material, it may be to heavy. (shop online you will have a better choice, I'm lucky there are fabric stores local) BTW well done on the work so far. Do you have a dress pattern picked out yet? 
LOVE TO ALL
Re: Victorian Project
Have you looked at fashion plates for the period?
They are a good source for color combinations.
I Google "fashion plate" then the date, 1870s and 1880s for the bustle periods. Then filter by size of image. The are also a good guide for trimmings.
Thank you for posting your project. It's looking very good and evokes the era's undergarments perfectly.
They are a good source for color combinations.
I Google "fashion plate" then the date, 1870s and 1880s for the bustle periods. Then filter by size of image. The are also a good guide for trimmings.
Thank you for posting your project. It's looking very good and evokes the era's undergarments perfectly.
Re: Victorian Project
bounddosster... Brilliant. That first picture is just the type of dress I'm looking for.
I found some other pictures of it (thanks Google image search) and I'm trying to work out if the back is an over skirt or bouffant on the under skirt, but I absolutely love the box pleating along the hem.
For the bodice I would either change it to be high necked or make chemisette - a sort of female dickie with just a collar and enough material to fill in around the neck line. More regency than Victorian. I would also want to pump up the sleeves with more of a mutton leg style.
Patterns would be similar to these
Left most image
Bottom right hand image with the short tail at the top.
So revised thinking on fabric...
by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
I suspect satin may be harder to work with than cotton, but its only 2.50 a metre; I need to find a way to get it delivered though.
I found some other pictures of it (thanks Google image search) and I'm trying to work out if the back is an over skirt or bouffant on the under skirt, but I absolutely love the box pleating along the hem.
For the bodice I would either change it to be high necked or make chemisette - a sort of female dickie with just a collar and enough material to fill in around the neck line. More regency than Victorian. I would also want to pump up the sleeves with more of a mutton leg style.
Patterns would be similar to these
Left most image
Bottom right hand image with the short tail at the top.
So revised thinking on fabric...
by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
I suspect satin may be harder to work with than cotton, but its only 2.50 a metre; I need to find a way to get it delivered though.
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 04 Oct 2019, 14:10, edited 1 time in total.
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bounddosster
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- Posts: 2007
- Joined: 30 Jan 2014, 23:23
- Location: England. East of Midlands.
Re: Victorian Project
Just my opinion but if you was doing the style below
I think green would look wonderful especially if you was adding the black trim bits.
- th.jpg (6.88 KiB) Viewed 3144 times
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Re: Victorian Project
So having been very much taken with the box pleats on bounddosster's image I thought I had better work out how they were made up.
The underlying pleat is call a stacked box pleat, because there are actually two sets of pleats on top of each other. The top is then turned down. Looking carfully at the images I think that there is a double layer of material as the only hem I can see is at the bottom. So a test make up out of left over cotton. Its not done very accurately, I would pin each pleat rather than just folding it up and ironing it as I have done.
DSC00004 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
With this sort of pleat, for every two inches of finished trim it takes ten inches of material, so considering the TV pattern I linked to above had used five and a quarter yards for the skirt, ruffle and bouffant, by my calculation this edging on its own will take over 17 yards of material off the roll for the bottom pleat alone. Gulp. The good news it that is quite heavy, so would pull the skirt down smooth, and lets face it this was never intended to be a light outfit!
Talking about material, I've done further research. It looks like satin is not going to be a good fabric because it is difficult to iron, and there is going to be a LOT if ironing with those pleats. I'm going to get sample of cotton, satin and taffeta in the bottle green colour to have a play with.
The underlying pleat is call a stacked box pleat, because there are actually two sets of pleats on top of each other. The top is then turned down. Looking carfully at the images I think that there is a double layer of material as the only hem I can see is at the bottom. So a test make up out of left over cotton. Its not done very accurately, I would pin each pleat rather than just folding it up and ironing it as I have done.
DSC00004 by Audrey Cooper, on Flickr
With this sort of pleat, for every two inches of finished trim it takes ten inches of material, so considering the TV pattern I linked to above had used five and a quarter yards for the skirt, ruffle and bouffant, by my calculation this edging on its own will take over 17 yards of material off the roll for the bottom pleat alone. Gulp. The good news it that is quite heavy, so would pull the skirt down smooth, and lets face it this was never intended to be a light outfit!
Talking about material, I've done further research. It looks like satin is not going to be a good fabric because it is difficult to iron, and there is going to be a LOT if ironing with those pleats. I'm going to get sample of cotton, satin and taffeta in the bottle green colour to have a play with.
Last edited by Audrey_CD on 04 Oct 2019, 14:13, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Victorian Project
More shouting at patterns
I bought a bodice pattern from Reconstructing History, on the simple grounds that it could be downloaded and printed on my own printer.
Two attempts at printing it, twenty sheets each time, because on the first attempt Adobe had some automatic scaling feature turned on and nothing joined up. The second attempt and a lot a sticky tape later, and I have a mosaic covering the floor.
Also provided was a scale pattern on a single sheet which I decided to make up as a paper model which I have done previously and this is where the fun started.
I am fairly sure that no one has made up this bodice in real life, because a lot of the adjoining seem lines are different lengths; there are strange steps in the arm hole and the armhole is the wrong shape.
I now have several options: Overlay this pattern on the pattern I made for the corset cover and redraw it; Wait until I can get patterns delivered from Truly Victorian, which may be a couple of months and may still not fit; or start from scratch and draft my own pattern.
I'm not a happy bunny.
I bought a bodice pattern from Reconstructing History, on the simple grounds that it could be downloaded and printed on my own printer.
Two attempts at printing it, twenty sheets each time, because on the first attempt Adobe had some automatic scaling feature turned on and nothing joined up. The second attempt and a lot a sticky tape later, and I have a mosaic covering the floor.
Also provided was a scale pattern on a single sheet which I decided to make up as a paper model which I have done previously and this is where the fun started.
I am fairly sure that no one has made up this bodice in real life, because a lot of the adjoining seem lines are different lengths; there are strange steps in the arm hole and the armhole is the wrong shape.
I now have several options: Overlay this pattern on the pattern I made for the corset cover and redraw it; Wait until I can get patterns delivered from Truly Victorian, which may be a couple of months and may still not fit; or start from scratch and draft my own pattern.
I'm not a happy bunny.
