Forging ahead!

So the doublet was always going to be the most painstaking part of this outfit, and I'm proving that by spending all day cutting, slashing, and trimming the doublet. (Admittedly I was also watching Bones and/or Elizabeth R and drinking Mike's Hard Strawberry Lemonade (I know super girly right?) so saying "all-day" is kind of an overstatement in regards to total focus, but you get the idea.)

So here you can see I've cut the fabric ever so slightly on the bias to give a very tall chevron effect to the front of the doublet. Then between the grey stripes I've basically made 4 inch buttonholes. I ran a buttonhole stitch with a little extra space in between to allow the red silk to show more. This allows me to achieve the slashed look without worrying about this (very fray-y) fabric fraying.

Then I used another multi-shade grey striped fabric to cut two strips of trim to frame the slashing.

Then to polish off the look and bring that red out just a bit more I went in and put down a strip of red rattail cord down the center

I was originally going to zigzag the rattail down but I really don't like doing that unless it's an edging detail. I think it interrupts the flow of the solid trim and looks belabored, especially against the shiny rattail. So I decided to try something I didn't think I could do with a cord. I edge-stitched the rattail down. And when I say edge-stitched I mean I barely caught the rattail as I went along. BOOYAH! It took some zany precision but I'm so happy with the result. It looks like the cord is just floating there! One more little trick to put in my pocket that might come in handy in the future (and opens up a ton of new design options *evil grin*).

So here's what that finished doublet front looks like:

Sometimes fabrics just fall into your hands off the rack and practically yell at you. This was definitely one of those moments. As I said before, this outfit is for a cast member who originally approached me and asked me to design the suit, before we knew I'd end up making it. So I designed it, including the color concept before I ever saw these fabrics. Then one day I'm in Loomcraft and I get no further than 10 feet in the door and all of these fabrics just jumped off their remnant rack into my arms and BOOM! Next thing I knew I was walking out the door with a bag full of fabric and shooting my friend an email letting him know I'd be making this. Sometimes a design or color scheme changes as you start fabric hunting and constructing but I'm quite impressed by the match. Here's the color palette I made up and presented to him with the design (before I ever saw these fabrics!)

It's even the exact shade of grey!! And grey is, believe or not, one of the hardest colors to match. Seriously, try it sometime. It sounds easy, how many greys can there be?? But once you start looking; good effin' luck!

So there's my triumph today. Little victories, right? Tomorrow I have my probationary review for my new job, so tune in next time to find out if I still have said job!

Just a Doublet Away!

So for some reason I've come to leave the doublet for last. I'm reluctant to say this is because I'm intimidated by it but it's probably true. Let me explain. No, a doublet would not usually give me pause but this outfit is for someone roughly 6 states away and although I have a full set of measurements, time and opportunity does not afford a proper fitting/ mock up before the outfit is needed. This is the first time I've attempted to make something that is, by nature, entirely dependent on precise fit without being able to ensure a precise fit via the usual avenues (see mock up/fittings).  And to conclude, the doublet is the least forgiving, in my opinion, of a poor fit and so makes me nervous.

That's why this is where I'm at:

That's right.
Hat - done, minus feather affixing
Slops -done, minus closures
Sleeves - done, minus ties at armscye
Chemise - done
Doublet - you haven't been reading, have you...

And the ever popular 3/4 view:

And remember those little red edged tabbies?

There they are! 

Simple shaped two piece sleeves, with just a hint of decoration. With the stripys on the slop panes, and the stripys that will be the doublet, I wanted the sleeves to be very simple, to give the eye a rest,  with just a hint of red which will bring out the bit of red... that you'll soon see in the doublet! 

Most of the last bits were done while watching episodes of Bones, but yesterday I discovered Bilgemunky Radio. Yes, that is an online radio/ podcast that is completely all PIRATE MUSIC! Now, I have pirate ancestors, but I know most of you are rennies as well and so are partial to the pirate scene. So if you feel like a bit of scallywag mood music, go check it out. Sometimes you just have to shake up the usual routine!

Thanks for checking in! 

Mini update

So here's the deal with my job and working on projects. I have a certain amount of days off in the month, and the rest I'm on call. Sometimes I know where/when I'll be flying the night before. On my days off I'm trying to get errands done, travel home, visit friends etc. When I'm on call, I never know if I'll get called in 5 minutes or 4 fours or not at all (rarely). So sometimes there's time to work on projects but I'm reluctant to start for fear I'll have to get up and leave just as I get working. But alas, I'll have to get over that.

I did get some things done the last day I was on call, so I should just suck it up and get to work (like today).

Sleeves cut, and little detail tabs made. I got called so I still have to make more little tabs to do what I want to with them (stay tuned!).

I also continue to be frustrated by how simple things take forever. I love the results and the details but it always makes me feel unaccomplished when hours of work produces a teeny square inchage of the overall project. But I love it too. I want to do more and more. Those little things are my favorite part! But it takes forever to finish one complete look because of them. But I refuse to leave them out! ARRH!! Welcome to the neurotically masochist world of my work. Brothers and Sisters who hear me, can I get an AMEN!?

Oh so sloppy!

With the panes all prepped yesterday, today saw the assembly of the slops from cutting the lining to attaching waistband and binding off the legs. All that is left is affixing closures, but I have yet to find the right buttons so that will wait for now.

They're just pinned to the backside of my dressform but here they be.

It's always funny when you have the panes attached at the waistband but still not secured at the legs so it looks like some cthulhu/sea creature. I'll get a picture next time. But it always makes me laugh. Maybe that's because it's usually at some obscene hour of the night/morning and I'm awake when I should be asleep... Nahh....

Back at the beck and call of the job tomorrow so we'll see what the rest of the week brings!

What a pane in the Gresham!

No, that's not just a euphemism; today's project was to finish edging the panes for Sir Thomas Gresham. It's one of those tedious steps that is basically really easy. But every seamstress learns the hard way that easy does not equal fast. You think "oh that will be easy" then 5 hours of the same repetitive process later you glare at your hopeful to-do list as you realize you've spent all day on number one. And then when you're done it doesn't even look like you did much.

Start:

Finish:

The dark grey wool beneath is what the slops lining will be, which I cut tonight just to make me feel like I accomplished more than just a bunch of silly strips of edged silk. 

During today's session I listened to The Renaissance Festival Podcast and it made me really yearn for faire days. This may be the longest I've ever gone without attending a faire since I started on cast 6 years ago. Cross your fingers for me that I'll get a weekend off next month so I'll be able to go play with my friends down at the Southern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire! 

Sew long till next time! 

New Project: Sir Thomas Gresham

My latest project is for a fellow cast member who is playing a new character this year and has enlisted my services to make the clothes for the part.

Here are the initial sketches I did for the design

 Stylistically I like the second sketch better but we decided to go with a hat more akin to the first and as of yet the look will not include a cape.

The way this character will be played was described to me as a wheelin' dealin' merchant/financier with a hint of used-car salesman. I wanted to translate this subtly through what he wears. The overall effect of colors is grey-- unassuming, seemingly all business-- with punches of power/blood red which hints at an underlying won't-be-said-no-to determination.
Here are fabrics, again with apologies for photo/color quality:

I started working on the panes for the slops ( I don't know why but I like starting with the panes).

That's the current state they're in as I was prevented from further work by lack of machine. So I had started the hat and ended up working on that and finishing it today.

It's so hard to see the detail in these pictures. The color is not as dark as the photo and the fabric is this really neat ribbed silverish grey silk. I want a couple long ostrich feathers in there as well, but nothing too over-the-top. 

That's what I have so far. I'll be flying for 2 days so I'll pick up work again on Tuesday and hopefully have another update for you by the 11th. 

Ahh, I love that new machine smell...

Of all the things I've gone through in the last 6 months that have made me feel really grown up and adult (i.e. new job w/ benefits, car payment, big apartment on my own, etc.) I've hit a milestone today that makes me feel like a real, honest-to-goodness, grown-up adult woman: owning the sewing machine of my dreams!!

Now, I hear you say "But, Kat, that machine doesn't have a fancy computer-brain, or a pretty touch screen, or a gazillion embroidery stitches, or a price that's roughly equal to a 2012 Ford Focus! Isn't THAT the machine of your dreams??". To which I say "no". A sewing machine is not supposed to think. That's my job. It's supposed to do exactly what I tell it to, when I tell it to. Which is why I'm the proud owner of a new Pfaff Select 4.0: a relatively simple machine that will sew through a gazillion layers of whatever I want then adeptly sew through the finest silk. Built in walking-foot :) Handles beautifully and will last a good many years and projects to come... This is my dream-machine! And it's mine mwuahahahahahahhahaha!!!!

Ok, must go sew now.