Time Traveler Entry #17 and an updated to do list

Hello dearests,

I hemmed ruffle #2 and sewed on the lace. I left the top unhemmed because I'm planning to gather it to match a ribbon and then sew the ribbon onto the skirt. I started hand stitching the green ribbon over the lace on ruffle #2. It is a little time consuming but not horribly so. It'll just be my carry with me project for a while.

Bustle - I cut out the petticoat netting and pinned it to the lining of the bustle.

Next up
1. finish sewing on green ribbon
2. make ruffles for the bustle
3. attach ruffles to bustle
4. sew lining to outer bustle
5. sew ring tape onto the underside of the bustle
6. attach bustle waistband, add hooks
7. attach waistband to underskirt, add eyes
8. sew hooks and eyes onto the apron where it fastens over the bustle pillow
9. attach ruffles to underskirt
10. finish sleeves of jacket

My time traveler is getting there! At least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, however faint that light might be! THEN I get to worry about my prop. Because the costume will not be complete without it. And I had another idea for a simpler prop that I'd like to add.

Notes on my latest to do list:
Miss Dashwood's costume - I found brown and white striped fabric. Hopefully I have enough for the bloomers. I'll be starting on her costume once mine is finished.

Harley Quinn - I don't expect the hat to give me issues. The only obstacle I might encounter is when I attempt to attach blond pigtails to the hat. I should also acquire some goggles.

ANH Princess Leia - I need to get the boots from my parents' home. And then make the belt. I checked and the costume specifications allow for a vinyl belt which will be cheaper and likely easier than leather. I should also split the sides of the dress to about my knee.

The above are the things that I absolutely MUST finish by Marcon. I have about two months to do it all. If possible I'd like to make Miss Dashwood and I matching pajamas, since we are sharing accommodations and all. If I finish all of the above and have the time before Marcon, I might attempt to make myself an imperial officer's uniform from Star Wars. More than likely, that - along with a similar costume for my beau - will have to wait until after Marcon. Yet another project to add to my list.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde.

EDIT photo added



One of the ruffles with the white lace attached and the green ribbon in the process of being sewn on.

Updated To Do List

Again, this is mainly for my own purposes. I would write it all down on a piece of paper but I am dreadful with losing things so posting it online seems the better idea.

Time traveler - Finish trimming underskirt ruffle #1. Hem and trim ruffle #2, then apply both ruffles to the underskirt. Finish the top of the underskirt. Cut out petticoat netting for the bustle. Put the bustle together, including stitching Roman shade tape to the underside for bustling purposes. Use bright pink narrow ribbon to bustle. Trim bustle with layered ruffles - white satin, either purple brocade or satin, white lace, green ribbon. Finish jacket: shorten sleeves, maybe trim w white lace and green ribbon. I also need to pick up some white gloves, I'd like to make or find a white fan and I plan to make a matching parasol.

For Miss Dashwood - brown bustle skirt and striped bloomers, provided that I can find striped fabric. Maybe a blouse.

Harley Quinn - aviator-esque hat

ANH Leia - Belt

I am hoping to have those four costumes done before Marcon in May. It is a lot of sewing to do in just a couple months.

Pink and white outfit (no real deadline on this)

Simi costume for Dragon*Con

Group costume for Dragon*Con - coordinated dresses for myself, Miss Dashwood, Miss Van Eycke and Tailor Made. Will also probably be helping the Captain with his costume.

For the masquerade in August - steampunk Disney fairies with myself playing the role of the adorable Tinkerbell. So excited about this one.

Mara Jade from Star Wars - I'm planning to make her black jumpsuit costume. Hoping to do one jumpsuit, two costumes. One will be 501st acceptable so I can join. My dear beau is a member and has asked me to join. At first I balked because I don't like the Imperial uniforms but then I realized that Mara was an acceptable character. So now I am excited. The second costume will be a steampunk version of Mara Jade, I'm still thinking up ideas for it. While I'd like this done asap, there is no real deadline. Perhaps Dragon*Con?

Time Traveler #16 and a sewing commission

Hello darlings!

First of all, I finally purchased some dark purple satin to make ruffles for the underskirt of my time traveler costume. I got a little over two yards of fabric, folded it in half and cut it into strips. So I have two lengths of satin about 4 yards long and 9 inches wide. One strip has been hemmed on both sides and trimmed with white lace which I sewed on my machine using a zigzag stitch. I started pinning on the green ribbon but didn't finish it. Now the decision comes of whether I hand sew on the ribbon to match the rest of the dress trimming or if I just machine stitch so it'll be faster.

I'm also working on a sewing commission. It's for a contest so I can't give details but yesterday I cut out the pattern and today I sewed it together. Its knit fabric so I used a ball point needle and a zigzag stitch.

That's all for now! A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde

Time Traveler #15

Sorry for the delay my dear darlings. I have new real life employment that is keeping me from my sewing love. But said employment has allowed me to buy a few things for my costume so I say it all works out in the end. I picked up more green ribbon - one spool of the narrow I've been using for trim and one of a wider width to use for the waistband of the underskirt. I also purchased some white petticoat net to use in the bustle. The pattern calls for crinoline but I personally feel that crinoline would be much to thick. I believe that the netting will give it some nice shape. I need to purchase some fabric for the ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. I've decided I don't like the one semi narrow ruffle that I have now so I'm going to attempt to match the color of the purple brocade so I can have a couple layers of wider ruffles at the hem.

I cut out the lining for the bustle. I decided to just use the clock print cotton because I did not have enough of either white fabric I was thinking of using. The white fabric will likely become ruffles along the edge of the bustle. I'm also contemplating covering an umbrella and making it into a parasol. Maybe some of the white fabric will be used for that. The apron has been pinned to the underskirt but I have not stitched it into place yet. So a quick look to the future - stitching the apron in place, cutting out the netting for the bustle, putting the bustle together, removing current ruffle from skirt and adding new ones. Oh and I eventually need to shorten and hem the sleeves on the shrug. I'm thinking elbow length would work well.

I've had some more prop ideas but I think that what I want to do is beyond my meager prop making abilities. Fingers crossed I either figure out something or someone else helps me.

A bientot!
Miss Leah J. Wilde

Time Traveler Entry #14

Finished stitching the green ribbon onto the bottom of the apron.

In other sewing news, I mended a shirt for my beau and patched a pair of my trousers.

Time Traveler Entry #13 and an earlier project

Hello dearests,

The bodice to my time traveler costume is completed! I finished sewing on the green ribbon today. Then I pinned the green ribbon onto the apron above the white lace and started sewing it on. It's in my project basket to take to my beau's this weekend.

This is the bodice I made for the Broken Hearts Masquerade. I took a corset pattern that I had used before (in fact, I think it was used to make the pink and white one seen in my gothic ballerina photo), cut it out of red satin and sewed it together. Then I tried the corset on, pinned the front together and cut one side where I wanted it to curve underneath my bosom. Then I simply finished the edges and sewed some eyelet trim to the front.







I was going to upload a few more photos of some other projects, but my computer is not cooperating and I'm tired so I'm just giving up for now.

I promise to upload some other pictures later.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde

PS If you didn't already see it, I added a photo to an earlier entry, the one that talked about my time traveler and the gothic ballerina outfit.

Time Traveler Entry #12

Dear readers,

I finished stitching the purple ruffle on the bodice. Now all I need to do is sew on the green ribbon.

I tried the white lace trim both under and over the purple ruffle on the underskirt. Neither appealed. Under it just looked like the petticoat was showing. And it wouldn't lay right over. So I abandoned the idea. At least for now.

I put together the apron of the overskirt. Sewed the side pieces to the front, pleated the sides in accordance with the pattern markings and attached the apron back. Those pieces will fasten on top of the bustle pillow. Then I started the trimming process - used what was left of the purple ruffle from the bodice to edge the bottom of the apron, then layered white lace over top. I plan to add green ribbon as well, but that will have to be hand sewn.

That's it for today.

A bientot,

Miss Leah J. Wilde

To-do List

This is mainly for my own reference, but since things keep crossing my mind...

My time traveler of course. After seeing pics of someone else's bustled gown with a large ruffle edging the bustle, I think I'll have to give that a try instead of a narrow ruffle. Unfortunately I know I don't have enough purple brocade to do a large ruffle, a narrow one yes, a large one is very doubtful. Hmmm maybe just white? I think I have enough white satin...It was going to be lining but I could always line the bustle with the clock fabric, I probably have enough...And I could double layer the ruffles, a narrow purple one over the white or maybe a little green ruffle or lilac satin...*thinking*

Bustle for the lovely Miss Dashwood. She found one on a website that she likes, hopefully I can replicate it.

Aviator-esque hat for steampunk Harley Quinn

Pink and white outfit - I have a corset and skirt that match that are made from pink linen. The top is lined with pink and white stripes and reversible. I'm thinking of adding to the bottom of the skirt somehow with more stripes. Maybe make it into a mermaid style skirt, maybe just add a ruffle (gathered or pleated) and some sort of bustle...

A Simi costume for Dragon*Con (if I go) - I'm thinking corset, ballerina-esque black tutu and my purple and black striped socks. Just need an underskirt, horns, bat wings and a coffin shaped purse...

Time Traveler Entry #11

Dearest readers,

Today I hemmed the top and the bottom of my ruffle for the bottom of my skirt. Which by the way somehow ended up not all the same width...oh well, I doubt anyone will notice. It will be at my feet after all. And I believe that if anyone is looking close enough to notice a little mistake, then they are looking too closely. And its rather unseemly to look that close, don't you agree? Anyways, after hemming both sides with a narrow hem, I divided it into eight roughly even sections. Then I stitched along one side with a basting stitch using heavy thread (button and craft thread to be exact) in the bobbin. This allows for the heavy thread to be pulled to ruffle the fabric without breaking. I broke the stitching at each section in order for the gathering to be a bit easier. Next I divided the underskirt into eight sections as well, matched up the section divides and proceeded to gather the ruffle to fit the skirt. Its not perfect but no one is after all, so I accept its imperfections. I then stitched down the ruffle and removed all the pins. I'm in the process of removing the gathering stitch but set it aside in the interest of sleep.

Next up will be adding white lace. I can't decide if its going at the top of the ruffle or underneath the ruffle on the underskirt or both. But that decision will wait because I am very tired.

Bonne nuit!

Miss Leah J. Wilde

EDIT Photo added



Underskirt with ruffle attached

Time Traveler Entry #10

Hello dears and darlings,

The white lace trim has been stitched onto the bodice and green ribbon has been pinned on top of it. Currently working on stitching down the dark purple ruffle better. I figure that it will go with me on little errands and such until its done as I can hand stitch anywhere but I can only use my machine when I'm at home. So why waste valuable machine sewing time when I could just wait til I'm visiting my beau or a friend to work on the hand sewing?

I also hemmed the underskirt (which is pink satin). I used polyester horsehair braid. The braid is pinned to the right side of the hem, then you zig zag stitched along the edge. Next the braid is turned to the inside, encasing the raw edge of fabric, pinned and stitched down. The hem could be whip-stitched by hand for a less noticeable stitching, but I usually don't worry too much about that. Especially when I'll probably be adding trim that will hide the stitching anyways. In this case, I decided to cut more, wider bias strips of the purple brocade to make a ruffle for the bottom of the underskirt. The strips have already been stitched together. I plan to hem both sides of the ruffle, then ruffle it before attaching it to the underskirt. I'll probably also add some white lace trim to the ruffle, probably along the top of it.

I have been taking some photos as I work. At the moment, I have misplaced my camera cord. Hopefully I can find it soon and edit all these posts with photos added.

A demain!

Miss Leah J. Wilde

EDIT: Photos added

Layered trim on the bodice














Yards of purple brocade destined to be a ruffle on the hem of the underskirt

Time Traveler Entry #9 - Archon Build Day

Hello darling readers,

Yesterday the Airship Archon held a build day. I took my shrug and my bodice with me to work on. The shrug is finished - hand stitched the lining in. Unless I decide to add trim to it, at least. I finished ruffling the dark purple brocade trim, pinned it on the bottom of the bodice and stitched it down. Then I pinned white lace over it and started stitching it down.

Today I continued stitching the white lace down.

I decided to only trim the bottom of the bodice. I think with the jacket, the neckline of the bodice does not need further accents. This can always change.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde