Marcon prep #10

What I did today:
1. Made time traveler choker and added a pocket to the bodice
2. Finished black and silver striped bodice
3. Put a couple hook closures on the waistband for my purple bustle
4. Started mystery costume

So it looks like all that's left is finishing the mystery costume, doing a costume run through and packing!

Not too bad, not too bad.

A bientot mes amis!

Miss Leah J Wilde

Marcon prep #9

Alright, let's see how I'm doing on my preparations for Marcon next weekend shall we?

1. Finish beau's kilt - finished this last night. Sewed the last closure into place and added the belt loops.

2. Make mystery costume (no I still have not done this!) - this is packed in my sewing bag to work on at my beau's tomorrow

3. Do a costume run through to make sure everything works like it should - planning to do this Monday afternoon

4. Collect my fascinator for my steamy vampire costume - No date and time has been set for this yet

5. Make a choker for my time traveler costume - This is also packed in my sewing bag

6. Add a pocket to my time traveler costume for a pocket watch - As is this

7. Finish Miss Dashwood's bloomers - Sewed the elastic channels closed today

8. Take in Miss Dashwood's skirt - Also did this today.

9. Check to see if my blue corset can go with my clockwork pajamas - Checked this and it might work, I'll just take it with me and decide when the time comes. Not like it takes up a lot of room

10. If not see if I can get my purple brocade corset put together using navy zipper - Not going to bother. I probably don't have the time

11. Finish black and silver striped bodice (bought elastic cord yesterday!) - This is packed in my sewing bag

12. Dye my hair (not sewing related but this is a MUST) - This will happen sometime next week

13. Waistband for my purple bustle - Today I sewed a wide piece of grosgrain ribbon along the top of the bustle. I have it packed in my sewing bag so I can put a couple hook closures on it this weekend.

14. Decorate hair sticks to match saloon girl costume - Hair sticks, ribbon and lace are packed in my sewing bag. I'll probably pick up some ribbon and beads this weekend to add to them.

14. See if saloon girl bodice can be taken in any - I tried on the bodice and decided the only place it could possibly be taken in was along the hook and eye tape in the front. Pinned and folded it back about 3/8 of an inch, stitched it in place then used a little zigzag stitching along the edge as decoration.

15. Finish packing list and pack - Packing list is pretty much finished. Just need to pack next week.

16. Buy / charge camera batteries (again not sewing but a MUST)- This also needs to be done next week.

I think my preparations are going well, don't you?

A bientot mes amis!

Miss Leah J Wilde

Marcon prep #8

Beau's Kilt - Finished sewing the waistband. Started sewing on the hook closures. Sewed one on backwards so the stitching had to be ripped out - not an easy task I assure you - and re-done. I need to finish sewing on the closures and do the belt loops.

Pre-Marcon To Do List:
1. Finish beau's kilt
2. Make mystery costume (no I still have not done this!)
3. Do a costume run through to make sure everything works like it should
4. Collect my fascinator for my steamy vampire costume
5. Make a choker for my time traveler costume
6. Add a pocket to my time traveler costume for a pocket watch
7. Finish Miss Dashwood's bloomers
8. Take in Miss Dashwood's skirt
9. Check to see if my blue corset can go with my clockwork pajamas
10. If not see if I can get my purple brocade corset put together using navy zipper
11. Finish black and silver striped bodice (bought elastic cord yesterday!)
12. Time traveler prop (not likely)
13. Princess Leia belt (also not likely)
14. Harley Quinn hat (also not likely)
15. Dye my hair (not sewing related but this is a MUST)
16. Waistband for my purple bustle
17. Decorate hair sticks to match saloon girl costume
18. See if saloon girl bodice can be taken in any
19. Finish packing list and pack
20. Buy / charge camera batteries (again not sewing but a MUST)

Wow...I have a lot to do...

Fingers crossed I finish everything

A bientot mes amis

Miss Leah J Wilde

EDIT Finished the kilt tonight. Now my to do list is only 19 items long.

Marcon prep #7

The only progress I've made is on my beau's kilt. I had to make a new waistband as the previous one was too short. Matching the plaid when possible, it was machine sewed on then turned under and pinned to the inside. I'm currently about halfway through hand stitching the waistband down. I actually folded it almost in quarters instead of in half because it worked better. The kilt is so bulky along the pleats that the waistband would have been floppy at the top otherwise. So all I have to do is finish the hand sewing of the waistband and sew on a few hook closures. I'm thinking of doing four - two on each side of the flap.

A bientot mes amis!

Miss Leah J Wilde

Marcon prep #6

1. Sewed the silver satin buttons onto my black and silver bodice. 13 buttons down one side. The 14th button was (1) messed up and (2) an odd number of buttons fit easier. I started making and sewing black elastic button loops on, but ran out of elastic after 8 loops. Each loop is a piece of elastic cord about 3 inches long that is knotted, looped around the button, then the other side of the bodice is lined up, the elastic loop is pinned and then sewn into place. I'm going to hunt for more elastic and if I come up empty I'll either buy more or leave the bottom of the bodice unfastened. I'll likely buy more, as to not be a lady of questionable reputation.

2. The bias around my 'jacket' has been hand stitched down. Then I cut more bias, pinned and sewed it around the armholes and then hand stitched it in place. Unless I decide the jacket needs a closure, which I'm thinking it does not, the jacket is DONE.

3. As for my 'time traveler' - finally added more ring tape to the bustle, so it'll bustle a little higher now and hopefully show some of the underskirt in the back. I also stitched a ring right below the flap at the back of the underskirt so that the bustle can be tied into place. I decided not to move the hook closure because I'm too worried about it disturbing the bustle. And because I was too lazy to redo it honestly.

4. The beau's kilt is now ready for waistband application! Had to redo some of the pleats - during previous fittings he had not noticed that all the pleats went one direction and he checked his Utilikilt and the internet to find that the pleats should go opposite directions and meet with a box pleat in the back. So I had to rip out half the pleats and re do them. I didn't really mind as it kept my hands occupied. The kilt was approved with a final fitting. Now all I need to do is attach the waistband, make and attach belt loops and sew on hook closures.

5. Little progress has been made on my mystery costume. I did however sew the pleather strips together into one long strap. I don't anticipate this costume taking too long, but I always tried to be prepared for the worst.

Overall, I think my preparations are coming along quite quite well.

Pre-Marcon to do list:
1. Elastic loops for silver and black bodice
2. Finishing the beau's kilt
3. Princess Leia belt
4. Time traveler prop
5. Mystery costume
6. Maybe finishing my Harley Quinn hat

I don't really have anything in my sewing bag today. The kilt is there but since all I need to do is pinning (I'm going to machine stitch the waistband) its not really much of a sewing project.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J Wilde

Marcon prep #5

1. Put together my new black and silver bodice. Its a corset style w a lot of pieces, one of my favorite patterns actually. I had to take it in A LOT, I think mainly because the fabric had a bit of stretch to it. I took it the two front seams and the two side back seams about 3/8 of an inch. This made it so the bottom fit perfectly but the top was still too big - I don't have much in the way of decolletage - so I took in the two side seams and the center back seam 3/8 of an inch at the top and tapering to the normal 5/8 seam near the middle of the bodice. This plus finishing the front edge w a narrow hem made it so the bodice fit pretty much perfectly. Now to see if the buttons are going to be enough...My original plan was two rows of buttons w elastic loops holding them closed but I may have to go to elastic 'button holes' and all the buttons down one side. I also hemmed the top and bottom edges of the bodice. I used a zigzag stitch on the front, top and bottom so that the fabric can still stretch a little.

2. Finished the seams on the plaid taffeta 'jacket' w a few passes of a zigzag stitch. Then I cut two strips of bias from the plaid to finish the edges of the jacket. Pinned and then sewed that on. The next step will be hand stitching it in place. Then I need to cut some more bias to finish the armholes.

In my sewing basket today - bodice and buttons; plaid jacket to stitch down the bias; and I still have my time traveler bustle and skirt (Fixed the zipper on the bodice yesterday) that need ring tape and rings respectively. The skirt also needs the hook closure moved but I'm worried that'll mess up the bustle so we'll have to see how that works out.

Projects that might not get done before Marcon - my Leia belt and my prop for my time traveler costume. Oh well.

Marcon prep #4

1. Finished the hand stitching on my beau's kilt. Now I just need to get him to try it on...

2. Put together my 'jacket.' I cut the collar piece off and trimmed down the front. I'm thinking of cutting bias strips from the plaid taffeta to finish all the edges, but we'll see. I found a piece of wide black grosgrain that I think will work for the closure. I don't think the mandarin-esque collar is going to work out. I started stitching the bodice pieces together.

3. No progress on the mystery dress.

4. Still haven't done the final stitching on Miss Dashwood's bloomers, might do that tonight.

5. In my sewing basket today - buttons to cover for my bodice. Time traveler bodice - the bottom of the zipper needed fixed and I already did that today. Time traveler skirt - going to add a ring for the bustle to tie onto to hopefully hold it in place. Time traveler bustle - going to add more ring tape so it bustles just a little bit more. I think I'll work on the buttons next - something fairly easy.

EDIT: I covered the buttons - fourteen of them - and it wasn't easy. In fact it was rather difficult and my fingers still hurt. The worst part? I don't know that fourteen buttons will be enough for my bodice, that's only seven per side, so I might have to add in some hook and eyes. We'll see. Have to finish the bodice first, don't I?

Marcon prep #3

Things are coming along rather swimmingly I think!

1. I finished Miss Dashwood's pieces and she is quite pleased! I just need to sew the elastic casings shut but that'll only take a moment. She looks rather adorable in them.

2. I also finished the lovely Miss Dashwood's pajama pants. Although now we are both bemoaning our lack of matching corsets. We plan to wear the pajamas to a Barfleet party.

3. Finished flatlining the fabric for my beau's new kilt. Then I sewed the front flap lining in - cut a piece of plaid the right size, sewed it to the outside of the front flap along the bottom and side, leaving the top edge and the side that would be against the lining open, flipped it to the inside, folded the edge over to encase the raw edge of the lining and basted the top edges together. Then I was ready for the pleating! Which took a little bit of trial and error to get the fabric pleated so that the pleats sat in the right place and so that the front overlapped just the right amount for him. After the second fitting, I let every other pleat out about half an inch, adding a total of 2.5 to 3 inches to the garment. Pinned everything down, keeping all the pleats aligned with the lines of the plaid and started hand stitching each pleat. I'm sewing from about 4 inches down the pleat, up to the waistband and then across the top of the pleat. Once they're all stitched (or earlier if possible) I'll have him try it on again and if he's pleased - which he hopefully will be - then I'll sew on the waistband and add the belt loops he's requested.















As for my own last minute projects -

4. I decided on a bodice design for my 'summer' bodice. I'm making a corset top (probably without boning but I'm not sure yet, I might use some) and a sleeveless 'jacket' to go over it. Originally they were going to be stitched together into one garment but since I decided to go w a black and silver stripe for the bodice - on Miss Dashwood's suggestion - I'd prefer to leave the bodice so that I can wear it separately. The 'jacket' is going to be out of the silver and black plaid, probably with a solid black mandarin style collar. I may alter the back of the bodice so that it shows some skin, but I might leave it as is. I'll make that decision once I put it together. I plan for the bodice to fasten with silver satin covered buttons and elastic loops. I've cut out all the bodice pieces and pinned them together, I may line it w a heavy cotton. The 'jacket' pieces are also cut out, except for the collar, as is a peplum out of the plaid that I may use hooks or snaps to fasten to the bodice as a temporary addition. I'm not sure if the peplum will be necessary yet but its an option.

5. As for my mystery costume - the fabric has been purchased and prewashed. I cut strips of pleather to use for the strapping. The strips need to be sewn together into one long strip and then I'll start working on the actual dress. I'm thinking that'll happen this weekend when I can use the dress form at my beau's house. Draping will be involved and I'm thinking that a dress form will be necessary for that portion of the construction.

I still haven't made any progress on the prop for my time traveler or on the Leia belt. Nor have I worked on my Harley Quinn hat. I think I'm more interested in wearing my new costumes instead. After all, I don't really need the hat to be Harley, I can just put my hair in pigtails and people know who I am.

That's it for now! A beintot mes amis!

Miss Leah J Wilde

Marcon prep #2

Hello my dearest darlings!

I've been making fantastic progress on my preparations for Marcon.

1. Finished sewing ribbon onto the underskirt of my 'time traveler' dress. Which means the dress is DONE! Unless I decide to add more ring tape to the bustle, which I am tempted to do but for now I'm calling it complete. AND I do need to finish the prop...I believe my beau and I may be working on that this weekend...

2. Finished sewing Miss Dashwood's bustle together and started the hand sewing - hook closures and snaps - all that is left is to sew more hook closures on so that the bustle train can attach to the apron. I also fitted the bloomers, cut them to length (they were much longer than what the lovely Miss Dashwood desired) and re-sewed the seams to replace the basting stitches. I also created casings at the waist and the hem and threaded elastic through. Now all that is left is to have her try them on again so I can tighten the elastic to her satisfaction.

3. I ironed the fabric for my beau's kilt and cut out the pieces. I've started the process of sewing the outer fabric to the lining. I'm going for something similar to a flat lining so that its almost like the kilt was made out of thick material and not like it was lined. I'm worried about keeping the plaid straight and dreading all the pleats. The front flap is going to be lined in the plaid because I ran out of the heavy cotton (my guess as to how much fabric I needed was incorrect on the lining). I plan to work on this tonight and attempt to finish it. Or at least make a lot of progress.

In the planning stages and hoping to finish for the convention are two more items for myself - a more summery bodice for my plaid dress and a mystery costume. I'm rolling ideas for the bodice around in my head, trying to decide if I just want to do a sleeveless bodice using the same pattern as the current bodice, or if I'd like to do a corset-like top, or maybe even a sleeveless polonaise style... As for the mystery costume, its one I've wanted to do for a while, and would be perfect attire for a theme party my beau is likely to escort me to. I'm planning to purchase the fabric tomorrow and start on it this weekend.

And before you ask 'flat lining' is a technique where the lining is flat against the inside of the outer fabric, they're stitched wrong sides together to give the impression of a heavier fabric instead of two separate fabrics. You then sew with the fabrics as if they were one piece instead of two.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J Wilde

Hard core Marcon prep has begun!

Yesterday I bought fabric to finish Miss Dashwood's bustle and for my Leia belt. I cut out the belt and put some sticky velcro on it to close the back. I think its a little small but it'll do for now. I also bought snaps and hook closures for Miss Dashwood's bustle and metal buttons for my Leia belt.

Today I bought fabric to make my beau a kilt. Black and red plaid and heavy cotton to line it so it has some weight to it and won't go flying around when he wears it. The fabric is currently being prewashed.

Also today I (1) worked on hand sewing ribbon onto my time traveler underskirt to finish the top edge of the ruffle (2) cut out the last pieces of Miss Dashwood's bustle and pinned the outer train to the facing so I can just sew it really quick tomorrow and (3) cut out and pinned together the pieces of fabric for my Harley Quinn hat. The hat is totally experiemental. I might need to make it larger for it to work right. Now the question is do I just add fabric to the bottom or do I re-cut the pattern pieces making them a little longer?

That's it for now!

A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde