Monday, November 19, 2012

Costume Porn!

Airship Stewardess wings!

The inside of my new steampunk bodice



Closeups of how I made the boning channels inside the bodice. I hand stitched bias strips over the boning because there wasn't enough space in the seam allowances for it.

Bodice with the lining put in

Close up of all the different stitching - the white was the basting that held the silver satin and the interlining together, the pink is the basting holding the lining and the outer fabric together.

Progress and What's In Miss Wilde's Sewing Basket: Thanksgiving Edition

  1. Embroidered quilt: Block #10 is DONE, started block #11. I'm still feeling on track for Christmas. This is definitely going home with me for Thanksgiving, so hopefully I'll get some work done then.
  2.  Keeper of the Keys corset will probably get worked on Thanksgiving or post Thanksgiving. My dad has more boning for me so once that's done I can start putting it all together.
  3. Suspenders for my femme Joker. Haven't started because Joanns was out of what I needed and I haven't gone back and bought the stuff yet.
  4. Suicide Squad Harley Quinn hasn't been worked on this week. I still need to - alter the front of the corset, line the corset, put in the bra cups and lacings, finish the shorts, make the collar, order what I need...
  5. New bodice for my black and silver steampunk is actually approaching completion. The collar is done and sewn on. The bottom edges have been trimmed in bias. I still need to - finish the armholes, finish the inside where the pleats are, finish the outside where the pleats are (decorating w a little left over trim), figure out what kind of lacing I'm doing in the front, decide if I'm trimming the front with ribbon or not, decide if I'm adding a ruffle to the back or not...
  6. Soldiers Angels pillowcases and blankets still need worked on. Honestly, I didn't make pillowcases this week because I didn't feel like changing out my thread in the machine. I did start on quilt top #2 though. 
  7. New Tour Wear leggings because I'm seeing the Rejects in less than three weeks in Maryland! Planning on buying some stretch velvet in green. It's a Christmas show, I want to look like an elf. lol
In my sewing bag for Thanksgiving: embroidered quilt, along w a ruler and marker to mark the block edges for stitching; Keeper of the Keys corset and that's probably it since I won't be home long. Oh maybe the leggings to at least cut them out. And maybe the pillowcases cuz those would be a quick and easy project while I'm home.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

More Progress! And adding to the to do list

Well, I've got a lot done since my last post...

First of all, I made a shopping list and went shopping for hopefully everything I need for the rest of the year. I got border and backing fabric for my quilt. Boning, quilting thread, quilting needles, a quilt hoop, black thread, batting for my quilt, some fabric to make pillowcases, yarn for a friend, lacing for the Harley corset, zippers for a few projects, gears, glue, fabric for the collar for the new Harley costume, elastic cord for bodice lacing... Okay I think that's it. And I actually have now added to my to do list so I'm going to need to go shopping again for a couple more things. Plus they didn't have the suspender clips I needed so I need to pick those up.

I worked on the embroidered quilt. Block #10 is almost done, which means I only have two more to embroider. I haven't started piecing it, but I did figure out how much fabric I needed for the border and backing.

I cut out the corset lining. And put it as well as the corset together. The corset is boned and the zipper been put in, next is another try on before I add in the bra cups and then put the lining in. Oh I also need to alter the front a little bit so it'll lace a little better. May need to re-do the front completely actually, so it looks more accurate.

The Harley pajama pants are DONE.

And not only did I start basting for the new bodice but I also put it together, put the lining together, put in the boning (including bias channels), decided what kind of collar to use, sewed the collar together, decided on trims, cut out and put together bias for said trim... Okay I think that's all so far :)

Oh! And I made the wings for my airship stewardess costume! Just used a little super glue to glue a couple gears onto my plastic Delta wings.

I still need to mail Pepper's leggings. As well as a costume that a friend bought from me.

Okay current status of to do list:

  1. Embroidered quilt is coming along nicely. I should have it ready by Christmas as planned. I hope.
  2.  Keeper of the Keys corset. Haven't worked on this. I have the zipper now, but I need more boning.
  3. Leggings for Pepper. DONE just need mailed
  4. Wings for my airship stewardess costume. DONE
  5.  Suspenders for my femme Joker. Haven't started because Joanns was out of what I needed
  6. Suicide Squad Harley Quinn - coming along nicely. The shorts are almost done. The corset is coming along well. I need to order my socks, figure out what I'm doing with my hair, and make the collar.
  7.  Harley Quinn pajama pants DONE
  8. New bodice for my black and silver steampunk. Also coming along nicely. I need to baste the lining and outside together, trim everything out in bias, decorate and put the collar on, figure out the buttons I want to do on the front...
New additions to the to do list: I joined a group called Soldiers Angels and am working on pillowcases and blankets for the troops. I have one quilt top put together already and two pillowcases pinned for sewing. I need to get batting and backing fabric and work on the quilt as well as get the pillowcases put together. I need some plain fabric for a pillowcase, because I have the perfect fabric to use as the cuff. 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Pictures! aka Costume Porn :)

Finished Harley Quinn pajama pants. I think they look pretty good, don't you? My Joker friend called them "spiffy" lol In the comic she's wearing a grey shirt with them, but I'll probably either wear my Harley and Ivy tshirt or a black tank top.

It still needs work, but I think the corset for the SSHarley is coming along well, don't you? Next up is taking it in some, then the engineering starts...

Monday, November 5, 2012

Weekend Progress!

This weekend I:

  1. Worked on my embroidered quilt, not much but I did work on it.
  2. Not only cut out but put together the leggings for Pepper. Just need to get those in the mail!
  3. Worked on SS Harley. I altered the pattern Friday night after work and cut out the spandex. I only messed up one piece which was okay considering how often I was looking at a picture while doing it to make sure I cut the correct side out of the correct color. Saturday and Sunday I basted the spandex to my interlining as well as pieced the front section together before basting it (the front panel is two colors).
  4. They still need hemmed to prevent the inexpensive knit from running but I made the Harley Quinn pajama pants!
  5. And I cut out the outer fabric and interlining of my new black and silver bodice. 
Not bad for a weekend, eh?

This week, my second job has me working less hours than usual. Which originally pissed me off, but then I realized that I need a break from working 60 hour weeks plus less hours there means more hours to sew! 


This week's to do List:
  1. Work on the embroidered quilt. I'm actually tempted to start piecing it together so I can figure out how much fabric I need for the border and the backing...
  2. Mail Pepper's leggings.
  3. Cut out the Harley corset lining. I think I'm going to use left over red taffeta from Diamonds are Forever. And start putting the corset together. The sooner the corset's together the sooner I can start figuring out the engineering that I'm going to have to do...
  4. Hem the Harley pajama pants.
  5. Start basting the fabric and interlining for my new bodice.
  6. Make a shopping list for all the stuff I need from the fabric store.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Progress on my Year End To Do List

I have a standing dinner date w friends every Wednesday, but they cancelled on me yesterday. Which was actually okay, because it meant that I got to go home and do some chores (dishes, put plastic on my bedroom windows to winterize them) and I got a little sewing done.

What I did:
  1. Embroidered quilt - Worked on this while at work during the day :)
  2. Suicide Squad Harley Quinn - Pinned together the corset interlining so I can baste it together and start working on altering the pattern.
  3. Harley Quinn pajama pants - are cut out! I decided to go with a leggings pattern, since the ones she's wearing in the comic look more like leggings than baggy pajama pants. I did cut them a little larger than I would cut actual leggings though.
 I have the quilt and the corset with me, just in case I get some free time at work to embroider or baste.

What I didn't work on (and why):
  1. Keeper of the Keys corset - I need more boning, which I'll need to get from my father (using plastic strips that he gets on the papers)
  2. Leggings for Pepper - I need her measurements and she hasn't gotten them to me yet.
  3. Wings for my airship stewardess costume - Need to buy gears and glue.
  4. I'm also thinking of pulling out and painting a little airship ornament that I bought several of a few years ago. It would make a lovely key chain on the keys I carry...
  5. Suspenders for my femme Joker - Haven't looked to see if I have ribbon yet. Need to buy the suspender clips.
  6. New bodice for my black and silver steampunk - Everything else needs done first! 
What I'd like to do this weekend:
  1. Work on the quilt
  2. Work on altering the SSHQ corset pattern. Even better if I can start construction of the costume, cuz there's sooo much to do.
  3. Put together the Harley pajama pants, which shouldn't take long at all
  4. At least cut out Pepper's leggings (as long as I get  her measurements)
  5. Maybe buy the supplies I need so I can work on the other little things that need done
Timeline -- Ohayocon is eleven weeks from tomorrow, which I know sounds like a lot. Until you think about the fact that I need to make SS Harley from the ground up as well as make a new Victorian bodice, which will not be a quick project.

And I'm also fighting the urge to learn yet another skill -- I want to learn how to tat. Just what I need, another hobby. lol