Sunset Dress - Toledo War and Some Updates

As you probably know, I made a little steam casual sundress from some travel prints I had in my stash. It was supposed to be quick and easy, but was neither, but I got it finished and made a matching hat band well before the event, so that's all that really matters, right?

Anyways, here's some pictures:

The best picture is a side view. Of course, my sunhat was so huge that my face is obscured in pretty much all of these... Picture by Dixie, cropped by me.

The back, also featured is my awesome backpiece that still needs work
Picture by Sally, cropped by me.

And this was the only picture I could find of the front. The one with the pigtails is my friend Gloria, who is a-maz-ing. Picture by Corielle Riddell, cropped by me.

 The event was fun, and we had a decent turn out. A lot more Ohio people than Michigan, which was amusing to me because we drove a lot farther than they did.

Details on the dress: I used Simplicity 3823 for the base, pretty much just the bodice part. I converted it from a side zipper to a back zipper. Pretty sure that I could take the bodice down another size, but if I end up gaining back the weight I lost, then it would be too small so... The skirt was as long as I could make it while matching the pattern along the center front and center back seams. It's not perfectly matched, but only I can see the issues so... I just gathered the panels so they fit the bodice. The zipper is a orange-rust color, and I used dark red thread. The zipper was hand picked, the hem done by  hand as is my standard operating procedure and the lining whipped in by hand as well. I also wore one of my petticoats in most (if not all) of these pictures.

Note to self: I really need a new petticoat. Or three. I've been trying to find a good tutorial, the Sugardale one might be the best so far. Although I really love these layered rainbow pettis. I really need several in different lengths for different skirts and dresses, to be honest.

On that topic, I have vacation coming up and have decided to make a couple new things to wear. (1) I bought around 4 yards of an Audrey Hepburn print cotton (not really the one I wanted, but the movie poster print sold out :( ) and plan to just make a quick little dirndl skirt. Maybe a wrap, if I can figure it out, maybe gathered onto a waistband that has elastic, maybe gathered with elastic. I haven't decided yet. (2) The same thing for some train print cotton I have. I've kind of been saving it for a steampunk outfit, but we're going to Chattanooga. And it's TRAINS. So I figured if I did the same kind of skirt, that I could just undo it if I wanted to use the fabric for something else in the future. (3) I'm also thinking about a little silky dress from some cool zodiac print fabric I got from the red tag table on my last little spree. (4) And petticoats. Even if I just do one or two new quick and dirty ones, I could really use some new petticoats.

As for Teslacon, that sewing is coming along pretty well. The swimsuit is almost done, except for the sash and the hat. The rococopunk is well underway and the stays are DONE. And I started work on the bustle gown as well. I'm hoping to have another serger date at my friend's place soon to work on that. If I do any panels, it'll just be one, so I'll have plenty of time for fun. :D

2014 Finished Projects as of July 21

• Complete Regency ensemble from the skin out, including a reticule.
• 18th century stays, bum pad and petticoat
• Two Clifford the Big Red Dog aprons for my father and brother.
• Ohio State University pajama pants for my cousin.
• Commissioned jacket for a friend's Elizabeth from Bioshock cosplay.
• Edwardian corset, drawers and chemise. Officially finished the corset with some hooks and eyes in early May. Chemise was finished around mid May, and everything was from the stash! Well, kinda, I did buy the batiste for the project but it was purchased ahead of time so...but the lace and pattern were stash.
• Easter dress
• Airship Archon uniform corset version 1.0
• Some repairs: Replaced all the ties in my lobster tail bustle in early May. Fixed my skirt and petticoat for the airship uniform with closures and wrist loops, mid May-ish. Fixed a couple issues with my Governess bodice, mid May.
• Airship Archon uniform corset version 2.0, finished on May 17th and worn that night to Privateer's Promenade. :) Then replaced all the eyelets in early June.
• White petticoat, from a stash pattern and left over batiste from the Edwardian underwear project. And some white denim from the stash.
• Wash overskirt to go with my black, red and silver coordinates. Finished in early June, stash materials.
• Gold polonaise and matching hat band, finished early June, pretty much purchased everything. And it needs some work before the next event.
• Steam casual sundress and matching hat band, finished mid July-ish. Stash everything! Although I did buy the sun hat that said hat band is for.
• Summer scrub top for my mom, finished early to mid July.

Going Blog Quiet

I've decided to attempt to go blog quiet over the next three months until Teslacon. I would like to keep some of my projects to myself for the most part so that it can be all a surprise come November. However, I am trying to take lots of pictures as I go, so the plan is for each new outfit to have it's own post towards the end of the year! :D

Of course, this only applies to the three brand new costumes (rococopunk, swimsuit and sari bustle gown), the little things will likely still get blogged. And I may post a few teaser photos now and then.

Current To Do List - Summer Sewing and Teslacon Prep

As you all know, dear readers, I'm attending Teslacon for the first time this fall.  I'm super excited (and a little nervous to be honest!) so here's what might be an overly ambitious to do list:

1. Steam-casual sundress for Toledo War, which I've already started because it needs to be taken care of and out of the way. Deadline: Oh let's say this coming Sunday, July 6th. It's already cut out and I've started pinning it so hopefully it won't take too long. Although I am going home this weekend and I no longer have a machine there because it's up here so...we'll see. Maybe I can do some hand sewing at home. 

Realization: I need to make my mom a scrub top too...*sigh* One for the summer and one for Halloween time.

2. Victorian swimsuit: I ordered the pattern today, so hopefully that'll get shipped out this week so I can start working on it. I anticipate that there will be some pattern work / sizing involved because the pattern was marked a 'medium' with no measurements included. Once I get that figured out, I can buy the fabric because right now, I have absolutely no idea how much I need. Deadline: August 15th. (hell, if I'm going to be ambitious, might as well go all the way!)

3. Black and Gold Rococo Punk: This is basically gonna be from the skin out -- stays, jacket, bloomers, panniers...You get the picture. Deadline for the stays: September 1st. Deadline for everything else: November 1st.

4. Fixing my gold polonaise: There's one or two fitting issues that need corrected, and then I need to add more black braid. Deadline: September 15th.

5. Green Sari Bustle Gown: This is another skin out outfit. I already have the overskirt cut out, and I have a friend that's letting me trace her copy of a pattern for the bodice, but I also need to make an 1880s petticoat and underskirt. At least I already have the lobster tail bustle, right?! I also need to decide what color underskirt I'm doing, because that may affect what I do with the bodice... I'll probably try to do the petticoat first, then the underskirt and actually work from the skin out. But the overskirt might happen first since it's already cut out and easy to throw together, especially since I've made the pattern before. Deadline: Before I leave for Teslacon

6. Make a garrison hat for my black and gold airship uniform

7. Revamp my steampunk Harley Quinn a little

All that in a little over four months. Why do I do this to myself? Oh, because I like it! lol