It's Almost Christmas!

1. Embroidered quilt: Still working on block #11. *cue sigh* I don't think it's going to be done before I go home for the holidays.
2.  Keeper of the Keys corset: Still pinned and not put together
3. Suspenders for my femme Joker. - Still not done.
4. Suicide Squad Harley Quinn hasn't been worked on either.... I don't know if I'll be able to get this done on time, not because of the costume construction but because the company I get my tights etc from is out of what I need.
5. New bodice for my black and silver steampunk is DONE
6. And I decided that I needed a new skirt to match ... Also DONE. Had a sewing day at my friends' house and pretty much pounded this out. It has a silver plaid waistband and bias hem. I couldn't find my horsehair braid so it has around a 4 inch wide hem facing of the same red taffeta I used to line the bodice. And some decorative stitching, courtesy of my friends fancy sewing machine.
7. New Tour Wear leggings: DONE

Now I really want a hat to go with my new steampunk...

And it's a Build Day tomorrow! I plan to work on: embroidery, maybe hat construction, maybe scrapbooking. Pretty much anything that doesn't need a sewing machine because I want to be upstairs with my friends and not buried in the sewing room (basement).

On the scrapbooking topic -- I just printed the last three shows of AAR pictures. Time to start volume 2 of my scrapbook! It was decided that volume 1 was big enough already lol

Weekend Sewing and What I'd Like to Get Done this Week

This weekend: I worked on panel number four of my crazy quilt skirt and it is almost finished. I also worked on my corset - I basted the front seam of the lining for fitting and fitted the corset. It is much to large. I'm going to have to take several inches out of the center back seam.

A trip to Joanns yielded two yards of black pleather ribbon with eyelets for my corset straps, two yards of white ruffled grosgrain ribbon for my Harley Quinn cuffs, and a few things for my elf punk fascinator hat. I tried to find something brown for my corset, but didn't find anything I liked.

I made my elf punk hat -- I started with an old CD and cut two pieces of padding, one for each side. Then I cut two circles of the bustle fabric a little larger than the CD size and stitched them down to cover the padding. Next, I added two white taffeta flowers, a large red poinsetta, red tulle and green feathers. I tried to add some white and or gold beads, but I couldn't figure out where to put them or how to attach them. The final step was to add some white elastic cord to hold it onto my head. I'm planning to wear it tilted on my head.


Elf punk hat, sitting flat but will be worn tilted.

I finished my Christmas stocking and hung both it and Beau's stocking up.

To Do List for December 4, 2011:
1. Toaster cover for my father's Christmas present
2. Find the embroidery thread for my mother
3. Finish panel number four of my crazy quilt skirt
4. Take in the corset to fit

It's a conservative list, but with my work schedule and with going home next weekend, that's all I can probably manage over the next week. If possible, I'd love to work more on the corset, the skirt and maybe even start my Harley Quinn cuffs and collar.

A bientot!

To Do List Update - Gypsy Steampunk and Christmas

Steampunk Gypsy:

Three of the six crazy quilt skirt panels are finished and at my mother's house for embroidery. I need to find some of my embroidery threads to take to her for her to use on them. Panel number four is well underway.

As for the corset, I've reached the construction point. After hand basting the cotton interlining to the silk for support and stability and also hand basting the broadcloth lining to the denim interlining, I started sewing everything together. Both sides of the silk outer layer and lining / denim inner layer have been stitched together. I need to baste together the front for fitting purposes, probably take it in some, and then move on to sewing the layers together. I'm planning for this to be lightly boned, probably just at the center front, side front, side and center back with no boning on the curved side back seam. I'm also only planning one bone per seam as opposed to the usual two bones per seam that I usually follow.

The back will fasten with lacing and eyelets (I'm contemplating stitching over the eyelets to give them a prettier look, but haven't decided for sure) while the front will likely close with a separating zipper. I want to have straps of some sort that go up the front to the buckles at the shoulders, my mother suggested brown would look pretty with the teal. I agree but wonder about how that will look with the planned black petticoats. I also need to find buckles. Brown pleather straps would be rather lovely though, and I have some brown faux silk that may work for the binding...

I'm also planning to make a tiered black petticoat to wear underneath the crazy quilt.

Christmas presents:

I started my other Christmas sewing. I made a pillowcase for Beau and used the left over fabric to trim the stocking I made him from left over red taffeta from Diamonds are Forever. My stocking is the same base fabric and will be trimmed in some University of Cincinnati cotton I have in my stash. Other than finishing my stocking, the only other thing I have to sew is the toaster cover for my father's gift.

Harley Quinn body suit improvements:

I know how I'm going to do the cuffs, but I haven't started them yet. I did cut out the collar but its too small and needs to be recut at a slightly larger size.

Elf punk hat:

I'm thinking of some sort of fascinator style hat, covered with clip on Christmas decorations, fabric flowers, red tulle, and some gold beads.

Stash sewing:

If I don't get any commissions, this will probably be the next project tackled. I'm planning something vaguely 18th out of a cream and black flocked taffeta (if there's enough fabric); and a new skirt for my black plaid outfit that is more plaid, probably a shorter skirt with a wide plaid ruffle or pleated ruffle at the hem leaving little of the actual skirt exposed.

Speaking of commissions, I am taking them again. I've had some interest from a few people but nothing firm yet.

Ohayocon Prep 28

Catwoman
1. I finished sewing the second ear onto the hat, so that is DONE.
2. Miss Dashwood approved her shirt so all I have to do is some tacking by hand and a bit of clean up.
3. Tonight I put together the bustle for her utility bustle, the pockets and the D rings. I even put snaps on the pockets using a snap tool and a hammer -- that was a new experience. All I need to do is baste the bustle closed. Eventually it'll be a zipping pouch, but for now its just going to be basted closed.

Imperial Officer

I cut out the jacket and the skirt this evening. I'm hoping that everything goes together like I think it will. I cut the front overlap piece on the fold so that it will come up on both sides of the collar instead of just one. I shortened the pattern then felt that I shortened it too much and added a couple inches to each piece when I cut them out. I also did an adjustment to the side front piece that creates the code cylinder pockets. Basically, all you need to do is cut the pattern piece about halfway down the sleeve opening, and separate the pattern pieces about 7.5 inches. Then you cut out the fabric and theoretically fold it so that a pocket is created and the piece is the same size as the original pattern piece. I got the directions from a couple tutorials on the Imperial Officer's message board, so hopefully it'll work out as planned. I didn't cut out the facing, I'll probably have to draft a custom piece to match my front, or just cut another front out and use that as the facing.

The skirt will probably be the first piece I sew. It's a pattern I've used before and it's relatively simple. I also feel that its best to get the easy part out of the way so my full concentration can be on the complexity of the jacket.

In other news, no progress has been made on normal clothes or the Joker. I may work on the pants for the Joker soon, but I don't know. I think I'd rather get my sewing for me done first, so more than likely, the Kermit pants will be next.

Well, I should get some rest. Work and then a gathering in the Captain's Quarters tomorrow evening. And then I'll be visiting my beau.

A bientot

Miss Leah J Wilde

Ohayocon Prep 27 and a Preview of Normal Clothes Sewing

Progress on Catwoman

Miss Dashwood tried on her aviator hat and declared it acceptable. The hat is in my sewing basket to be worked on Monday while I am at work.

This evening, I had her put on her turtleneck so I could pin the zipper to it. Then I cut the turtleneck along the zipper, took the zipper off, turned the edges back and repinned the zipper into place. I stitched it but had issues with the actual turtleneck portion -- since its a knit, it kept shifting so the edges didn't align on each side of the zipper. I took the stitching out once (just along the neck and a little below) and restitched it. It's better, but still not perfect. I'm going to have her take a look at it tomorrow to see what she thinks. After all, the seamstress frequently notices mistakes in her own work that no one else will see unless they are pointed out to them.

Miss Dashwood has not been able to secure a belt as of this moment, so I have been unable to work on her utility bustle.

Normal Sewing Preview

Also in my sewing basket are the first two normal clothing items I'd like to complete for myself -- the Kermit pajama pants and the corduroy wrap around skirt. I may find time to cut them out tomorrow while visiting my beau and perhaps even begin the sewing. After all, the pajama pants will be terribly easy to complete.

In other news...

My beau has once more expressed interest in dressing as the Joker for our Steampunk Rogue's Gallery. So I suppose it is quite the good thing that I finished his coat. Although I am sure that he will insist on buttons and be quite put out at the lack of interior pockets, which may lead to me having to re-do the lining. C'est la vie.

With the change in the status of the Joker, this also means that I am once more responsible for making myself an Imperial Officer uniform. It is not that I am opposed to the idea, I just do not feel like I have adequate time to complete the uniform as it should be (the party it is for is on the 22, so in two weeks). Actually, I don't know if I have the desire to complete it to Legion standards. Although there's no rule saying that I can't have a Star Wars costume that is not acceptable to their costuming organizations. So I may just do my best -- whether I do it now or later -- and not worry overly much about the specifications.

Fingers crossed that everything gets finished for the event it needs to be done for.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde
Steam-stress of the Airship Archon