Sometimes You Just Need a Break

Dear readers,

Have you ever just needed some time off from sewing? I rarely do, but this weekend was not a good weekend.

First of all, I was supposed to go Friday night, wearing my new 18th c stays with a cream linen petticoat over a bum pad and matching little shrug I made last minute. But it was snowy and I didn't have a ride, so I stayed home. But I was halfway dressed when I made the decision to stay home, and it wasn't very pretty. The stays don't quite fit correctly, the straps cut in at the shoulders. Part of it may be that they weren't laced properly so fingers crossed that fixes the problem. Also, the bum pad's ties leave an unsightly bulge on my stomach when the petticoat is on and tied. Needless to say, I was okay not going when nothing seemed to fit right!

Secondly, since I already had on my Regency chemise, I decided to try on my short stays and almost finished petticoat, so I could (1) get the strap length for the petticoat straps and (2) measure myself so I could cut out the proper size for my ballgown. And I couldn't get the stays to work. I'm not very well endowed and instead of lifting, the stays just seem to flatten everything.

After TWO bad experiences, I decided to take the weekend off from historical sewing, even with my ballgown / open robe deadline looming over me. So I quilted and I brainstormed the corset I need to make for Symposium to go with my airship uniform (the black and gold natural form-esque outfit) and I finished my cousin's pj pants. I meant to finish my father and brother's aprons and make a pair of leggings (cut out last week), but spent almost the entire weekend with a close friend, bc it was her birthday.

So, this week's goals:
1. Finish the aprons
2. Put together the leggings
3. Buy some bust enhancers for the Regency stays (I'm going to cheat!)
4. Take measurements over Regency undergarments
5. Iron fabric and cut out ballgown
6. Cut out a muslin for the airship corset (gonna have to basically make my own pattern)
7. Take pictures and write a blog post about my stays for HSF

And this weekend will be pretty sewing free because my friend Laura is visiting! :)

Oh, I also went fabric shopping on Friday! I got black linen for an 18th c petticoat, blue taffeta for an Edwardian corset, black denim and white denim for corset interlinging, and cream linen and cream lace for a shrug and mask that ended up not being worn Friday since I stayed home. I also picked up a few notions for projects.