Marcon Prep: The Ottoman Vest and Cage Bustle

Ottoman Vest:

So far I've completely used up one skein of metallic thread - there are two rows of couched thread around the entire outside of the vest, and around the armholes and there is one row of couched thread about two inches above the first two rows around the outside but not the armholes.

Tired of couching thread, I pulled out the pink embroidery floss this evening and started a simple outline stitch inbetween the two rows of couched thread. I'm doing this to bring some pink into the vest to match the scarves better.

I'm thinking I'll add a nice gear design on the front in a couple places, but that won't come until after the border is complete. The large design on the back will likely also involve gears.

However, I have little to no idea what to do to fill in the border space. Maybe some spirals. Maybe a nice paisley design. I really don't know.

Cage Bustle:

I also worked on my cage bustle. I shortened most of the bones and basically pleated the casing down to be the right size. And I sewed the ties on underneath. I just need to try it on, and then put the skirts on over it to make sure the length is good before hemming it. I was thinking about ruffles, but now I'm leaning away from that.

I may have other plans for that left over muslin...

In other news...

I made myself a bandanna out of a remnant of UC Bearcats fabric that I picked up last week. It was a pretty quick project. All I did was use another bandanna to measure how big it needed to be and then did a narrow hem on three sides, the fourth was the selvage edge.

I've also had this costume idea running around in my head for a week or so. It's based on a Persian jacket I saw in a Racinet illustration. I was contemplating franken-patterning it out of a jacket pattern, but when I checked the Simplicity site today, low and behold, they have a pattern that is pretty much just what I had in mind. Of course, mine will be different as I don't have enough fabric for the entire jacket. It'll probably be sleeveless and shorter to accommodate how much fabric I have. Or I may end up buying more fabric, who knows. But this is probably where the muslin will go, cuz it would make nice lining for the vest I think. However, this outfit will likely not happen until DragonCon since I still have my vivandiere outfit to make for Marcon.

And now, this steam-stress is off to bed. Bonne nuit, mes amis, et dormi bien.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J. Wilde

Christmas and Ohayocon Prep 8

My HQ corset is finished!!! I fitted it a couple nights ago -- had to take about 4 inches out of the back and tweak a couple front seams a bit and it fits perfectly. Stitched the new lines in the lining, stitched the outer fabric together plus the alterations. Next came the boning casings - just stitched down the seam allowances on all the lining seams. Sewed the outside to the lining along the bottom and inserted the boning. I boned all the seams except for the center front (I didn't want to alter the lay of the fabric) and the seam over the breast, for obvious reasons. I pinned everything together along the top for hand stitching at work the next day.

The next day (yesterday) at work, I hand stitched in the zipper, then made boning casings along the zipper and inserted boning there as well. I hand stitched the straps together, then took the straps and the corset to my friend's house on my lunch break for proper placement and to figure out the correct length. With the straps pinned into place, I started stitched the lining and the outer fabric together, from the bottom of the zipper on one side up and over the top of the corset and back down the zipper on the other side. I finished this last night at home. Then I pinned lace trim to the bottom of the corset, which I stitched into place today.

Unrelated sewing project alert!!! I made a Bible cover yesterday. I keep thinking that I need to make one so I can actually take my Bible places without harming it, and yesterday I just up and decided to do it. I made the base out of some left over muslin from my Gorgo dress, sewed two pieces together, folded the top and bottom under, then made pockets on the end for the cover of the Bible to slip into. Once that was stitched together, I pulled out some low pile snow leopard print fake fur (random Miss Wilde fact --- I LOVE snow leopards. They are the most awesome animal ever and I could pontificate on their awesomeness, but that's not related so I'm going to move on now). I cut the snow leopard fabric a little bigger than the cover on three sides, and long enough on one end to wrap over to the front of the Bible to close it. I turned under the three sides and stitched them to the base fabric, then turned under the edge of the flap. I added an elastic loop for a button and hunted through my button collection until I found the perfect button -- a large teal colored marbled piece. I sewed that into place, slid the Bible in and buttoned it closed. Now my Bible has a cover!

Okay, back to Christmas and Ohayocon. I finally prewashed my brother's pajama pant fabric and test washed the taffeta for my HQ skirt and jacket. The taffeta laundered just fine, which means I will be able to wash my costume, which is always nice.

Sewing plans for the immediate future --
1. Cliff's pajama pants
2. HQ skirt and jacket

I feel pretty in control right now. Christmas sewing is almost finished and my HQ is coming along nicely. Hopefully I'll finish both soon so I can move on to my beau's Joker and Miss Dashwood's Catwoman. Ohayocon is quickly approaching after all.

A bientot!

Miss Leah J Wilde